In a magnificent hall.
A sophisticated, elegant man dressed in expensive clothes reclines on a soft and comfortable leather chair, legs crossed. Shiny leather shoes gleam under the light of a crystal chandelier overhead.
The polished leather shoes reflect a strange, shiny pattern.
Before him is a small half-meter-high wooden table.
On the small table is a cup of cold, now-icy tea...
The tea in the cup forms a perfect circle.
Reflecting the entire ceiling.
A sense of indescribable loneliness...
The man says nothing.
He merely closes his eyes, digesting the memories swirling in his mind.
The large room is very quiet.
No one is here, but it seems like this place was built grandiosely and splendidly, just for him to sit here for a while during his leisure time.
Relaxing his body...
After a while.
The man opens his eyes.
He stares blankly at the tea cup in front of him.
Uncertain thoughts fill his mind.
He hesitates.
Trembling, he reaches out with his left hand.
Slowly, he touches the tea cup.
But it's just the sensation of touching the cup, as if it doesn't reassure him.
After he lifts the tea cup.
The flat surface of the tea water is disturbed by the shaky hands, creating ripples...
"So, how can this be fake? Really, am I going crazy?"
He mocks himself sarcastically.
But then he seems to understand that he's deceiving himself.
He forcefully throws the tea cup to the ground!
The cup shatters instantly, and tea spills all over the floor!
"How could it..."
"How can these things be fake?!"
He clutches his head in pain.
At the same time, he bows his head, hitting the wooden table with a "Bang Bang" sound, and the table's edges collide, causing blood to flow from his head, staining his originally handsome face red...
He can't believe it.
He can't believe this world is fake!
But the terrible memories in his mind remind the man that in his real world, he is just a poor man with nothing.
A life spent thinking about daily necessities.
A weak man with a wife constantly frowning because he can't earn a dime!
He lowers his head onto the table.
Thinking that this is just a dream, and if he wakes up, he can continue to be a successful person without worries.
Those memories are fake.
Non-existent.
Just because he endured too much pressure, he thought like that...
Yes.
He's under too much pressure!
The man's state descends into madness.
He completely fails to realize that a dreadful-looking woman is staring at him intently, standing behind him in the mirror.
The woman's entire body seems immersed in water.
A liquid substance continues to ooze out of her black and dirty hair, falling onto the muddy, earth-stained hem of her dress.
Forming dirty streaks...
When the man continues to bang his head on the table.
The woman gets closer to him.
Until she reaches behind him, extending her twisted fingers, intending to squeeze his neck.
However.
At this moment, the man suddenly lifts his head.
Looking at the scene outside the window from a height of over 30 floors with a bewildered gaze...
"That's right, this is a dream... Just jump from here, and the excitement afterwards will wake me up!"
"Must be like this!"
He mutters to himself mockingly.
But then, he seems to understand that this is just deceiving himself.
He violently throws the tea cup down!
The cup shatters instantly, and tea spills all over the floor!
"How could it..."
"How can these things be fake?!"
He clutches his head in pain.
At the same time, he bows his head, hitting the wooden table with a "Bang Bang" sound, and the table's edges collide, causing blood to flow from his head, staining his originally handsome face red...
He can't believe it.
He can't believe this world is fake!
But the terrible memories in his mind remind the man that in his real world, he is just a poor man with nothing.
A life spent thinking about daily necessities.
A weak man with a wife constantly frowning because he can't earn a dime!
He lowers his head onto the table.
Thinking that this is just a dream, and if he wakes up, he can continue to be a successful person without worries.
Those memories are fake.
Non-existent.
Just because he endured too much pressure, he thought like that...
Yes.
He's under too much pressure!
The man's state descends into madness.
He completely fails to realize that a dreadful-looking woman is staring at him intently, standing behind him in the mirror.
The woman's entire body seems immersed in water.
A liquid substance continues to ooze out of her black and dirty hair, falling onto the muddy, earth-stained hem of her dress.
Forming dirty streaks...
When the man continues to bang his head on the table.
The woman gets closer to him.
Until she reaches behind him, extending her twisted fingers, intending to squeeze his neck.
However.
At this moment, the man suddenly lifts his head.
Looking at the scene outside the window from a height of over 30 floors with a bewildered gaze...
"That's right, this is a dream... Just jump from here, and the excitement afterwards will wake me up!"
"Must be like this!"
He mutters to himself mockingly.
But then, he seems to understand that this is just deceiving himself.
He violently throws the tea cup down!
The cup shatters instantly, and tea spills all over the floor!
"How could it..."
"How can these things be fake?!"
He clutches his head in pain.
At the same time, he bows his head, hitting the wooden table with a "Bang Bang" sound, and the table's edges collide, causing blood to flow from his head, staining his originally handsome face red...
He can't believe it.
He can't believe this world is fake!
But the terrible memories in his mind remind the man that in his real world, he is just a poor man with nothing.
A life spent thinking about daily necessities.
A weak man with a wife constantly frowning because he can't earn a dime!
He lowers his head onto the table.
Thinking that this is just a dream, and if he wakes up, he can continue to be a successful person without worries.
Those memories are fake.
Non-existent.
Just because he endured too much pressure, he thought like that...
Yes.
He's under too much pressure!
The man's state descends into madness.
He completely fails to realize that a dreadful-looking woman is staring at him intently, standing behind him in the mirror.
The woman's entire body seems immersed in water.
A liquid substance continues to ooze out of her black and dirty hair, falling onto the muddy, earth-stained hem of her dress.
Forming dirty streaks...
When the man continues to bang his head on the table.
The woman gets closer to him.
Until she reaches behind him, extending her twisted fingers, intending to squeeze his neck.
However.
At this moment, the man suddenly lifts his head.
Looking at the scene outside the window from a height of over 30 floors with a bewildered gaze...
"That's right, this is a dream... Just jump from here, and the excitement afterwards will wake me up!"
"Must be like this!"
He mutters to himself mockingly.
He mumbled to himself.
It felt like there was an answer.
He stood up with a triumphant laugh, crazily rushing towards the open window!
He thought that when he jumped down.
He would wake up!
"Yeah, that's it!"
Afterward,
The man's body passed through the window.
Falling rapidly to the ground below due to gravity!
"Bang!"
Even before his body burst into a mist of blood, he still had a satisfied and confident smile on his face...
...
"Honk Honk!!~~"
The ear-piercing honks echoed throughout the city.
Under a world covered by dark clouds.
The scene became somewhat helpless and suppressed...
Hoang Tuan's brisk footsteps also stopped here.
Dinh Phuc, who was following him, breathed heavily and turned his head to look at the continuously honking vehicles.
Since the memories returned.
It had been five hours...
And while they stopped.
In many places in the city, a calm and slightly bitter voice echoed on the streets and alleys.
Inside the TV in the shop next to Hoang Tuan.
A strange but familiar male voice resonated.
When he watched TV with his mother every evening.
He could hear this voice...
"Everyone."
"Good afternoon, everyone."
"I used to be..."
"Ha ha, forget it... At present, who I am is not important."
"Perhaps, in everyone's minds, there are even more memories, memories of our original selves."
"We all know that we are not really people of this world, but just victims accidentally pulled into a parallel world."
"Now I can understand your feelings."
"But before doubting, I must tell everyone... the world is beginning to collapse in a way we don't know. The dark clouds you can see when you look up are the deep-rooted cause of the world's collapse."
"Currently, those black clouds are spreading at an unbelievably fast pace. Under our observation, the places covered by the black clouds will be in terrible danger to life!"
"So, to ensure the safety of all citizens."
"Now open for emergency evacuation..."
"Everyone stay safe, please cooperate with the traffic police to evacuate towards South Hoa Tower in an orderly manner! Stay away from those black clouds!"
"Everyone, don't panic, don't panic, we will definitely..."
"..."
Listening to the words on the radio.
Hoang Tuan narrowed his eyes.
South Hoa Tower mentioned in the emergency broadcast is precisely the path he has chosen now.
Because of its geographical location.
South Hoa Tower is the farthest location from "Tran Hung Dao High School."
In that place.
It will be the last place where the black clouds can spread.
"But, in just a few short hours, how could someone know what the black clouds will bring, and is the world map limited to just this city?"
Hoang Tuan was very suspicious.
They couldn't have any news telling them they couldn't leave the city.
Or information seen from the novel control panel.
Hoang Tuan knew.
The reason why the operational space of this horror world is limited here is that other cities have not been built; it's just emptiness.
At most, they can only go to the edge of the city!
South Hoa Tower is also after Hoang Tuan received the information written on the board.
He quickly deduced...
"The others?"
Hoang Tuan was very confused.
He glanced at Dinh Phuc, who was also recovering his memory.
After seeing that the other person was still in a daze.
He was even more certain.
No one could digest it quickly and react so clearly within five hours since the merging of two memories...
...
On the other hand.
In an almost completely sealed room.
The man sweating profusely turned off the radio microphone, cautiously looking back at the young man sitting behind him.
"Is it done?"
He asked the young man.
"Yeah, that's right, you did well."
The young man nodded in praise.
Then, he threw the half-smoked cigarette in his hand onto the ground, used his ordinary white shoes to step on it, crushing the ember...
He continued.
"If you have nothing else, run for your life."
After the man heard this sentence.
He took a deep breath.
But he hesitated to stand up, struggling inside, and finally sat down again.
"I feel there is still some time. If I directly command the evacuation here, it will be much faster."
The man sighed heavily.
For this.
The young man just smiled as he stood up.
He patted the man holding a cigarette on the shoulder, saying, "Just take care of your own part; this duty was never meant for you."
"But five years ago, this duty was mine..."
The man replied with a trembling voice.
At this moment, the device in the room kept the call after the sound of electricity: "Report... Report! The national highway is currently severely congested! Vehicles cannot move normally, and the congestion is estimated to be several kilometers long now! Please clear the road ahead!"
After the sound ended.
The room fell into silence.
The man and the young man didn't say anything more; they just looked at each other...
After the explanation of the situation.
Waiting for a while with no response.
Repeating...
"Look, they're all still there." The man pointed to the continuous reports on the situation, licking his lips.
The young man didn't answer immediately.
He just looked down at his left arm.
The sleeves that were supposed to be neatly clean were now torn, with only a few threads left.
On the arm.
There was also a gruesome wound.
Blood was oozing out...
"Do you not understand? These memories are all fake. You're just a normal person now, just run away with them."
"Even if they are fake, I have borne this responsibility... I think if there is someone who can command now, the situation will be much better."
"You will die."
"No... I still have time, as long as I run faster than them, there should be time."
Sweat broke out on the man's forehead.
He stubbornly said.
Seeing the man's appearance, the young man turned away as if disappointed, walking alone towards the command radio.
"Listen up, mobilize all traffic police, let everyone get off their vehicles, do not use transportation, walk to escape in an orderly manner."
After saying that.
He furrowed his brows tightly, and there was a "click" sound from his mouth.
Because just a second ago, his arm accidentally touched something.
It hurt.
"Let's go."
The young man said.
However, the man just shook his head defiantly.
In fact, the young man knew that he was also afraid.
But for some reason, he was so stubborn now...
"If you don't go, I will kill you, I guarantee it."
The young man regained his former relaxed demeanor, and his face became serious.
Hearing those words.
The man's face twitched, trying to raise his head, looking into the eyes not far away.
"I will handle this place."
The young man added.
At this point, he lit a cigarette for himself and took a deep drag.
The man passive-aggressively smelled the smoke.
Coughing twice for sure.
Now, on the floor of this room, there was a stubbed cigarette...
"Can you tell me your name?"
"Dương Khánh Vĩ."
...
…
In the city.
Crowded and congested...
On a usual day, it was an almost empty road with few vehicles.
At this time, it was too crowded with hundreds of people rushing.
If standing in the crowd, one couldn't even bend down, didn't need to walk on their own, there would always be someone pushing from behind...
Pushing, crying, and cursing.
The noise level increased.
The sound of police sirens echoed in the city.
Traffic police in bright green uniforms, sweating profusely on the podium, waving a baton in hand.
The whistle in their mouths blowing...
Sneaking through the crowd.
Dinh Phuc saw a black shadow in the distance.
He felt like something was choking his throat.
Even breathing became very difficult.
"Hey, what's this? How many people are there?"
He couldn't help murmuring to himself.
Dinh Phuc had never seen such a magnificent scene and somehow felt his legs a bit numb.
Even though he knew these were just people escaping from the clouds.
But in his heart, he still felt heavy and restrained...
Hoang Tuan crouched down on the side, tying his shoelaces.
Not paying much attention to the people running away.
Hoang Tuan knew that if he didn't leave now.
It wouldn't be long.
He would be engulfed in that terrible crowd.
"Dương Khánh Vĩ? Is that person always rude, blowing smoke in people's faces?"
"Why is he there at this time?"
"Hehe, this novel updates really in real-time..."
Hoang Tuan grumbled, turning off the control panel and complaining.
For the sake of kindness, he turned back and reminded Dinh Phuc.
Then he ran forward with frustration.
The disaster had come...
When most of the citizens reached South Hoa Tower, he had to find those who had nurtured those monsters before and figure out how to handle the situation.
Calculating.
If his mother didn't take any action after hearing the alarm.
The black clouds were only half an hour away from his mother's location...
What would happen in this world if the area covered by the black clouds really included his mother, when the rules of both sides collide completely.
He had no way to evaluate...
Just.
When Hoang Tuan ran to the intersection.
His body stopped!
Making Dinh Phuc almost collide with him from behind...
"What's happening again?"
Seeing Hoang Tuan stop, Dinh Phuc felt a bit annoyed and impatiently looked in the direction Hoang Tuan was looking.
On the street corner.
There was an unclosed cake shop, but no one was inside at the moment...
"No, do you want to buy a birthday cake for that fake little sister of yours at this time?!"
Dinh Phuc asked skeptically.
However, Hoang Tuan didn't want to talk to him, just stood at the intersection, silently looking at the pastry shop.
The position of the shop window.
Like most shops, there was a beautiful and exquisite strawberry cake with the words "Happy Birthday" written on it in whipped cream.
He touched the money that his mother had stuffed into his pocket.
Recalling when he left, his mother said she would buy a lot of things and planned to cook many delicious dishes for them to return to early.
Hoang Lan happily agreed at that time.
After all, this was the only birthday my mother allowed her to celebrate...
"What if."
"What if all the NPCs in this world are victims pulled in, when the black clouds appeared five hours ago, they all simultaneously recovered their memories."
"Then, Hoang Lan at that time."
"Must also be an NPC, remembering everything is correct..."
"But why did the little girl..."
Hoang Tuan suddenly remembered something.
His body trembled slightly.