...
[07: 07: 48: 41]
Cassian's fingers trembled as he lifted the folded letter from the desk, its surface marred by splatters of dried blood and hurried, jagged handwriting. "WE ARE DOOMED!".
His breath caught in his throat as he waited for the system's usual acknowledgment. Silence answered him for a few long seconds before he exhaled slowly, steeling himself.
Great if this is not a quest material… I don't know what qualifies for one then…
With a steadying inhale, he unfolded the letter slowly, and as he did, a small, black metal card slipped free onto the floor. Picking it up, Cassian squinted his eyes to observe the card for any details. Its surface bore strange symbols, and his new trait Myriad tongue failed to get him anything. He flipped the letter open as Cassian's eyes hungrily scanned it.
***
To whoever finds this… if you're still human.
I was once called a genius. A prodigy, they said. One of the finest minds of my generation. They told me that my place was here, at Kalsen Research and Excellence Lab, where only the brightest were chosen. It was an honor—a chance to change the world.
And we did. Oh, we did.
We pushed the boundaries of what was possible. We turned dreams into reality, thoughts into power. For the first time, we weren't just studying the unknown—we were mastering it. I watched concepts that should have belonged to gods become tools in our hands.
But knowledge is never enough, is it? Not for them.
Somewhere along the way, our work was twisted. The discoveries we made stopped belonging to us. They became weapons, bargaining chips, and stepping stones for men who wanted more.
I should have seen it coming. We all should have.
Now, I am trapped here. There is no escape, no redemption. But you… you are still moving. That means there is a chance.
I won't tell you what waits below. You wouldn't believe me. But I will say this—nothing down there is human anymore.
If you truly wish to end this, then listen carefully. There is something in B3—something they tried to bury. Something that might still fight back. If you can reach it, maybe… maybe it won't all have been for nothing. The administrative offices in B1—have the floor plans which you will need in order to navigate the levels.
And the metal card in your hand is an access card—it was mine. My ID. It should give you access to almost every lock.
Take it. Use it. Make sure none of this is in vain.
If you make it out, burn this place to the ground.
—Dr. H. Varren Kalsen Research and Excellence Lab
***
As the final words faded from his eyes, a shudder raced down Cassian's spine. Almost immediately, the familiar chime of the system pierced the heavy silence. But this time, the text that appeared in his vision was an unnerving shade of blood red. The notifications flashed in rapid succession:
[DING! YOU HAVE FOUND EVIDENCE OF A HIDDEN SCENARIO]
[DING! UNLIKE NORMAL EVENTS AND SECRETS, YOU HAVE TOUCHED UPON THE EVIDENCE OF AN EVENT FORSAKEN BY "THE ETERNAL CODE"]
[DING! YOU ARE ADVISED TO PROCEED WITH CAUTION]
"Again this blood-red text and the ominous tone… it's scaring me… fuuu," he muttered, voice husky with a mixture of fear and reluctance.
A hidden scenario… it should be good for my progression but what in the hell does 'TOUCHED UPON THE EVIDENCE OF AN EVENT FORSAKEN BY "THE ETERNAL CODE '' even mean, man…
Assuming the "THE ETERNAL CODE" is a name or title for the system… it feels like it is… so the research was on something related to it?… maybe they tried to artificially create a system… nah! That's way too advanced… probably messing with it…
Ahhh! So many questions and no answers… Fuuu I should first reread the letter and see if I missed anything.
This letter is from a scientist… likely an employee of this facility, "Kalsen Research and Excellence Lab… and they were researching something monumental—and something went catastrophically wrong."
Ofc… don't they have movies showing them just how bad this idea was… Like all the movies with a research facility I don't think I can remember even one where the research was successful…
The line, "if you're still sane and human"… who writes that? As if the author doubted his own readers' sanity before even beginning, it gnawed at him.
What had they unleashed? Is this some sort of virus… Am I infected?
With a frustrated sigh, Cassian exhaled sharply, feeling the weight of destiny on his shoulders.
Do I really have to trudge through this nightmare? This does give off all the "quest" vibes, but damn, the blood-red system tone… and that eerie silence from the entity… it's off-putting.
If he left this room, there would still be the daunting issue of tracking down the main quest. Yet, the burning desire for revenge, the will to survive, and the lust for power surged stronger than his mounting doubts. Glancing at the metal card, Cassian's jaw set with determination.
"Fuck it, let's go," he whispered, gritting his teeth. With deliberate, cautious movements, he rose from the desk. He carefully pushed the desk aside, tucking the access card securely into his pocket along with the neatly re-folded letter into his bag. From another compartment, he withdrew the two remaining flashbangs—unwinding them slowly before placing them in the front pocket. His pulse thundered as he eased open the door, peeking through the narrow gap. Outside, the facility's interior was bathed in the eerie glow of ambient lighting, the deep night pressing in from all sides. The time was [9:24 PM].
No rest for the wicked, I guess…
With a deep, steadying breath, he crouched low and slipped into the corridor. Every step was measured and silent. The facility's hallways echoed with dissonant sounds—distant screeches, hisses, and occasional thuds that made his heart pound like a war drum. Whenever something stirred in the shadows, Cassian would freeze, body rigid and breath held until the threat passed. The tension in each muscle was palpable; he moved only when the oppressive silence returned.
Only then did he dare to continue forward.
I fucking hate this… Man I'm not made for this… fuck you Arwyn wherever you are for destroying my everything… You better not die before I get my hands on you.
After what felt like an eternity crawling through the labyrinthine corridors, he reached a wall emblazoned with a large, neon sign: "B1 Level" accompanied by an arrow pointing downward. Below it, the path split into an elevator flanked by two narrow staircases.
This is it. Be serious and calm… no room for mistakes.
Just as he prepared to descend, footsteps echoed from behind, accompanied by a lot of screeches, "Fuck!"
Cassian's pulse surged, but he forced himself to remain calm. Scanning the area, he spotted a thick, solid pillar nearby. He darted silently toward it, pressing his body flat against its rough surface and controlling his ragged breathing. His heart hammered in his ears as the footsteps grew louder and closer.
From around the corner, four grotesque figures emerged. Each monster dragged along a corpse—three were unmistakably the grisly, mutilated remains of the so-called "greysnorts," but one corpse was disturbingly human. The stench of decay mingled with fresh blood as the creatures trailed a ghastly red line behind them. Cassian's stomach churned as he recognized the uniform on the human corpse—the same military garb he had claimed from a soldier's remains when he first awoke in this forsaken place. He pressed himself harder against the pillar, his heart pounding in his ears as he watched the creatures close in on the elevator, and reaching near it, they all went silent and motionless.
Why are these fuckers just standing there? Wait… did something give them that order? … shit why now… It's over… do they know.
Then, as if on cue, the elevator door creaked open. A flood of bright, harsh light spilled into the corridor, momentarily blinding him. In the elevator's interior stood a tall, gaunt figure. His eyes widened in horror as he realized the creature was not entirely monstrous in form—it bore a disturbingly human-like structure, yet its face was featureless, a blank canvas marred by a gruesome cross-section of blood.
A cold sweat broke on Cassian's brow as he bit down hard on his arm, desperate to stifle a rising urge to gag.
As if in slow, excruciating motion, the monster's face began to shift further. The bloody cross-sections split open, revealing beneath a mass of squirming flesh jagged bones that protruded in grotesque disarray. A rasping, sandpaper-like voice slithered into his ears—a sound that seemed to grind against his sanity. Almost immediately, a searing pain struck his head as though heavy hammers pounded within, and Cassian's vision tunneled in a desperate bid to shut out the onslaught.
Fuck Fuck….mpffffhh…
He clenched his teeth and bit down even harder on his arm, willing his body to remain still despite the overwhelming urge to recoil and scream. Before he could fully comprehend the assault, his vision was overwhelmed by another system notification:
[DING! MYDRID TONGUE ACTIVATED]
A distorted, almost demonic whisper seeped through his consciousness.
{Yessss~….MOTHER! WILL BE PLEASED…..ZZZZ~}
The monsters disappeared into the elevator, dragging the corpses with them. As the doors slid shut, silence reclaimed the corridor, leaving Cassian alone. He stood frozen for several minutes, forcing his mind into stillness, refusing to process what he had just witnessed. His eyes darted around, scanning for any sign of movement, but soon his vision swam—dark spots creeping into the edges. The sharp, metallic scent of blood filled his nose.
A moment later, his legs buckled.
He collapsed onto the cold, unyielding floor, his breath ragged as warm liquid trickled down his face. His eyes and nose bled heavily, blurring the world around him with crimson streaks. The System notifications flickered in his vision—each one glowing blood red.
[DING!…..]
[DING!…..]
[DING!…..]
…