Tutorial Zone

Tutorial Zone

The first thing I noticed was the smell. Ozone, burning electronics, and something else—like the faint metallic tang of blood. It clung to the air like a bad joke. My apartment was silent except for the low, rhythmic hum that had replaced the chaos of the city outside. I stared at my hands, watching the faint, translucent glow of the [Status Window] that had materialized above them. It flickered like a broken screen, and I tried to touch it. Nothing happened. Just a ripple of light where my fingers passed through.

I stood there, frozen, my heart pounding in my ears. The System Notification flashed again, but this time I saw the words.

“System Notification: [Safe Zone: Apartment 4B-F established. No hostile entities can enter. Warning: Tutorial objectives are mandatory.]”

I laughed, a short, sharp sound that came out more like a choke. My hands trembled as I reached for the window again. The System didn’t respond. I stared at the shimmering blue barrier outside my window, which had somehow replaced the view of the city. It looked like liquid glass, blurring the buildings beyond into a hazy, dreamlike void. The Safe Zone. Whatever the hell that meant.

My breath came in shallow, panicked gasps. I was still hyperventilating, my chest rising and falling too fast. My mind reeled. I was in an MMO. An actual, full-blown, real-life MMO. But I didn’t want to be in an MMO. I wanted to be in my apartment, playing a game with my cat, not staring at the ceiling like I had been trapped in some weird, half-remembered dream.

I needed to get out. I needed to move. I needed to—

“System Notification: [Tutorial Zone Access Required. Please proceed to the Lobby.]”

The words appeared like a red flag tied to my neck. I clenched my fists. I wasn’t ready for this. I wasn’t ready for anything. But the System didn’t care. It had its own plans.

I stumbled toward the window, my eyes fixed on the shimmering barrier. It pulsed faintly, as if it were alive. I could almost hear it whispering to me. “You’re in the game now. You’ll never leave.”

I shook my head violently, my vision blurring. No. No. No. I was just tired. I was just hallucinating. The System was a joke, a prank, a glitch. My hands trembled as I reached for the doorknob. The door creaked open, and I stepped into the hallway.

---

The hallway reeked of fear. I could smell it—sweat, urine, and something acrid that made my nose burn. The lights flickered overhead, casting jagged shadows on the walls. The air was thick with the sound of screaming. I wasn’t sure if it was coming from the next apartment or just my own mind, but it was enough to make my stomach twist.

I took a step forward, and the sound of my own heartbeat echoed in the silence. My hand brushed against the wall, and I flinched. I wasn’t alone. The door to Apartment 3C was open, and a boy was standing in the doorway, his eyes wide and his mouth moving like he was trying to speak but couldn’t find the words.

“Uh… hey,” I said, my voice coming out hoarse. “You okay?”

He didn’t respond. He just stared at me, his hands trembling as he clutched something in his hands. I took another step closer, and the light from my apartment’s door flickered behind me, casting long, shaky shadows.

“I’m—” I stopped. I didn’t know who I was. I didn’t know what the hell was going on. I was just some guy in a hoodie who had just discovered the world was a game.

“Are you—” The boy looked me up and down, his eyes narrowing. “Are you one of them?”

“What?” I blinked. “One of what?”

“Those people with the lights on their heads,” he said, his voice shaking. “The ones who just stood there and stared at us like we were bugs. They didn’t even blink when the ceiling collapsed.”

Oh. Right. The System. I stared at him, my mind racing. He was right. The people who had appeared in the lobby earlier—those with glowing status windows and glowing armor—had just stood there, staring at the chaos like it was some kind of game.

I swallowed hard. “I—I don’t know. I think it’s all just a—”

I stopped. Because I didn’t know what it was. I didn’t know if it was a game, a simulation, or something worse. I just knew I was in over my head, and I needed to move.

“I should go,” I said, my voice cracking. “I need to—”

“Wait,” the boy said, his voice suddenly firm. “What’s your name?”

I blinked. “What?”

“You said you were one of them,” he said, stepping closer. “But you didn’t tell me your name.”

I opened my mouth, then closed it. I didn’t have a name. Not here. I was just Jake Park, a guy who had spent ten years playing MMORPGs and never thought he would actually be inside one.

I looked down at my hands again, at the faint glow of the [Status Window] above them. I felt like I was being watched. Like the System was waiting for me to do something.

“I’m Jake,” I said finally.

The boy nodded slowly, like he had expected that answer. “I’m Tommy,” he said. “3C. I think I’m supposed to be a Bard.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You’re a Bard?”

He nodded. “Yeah. The System just said so. But I don’t even know what that means. I just—”

He hesitated, and I saw a flicker of something in his eyes. Fear.

“I think I’m supposed to be a Bard,” he said again, his voice barely above a whisper. “But I don’t even know how to sing.”

I stared at him. I could almost hear the System’s voice in my head, mocking me. “Welcome to the Tutorial Zone. First lesson: don’t panic. Second lesson: don’t die.”

I took a step back. “I need to go,” I said. “I—”

“Wait!” Tommy grabbed my arm, his grip surprisingly strong for someone who looked like he was about to collapse. “You can’t just leave me here. You’re the only one who’s not screaming.”

I looked at him. I didn’t know why I was the only one who wasn’t screaming. Maybe it was because I had spent too much time playing games and preparing for this moment. Maybe I was just too tired to be scared.

“Okay,” I said. “But I’m not staying long. I need to go to the Lobby.”

Tommy nodded, still holding my arm. “I’ll come with you. I—”

He stopped again. I could see the fear in his eyes, but there was something else too. Hope. Maybe he didn’t know how to be a Bard, but he was trying.

I took a deep breath. I wasn’t alone anymore.

I didn’t know what the hell was going on, but I wasn’t going to face it alone.

---

The lobby was a nightmare of chaos. People were running in every direction, their faces twisted in terror. Some of them had their hands glowing with strange symbols that pulsed like heartbeats. Others were crying, their voices echoing off the walls like the screams of a thousand people. The air was thick with the stench of fear, sweat, and something else I couldn’t quite place.

I followed Tommy down the stairwell, my feet moving on instinct. I didn’t know where I was going, but I knew I had to get to the Lobby. The System had told me so. I had no idea what the Lobby was, but I knew I had to find it.

We reached the bottom of the stairs and were met with a scene that made my stomach lurch. The lobby was a war zone. The floor was littered with broken glass and overturned furniture. People were shouting, running, and crying. Some of them were covered in blood, and I could see the faint glow of status windows above their heads. Others were trying to climb over the furniture, their eyes wild with desperation.

“Okay,” I said, my voice shaking. “This isn’t good.”

Tommy looked around, his expression grim. “No kidding.”

I looked toward the exit, where the Safe Zone barrier was still visible. It pulsed like it was alive, casting a faint blue light over the entire building. I could almost hear the System’s voice in my head again, whispering to me. “Welcome to the Tutorial Zone. The next step: survival.”

“Wait,” I said, turning to Tommy. “What’s going on here?”

He looked at me like I was an idiot. “You don’t know?”

I shook my head. “No. I—I thought I did. But I don’t. I just woke up in my apartment and found out I was in an MMO.”

Tommy stared at me for a long moment. Then, he burst out laughing.

“Oh my God,” he said, wiping his eyes. “You really don’t know, do you?”

I frowned. “No. I don’t.”

He looked around, his expression dark. “You’re not the only one, Jake. A lot of people think this is a game. But it’s not. It’s a test. And the System? It’s not just giving us tutorials. It’s watching. Testing. Judging. And if we fail—”

He stopped, his voice dropping to a whisper. “If we fail, we die.”

I felt my heart stop.

“Okay,” I said slowly. “That’s… not good.”

Tommy nodded. “No kidding.”

I looked back at the chaos around us. I was still hyperventilating, my hands trembling. I didn’t know what the hell was going on, but I knew one thing for sure. I wasn’t going to be the one who failed.

I turned to Tommy. “We need to find someone. Someone who knows what the hell is going on here.”

He nodded. “Yeah. We need to find someone who can help us.”

I looked around the lobby, my eyes scanning the crowd. I didn’t know what I was looking for, but I knew I had to find someone. Someone who could tell me what the hell was going on.

And then I saw her.

She was standing at the far end of the lobby, her arms crossed over her chest. Her face was stern, her eyes cold. She was tall, with dark hair and a body that screamed “former athlete.” She was surrounded by people, but none of them were talking to her.

She looked like she had been waiting for us.

“I think I found someone,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Tommy nodded. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

We made our way through the chaos, our footsteps echoing in the silence. I could feel the eyes of the other people watching us, their faces filled with fear and confusion. I didn’t know what was going to happen next, but I knew one thing for sure.

We weren’t going to face this alone.

---

The woman was watching us as we approached. Her eyes were sharp, assessing, and I could feel the weight of her gaze like a physical force. I could almost hear the System whispering again, “Welcome to the Tutorial Zone. The next step: your first challenge.”

“Okay,” I said, my voice shaky. “Are you going to help us?”

She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she looked at me like I was an idiot.

“You don’t know who I am, do you?” she said, her voice low and steady.

I shook my head. “No. I don’t.”

She looked at me for a moment longer, then turned to Tommy. “What about you?”

He hesitated, then shook his head. “No. I don’t either.”

She exhaled sharply, like she had been waiting for that answer. “Then you’re both idiots.”

I blinked. “We are?”

She nodded. “You both are. You just walked into the worst place in the entire building, and you didn’t even think twice about it. And now you’re standing here, asking me if I’m going to help you.”

I looked around again. The lobby was still a war zone. People were still running, screaming, crying. Some of them had their hands glowing with strange symbols that pulsed like heartbearts. Others were just standing there, staring at the chaos like they were in a trance.

I looked back at her. “So what do we do now?”

She tilted her head. “You ask me that?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I do.”

She sighed, then turned to face me fully. “My name is Mira. I’m a healer. I’ve been in this building since the beginning. And I’ve seen people like you before. People who think this is a game, a simulation, or some kind of test. But it’s not.”

I swallowed hard. “Then what is it?”

She looked at me like I was an idiot. “It’s a trap. And you’re both walking into it like it’s some kind of challenge.”

I blinked. “So what do we do?”

She took a step closer. “We run. We get out of this building, and we find someone who knows what the hell is going on here.”

I looked at her, my mind racing. I had no idea what the hell was going on, but I knew one thing for sure. I wasn’t going to be the one who failed.

I nodded. “Okay. We need to find someone. Someone who can help us.”

She nodded. “Yeah. We need to find someone who can help us.”

I looked around the lobby again, my eyes scanning the crowd. I didn’t know what I was looking for, but I knew I had to find someone. Someone who could tell me what the hell was going on.

And then I saw him.

He was standing in the corner, his hands on his hips, his face filled with disdain. He looked like he had been waiting for us.

“I think I found someone,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Tommy nodded. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

We made our way through the chaos, our footsteps echoing in the silence. I could feel the eyes of the other people watching us, their faces filled with fear and confusion. I didn’t know what was going to happen next, but I knew one thing for sure.

We weren’t going to face this alone.

---

The man in the corner was watching us. He had a dark coat, a stern face, and a body that screamed “ex-military.” He was taller than the others, his posture rigid and his eyes sharp. I could feel the weight of his gaze like a physical force, and I could almost hear the System whispering again. “Welcome to the Tutorial Zone. The next step: your first challenge.”

“Okay,” I said, my voice shaky. “Are you going to help us?”

He looked at me like I was an idiot. “You don’t know who I am, do you?”

I shook my head. “No. I don’t.”

He nodded. “Then you’re an idiot.”

I blinked. “We are?”

He nodded again. “You both are. You just walked into the worst place in the entire building, and you didn’t even think twice about it. And now you’re standing here, asking me if I’m going to help you.”

I looked around again. The lobby was still a war zone. People were still running, screaming, crying. Some of them had their hands glowing with strange symbols that pulsed like heartbeats. Others were just standing there, staring at the chaos like they were in a trance.

I looked back at him. “So what do we do now?”

He tilted his head. “You ask me that?”

I nodded. “Yeah. I do.”

He exhaled sharply. “Then I’m going to be the one who tells you. You need to find someone. Someone who can help you.”

I looked at him, my mind racing. I had no idea what the hell was going on, but I knew one thing for sure. I wasn’t going to be the one who failed.

I nodded. “Okay. We need to find someone. Someone who can help us.”

He looked at me, his expression unreadable. “Yeah. We need to find someone who can help us.”

I looked around the lobby again, my eyes scanning the crowd. I didn’t know what I was looking for, but I knew I had to find someone. Someone who could tell me what the hell was going on.

And then I saw her again.

The woman with the stern face and the cold eyes.

I turned to Tommy. “I think I found someone.”

He nodded. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

We made our way through the chaos, our footsteps echoing in the silence. I could feel the eyes of the other people watching us, their faces filled with fear and confusion. I didn’t know what was going to happen next, but I knew one thing for sure.

We weren’t going to face this alone.

---

Mira stepped forward, her eyes locked on the man in the corner. “You’re not going to help us,” she said, her voice low and steady.

The man looked at her, his expression unreadable. “No. I’m not.”

She tilted her head. “Then what the hell are you doing here?”

He looked at her for a long moment, then exhaled. “I’m not helping you. I’m waiting for the others.”

I looked between them, my mind racing. “Others?”

Mira nodded. “Yeah. The ones who know what the hell is going on here.”

I swallowed hard. “So what do we do?”

Mira looked at me, her eyes sharp. “We run. We get out of this building, and we find someone who can help us.”

I looked at her again. “You’re not going to help us?”

She shook her head. “I can’t. I’m not that kind of person.”

I looked around the lobby again, my eyes scanning the crowd. I didn’t know what I was looking for, but I knew I had to find someone. Someone who could tell me what the hell was going on.

And then I saw him again.

The man in the corner.

I turned to Mira. “I think I found someone.”

She nodded. “Yeah. Let’s go.”

We made our way through the chaos, our footsteps echoing in the silence. I could feel the eyes of the other people watching us, their faces filled with fear and confusion. I didn’t know what was going to happen next, but I knew one thing for sure.

We weren’t going to face this alone.

And the System was watching.

It was waiting.

For our next move.