Infected Dream

It was nearly two o'clock in the afternoon, and inside a school building on the third floor, a group of students observed in silence as a confrontation unfolded between a boy and a girl. 

The room was tense, with everyone anxiously awaiting the outcome.

The boy, who had a combination of European and Southeast Asian features, possessed fair skin, deep blue eyes, slightly curly black hair, and a scar on his face that gave him an intimidating appearance reminiscent of a bully. 

He brazenly demanded, "Give it all to me, you b*tch," motioning for the girl to hand something over. He added, "Make sure every penny is there."

Trembling, the girl cautiously placed her hands above the boy's outstretched hand and opened them. 

The room broke its silence as the sound of money hitting the boy's palm reverberated through the air. And then the boy meticulously counted the money, one by one, using his fingers.

After confirming that everything was there, he nodded and redirected his attention towards the frightened girl. 

"Alright, that's enough for now," he said, gesturing for her to leave. "Now go away. I don't want to see your face or smell your odor. It makes me sick! And remember to give me more tomorrow. Now, go!"

He sneered at her, treating her with contempt and cruelty, as if she were nothing more than an animal. 

Tears welled up in the girl's eyes. With a blend of Korean and white American features, black wavy hair, and fair skin, she appeared even more vulnerable with her long legs and youthful Asian face.

How could someone speak to another person, particularly a woman of such beauty, in such a heartless and hateful manner? 

Sobbing, the tearful girl covered her face with her hands and left the room, seeking solace elsewhere, a place the bully cared not to know.

Meanwhile, the other students observed the scene from their own perspectives. Some ignored the boy, finding him repulsive and giving him angry looks. 

Others felt scared of him, fully aware of his influence and power within the room. However, the boy didn't care about their reactions. 

Their opinions held no significance to him.

But as he watched the tearful girl leave with her friends, anger twisted his face. 

"I promise, if I ever get infected, survive those nightmares, and gain powers, I'll make sure to embarrass that girl in front of everyone," he silently vowed. His tone was filled with intense hatred and determination, which was unusual for someone his age. 

"I've endured this for far too long."

He clenched his hand and uneasily settled down. In reality, he didn't belong at this time. 

His true name was Murky Smilodon, a soldier who had been conscripted because his country had no other choice, and he had perished during the devastating nuclear war of 202X.

Yet, he found himself reborn in the distant future, in the year 3014, bearing the same name—Murky Smilodon. The mention of his past stirred emotions within him, and his expression shifted accordingly.

Sighing, he muttered, "With my current circumstances, that will never happen. Yes, it will never come to pass. My revenge will never be realized." Murky sounded weary and frustrated.

"I detest this!" he proclaimed, continuing to ponder forcefully in his mind, exhausted from trying to discern what to do in his helpless situation.

…

In this future, humans reside within the confines of protective domes. While they possess technology akin to that of the 20th and 21st centuries, they have learned to diminish their reliance on it. Instead, they harbor mutated genes that grant them an inner strength surpassing that of advanced weaponry.

In the year 2661, Earth confronted a crisis engendered by overpopulation and scarce resources. Scientists endeavored to access new resources by breaching dimensions, but the project proved disastrous, resulting in the vanishing of the project's leader and its members.

Consequently, individuals began experiencing peculiar symptoms during sleep and dreams. Within these dreams, extraordinary events would unfold.

Certain individuals would metamorphose into perilous beings known as catalyst beings, unleashing a lethal smoke that claimed the lives of thousands. However, these creatures exerted a positive influence on the environment, revitalizing the ecosystem.

People subsequently relocated the catalyst beings to designated regions, fostering happiness and cultivating the flourishing of nature, thereby addressing the resource predicament. Many of these beings were even dispatched to other planets for research purposes.

Nevertheless, a fresh quandary arose as plants, animals, and other life forms underwent rapid evolution, growing stronger and more destructive. Human technology and weapons, including the nuclear bomb, proved futile against these adversaries.

Fortunately, a group of individuals with mutated genes emerged—the survivors of these dreams. They were known as the Nightmare Soldiers. Armed with the mutated genes bestowed upon them in their dreams, they managed to quell the rampages of the evolved creatures.

However, not all Nightmare Soldiers possessed the ability to defeat these monsters, prompting the construction of protective domes. Eventually, humanity sought refuge within these domes, and the Nightmare Soldiers ascended to positions of rulership and leadership in this new era.

Within the domes, they had to devise innovative strategies for survival against the relentless onslaught of the monsters. Thus, a new humanity was ushered in, one characterized by mutated genes.

…

Sighing, he opened his mouth to mumble, "I was born without mutated genes. To acquire one, I needed to enter the infected nightmare dream, but surviving there was a challenge. Without mutated genes, I couldn't defend myself. I would die in the infected dream and become a catalyst in this world. What should I do? What if the infected nightmare dream comes now?"

Murky muttered anxiously, grinding his teeth.

If someone didn't have mutated genes, their chances of surviving in the infected dream were extremely low, at negative eighty percent.

To obtain mutated genes, they had to be born with them or enter the infected dream. However, as Murky mentioned, he couldn't go into the infected dream.

With only a physical body and no training or combat experience, he had nothing to rely on. In his past life, Murky was a lazy addict, always glued to his phone. Yet, he was drafted into the war.

Now in this life, in a society where mutated genes were highly valued, his family didn't bother to train him.

"Why would they waste their effort?" Murky muttered, clenching his fist and contorting his face in frustration.

Not having mutated genes was okay to him, but why was he mistreated, abused, ignored, and disrespected within his own family?

"They didn't have to do that," he thought. "Why not just throw me away? Why do they need to let me watch my brother be given everything right before my eyes? Toys, money, expensive gifts, careful training, an education from good teachers, etc.

"And then they would laugh at me like I'm some sort of rare pathetic species."

Murky was treated as the unfavored child and even lost his fiancée, who willingly left him for his brother. He also lost his inheritance, future, and dreams.

The most painful part was losing his mother's love, which was given to his brother instead, even though his brother wasn't his mother's biological child.

Thinking about all this, even though he had the mentality of a grown man, he couldn't help but feel angry all the time.

He was so furious that he wanted to eradicate them all!

He desired to humiliate them all!

If he wasn't helpless, he would treat them as lab rats and conduct experiments on their bodies. 

The only time his family showed concern for him was when he was thrown out and taken care of by his less skilled uncle and aunt, who didn't possess much talent in using mutated genes.

They took care of him and enrolled him in the private school he currently attended, instead of allowing him to go to a public school. But Murky knew that his family's concern was only for the sake of their reputation.

They didn't want anyone in the family to study outside of a public school and didn't want others to know they mistreated a family member, living in public.

"Damn it! I just want to rest and sleep," muttered Murky, barely audible.

As expected, at five o'clock, the pretty girl and her friends returned. She seemed fine now and wasn't crying anymore, but Murky didn't care.

He noticed that his body felt heavy, his balance was off, and he had a headache. It scared him at first, but he casually brushed it off.

"It's normal; it will probably go away by tomorrow, just like it has in the past. No need to worry too much."

To distract himself from his troubling thoughts, Murky stared at the back of the slim girl who used to be kind and gentle but had changed into someone unrecognizable.

In the past, he made a mistake by approaching her.

"Hi, can you tell me where the cafeteria is? Huh? You're smokingly Hot and Beautiful..."

Murky felt embarrassed just thinking about it. It was like when you ask someone a question and suddenly get distracted by their beautiful face, forgetting what you were asking.

He's young, so why not try to get girls, right?

Who cares? Nobody will judge him.

And so, it all started from that embarrassing moment, leading to his terrible situation now.

At first, she had a nice personality. She understood that he wasn't used to talking and expressing his feelings. She didn't care about his lack of mutated genes at all when he told her.

She still treated him respectfully.

But after a year of being together, everything changed when she found out Murky's true position in the family, a neglected member of a powerful Smilodon bloodline family. Because of this, her attitude completely changed.

"You're not the person I thought you were!" 

Murky still remembered when she said those words to him.

That's when Murky realized that the girl had only been with him because she saw him as a way to enter a prestigious family.

When she realized that she couldn't use his status for her own benefit, she became cold towards him. 

It was at that moment that Murky started questioning why a talented, famous, beautiful, and smart person would choose him without any apparent reason.

"Why?" 

Murky pondered, his mind filled with confusion and regret. 

The events that had unfolded left him questioning his actions and motives. He couldn't fully grasp why he had made such a terrible mistake in the first place.

The weight of his guilt grew heavier as he realized the consequences of his actions. The threat of exposure and the potential ruin of his reputation and family haunted him. He felt a mixture of fear, desperation, and remorse.

In his heart, he knew what he had done was morally wrong. 

He acknowledged the pain he had caused and the breach of trust he had committed. Yet, he couldn't fully comprehend his own motivations and the impulses that had driven him to the point of attempting such a despicable act.

As he replayed the events in his mind, he recalled the moment when he had tried to force himself on her. 

The memory was hazy, clouded by the influence of the drink she had offered him. 

He couldn't deny that the alcohol had played a role in his distorted judgment, but he understood that it was not an excuse for his behavior because he didn't have proof.

However, the gravity of the situation forced him to confront the reality that he needed to take responsibility for his actions. 

The evidence against him was undeniable, and he knew he had no grounds to defend himself. He had to face the consequences, whatever they may be.

The thought of his family being involved in the scandal was particularly distressing to Murky. Despite their mistreatment of him, the idea of bringing shame to their name and potentially endangering his own life was unbearable. He couldn't fathom the repercussions that awaited him if his family discovered the truth.

Desperation filled his voice as he pleaded with her not to expose him, not to bring his family into the picture. 

He realized the power she held over him and the dire situation he found himself in. He would comply with her demands, even if it meant enduring the torment of playing the role of a terrible boyfriend.

In the end, Murky's acceptance of the situation stemmed from a combination of fear, regret, and a lack of attachment to his family's wealth and status. 

He saw no value in the money that would be given to her, as it would likely end up in the hands of his aunt and uncle, who already claimed most of his family's resources.

As he pondered the path he had taken, Murky couldn't help but hope that this would be the end of it. He yearned for closure and an opportunity to learn from his mistakes. 

The girl's threats and manipulation had caused him to be despised and feared while she gained sympathy.

Deep down, he wished for redemption and the chance to rebuild his life, free from the shadows of his past actions.

Corrected phrase - 

"Did he want to be a jerk or merely seem like one? Definitely not.

But he had no choice.

He lacked the power to control his own life.

Every day, it seemed like he was accepting her money, but the truth was she was the one taking almost all of his money.

"Damn!"

Just the thought of it made Murky furious. If only he had been born with a mutant gene, he wouldn't feel so helpless day after day.

"In the future, I promise!"

He muttered angrily under his breath. He felt relieved that no bullies or popular kids who idolized superheroes noticed his deceptive behavior, or he would be in significant trouble!

Just as he was about to curse the girl in his thoughts again, the classroom door suddenly swung open with a loud bang!

With a loud "Kabam!", the classroom door swung open, startling him. 

A strong, muscular, and confident woman entered the room. She had blonde hair, muscles, and wore a soldier's uniform and sunglasses.

"Alright, you little brats, line up!" she barked, asserting her authority.

It was time to check the students' temperatures as a precaution against the infection dream. Those showing symptoms would be taken to a separate location to prevent harm to others.

The blonde lady went from student to student, methodically checking their temperatures and assessing their well-being.

The room grew quiet as the process continued, each student anxiously waiting for their turn.

Murky's heart raced as he worried about the outcome. He realized that he didn't feel well.

Hoping his condition wouldn't be discovered or that it was just a normal sickness, he prepared himself.

Suddenly, the students fell silent as the blonde woman's gaze landed on Murky. She stopped in her tracks, looking shocked.

"Huh?"

The other students followed her gaze, their curious faces turning to horror. Murky furrowed his brow, sensing something seriously wrong from their reactions.

"Don't tell me..."

He said, feeling a sinking sense of dread.

A breeze brushed against his nose, and as his vision cleared, he saw the same muscular blonde woman again. She firmly placed her hands on Murky's shoulders and looked into his eyes.

"Remember this: choose a normal dream first, choose it to survive! Whatever you do, choose it to survive!"

The blonde woman spoke solemnly, locking eyes with Murky.

Frozen with fear, Murky stood there, shocked at the terrifying idea of being infected.

Him, a person without mutated genes?

Got the Infected Dream?

What on earth!?

How on earth?

But he tried his best to understand the words of the blonde woman. He desperately wanted to avoid becoming a catalyst creature for as long as possible. Even without mutated genes, he needed guidance.

Repeating her words in his mind, the blonde woman moved closer to Murky's face.

"And never choose a nightmare! Only choose a normal dream..."

She shouted directly at Murky.

"Do you understand!?"

She asked, waiting for Murky's response.

Feeling helpless and sweating, Murky nodded while trembling.

Seeing this, the blonde woman brought her face even closer to Murky's and nodded in acknowledgment.

"Okay..."

But she wasn't finished.

"But if you enter a nightmare, choose a [ single-player mode ] and do everything in your power to trigger a mission! Get a mission! Do everythin

g to get it!"

She shouted just as Murky was about to nod, but then he felt a sharp pain in his left neck.

He tried to touch it, but his vision quickly faded into darkness.

Ding!

[ New awakened Player, welcome to the Infected Dream! ]"