The gates slowly opened.
As the massive stone doors parted, moving as if they had been sealed for thousands of years, a wave of cold, damp air spilled out from within. The chill seeped into the bones, stirring an unexplainable unease deep in the subconscious.
Eight gates stood arranged in a half-circle. Each one opened into darkness—but not all darkness felt the same.
None of the participants spoke.
Everyone stared at the gates, calculating silently within their own minds. Some clenched their fists. Others took deep breaths.
And then…
Mark stepped out from the crowd without a word.
Rick narrowed his eyes slightly when he saw him.
There was a brief moment of hesitation before he spoke.
Rick: Mark… sorry about earlier.
There was no anger on Mark's face. No surprise either. Just a tired acceptance.
Mark: It's fine… Overseer.
Rick paused for a moment, then raised his voice so it echoed across the entire area.
Rick: Now, ladies and gentlemen… the entity hunt begins!
With those words, the silence shattered. Footsteps echoed as the participants rushed toward the gates. Some chose without thinking. Others took one last look around.
Jack stayed where he was.
His heart was beating faster than normal. There was a pressure inside him he couldn't explain. This stage felt completely different from the first.
Jack: Well then…
He took a deep breath.
Jack: Let's begin the second stage.
He chose a gate and stepped forward.
In an instant, everything changed.
When Jack opened his eyes, he found himself deep inside a dense forest. Tall trees blocked almost all of the sky. The light filtering through the leaves was weak. The air was humid, the scent of soil heavy.
Jack: (Confused) What? This place… a forest?
He turned around.
There was no gate.
The place he had just passed through was gone, no light, no passage, no possibility of return.
Jack: This… is nothing like I expected.
A faint shiver ran through him.
This place felt real. Too real.
Enzo was in the same forest.
But his reaction was completely different.
Enzo: Huh… a forest.
He quickly scanned his surroundings. The arrangement of the trees, the direction of the wind, the marks on the ground, he analyzed everything one by one.
Enzo: Whatever. Let's focus on the test.
He accepted the situation without hesitation and began moving forward.
At the Sacred Temple…
Rick stood in front of a massive screen. The images displayed the participants scattered across different locations. Countless data streams flowed across the side panels.
Rick: The second stage won't be easy.
His voice was unusually serious.
Michael was crouched down, examining the soil, tracing the tracks with his fingers.
Michael: So this is an artificially constructed area.
He stood up and looked around. The trees were too symmetrical. The leaves were flawless.
Michael: Now these tracks are—
He suddenly froze.
His eyes widened.
Michael: You've got to be kidding!?
These weren't ordinary animal tracks.
Michael: So the first stage wasn't just a test after all.
Rick murmured while staring at the screen.
Rick: Someone's already noticed…
A brief silence followed.
Rick: Yes. The first stage was never meant to eliminate participants.
He continued without taking his eyes off the screen.
Rick: It was meant to see whether they were strong and agile enough to survive the second stage.
Elsewhere…
A shadow moved.
Peter: SO YOU'RE AN ENTITY, HUH!?
In front of him stood an Orc, its mouth dripping with saliva, muscles bulging, eyes filled with savagery.
They both stood still.
A moment of silence.
Then...
Peter: I'LL ATTACK FIRST, YOU UGLY ORC!?
The Orc roared and charged.
Peter grabbed it by both arms.
Peter: YOU'RE PRETTY TOUGH FOR A MONSTER, HAHAHA!?
The Orc tried to headbutt him
Peter: FULL MUSCLE COATING!
The blow didn't harm Peter. Instead, the Orc's head took damage.
Peter clenched his fist.
Peter: PATHETIC, JUST AS EXPECTED FROM AN ORC!?
One punch.
The Orc's head tore off and flew through the air.
Peter: WAY TOO WEAK!?
At that moment…
Luna: Something's wrong here…
She looked up at the sky.
Luna: An artificial area… that explains everything.
But a shadow rapidly descended.
Luna: Huh? That shadow— WHAT THE HELL!?
She dodged sideways at the last second.
Something hit the ground.
Rolled.
Stopped.
Luna slowly approached.
Luna: What just fell from the sky? Wait a second…
Her breath caught.
Luna: This… isn't this a creature's head?
It was an Orc's head.
Luna: Whoever created this artificial zone… can keep all eight of us in the same place.
She looked around.
Luna: Which means… everyone is here.
The truth was slowly revealing itself.
This wasn't a hunt.
This wasn't an elimination.
This was a survival test.
And everyone was trapped inside the same deadly area.
Rick stared at the screen and formed a calm yet ominous smile.
Rick: Now…
A brief pause.
Rick: The second stage truly begins.