Ian kept an eye on the strange woman-like being in his peripheral vision. She was naked and would have been invisible if not for the endless golden ripples.

Ahead, two doors as different as they were disconcerting. The whispers in his soul, which he was not yet accustomed to, warned him to be wary of her. Her power matched her beauty.

"Let me see if I get it! You offer me a significant advantage in exchange for doing something for you. Something that's not in my power right now, but will be in a while. How do you know I will keep my word?"

As she approached him, she smiled, but he did not smile back. She refrained from touching him this time, having learned from her previous attempt. She had surprised him the first time and now he constantly kept his distance.

His breathing and intense gaze reminded her of a wounded animal. Contrary to her assumptions, it wasn't out of fear. Rather, it was unpredictable violence concealed beneath a facade of disdain. Undoubtedly, he had a unique past.

"No, thanks! I don't want power granted by others. From experience, I know that favors come at a high price."

She wasn't surprised. She knew his answer since she spoke to him when the darkness had not yet given him that gelatinous body. When he was just an immaterial consciousness and only objected to what she offered him. Still, she had to try.

Few heard her words, and almost none accepted a pact. It was to be expected. Only those who harbored hatred could understand her words. Only those who didn’t reject darkness. Ian's heart was filled with hatred; that was as evident as was his pride and distrust.

Ian muttered while looking at the doors. "Someone once told me that only those who need help ask for it. Everyone else steals and cheats." He turned to his left and looked at her. "You don't seem to need anything. You just sound like a greedy liar with ulterior motives!"

She smiled. "Why do you remember the words of a man who humiliated and mistreated you for so many years? Do you owe him something? Or perhaps you want to be like him?"

For a brief moment, Ian let his emotions take over. "You call that scum a man?!"

He didn't react that way because it reminded him of the constant pain and humiliation he endured for almost 16 years. It was because she compared him to that. To his father.

The woman smiled, pleased to see that he was not immune to her provocations. The possibility of reaching a pact had already been lost, so why not ruin it completely?

"And you call yourself a man? What a hypocrite! How many people have you bathed in hydrofluoric acid?"

He had lost count a long time ago. "Motherfuckers don't count! I know what I am! And you?! How many have you tricked into this kind of game to…" He tried his luck. "… kill them later!"

The woman didn't react at all. She simply maintained her unwavering smile.

Tired of her attitude, Ian inquired what he was being dragged into. "Why don't you tell me what I'm doing here instead of breaking my balls? If I really didn't die, what happened to my body? What is the purpose of sending us into some kind of game?"

The woman turned her back on him. "I'm not allowed to tell you that."

"I thought you were someone important! Maybe some kind of god. What are you then? A lackey?"

She circled around him, maintaining direct eye contact. "How amusing! Humans are so fragile and weak that almost anything appears godlike to them. I truly pity you! If I am a lackey, what does that make you? A flea?"

"Is that why you play with us? You enjoy crushing fleas?"

Her smile slowly faded as she stared at him in silence. Silence that Ian ended up getting fed up with. "Why don't you get the fuck out of here?! You look like a damn mannequin without clothes! Aren't there no others to torment?!"

She looked at him arrogantly, only to start to fade away. "Alek is present too! He was a little far away, but he has also entered the game! However, you may not encounter him. Pairings are made with unknown players."

To the woman's surprise, Ian showed no interest. She found it strange that he didn't seem to care about his fate, even though he had been his only friend.

Although the woman had already disappeared, her voice could still be heard. "You and everyone else will regret this contempt! You will remember this moment with rage when you have my champion before you! You will regret having the power at your fingertips and letting it escape!"

Ian clenched his fists in regret. He would like to know about Alek, but he needed information. Now he knew that he wouldn't have to fight alone and that he might have to face her. He must take that into account in his next decisions.

Until then, with the exception of Alek, he had survived disconnected from society. Without him, he would be forced to socialize and form a group to survive.

Ian sighed deeply. “That sucks!”

**********

After peppering the whispers with questions, Ian learned that the benefit of going through the bloodstained door first would be a better body than going through the other. Body with which all classes would undoubtedly be more powerful.

"Classes?! This is nuts!"

[Fel-Har’s favor]: Obtained after first going through the left door first. Provides the following benefits:

◦ +1 in 5 of the 6 attributes related to the class you choose at Level 1.

◦ Advanced Rank in all Weapon Skills, as well as a reduction of 5 in the Dexterity requirements to reach the subsequent Ranks.

◦ Being able to choose 1 of the 6 Instincts.

The benefits from the other were different. Related to group and item creation. He really didn't give a shit about them.

Without thinking twice, he approached the blood-stained door. He could only contemplate the possibility of entering there. After all, he had always prioritized investing in his body over the slim chance of better weapons.

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Since his choice was clear, the whispers provided him with a preview of the instincts he could choose from.

[Survival Instinct]: Slowly heals wounds and prevents infections.

That instinct was very interesting, but Ian was known among those in his old squadron for being cautious and hard to reach.

[Tracking Instinct]: Detects prey even if they are invisible or camouflaged in the shadows. Can also sense when you are being watched.

That one was tempting, but for some reason that only he understood, he found the next one much more appealing.

[Preventive Instinct]: Identifies the intentions of other players:

◦ Neutral with a faint white aura.

◦ Distrust with a faint yellow aura.

◦ Hostile with a faint orange aura.

◦ Murderous with a faint red aura.

[Unbreakable Instinct]: Doubles your stamina and mana regeneration.

“Without a reference value, that tells me nothing!"

[Fighting Instinct]: Gives extra HP and MP:

◦ 1 HP for every point spent in Wisdom, Intelligence or Willpower

◦ 1 MP for every point spent in Strength, Dexterity or Agility.

[Colossal Instinct]: Gives extra Toughness and Resistance:

◦ 1 point in Toughness for every 3 points you have in Resistance.

◦ 1 point in Resistance for every 3 points you have in Toughness.

"What the hell! Is this for real?! What's with the damn attributes?!"

A crooked smile appeared on his face as he imagined himself living in a video game. He never owned a console or PC, but he played once with some neighbors. A summer he had spent at his grandparents' house. Away from his father. Away from the irrational hatred.

It was very far away in time, but for a moment, he remembered a moment of his childhood that wasn't one of tears and blows. That summer he had met three girls. He never saw them again. A few days later, his mother abandoned him and everything went downhill. Shaking off the painful sensation of the blows that still lingered in his body, he took refuge in that summer.

"What were their names? I don't remember the little one's name, she was a bit of a bitch. The older one was very shy. I think her name was Emily. She was very pretty. The one I liked the most was Jean. She liked fighting games. The red-haired girl with green eyes... Wait! I think I saw her face somewhere! Was she the girl from the supermarket? Could she be...? Shit! Yes, it could be her! Did she recognize me? Is that why she called me? Nah! I don't think so! She was just sick of that jerk!"

Ian wondered if she would be in this new world. The screams echoed throughout the supermarket. The strange phenomenon had probably reached all of them. If Alek, who was more than 3 kilometers away, had entered, why wouldn't she? Although she could have opted for reincarnation. Furthermore, acquaintances didn't end up together.

"It's a shame! I didn't need to pretend with her. I had forgotten that feeling."

"Forget about her!"

A male figure appeared a few steps away from Ian. Ian was frightened by the sudden presence, but he refused to acknowledge it. The stranger wore a long hooded robe that concealed his face and body, creating an air of mystery. Despite this, he still seemed to be powerful.

Ian was dying to ask who he was, but decided it was wiser to observe.

The hooded man took the initiative. "Justice! That's what moves you! No matter how perverse the way to get it is or how much you have to get your hands dirty, the important thing is to get it! Especially if it's to clean up a personal grievance, right?"

All of sudden, the man looked surprised. "Not even your father was spared. How interesting!"

Ian was a bit fed up of mind-readers. "If you're looking for a pact or...!"

The hooded man approached calmly. "Oh! I'm second fiddle! Well, so are you to me.”

He looked to his left, as if he could see something in the vast darkness that Ian couldn't see. "I hope your friend Alek turns down her offer too. She is a big liar! She offers great power, but it comes at a great cost for those who fail the test."

"Alek?! Where is he?!"

"Stop worrying about him! Just think that he's dead!"

Ian clenched his fists, ready to punch him. He was aware that he would probably regret it, but he wanted to break the mouths of all those manipulators. However, the hooded man raised a hand in a sign of truce. His hand was completely scarred. So was his face. That intimidated Ian.

"You are getting angry with the wrong person! I have no control over their actions. My desires are different from theirs. I want people like you!"

"Why do I get the feeling you're playing with us?"

The hooded man began to fade away. "I offer new exclusive classes to those who follow my path. If you wish to meet me again, take the left door. Keep pursuing what your heart desires! I will help you fill that void inside you!"

Ian looked puzzled. He didn't know what he meant, but he didn't want to look like a brainless brute who just wanted to appease the anger his father had beaten into him.

Ian answered, even though the hooded man had already disappeared. “The only thing I want right now is the head of the bastard who got me into this within my reach!”

Fed up with being treated like a performing monkey, Ian rushed to the blood-stained door before another asshole showed up. That already seemed like a damn casting for the Hunger Games.