Plink. Plink. Plink.

Water dripping echoed through a dark corridor, penetrating the silence with its soft pitter-patter. Accompanied by the faint sound of liquid dropping were slow, deep thuds, as if someone was having difficulties dragging their steps across the ground.

Maria felt her legs tread on a hard floor, letting out low grunts as she strained to move in the dark. She tried to make out where she was, but the vertigo that afflicted her made it impossible for Maria to process her thoughts.

Sharp bouts of pain wracked her body, giving her the sensation of her muscles twisting and knives stabbing through every limb and organ she had. This caused Maria to groan and fall to her knees. Her shoulder hit a wall while her body slowly settled on the cold and solid ground. 

If it had just been physical pain, Maria could've endured it, but the pounding pressure in her head, as if it was threatening to splinter her skull, was what made it difficult for her to carry on. 

Maria tried opening her eyes but found she had no strength to even move a single eyelid. Thus, her eyes remained closed, her vision trapped within the confines of complete darkness.

....

...

Urgh...

Where am I...?

Throb.

Ack...! Ouch... this stupid headache...

With her consciousness gradually returning, bits of memories came resurfacing through her mind, allowing Maria to gather her thoughts and recall what had happened.

A sea monster in greek mythology... appeared out of nowhere... and tried to eat me... then I tried to distract it to escape when I was flung off from my asteroid... and... there was an unknown creature in the water... but everything went black before I could even know what happened after that... And now, I'm in an unknown place...

Maria heaved a deep sigh and moved her head carefully. She seemed to be lying on something, but it wasn't like the hard ground she had expected.

Though her lower body did feel cold, she felt her upper body lie on something warm and soft. Her head felt as if there was a soft, lavender-scented pillow caressing it. Maria's neck didn't hurt and her position was quite comfortable.

Where was she? Maria needed to find out where she was.

After having been nearly killed by a Cetus and having no clue of what happened when she passed out, Maria was desperate to know where she was this time.

Once Maria regained the strength to move her fingers, she was about to open her eyes to check her surroundings when she heard murmurs around her.

"I-Is she dead?" A soft, timid voice asked. It sounded like a young boy.

"Don't worry, she's just sleeping." A gentle female voice answered. "It's better if she rests first."

"Is it alright to wait for her to wake up?" Another voice chimed in, this time it was a man's. "There's also another one here asleep."

"It's much better if they wake up on their own, they seem exhausted after all," The woman replied. "But shouldn't we be concerned about something else? Like this event..."

There was a moment of silence until the little boy spoke, "The main event... player selection... What do they all mean?"

"It's obvious we were chosen to do something, but what?" The man wondered aloud.

"We might know later. For now, all we can do is wait," the woman suggested before asking. "Did you two receive the same messages?"

The man's voice dropped to a low tone, "You mean the weird floating messages? Yeah, I did..."

"Me too," The little boy spoke up. "But why were there floating messages? I've only seen these kinds of things in movies..."

"Could it be that only those who are selected are the only ones who can see the floating messages?"

Though Maria was still struggling to comprehend her current situation, she remained quiet and still, listening attentively to the three people's conversation. Even though she was mildly confused, she could, to some extent, slightly discern the gist of their discussion.

Based on their conversation, they were discussing what the purpose of the event was, why they were selected, why there were floating messages, and where they were. Although Maria understood some of it, she still needed to know more.

Listening to their conversation a little longer might help Maria in her state of confusion. She wanted to confirm her suspicions before acting.

Right now, these people were either her enemies or allies.

★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆

"When will the event begin? We've been waiting here for over an hour now." The man said impatiently, tapping his boots restlessly.

"Does that mean more people are coming?" The boy asked.

There was a quick pause, and then the man replied, "That can't be it, the tunnel closed after the two of you came in."

"But why isn't the event starting?" The woman questioned. "If there's no one else coming, then shouldn't the event start already?"

"Do we even want this event to start? We don't even know why we're here, shouldn't we be finding ways to escape this place rather than sit here and doing nothing?" The man's voice turned firm.

"And how do you suppose we do that?" inquired the woman with a hint of ridicule. "I saw you and the boy had made an attempt to escape when I entered here."

A lull set in when the man fell silent, yet the woman continued with her words, "There's nothing in this room, just lanterns that can't even be taken down. The walls are made of some sort of hard, black concrete and there's not a single window in sight. The tunnel is closed off, which is our only form of entrance and exit to this place. So tell me, how do you plan to escape here?"

For a brief moment, there was silence. Maria could sense the awkward atmosphere radiating within her area. Listening to such a tense conversation made Maria gulp a little. Even so, Maria was able to gather important information regarding her current situation.

One was that they were also dragged into this 'event' unwillingly, given by their tone of voice that showed obvious fear and agitation; The second was that there was a tunnel leading into a room or area which meant she didn't come alone, someone had brought her here; And third, the event the people were discussing.

Selected Players, Main Event, Selection Event...

It really is like the book... Wait, so I'm in some sort of room or space... but I passed out after seeing that monster...

I don't remember anything else other than falling... so, I'm no longer in my dreamscape...

Maria already knew where she was judging by what the group of people were saying. There was only one place a player could go after leaving their dreamscape.

〖The Stomach of the Nightmare Tower〗

It was the main room where players who had cleared their dreamscapes are sent and gathered. The stomach is located in the middle of the tower, above it were the 5-level floors while below it were the 6 to 20-level floors. The 1-5th level floors served as the high-ranked floors in the selection event for players with the most potential.

The Stomach of the Nightmare Tower, the name alone was enough to make Maria anxious. It is where various players from different dreamscapes are sent, which could explain why Maria wasn't alone. But the fact that they all likely came to different dreamscapes made Maria wary. She had to be extra cautious.

It was mentioned in the novel that every player must clear their dreamscape before the Host determines what level of the tower they would be placed in. Once inside the nightmare rooms, it would be hell for those with a fragile state of mind.

Next... this place...

Tower of Nightmares, a strange building introduced in the early chapters of the book, Game of Survival.

Maria cursed in her mind while recalling that certain book. Memories from earlier came pouring like a torrent as Maria inwardly gritted her teeth.

Game of Survival, black tower, selection event, space, and void. Excluding the latter two, the first three were very much related to the book Maria had once read.

The title, the place that began the story, and the event that started the protagonist's adventures. All three were the main components of the novel Maria knew.

But...

Even if what the people near her were discussing bears resemblance to the book, Maria had a hard time believing it. It was impossible, it didn't make sense.

After the dream she had about the mosaic girl, Maria even began to doubt the events that were happening before were real. She might still be dreaming, or perhaps she was hallucinating the entire morning before losing consciousness.

But it still doesn't make sense...

The conversation between the three people resumed and the atmosphere around them soon calmed down. Maria contemplated on what to do while listening to the conversation.

For now, I should do what it takes to clear this event. It doesn't matter if this is a dream or not, I don't want to experience death... even if it's just a dream...

She listened conscientiously for a few minutes before finally making a decision.

There was already enough confirmation that these voices were likely people who were unfortunate enough to be dragged into this 'event.' She forced herself to accept this reality temporarily.

Maria finally opened her eyes, and the first thing that occupied her vision was a woman's face.

"Hm? You're finally awake?" The woman muttered softly.

It turned out that the soft pillow she thought she was lying on was actually the woman's lap. Maria caressed her aching forehead before sitting up. She twisted her neck reflexively and finally made out where she was.

As she guessed...

"...A black room?"

"It's where the event will soon proceed," The woman explained.

"Event...?"

Pretend to be confused to not draw suspicion.

"It's hard to explain," The man let out a sigh. "We're supposedly selected to do something, but we don't know what."

The appearance of the two people made Maria a bit anxious, though she took a moment to relax and calm down. Now was the time to look around her surroundings. She had to act on what to do when one suddenly wakes up in an unfamiliar place.

Maria tried to stand up, but her legs trembled greatly and she fell to her knees. The woman held her shoulder to prevent her from getting up and a worried look appeared on her face.

"You're body still hasn't recovered, you shouldn't move around too much." The woman advised her earnestly. 

When Maria looked down, she was surprised to find her left forearm and right leg covered in bandages. Though the bandage was badly done, it was able to stop the bleeding Maria had gotten.

Hang on... Where did I get these injuries...? Was it from the Cetus? No... I didn't get hit as far as I know...

Then... was it after I passed out? Did I get attacked by that... thing when I was unconscious...?

"I was the one who treated you if you're wondering about it, " The woman informed her, leading to Maria snapping out of her thoughts. "I happen to be carrying bandages and saw your injuries."

"Ah, thanks..." Maria looked down with furrowed brows.

Her body had been like this since she had woken up from that infinite void. After being hit by large waves and nearly eaten by a sea monster, it would make sense for her body to be physically exhausted. Even a simple sleep wouldn't be enough. She needed to rest in bed for a week to recover from all that...

...Physically and mentally that is.

Because of this, Maria had to look around without getting up from her spot. The man and the little boy quickly got out of her way as she slowly scanned her surroundings.

Her gaze landed on an unconscious school girl just a few feet away from them. She seemed to be the same age as Maria's second brother and slept in a curled-up position.

So there's four people inside this room...

Once she removed her eyes from the young girl, she turned to look at the three people who were near her.

The young woman seemed to notice her fixated gaze and suggested, "Right, I guess we should introduce ourselves to you before explaining some things, huh?"

The two people nodded in agreement.

"I'll start first," The woman reached her hand out and gave Maria a gentle smile. "My name is Kiana."

Kiana, who sat next to Maria, had long raven hair that descended to her back, accompanied by her fair complexion and gentle features. Her attire consisted of a black bolero jacket and jeans.

However, Maria's attention was captivated by something else—Her eyes, pale blue like the aquamarine gems, with their vivid hue of the precious gemstone, looked as if they had been carefully carved from ice.

What pretty eyes...

But, when Maria's gaze landed on the holster strapped on Kiana's right thigh, her mesmerized expression melted into a stiff and wary look. Despite this, Maria accepted Kiana's gesture and shook hands with the young woman. 

"I was going for a hike when I suddenly passed out at a bus station..." Her brows knitted together as she said this. "When I woke up, I was in this dark place..."

After her introduction, a man stepped forward and introduced himself with a hand on his chest. "Luke. Luke Walker."

He had locks of brown hair, and his build was robust and muscular. His attire was a simple shirt with a jacket over it that had rolled-up sleeves, his clothing was covered in clumps of dirt, starting from the pants up to the shirt. He looked to be foreign, presumably from the US.

"I'm a construction worker... and I was carrying concrete bags to a building I was assigned in when... my vision went dark." He said with a hint of fear. "When I woke up, I was inside a strange place and found a tunnel that led me here... then I saw two children inside."

Maria looked at the little boy who nodded in confirmation.

"It's true," The boy said and explained. "I saw him entering through the tunnel's entrance where I came through. I wasn't the only one in the room, the big sister asleep here was the first one inside, but she passed out before I could speak to her."

"Ah! My name is Jiahao," The little boy hurriedly added while avoiding Maria's gaze. "I remember being chased by someone scary that I hid in a place I found... then a message appeared that told me there was a safe zone nearby. I followed it and came here..."

Judging by his name, it was clear to them that he was Chinese. He seemed to be fluent in English though. Jiahao looked no more than 10 years old and wore a pair of pajamas, his black hair disheveled, and his monolid eyes displaying a sense of anxiousness.

The only one left to introduce themselves was Maria. The three people looked at her and waited.

Maria felt a little nervous introducing herself to these people, but it was best if she familiarized herself with them first.

"Maya," She said calmly. "I was walking to a cafe before abruptly fainting. I don't remember much... I just woke up to the sound of whispering."

But that didn't mean she wanted to use her real name.

Kiana seemed surprised once Maria said her words. Maria's eyes which were previously looking at Luke soon turned to her. Despite showing no signs of discomfiture upon Maria catching her gaze, there was an odd emotion in Kiana's eyes when she fixed a look on the other woman.

"Anything you want to ask?"

"Nothing, I'm just concerned about your current condition, sorry." Kiana answered with a small and awkward smile.

Maria stared at the woman for a brief second until her gaze trailed off. She didn't have time to ponder on the woman as she began to recite the information she knew about the book.

Game of Survival, it was a fantasy, apocalyptic story about two close friends waking up to find their world invaded by otherworldly beings where the games rule the earth, turning humans into players that undergo various terrible games as a form of entertainment to those otherworldly beings. It was the typical story about surviving in death games most readers should be familiar with. 

Since I'm currently in the Tower of Nightmares, then I'll probably be going through the nightmare rooms... would it be the same as the book? 

While Maria was quietly thinking to herself, the other people were also observing their surroundings, trying to identify where they were. Yet it seems like they had already looked around, seeing as how they remained in their places instead of freely exploring the vicinity. Or they were just afraid of wandering too far from the only area that had a light source.

Ah, wait...

Maria began to unwrap the bandage on her left wrist and saw a small slit on it. It was the cut Maria purposely got in order to determine whether or not she was dreaming.

Since the cut was still on her wrist, it meant that what happened earlier really did happen. It wasn't just her imagining things or hallucinating.

"By the way, where'd you get that cut?" Luke peeked curiously.

"I did it to myself."

"..." Luke fell silent.

"Why? Doesn't it hurt?" Kiana asked.

Maria covered her wrist and replied, "It did... I was just curious to know if I was dreaming."

But... this is seriously freaking me out...

How much had time passed? I don't even know anymore...

My dream last night... it took three hours for something to happen before I finally woke up... but this... this feels different...

Am I... really dreaming?

Maria felt conflicted, her eyes narrowing as she stared at her wrist. She brushed her thumb across her wrist, wincing in pain a bit. This made Maria frown until her gaze shifted to look at Kiana.

Noticing Maria's gaze, Kiana sported a small smile and moved a strand of hair behind her ear.

Her attention soon averted to the other two people, studying them for a quick second until she spoke, "I want to ask, but have any of you woken up to a peculiar place before coming here? After all, you two mentioned something about a strange place..."

Luke's gaze flickered towards Kiana, then he replied in a low voice, "Yeah... I woke up in... the center of some futuristic city..."

Maria's ears perked up and she looked at the man. A small cough escaped from Luke as he explained, "After waking up, I thought about surveying that city. Then, everything got destroyed the moment I stepped forward."

"I tried running and robots started to appear from the buildings," Luke frowned and continued. "Then I saw something from the further end of the city. It was a square opening and when I entered it, the robots stopped chasing me."

"When I entered, a message appeared, stating I had cleared my dreamscape and was in the safe zone..." Luke added with furrowed brows. "I followed the message's instructions and was led here... the lobby where the event would begin."

"Event..." Maria muttered. "The Player Selection Event?"

Maria wanted to confirm if she had misread the prompt or not, but it appears she didn't after the two people nodded in confirmation.

〖Player Selection Event〗

It was the main event that was arranged by the Hosts in Game of Survival. Humans were forced to clear a certain level of the black tower. There was no time limit given to the players.

Players would normally take a few days or a few weeks to finish the event, some a few months, and some even a year. It was said that a quarter of players went mad because of the event.

Apart from that, there was no other information regarding the selection event.

Since they were inside, they couldn't view the actual tower outside. Even though she had some information about the tower, it was better to inspect the area herself to make sure it was the same as the one described in the novel.

When Kiana saw Maria attempting to stand up, she quickly grabbed her shoulder.

"I just said that you can't move in your condition," Kiana told her. "What are you even planning to do?"

"I just wanted to look around."

Silence fell between the two before Kiana opened her mouth to speak, "There's nothing inside other than lanterns. Our only form of exit is closed, the area is too big to explore without a light source, no furniture, no windows, and the atmosphere here is quite gloomy and despairing."

"..." How was Maria supposed to respond? She didn't even know what to say.

Kiana seemed to be thinking of something and asked, "Are you okay? Do you feel nauseous or dizzy?"

It felt like this woman was pitying her too much because of her injuries. It reminded Maria of her time back in the hospital. She felt conflicted just recalling that day.

"I'm a bit light-headed..." Maria admitted while holding her forehead.

Kiana opened the bag next to her and began rummaging through its contents. Then she pulled out what seemed to be a bottle of water.

"Here, it'll freshen you up a bit."

Maria looked at the bottle hesitantly, but with her growing thirst, she was tempted. Thus, she accepted the water and began drinking it.

She felt the cool liquid run down her throat as her tense muscles began to loosen up. Then she felt the soreness from her body disappear and was replaced by coolness.

"Feel better?"

Maria looked at the empty bottle she had and saw the woman smiling at her. A bitter taste was left in Maria's mouth and she nodded slightly.

"I'm glad," Kiana said softly.

A strange feeling occupied Maria's chest as she clenched her fist. Even though the water seemed to have helped her, Maria wondered if the water contained something. Maria couldn't help but feel... uneasy around the woman.

Out of nowhere, a message rang out.

『The Selection Event will Begin in 30 minutes!』

"Damn it, these messages had been appearing for over an hour now," Luke complained.

An hour?

"Wait, how long were you guys in here?" Maria asked.

"An hour and a half at most," Luke answered. "Apparently we entered the... stomach... way too early while the tower wasn't even ready yet."

Was the host behind this event unprepared? Or perhaps there was an error in the system? Cases like this rarely happen in the book...

"But it's good though," Kiana stated. "We still don't know what this event is and what we're supposed to do. We can at least prepare ourselves for what we're going to do."

Luke nodded in agreement. "Even though we can't leave, we can at least sort things out."

Maria watched the three people discussing preparations.

She was impressed by how rational these people were. She had expected one to panic, like Jiahao, but he was relatively calm for his age. But the more she thought about it, the more her expression turned ugly. In such a situation, people that were quite calm were the ones that should be looked out for.

For now, Maria didn't trust these people. Who knows what kind of motives they have? Knowing what kind of people were in the books, knowing what lengths they were willing to go to survive, trusting strangers was the worst choice to make in such circumstances.