The mechanical voice continued.

“The purpose of minor screenings is to enhance the player's strength. It is encouraged for everyone to join and take advantage of this rule! Don't be shy and try it out during the given vacation.”

“The Major Screenings will start depending on the given time after its announcement. Meaning everyone is involved at the same time and everyone would be informed in advance so do not worry. Major Screenings are named in numbers, when the number increases, the difficulty increases.”

“Major Screenings are global unlike minor screening. It has an absolute date, unless the system changes it itself. Once an announcement has been made, it will occur after a while. Everyone would experience the Second Major Screening as the next challenge.”

“Beware that not all screenings are meant to be the same as the First Screening.”

“Players, work hard to not die in vain. Thank you!”

With that, the surroundings turned silent as the invisible wall shattered. The unknown person subconsciously pulled Hesychia away from the wall, covering her head from the glass shattering. Hesychia uncomfortably shuffled which the other person immediately noticed, and stepped away. “Sorry, it's a habit.”

Hesychia, “Don’t worry about it.”

The unknown person scratched her neck, “Can you repeat what it said? I didn't quite...” Her eyes landed at the other person who's looking at her in raised brows, “Promise, I didn't get it! A quick recap will do. Please?”

The older person sighed, shooting an annoyed look. “Two month 〈vacation〉my ass. April 1, Second Screening. Inside the said vacation, there are mini games. These mini games are for enhancing our skills. Mini games are Minor Screenings, it is by small group or individual. Event Games are Major Screenings, it is for everyone. Get it?”

The wavy-haired person nodded, “That mechanical voice said so many things yet it was only that.”

Hesychia didn't explain further, if this person won't understand it. That's on her.

“Then...”

Step. Step.

The unknown person reacted, “HUH, WHERE YOU GOIN’?!”

Hesychia started walking away only to wobble towards the wall.

“Man, you're so stubborn. Let's treat your wounds—”

Hesychia slapped her hands away, “Stop it.”

For the first time, the other person frowned. Hesychia looked at her expression and found it quite foreign. The other person wasn't angry but her brows were drawn to each other, “Look, Miss Stubborn...”

Miss Stubborn??

“If you leave your arms without proper aid, there's a chance it would be forever crippled. I remember that I pressed you down there earlier, I’m sorry for not noticing it sooner.”

“What does it have to do with you-”

This time, the wavy-haired woman already stood up and opened the cabinets. Hesychia noticed that she's searching for something, probably robbing the house. The older person didn't have any more energy and closed her eyes, finally leaving her in peace.

That's what she thought.

Soon, a hand placed two averagely thick sticks on Hesychia's arm. Using the opposite sides, a fabric slowly wrapped her broken arm. This action made Hesychia's arm stable, no longer hanging around limply. Afterwards, the unknown person went around to look for something again only to come back wide-eyed.

“Miss Stubborn, do you have some complicated medical condition?”

Hesychia opened her eyes, “No.”

“Lies.” The other person pulled a compact plastic container with clear liquid inside. The sizes were small but stuck together in large capsule sizes. “These are called... uh, I forgot but—oh wait! It's... I suddenly forgot again.”

Hesychia, “Hurry up and leave.”

“You wish.” The other person approached and crouched. A towel wrapped with ice on her other hand. The younger one placed it against her side, “Cold compress. Your skin might be already bruising and it's a little hard to breathe inside that uniform. I'll find some loose shirts.”

Hesychia wanted to stop her only to be left alone again.

...This person always walks so fast!

“Ta-da!” The overly friendly person appeared again, a white oversized shirt on her hands. “I also found some pain reliever, I'm amazed that this apartment has so many useful things. You'll recover in no time!”

Hesychia silently watched her, “...”

“Come on, I'll help you.” This was said as the other person shoved the pain killer inside Hesychia's mouth, a glass of water soon tapping her lips. “If only we had a medical capsule, you'll be even better in no time...”

The older person took the cloth after drinking the water, “I'll change myself.”

“Alright. I'll be back.” The younger person nodded and took the glass away, and disappeared briefly. 

Hesychia had a hard time wearing the shirt but still successfully slid the cloth onto her body. After finishing her deal, the energetic person came back with approval. “Hm, don't move too much. Fortunately you're not throwing up any more blood. Earlier I saw the bloodied mask, I got worried. Your lungs weren't pierced by any rib bones, so fortunately it’s nothing too serious. Let's rest, rest, and rest. Okay?”

Speechless, Hesychia wished that if there's a chance, she wanted to just suddenly black out and escape this annoying creature.

“Miss Stubborn??”

...And, she indeed blacked out.

“Miss Stubborn—!”

 【9:30 PM】

「 “I wasn't able to ask your name but I'm sure we'll see each other around. I know I was acting too close, I was just genuinely worried, I don't want to see someone dying on my watch ykykyk. I have a friend who is aspiring to be a Doctor, if I find her, I’ll immediately try to find you. You need a serious check-up!” 」

「 “You suddenly blacked out that I panicked, it seems like you're fatigued. Your heartbeat was fast but still under the normal tally, I counted it. I saw some foreign looking machine and I read some instructions that it needed the liquid I was holding earlier. I already assembled the parts, no need to stand up. REST, OKAY? I think the device was called Nebulizer, and the liquid is Albuterol. PS. You look like you're inhaling drugs.”」

Hesychia almost threw the paper but mustered her patience.

「“I’ve noticed that despite not being from the South, you do not have any accent. The way you speak Valoran (South Panacean Language) is so fluent, if I didn't see your eyes earlier, I would have never thought that you're from North Panacea! Now I do wonder how many years you've homed here? I wonder too if the environment of the South satisfied you!”」

「“It never even crossed my mind to speak Omnilingua anymore because you're just like a local. Does this mean besides the universal language (Omnilingua) you can also speak Eclipsian (North Panacean Language)?”」

「 “Also, I've recognized your uniform’s badge. Are you an accounting student? Haha, interesting! Anyway, once we meet again I'll try to teach you some simple self defense. See ya!” 」

The unknown woman was probably trained. Her observation and judgement were fast and keen, able to assess that none of them would make it in time without Hesychia’s cooperation.

Now for the first question: the player inside can't escape but a player outside can enter, why is that?

Hesychia's thoughts quickened. The system announced that some players were able to achieve a special ending; “help from the outside.” From the looks of it, she’s one of them.

Next question: why is that nosy unknown woman not inside her own house but is finding a first screening that belonged to other people?

Hesychia mumbled, “She doesn't have a house or a place to stay in?”

She didn't look like a beggar and is completely clean.

“No point thinking about it…” Dropping the topic, Hesychia took a heavy breath before looking at her side.

Scooting to the nearby plug, Hesychia twisted the cap of the plastic container and poured it inside the nebulizer. After turning on the machine, buzzing noises were heard around the house. White mist went towards her nose.

According to that Criminology Student, she was able to witness people who died inside the screening. The screening ended the moment they died, though she did not say whether she saw the corpses. Right now, Hesychia’s roommate is missing. It was strange but the sudden change of the world was even more peculiar.

There was no government or police, the media was desolated down and even the apps are not working. Communicators can't connect, devices are useless. Hesychia has no way to contact Artemis nor Elara unless she would drive and check their houses. All this time, her Father did not contact her either. As much as she wants to deny, he might've already perished.

Hesychia has been living by herself for almost two years, renting an apartment with a roommate. It was mentioned that their dorm has many useful things, thanks to Hesychia herself. She has conditions and self needs to be placed as a priority, hence some stocks of medicines were on standby.

Originally, Hesychia and her family lived in the North but after her health recuperated they moved to the South. This said house in the south was not in the city and would probably take a day or two to reach using a hover car. She once has a little sister and her father who has been sick with a weird illness regarding his eyes. In actuality, people who possess northern blood are indeed prone to blindness however Hesychia could feel that her father's illness was different from the usual cases, it consumes his health slowly. Rationally speaking, her father being alive was a miracle but is almost blind.

Two years prior, she left their house. She had not seen her father since then.

Traveling at night is dangerous, on the way, she might even trigger random minor screenings. Crossing out the ideas, Hesychia stayed in her position and looked up at the cracked ceiling.

She then remembered another person.

“Pers...”

She turned on her ring and swiped up a hologram. Her screen has no new notifications, as expected a message “No Service on this Area” was posted.

Last time, Pers had tried to confirm their location using the time. Earlier, this morning around six, Pers dialed her communicator but Hesychia wasn't able to answer. Now, the world has turned into a messy place.

There are at least 50,000 people in this city, millions in their province, and hundreds of millions to billions for the whole nation. if Pers is one of them... how would she be able to confirm it? Hesychia can't just accuse or let every single person look into their conversation to confirm it. They were in the same place but both didn't know each other's face nor real names.

The young woman tapped the ground using her other hand with wooden sticks.

She then realized something.

Hesychia blacked out for at least eleven hours, no one even entered the apartment and killed her. That occurrence was already strange enough considering the crime rate in cities, what more now that everything is in chaos?

Most importantly...

Plate Apocalypse, really??

Some of the mechanics have changed yet the overall work was the same. That's right, the game she was playing was also named “Plate Apocalypse”.

Although Hesychia cannot toggle any options the same as the game screen yet, the Major Screening one was the almost identical as what she encountered on the first surprise cutscene of the game before it immediately redirected her to a battle. WITHOUT any warning. Minus the event where a strange person entered her own isolated room, everything else was the same. That's the very first ‘tutorial’ titled:

First Major Screening: “Own Learning”.

Well besides basically learning the controls on your own, the same mechanical voice is present along the way as if laughing at your face whenever the players fail to complete the so-called tutorial. After a few times, the mechanical voice will condescendingly guide the player.

Which did not apply here. It really is no guide, only your own.

Hesychia finished the dosage of her medicine and closed the buzzing machine. Her stomach growled, a sign of hunger.

The woman sighed and went to see if the unknown person earlier robbed anything. Surprisingly there was instant noodle cooked in the pot, which already turned soggy.

Though, before she could clean the pot of noodles a loud announcement went over her head.

“Greetings! Player Hesychia Astrid has triggered a minor screening. Loading game data!"

Hesychia for the first time lost her cool.

Over a fucking noodle?!

Author's Note:

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