. . .
"What is this!?" Everyone was shocked.
Everyone was confused by what was happening. They were baffled, not knowing what kind of disaster was striking.
My former boss during my internship was furious about the whole situation. He was angry at the state of things.
"I don't have time to play around with this!"
My old boss clicked the "No" button, and something unexpected happened. He suddenly died on the spot. His head was crushed, and blood gushed out of his body.
"Nooo... Nooo...!"
"Ahhh…" Everyone screamed hysterically.
Panic and fear swept the room as they saw my former boss die in such a horrifying way.
"The System Window, the Gate... there's no mistaking it, this is just like that novel. If that's true, then…" I recalled the events exactly like the ones I had read in a novel.
Soon after, a terrifying monster emerged from the gate. A tall, green-skinned creature with sharp fangs and claws, wielding a massive wooden club. It was Buto Ijo.
"Look everyone! Buto Ijo just came out of the portal!" someone shouted.
Alongside smaller monsters like goblins, Buto Ijo began destroying everything in its path.
About 20 goblins and 3 Buto Ijo came out of the gate. The civilians were attacked without mercy.
Crack...
Slash…
The sound of attacks came from Manager Arya, who was fighting the terrifying monsters.
"Everyone, listen to me! No matter what happens, don't click 'No' unless you want to die. Click 'Yes' now and help me fight these monsters!"
Everyone, including myself, clicked "Yes." We grabbed whatever objects we could find to help Manager Arya defeat the monsters.
"Charge…!" Manager Arya commanded.
"Haaaa…!" Everyone was fired up.
One by one, we defeated the goblins. While we fought the goblins, Manager Arya was locked in combat with one of the Buto Ijo. He wielded a black sword, though I didn't know where he got it.
Eventually, Manager Arya managed to defeat one Buto Ijo. He severed its arm and drove his sword into the creature's neck. From the original 50 goblins, only 9 remained, along with 2 Buto Ijo.
Even though we outnumbered them, we struggled to fight the remaining monsters.
"There's too many of them!"
"How can we beat them all?"
"You're right, especially with those big ones!"
Everyone was nearly hopeless. But they kept fighting, knowing that giving up meant certain death.
Just as hope seemed lost, a light shone brightly from the sky. A human-like figure appeared, flying with wide white wings like an angel, wearing golden armor.
Was this a new enemy here to kill us all? That was my worry. We all stared, unsure of what he would do.
"Who is that?"
"Could she be a goddess come to help us?" people murmured in awe.
The figure began gathering energy. It looked like an attack. A glowing orb formed in her hands.
"Everyone, get out of here!" Manager Arya shouted.
She hurled the energy orb at the monsters. In an instant, all of them vanished completely.
Once the monsters were gone and the gate disappeared, the mysterious figure flew away at lightning speed, like a fighter jet in battle.
"At last, the monsters are gone. That fight was exhausting. I managed to kill a few goblins—I thought I was going to die." I was relieved that the battle was over.
Soon after, the military arrived to evacuate the remaining survivors to safety using large evacuation trucks.
"Where have you been!? We've been fighting for nearly three hours!" Manager Arya shouted angrily at the soldiers.
"We're sorry, sir. But this wasn't the only place attacked by monsters," the commander replied.
"What do you mean?"
"These mysterious Gates have appeared in multiple cities and villages. And from the latest reports, this disaster hasn't just hit Nusantara—it's global."
"What!? So this is happening all over the world?"
"Yes, sir. Many people have died. Even worse, some monsters didn't disappear after the gates closed. They've hidden in forests, oceans, mountains, and other hard-to-reach places. They could strike again at any time."
"Then how do we stop them!? We don't even know if more gates will appear!" I asked the commander.
"It's not just buildings being destroyed. The economy and governments worldwide are on the verge of collapse. We don't know when this will end. So do whatever you must to survive." (He pats Manager Arya on the shoulder.) "Anyone injured, get in truck number one. The rest, board trucks two and three!"
The soldiers evacuated us to a safe zone. As we rode, I saw a city in ruins—buildings destroyed, fires everywhere. It was heartbreaking.
Inside the truck, people cried and sat in silence, devastated by the nightmare they never imagined would happen.
Sadness, fear, guilt, disappointment—every kind of suffering lingered in our minds. We were terrified of what might come next.
We finally arrived at the evacuation post. It was packed with people. Some were receiving medical treatment, while others tried to rest and recover from the trauma.
While I was resting, Manager Arya came over and handed me a bottle of water.
"Jay, take this," he said.
"Thank you, sir."
"Are you scared?"
"Of course. Who wouldn't be scared by such a terrifying disaster? Maybe... the world really is ending."
"You're right. But at the very least, keep trying to survive."
(I nodded.)
"Do you have any family?"
"No. My mom died five years ago, and I never knew my dad. He left us when I was a kid. What about your family, sir?"
"My parents died in an accident. Now, I live for myself."
"I'm sorry to hear that."
Then, a news broadcast played on a TV in front of me. I listened to the reporter's words—and it was more bad news.
Reporter: "Viewers, we're reporting that strange towers piercing the sky have appeared in Trowulan. Not just one, but five towers, known as Dungeons, have emerged across the five major islands of Nusantara: Suwarnadwipa, Jawadwipa, Borneo, Celebes, and Janggi. We also received information that there are a total of 72 Dungeons worldwide, with five of them located in Nusantara."
(In my heart) "This… there's no doubt about it. Everything is just like that fantasy novel I used to read. The System Window, the Gate, Monsters, and now Dungeons. If all of that exists, then… people like us are Players!?"
Dungeons are places where Players level up. The higher your level, the stronger you become. No one else seems to know about the System yet. But eventually, everyone will. They'll strive to become the strongest by leveling up in the Dungeons.
"Is something wrong, Jay?"
"Sorry, sir. I was just lost in thought."
"Get some rest. It'll help. And stop calling me 'sir'—I'm no longer your superior." Manager Arya walked away.
"What is this!? The window's back!" Everyone at the shelter panicked.
Moments after defeating the monsters, a new quest appeared. It seemed like the monsters would return soon.
We had just two hours to recover physically and mentally before… who knew what would happen next?
"STATUS OPEN! Just as I thought, it's happening!"
----------------------- [STATUS] -----------------------
NAME : JAYA KUSUMA LEVEL : 3
JOB : NULL RANK : E
TITTLE : NULL RACE : HUMAN
HP : 300
MP : 20
SPONSOR : NULL
SKILL : ATTACK (LV. 3), DEFENCE (LV. 2),
MAGIC (LV. 1), WEAPON CAPABILITY (LV. 2)
SPECIAL SKILL : NULL
------------------------------------------------------------
"This is my Status Window. I'm level 3, probably because I managed to kill some goblins in the first gate. Not bad for a start. If things really go the same way as in that novel, then this is only the beginning—and from now on, there's no such thing as a normal life."
To be continue