The rain poured heavily over the city that night, drenching the streets and blurring the vision of people rushing by. Amidst the sound of raindrops striking the asphalt and the hum of vehicles, Daniel walked with his hands in his jacket pockets, his head bowed. His eyes were glued to the phone in his left hand, examining the simple yet effective interface he had named Auctiva, a project he had been developing for months.
Auctiva was a work born out of his dedication and passion. As a programmer who loved playing games, Daniel often felt frustrated that no tool could truly measure his real-life skill progression, particularly in physical skills like shooting, running, or fighting. So, he decided to create something that could: Auctiva , an application that used artificial intelligence to replicate expert training methods and develop training patterns tailored to the unique conditions of each individual.
The app had just been launched on his personal phone, and that night, he planned to test it at a local shooting range. He eagerly awaited the opportunity to see how the app would perform in a real-world scenario, not just in the simulations he had run during development.
Daniel smiled faintly as he looked at the list of skills already loaded into the app. There were skills like "Reading" and "Running," which had been tested on himself. The app provided ratings based on data gathered through the phone’s sensors and various wearables connected to it. The AI algorithm he had developed offered advice based on analyzed training patterns. Though this was just the beginning, Daniel was confident his app had enormous potential.
However, fate had other plans for him that night. As Daniel passed by a narrow alley, he heard the sound of hurried footsteps approaching from behind. Before he could react, a strong hand grabbed his shoulder and pulled him into the dark shadows of the alley. Daniel stumbled, nearly losing his balance, and as he turned, he saw the harsh face of a man with wild eyes filled with anger.
"Give me your money, now!" the man shouted, his voice echoing between the alley walls. Daniel froze, his heart pounding. When he saw the gleaming gun in the robber's hand, fear gripped him. But there was something odd about how the man held the gun—his hand was slightly trembling, and his stance looked awkward—which made Daniel even more uneasy.
'What is this guy going to do?' Daniel thought, anxiety tightening in his chest. 'He doesn't seem to know what he's doing. That gun could work—or not. If he panics, he might pull the trigger without thinking.'
"Give me your money now!" the robber threatened again, but his voice quivered, as if he himself was unsure of what he was doing. Daniel could tell that the robber was an amateur, which only made the situation more dangerous. Uncertainty could be deadly.
"I... I don’t have much," Daniel replied, trying to keep his voice steady. He raised his wallet, hoping to distract the robber. "This is all I have."
"Hand over everything!" the robber demanded, looking nervously at the people passing by at the far end of the alley. His hand holding the gun shook, signaling this was likely his first time doing something like this.
With shaking hands, Daniel dropped his wallet to the ground and slowly pulled out his phone. Desperation weighed heavily on him, and he silently hoped to get out of the situation unharmed.
The robber stared at him with a menacing look, but Daniel could sense the fear behind his eyes. 'If I’m not careful, this could be the end of me,' Daniel thought, realizing how fragile the situation had become. "Hurry up!" the robber yelled, but his voice wavered, reflecting his growing uncertainty.
Panic surged through Daniel. He knew the man could panic and pull the trigger without a second thought. The robber’s uncertainty made the situation even more terrifying. Daniel tried to think quickly, searching for a way out without putting his life in more danger. 'What should I do? If I move too fast, he could freak out. But if I do nothing, he might shoot me.'
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"Just take it!" Daniel said, tossing his phone toward the robber, trying not to show the fear gnawing at him. But the robber’s expression only grew more anxious. "Please, I don’t want any trouble," Daniel added, his voice trembling.
Instead of backing off, the robber raised the gun higher, as if to assert his dominance. "You think this is enough?!" he shouted, but his voice cracked even more, betraying his insecurity. Daniel could see that the man was wrestling with his own fear.
"I’ve given you everything! Please, don’t—" Daniel started to say, but before he could finish, the robber, in a moment of panic, pointed the gun shakily. A shot rang out, piercing the quiet night.
A sharp pain shot through Daniel's chest, and he collapsed to the ground, blood pooling from the wound and mixing with the rainwater. His face filled with disbelief and fear as he watched the robber flee, leaving him lying in the darkness.
His phone beeped, and with blurry vision, Daniel saw a notification appear—the robber had inadvertently left it behind in his panic. The app, cold and emotionless, assessed the man’s shooting skills. A cruel irony.
"Skill Acquired: Shooting (Rank: A)"
"Target Hit: Excellent."
In his final moments, Daniel could only laugh bitterly. He had created something to help him become better, but in the end, that very technology recorded the shooting skills of the man who had just killed him—a dark, painful irony.
As his consciousness faded, Daniel struggled to stay awake, but the pain and the loss overwhelmed him. He stared up at the dark sky, searching for hope in the uncertainty, but soon, the pain vanished. Darkness enveloped him, and the world around him disappeared.
---
Emptiness. A boundless darkness surrounded Daniel. Yet, instead of feeling cold or frightening, this darkness felt warm and comforting, like being held in the protective embrace of a mother. This strange sensation confused him. In his hazy consciousness, he tried to understand where he was, but his mind felt heavy, as if floating between dreams and reality.
Slowly, Daniel felt a growing urge to open his eyes. With a faint effort, he managed to lift his eyelids. A soft light seeped into his vision, though everything was still blurry and unclear. He blinked several times, and gradually, his surroundings came into focus.
As his sight sharpened, Daniel could see more clearly. He was in a room made of a combination of wood and stone. The walls were mostly made of neatly arranged bricks, giving a solid, ancient feel. In the corners of the room, large wooden beams supported the low ceiling, adding warmth and a traditional atmosphere. The floor was a mixture of wooden planks and stone, cold yet comfortable beneath him. Small windows with wooden frames adorned the brick walls, allowing soft light to filter into the room.
He tried to move, but soon realized he was being cradled by something. As his vision cleared further, he saw that he was surrounded by several large creatures, who, at first glance, appeared to be giants. They had bodies much larger than an ordinary human, yet strangely, he felt no fear. Instead, he felt a familiar comfort, even as he lay in the arms of one of these "giants." The embrace was soft, warm, and full of love, making him feel protected.
Daniel struggled to understand what was happening. He tried to listen to the sounds around him, and faintly, he began to hear the giants speaking in a language completely foreign to him. Every word they uttered sounded like a song he had never heard before, and though he couldn’t understand it, there was something soothing about the tone of their voices.
As his awareness fully returned, Daniel sensed something strange around him. His gaze focused on a faint, shimmering shadow before him, as if a soft light was flickering in the dark space that surrounded him. He tried to push away the confusion and fear clouding his mind. He could feel that something had changed within him, something he couldn’t explain.
As he concentrated, blurry images began to dance before his eyes. He saw flashes of color, shapes that started to become clearer, but everything felt unfamiliar and strange. Soft sounds reached him, calming yet perplexing, like a melody played by the wind.
All of this left him stunned, and he felt a deep sense of uncertainty. What had happened to him? Where was he? With all his strength, he tried to speak, but the sound that came out of his mouth was only a soft whimper, creating tension within him. His body, no longer his own, felt so weak and helpless.
The confusion and alienation lingered in his mind, adding layers of uncertainty to this new, unexpected experience. Slowly, he began to grasp that he was trapped in an entirely new and unfamiliar world.