Chapter 21 The game begins.
While lying on the mattress, I thought through all that I had prepared. If it was a strength-based competition, I had not benchmark to compare myself against. I knew I was probably not strong to compete with other participants, but I hoped I had a chance. If it was a skill-based event, I had been saving up my sewing kit to gain tailoring skill and the nails and hammer for enhancing my carpenter skill covering both scenarios. I could also use some of my ingredients to increase the cooking skill on the run so that was covered. If I ended up in a cold environment, I had the fur and pelts. The sewing kit needle was standard size which may not help me in making a jacket or such, but I guess I could always find some way or just drape it to stave off the cold. If it was commerce based, I had some coppers and if it was survival based, I could use all these things I had gathered to hold out for at least some time. However, if the event was based on magic or cultivation then I would have no chance. Despite the meditation technique, I had not been able to sense spiritual energy without which practicing sun salutation was not of much help. I had been running (sort off) and exercising and with additional attribute points, my strength and agility were higher than most humans on Earth could claim.
I didn’t know how claiming this planet would stave off the destruction Earth was heading towards, but these were questions I had no way to answer so I decided to park it aside for the time being. I hoped what I had achieved in the last 7 days was enough and what I had collected in my inventory would give me a strong starting point. I had been collecting all small and big items that I could find in preparation for the unknown that was heading my way.
Inventory
2 eggs, 6 pieces of bread (not dry), 6 medium sausages, 1170 mint leaves, 850 sweet berries, 25 small rocks, 10 tree logs, 1 new shirt, 1 worn out pants (bloodied), 1 worn out pair of boots, 1 iron pot, 2 packet of matches, 1 rusty water canteen, tarp, 2 rope, 1 wolf fang, 1 wolf fur, 28.5 kg wolf meat, 29 dandelion flowers, 11 dandelion plants, 2 mint plants, 2 sweetberry bushes, 1.7 kg spinach, 5 spinach plants, 3 sweet potato roots, 60 apples (sweet and ripe), 1 apple tree, 1 monkey corpse, 2 small basket, 5 pastries, 7 L water, rabbit meat scraps, rabbit fur scraps, 1 used soap, 1 insect repellant, 1 Swiss army knife, 1 kg salt bag (open), 4 rabbit corpse, 1 water proof notebook, 1 pen, 1 frying pen, 9 sachets panda biscuits, 5 common puffball mushrooms, 9 hedgehog mushrooms, 16 lime, 1 lime tree, 400 blueberries, 3 blueberry shrubs, 25 limestone rocks, 1945 copper coins, 75 unburnt torches, 60 potatoes, 1 small crystal, a box of nails, hammer, 27 sheep wool bunch, 135 kg mutton shoulder, 195 kg mutton ribs, 133 cabbages, 39 sheep yarn, 1 fleece blanket, 4.5 kg mutton chop, 1 iron spear, 15 chives plants, 9 instant noodles, 1 shovel, 1 sewing kit, 4 cans of tuna, 1 scissors, 1 pack compression bandages (3), Wolf pelt (25), wolf claw (25), 1 axe.
When I woke up in the morning, I was lying on the ground with my back stiff and wolf fur still covering me. There was a slight chill in the air and the light around me was stronger than it usually was. As I got up, the new changes became evident – the furniture (meagre though it was) had disappeared as did the stove, small toilet, and washroom. The room had changed into a run-down shack barely holding up with some leaves thrown together to form a roof with plenty of holes letting in the sunlight. The shack was total of 5 steps and the opening where the door should have been, bare letting in the morning air. I tried walking out but there seemed to be a barrier preventing me – dude don’t you know people have needs early morning! I tried opening my screen to see the time and the location, but nothing happened – no screen, the inventory was inaccessible as well.
If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
At this point in time, the wolf fur on the ground, my boots, and Katana that I kept by my side while sleeping and the four leaf clover pin that I had taken to wearing were the only things I had in my hand apart from my clothes and jacket rolled up as a pillow. I decided to first resolve my morning struggle by digging a hole with hands and blade on the side, plucking a few leaves off the roof was the only alternative. Now I can let the panic set in, in peace.
The wait lasted a long time or maybe it was not so long and just felt like, the announcement flashed – both in writing and verbally. It was just like the presentation where the slides had the exact same words that were being spoken by the presenter.
CGM Announcement
Event is about to begin in 1 hour. All participants have been placed at their designated spots.
Attention Participants.
As you are aware, you have been chosen to compete in this ‘Game of Life’ for the ownership of this planet. All of you have been selected based on
Age – 15 – 20 years
Capability – Average – you are neither the strongest nor the weakest from your planets or your species.
The participation selection has been kept random to ensure no impropriety.
No. of participants from a planet or species is based on population.
You have been placed in a shack as a starting point. The first stage of this event will be survival based. The areas you are in are varied and there is 100 kms between each participant. All landscape has different advantages which are up to you to explore.
All participants will be given access to survival system, which will have features enabling communication, trade, and others. Your inventory system will be allowed however no additional inventory feature will be provided during the event. The items gained from this world will be readily accessible in your inventory but any other items you may have brought will be available subsequently with achievements.
The first stage will last for 3 months with a disaster every 7 days – which could be natural disaster, monster tide, system generated disaster or any other. Eliminated participants will be either dead or sent back to their home planet. Giving up is not allowed. For the first 15 days, any attack on another participant will result in your own death. There will be subsequent announcements as the game progresses from time to time.
Number of participants – 100 billion
Event starting in – 00.55 minutes.
I listened attentively to the announcement and then read through it twice more to see if there were any ‘between the line’ type of text. I got the inventory when I landed on this planet and the items, I gained were also from this planet so ideally, they should all be available to me. I will have to wait for a while, I guess. The announcement did not say anything about the status screen so I wasn’t sure whether my attributes will still show up, I could still feel my enhanced strength so that was good.
100 billion participants are a lot and 100 Kms distance between each? How large is this planet then? The scale of both stats was overwhelming.
I had no survival training except the last 7 days which were also supported by the novice bag. At this point, apart from missing my daily dose of caffeine, there was not much I could do except wait. I spent my time exercising, training and writing.