"Argh!" he groaned in pain as he hit the ground.
Aaron quickly got up and looked around. He was in a sort of clearing surrounded by trees, about 100 meters in diameter.
He wasn't home anymore. That was the first conclusion he came to. Second, he wasn't alone, and that simple fact relieved him. Wherever there were people, there were answers, or at least the beginnings of an explanation.
The other people in the clearing were obviously just as confused as he was about what was going on.
He scanned his surroundings, trying to see if he recognized anyone, but found no familiar faces. There seemed to be about a hundred people there.
In the end, two things stood out: everyone was wearing the same beige clothes—a simple wool sweater and pants. Second, there was a small stone altar, chest-high.
He simply stood there, positioned in the very center of the clearing.
The people around him were still too dazed and confused to notice the altar. But something told Aaron that if he wanted answers, he should approach it.
So he did so, careful not to attract attention. He moved slowly, but the others were too busy panicking or arguing to pay him any attention.
He reached the altar without difficulty. Taking a deep breath to prepare himself, he placed his hand on the cold stone surface.
Suddenly, his mind was flooded with information, but before he could fully process it, someone in the clearing spoke loudly.
"Hello, everyone! Would you listen to me, please?" shouted a muscular man with tanned skin and short blond hair.
He seemed to be trying to get everyone's attention.
"Does anyone know what's going on here?" he demanded. When no one answered, the man continued.
It seems we're all in the same situation. I was in the middle of training for my next boxing match before I arrived here. My name is Jacob Anders. I hope we can all pull together and figure out what's going on.
At this, people began to murmur. Some seemed to agree with his idea, while others appeared deeply suspicious, looking around as if expecting to be robbed at any moment.
Ignoring them, Aaron returned his attention to the stone altar.
In his mind, five things appeared.
BODY: 0; MIND: 0; A search bar; 100 points; A countdown: 30:16:4:1
A second later, the countdown changed to 30:16:3:59.
Apart from these items, there was nothing else. Aaron focused on the search bar and began typing various words like information, explanation, documentation, tutorial, settings, etc., but nothing appeared.
He took a moment to appreciate how strangely efficient the interface was.
After a second's pause, he searched for a pen, and immediately, a result appeared with a corresponding cost.
Wooden pen: 10 points.
Strange. But very interesting.
Now that he had a result, he continued to experiment and, little by little, he began to understand how the search bar worked.
He had 100 points to spend as he wished. The search bar worked like a blind store: you had to guess what was available before you could buy it.
After much searching, Aaron came to a conclusion: the store offered a very limited selection.
There were items like wooden spears, but no modern weapons, not even metal ones.
It was also possible to buy food, although it didn't look appetizing or varied. Yet, it seemed to contain all the nutrients necessary for the human body to function.
Beyond basic survival items, there wasn't much else.
Aaron then looked at the 30-day countdown. What would happen once the countdown reached zero? Would he be sent home?
For some reason, he doubted it.
So, something important was going to happen in 30 days; that was the only thing he could conclude. The worst part was, without knowing what it was, he had no idea if 30 days was a lot of time... or not enough.
He had no idea what was going to happen, but he knew one thing for sure: everything in this situation revolved around two key attributes.
BODY and MIND.
Both were currently set to 0. He also had 100 points, which allowed him to purchase various items in the store.
Could he use them to increase both of these stats?
With a single thought, the answer appeared in his mind. With 100 points, he could increase either of them by 1.
With nothing else to explore, Aaron removed his hand from the altar and observed his surroundings.
Little had changed while he was testing things out.
Jacob Anders had gathered four other people, and they were talking in hushed voices.
Other groups of two or three had also formed, engaged in quiet discussions.
But despite all this, Aaron wasn't worried.
In fact, most of the people—about 70 out of 100—were standing still, scanning their surroundings with suspicious or fearful expressions.
Seeing the way things were unfolding, Aaron knew he had to remain as unnoticed as possible. He didn't know what was going on, but this situation felt horribly wrong. Like a rotting dumpster left to fester for a year.
Even though he had no concrete evidence of what was happening, everything felt far too much like a video game to ignore the possibility.
If this were truly a video game, then this clearing could be a "starter village." The only problem was the distinct lack of buildings.
But maybe... that was the point. Maybe they were supposed to build it themselves.
That would mean they'd have to explore, gather resources, and fight monsters to level up.
Aaron turned his gaze toward the dense forest surrounding the clearing.
"If there are monsters in the forest, then..."
A cold shiver ran down his spine.
Gathering 100 people in a clearing, completely surrounded by a dark forest... filled with monsters...
Aaron's heart rate quickened.
He rushed to put his hand back on the stone altar and frantically searched for survival tools.
Stone Knife: 15 points
Rope: 15 points
3 days' worth of water: 20 points
3 days' worth of food: 20 points
Flint: 20 points
Bag: 10 points
He didn't even pause to consider where the items came from: he simply stuffed them into his bag and headed straight for the forest.
Once hidden behind the thick foliage, he crouched inside a bush, scanning the clearing.
Have you ever made a decision that seemed small or stupid at the time, but later turned out to be the most important choice of your life?
If so, then you'll understand exactly what Aaron was going through.
As he continued to watch from his hiding place, he noticed that the others in the clearing were confused by his sudden departure.
Some seemed worried (whether for Aaron or themselves, no one could tell), while others mocked him, calling him crazy or worse.
But if there was one thing they all had in common, it was that they found comfort in the presence of a group.
Unlike Aaron.
Still hiding, Aaron began to doubt himself. Had he made a mistake? He felt like an idiot, having based his decision solely on his intuition.
But no matter how much he hesitated, he couldn't move.
His body knew something his mind hadn't yet grasped.
Deep down, he felt an overwhelming certainty: if he returned to the clearing, he would be making the biggest mistake of his life.
Boom.
Boom.
His heart pounded.
Then, suddenly...
Someone chose a spot in the forest.
Before he could doubt his eyes, he heard low, guttural growls.
They were everywhere.
Getting closer.
Aaron realized, then, that he had made the right choice.
Because the people in the clearing?
They were already dead.
Aaron knew he had made the right choice to hide. The growls were getting louder, and he could see them now: dark shapes moving between the trees, their silhouettes barely distinguishable in the shadows.
And then, he heard footsteps.
Not just one or two.
Dozens.
They were close.
He held his breath, motionless in the bush. A slight movement would be enough to make them notice him. Instead, he kept his eyes fixed on the clearing.
The people there had no idea what was about to happen.
At first, they hesitated when they heard the strange noises coming from the trees. Some looked around, puzzled. Others frowned, but attributed the noises to the wind.
But Aaron knew better.
Then, the moment of realization arrived.
One of the creatures burst through the treeline and lunged at a middle-aged man.
The poor man barely had time to scream before its teeth sank into his throat, tearing off a piece of chair in one bite.
You slurred to the ground.
And then—
Chaos.
Screams of terror filled the clearing. Some tried to flee, but the creatures were too fast.
One by one, they emerged from the forest, moving at an unnatural speed, their elongated limbs writhing as they leaped at their prey.
Aaron could only watch in horror as the massacre unfolded.
Some tried to fight back, but to no avail.
An elderly man was torn to pieces, his limbs torn off as he screamed in pain. Jacob Anders, the muscular man who had spoken earlier, tried to defend himself by throwing a powerful punch at one of the creatures.
It didn't matter.
Within seconds, at least five monsters were upon him, tearing apart his chair and eating him alive.
Aaron felt his stomach clench.
He felt like throwing up, but he forced himself to remain silent.
Then, a terrifying realization hit him like a bolt of lightning.
If he had stayed in the clearing, he would have been one of them.
He would have died.
And the only reason he survived…
was because he thought, "If this is a game, then there should be monsters."
It was just a wild assumption.
And it had saved his life.
The screams of the dying filled the night.
Aaron heard it all: the sound of chairs being torn apart, bones crunching, pleas for mercy.
But mercy didn't exist here.
The slaughter continued for what felt like an eternity.
And then, finally—
Silence.
Aaron remained hidden in the bush, not daring to move.
The creatures had finished their work.
From his vantage point, he saw them move away from the clearing, disappearing into the forest like shadows melting into the darkness.
Their hunger had been satisfied, for now.
But Aaron wouldn't move.
Not yet.
He waited a few more minutes, carefully observing the area, making sure they were truly gone.
Only when he was certain did he slowly emerge from his hiding place.
The clearing was unrecognizable.
There was blood everywhere.
Limbs, organs, and pieces of flesh were scattered on the ground.
Any survivors?
There were none.
Aaron's breath was shallow as he took it all in.
He had seen death before: on the news, in movies, in books.
But never like this.
This was pure slaughter.
And the most disturbing party?
The creatures hadn't eaten the bodies.
They weren't feeding.
They were killing for the joy of killing.
Aaron exhales sharply.
His mind is active and fast.
Something important was happening.
The altar, the countdown, the creatures…
It was all part of something bigger.
And whatever it was,
He was now part of it.
He needed a plan.
Standing among the remains of what had once been a group of people, Aaron turned his gaze toward the stone altar.
It was still there.
Intact.
As if he'd been waiting for this moment.
Aaron clenched his fists.
Then, without looking back, he turned and disappeared into the dense forest.