After a few tense minutes, they resume sprinting through the labyrinthine corridors of the facility. The echo of their hurried footsteps and muffled breaths reverberates off the cold, metallic walls, creating an ominous soundscape as they approach the heavily secured control room with stealth and caution. Navigating through dimly lit passages, they avoid patrols by crouching behind bulky storage units and sliding under low-hanging pipes, finally reaching the eerily deserted control room, which appears strangely untouched despite the chaos outside. They move swiftly to the computer terminal, determined to access the facility's entire system.
"Big brother, let me handle this," Emily announces suddenly, confidently taking a seat in front of the console.
"Are you sure?"
She nods firmly, eyes fixed on the glowing screen.
"Okay, let me know if you need anything"
Emily pulls a long, flexible cable from her jacket pocket, connecting it to the nearby computer port and then to the interface embedded in her robotic spine. Her fingers fly over the keyboard with practiced speed as she hacks into the system, her face tense with concentration. As she reads logs and data streams, her expression shifts to horror upon discovering the last command recorded.
"Big brother, the research data have already been deleted, and the fusion reactors are on the brink of explosion!"
"What?! Those bastards!"
panic rising in his voice as he clenches his fists. Furious that the researchers would abandon their people, sacrifice test subjects, and recklessly destroy without regard for the consequences
"Emily, find an escape route immediately—hurry!"
"Right away! —Here!" Emily responds, showing the route options on the monitor, her hands trembling under pressure from his tone.
"Let's go!"
They dash back into the metallic, echoing corridors, now frantic and reckless. They push past guards, fighting through blockades with brute force—Lucasth smashing through barriers, destroying bodies blocking their path. As they near the exit gate, a figure steps into their way, blocking their retreat.
"I've been waiting for you, Subject No.93."
"You..."
He is a tall, imposing figure with platinum blond hair and piercing blue eyes, his lower half encased in a sleek, robotic exoskeleton that glints under faint lights, standing eerily still at the metal gate.
"Surprise? Well, if you know what the head researcher plans, then your reaction makes sense,"
"But you're also a test subject. Why are you blocking us?"
"You see this? I'm already a dead man walking," the man replies grimly, pointing to a collar around his neck, pulsating with a red warning light.
Lucasth's expression darkens as he notices.
"I see…"
He immediately raises his rifle and opens fire, bullets tearing through the air toward the blond man. His figure dodges with unnatural agility, moving faster than the eye can follow. He lunges at Lucasth, delivering a swift, precise kick that sends Lucasth stumbling backward. Reacting quickly, Lucasth plants his arms on the floor, stabilizing himself.
"Nice legs, right? These are modifications from those bastards," the man remarks sarcastically, eyes vacant and cold.
Lucasth stands, tightening his grip on his rifle, then drops it with a clatter, charging forward with a punch aimed at the man's jaw. The figure sidesteps at the last second, sweeping Lucasth's legs out from under him. Lucasth endures the fall and retaliates with a powerful left hook.
The man shocked, raises both arms to block, but the force fractures his arms and face, blood splattering as he winces in pain.
"You... damn it!" he whispers, shocked by Lucasth's strength. Despite being heavily modified too, Lucasth's punches are devastating.
Enraged, the blond man unleashes a barrage of kicks—swift, precise, relentless. Lucasth blocks it but searches for an opening, both are injured yet unwavering. Suddenly, Lucasth spots a vulnerable moment, tackles the man to the ground, and throws a fierce punch to his face, almost knocking him out. He only stopped when the blond man stopped struggling.
"You're truly… a monster... ugh! Now I understand why they threw everything at you to kill you."
Lucasth, fists clenched, raises his right fist in a threatening gesture.
"Is that your last prayer?"
"Heh... f**k you"
"Wait, big brother!" Emily suddenly shouts, trembling.
"What is it, Emily? We don't have time for this," Lucasth replies.
"I said wait!"
Insisting, rushing to connect her long cable to her spinal port and the collar. She hacks into the collar's system, swiftly changing settings, unlocking it from his neck, then hurling the collar toward the metal gate as it explodes in a flash.
Boom!*
Both men stare in stunned silence at the absurd, unexpected scene.
"Hurry! The facility will blow up any moment!"
Realizing her point, Lucasth stumbles to his feet, trembling violently as debris continues to fall around them. He quickly pulls the blond man by the arm toward the exit, their footsteps pounding on the metallic floor as they sprint away from the facility.
"Why... are you saving me? —Ugh! Did we... hah... fight to the death just recently?"
"Shut up. I'm still human —I can still be reasoned with," Lucasth responds through clenched teeth.
They were still not far from the wreckage when suddenly, the entire underground laboratory erupted in a violent explosion, sending shockwaves rippling through the earth. The force of the blast blew them outward, tumoring through the air before crashing onto the damp forest floor. Lucasth hurriedly cupped Emily in his arms, shielding her with his body from the blast, which left him dazed and bruised.
A few tense moments later, the relentless noise of the explosion subsided into an eerie silence. Lucasth gently unsteadily rose to his feet, wincing as fractured bones protested under his weight. Emily, only bruised and unconscious, remained cradled in his arms. Realizing they were still not safe, he staggered upright, clutching her tightly, and shouted into the quiet woods, trying to call out to someone he had temporarily forgotten.
"Hey, idiot! Are you still alive!?"
"Yes! I'm here!"
Following the sound, Lucasth pressed on through the tangled underbrush, approaching the buried body of the blond man, whose face expressionless, head protruding from the earth.
"How come you ended up like that?" Lucasth asked, astonishing lacing his voice.
"When you protect your princess, this is the result," the blond man replied flatly, his vacant eyes staring into the distance, like an empty shell.
Hearing his tone, Lucasth felt a pang of regret for trusting him, wondering if it was a mistake. Sighing, he carefully lowered Emily onto the damp ground, then began to unearth the blond man with reluctant hands.
"Well, I already saved you, might as well see it through."
Despite his initial reluctance, the sincerity of Lucasth's rescue efforts—despite their recent fight—began to shift the blond man's perspective. He hesitated, then softly said.
"Thanks."
"At least you're aware."
After a few silent minutes, Lucasth managed to clear enough earth to grasp the blond man's arm, stretching out his hand, and haul him free
"Done"
"Ugh!— Ah, thanks, bro. I don't know what to do with my fractured arms," the blond man groaned as he weakly grasped Lucasth's hand.
"That's what you get for blocking our escape route."
"Yeah, sorry about that. I thought that was my last moment to live, so I figured I might as well enjoy the fight."
"By the way, I'm Lauren."
"Lucasth."
"What a unique name," Lauren said with a faint smirk.
Lucasth simply looked at him with a faint, weary smile, then turned to where Emily lay resting. He gently lifted her and began walking along a mountain-forest pathway, taking care to avoid any surveillance cameras or patrols along the way. Lauren followed at a cautious distance, keeping gaps between them. Though they understood each other's circumstances, mutual wariness still lingered.
An hour passed in awkward silence, broken only when Lucasth asked him about what he been through.
"Hey, what are you going to do now? Even if we escape, the world's already dead—with zombies and polluted air everywhere; escaping from this armed organization's facility. Anyway, we're all doomed to die."
Lauren pondered deeply before saying, "The organization? Even I'm a fool—"
"Moron."
"They probably think you're gone after the explosion, I'm sure of it —Huh? Hey, did you say anything?"
Lucasth shook his head nonchalantly. Lauren suspected he'd been insulted but chose not to press further.
"Anyway, our main concern is supplies for survival. If enemies are your worry, that's not a problem—we're strong individuals."
"Why are you involving yourself? I thought you'd be separating from us."
"Don't be petty. I don't have anywhere else to go now—single, no parents. Might as well join your group."
"Have you changed, personality?"
"That's your imagination."
They fell into quiet again, but now the atmosphere was less tense. After a moment, Lauren cautiously asked.
"So... since we're bonded now, why don't you share some of your stories?"
"...What do you want to hear?"
"You know... the reason you're escaping."
Lucasth looked behind him, eyes calm yet distant, then returned to his path, sighing deeply.
"I just... remembered who I was and fought back to meet someone from the past."
"You know, it's a slim chance you'll find that person in this world's apocalyptic situation."
"I know... I know that, but I still believe in that slim chance. It's a feeling that gives me a reason to keep going, even in this lawless world," Lucasth replied, his voice steady with quiet resolve.
He feels that this sense of importance is vital, even though he cannot recall his past; nonetheless, it serves as his motivation to endure and not be broken by his devastating circumstances.
Immediately after he awakens from his deep contemplation, a luminous interface screen begins to levitate brightly before him, visible only to his eyes. Mirroring his view, Lauren also has a similar interface screen hovering in front of his face.
[Welcome, warriors across the galaxy]
[You have been invited as one of 1 billion people on your planet to participate in the Divine game!]
[This is your chance to alter your world's destiny firmly in your grasp]
[Compete with other races, and elevate your race to the highest triumphs!]
[Good luck!]
After he finishes reading, Lucasth, Lauren, and Emily start to glow with a soft blue light.
"Wait! Don't change the genre su—
But before he can finish his words, all three of them vanish from their positions.