The coldness of the axe's handle seeped into my fingers as I stood in front of the mannequins.

I took a heavy test swing with the axe. It only made a chip on the mannequin, with a dull metallic clang. The axe almost flew out of my hands, leaving my palms trembling.

I frowned; the swing felt awkward due to the shortness of the handle, making it hard to gain proper momentum without it slipping from my grasp. Also, that hit barely affected the target, either the mannequin was too tough or the blade was dull.

Bringing my finger to the edge of the blade, I felt an immediate, sharp pain ignite. A small drop of blood splashed on the floor.

"Yep, Definitely the mannequins," I muttered.

I took another swing, shifting my hands to the edge of the handle. Another clang rang out as the blade dug a bit deeper into the figure. It took some effort to finally pull it out.

"Strength is a huge requirement for something like this... just great."

I continued to experiment with the blade, even attempting to throw it at a point. My accuracy was average; it took at least four throws before hitting the target once, within a range of 4 to 8 meters. In the end, I settled with a heavy swing stance. Although I didn't consider myself proficient with weapons like these, I felt somewhat skilled with the heavy swipe.

It was as if some distant old muscle memory was resurfacing. However, I knew that stressing my memories wouldn't help my situation. It never had.

"5 minutes left before the summoning," the female voice announced, bringing me out of my reverie.

Shaking my head, I returned to the bed. As I strapped the bag to my back, I realized I hadn't figured out how to properly carry the axes.

I needed to be prepared for anything. I could put it in the bag, but my bleeding finger already told me that wouldn't be a good idea.

My eyes landed on the bed sheets, giving me an idea. I quickly removed the blanket and tried wrapping it around the chained axe's head. There was a ripping sound, but it still held strong. Satisfied, I dropped it into my bag. I held the other axe in my hands before looking at the mirror. I felt ready.

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"[0 minutes left before the summoning]." The room trembled; the full-body mirror shifted, opening a dark tunnel. However, the trembling only intensified.

"Please proceed, participant #3239420. The room will self-destruct in T minus 10 seconds." My eyes widened at the sound. Without hesitation, I bolted into the unknown.

Faint light finally appeared further up the dark tunnel. I would soon be out.

Almost unconsciously, I slowed my pace as I reached the light. With my guard up, I finally stepped out.

A wide room spread before me, featuring the same coloration as the other rooms. However, the similarities ended there.

For some reason, it was circular this time, with tunnels similar to the one I had just come from lining its walls. A figure clad in white attire stood in front of almost all of them. Some wore the same clothes I donned, while others sported the tracksuit I had seen earlier. We surrounded the middle of the room, where a strange construct lay.

It was a metallic, smooth circular platform laying in front of us, its height reached our knees. The top of the platform was made of a clear, reflective piece of glass. I didn't understand its purpose, and I doubted the others did either.

"A new one, huh?" A female voice spoke, drawing my attention back to the participants.

The voice belonged to a woman dressed in a white tracksuit. Her Sharp brown eyes darted around, and her auburn hair was neatly packed into a bun behind her.

"Are you just gonna keep staring?" Her voice was tinged with annoyance, her brow raised.

"Alright, alright, give him a break, Lisa..." A gruff voice intervened, coming from a middle-aged man beside her.

He held an AK-47 with unnerving familiarity, his calm dark eyes looking toward me. A sorry excuse for a smile stretched across his beard.

"Friend... are you alright?" This question finally snapped me out of my daze.

Seeing human beings again, especially in my dreams, was unnerving. Everyone I had encountered apart from my family had tried to harm me. It was best to be cautious around these individuals and their sick games. The hospital taught me that much.

"I'm... fine, just a little dazed." Even talking to them felt strange.

"That's good... I'm guessing you also have no idea what's happening?" The man asked.

I nodded in confirmation, receiving a disappointed sigh from the man.

An idea struck me as I looked at his face.

"Guys... you do know that none of you are real, right?"

A moment of abrupt silence followed, broken by a burst of laughter.

"I appreciate the effort, young man, but now isn't the time for jokes," the middle-aged man coughed a little as he stopped himself from laughing.

Honestly, I expected such a reaction. Only Mom, Dad, and Ivy had ever believed me. After all, they were the only real people. Still, I tried pushing a little further.

"I'm serious. I'm dreaming, and you're all just a part of my dream."

"Great, he's insane too," Lisa sighed.

"No, I'm not." She sounded like the doctor. I knew it; no one could understand except my family.

'They're all the same.' A bitter flame threatened to surge.

"My friend, I can assure you, this is all real."

Seeing the growing concern on the man's face, I decided to play along. Arguing wouldn't be productive. The only reason I had dared to bring up such a topic was because the people back at the hospital never punished me for saying such things.

"Haha, you caught me." The man nodded with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. He spoke, "It's a good thing you still have--"

His words were cut off by the sound of footsteps coming from the only uncovered tunnel. Before long, a figure emerged. I couldn't get a read on it, as its appearance triggered a chain of events.

A brilliant burst of light appeared above the glass surface of the strange platform, rapidly expanding, becoming an almost 3-meter-tall humanoid creature. That being said, the vague shape of a human was all it took. Its body remained completely featureless.

'This... This dream is getting wild.' I couldn't continue my thought process, as a familiar feminine voice spoke.

"Welcome, esteemed participants, to the 354th edition of the Culling Games."