The sensation of falling is never pleasant. Je felt as if his internal organs were left behind on the gallery ceiling as his consciousness was sucked downward, piercing through the floor, through the darkness, until he landed on a surface that felt like wet silk. "Damn... this nausea is worse than riding a swinging pirate ship," Je groaned as he struggled to stand. This was no longer the art gallery. Je stood in the middle of a sea of thick pink fog. There was no sky, no ground—only clouds of spores pulsing in rhythm with his heartbeat."System! Where are you, you piece of crap?! What kind of place is this?" Je yelled. [Entering Astral Lust Dimension.][Status: Collective Consciousness Synchronization.][Warning: You are in the 'Waiting Room' of infected souls. Maintain your sanity, Host.]Suddenly, the fog in front of Je parted. Not one, not two, but dozens—perhaps hundreds—of female figures emerged from the mist. They didn't look like the rotting zombies of the real world. Here,

The lighting in the art gallery's basement came only from an old petromax lamp Guntur had modified with an alien battery. A dim yellowish light reflected off walls covered in blood-stained graffiti. Je sat on an empty wooden crate, while Sinta 'wearing black latex gloves that contrasted sharply with her pale skin' was busy tinkering with a cylinder-shaped object made of rusty bronze."Can you look at it a bit more gently? You're making me feel like a frog specimen in a high school lab," Je grumbled as he buttoned his shirt, which was torn at the shoulder.Sinta didn’t look up. Her eyes, framed by thin-rimmed glasses, remained focused on the object in her hands, "Be quiet, Je. You should be proud. Your body is currently the only 'canvas' that can interact with this thing,""What exactly is that thing anyway? Looks like a Stone Age adult toy," Guntur chimed in from the corner of the room while swigging the last of his bootleg alcohol from a plastic bottle, "If it's going to explode, you

"DAMN IIIIIITTTT! MY BACK IS BROKEN, CRAP!"Guntur’s loud thud followed by a high-pitched scream echoed through the damp concrete tunnel. Je landed with more style, though his knees trembled slightly from the impact of the five-meter drop. Beside him, Sinta fell into a sitting position while clutching her head, while Saraswati landed as light as a feather, making almost no sound."You’re so loud, Guntur! You’re not dead yet," Je grumbled as he turned on the flashlight from his smartphone, its screen already shattered into a thousand cracks."Imagine it, Je! I landed flat on my back, and my bag is full of canned sausages! What if they’re smashed?! That's a treasure, damn it!" Guntur stood up while rubbing his aching backside."Be quiet for a second," Sinta interrupted. Her voice was cold, her eyes fixed on the tunnel wall, "Look at that!"Je directed his flashlight beam. Instantly, the hair on the back of his neck stood up. The concrete wa

The blinding golden light slowly faded, leaving a deep gloom inside the subway station hall, which was far vaster than before. The tracks of the Kencana Express ended at a concrete platform surrounded by still, black water—seawater seeping in."Damn, why is it so quiet? I thought there'd be a beach party welcome or something," Guntur muttered, sticking his head out the train car window."Tur, don't go out yet!" Je snapped. He sensed something was wrong. The tattoo on his chest pulsed painfully, not with passion, but with a pure warning of danger.PING![Warning: Territorial Zone Detected!][Subject: Special Forces 'The Reapers' - Prof. Surya's Modified Unit.][Opponent System Status: Predator-Type (Level 18-22).]"They're already here," Sinta whispered. She drew her laser pistol, but her hand trembled, "Surya wouldn't leave this gate unguarded without elite protection!"Suddenly, from the darkness of the hall's ceiling, four figures leaped down with near-invisible speed. They wore mat

"Holy crap, Je! Is that a tentacle or a flying banyan tree?! It’s huge, damn it!" Guntur yelled, running in a zigzag pattern to avoid flying chunks of coral rock caused by the giant impact from beyond the red fog."Don’t look back, Guntur! Keep running toward the hill!" Je replied. His voice was nearly swallowed by the roar of the waves, which now sounded like the bellowing of wild beasts.Just as they were about to reach the hillside, a concrete gate hidden behind the bushes opened. It wasn't zombies that emerged, but two muscular, shirtless men, clad only in leather shorts, holding electric spears."Over here, you guys! Hurry up if you still want to live!" shouted one of the men.Je, Guntur, Sinta, and Saraswati slid into the bunker hole, which turned out to be the entrance to a luxurious resort built inside the cliff face. As the concrete door sealed shut with a heavy 'thud', the noise from the ocean outside instantly vanished, replaced by the loud 'thump' of techno music and an ar