TOP SECRET: Adventures in the Dark Continent Chapter 2: Make a Choice

"Found any candidates yet?"

"No luck so far. How about you?"

"Same here."

"Our fortune seems pretty poor this month. We gotta round up some candidates for the Dark Continent."

"Right."

"Who goes there?"

"Looks like our luck just turned around."

"Who... Ahhh..."

vrummm vrummm

"What's that noise?? Where am I??"

"Hey, you're finally awake? You look awful."

"Haha... Seems you were way too unlucky, getting nabbed after being poisoned."

"Where am I?"

"We're all on a boat right in the ocean's heart."

"Why do my arms and legs feel so heavy?"

"Snap out of it and check for yourself."

"What the...?" His sight blurred briefly before sharpening. The sight that greeted him filled him with utter shock.

Handcuffs bound his arms and legs.

"What the hell???!!!"

"Young fella, you're one unlucky guy. It's uncommon to spot someone your age among us here."

The youth turned toward the voice and spotted a middle-aged fellow. Scanning the surroundings, he noted mostly grown men and women aboard, with just a handful as youthful as himself.

"Where exactly are we? Or headed?" the young man inquired. He couldn't fathom why he was shackled like this.

"No one knows for sure. All we've gathered is we're picked for some kind of experiment."

"Everyone here?" The young man glanced about, counting at least fifty souls on the vessel, all restrained with handcuffs.

"That's right."

(Must be those black-clad folks. Hold on... Dark Continent? What's that?) The young man had zero prior knowledge of the Dark Continent.

"Does anyone know what the Dark Continent is?" the young man asked, full of curiosity.

"Dark Continent? Never heard the name."

"Hey!!!! You!!!! Did you catch talk of the Dark Continent right before blacking out too??? !!!!" A voice bellowed.

They turned to see a white-haired elder.

"Yeah. Got drunk, stumbled into an alley. Overheard some guys plotting to drag folks to the Dark Continent."

"Same story for me. Took an alley shortcut and eavesdropped on their chat by accident. Next thing, lights out. Woke up trapped here." The elder grumbled, clueless about the mess.

"What even is this Dark Continent?? Never heard of it. Why drag us there against our will??"

"Just hearsay, but word is a massive landmass popped up smack in the South Pacific. Militaries and governments worldwide snatch the nosy ones and bury the news. Can't kill the buzz though—fishermen snapped pics and blasted them online. Bet that's our spot."

"Sounds like every nation's governments are tossing us in as lab rats to scout the Dark Continent."

"So, young friend, what crime landed you here?"

"Crime? What crime?"

"No wrongdoing? Got it... You're like the others over there then. Nine out of ten of us are killers, terrorists, that sort. The rest ten percent are innocents like you."

"What????!!!!!!"

vrummm vrummm

The boat's motors cut off abruptly.

"Guess we've reached the end of the line."

Metal doors creaked open with a clang. Blinding light flooded the hold, forcing everyone to shield their eyes.

"Out you go." Prisoners rose unsteadily and shuffled toward the exit.

Stepping outside revealed a jaw-dropping vista.

A colossal chunk of land loomed amid the waves. Strangest of all, pitch darkness shrouded it entirely. Ominous black clouds blanketed just that area's sky. Thick black fog veiled everything, hiding all details.

A oppressive, lifeless vibe radiated from it.

(This has to be the Dark Continent!!!!) The thought echoed in every mind upon beholding it.

"Move it!" A soldier in full battle gear barked. Armed troops aimed at the captives. Orders were clear: shoot to kill any runners.

"I refuse to go in there!!" The elder yelled. That eerie unknown repulsed him. Death's stench permeated the air.

Shot!!!

Pang!!!

A rifle cracked, then a body thudded down. The elder took a headshot and dropped dead instantly.

"Any more objections?" One soldier sneered at the chained crowd.

"..." Dead silence fell. No one dared speak, lest they join the corpse.

"Very good. Keep walking. Remove his body here."

"Roger." After the group pressed on, soldiers hauled away the old man's corpse.

They stood on a massive wooden bridge spanning from the ocean to the Dark Continent's gateway. This bridge extended roughly five hundred meters.

The continent's entrance featured a tiny island dotted with several black wooden huts. Their origins remained a mystery to all.

These huts had already stood there when the continent was first discovered.

"Pick one hut each and go inside. The next enters once a door swings open. Move it!!"

Ten wooden huts dotted the small island in total.

"Hurry up. No time for games." The group lingered on the bridge, hesitant to step onto the island, unsure of the dangers awaiting.

Shot!!

Pang!!

"Ahhh!!!" A shot rang out, dropping someone to the ground in agony—the bullet struck their leg.

"I told you to walk."

The horrific sight terrified everyone, yet no one dared advance toward the island.

"If no one moves in the next three seconds, the next bullet won't hit a leg." The soldier issued the grim warning once more.

Those words made everyone gulp in fear.

"1, 2." At the count of 2, one person finally stepped toward the island.

A striking young woman, around 23 or 24, with silver hair fluttering in the breeze and an icy expression that clashed with the terrifying chaos.

Several men couldn't resist staring. Her frosty allure captivated them.

"If I were you, I wouldn't dare fantasize about that woman."

"You know her?"

"Know her? Every assassin back home recognizes her. Misalova Lida—one of the top wanted killers in my country, and the deadliest. Never imagined she'd been caught and shipped off to the Dark Continent as a test subject."

"She doesn't seem like a killer."

"That's just ignorance. Anyone familiar with her bloody record knows better."

"Enough chatter. Keep moving."

As Misalova Lida stepped into the hut, the door sealed shut on its own.

Hesitation vanished from the group; they rushed toward the island. Better to proceed than face death.

Five minutes passed before the door reopened after each entry.

Our MC's turn arrived after a short wait.

Inside the hut, total darkness greeted him.

Abruptly, lights flared, transforming the scene. No cabin interior—this was a barren room with a single chair at its heart.

"Take a seat." A eerie mechanical voice resounded in the chamber.

Without pause, the young man sat.

"Straight to the mainland? Or tutorial first?"

"What??" The unexpected options stunned the young man.

(Mainland? Tutorial? What's happening? Is this a game?) Confusion gripped him.

"Respond. Mainland direct, or tutorial?" The voice repeated patiently.

"I choose the tutorial." He answered firmly.

(If it's game-like, tutorial's the smart start.) He reasoned inwardly.

"Choice confirmed."

Shuooo

A beam of light enveloped the young man's form. He vanished instantly.

With his departure, darkness reclaimed the room, and the door swung open anew.