Chapter 4 - 04: The Elevator [GTG]
Haah.
At first, I was actually excited about my plan to catch the person trying to kill me. It seemed foolproof—there's no way the assailant could just waltz into my dormitory on a whim... Shit, I hope I didn't just jinx it.
Once I stepped outside, it felt like I was a village boy stepping into a metropolis for the first time. The facility was massive, sprawling like a small city with seemingly endless grounds. I felt lost, and that was definitely not a good sign.
But luck was on my side. I stumbled across a huge board displaying a simplified school map. It was easy to read, so I quickly memorized the layout and set off.
I arrived at the building that was supposed to be mine, but as I stood there, I grew more and more baffled. The place was gigantic—so much so that it felt ridiculous to think it was meant to house students. It was basically a skyscraper made entirely of glass.
There were two towers: one for the high-ranked students and one for the "rest." The difference in treatment was painfully obvious. The high-ranked students had entire rooms to themselves, free access to the augmented reality lab, more points, and a ton of perks. No one wanted to lose their rank, and now I understood why.
I entered the building reserved for us "weaklings," navigating through the sea of people. It was overwhelming—how could there be this much foot traffic? After what felt like forever, I finally made my way to one of the many elevators. I pressed the silver-painted button, and with a satisfying ping, the doors slid open.
Inside, the elevator was empty, as if some deity had heard my unspoken plea for solitude. The doors closed behind me, and holographic buttons appeared in mid-air, accompanied by a strange voice.
[Please select a destination.]
I held my tongue, resisting the urge to comment, and tapped the button for floor 498, where my room was located. I had no idea who my roommates would be—bullies, maniacs, or maybe just as lost as I was. At this point, I didn't care. I just wanted to survive until tomorrow.
The elevator began its smooth ascent, which I found oddly calming.