The first thing Adrián Veyra noticed was the number.
Most people noticed the panic.
The screams.
The impossible blue windows floating in front of their eyes.
But Adrián noticed the number.
And it was wrong.
The subway screeched as it slowed into the station. People stood shoulder to shoulder, half-asleep, scrolling through their phones, waiting for another boring morning to begin.
Then reality broke.
A translucent blue window appeared in front of every passenger.
Some people flinched.
Others waved their hands through it.
One man laughed.
"Nice prank. Is this some kind of ad?"
No one answered.
Because the message changed.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Welcome, Player.
Humanity has been selected for the Evolution Program.
Initialization complete.
Silence filled the subway.
A woman whispered, "Is this… augmented reality?"
Someone else tried touching the window.
It didn't move.
The text shifted again.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Phase 1 initiated.
Initial Survival Examination.
Participants Selected: 10,000
Required Survivors: 100
Time Limit: 72 Hours
The train erupted.
"What the hell does that mean?"
"Is this a game?!"
"Who made this?!"
Someone tried closing the window.
It wouldn't disappear.
Then a new message appeared.
[QUEST RECEIVED]
Survival Examination
Objective: Stay alive.
Conditions:
• Survive for 72 hours
• Eliminate threats
• Cooperate or compete with other players
Reward:
500 XP
Random Skill
Failure:
Death
The last word hung in the air like a blade.
Death.
People started shouting.
One guy tried laughing it off.
"Guys relax. This is obviously fake."
Adrián didn't react.
He was still staring at the number.
Participants Selected: 10,000
But something about it bothered him.
Numbers rarely bothered Adrián.
Which meant this one mattered.
He slowly looked around the subway car.
Forty… maybe fifty people.
The entire train might hold five hundred.
But the system said ten thousand players.
Which meant the test wasn't limited to the train.
Interesting.
But then the system spoke again.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Transporting participants.
The world vanished.
Adrián hit the ground hard.
Dust filled the air.
The smell of rust and concrete stung his nose.
When he opened his eyes… the subway was gone.
Instead he saw a massive abandoned city.
Cracked roads.
Empty skyscrapers.
Shattered windows.
And people.
Thousands of people.
Some were screaming.
Some were crying.
Some were already running.
A boy nearby whispered, "Where are we…?"
Adrián stood slowly.
The blue window returned.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Welcome to the Testing Ground.
Location: Sector 7
Players Present: 9,842
Adrián narrowed his eyes.
9,842.
That was… interesting.
Very interesting.
Because the system had clearly stated there were 10,000 players.
Which meant 158 people were already gone.
Before the game even started.
A scream cut through the street.
"MONSTER!"
Something crawled out of an alley.
It looked vaguely human.
But its skin was gray and stretched tight across its bones.
Its mouth opened too wide.
And its eyes were completely empty.
The system reacted instantly.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
New Creature Detected.
Name: Flesh Devourer
Level: 2
The monster moved.
Fast.
Faster than anyone expected.
It grabbed the closest woman.
She barely had time to scream before its teeth tore into her throat.
Blood sprayed across the pavement.
The crowd exploded into chaos.
People ran in every direction.
Some fell.
Some pushed others aside.
Some froze completely.
Adrián didn't move.
He watched.
Calculated.
The creature took roughly three seconds to kill its target.
Then it lifted its head and scanned the crowd for the next victim.
Panic made people slow.
Predictable.
Easy prey.
But Adrián wasn't watching the monster anymore.
Something new had appeared in his vision.
A smaller window.
Faint.
Almost invisible.
[SYSTEM WARNING]
Anomaly Detected.
Adrián blinked.
No one else reacted.
Which meant one thing.
Only he could see it.
The text flickered.
Then changed.
[HIDDEN SYSTEM MESSAGE]
Player Identified.
Variable Detected.
Adrián felt a strange chill run down his spine.
Not fear.
Curiosity.
The message continued.
[HIDDEN QUEST RECEIVED]
Objective: Identify the System's First Lie.
Reward: ???
Penalty for Failure: ???
Time Limit: 24 Hours
Adrián slowly looked around the ruined city.
People screaming.
Monsters hunting.
Players already attacking each other for weapons.
And then…
he smiled.
A small smile.
Cold.
Because he had already found something interesting.
The system claimed there were 10,000 players.
But the current count was 9,842.
Which meant 158 players had died.
Before the game even officially started.
Adrián tilted his head slightly.
"So this is that kind of game…"
Another message appeared.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
New Rule Unlocked.
Players may eliminate other players.
Reward: XP
Silence fell over the street.
Then someone swung a pipe at the person next to them.
Blood hit the pavement.
The real game had begun.
Adrián watched the chaos calmly.
Because while everyone else was focused on survival…
he was thinking about something far more important.
The hidden quest.
The first lie.
And then he noticed something.
A single line buried in the corner of the interface.
A line that absolutely should not exist.
[SYSTEM ADMIN ACCESS… DETECTED]
Adrián's eyes widened slightly.
That meant only one thing.
Someone was inside the system.
Watching.
Controlling.
Playing.
And suddenly Adrián realized something terrifying.
Maybe the players…
weren't the only participants in this game.