I stood still, momentarily stunned by the sight in front of me. For a second, I thought I had made it back—but looking again at this city, it was clearly impossible for it to exist on Earth. It looked like one of those cities long abandoned and left to crumble over decades. I may not know every place on Earth, but I'm pretty sure no city like this exists—except maybe in movies.
Thud—clatter.
The sound jolted me from my thoughts, and I reflexively turned around to find Hyunsuk, Olivia, Robert, and Joshua standing behind me, looking like they had just been through hell.
"Hey, did you guys go through that black room?"
Except for Robert, the other three replied almost at the same time, recounting what they had just experienced. It seemed I wasn't the only one who had passed through that place.
"Wait, you went through it too?" Olivia asked.
"Yeah, noona. I couldn't really track time in there, but I'm sure I spent hours trying to find a way out."
"Same here," Joshua said.
"You guys were stuck for hours? I thought we were only in there for like… an hour," Olivia replied, slightly confused.
"No, I'm certain it took me much longer to find the exit," said Hyunsuk.
"Seems like time moved differently for everyone. I thought I was only there for about an hour too," Robert added.
"Is that so? But… what was that place? It felt like we were forced to split up, right?" Hyunsuk asked.
"I don't know either… could that have been the nature of the fifth floor? But then again… was that really the fifth floor?"
"…"
Everyone started sharing and comparing their experiences from inside that black space. Apparently, they hadn't yet realized where we were now. But thank goodness—we were all reunited, even if the time each of us spent in there was wildly different.
Still, something kept gnawing at me. I wasn't sure if the others felt it too, so I decided to ask.
"Do you guys… feel different? I don't know how to explain it, but my body feels… fresher somehow. Just… different."
As I said that, the four of them started checking themselves. Robert was the first to speak.
"Mr. Lan is right… something is different. But I can't quite pinpoint what it is."
"Yeah, my body feels lighter here too."
"I feel it as well."
"…"
In the end, none of us could explain it. But we were all certain—something about our bodies had changed. And also… maybe it was just me, or maybe it was real—but this place felt far, far different from any of the floors we'd been on before. Was it because we were finally outside?
It seemed the others were beginning to notice it too, especially as their eyes took in the vast ruined cityscape around us.
"Whoa… is this the outside world?" Olivia murmured.
"This sky… the air, the city… for an unknown place, this world feels huge."
"Yeah… this place looks like a dead city, doesn't it? Do you think anyone lives here?"
"Who knows. Maybe it's monsters," Hyunsuk chuckled.
"…"
He tried to make a joke, but no one laughed. After everything we'd been through, no one had the heart to rely on common sense anymore. Besides, monsters did exist here. So there was no real reason to believe this city was empty.
We did a quick gear check, and once everything was in order, I took the lead as we began our exploration of this desolate city.
Stepping out of the building, I set foot on this new world for the first time. Normally, anyone would feel anxious or afraid in a strange place. I was no different. But most of what I felt wasn't fear—it was curiosity. I wanted to know what this place was, how it was laid out, what paths and buildings it held. It was more like the thrill of discovering something entirely new.
Of course, I wasn't crazy. You can't call someone crazy just because they're different, right? Fundamentally, everyone on Earth is born unique. Some traits may be common, but there's always that one little thing that sets each person apart.
Anyway, back to the moment—now I could see the cityscape more clearly. Broken buildings everywhere, abandoned cars, cracked roads overtaken by wild plants—this was the dominant scene of this place. Even the sky looked dry, blanketed by the city's somber gloom.
We walked slowly through the ruined streets. The skeletal remains of towering skyscrapers loomed over us, making one wonder… was anything watching from up there? The shadows beneath bridges untouched by light looked like the kind of places you should never step into.
Even the rows of ruined cars scattered across the streets made the city feel even more eerie.
We tried checking some vehicles, but there were no supplies like on the previous floor. I guess with how many cars there were, it would've been too generous if every one of them had something useful inside.
"Looks like the supply locations change on every floor too," Olivia commented.
"No. There's a box under that green car," Hyunsuk said suddenly, pointing at a vehicle about seven or eight meters away.
"There? How do you know there's a box there? Don't tell me you're psychic now," Olivia joked.
"…"
Still half-joking, we walked toward the green car he had pointed at. When we reached it, I crouched down and peeked under—only for my eyes to widen as I slowly pulled a dusty, half-rusted gray box from underneath.
At first, the others thought Hyunsuk was messing around. But when they saw me actually pulling out the gray box, none of them could say a word.
All eyes turned to Hyunsuk, their expressions filled with confusion and questions. Had he actually predicted that?
And yet, Hyunsuk himself looked just as baffled.
"..."