A NEW WORLD
"Our planets are situated in a galaxy far away from your Milky Way, a galaxy called the Sundered Realm. It is a far more advanced galaxy than yours, with many planets thriving with life—some are eco-friendly, and some are highly technological. We all lived in harmony, but for the past five years, we've been forced to flee our homes and live in space in a fleet of spaceships."
The host explained everything in a serious, monotone voice.
"Ten years ago, a series of teleportation holes tore through our galaxy, connected to the Galaxy of Serpents, a place of monsters and deadly beings. They attacked our planets with full force, devouring our people and destroying our homes. Our military was unprepared. We fought for two years, but their numbers only grew."
The host paused, a grim silence falling over the crowd.
"We had to flee for our lives. For the last three years, we've developed advanced weapons and technology, but it wasn't enough. We needed more people for our military. That's when we discovered Earth, a planet full of life. It lacked power and technology, but its population was greater than ours."
The host gestured to the screen, where an image of a galaxy appeared. Everyone looked on in silence.
"This is the Sundered Realm. It's relatively small compared to other galaxies and contains eight main planets: Vexan, Acheron, Xylos, Elysia, Lyra, Corvax, Novus, and Veridian. As I told you, all eight planets have been attacked. People are still living there, their lives threatened daily. Our military is helping them, but it's still not enough to defeat our enemies."
"The heads of the board from each of the eight planets are present at this meeting. This is the second time we have summoned people from Earth. From today, for the next five to six months, you will all train for military enrollment."
A wave of anger and fear rippled through the crowd. Many people's faces contorted in fury; others shivered or sobbed. They all knew what this meant.
They want us to be guinea pigs, to save their people even if it means we die!
"The place you're standing on is the Vexar Auditorium. You all know the name from the Battlefield of Vexar game, right? Vexar is a small planet, not aligned with the eight main planets but situated far from them. We recently discovered it had life, but no humans. We've developed this place to be your training ground."
"Vexar is made up of many islands. It's rich in soil, water, and food, but the variety of species is limited. We've prepared a town for you to live in. Each island is a training ground for different levels. For example, people from levels 1 to 100 will live and train in Town 1."
"Each town will have a transportation portal that will take you to this auditorium. From here, you'll be sent to the battlefield. The training is simple: you'll loot weapons, kill your opponents, survive until the end, and you'll win."
This was the breaking point. The crowd erupted, the sound of their fury drowning out the host's voice.
"What the hell?! Are you mad?!" a man screamed. "Why would we be guinea pigs for you?!"
"You want us to kill our own people?!" another shouted.
"No way! No way!" a woman cried.
"I want to go home, Mom! Dad!" a boy sobbed.
"Let me out of here! Let me out!"
At this point, it was impossible to distinguish individual voices in the sea of anger. But some people, like me, remained silent. There was no point in shouting. There was no way out.
"SILENCE!"
The host's voice boomed, sharp and cold. The crowd instantly fell silent, the pin-drop quiet returning.
"It would be wise if you all listened to what I have to say before creating trouble." She adjusted her glasses, took a deep breath, and continued.
"Killing each other is just a phase. Don't worry, you will be brought back to life again. The battlefields of Vexar are designed as a virtual reality area. You can feel yourself, get hurt, feel pain, and die, but you will be brought back to life in this auditorium. You can team up with friends, play solo, or we can match you with others. Remember if you guys don't fight and killed the opponent, the blue zone will start to cover the battlefield slowly, if you guys don't decrease you will be feel awful pain under the blue zone area , which is worse than death ."
"First, everyone will fight in scheduled matches. In your free time, our trainers will guide you. Second, you can also enter the battlefield for unofficial matches to improve your skills. Third, after you reach a certain rank, you'll be sent to fight virtual monsters modeled after those who attacked our planets."
"The rules are the same as the game you played on your phones. You loot, revive your dead teammates on time, and be the last one standing to win. The more opponents you kill and the more you win, the higher your level and rank. Your level-up will earn you money."
"Those who reach the top ranks—100 to 200—will be trained to fight the real monsters. If you complete these tasks and help us defeat our enemies, we will give you a reward: a chance to go back to Earth or live a luxurious life on any planet you choose."
Hope flared in everyone's eyes at the mention of going home, only for it to be extinguished by the dark reality: they had to reach the top 200 and then survive a real fight. A man was about to protest, but the host cut him off.
"Remember, if you don't rank up, you will be trapped in Vexar forever. You'll grow old and die here, and your body on Earth will perish as well. If you refuse to play for a long time, you will be executed. There are many more rules you have yet to learn, but for now, it's time for the first game."
The screen went dark. Lights came on, and guards and robots stormed the auditorium, pushing everyone toward open gates. A few aircraft waited there. They shoved us inside and handed us backpacks. The aircraft was spacious enough for 30 to 40 people. More guards inside yelled for us to stand straight and put on our bags, then gave us a quick tutorial.
"It's very simple. Just say 'Status Screen,' and your map, energy level, and equipment will appear. Click on the location you want to go. Take your backpack—there's a parachute inside. Jump from the plane and use the parachute after you reach a few meters above the ground. Your game will then begin. Warning: If you don't jump in time, we will throw you out ourselves, and we'll make sure you land in the ocean."
Another guard shouted, "NOW SELECT THE LOCATION AND JUMP!"
We all flinched. In a trembling voice, i said, "STATUS." The map to our hellish battlefield appeared before me.
To be continued...