1 Chapter 1 Bonfire Company_1

"'Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis'... commonly referred to as... 'ALS'... Your disease has developed some complications, and the prognosis for treatment may not be very promising, but you can still try..."

"No, that's not necessary..."

Colin, sitting in his wheelchair, shook his head, "Doctor Wang, it's been almost a year, I've come to understand what I needed to, can I go ahead with the discharge procedures?"

Doctor Wang hesitated, his mouth opening as if he wanted to say something, but seeing the young man's calm face, as if he was ready to face everything, and considering the family situation he had filled in on his medical report...

In the end, he sighed and said nothing more.

"I'll prescribe some medication, it might alleviate your symptoms to some extent," Doctor Wang paused before adding, "Don't worry, it won't be expensive."

Before long, watching the young man wheel himself out of the office, he couldn't help but sigh.

Not even twenty years old, so young.

As a doctor, of course, he hoped every patient would leave the hospital healthy.

But sometimes...

Life is just that cruel.

However, what he didn't know was that Colin, who had returned home, wasn't as "desperate" as he imagined.

By the time he got home, it was already noon, eleven o'clock and three minutes.

Colin sat on the edge of his bed, frowning at a letter in his hands.

[Bonfire Company Employment Invitation].

This letter was received that morning while he was distractedly waiting for his test results in his hospital bed. Inside was a piece of parchment, with a peculiar sentence written on it—

"Want to break free from despair and be reborn? Want to truly... see the reality of this world? Join Bonfire Company, and you will reverse everything!"

It looked like a classic line from some novel from a decade ago.

Yet, more intriguing than this phrase was the second paragraph of text below it!

"If you agree to join our company, please press your thumb on the line below, before the countdown '00 hours 57 minutes 59 seconds' ends."

The countdown above this line of text was actually moving!

At the moment Colin saw the countdown ticking, he was certain that some power beyond reality might have descended upon him.

But at the same time, questions arose in his mind.

Why had this company approached him?

What was it about him that made him worthy of an invitation from such a special company?

Compared to those incredibly talented individuals, he didn't seem remarkable in the slightest, did he?

This was also the reason he had hesitated to press his thumbprint.

Sitting in his room, Colin's thoughts drifted, his brain making meaningless associations.

"Could it be because people who are about to die are less risky to cheat for kidneys? Is that why they came for me?"

"Thinking about it, it actually makes sense, huh. Useful body parts could be harvested, and the body casually disposed of somewhere, and given that I don't have much money and suffer from an incurable disease, if I were to be reported as a suicide or a missing person, nobody would pay much attention... Hmm? Wait a minute..."

"'People who are about to die'..."

Colin muttered to himself, suddenly realizing something. He moved his eyes towards a full-body mirror in the room, looking at his own face in the mirror; pale, emaciated, yet not devoid of character...

He noticed that, setting aside those unrealistic and unverifiable thoughts, he did seem to have one "advantage" that couldn't be ignored.

That was...

He was close to death.

People like him, whose life was hanging by a thread and who could only wait for death, upon discovering that there's still a glimmer of hope, would grasp at it, no matter how slight...

Colin believed that under the instinct of survival, even the most inhumane demands would be met, and eagerly so!

"However, that doesn't include me. If they really intend to exploit that to turn me into a puppet, it would be nothing less than an insult to my moral baseline!"

Watching the countdown about to begin, Colin intended to say just that, but on second thought...

Although he had always been ethically exemplary since childhood and could always resist dangerous temptations, this did not mean others could withstand such enticement.

What if it didn't succeed with him, and went on to harm someone else?

Colin's eyes sharpened.

The virtues instilled in him by the old dean since childhood made it impossible for him to ignore any innocent victims that might appear.

"Let me see your true face then!"

Colin no longer hesitated and pressed his thumb under the letter.

The moving countdown froze the moment his finger pressed down.

Relieved, Colin inwardly breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the countdown, which was nearly complete—

He almost didn't notice and nearly missed it!

Yes, he almost missed the chance to save those who might have been led astray.

At the same time, new content emerged on the parchment letter.

[The trial task for employment is about to begin, "Descent Protocol G-1" is initiating, Bonfire Company (full name: Bonfire Camp Special Item Containment Company) wishes you smooth sailing for this incident!]

["Descent Protocol G-1" has initiated...]

"Dong—Dong—Dong—"

A distant, heavy, and ancient bell sound rang in his ears.

An unknown haze had, at some point, blanketed the sky...

Colin felt himself sinking.

This seemed to signify that he was being sent to an unknown yet mysterious place.

Only...

It was at this moment.

[Report! An unexpected interference occurred during the operation of "Descent Protocol G-1", for which we deeply apologize for the inconvenience caused.]

[Rapidly checking for a solution to the issue...]

[The solution has been drafted, and the following methods are available: ]

[1. Please establish a new connection by reciting the full name of the company once your consciousness is clear...]

[2. Please...]

Colin didn't manage to finish reading when everything before his eyes went dark.

Not knowing how much time passed, when he regained consciousness and opened his eyes again, he was completely stunned...

"Where is this...?"

Colin propped himself up, looking around in a daze, as his vision gradually sharpened from blur to clarity, a prison-like scene came into view...

He saw the rust-streaked iron bars, saw torches hung on the corridor walls, and under the light of the torches, lying next to him was...

A corpse?!

"Shit!"

Colin jolted awake, and almost instinctively, stood up with a bounce, immediately ridding his mind of its grogginess.

There was actually a corpse lying beside him!

To be more precise, it was a desiccated mummy!

No one knew how long it had been dead; beneath what looked like tattered rags, only a thin layer of skin wrapped around the skeleton was left, hair messy, dental roots exposed on the face, eye sockets sunken, horrifying and eerie.

What somewhat relieved Colin was...

This mummy was very thoroughly dead and hadn't taken advantage of his distraction to jump up and hit him.

Taking a deep breath, Colin calmed down somewhat and quickly realized that he seemed to have... directly traveled through time?

As for the reason for the travel...

"What happened?"

Colin sat on the other side of the cell, away from the corpse, his mind a mess, like being struck by a truck, unable to recall the specific details.

"It feels like a voice was demanding me to remember something."

The last memory had to be very important, but just as he was piecing his thoughts together, suddenly the sound of an iron door opening came from outside the prison corridor, interrupting his train of thought.