"Urgh…" Levin suddenly woke up in a blank room, feeling groggy and disoriented. He groaned, unsure of what was happening. His body felt stiff, as if he had just woken up from a long, deep sleep. "Where the hell am I right now?" He blinked his eyes repeatedly, trying to get used to the bright light on the room.
Then, memories rushed back to him—all the chaos of fighting the intelligent alien and the shock of Alex's betrayal. He gasped, panic rising in his chest. At first, he thought he might be captured, getting ready to be interrogated or experimented on by the aliens. He remembered all the horrible rumor about how the people who got captured by the alien ended up and he wondered whether he would meet the same fate in the near future.
But then he noticed something strange. He still had his weapon and all his gear on him. He also realized that the old wound on his shoulder, which had bothered him for so long, was completely healed. He turned his head around easily, feeling a bit strange that he couldn't feel any pain on that spot anymore.
Confused, Levin wondered what had happened. After he was calm enough, all the questions suddenly popped up inside his head. Where was he? How did he survive? Who healed him? What happened to Mike? The last thing he remembered was darkness closing in on him. Now, here he was, alive and well, but with no idea how he got here.
Just as Levin was about to explore the room, a bright screen appeared in front of him, and a man wearing a crow mask showed up, looking both odd and intense.
"Welcome, everyone!" said the man with a crow mask. "You don't need to know my name, but you can just call me The Ruler. You are invited to play in a game called 'Grand Multiverse Battle Royale!' Here, 500 strong people from different dimensions will compete to see who is the best out of the best!"
Levin was confused. Was this really happening? He came from a normal world where the idea of a multiverse was just a story, so this made him wondering. Was this crow man crazy, or was he losing his mind?
However, right when he was about to scoff this off, the masked man said something that grabbed Levin's attention. "Oh, I know that most of you didn't believe me, and I don't have any problem with it! However, for your information, the prize for winning this game is unbelievable! If you win, you can restart your life from any moment you choose. This is your chance to fix your regret!"
Levin's heart raced. Restarting his life meant he could change everything, maybe even save his squad from that terrible betrayal. The memory of his last moment with Mike flashed on the tip of his head, and the indifference gaze Alex gave before that traitor shot him straight to his head would probably haunt him in his worst nightmare. However, if anything, all those memories somehow only made him think that he should at least listen to what this crow-man said.
"Oh, it seems that all of you change your mind and decide to give me a chance, huh? Oh, I choose the people right, all of you have so much trauma and regret in your life that you would rather give a chance to a person who you all thought was insane a moment ago. Not bad…"
Of course, Levin noticed the sarcastic tone. However, that was his least concern for now. No, what bothered him currently was the fact that the crow-man was not just talking to him, but to multiple people. However, he checked the room and the building around him and realized that he was alone here. That meant this mysterious man separated them all, and if everything was real, that only meant the man had a terrifying power to do so.
'I need to treat this carefully.' He thought internally.
Then, the crow-masked man leaned closer to the screen, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Okay, everyone! Let me explain the first round of the battle! We are going to play a tag game, but with a little bit of twist in it!"
Right after that, a map suddenly appeared on the screen, and Levin observed it carefully. There were also a lot of supplementary images to let him imagine the stage better. It was an open world with the size of the area was probably half of the Xing Federal, the biggest country in his world, and there were mountains, seas, and even a big city in it. With the huge world as the stage, it would be difficult to pinpoint the enemy later.
"To advance to the next round, you just need to tag one player. However, to do so, you must first defeat them," the man said with a grin. "That means you have to kill them and draw their blood! Only the blood of a defeated player counts as a point for you!"
Levin could feel a chill run down his spine instantly. This was getting serious.
The masked man continued, "The first round ends when half the amount of players are eliminated or one week has passed! The game will start in 3! 2! 1! Go!"
In an instant, Levin's surroundings changed. He found himself standing in an old, dusty building that looked just like the last place he remembered from his old world—the place where he had fought the aliens and where everything had gone wrong. A wave of panic rushed over him, and his heart raced as memories flooded his mind, reminding him of the fear, the betrayal, and the chaos of that day.
"No… they are not here anymore…." Levin took a deep breath, trying to keep himself steady. He could feel cold sweat rolled on his back, but as he was calm enough to think, he realized that the alien and Alex were not here anymore. "No… They are not here anymore…" He repeated his words over and over again like a mantra.
After he was calm enough, Levin made up his mind to head to the rooftop. After all, it was always important to figure out where he was right now, Once he climbed to the top, he stepped out and looked around. What he saw shocked him. He was in an old, abandoned city. The buildings were crumbling, and everything looked empty and lifeless.
"Damn…" Levin murmured, still in shock.
The sight in front of him brought back many painful memories. It reminded him of the time when his own city had been attacked by aliens, just like this one. In his old world, many cities had met the same fate. People had to leave their homes, searching for safety in other places.
Levin's heart felt heavy as he took in the scenery. He could almost hear the sounds of chaos from his past—the screams, the explosions, and the fear. But now, there was only silence. He realized that he was standing in a place that once held life and activity, now turned into a graveyard of memories.
As Levin was lost in his thoughts, he suddenly heard small footsteps echoing through the building. His senses sharpened instantly, and he raised his weapon without thinking. The sound was quiet, but his military training kicked in, reminding him to be alert.
'I didn't expect I would meet another player this early. I need to be careful here. If what that crow man said is right, whoever come here would be a player from another dimension, and I don't know what they are capable of.'
He took a deep breath and waited behind the door. He could hear the footsteps getting closer. As soon as the intruder appeared, Levin sprang into action. He aimed his weapon at the figure and said firmly, "Raise your hands and drop your weapon!"
To his shock, he found himself staring at a little girl. She looked about ten years old and was wearing an old priest's robe, like something from the Middle Ages. Her large, innocent eyes looked up at him, filled with curiosity.
"Uncle," she asked, tilting her head, "are you here going to kill me like what the crow man said?"