Strings of messages hovered through the air, displaying lines of text that made the four people stop in their tracks.

Maria was frozen when she saw this, her brows raised and her eyes wide. She glanced to her side and saw Amelie standing still, curiosity etched on her face. Maria couldn't believe it and looked back at the message, staring at it in disbelief.

Was she still dreaming?

Her gaze shifted to the two men, their expressions also that of shock and confusion. Similar transparent messages also appeared in front of them.

Maria felt anxious but took a deep breath to calm herself. Her confusion was soon swept away as she read the messages again.

『The Main Game will begin in 37 Hours!』

『The 36th Apocalypse will soon Arrive!』

『And the Time of Play has Come!』

『Players, Welcome to Game of Survival!』

Maria's body stiffened after reading the last message.

Game of Survival...?

Amelie lifted her hand to touch the holographic text. Maria expected her hand to go through, but instead, it disappeared with an audible 'tss' after coming into contact with it. Amelie was slightly startled by this but quickly calmed down.

She looked at the others and watched as they also touched the holographic messages. The results were the same, it vanished from thin air with sparks following behind.

"Am I hallucinating...?" Amelie suddenly asked, whipping her head around with uneasy eyes. "...or did holographic messages just suddenly appear out of nowhere?"

Maria stared into nothing, clearly confused as her.

"I..." She stopped and thought for a moment.

Did everyone receive the same message or was it just us?

"I don't know..." Maria murmured, her brows furrowing. She looked beside her and saw the two men snap from their daze.

Zack was looking around while Nick furrowed his brows. The two looked at them, gulping. Both of them had spooked looks on their faces but kept their composure.

They stared at each other in silence, causing a few passers to exchange looks. They stood still for a moment before resuming their walk.

They were quiet while walking through the mall, wearing calm faces, and acting as if nothing had happened. Maria wanted to deny what she saw, but looking at her friends' mixed reactions made her think otherwise.

Maria couldn't believe it. No one could.

Why did those messages appear? Why did it look so familiar? Does it connect to those notifications she had received earlier? Maria was confused and felt her heart tremble slightly.

Did she exactly read it right? The last message...

"No!" She immediately denied it in her head. "There were some similarities, sure, but it's impossible. Of course it is, there's no way."

And, how could she be so sure she wasn't hallucinating? Just seeing things? Or she was still dreaming? Floating messages that came out of nowhere were unreal! How can Maria be so sure she wasn't just tired and seeing things?

There was denial in her thoughts the longer she ruminated. Questions rose from the depths of her mind that needed to be asked. She needed to consider other possibilities before jumping to conclusions.

Right now, she was curious about something.

Maria looked at the calm expressions of the three people. Her mouth finally opened after collecting her thoughts, "This morning, did any of you encounter anything strange or unusual that might be connected to those messages?"

Considering the fact that an unknown woman had given her a USB before magically disappearing, Maria knew that something was off. The USB was likely connected to the messages, it couldn't be a coincidence.

Apart from that, Maria wanted to know if they also encountered something strange just like her when she encountered that strange woman. She also wondered if they were the only ones to receive that message and why.

There were so many questions spiraling around her mind that couldn't be explained, which is why it was better to ask a question that everyone could answer.

No one spoke at first as they continued to walk through the mall.

It was expected. No one wanted to speak, so she waited.

Without saying anything, the four reached a restaurant that had few people. They sat at the empty corner of the restaurant and silently looked at their table.

Everyone was quiet as they looked at their table with mixed expressions.

After some time, Zack looked up at the three with a stern expression and spoke, "At first, I wasn't sure what to say."

The three looked at him as he pulled out a replica of the USB drive Maria also had, although it seemed to be in a damaged condition with a yellow line drawn into the black casing.

"But I've made up my mind," There was a trace of uneasiness in his eyes as he continued. "Someone in their mid-thirties or forties with a long scar gave me this USB. I don't know why though."

Nick's eyes widened when he saw the small drive. With frantic movements, he opened his bag and took out another USB. This time, it was in better shape compared to Zack's. It was drawn using a green marker, forming the capital letter 'N'.

"A kid threw this at me." He said, looking a bit complicated. "He wished me good luck before wandering back into the city. I tried looking for him, but he suddenly disappeared from the crowd..."

If those two had gotten the same USB, then does that mean Amelie also has one?

Maria turned to look at her best friend, waiting for her to speak. She looked back at them, her lips pursed into a frown, and her forehead covered in wrinkles. Amelie looked to be confused yet agitated.

The two men gazed at Maria first. She didn't speak and pulled out the USB from her pocket, confirming their thoughts. They averted their attention to Amelie and noticed her expression.

Nick remained quiet while Zack questioned her, "Amelie, do you also have one?"

"I don't have one," She answered.

Nick was skeptical and asked again, "Are you sure? You're not trying to hide anything from us?"

Amelie remained indifferent and tilted her head. There was no trace of lie or anxiety on her face, she looked quite calm yet also a bit distraught.

"Then why are you making that face?" Nick asked.

"Didn't you mention that you got that USB from a ghost?" Amelie suddenly asked, looking at Maria.

Both Nick and Zack glanced at Maria in confusion. At that time, Amelie looked surprised and amused when Maria told her about the unknown woman and mysterious USB. Amelie didn't believe her when ghosts were brought into the topic which was reasonable from a certain point of view.

"I wasn't sure if it was a ghost or not..."

"Right, we aren't sure why those people gave you those USBs," Amelie's voice was firm. "What if there's a virus in them? What's the purpose of it? Were you guys the only ones who were given? What if you get involved with something just by carrying those around?"

The two men were quiet and began to contemplate the possible answers to her questions. Amelie just stared at them for a moment before a sigh escaped from her nose, seemingly in deep thought as she looked at the three USBs that were placed on the center of the table.

Maria stared at Amelie and observed her expression. She knew Amelie wasn't the type to lie but was she really empty-handed? Did something happen when she entered the alleyway? Maria didn't know.

Could she be telling the truth?

Before Maria could even think to ask, Amelie held her stomach and said, "Let's talk about this later. I'll go order us food since those waiters are looking at us..."

Without waiting for the three to speak, Amelie got up from the table and went to the counter.

The three were left in silence as they watched her.

Once Amelie reached the counter, Nick whispered, "What's wrong with her today? It's not like her to lie, especially if it's something this unusual and concerning."

Zack raised a brow and asked, "Why would you think she's lying? She looked kind of serious to me."

"You think she isn't? Come on, it's obvious she was. She has one, I just know it." Nick stated firmly and asked. "Maria, you also think she's lying too, right?"

Maria was quiet while the two men looked at her. Her only response was a shrug.

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Does she have one? Or is there something else she found closely related to the USB?

☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★

Maria walked through the crowded streets of the city, being bumped and pushed by people while cars drove along the roads. She stood near the side of the road, looking up to where the signal light was hanging from the mast arm pole, flashing bright red.

After hanging out with the three for a bit, Maria was the first to leave since she still had work in the afternoon. She left the mall with a bitter taste in her mouth.

Due to the strange events that happened today, Maria had to leave earlier than she originally planned. It was because it was hard to ignore what they had just seen that the three also left after Maria.

Maria was now contemplating what the two men speculated earlier.

It's true that there was no trace of panic, nervousness, or any unnecessary movements from Amelie when she saw the USB, but she looked rather... annoyed? or troubled?

Though there was a possibility that Amelie was indeed telling the truth and she really didn't receive a USB, but could she somehow know something revolving around it? That was Maria's speculation but she wasn't sure.

She frowned and sighed. She needed to ease her nerves.

And so the bitterness from her mouth soon disappeared and was instantly replaced by sweetness as she began drinking the mocha coffee she brought from the cafe inside the mall earlier.

Cars were driving around the roads and thick smoke was permeating the air. Maria was standing in the middle of the crowd, patiently waiting for the red light to change.

Each second passed and more and more people started gathering around her. Most of them were office workers, some were college students in their uniforms, and a few were young teens out with friends.

While it was Saturday, it was still a busy day in Quezon City. Adults were continuously working hard to earn money, college students were commuting from Jeep to attend their Saturday classes, and some were just strolling around in their free time, enjoying the sunny day.

The red lights slowly went from orange to green in an instant. Cars stopped and citizens began walking.

Maria walked in front while holding her smartphone. She was reading a fantasy novel recommended by Reyo when she heard chattering among the people she was walking with.

"I heard about that news as well," A young woman said, her purse swaying from her shoulders.

"I can't believe that man had done that." Another woman who looked fairly older with wrinkles added.

"It was said that the father began robbing at the age of seventeen to support his family." She continued speaking. "Now that he's over his forties... he continued to steal anyway. Food, money, clothes, and even jewelry."

Maria had also heard about that news last night since Amelie was watching TV and she happened to pass by after grabbing some water. It was about a robber who had been wanted for the past decade finally getting arrested. A father with a 27-year-old son. It was said that the son ran away after his father got caught.

"The son must be devastated. He only had his father and now that he's arrested..." The old lady didn't continue, but the young woman resumed speaking.

"I heard the son lives with his father since his mother disappeared after giving birth to him. It's most likely that he's homeless right now, the son might not have finished school to even get a job."

It was normal to hear people gossip, but hearing their words made Maria furrow her brows.

Shouldn't they mind their own business?

Then, just as her thoughts had been heard, someone spoke from behind them.

"Excuse me?"

Maria took a glance back and saw a man standing next to the two ladies. The two women turned and saw a man looking at them.

"You know it's very rude to talk bad about someone, right? Especially in a public place."

The two women's faces turned red with embarrassment at his comment.

People looked at them silently, agreeing with the man through mumbles and hums. The two women whispered to each other before quickening their pace, hoping to get away from the horde as soon as possible.

A few curiously looked at the man with glasses. He only smiled and continued to walk. Maria was walking in front of him and felt a little better now that those two women left.

Maria soon reached the other side of the road and looked at her surroundings.

There were tall buildings with over five floors on both sides of the street, a few stores selling clothes and shoes on one side, and famous restaurants full of people on the other.

While walking, Maria felt a hand pull her back. She turned her head to see the same man with glasses from earlier.

"Hello," The man said, his glasses revealing his deep, black eyes.

"Uhm... Hi?" Maria uttered, confused.

The glasses man looked at her with a smile. "Do you still remember me, Maria?"

Huh? He knows my name?

Maria thought for about a minute while staring at his face. He looked fairly older than Maria and had a mole under his left cheek, and he gave off a gentle aura. Maria had to stare at the man for a few seconds before a name popped up in her mind.

"Liam! Liam Veloso!"

That's right! No wonder he looked familiar!

Liam Veloso. He was a reliable senior from Maria's school whom she became friends with. They became friends after participating in an event for their club. It had been years since Liam had graduated.

Seeing him now, he had changed quite a bit. He had smooth, black hair that was cut short, his brown skin was lighter compared to back then, and his jawline became sharper.

"I'm glad you remembered me," He said with a gentle smile.

"Wow, how long has it been?"

He had grown quite tall since the last time they met up. She remembered how he was only an inch tall compared to Maria. Now he was about maybe two heads taller than her.

"I'm guessing... probably five or six years?"

Maria was only 27 while he was already 31 years old.

After exchanging greetings, they started to walk along the sidewalk together, the silence wrapping around them like a snake. It had been way too long since they had last talked, so they didn't know what to say.

Looking around her surroundings, Maria had finally reached a McDonald's Fast Food Restaurant.

"It's been a while since I last saw you by the way," Liam suddenly spoke, trying to dissolve the awkward silence surrounding them. "The last time I saw you was when you still had long hair!"

"Yeah, it felt a little too hot to grow my hair out," She said, putting away her phone. "You seem to be doing well."

Judging by his neat suit, he must've been working at an office.

They strolled past a few people and went inside McDonald's.

"How are you doing these days? I heard you worked as a teacher at a high school before suddenly quitting."

Liam waited for Maria while she was placing her order.

"Yes, teaching and managing kids was fun, but I decided to quit and switch to another job."

At the cashier counter, Maria ordered two pieces of chicken with spaghetti. After handing her money to the cashier, she turned to look at her senior. He seemed to be focused on his phone, his brows furrowed and he seemed to be muttering something.

Once Liam noticed her looking at him, he quickly hid his phone and gave her a weak smile.

"Good for you, if only I could quit my job that easily," He let out a deep sigh. "If I could quit my job, I'd probably look for a job as a bartender!"

"A bartender?"

Serving cocktails and drinks for people? Usually, a bar would be packed with guests and host loud parties. Maria couldn't imagine working in an environment like that, let alone Liam himself. But he was her senior and they weren't that close back in school, so she didn't know much about him.

Liam asked with triumph in his tone, "Yeah! What about you? What dream job do you have?"

"I don't think I have a dream job." It was a bit sad but true. Maria just wanted to make a living and have no regrets in life.

"Then what are the possible options you'll likely choose? A doctor... maybe even a lawyer?"

Maria was already working in a café shop. Even though it wasn't too special to be proud of, it was still fun working at a café and the atmosphere was very relaxing. Should she tell him about that?

A server came to their table and handed Maria her order as well as her spare change. Maria thanked the waiter and picked up her paper bag, the scent of chicken wafting in her nose.

Once Maria picked up her food, the two immediately left the fast food joint and meandered across the bustling avenues.

"How are you doing these days?" Liam asked curiously.

"Fine, I guess... nothing bad at least."

She tried to forget about the strange occurrences that happened to her this morning to continue with her day. Though it was impossible, she had to remain optimistic, even if she didn't want to.

Liam looked at his watch before letting out a deep sigh, explaining to her that he was an hour late. He pointed his finger toward a jeep that recently stopped in front of a retail store.

Without giving Maria a chance to speak, he began explaining why he was an hour late. Maria didn't ask but she listened to him anyway.

He had to ride two jeeps to get to work, calculating the time he had, he had to travel for an hour or more before arriving at his workplace. He was now on his way to ride his second jeep and felt tired.

"Troubling," Maria replied and looked at her phone. "Oh, I need to go. I also have work today."

Liam seemed surprised as he asked, "What? You also have work?"

Didn't I mention that I switched jobs?

"Forget about it," Maria waved her hand to dismiss him. She needed to hurry to work or else she'll get scolded by her boss again.

Liam, however, seemed to be uninterested and failed to take a hint, going on to complain about the condition of his workplace. Maria glanced at him, inhaling deeply, and letting it out with a sigh.

Well, this isn't anything new anyway.

Despite wanting to interrupt Liam, she couldn't bring herself to. All she could do was listen to Liam's ramble about his boss.

Although she was getting slightly annoyed, Maria didn't interrupt Liam. Listening to Liam's babbling was enough for Maria to push back her negative thoughts about doubting Amelie's words. It was also enough to distract her from her problems.

After talking for a while, the two parted ways and bid their goodbyes. The street that Maria was walking on was devoid of passersby as she kept her gaze on her phone. The same notification lingered around the corner of her screen, waiting to be opened.

Just seeing the notification made it impossible for Maria to forget the messages that appeared before.

It was obvious that it was related to the strange notification from her phone as well as the mysterious woman who gave her the USB.

While strolling along the sidewalk, Maria spotted a line of tricycles parked from the side of the street. It was common to see tricycles parked everywhere on the side of the roads. After a moment of deliberation, Maria took out two 20 peso coins from her wallet.

A jeep might've been cheaper but around this time, it would've been full of people by now. And Maria didn't like being crammed spaces.

Thus, Maria made her way toward the parked tricycles and saw a few drivers sulking near a food stall. She was about to call out for one when all of a sudden—

"Ah!"

Her head began to throb in pain. It was a pain that felt familiar yet unbearable, a mix of headache, migraine, tension, and cluster that left Maria feeling affliction and enervated.

Her vision became a blur and her legs numbed.

Thud!

Maria's body fell on the concrete pavement. She looked around with her blurry vision and heard footsteps all around her. People were walking past her as if they couldn't see her.

She rolled her body to lie on her back, but her expression stiffened as she took in her surroundings. At this moment, her vision slowly returned, and what she saw made her cold.

The sky became dark, with black clouds covering the atmosphere, but it wasn't the sky that made Maria scared stiff. It was the people who passed by.

The people that walked by didn't have a face, not a single facial feature could be seen, they were just... faceless. These weren't humans.

Maria didn't know what was happening. She opened her mouth to shout or scream, but...

"...!"

She tried to shout, but her mouth couldn't utter a single word. She felt her heart beating fast, faster than it should have. Maria counted the rate of her heartbeat with quick breaths.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Her heart rate was beating rapidly, feeling as if her chest was about to explode!

A glacial feeling started to tingle throughout her paralyzed body, making her even more terrified and anxious.

"!!!"

Fuck!

She grunted in pain.

Throb!

The throbbing headache along with a sharp pain made her extremely dizzy. There was endless ringing in her ears and Maria felt her fingers twitch uncontrollably.

She tried getting up from the dirty pavement she was lying on, but she found she couldn't lift her body. It was like gravity was holding onto her, clutching her tightly, preventing her from leaving the concrete ground.

Faceless people continued to walk past her, some even going through her, as if she was nothing but thin air, chilling her to the bones.

Ping! Ping!

『Congratulations! You have been Selected to Participate in an Event!』

『The Main Event, Player Selection, will now Commence!』

『Currently Selecting Black Tower...』

An Event...? Player Selection...?

Her vision slowly went dark, a rush of pain running through her limbs as she felt her strength slowly leave her body. Maria's mind was spinning and she felt her heart rate slowing down every second.

It felt like death for a moment.

Then, closing her eyes, her conscience soon drifted away.

『Black Tower Selected!』

『Black Tower (No.3) has Now Opened up for the Selected Players!』

『Currently Processing Data...』

『Data Entered Successfully!』

『Now Teleporting to the Tower...』

『.....』

『You have Successfully Teleported to the Tower of Nightmares!』