Terror Infinity: Path of Evolution

"Sigh... None have woken up yet" a female voice exclaims with a sigh.

"It's been 5 minutes already; the quality of the rookies this time seems to be not very good" a rough, male voice exclaims.

Hearing voices unfamiliar to me, my consciousness flares up and I snap my eyes open, jumping up and panting.

My eyes scan the entire room as I try to stay standing; my heart pounding, thundering in my ears.

The room has an unusual style, metallic throughout. Dim lights flickered, casting shadows that seemed to move on their own in the corners of the room. A metal door to my right and no windows.

In front of me are 2 people, a man and a woman, both wearing strange outfits, staring at me.

Before I could process the sight in my head, the girl is already at my side; I couldn't see his movement properly.

Before I knew it, my hands were against my back, and in an instant I was on the ground, my face pressed against the cold metal.

A surprised hiss is heard, and after it, a male voice sounds.

"Wow, that was unexpected" the male voice exclaims in slight surprise.

"Honestly, this is the first time someone has reacted so abruptly, even in a place like this."

"That's true, I even subdued him out of pure instinct; at least I didn't end up accidentally killing him" a female voice says with a nervous laugh.

"We almost ended up dead last time because of that" the man reminds her.

The girl sighs and after that I feel my hands being released. I take a moment to process what happened and, now calmer, I turn around on the ground and look at the people in front of me.

My head hurts a little, but I can think now; Nothing like a good kiss on the cold metal floor to clear your mind.

I sigh at my own thoughts and, after meditating a bit, I look at my presumed captors.

"So... Will you explain to me what this place is? And who are you?"

They both look at each other for a moment, in what seems like a silent conversation; then they look at their watches with a serious expression and then look back at me.

The man, who doesn't look older than 30, casually leans against the wall, letting out a sigh as he relaxes his shoulders.

"We'll explain everything to you in a moment, but first we have to wait for the others to wake up."

His words throw me off for a moment. I blink, trying to process what he just said, and finally turn around. It was then that I noticed something I had completely ignored: on the floor, spread out around me, are six other people, all unconscious.

Several scenarios begin to appear in my brain; The first is that I was kidnapped, but that doesn't seem to be the case. My memories are a bit blurry, like a thick fog is preventing me from seeing. The other option could be reincarnation.

Oh... I see, it's one of those stories, I've been sent to another world.

Well... It could have been worse; honestly it doesn't seem that bad, something from science fiction and maybe superpowers, at least it's not Naruto or something like that.

While I'm in my mental ramblings, a series of collective groans are heard; so I look in their direction and see how the other people on the ground begin to get up.

Confused, they begin to realize that they are in an unknown place and panic begins to set in.

There are 4 men and 2 women: a young man with a shaved head; a white man of about 60 years old; two teenagers.

The women are a lady of about 70 years old and a young girl.

In a matter of seconds the situation gets out of control; The girl starts screaming, crossing her arms over her chest and closing her legs, since she's only wearing pajamas, quite revealing for the case. Then the lady immediately gets in front of her, frowning and protecting her with her body.

"I won't let you touch a single hair on her, you bastards!" she shouts to the others, looking at the men with contempt.

The confused men just back away; while the man and the teenagers look around, the shaved guy frowns and approaches the lady with heavy steps.

"Who do you think you are to talk to me like that, huh, damn old lady?!" The shaved guy growls viciously, taking out a pocket knife; his skin was covered in tattoos that almost seemed to pulse with his anger.

He squeezed a knife in his hand as he approached the lady.

"Do you even know who I am?!"

When the tattooed man pulled out the knife, the room fell silent; The tension became almost palpable. The men stood motionless, staring at him, including me. He was too far away for me to approach quickly enough; any sudden movement could create a bad scenario.

The lady, despite the threat, kept her head high, her posture rigid as a shield. Behind her, the girl trembled, huddled together as her tears fell and, between sobs, she tried to cover her body while her hands clenched the edges of her pajamas.

The voice of the man who chose to name veteran 1 broke the silence.

"That's enough. No one will die here... yet."

His tone, calm but full of authority, froze the tattooed guy in place. The tattooed man hesitated for a moment, evaluating whether to continue advancing or retreating.

The woman, that is, veteran 2, who until then had remained on the sidelines, took a step forward.

"Put the knife away. I won't repeat it."

Her firm voice and cold gaze pierced the tattooed man like a dagger, but there was something strange, an aura of danger came from her and it even gave me chills. The guy gritted his teeth and lowered his head, muttering something unintelligible as he put the knife back in his back pocket.

"That's what I thought," the woman added with a snort before addressing the others.

"Just so you know, we won't tolerate any kind of violence between you. Out here, you may have been the kings of your neighborhoods, the stars of your offices, or whatever. Here… you're nothing."

"And if you can't understand that, well…" She was silent for a moment.

"Let's just say you won't live long enough to regret it."

Her words caused a stronger shiver to run down my spine and a hint of fear to slightly contort my expression; I imagine it was like that for the others too, seeing their faces that suddenly turned paler.

I moved from my uncomfortable position and ended up standing up.

Well, the situation is already quite surreal.

For a moment, I really thought I was going to see someone die right here. What kind of asshole starts threatening with a knife out of nowhere? And what the hell are those people? I knew it wouldn't be normal from the moment I was thrown to the ground, but I didn't expect something like this so quickly.

And as I thought, I feel like that woman and man are more than just humans.

Calm down and think. You don't know where you are, but these people seem to know. If anyone has answers, it's them. You just have to keep a cool head, an open mind, and listen, like you always have. That, and keep the tattooed asshole from involving you in any idiocy, too.

Veteran 1 sighed deeply, as if he was used to these kinds of situations.

"Okay, now that everyone has calmed down... Listen to me carefully."

His eyes scanned each person in the room, making sure everyone was paying attention.

"I want everyone to focus and think about how they got here; it should all be in their heads."

Hearing that phrase, I feel like something inside my head has unlocked.

The information that was not there before became present, and I was able to understand what happened.

When I was on the computer screen, after having read the question.

"Do you want to find the meaning of life? Do you want to live… a real life?"

By clicking Yes, I was brought here; this is a game, a world where horror movies and series come to life, a sick game where we have to survive by going through the worlds of those movies and reach… something.

All the people who are discouraged in the real world and have lost the meaning of life, a very small part of them will enter this space through the words and options that appear on the computer, and then… they must survive and strive in this space.

Anyone who enters this space will enter random horror movies, disaster movies, science fiction movies, war movies; even series, comics, video games… etc. Each horror world means life or death for the participants.

"That yes they pressed on their screens was no small thing. It was their entry into this world."

"And now, they are caught up in something much bigger than any of you or us can imagine" the veteran exclaimed with a stony expression.

The young girl, still huddled behind the older lady, raised a trembling hand.

"What do you mean by that? Where are we?" "Is it some kind of… dream?"

The man shook his head. "This isn't a dream. It's not a simulation. It's a game. But it's not one you can escape with a simple pause button."

"Everything you do here is real; if you die here, you won't wake up in front of your computers or in your homes. Every action here has its consequences; you have to survive at all costs. And, if you don't follow the rules… you will die."

A murmur of disbelief filled the room. The old woman frowned. "And who are you exactly?"

Veteran 2 intervened this time.

"We're not responsible for you being here, that's for sure," she said with a sigh and ran her hand through her hair, straightening it.

"We're like you, survivors; you can call me Lurker and I have 3 movies under my belt. Unlike you, rookies I already have experience in this world."

"But I will tell you this: if you want to live, you must listen and obey. There is no room for error here; you are just rookies." She stared at us for a moment before continuing.

"The first movie is always the hardest; if you manage to get through this one alive, you can become stronger and you will have a better chance of survival and the ability to go beyond human."

As if to prove her point, she raised one of her hands, which became covered in a golden glow. At that moment we all marveled at the sight; it was as if a golden aurora was flowing on the surface of her hand.

The next moment, she hit the wall with a powerful boom, bringing everyone out of their stupor. The sound caused was similar to an explosion and the force was such that it left a mark in the shape of her hand on the wall behind her.

The tension slowly dissipated as everyone present tried to process what they had seen and heard. Then, one of the teenagers, a boy with short, messy hair, raised his hand excitedly, almost as if he were in class. His voice, excited but with a slight tremor, broke the awkward silence.

"This is amazing!" he exclaimed, his eyes shining with excitement. Is it like in those isekai novels? A world of survival and powers?"

"I always thought something like this would be cool… although…" his expression faltered for a moment "I never thought it would be so real."

The other boy, taller and with a calmer posture, although clearly uncomfortable with the situation, frowned.

"I don't know if I would call this 'cool.'" His tone was serious, almost incredulous.

"If what they say is true… then how do we get those powers? Where does that strength come from?" He crossed his arms, looking directly at the veteran, searching for a logical answer.

The woman, Lurker, observed both of them calmly, letting the murmur of curiosity from the rest settle before speaking. He stepped forward, adopting an authoritative stance.

"Good question." His gaze swept over the entire group.

"Let me make something clear: here, nothing is free. Everything you get, you earn. And you earn it by surviving."

"Before I explain anything else, first look at your wrists."

The confusion was palpable as we all complied, discovering a device I didn't remember being there before: a black digital watch with a glowing blue screen.

It looked like a mix of military and futuristic technology; I noticed the screen was already displaying something.

I leaned forward a little, inspecting it. "It's pretty cool, I like the shape." My heart raced as I stared at the lines of text on the watch, accompanied by a soft humming sound.

GOD'S MISSION

DOOM (2005), 9 MEN'S MISSION

CHANGED STORY PLOT

MAIN MISSION: The Mission

Objective: Save humanity!

Help the RRTS Marine team stop the mutant creatures from reaching the Earth's surface.

EACH PLAYER RECEIVES A D-RANK REWARD.

Base Reward: 1000 points

SIDE MISSION: Bonus Points

Kill Mutated Scientists: Killing a Mutated Scientist awards 100 points.

Kill Minor Mutated: Killing a Minor Mutated (Imp) awards 600 points.

Kill Hell Knight: Killing a Hell Knight awards 1200 points and a D-Rank reward.

PENALTIES

New Player: Killing a new player reduces 1000 points.

Spoiler: -10 points per simple sentence. The higher the infraction, the higher the penalty.

Brothers from Mars: Protect Reaper and the doctor. Each player will be deducted 4000 points for each character killed.

"Well, I feel like we might be screwed," I think with a nervous laugh."

"This information won't go away," Lurker added. "If you have any doubts, check your watches. But you better memorize it; you won't always have a chance to check the mission data."

I looked back at the device, now with a complicated mix of emotions. "This is… more real than I imagined. And Doom, of all things, Doom!" Though a slight excitement mixed with my now growing anxiety as I recalled the events of the movie.

"When you complete a main mission" I looked back at Lurker as she began to explain in a firm voice, but with an almost didactic tone."

"You receive 1,000 points as a base, as seen in the information. Those points are your reward for fulfilling the main objective of the movie. But that's not all. If you're smart, brave, or skilled enough, you can complete side quests."

"Also, the main quest rewards can increase according to the difficulty of the quest; God measures the difficulty based on the number of people in a team, and in almost every quest God will bring in newbies like you to fill the gaps."

"The difficulty for us is medium; we are nine people, where the maximum is 20. That means that this movie can be explained by science, and can be solved with intelligence, weapons, and/or brute force."

"That means that we will face significant threats, but not impossible to handle… if we work together. However, do not be fooled. Medium-low difficulty is not synonymous with "easy." Rather, it means that you have a realistic chance of surviving, as long as you do not make any serious mistakes; you are still rookies and most of you will probably not survive this movie."

She paused, and I watched as the rookies' expressions ranged from amazement to terror. I was nervous at this point; she is analyzing us.

"When a movie ends and you survive, you are returned to what we call the Core."

As she said that word, her tone became more solemn, almost as if she were describing a sacred place. It is a dimension outside of time and space, where everything is calm. At the center of the Core is a sphere of light, something we call "God."

I saw as a teenage isekai fan, he almost jumped at the word.

"God? Like a game system or something?"

Lurker gave a wry smile. "Call it whatever you want. Some see it as a system, others as a higher intelligence. The important thing is that you mentally connect with that sphere and use the points you earned to exchange them for rewards. Also God can heal any wound or ailment received as long as you have points; as long as you are alive, it doesn't matter if you lose your limbs or are charred from the inside out, as long as you can speak or think you can ask him to heal you, of course, using your points."

His gaze sharpened, as if he was evaluating the reaction of each one of us.

"You can get almost anything, from sci-fi weapons like laser guns, gravity rifles, exoskeletons"

"To magical artifacts like enchanted rings or staffs. You can also acquire unique abilities, like fire control or telepathy, or even something we call "bloodlines."

The young girl who had been huddled up until then looked up shyly.

"Bloodlines? " I raised my eyebrow slightly; that sounds like she's a fan of some anime.

Lurker nodded.

"They are genetic or spiritual modifications that grant you specific abilities. Some come from magical worlds, others from sci-fi universes. Think about becoming a vampire, a werewolf, or even an alien hybrid. Sure, everything has its cost, and the more powerful what you ask for, the more expensive it will be."

He paused, letting the information sink in.

"But listen carefully: these items are limited. If they waste them, they might not have enough to prepare for the next movie. And if they're not prepared…" his tone turned cold, "they simply won't survive."

The older boy, frowning, raised his hand slightly, not hiding his skepticism.

"And what guarantees that those points will actually serve us? How do we know we can trust that… sphere?"

Lurker's smile faded.

"You don't have to, but after your first movie, when you're on the verge of death and have nothing but what it offers you to rely on, you'll understand."

He crossed his arms, his tone hardening.

"This isn't a game. It doesn't matter how much it resembles the stories you know. There are no second chances here, and everything you do has real consequences. But, if you survive long enough, if you learn to use what you're given, you could become something far beyond human."

The atmosphere in the room changed. The group and I were now silent, as we began to absorb Lurker's words; the gravity of his explanation hung in the air. Some faces showed fear, others a mix of fascination and eagerness.

After a few seconds, I take a deep breath and turn my gaze to Lurker.

"Okay… So, this all comes down to points and skills? It seems simple, but it sure has a trick, right?"

The presumably otaku teenager almost interrupted me, excited.

"Simple or not, this is amazing! Magic, futuristic weapons, powers! This is like a video game."

That made me crack a half-smile; admittedly, the boy has energy, but my eyes moved to Lurker.

"I don't want to sound incredulous, but…" I paused, choosing my words carefully. If it's as easy as earning points and making purchases, why is it so dangerous, for example, for you veterans here?

Lurker raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms.

"Because it's not as simple as you think. Most rookies don't even survive the first mission, and even if we have upgrades, they're not always useful in all circumstances, and even if they are, it's a 9-person mission for a reason; anything can happen."

My tone grew serious as I nodded.

This isn't a video game where you can reload from the last save point. It's a world where a single mistake can be my last. If I'm going to survive, I have to think before I act.