Ding.
[Congratulations. You are all eligible for the 'Generation-7' Ranking Order.]
Nex stared at the words displayed on the white screen floating before them.
What the...?
"Hey! Whoever you are, show yourself instead of hiding behind this stupid screen!" Eris shouted at the white panel.
It gave no response.
Instead, new words appeared.
[I am the Guidance System.]
[My purpose is to make my hosts strong enough to protect themselves from the Ranking Order.]
[Any further information is restricted.]
Clap.
Karl clapped his hands once, drawing everyone's attention.
"Okay. I don't usually do things like this, but we need to have a proper conversation."
Eris clicked her tongue, irritation flashing across her face, but she remained silent.
Ruby and Violet simply nodded.
Ethan smiled awkwardly.
"Yeah... we really do need to talk."
Nex met Karl's gaze.
The two exchanged a brief nod, silently confirming the same suspicion.
The white panel continued floating nearby, waiting.
The six of them formed a circle.
Karl rested a hand on his chin.
"So... what do you all think about our current situation?"
"Scary."
"Unreal."
"Absurd."
"Like a dream."
Everyone answered without hesitation.
Karl listened before turning toward Nex.
"And you?"
"I don't think this is a dream. It's definitely not some elaborate prank."
"The proof is us."
Ethan frowned.
"How?"
Karl answered instead.
"Before you suddenly appeared here, where were you living?"
"North America."
"My sister and I were living in East Asia."
Ethan's eyes widened.
"Oh... now I get it."
Ruby looked worried.
"Then that means..."
"This place... this floating chamber... the teleportation..." Eris said, her expression hardening.
"...it's all real."
Silence settled over the group.
Noticing everyone's uneasy expressions, Ethan spoke without wasting another second.
"We've only just met, but we're all here for some unknown reason."
He looked at each of them.
"So whether we like it or not..."
"...we need each other."
Nobody argued.
Everyone wanted nothing more than to leave this place.
But they also understood that Ethan was right.
One after another, they nodded.
Karl smiled faintly.
"Not bad."
Ethan scratched the back of his head with an awkward laugh.
Violet, who had remained quiet until now, finally spoke.
"Let's ask the Guidance System why we're here."
"Good idea."
Ethan turned toward the floating screen.
"Answer us."
"Why are we here?"
The system responded immediately.
[You have all been selected for the Ranking Order.]
"And what exactly is that?" Eris asked.
[Information restricted.]
"How do we quit?" Ethan asked.
[Impossible.]
"Can you choose someone else instead of us?" Eris asked again.
[Hosts are chosen according to their bloodline.]
[Earth: Six bloodlines confirmed.]
The six exchanged confused looks.
Bloodline...?
Nex had never heard of anything like that.
Judging by everyone's expressions, neither had they.
"What bloodline do we have?" Nex asked.
[Complete the first quest arranged by the system.]
Ding.
[Quest: First Step]
[Objective: Survive against an unknown Earth creature for five minutes.]
[Condition: Survive together.]
[Failure: The creature will reduce your lifespan by ten years.]
[Reward: Personal Status Window.]
[Note: If even one member fails to survive, the failure condition will apply to every participant.]
The moment the message disappeared—
A creature materialized before them.
It stood over seven feet tall.
Its body was unnaturally thin, with pale gray skin stretched tightly over its bones.
Its appearance resembled a Wendigo.
Ethan slowly turned toward Nex.
"Hey... Nex."
"...Yeah?"
"You really had to ask, huh?"
Nex ignored him.
"RUN!"
Everyone immediately sprinted in the opposite direction.
The chamber was enormous.
No matter how far they ran, the surroundings never changed.
The endless white floor and empty space made it feel as though they were running on an infinite treadmill.
The creature slowly opened its eyes.
It watched them flee.
Then—
"SKREEAAAH!"
Its face twisted into a horrifying expression as it charged after them.
They put some distance in 5 minutes.
Nex glanced back.
"It's moving!"
Karl looked over his shoulder.
His expression sharpened instantly.
"Nobody panic!"
"Stay aware of your surroundings."
"If we lose our heads now, we're finished."
"B-But... will this even work?" Ethan asked between heavy breaths.
"You..." Eris panted as she ran ahead of everyone.
"...shut your negative mouth."
"Urgh..."
Ethan groaned.
Ruby looked back with concern.
"Please be careful... I want everyone to make it."
Violet silently continued running beside her.
"It's almost here!" Nex warned.
He stopped running and turned around.
The creature rapidly closed the distance.
Its speed wasn't overwhelming.
It simply never slowed down.
Just as I thought.
It isn't especially fast,Its strength must be its greatest advantage.
Nex still finding it hard to believe , There is possibility of fantasy.
So monsters really do exist...
Nex also realized something else.
The system wasn't trying to kill them.
It was forcing them to experience enough danger to become stronger.
While running, Nex and Karl had already come up with a plan.
Simply running forever wasn't an option.
Nex quickly checked everyone's positions.
He and Karl stood at the front, several meters apart.
Ethan stayed behind them.
Ruby, Violet, and Eris waited farther back together.
Don't panic.
Just survive.
Nex steadied his breathing.
Karl smiled.
"Name's Karl."
Despite the smile, his eyes never left the approaching creature.
Nex let out a small chuckle.
"Nex"
"Good to know"
The monster slowed as it reached them.
Its eyes wandered between the six of them before it began walking forward.
Now.
Nex dashed toward its right side.
The creature immediately focused on him and reached out.
"SKREEEAAAH!"
As it chased Nex, Karl rushed in from behind.
The monster sensed him and turned around.
That single moment was enough.
Nex lunged forward.
He tightened his grip around the object in his hand.
A pen.
He aimed straight for the creature's neck.
Earlier, while they were running, Nex had asked whether anyone had something that could be used as a weapon.
Ethan had handed him a pen from his pocket.
Karl had refused one.
"I've got another idea," he had said.
The tip of the pen stopped barely a centimeter from the creature's throat.
The monster caught Nex's wrist.
Its grip was overwhelming.
"Shit!"
Nex struggled to pull free.
Nothing happened.
Then—
He noticed the belt around the creature's neck.
"NOW!" Karl shouted.
Karl wrapped both hands around the belt from behind and pulled with all his strength.
At the same time—
Ethan and Eris rushed toward the monster's sides.
"GET FUCKING DOWN!"
Both of them kicked its legs.
The creature lost its balance and slammed face-first into the ground.
Its grip loosened just enough for Nex to wrench his hand free.
The creature tried to push itself back up.
Nex immediately stomped on one of its hands.
Karl climbed onto its back, pulling the belt tighter.
Ethan grabbed the belt as well, helping him choke it.
Behind them, Ruby, Violet, and Eris pinned the creature's legs to keep it from standing.
The fight was messy.
Chaotic.
Yet every one of them did exactly what they needed to do.
Even then—
"SKRRAAGHH!"
The monster continued struggling.
It was simply stronger.
"Nex!" Karl shouted.
"Stab its throat! Hurry!"
But Nex was already moving.
He gripped the pen again.
Then changed targets.
He drove it straight into the creature's eye.
Once.
He ripped it free.
Twice.
Still nothing.
No system notification.
Again.
Again.
The monster's screams gradually weakened.
Ding.
[Quest Completed.]
At last.