The players were gathered on a vast expanse of plains, which stood quite high above the lake. I can see it from a height; Out of all the things I've seen in this amusement park, this lake looks the most normal. A beautiful sapphire blue colour as far as the eye can see. I'm sure this is the cleanest lake among all the lakes I've ever been to. And this is very different from what I imagined; completely the opposite of the park theme and its terrible name.

“Hey-ya, cadets! Did you guys have fun?” Farkas greeted Sher and me upon our arrival at [Lake of the Bloodshed]. Farkas boasted of the six tokens in his possession, even though he asked us to check in his coat pocket for ourselves. Not cool at all.

The pride on Farkas' look only lasts for a few seconds, as Sher and I brag the same thing. And also, his face turned sick after seeing the prize that Sher had won. To be honest, this excites me. It turns out that our team is probably the strongest though… It's just the three of us.

“Farkas…”

"Whad?" I then showed him the same hand gesture he had shown me at the Oasis. “Oh… You've found out. Well, no wonder because you're clever. The truth does hurt. I won't ask again whose side you're on. It all depends on your value." He said while exhaling smoky breaths at the end of his words.

Sher looked confused by our conversation. Therefore, I told him in detail, about my analysis, about the meeting with Mrs Sophia and Marie. Farkas also added the news and information he got from nowhere. I myself just found out that Mrs Sophia and Marie were always confined at home, being inmates in their own home.

“N-No way… That's awful…” Indeed, who would have thought that? I became a little curious and wondered, was the promise with his family was all a lie? Because from what I've learned, one of the characteristics of an abuser is to give a lot of sweet promises without keeping them. Well, that's a question that can never be answered. But it may also be one of the truths considering that Mrs Sophia herself put so much pressure on me to keep my promise.

“…Hey, you guys aren't that kind of people, right?” I put a little pressure on my question. I don't want to hear another heart-breaking story from my first comrades. I don't want to choose a side anymore. Also, as someone who has had Mama and Nora, I really can't condone violent behaviour towards significant others.

"O-Of course not! You can keep my word. I, uh... I see lots of little families shopping at Oasis every single day... So I can feel how devastated Mrs Sophia was in her daily life, contained in her own house... And if Marie weren't saved... My heart will be completely shattered.” Sherwyn was a little nervous about answering my question, even though he was older. Maybe he's never seen my piercing gaze. I don't mean to be too mean, though...

Farkas smoked his cigarette a few times before answering my question, pondering something. I could tell he wasn't trying to make up a silly story or lie. He just wanted to be careful in his speech, not wanting to slip up on something too personal. He might also-

"You just want to know about other people's household affairs! It's not your business." Farkas replied while ruffling my hair. "But, definitely not! How can I beat my stunning wife, look!” Farkas took something out of his coat pocket and showed it to Sher and me.

“Uh… I don't know what you're trying to show… But is that your wife's beautiful eyeball?”

"What do you mean?" Farkas then noticed the object in his hand and screamed hysterically because of it. Sher and I couldn't help but laugh. The eyeball he was holding flew and rolled, stopped by someone's boot.

It is the masked person I accidentally bumped into. He glares at the three of us, shifting it one by one. If the aura I felt from Farkas upon meeting him for the first time was just a piercing pressure, this big masked man was far different. It's like a murderous aura that he emits openly.

“Oops, oops, sorry I dropped my eye. Sir, may you remove your feet? It's valuable, you know." When Sher and I were shaking, Farkas just relaxed as if talking with his old friend. At least if I'm killed this time, I can blame Farkas in Heaven.

Again the masked man just stared at us, then moved away without doing anything. Well, I'm not against it, completely fine with that. Farkas, who was acting pretentious, is asking one of us to help pick up the dropped eyeballs as a paid-for saving us from the masked man, he said.

“G-Geez, who is that person? He's like a serial killer in a movie…” Said Sher who was still shivering slightly, and voluntarily picked up the eyeball on the ground. Indeed, with his murderous aura, the masked man easily split the crowd in half. It's a real-life Moses action that divides the ocean.

“That person isn't just strong. He also seems to have some sense. Hear me out, what do you think is the most important thing to take care of in this mysterious setting?”

Sherwyn and I shook our heads.

"Identity. Our identity is what matters. Moreover, now we know that players can meet in the real world..."

Honestly, I still don't understand what Farkas means about this identity. I mean, what's the harm if we meet in the real world with other players? Can't we all work together to find out the truth behind the Chronosseum?

It seemed that Farkas wanted to explain his point further, but suddenly a large stage appeared in the middle of the lake, interrupting the movement of his mouth. Any mechanism that allowed the platform to rise from the lake's bottom made the ground we stood on tremble violently.

In the center of the large stage stood a figure. I can't describe the person because we are quite a distance away, plus a black coat covers his entire body. In front of him is a set of mics and loudspeakers. The figure taps the mic, checking to see if the devices are working properly.

"Oops, there's someone who wants to give us a speech. We'd better listen to him first. We will discuss the details at the Oasis.”

"...If we're still alive."

"You're right." Farkas smirked, agreed with Sher, then stubbed out his half-burned cigarette.

Dance music played loudly through the loudspeakers. If the goal was to get the player's attention, he succeeded.

“Ladies and Gentlemen, I would like to officially welcome you all to the only country without boundaries, the Chronosseum! How do you all feel? Blazing, right! See, the amusement park is perfect for the welcome party!” The figure spoke in a loud, excited voice. He then raised both hands to greet us, followed by various kinds of bombs-like firecrackers exploding in the sky.

“Introducing, I'm Revon, one of the executives in this holy country. Oh, I'm not used to giving an opening at big events like this… Sorry if I caused a lot of confusion! Also, it was something to meet all the participants in person! Alright, since you've passed the premiere game, it means you're officially part of the Chronosseum!”

Executive? All this time I thought that Chronosseum had an organizer because, doesn't managing the entire game require a lot of workforces? It seems that they are more than just 'organizers'; they seem to have some kind of structure, maybe even a cabinet? It really is like a country.

"There are several things we want to announce before the climax of today's event."

Another object appeared to the surface of the water and stood mighty behind the stage. It is a vast black monitor.

“We refer to you, players or rather, dwellers of the Chronosseum, as the Settler of the Time, Estre, for short. Within this country, Estre competes against each other and risks their lives to reach the pinnacle of glory, race to become Montre, the Monarchs of the Time.”

Oy- Excuse me? What is this crazy guy talking about? Why should we compete to risk our lives for something that has no clarity?

“Oh, you might be wondering 'why should I be that thing?' There is one only answer: everything will be within your grasp. Become the ruler of the world? Solve the mysteries of the world? Create a new theory of physics and win the Nobel Prize? Become the world's highest-earning actor? The distance between you and your dream is like your index to your thumb."

“To be Montre, of course, you all have to strive to reach the top of the food chain; to be the best. For that, ladies and gentlemen, I will show you the current podium!”

1. Team 25 - 18

2. Team 3 - 15

3. Team 14 - 13

I can feel the eyeballs in my jeans pockets disappear. I can also see Farkas heaving a sigh of relief at not having to keep those half-lived eyeballs. Meanwhile my TickBit flashed, “ChronoToken Transfer Complete ”. It seems that the tokens, apart from serving as a trading medium, are also used as calculation points. Well, I can guess a bit myself because those eyeballs would be worthless if players didn't trade them, right? I don't think they will give anything in vain.

“Wow, what a surprising result! Team 25 is on the first and gets a perfect score while playing in the bazaar, even though (currently) they are the only group of three people! Let us, ladies and gentlemen, give a big round of applause to team 25 for their achievements! Hopefully, this can be a motivation for others.” No one clapped, of course, except for the forced sound effects. Nobody understands the nonsense that comes out of his mouth. "For teams that are not displayed, please check your respective TickBit ."

The monitor then displays several sentences in the form of a list.

"Law of the Chronosseum"

"Exactly! Being a new citizen means that you have to obey and understand how the 'laws' work in this country; therefore, I will re-explain some of them. First! Time in this country is working differently from the mortal world. Some of you must realize the time in the mortal world stops even though you've been risking life for hours. This country has its own time, disconnected from the mortal world. So you don't have to worry about the work you're currently doing there."

"Second! Estre must participate in every game and obey its rules. Estre who refuses to play is considered not to be grateful for the blessings and opportunities we have given; therefore, they will not return to the mortal world, trapped in the Chronosseum forever! Oh, I can't imagine what it's like to be trapped between space and time."

"Third! Well, you are already familiar. The consequences of the game will be gifted in the mortal world! I don't think I need to explain more about this. How did the coconut drink? Delicious and refreshing it was!”

"Fourth! Your device, TickBit, is life for Estre! In addition, TickBit is the most valuable resource for Estre. It contains a wide range of usefulness from in-game guides, Estre's information, shopping centers, and so on! Well, as time goes on, you will use it better.”

"Fifth! Death in this world means death in the mortal world! Well, that's the literal meaning, no need to explain it further. All I can say is that losing and the consequences of the game will NOT result in Estre's death. What can make you all die is the 'obstacle'. In addition, injuries from games will also not carry over to the mortal world."

Wait a minute, then why did Mr Wayne die? Doesn't that mean they're breaking their self-made law?

“Sixth, one that matters! Estre will get a 'gift' and can use it however they like. It may not make sense at first, but everyone should know this. Just do your best for now, and attract them to give you the best gift.”

“Seventh and last from me! Estre is obliged to obey the laws of the Chronosseum.”

The monitor then counts, and the number continues to increase until the number 99.

“As you all can see on the monitor, there are currently 99 Estres. It's a shame that one of you had to die in the mortal world. Well, it's not our fault."

What do you mean it's not your fault? Wasn't Mr Wayne's death their doing?

I clenched my fists tightly. I could feel my blood boiling.

Farkas put his hand on my chest, stopping me from venting my emotions on the figure. Farkas asks me to not stand out from the crowd and control myself. I can feel his hands gripping my Oasis uniform; he's trying to hold himself back too.

"Then ladies and gentlemen-"

"THAT’S ENOUGH! STOP YOUR BLABBER!” One of the crowd walked to the front row. Well, my emotions might be represented by that person. We'll see what happens. “Could you please call the person in charge of this fad? I remained silent because I didn't understand, but this is confinement, isn't it?”

"Please don't interrupt me again, sir. I-"

“This cannot be tolerated! Release us! I do not want-"

"Sigh... Really. There's always dudes like this."

The figure glared intently at us; the pressure it exerted was overwhelming. Above the sky, there is another sky. It was a terrifying sinister aura, and I could see a dark emanating from his body, making us all shiver with alarm of danger. Even Farkas is shaking. I've never seen him completely lost like this. "Additional rule: No one can interrupt me."

“… No, that alone isn't enough to teach the audience here a lesson. In that case, how about you serve as a useful example to other Estres, sir?” Crows flew from his back. When I looked more closely, it wasn't a black coat. The black thing that wrapped his body was a crow flock.

Some of the crows fly through the nagging player. They swarmed him, attacked him, gnawed him alive. The man screamed in terror, wincing in pain. His head was still intact while his body was torn apart, his insides could be seen from his exposed stomach, and the crow made it their lunch. The crows ate voraciously and left nothing behind except for three things.

Neither of us could utter a word and our hearts pounded hard. Sher broke the grand prize he won, leaving another organ stranded even though it was just a model. Sher tried to contain his nausea.

The crows come back to their owner, bringing him three gifts: a TickBit, a heart, and the man's head.

“There is a little bonus lesson for those of you who always listen. It is tied to the fourth and fifth laws. The normally-functioned TickBit marks estre's life. Look, his TickBit is still active; hence he's not dead." The figure held the man's head in one hand, showing that no matter what, the man was still able to 'breathe' or blink despite being separated from his body. His eyes were wide with horror and pain; he asked for help. I can't imagine how he felt.

“I did say that death in this world is the same as death in the mortal world. However, Estre would not die easily in this country and could even be considered almost immortal. Unless…” The figure then stepped on the man's heart until he crushed it to nothing, and the man's breath finally stopped. His eyes were still widening, and his mouth was open in shock. His TickBit screen suddenly shatters in pieces. The figure then threw the soulless head into the lake.

Current number of Estre: 99 → 98

Estre Number 43, Keiran, deceased.

“So you can keep competing for your lives until one of your heads is crushed, or your heart is fatally hit. That's a miracle, isn't it?” The figure picked up the splattered blood with both hands, making it drip from between his fingers. “... Oh, one more life wasted. Sigh… I'm might incompetent as an MC. ”

The figure then took a napkin from his trouser and cleaned his bloody hands, turning the white napkin completely red.

Estres wouldn't die until their hearts were fatally hit or their heads exploded? Even though severe injuries from the game won't carry over into the real world (and I've proven that), I imagine how terrifying and excruciating the pain is when you're still breathing with your entire limbs mutilated or guts oozing out. That… I can't say it's a miracle…

“Sorry to make a horrible scene, I got a little carried away by emotion. I guess that's all I can say. Oh, yeah, before we get to the actual game, any questions?”

One of the women raises her hand. Honestly, I'm amazed at her, still daring to open her mouth after being presented with such a terrible sight.

“… Why are you… 'all of you'… Have no hesitation in taking someone's life?” Her question took everyone here by surprise, including me. With that question, she deserves to be the center of attention right now.

“... I will accommodate that question. Anything else?"

"Why us? On what basis did you 'kidnap' and force us to play a life-threatening game?” This time it was the man who stole the show. I really did not expect; there are still many people who can think clearly and ask serious and important things. Of course it will be interesting to hear how the executive responds.

The two people's questions sparked a commotion. Almost everyone asked each other in response, asking the same thing over and over again. “What did we do to deserve this?", “There are many others who are better suited to be punished!”, “You are cold-blooded murderers!”

“Well, well… Calm down, calm down, ladies and gentlemen, I'll answer that. Honestly, all questions I can answer with one brief but clear answer: because you have sinned to the time.”

His answer made the atmosphere even more outrageous and vicious—no wonder why after that the vague answer.

“STOP TALKING NONSENSE, YOU ASSHOLE!” One shouted from the crowd. At this point I had no idea who was talking what.

“…Wayne Blacke, Estre number 8. Domestic abuser who almost created psychopaths in the new era. Keiran, Estre number 43. He used his profession as a teacher to blackmail and molest high school students. They all spent their precious time in the mortal world just to do something inhuman. Now, allow me to return to ask you, audience. Have you never wasted your precious time? Are you making good use of your lifespan?”

The figure responded in a low, calming voice. But the entire commotion turned into an eerie silence. They are all lost in the thought of their 'sin'.

Except for me. I… What is my sin? Have I ever made someone hold a grudge?

Gloomy and sadness draw over their faces. They perhaps lost in their past. Even Farkas and Sher, both just looked down, closed their eyes, and gritted their teeth. It's just me... Only I don't understand...

“If you become the Montre, you can definitely make the mortal world better for you. In this country where time can stop, ladies and gentlemen, isn't it a miracle that you have the opportunity to atone for your mistakes in the mortal world? I remind you once again that whatever you receive from the race will be given in the mortal world and may be useful to you. Isn't that something worth deserving?"

Everyone clenched their fists tightly, biting their lips. Whatever that figure said seemed to affect them.

Well, no one would hold me back or pay attention to me at a time like this. I can't stand it.

“Even so, do we have to make up for it by being toyed and risking our lives?! Do you all really have the right to judge someone's life, huh?! ANSWER ME, BASTARD!”

The figure is just looking at me. He then shut his mouth and smirks evilly. There must be another purpose behind all this, for sure.

Now I know I won't be able to escape. I've been plunged into this mess. I don't understand why they brought me here but, I will follow what they want and conquer the whole game, whatever it is. I will make sure there are no more fatalities. I will find the purpose of this shit country, and I will overthrow it, destroy it if I can. No, I will definitely do that. I'll make them regret it.

“Hey, bird watcher. You can keep your word? If I can become… Whatever you say it is, you can grant my wish? Including curing a super rare disease or… bringing someone back to life?” I have never seen Farkas' face so serious when speaking.

The figure nodded, "All of it."

This all got really, really weird all of a sudden. On that first day, at least everything was much more 'normal'. This time? Humans who can control crows? Estre & Montre? Also about the 'gift' earlier, what does it mean? Any wishes that can be granted?

And you think that's the only oddity that accompanies me and everyone here? Oh, man, things are going to be a lot weirder and a lot more complex. I do not lie.

"Alright, since there are no more questions, let's start the main event of the Nightmareland today!"