【January 13, 3031 9:46 PM】

Hesychia triggered a minor screening using a food she's supposed to dispose of. That's ridiculous, minor screenings that randomly occur, and what more, can be triggered by anything. Great, very fun. Unlike in the game itself, 【Minor Screenings】are quests made to level up your Era Rank. It does give small to big rewards, XP, and other things needed to level up. These are permanent quests encountered by most players. This is activated through NPC interaction, quest activation, and etc.

But, if in real life, these are not quests but more like unsolicited battles.

Humans would have a hard time narrowing down the list or more specifically and brutally, no one would be able to escape the surprise of suddenly entering a minor screening. No matter if you're injured or not, once triggered, there's no turning back.

That's entirely cruel.

When even showering, a soap will make you play another round of screening—one should just save their energy to survive the game instead.

Hesychia looked at the other two people in front of her. They formed a small triangle, one meter away from each other. One was a male and one was a female. The female has a youthful look, a face you would usually see from someone who is born from East Panacea. Although she looked young, Hesychia deduced that she’s probably older by one to two years. Artemis has told her that people from the east are well versed in technology of any kind and rarely deviate from it. 

The Eastern Panacean woman’s right hand was holding a soap as the other hand was (assuming) about to open the faucet. The woman looked at them with bewilderment before throwing the soap aside.

Fortunately, the other woman was only washing her hands, not showering naked. 

Looking at the tall male at the other angle of the triangle, the person was holding a torque gun and a small metal sheet. Unlike the other person who threw the soap, this man slowly lowered the equipment. If Hesychia is not wrong, these heights are usually seen around the Country called Imar Bari. She’d heard that the country has towering skyscrapers intertwined with colossal trees, creating a seamless blend of technology and nature. The people of Imar Bari are renowned for their towering stature, a genetic trait influenced by generations of living in the planet's slightly higher gravity, Planet Solstice.

This time, these two people stared at Hesychia's injured arm. There was a flash of worry but soon disappeared when an announcement went up, “Three Players has triggered a minor screening at the same time. The game is being set to multiplayer, please wait for five minutes.”

Hesychia wasn't even able to recover from her injury, and found herself inside a dangerous screening once again. Who has the most rotten luck and why is it her?

Looking at the side, the adult man seemed to not have injuries and was leisurely fixing something. The other woman had some injuries on her arms, some part of her cloth was slit into a clean manner. Deducing from the wound, a sharp metal tried to sever her arm. Maybe because of the lack of first aid, she resorted to washing the wounds clean for it to not get infected.

The three of them were inside a room, there were no decorations but purely white walls. Hesychia tried to walk away but soon realized that her feet were stuck on the floor. She would definitely not survive this round if it's another fight.

Before her thoughts could fly elsewhere, the male, taller than the two of them gave a polite smile. “I'm assuming that I'm older than both of you, let's use the given time to get to know each other.” Hesychia didn't have any plan to go first either way, if she sensed the others were lying she would not hesitate to do the same. The taller male gave a short introduction, “You can call me Erza, I’m an NVH engineer. Looking at the both of you… you’re still a student?”

Hesychia’s eyes widened, her head stiffly assessing the other person.

The man also slightly looked at her, smiling. After regaining her cool, her expression soon turned back to normal as if it didn’t change. ‘Nevermind, it’s probably a coincidence. We’re not sure what his real name is.’

In the gaming world, Hesychia has a friend who goes by the name Erza too. It was their in-game name. At first, they only contacted each other in game but soon connected one of their socials. The latter uses his real name on the said app which is far from the name “Erza”, surprising Hesychia. The customs of the digital world are complicated and dangerous, this was the first time she encountered someone using their real name without a filter. Beside the gender, Erza’s work, and the fact that he lives in another country and planet, the young woman is not aware of the other person’s age nor appearance. It was said that Erza graduated from college nine years ago and has been working since then, with this information Hesychia already guessed that her online friend was a lot older.

On the other hand, Hesychia wasn't forced to reveal her name or any other information regarding herself, the older person kept it clean and comfortable. He doesn’t ask unnecessary things and is completely respectful at all times. If it’s about the game, it all ends in that, Hesychia felt that this person was the most decent human being she had encountered after a while. Erza doesn’t know her real name, if she uses her username too would that spark some reaction from this stranger? If this Erza in front of her is the same Erza as her friend, wouldn’t that mean her luck suddenly rose?

Or… she’s just going crazy?

Well, in any case, she won’t be using her real name either. Hesychia went second, “Call me Silas, I took accounting.”

The man named Erza smoothly acknowledged with a nod, “I didn’t expect for you to cooperate.”

Hesychia commented, “Sir, do not be prejudiced.”

The man gave a chuckle before turning to the other, signing that it’s her turn for introduction. The other woman who has a neutral expression gave a small nod, “My name’s Icx, my program is in the medical field.”

Medical Field? Most of the time, the people who're usually interested in that are the people of the North. There are really rare circumstances where people deviate from their born talents, the same as Hesychia who did not once cross the field of medicine. 

In the end, other than their courses everyone chose to not use their real names. Everyone didn’t pester each other and tried to act natural despite the awkward atmosphere. Their introductions were not too formal but it was too short to be viewed as friendly.

Outside, the sky was dark and silent yet inside the white room, a loud sound of trumpets entered their ears as golden powder exploded everywhere. Hesychia tried to grab her mask but then realized she didn’t have it anymore. As a substitute, she covered her nose and mouth using the collar of her shirt. Taking the collar close to her nose, her eyes were able to watch the surroundings change little by little.

“Greetings players! Thank you for being patient and behaving, the Minor Screening is now ready!”

Hesychia wanted to point out that they weren’t able to get out of their positions in the first place that’s why they are still in the same tile, however her thoughts were masked by the mechanical voice announcing.

“Minor Screening: Questions and Riddles has been triggered! In this screening, each player is tasked to enter the Golden Maze of Solomon.” Gigantic walls of gold enclosed their paths as echoes of tall walls hitting the ceiling entered their ears. Soon, the completely blank room turned into a circular labyrinth. The triangular position soon disappeared as the other two stood beside her.

Hesychia, “???”

The mechanical voice didn't let her assess anything as it fired a long announcement:

"Have thee ever heard, oh stranger, of the labyrinth that Solomon conceived within his mind and erected with stones in circular form? It hath been spoken that Solomon, though reckoned among the kings of modest wealth, didst possess a treasury of alchemical gold.

Behold this diagram portraying its intricate design, with thin lines drawn in a manner of reason. Beholding its myriad circuits, winding from within to without, its spherical paths entwine and return upon themselves, teaching thee the cyclical nature of life, revealing the devious turns that abruptly bend its ways. Through its spherical, circular configurations, it deftly ensnares its travelers in complexity, much like the subtle coils of a pernicious serpent, leading them along paths both evident and concealed.

Set at an oblique angle, its door is elusive and hard to reach. The more one hastens from without, seeking to leap over its threshold, the labyrinth ensnares them within its depths, enticing them with the promise of escape. It toys with their hopes as they wander its corridors, akin to a fleeting dream filled with vain illusions, until the passage of time reveals the folly of their pursuit. Alas, in the shadow of death, all is obscured, leaving them stranded without reaching the exit. What fascination, then, draws mortals to this childish playground of deception?"

“I didn't understand anything...” Said Icx with a solemn face.

Erza kindly said, “Listen first, it's not finished.”