The girl eventually stopped wailing, comforted by Lisa. Strangely, Viktor joined in consoling her too. However, Aurora didn't look comfortable around him, which I silently commended her for. That bastard was wearing the same sick smile he had on when he called me his friend. Something about the smile just ticked me off; it bore an uncanny resemblance to a certain doctor I knew.

By now, the countdown for there wasn't much remaining of the mission's initial time. I had already checked the rewards; it was certainly interesting.

[Mission complete]

[First blood]

[The Culling Games have just begun, and without the temperament of a killer, itcertainly, you won't get far. Prove your mettle and take the life of another participant within the next thirty minutes.]

[Time left on completion: (29:03)]

[Rewards]

[Congratulations, you have proven that you have the right to partake in the Esteemed Culling Games. As a reward, you have been granted the method to take the first step in escaping the shackles of your mortality.]

[The Ritual of Exchange.]

[Pangea is the ultimate collection of all concepts. It is an abstract mirror of the universe. Everything that exists within the universe has a counterpart in Pangea. For the maintenance of balance, both exist in harmony and isolation. This ritual allows you to obtain a random portion of your being in that dimension by sacrificing a random portion of your being in this dimension. The obtained portion materializes itself as an object termed a True Soul Piece, as it is, in essence, an object wrought from an amalgamation of concepts representing who you are: a soul.]

[Strictly follow the instructions below:]

[1. Using a fresh sample of your blood, draw a circle (It may not be perfect).]

[2. Step into the circle and say the following:

"My abstract reflection,

He who roams the incomprehensible dimension,

The memory of all I am, all I was, and all I might become,

I wish to perform an exchange,

From me to you, from you to me,

A transaction between soul and being, between abstract and real.

May my blood be a faithful protector and medium for this exchange".]

[3. The obtained item will immediately appear and become of knowledge to you, the same for what you lose. Once this happens, clean the circle and end the ritual.]

[Note: This ritual can be done many times to improve the power of the item. Each time, the effect of what has been lost increases exponentially. It is necessary to let the soul and body stabilize before attempting it again.]

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

There were a lot of strange and new concepts here. Overall, I was extremely impressed with myself. If I could think straight in reality, I would probably be a super genius. After all, my dreams could create such an intricate world.

I sighed; I guess I couldn't have my cake and eat it too. I couldn't even remember what a cake tasted like.

Regarding the ritual, though, I was extremely interested in the item I could obtain from it. However, I couldn't perform it now. Looking at the instructions, I was definitely going to be in a vulnerable position during the ritual. I didn't like the idea of being defenseless in the midst of the others.

'I'm not still safe currently; they have guns, and I'm just holding an axe.'

Reaching that point, an idea suddenly popped up. If the others went through the same process as me, then… everyone should have weapons, including the dead fellows.

Looking at the headless corpse not far from me, I grimaced at the thought of having to search it. Regardless, I bent, cautiously patted the body down. Eventually, I felt something rigid in a pocket. I searched it, managing to retrieve a pistol from it.

The cold handle of the pistol brought me a strange sense of security. The feeling of a barrel, a trigger, the metal… it all felt weird yet eerily familiar at the same time. I ignored the small headache growing.

Yes, I could feel it; this had happened before.

'Bang!'

My wrist nearly snapped from the recoil. The sound and pain brought me back to my senses.

The sudden sound of movement by my left made me turn. My eyes widened at the sight of gun barrels facing me.

Giving a nervous smile, I cautiously shifted my pistol to face them.

"Slip of the finger, honest."

They didn't move.

"What? I swear it."

They still didn't budge.

"Ohh come on, I'm dreaming. Even if you kill me, you all die."

They just looked at me like a fool. Sighing, I started talking in terms that they would understand.

"Look, I don't know much about battle royales, or even what they are… But, that figure said out of ten million people only one can remain. We are just four here, and we don't know what awaits us outside. So…"

"An alliance?"

Lisa interjected.

"I was going to say, let's just not kill each other. But that works too, what do you say?"

Lisa hesitated before speaking.

"That sounds reasonable."

She relaxed her grip on the gun but didn't drop her guard. Viktor didn't relax, though; his deep voice sounded.

"So, what happens when it remains just us?"

I responded with an amused gaze.

"Honestly, I don't think we'd make it that far."

He frowned.

"But… if we do reach that level. We'll cross that bridge when we reach it."

Not that I'd trust him to wait that long before trying to kill me again.

'What's his deal, he's always looking at me like a mad man.'

Viktor frowned before lowering his aim.

"Fine."

As for Aurora, she never even raised her weapon. She'd been silent ever since she stopped crying; she just numbly looked at her grandmother's corpse. Although, even she was startled at the shot. Now, she just looked lost, staring blankly into empty space.

At this moment, part of the wall opened with a clink. A large dark tunnel lay beyond it.

Then, a black light flashed in front of me.

[DISASTER WARNING]

[A disaster is imminent by sunrise; make your way to the nearest shelter before then.]