I wake up in an almost completely dark room. My eyes are still bleary from being closed for long, so I can only see a white exit sign blinking in the distance. I feel a cold stone bite into my palms, that reminds me that I should get up.
As I stand up I slowly turn around to try to get a better grounding of where I stand. I can't remember ever getting here, but I also can't remember ever not being here. My only thoughts are that I need to get out of here.
The room looks to be around 20 ft each way in a perfect square. On one side is a metal door with a shining white sign that reads exit in blinking text, and on the other side of the room is a rickety looking side table with a mirror and a notebook.
Before casting a wary look towards the door I walk towards the table, something tells me once I go through the door I won't be able to come back into this room. I look into the mirror first, I am a 18 year old man with messy black hair, a pointed face, and a thin and somewhat unhealthy build.
Next I pick up the book and flip through the pages, they are all blank except the very last page which has one word scrawled in a large, messy script.
'Climb.'
I narrow my eyes trying to decipher the meaning behind this cryptic message, but quickly give up. The rest of the book is empty, and after a quick search I have looked at everything of interest in the stone room.
Everything, except the ominous door in the far corner. With hesitant steps, I walk towards the door. I know it's my only way out, but a part of me wishes I could just live out the rest of my life in this small, dark room. But no, I need to get out. I need to find out what's outside and, I need to find out why I was put in this room.
I reach out my pale hand towards the silver door handle and it slowly opens with a stubborn creak. Behind the door there is a silver elevator, lit with fluorescent lighting. There are no up or down buttons, or even an open or close button. However, in one corner there is a skinny black security camera that seems to be watching my every move.
I hesitantly step into the silver breath and heave a deep breath. With a sickening lurch, the elevator turns on and with a whirr slowly rises.
My name is Se Jun Park, and as of now I have one goal, and one goal only. To get out of this place.
– – –
After what felt like hours, the elevator stopped in a much more smooth way then it started. I'm about to think I'm going to be trapped in the elevator, until the doors slide open.
It's like I'm in a completely different building, it's very bright and very large…but, it's still very empty. It looks like an incredibly fancy hotel lobby, only instead of receptionists, there are sleek computer screens. There are cascading water falls on the walls, that are only stopped from splashing on me from a thin glass railing that can only be seen on a second look. But what really got my attention is something a lot less impressive.
On either side of the long reception desk are two golden elevator doors that both have signs pointing upwards. I can't help myself, and before I really know what I'm doing, I'm running towards the doors, desperate for a chance of escape.
Suddenly, what feels like an invisible wall crashes into me, making me fall onto the quartz floor.
"Damn it!" I curse.
To my surprise a cold female voice replies. "Non-registered persons in Our System may not proceed. Please bring further concerns or questions to the reception table. Thank you."
I glare at the ceiling half ecting to see that condescending woman looking back at me, but it's just an intricate dome with a golden chandelier.
I quickly scramble up to my feet and walk towards the reception table. I'm not sure what the woman ected me to do, talk to the computers? I sigh again, I guess anything's worth a try.
"Hey. How do I register in your system?"
To my surprise, the computer screen in front of my lights up to show a bright green smiling face. "By 'your system' do you mean 'Our System'?" It says in a digitized robot voice, that sounds quite a bit worse quality then the woman's voice.
"Yes…?"
"Amazing!" The green face breaks into a big smile, "Our System is a network of chosen persons-"
"I don't care what the system is. I just need it to get out of here!"
"Get out of here? No one has ever done that!" The computer begins to laugh in a very fake, robotic way. "I suggest you make a better plan-"
"Shut it, robot." I say under my breath, "Give me the system or don't. I'm getting out of here either way, even if I have to break through the walls with my bare hands."
"O.K.!" The computer face disappears to show static and then reappears. "System loading…"
Suddenly, a splitting headache cuts through my brain. My knees hit the white floor and I open my mouth in a silent scream. It feels like white hot knives are cutting through my brain tissue. Tears prickle through my eyes, and now I'm sure my screams aren't so silent anymore.
But just when I'm starting to think I can't handle it anymore, it stops.
"System installation complete. Thank you for your service."
I look up hesitantly and notice that all the computers have gone dark again, but more than that I notice something much more worrying. In the corner of my peripheral vision I see two small words.
Stats
Items
"What…" I focus my vision on the first word 'stats' and suddenly I see a long list of words.
[STATUS]
Name: Se Jun Park
Age: 18
Race: Human
LVL: 100
HP: 1,000/1,000
ATK: 10,000
MP: 1,000/1,000
STA: 1,000/1,000
DEF: 1,000
LUC: 1,000
INT: 1,000
Skills:
Sword Slash (Average Strength A.)
Magic Blast (Average Strength A.)
Speed Dash (Basic Speed B.)
Lightning bolt (Average Strength A.)
Heal Bomb (Average Strength A.)
Mend Armour (Basic Rebuild B.)
After I look over my stats twice over a focus on the word 'close' and then to the word 'Items'
[Items]
Basic Trousers
Basic Tunic
Sturdy Boots
I close that tab and look back towards the two golden doors. This new system will get some getting used to, but I'm confident I'll be able to get past it.
I walk towards the door, a renewed confidence in my steps.
I hold my breath as I reach the part I was stopped at last time, and slowly walk through. Yes! There is no invisible wall! I quickly reach the golden door and hesitantly touch the golden doors, which quickly slide open, to reveal a golden elevator box with no buttons, but one small security camera.
The doors shut, and I'm left alone in the pristine box.
"Moving towards ... .Floor 1-" The voice glitches with a buzz before ringing on again, "Moving toward-bzzt- Moving-bzzt- Mov-bzzt-" It glitches on and off.
The lights of the elevator flicker off for a few seconds before blaring back on.
"Rero-bzzz-uting…"
The lights flicker off again and the elevator quickly begins to rise, going quicker and quicker until my stomach churns in protest.
"Updating System- bzzt….updating…rerou- bzzt…rerouting…update complete."
Another splitting headache blares through my skull and I'm once again sent to the floor in pain. All across my vision red lights flash. 'Unknown Update' it reads. The stats tab flashes red, and I hesitantly open the stats page.
[STATUS]
Name: Se Jun Park
Class: Weakling Hero
Age: 18
Race: Human
LVL: 0
HP: 1/1
ATK: 1
MP: 0
STA: 0
DEF: 0
LUC: 0
INT: 0
Skills:
No Skills Present
My eyes widen in horror as the elevator door open with a ring.