Beyond the Walls

Motivation

[This is a Rest Zone. Rules for the Rest Zone must be followed...]

The video is still playing until the men turned their heads on the door. It must be when Lucas made a scene. The man on top of Hiraya, the noisy man, went on and put his hands on Hiraya’s neck as he pulled her clothes. This time, Hiraya is convulsing beneath him until the door is forced open and Aaron comes to view.

Hiraya had stopped moving and the video had halted.

Another video had taken place the previous one. It was hard to decipher with just one look what was shown but as you get closer, it makes an image of a top look of a pole.

[Preparing for Punishment…]

As soon as the voice is done the camera zooms in and shows a closer look on the pole.

On it is naked man slumping down . There are bruises in his face and broken nose.

It was the noisy man from Liam Group. He was the guy Aaron was beating up before they were put to sleep. The person who suffocated and beat the most was Hiraya.

The camera zooms out but this time there is a sound playing together with the video.

*Ting ting ting

The same siren plays in the video. The siren is mixed with the clanking sound of metal. It continues until the man in the video fully regains his consciousness.

“WHAT THE f**k!!” He shouted suddenly and tried covering his naked self.

[Attention Player! You have discarded the Rules of the Rest Zone. Rules of the Rest Zone must be followed . . . . . ]

"What the hell?! I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING! Why don't you put the gorilla here who did this to me instead of me who perfectly follow your f*****g rules!!!" The man protested angrily as he pointed to his bloody face.

[Imposing punishment for the player.]

The man kept protesting but the system didn't answer any of his protests.

*SHIIIIIIIING

There was like an automatic metal door opening heard in the background.

The naked man in the background stiffened and backed in the pole more.

[Player is subjected to extermination...]

"Are you serious?!!!!!"

*BANG

The man rolled to the side to evade after a person tried to launch himself to him.

GROWL

A growling sound was heard in the video and soon the person who attacked the man turned its head to the camera.

Another one like the attacker had appeared on the screen. The man redirected the rushing undead to the side and tried to bang it's head on the cemented wall but the head wasn't bashed open. The undead growled at the naked man and tried to hug him but he was kicked in the guts.

In the previous games like undeads are slow, soft like tofu and easy to kill but these two that had appeared are entirely different. They drop on all fours and launch themselves hungrily at the naked man.

Soon two became three. The naked man successfully killed an undead after multiple head bashing to the wall. He threw the body to the other two undead and tried fleeing from being cornered but he was caught by the hand. The strength of the undead was at par with the man.

He tried to let himself free but the undead wouldn't let go.

"Huh?"

*Munch

The other undeads had already reached him. One had to cling to his other arm while the other pushed his head to the side and chunk out a flesh from his neck. Fountain of blood showered all three undeads as they eagerly took one flesh after another eagerly. Soon the naked man could be laying on the cold floor with overflowing blood in his mouth.

[Player exterminated.]

[Adhere to the Rules, Players!]

*beep

The video had stopped and closed. Soon another hologram set had been displayed and the male voice announced.

[Welcome Players to the Rest Area! Be aware of the Rules in the Rest Area!]

[1. Players are advised to stay in the rest area until the End of the Second Round]

[2. Players are prohibited in Killing other players.]

*Ting ting

[Welcome Players to the Rest Area! Be aware of the Rules . . .]

"What the hell was that?!!!" A watching player exclaimed after the announcement. In the background the repetition of the rules still plays.

For those who hadn't witnessed it before didn't recognize it immediately but Lucas' group knew it instantly.

Those fast moves, rabid look and strength. It was all familiar. A memory that haunted them for a while and made them freeze over.

"It's newly turned undead!" The teenager said with horror.

He was there when Penelope had turned. He is also in the front row when Penelope overpowers and kills Unica in one bite.

There were mixed reactions after hearing the teenage boy's comment. There are skeptics, scared and no idea.

*Click

The door in the adjacent room opens. Three women had newly arrived in the rest area. They looked exhausted, horrible and as if on the verge of losing their mind as one kept muttering two are like staring in nothingness.

*Ting

[Congratulations!!! You all have passed Level 2! Test of Stamina]

[Remaining Players: 37]

[Congratulations! Game Cash Prize had been earned!]

Soon the money roulette had appeared again, brushing off the execution they just did.

“What the hell?!”

As they are given no time to process it all…

Trumpets, drums and firework sounds are being played as the money keeps rolling up and up… until it stopped to some amount.

“Are you screwing us?!!!” Aaron complained loudly.

While some agonize and some don’t know what to do. Majority of the players felt lost.

‘What am I doing in this place again?’

[...]

These feelings didn’t last long… because when they thought all is lost and nothing else matters now, like an angel coming down, the heavens pull apart and shine you light, the game reminds you of all your hopes and desperation.

Only to result in dropping you back to living the hell again and all over again.

That is what Lucas feels like, watching the monitor in the adjacent room…

Three hours after the second round had ended, the adjacent room was opened.

[Attention Players! Please come to the room one at a time… Failure to comply, will result in Player's extermination… Attention Players!... ]

‘Extermination…’ It’s a word that everyone fears at the moment.

“What are they planning this time?” Exhausted Aaron glared. He barely recovered from all the shouting and violence he complained about the dead Hiraya.

When nobody had entered, the vents had opened which made panic and players pushed one another. The player that went in reluctantly. He went out dead in their eyes and muttering some inaudible words. He was only there inside for a few minutes but anyone could tell something had changed.

[Next Player, please enter…]

If someone asked what was inside there and what they were doing during the brief period of time there. Nobody answered instead they stiffened out and shut more to themselves From whining to half crazy players, they all came out with strained expressions.

When it was only Lucas’ and Liam’s group were left. Liam gestured to them.

“After you…”

Lucas stepped forward and entered first from their group.

Entering the room, the door closes behind him, the previous setup was different now. The metal beds were replaced by a singular chair and hologram that says “The Beyond the Walls Game.”

*Ting

[Have a seat, Player.]

He took the only seat available.

[Scanning starts…]

A cube like scanner covered Lucas in a few seconds.

[Scan Complete….. Player, Lucas Maximillian. Confirmed]

[Playing Player, Lucas Maximillian M.File]

A video had started playing. At first it looked like it was travelling on the familiar streets of Wall 103. There was not much on the video for a few seconds until it got closer to a certain hospital. On the window, it showed a video of his sister. Still in a coma. The doctor is checking on her then suddenly his sister starts having convulsions.

“Andrea!” He couldn’t help it. He had witnessed these tendencies from time to time.

She is in need of higher…

*Click

The video stopped.

… dosage of vaccines.

“Why did you stop? What happened to my sister?!” Lucas tried touching the hologram but his body only passed through them.

[Player, Lucas Maximillian M.File, completed]

“...please… show her again.” he pleaded

[Player’s request denied… Please exit the room… Please exit the room]

It dawns on him as he gets up… The video was a reminder… of their purpose.

Lucas didn’t notice the time that went by, and that all players are done with their turn.

*Ting

[LEVEL 3 will start in…]

As the system starts up again the previous surroundings of hopeless faces and given up expressions were now replaced with determination, and hostility to each other.

The one previously ignored money reward in front of them became the focal point of the room. The reward money amounts to . . . $ 1,191,696.97

All were reminded once again.

It was a dirty play, administrators but Lucas can’t help but bite it.

The lying figure of his sister. Her convulsion, it sparked different in his eyes.

‘Wait for me, Andrea. Brother will definitely save you.’ he thought.