They looked back.
"Who did it?"
The monster had vanished.
For a split second, the entire classroom froze, as if the world itself had paused to catch its breath. Then, like a spark striking dry leaves, noise erupted.
"What just happened?!"
"It was right there—!"
"Did someone kill it?"
Voices overlapped, sharp and panicked, echoing against the cracked walls. The place where the monster had stood moments ago was now empty—no body, no trace—only the lingering fear it had left behind.
No one noticed Yoorie.
No one saw the faint tremble in her fingers as she lowered her wand slightly. No one connected the golden flash to the quiet girl standing among them.
They didn't have time to.
"Anyways, the monster is gone," Yoorie said, forcing her voice to stay steady. She turned toward the shattered window, her expression tightening. "But look outside… there are more."
The others followed her gaze.
Beyond the broken glass, the crimson sky churned like something alive. In the distance, shadows moved—large, unnatural, shifting slowly as if searching.
A heavy silence settled over the room.
"I think we can't stay here anymore… especially with the classroom door broken," Liyana said, her voice low but firm.
Minnie stepped closer to Yoorie, her eyes filled with concern. "Yoorie… are you okay?" she asked softly. "Are you feeling alright? You just… transformed."
Kyna moved beside her, ready to support her if needed. "Yeah… you almost fell earlier. Don't push yourself."
Yoorie blinked.
The memory flashed—falling, the sudden loss of balance, and Jeesuk's arms catching her before she hit the ground.
But now—
her legs felt steady.
Strong.
Like they had always belonged to her.
A small, calm smile touched her lips. "I'm okay," she said quietly. "Really."
She took a step forward.
Then another.
Smooth. Natural.
This time—
she didn't stumble.
Her friends exchanged glances, relief softening their expressions, but they stayed close to her—not out of pity, but out of care.
"Then we move," Jeesuk said, his voice cutting cleanly through the tension. The hesitation from earlier was gone. In its place stood the calm authority of the class representative. "We go out in teams. Staying here is more dangerous."
No one argued.
Across the classroom, other groups were already forming—students gathering together, gripping their weapons tightly, whispering plans through fear. Some were shaking. Some were crying. But all of them understood one thing:
Standing still meant dying.
"Stay close," Jeesuk added, his gaze briefly flickering toward Yoorie before returning to the door.
Yoorie tightened her grip on her wand, keeping it low by her side, hidden from attention. Her heart still raced—not from fear alone, but from the secret she now carried.
Level 999.
Power she didn't understand.
Power she couldn't reveal.
Outside, a distant roar echoed again.
Louder.
Closer.
Cold air rushed in through the broken window, carrying with it the scent of something unfamiliar… something dangerous.
One by one, the teams began to move.
Out of the classroom.
Into the crimson world waiting beyond.
And Yoorie—
walked with them.
Not behind.
not in wheelchair
But on her own feet.
Just as their feet hit the cold linoleum of the hallway, a sharp ding resonated in their minds. Blue screens flared to life in the darkness, glowing with an eerie light.
[TUTORIAL LEVEL: COMPLETED]
[REWARD: SURVIVAL]
[COUNTDOWN: 23:59:59 UNTIL LEVEL 1 BEGINS]
[TASK: ARRIVE AT THE SCIENCE LAB BEFORE THE TIMER EXPIRES]
[PENALTY FOR FAILURE: DEATH]
"What the heck..." Joel murmured, his face turning pale in the blue light of the panel. "Death? They're serious about this?"
"The gates are unlocked for now," Jeesuk noted, his eyes scanning the new notification. "It says we can leave, but we have to be back in the Science Lab before the clock hits zero."
"Then let's go," Kyna said, her voice shaking but determined. "We need to go outside and see what's happening. We need food, water... and I need to see my family."
Liyana looked at the dark windows at the end of the hall, a frown deepening on her face. "But... if the tasks are only in this school, how are other people surviving? Do they have to clear levels too, or is it just us?"
The question hung heavy in the air. No one had an answer.
"Well, standing here won't tell us anything," Jeesuk said, tightening his grip on his weapon. "Let's go out and see what the world has really become."
Yoorie followed silently, with a heavy heart of secret that she trying to swallow