Chapter 8: Episode 2 – Dreamscape (3)

While waiting for the event to begin, Maria felt the pain in her body slowly subside. Though her limbs were still sore, the numbness and palpitating pain that throbbed earlier had disappeared. Maria could even feel her strength returning.

Normally the human body's muscle recovery time should be around 48-72 hours, depending on the body's composition, strength, and diet.

For those that usually exercise, experiencing muscle pain is quite common. Maria knew this fact since she and her siblings had often done countless physical activities because of their Uncle's pestering.  

And since Maria knew how long muscle strain typically lasts, her body should've recovered in about a day or week, yet in less than 20 minutes the aching pain from before had disappeared. All that was left was the soreness.

Maria wasn't complaining though, she was worried that she would have to enter the event in such a condition. Fortunately, that wasn't the case.

I knew I shouldn't have stopped exercising after graduating... my body isn't as fit as it was back in high school. If it weren't for- 

There was a faint groan and everyone's heads turned in sync to see the young girl sitting up. She was yawning while stretching her body. The girl was facing the black wall before turning around to see four people, her droopy eyes went wide. 

She quickly stood up in an agitated manner and pulled out a scissor from her bag.

The scissor was stained red and Maria looked at the girl with vigilance. 

"Who are you?" The girl asked while pointing her weapon at them.

Luke and Kiana raised both of their hands while the little boy hid behind Maria.

"We're not here to hurt you," Luke said with a low tone. "We're just as confused as you are."

The girl remained cautious as she pointed her sharp scissors toward the two people. Luke did his best to calm the girl down while maintaining his distance while Kiana just stared at the girl.

Ignoring Luke's attempts of convincing the girl, Kiana began walking calmly toward the girl with her hands still raised. 

Seeing the unknown woman approaching her, the girl slowly stepped back with her scissors still pointed at them.

Kiana stopped a meter away from the girl and asked, "Do you remember anything before coming here?"

"What?"

"Do you remember anything before waking up in this place?"

The girl looked confused at her question and kept her vigilant position. Kiana waited for a response, but the girl remained quiet. She continued to look at the two people with caution.

Maria understood the girl's cautious nature toward them. She had woken up in an unknown place and the first thing she saw was a group of four people who were strangers to her. Of course anyone would've felt scared, confused, and alert by those people. 

A moment of silence hang in the air before the girl's gaze fell on Maria and the little boy. It seems seeing the two of them was enough for the girl to slowly let her guard down. After all, one was injured while the other was a young child. Even though her vigilance relaxed a bit, she still kept her distance from them.

"If I remember anything before waking up here..." The girl muttered, brows furrowed while thinking. She thought for a while before speaking, "I remembered going to school when I suddenly felt dizzy and collapsed on the sidewalk. I was still awake at that time, but..."

She seemed to remember something and her expression became dark. She frowned as she spoke, "I saw a figure of a person that stood out amongst the faceless people walking past me. He was smiling at me creepily before I passed out."

A figure standing among faceless people. There was a possibility that it was the Host. 

"What's your name?" 

"What's your first?"

The girl was cautious and vigilant. It was good to be wary of strangers.

"Kiana."

The girl looked at the man.

"Uh, Luke."

The girl shifted her attention to the little boy and he lowered his head at her firm gaze. "J-Jiahao..."

Jiahao hid behind Maria, his hands clasping the back of Maria's coat. She could feel his trembling fingers, so she stroked the boy's head as a means to comfort him. Then she said, "Maya. My name is Maya."

The girl still looked at them warily, but there was a slight change in her expression. Her brows slowly lowered and her shoulders went down. The wrinkles on her face soon disappeared and she appeared much softer than before.

"Chun Hee," The girl said with a sigh.

A quick pause appeared on Maria's face before she asked, "You're Korean?" 

Chun Hee nodded, slightly confused. 

Maria made a complicated expression as she began looking at the people around her.

"Jiahao, you're Chinese, right?" 

The little boy behind Maria nodded. Maria then looked at the two people and came to a conclusion. Not only she but the others also seem to realize what she noticed and began looking at each other. 

"Are all of you foreigners?" Maria asked, her eyes seeming to be fixed on Kiana.

No one answered.

It was quiet so she asked again, "What language are you hearing me from?"

The question might be confusing for most people, but the four people immediately understood what she meant, even the little boy. For them, they could understand Maria in these languages: 

Luke and Kiana: English

Chun Hee: Korean

Jiahao: Chinese

As for Maria, she could hear them in English. She didn't notice this change since she assumed they spoke fluently in this language or might be biracial or multiracial. That's why Maria didn't question Jiahao before.

"It seems like we're under the influence of a one-language setting," Kiana said and looked at everyone.

"A what?" Luke asked with a muddled expression. 

"This is supposed to be a game. I know all of you must have played at least one video game before." Kiana stated in a calm voice. "It's my opinion but there's always a 'change language' located at the settings in a game, right?"

They all nodded in agreement.

"How is that possible though?" Chun Hee asked, her finger resting on her chin. "So does that mean we can understand each other even though we're speaking different languages?"

Kiana nodded.

A language patch. It was a setting that most games should have. Locate the language patch in your settings and click the language tab. Players could select their chosen language to understand the instructions of the game or for fun purposes. Some games also switch servers once you pick your chosen language, it was to better interact with players if the game was a multiplayer game. 

It would be difficult to communicate if they all spoke in a different language. The purpose of the game obviously wanted them to work together if a language patch was needed.

There were a total of five players. They were chosen to be participants. The figure that Chun Hee saw was likely the person behind this strange event. To survive, they had to work together in clearing this event.

At least... that's what Kiana speculated. Surprisingly, it was accurate. Maria was beginning to feel wary around her.

How did she know the language patch? No one would think that something related to video games can affect reality, especially a language patch. Most would just assume the other person was good at speaking a certain language.

Who would've thought Kiana would have this idea? Maria only knew this because of the novel...

"This is really..." Luke couldn't continue his word and looked down conflictedly. 

Maria observed the four people while thinking.

The Player Selection Event often selected people with great potential to play a huge part in games.

Luke's appearance and introduction were enough for Maria to guess what level of threat he would be to her if she were to encounter him through games. He mentioned in his introduction that he was a construction worker, so his strength and stamina should be greater than theirs. 

With his strength, he could be a strong opponent when it comes to Team battles and PVP games. She shouldn't underestimate him.

Next was Kiana. A foreigner with a gentle aura and slender appearance. She also had a large bag suitable for camping. There was something metallic poking out of her pocket. It was a knife.

The woman sitting a few feet apart from Maria was rather quiet and calm, she seems to know something about the games. She was carrying a combat knife based on the holster strapped on her thigh. Kiana could also be a stealthy fighter for future games based on how she was able to rescue Maria without getting noticed.

I should look after myself when I'm with her. Next...

Maria still couldn't understand how two children could be involved in the Player Selection Event.

There was never a case of kids being selected in the Player Selection Event, and the ages that were mostly pulled in were supposedly 18 and above in the description... so how? The Hosts weren't that cruel to include children in the novel, so Maria didn't understand how they were involved in this event. Unless they know how to fight, these kids would likely be a burden to some. 

So there were two males and three females, two of which were children while the rest were adults. It was a strange combination for a black tower event and there were obvious disadvantages for them such as Jiahao and Chun Hee. But Maria shouldn't judge one based on their age and appearance. 

In this event inside the Tower of Nightmare, strength didn't matter. As long as one was smart or careful, fighting wasn't needed. All they needed was to escape and clear each of the nightmare rooms. There was a way to do that without exerting too much force. 

Though it would be quite difficult... the Tower of Nightmares is notorious for its difficulty on the higher floors of the Tower. The death scenes described in the novel were quite grisly. 

Maria didn't want to die in the event, especially out of the blue. It would come as a shock to her friends and family. So no matter what, Maria had to survive.

And the first thing she needed in order to survive was to determine the strength and intellect of these four people. Because if they were useless, Maria had no choice but to throw them out, or else they'll be a burden to her.

As Maria quietly observed the three people, Kiana stood beside her, glancing at her with a cold expression. There was an unknown emotion arraying from Kiana's eyes before she looked at the other three. She seemed to be thinking of something as a smile slowly crept to her lips.

✧ ✦ ✧ ✦ ✧

"Why do you think you were suddenly pulled in by this event?" Kiana suddenly asked this question to Maria. 

You tell me.

"Is it because I play video games sometimes that I was chosen to participate here?" It wasn't explained in the novel so Maria didn't know.

The five people had been stuck inside the lobby of the black tower for over half an hour now. Since they had nothing to do, the only thing they could do was converse with one another. Even if Maria didn't want to, she couldn't do much since her right leg was still a bit sore to even move. 

Luke already started talking with the two children while lifting his right arm. Maria could somewhat guess what they were talking about based on Luke's proud expression. 

So right now, Kiana was chatting with Maria. Luke seems to be avoiding Kiana, maybe it was because of their little refute earlier that caused Luke to be somewhat wary of the woman. Afraid even. 

"Are you a streamer?" Kiana asked curiously. 

"No, I work as a barista and just play video games during my free time." She looked at Kiana and asked. "What about you? Do you also play video games?"

Kiana shrugged and answered, "I play when I have time. I mostly prefer reading rather than playing."

"Reading is also nice."

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The two women casually talked while waiting for the event to begin. It was good to interact with other players. Having conflicts with other players was the last thing Maria wanted, so it was better to interact and understand the players you're forced to team with.

As the two talked, Maria was able to learn a little bit about the woman.

First of was that Kiana is a year younger than Maria and was currently working as a firefighter. She was around 5'7 and had cold eyes that served as daggers which made Maria feel a bit intimidated, but the shape of her eye resembled a bit of a cat's.

Other than appearances and occupations, Kiana had a hobby of hiking and camping. The reason why she was carrying a combat knife was for camping purposes and self-defense.

Not only that, Kiana is quite fond of birds, especially ravens. She also enjoys reading books and playing video games. It seems that they have some things in common than Maria had expected. 

Maria knew that this was enough information to give and thought that Kiana would end their discussion, but she didn't. She continued speaking, whether it was personal or not, she casually mentioned her life to Maria as if she was a close friend.

This was a bit more private information than Maria anticipated. 

Why is she telling me all this? Isn't this a bit too much to tell for a stranger you just met?

Apart from gaining information about the woman and getting a better understanding of her character, Maria also wondered about something.

"There was a time where I almost–"

"Kiana," Maria interrupted her, the tone of her voice firm.

"What?"

"Have you played a game before?"

There was a short pause as Kiana looked at Maria with confusion.

"Yes? Didn't I already mention this?"

"I meant this sort of game."

Now Kiana was silent, but her expression didn't change. She just sat still, eyes nonchalant.

It was just a hunch though, so Maria lowered her voice so the others couldn't hear. It would be bad to assume things and she didn't want to lead the three people to think Kiana was suspicious. Getting on her bad side wouldn't do her any good.

"Just an assumption though, so you don't have to tell me. You're probably no–"

"Yeah, this isn't the first time I played one of these games," Kiana whispered, only for Maria to hear.

Maria, "..."

"Sorry?" Maria didn't expect this response.

Kiana repeated herself as she whispered, "This isn't the first time I played one of these games, but it is my first time entering an event type."

Maria looked at her incredulously.

No way? She actually admitted it so easily...?

There was a moment of silence between the two of them before Kiana said, "Is there anything else you want to ask? I'll be happy to answer them." 

Despite catching her off guard, Maria quickly regained her composure while gathering her thoughts.

This was good, there was someone who had currently experienced the games. It could be useful to gain information from this woman. About what types of games she had played, this could become important for Maria if she entered one. 

Before asking questions about the games she had played, there was something else Maria wanted to know.

Without a second thought, Maria asked, "What was your dreamscape? How did you enter mine and why did you save me?"

These were crucial questions Maria wanted answers to.

Kiana smiled and asked, "Dreamscapes? How do you know they were called dreamscapes?" 

"I thought you'll only be answering my questions? Not ask me back." Maria retorted. 

"If you keep talking to me like that I won't answer them." Kiana snapped back.

Maria frowned before saying, "I know they're called dreamscapes because of a message."

It was a lie of course, but there was a message about clearing your dreamscape. So it was sort of the truth.

A moment of silence from Kiana before she tapped the floor in deep thought. Maria glanced at the three people behind in hopes they weren't eavesdropping. Fortunately, Luke and the two children seemed to be busy indulging themselves in their conversation.

Based on their amused expressions, they don't seem to be listening to the two suspicious women. Maria thought Chun Hee would've been more vigilant around them, so she was surprised to see her easily conversing with the other two. 

Maybe it's because Kiana and I look difficult to approach...

"For the first question..." Kiana began and looked at Maria. "I was actually in the same dreamscape as you were." 

Maria stared at Kiana before she uttered, "What?" 

"I'm not lying, we were in the same dreamscape," Kiana admitted. 

"How are you so sure?" 

Kiana smirked and asked, "Did your dreamscape involve a peaceful outer space? Then when you tried taking a step forward, the floor became water and planets began falling?" 

It still wasn't enough proof.

"That's because of what Luke said, he saw a futuristic city, and the moment he stepped forward it instantly became destroyed," Maria said with a firm tone and added. "It was already obvious mine started out in space because of the stars and the planets." 

"What about the ocean? Can you explain that?"

"It's because the moment I tried to leave the floor turned into the ocean and the planets began falling. Just like what happened to Luke." 

Kiana looked at her with disappointment before asking, "Haven't you considered that only two disasters can happen in a dreamscape? What happened to Luke involved the city being destroyed and robots attacking him. How come yours had four disasters?" 

Disasters, it was referred to situations or catastrophes put into events such as what happened in Maria's dreamscape. Be it monsters, natural disasters, or all sorts of things that could happen after entering one's dreamscape.

Maria looked at her with furrowed brows and asked, "Doesn't it vary on different people?" 

"Then isn't it unfair to the other players if there is one that doesn't get many disasters?" Kiana stated. "It should only be two disasters, not four." 

How was she so sure? She mentioned that this was her first time entering an event, so how could she be so sure? And what made her think that the Host was fair to players?

But...

"You have a point though..." Maria replied sullenly. "Then were the other two disasters..." 

Kiana smirked after hearing her response. She nodded and said, "Was caused by me." 

She said this with a smile that Maria shot her a glare.

"Which disaster was caused by you?"

"Before that, what were the four disasters you saw?" 

"What were they..." Maria felt like only three had appeared before she remembered the mysterious black sludge the floor had turned to when she tried to walk.

Now that Maria thought about it, what kind of disaster was that sludge supposed to be? Was it poisonous? Was it a virus? Was it a mutant that could turn Maria if it had continued to stay there longer? 

If the sludge hadn't been replaced by the body of water what could've happened to Maria? 

The more Maria thought about it, the more her body felt cold.

Maria inwardly groaned and answered, "A black sludge, falling planets, deep ocean, and that constellation monster." 

"Black sludge...?" Kiana asked confusedly.

"I also don't know what it was... or want to know what it was..." 

Kiana looked down at her clothes covered in the 'black sludge' and furrowed her brows. Then her expression turned firm as she clapped her hands, surprising Maria. This caused Luke and the two children to glance at them curiously. 

Maria frowned while Kiana just shrugged. She said, "The disaster caused by me should be the ocean and the monster."

"How are you sure it's yours?" 

"Think about it, you woke up to a beautiful sight of outer space so close to you. And when you tried exploring it, the floor suddenly became sludge." Kiana explained. "And since yours included the space, it's obvious moving while the floor is sludge is a difficult situation enough, but with planets falling? You'll be squashed to death."

Maria didn't say anything as she listened quietly. It did make sense.

"So it's obvious the ocean and monster were supposedly for me," Kiana said while inspecting her nails. "But you were somehow affected by it. That's what I don't know." 

Maria stared at Kiana who was looking attentively at her nails. Then she began ruminating on the situation. She also didn't know why she was affected by the disasters.

Was there a case like this in the novel? There was none from what Maria remembered. There shouldn't have been a mistake when putting players in their dreamscapes.

While thinking, Maria suddenly remembered the separate areas when she woke up. There was a thin line that separated outer space and the endless void.

Could it be the endless void was meant for Kiana? If that's the case, how could Maria be affected by it? There was a line between them that should've prevented the disasters from entering or interfering with her space.

Maria looked at the ground with contemplation. It was mentioned countless times that the system never makes errors, especially one in the black tower.

The Black Towers makes no mistake, so how come such an error happens now? As she thought of this, Maria suddenly recalled what had happened after the ocean had appeared. She also couldn't forget, the cold feeling she felt after coming it came in contact with her.

Does it involve that... hand? Did the hand belong to Kiana?

Maria looked at Kiana who was checking her nails. It couldn't have been hers. She couldn't have disappeared after pulling Maria up and she could've saved Maria right there instead of waiting.

Then whose hand pulled her up? And why did they save her?

Everything was so confusing, the novel didn't give her any information about these kinds of events happening. Errors, unknown hands, connecting dreamscapes? Was this even the same novel? Or perhaps this wasn't even the novel and was something else that bears resemblance to it?

The more Maria thought, the more frustrated she felt. 

Shit, it'd be better if this was all a dream...

As Maria held her forehead with a sweaty palm, Kiana stared at her with nonchalant eyes before shifting her attention back to her nails.

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