The taste of cheap coffee still lingered on Adrian's tongue when his eyelids began to droop.
He felt himself falling into an endless hole as his thoughts slowed, losing all sense of space. Darkness wrapped around him like a heavy blanket, dragging him into a bottomless void.
A sudden, piercing scream snapped him out of the trance.
"Shit!" a man wearing a business suit shouted as he took in what was happening around him.
They were inside a white hall, centered around a platform adorned with exquisite golden decorations, crafted from a material resembling marble.
The walls stretched upward into what seemed like infinite space, with no visible ceiling—only a diffuse light flooding everything, without any apparent source.
Scattered across the marble floor were a thousand and one people, some still unconscious, others beginning to wake with groans of confusion and terror.
Adrian pushed himself to his feet, his mind still foggy, and started looking around.
The air carried a strange scent—a mix of ozone and something sweet—that made his stomach churn.
His mind struggled to understand what was happening and how he had ended up there. The last thing he remembered was being in his apartment, drinking that awful coffee before—
A hologram appeared on the platform.
Only its silhouette was visible: a girl with slender hips and a wide waist. The figure flickered occasionally with static, distorting its outline in an unsettling way.
"Attention, biological units nearing their expiration date!" the figure exclaimed with artificial cheerfulness. "I have collected one thousand and one of you. Statistically, one of you will die within the next hour. Isn't that exciting?"
Before the hologram could continue, someone interrupted.
"But who are you, and why did you bring us here?! When my parents find out, they won't let you get away with this!" a young man shouted from the back of the hall.
The boy, with perfectly styled blond hair and hazel eyes, glared at the hologram in fury while ostentatiously pointing at his gold watch.
His suit looked tailor-made, and every movement oozed arrogance.
"You have until twelve o'clock to release me. My family will find me and—"
Boom.
Before he could finish his threat, his head exploded in a crimson cloud.
A dry crack echoed through the hall, followed by a rain of blood and brain matter splattering across the white marble, staining it with a vivid red that grotesquely contrasted with the floor's purity.
The silence that followed was deathly, broken only by muffled sobs from those who had just awakened and the choked gasps of horror from those who had witnessed the execution.
"Well…" the hologram's voice shifted into a chilling, almost playful tone. "I did say someone would die. I'm no genius for predicting that, am I?"
"Now that I have your attention, I'll explain what this is. Pay attention, because this lady does not repeat herself."
The figure fell silent for a moment, observing the panic on the survivors' faces like someone admiring a work of art.
"First of all, you're probably wondering: what is this place?" She paused dramatically, rotating her silhouette in an elegant motion, yet no one dared to make a sound. "I see. You're all so bored… or what is it? Did a mouse eat your tongues?"
The hologram's static formed a wide, warped white smile—far too wide to be human.
"Well, if you won't ask, this lady will tell you, since I'm very generous," the hologram continued, swaying her silhouette gracefully, yet disturbingly.
"This place is the Palace of Taxation. You, little organic creatures, were brought here so you may attempt to save your miserable planet."
A murmur of confusion rippled through the survivors, but no one dared interrupt.
The memory of the blond boy's remains was still far too fresh, and the coppery smell of blood hung thick in the air.
"You see, Earth is currently suffering from a resource shortage," the Lady explained with feigned sadness. "The overexploitation of what little you have left has pushed your world to the brink of destruction."
"You will carry out missions in different worlds to gather the funds necessary for this lady to save your planet."
Adrian frowned, his brain working at full speed despite the shock.
'What kind of resource would an entity capable of teleporting a thousand people even need? And why send us—fragile carbon-based beings?'
'None of this makes any sense.'
"If you succeed, your planet will live a little longer," the hologram added, and the static on her face formed what looked like a mocking expression. "If you fail… well, the universe has many other planets far more interesting than yours."
"Now that this lady has explained everything so elegantly, you should worship me," the figure said, extending her digital arms toward the crowd in a gesture that demanded adoration.
Suddenly, a sharp metallic sound rang throughout the hall, bouncing off the white walls.
Tiiin!
A semi-transparent screen appeared in front of each person, floating in the air with glowing blue letters.
[EMERGENCY MISSION: ADULATION]Objective: Convincingly praise the "Lady" of the Palace.Reward: 1,000 gold coins (Initial Survival Fund).Failure Penalty: The coins will not be distributed.(Note: Without funds, the mortality rate in the first mission is 99.9%.)
Silence returned, but this time it was heavy with desperate urgency.
Adrian looked at the floating screen, then at the others. The man in the business suit was the first to react, dropping to his knees on the bloodstained marble.
"Oh, great… great Lady!" he cried out with a trembling voice, hands clasped in supplication. "Your beauty is infinite, and your generosity knows no bounds! Thank you for giving us this chance!"
Others began to imitate him, falling to their knees and shouting frantic praises.
A chaotic chorus of voices filled the white hall. Some wept as they begged, others stammered incoherent words of adulation.
Adrian clenched his fists, watching the scene unfold.
Finally, he took a deep breath and raised his voice toward the hologram, though every word tasted bitter.
"Great Lady, your wisdom has enlightened us. We are grateful for the opportunity you grant us."
The Lady let out a distorted giggle that sent chills crawling up Adrian's spine.