Everyone was confused—even Albert—when the word SYSTEM appeared before them.
The bluish panel floated in the air, glowing faintly. The entity above them began to speak again, its voice echoing through the cracked sky.
"Behold the strength of the System!"
Whispers spread through the crowd like wildfire. Fear. Confusion. Panic.
Albert stayed quiet.
He knew one thing—this was not the time to make a mistake. He gestured for Alya to move closer.
The entity spoke again.
"Subjects of P-11, prove me your worth!"
The moment it finished, the blue panel shifted and rearranged itself. The letters glitched, then stabilized.
Albert narrowed his eyes.
Prove your worth…
That sounded like a competition.
The panel displayed new words:
PROVE ME YOUR WORTH
TASK: KILL 1 HUMAN
TIME: 30 MINUTES
REWARD: SURVIVE, 100 COIN, 10+ BOUNS STATS POINTS, 100 EXPERIENCE
PLENTY: DEATH
A heavy silence fell over the crowd.
Albert's guess was correct—but this was worse than he expected.
Kill a human?
People began to panic. Some argued. Some cried. Some looked around as if searching for something small enough to kill without guilt.
The entity's voice thundered once more.
"I have given you 30 minutes. Your time has started!"
Then it retreated into the fractured sky.
Phones came out immediately. Notifications exploded. News spread within seconds.
The President was dead.
Killed.
The same being had appeared there too.
A new broadcast echoed from every device:
"Everyone, the new rules have been set. Forget the old ones. Prepare to live in this new world."
Albert's chest tightened.
So this wasn't just here.
It was everywhere.
He forced himself to breathe slowly.
Think. Don't panic. There has to be a way.
Suddenly, a scream pierced the air.
A man from the crowd grabbed an old woman by the collar and shoved her to the ground.
Everyone watched.
No one moved.
Albert's legs felt heavy.
He knew he might not be able to stop it.
But he stepped forward anyway.
Slowly.
Hesitantly.
The man noticed him.
Their eyes locked.
"So, why are you here?" the man sneered.
"Trying to steal my kill? Get lost."
Albert's hands trembled, but he didn't step back.
"Um… could you stop? We can talk about this. We can solve this without—"
"Get lost," the man snapped. "It's kill or be killed. And I choose kill."
His grip tightened on the old woman.
"First, I'll take care of you. Then I'll kill her."
The countdown continued silently in the air.
And for the first time, Albert truly understood—
The world had already changed.