“Survive 24 hours in one of three worlds—Silent Hill, Raccoon City, or Ishimura—and you’ll earn a hundred million.”
Mu Xing had merely clicked on a prank pop-up that appeared on his screen.
When he opened his eyes again, he was already in an unknown metal passage.
The pungent smell of engine oil mixed with the flickering red alarm lights, and the whooshing sound of the exhaust fan continuously assaulted his ears.
The cold steel corridor and the virtual projection suspended in mid-air all told him that he had truly arrived in another world.
He tried hard to recall what he had done before.
Having just returned home from work for the holidays, he was preparing to enjoy some relaxing gaming time.
He was about to open Call of Duty, vowing to have a blast playing all night.
Just then, a gray dialog box popped up on his computer.
Survive 24 hours in Silent Hill, Raccoon City, or Ishimura, and you’ll earn a hundred million.
He thought it was a prank sent by a programmer colleague, so he casually clicked the Ishimura button.
Who knew that when he opened his eyes again, he would be transported to this unknown place.
Mu Xing shook his somewhat sore and swollen head, propping up his body, which felt as if it had suffered a violent impact; he needed to confirm this wasn't a kidnapping or a prank.
“Welcome, CEC equipment maintenance engineer Mu Xing, designation 4425, to the Ishimura Planet Cracker…”
After taking just two steps, an abrupt virtual projection appeared before him.
It looked like an AI-generated virtual projection, welcoming him without Emotion, according to its programming.
“Your information is being entered into the Ishimura security system… Error, error… Ishimura Chief Security Officer: Alyssa not found…”
“Entry failed… The system will automatically grant CEC Company rank authority… Please contact Ishimura personnel as soon as possible…”
Suddenly, the virtual projection became choppy, blurred, and finally disappeared.
At the same time, the green light on the door at the end of the passage ahead lit up.
Mu Xing’s consciousness gradually cleared, and he pinched his thigh hard.
The pain told him this wasn't a dream.
Although suddenly entering an unknown world made him very nervous, he was, after all, a modern person who had experienced the information explosion era and read various transmigration survival or even infinite flow novels.
Carefully considering his current situation, if that pop-up wasn’t fake, it meant he only needed to survive 24 hours in this place called Ishimura to leave alive and get a hundred million?
Of course.
Mu Xing didn't care about the hundred million; surviving 24 hours in this unknown place was the most important thing.
He remembered the other two options in the pop-up.
Silent Hill is a strange town in a horror game, filled with thick fog and various monsters.
However, as long as one hides in the church, one can survive safely.
Raccoon City is a city from the famous game and movie Resident Evil.
It is full of zombies and dangerous viruses, and one might even encounter a nuclear attack.
However, as long as one finds a safe place to hide, or figures out a way to drive out of Raccoon City within 24 hours, one can successfully survive.
In short, there is always a way out.
Presumably, Ishimura also has a similar setting.
As long as one finds the key survival point, one can successfully clear the level.
As he was thinking, under the lit green light, with a hiss, the pressure relief valve activated, opening the heavy alloy door.
Mu Xing walked out of the door step by step, and what greeted his eyes was the spacious floor-to-ceiling glass porthole along the corridor.
Outside the porthole, a huge yellowish-brown planet quietly floated in the dark universe.
The two-kilometer-long spaceship beneath his feet was like a tiny boat in comparison.
Yet, this tiny boat projected several bright light cables.
Those light cables were deeply embedded in the planet, and in the middle of the cables, a planetary fragment dozens of kilometers in diameter was torn directly from this yellowish-brown planet.
The massive fragment, weighing hundreds of millions of tons, was quietly bound by the light cables.
Perhaps sensing Mu Xing’s presence, relevant data appeared on the floor-to-ceiling glass porthole.
In the 23rd century, humanity had already entered the interstellar age. To sustain Earth and its colonies' vast consumption, CEC built several Planet Cracking Ships.
These giant spaceships, which release proton gravity fields, can directly crack and separate mineral-rich strata from a planet's surface.
Then, using gravity cables, they pull them beyond the planet’s gravitational influence.
Finally, mining engineers on the planetary colonies Control robots to carry out mining activities.
All collected minerals are transported directly back to Earth, thousands of light-years away, via superluminal spacecraft.
Ishimura, as CEC’s first Planet Cracking Ship, has been safely in service for over 60 years.
Now, it is stationed on the colonial planet named Holy Shield 7, performing cracking and mining operations.
After understanding the background of this spaceship, a hint of panic in Mu Xing’s heart lessened, replaced by a touch of composure.
What dangers could a two-kilometer-long spaceship encounter?
Interstellar pirate attacks? Colonial riots? Or perhaps the ship is about to crash into the Saint Shield Seven planet?
Mu Xing decided to first investigate the situation on Ishimura.
However, just then, he suddenly heard strange footsteps behind him.
Before he could turn around, he felt a sudden heat in his chest, and the pain of his chest cavity and heart being ripped apart assailed him.
His vision rapidly blurred, and the entire world spun.
In his final moments of consciousness, he saw frantically flashing red lights and the AI’s urgent warning sound.
…
Am I dead?
Mu Xing suddenly opened his eyes, reaching out to touch the cold metal wall.
Large beads of sweat poured from his forehead.
He abruptly looked down, pulling up his shirt.
The heart-wrenching pain seemed to still linger in his mind.
The intense pain of his chest being pierced was too real, coming quickly and disappearing just as fast.
However, when he looked down, there wasn't a single scar on his clean chest.
He subconsciously touched his back; there was no hole there either.
“A dream?”
He shook his somewhat sore head, propping up his weak body to stand.
The pungent smell of engine oil filled his nostrils, and at the end of the flickering corridor, the red light on the alloy door spun and flashed continuously.
He slapped his burning cheeks, and memories flooded his mind.
“No… It’s not a dream.”
“Welcome, CEC equipment maintenance engineer Mu Xing, designation 4425, to the Ishimura Planet Cracker…”
The “familiar” virtual projection reappeared, once again extending its Emotionless welcome ceremony to him.
“Did I just die?”
The painful memory of death had not completely dissipated, still continuously assaulting his clear consciousness.
Mu Xing held his head, trying to calm himself down.
“My name is Mu Xing, I’m 25 years old, and I live at 802 Yunan Community. I came here because I clicked on a pop-up on my computer.”
“This is the Ishimura Planet Cracker, located on the Saint Shield Seven colonial planet, thousands of light-years from Earth.”
“I must survive here for 24 hours to have a chance to leave Ishimura.”
Mu Xing tried to recall his memories.
If what just happened wasn’t a dream, did that mean he had been resurrected? Or was it some kind of time reset?
As he was thinking, the green light on the door at the end of the passage had already lit up.
Pffft…
The door opened.
