World of Elevators

Chapter 2

Zach reached into his bag for his wallet. He cursed in his heart when he discovered the $200 Harris had left behind.

Zach hurried to work with limping steps. At the very least, Zach still has a paying job.

"Zach, what time is it? Just leave if you don't have no intention of working!" Rudi, the foreman, yelled.

"I'm sorry, sir. I just had an accident. You may reduce my current salary, but please don't fire me."

Rudi noticed Zach's messy appearance and numerous wounds on his limbs. Zach's lips were still stained with dried blood.

"I forgive you this time! But there is no salary for today! It's already three o'clock in the afternoon; the workday will be over soon!"

"Yes, sir. Thank you very much!" Zach exclaimed.

"Don't be lazy if you still want to work!"

"Yes, sir!"

"Tsk, having a brain alone isn't enough to survive, Zach," Rudi grumbled.

Zach's job is simple. His job was limited to moving bricks, mixing cement, and assisting the other main masons. But Zach always struggled with it.

A peer who also works part-time, like Zach, can carry four times as much as him. As a result, the foreman was always annoyed whenever he saw Zach.

What else can he do? Zach's stature was unsuitable for this type of manual labor.

Zach has a slim build and stands only 160 cm tall. Thick cylindrical glasses complete the frail appearance. This also causes Harris and Robby to bully him.

Furthermore, Zach had never dared to fight back or even attempt to fight back. Zach can only fight in his mind and heart.

Zach finished his work at five o'clock in the afternoon. Zach walks home with his coworker Andy.

Andy is the only other young man Zach's age who still wants to hang out with him. Because Andy was just as poor. The difference is that Andy's appearance is not as depressing as Zach's.

"What's up with your shirt? I thought you were sleeping on the street before." Andy chuckled.

"It would be preferable."

"Did your friends hit on you again?"

Zach inhaled deeply.

"You should start exercising and shaping your body so you can exact revenge on them."

"It's useless. They're always together. After all, two of them practice martial arts."

"You should try it first. Who knows if you just complain whether or not it will work."

'It's simple to speak! You haven't met them yet.'

"Do you want to eat first?" Andy asked.

"Okay. Today I want to drink. Do you want to come with me?" Zach inquired.

"Of course, if you treat me well, I want it. I can't afford to waste my money right now."

"All right, I'll buy you some drinks."

'I suppose I should spend the rest of this money than Harris took it.'

Zach had given up caring. He just wanted Lisa's face and hurtful words to go away.

Zach and Andy were so preoccupied with their conversation that they drank two bottles of alcohol. Until they didn't notice it was getting dark.

"Damn it!" cursed Andy.

"Why?"

"I left my book on the tenth floor! Oh, no! If I don't pick it up now, they'll throw it away tomorrow morning!"

"What book?"

"Textbooks. I have an exam next week! Oh, damn it!"

Andy fell asleep on the table after cursing. Zach went to get his friend's book.

"Madam, could you please look after my friend for a moment?" Zach said to the stall owner.

Zach stumbles a bit because of the alcohol. Fortunately, the construction site is not far from where he is right now.

Zach came across two coworkers in front of the unfinished 100-floor building. As Zach passed them, he made a courteous bow.

"Zach, where are you going?"

"I'll take Andy's leftover item, sir."

"Do you want me to accompany you?" Juki offered.

"There's no need. It'll only be a moment.

"Zach, be careful. The power has been out for some time. To see your way, use your phone's flashlight."

That was Juki's warning. But the elevator light was now on in front of Zach.

"What's that? An elevator? I must be drunk! When did this place get an elevator? There's no way those two installed it themselves!"

The luxurious elevator room stands out against the rest of the building. Zach rubbed his eyes, convinced he was hallucinating.

But the elevator was still in front of him. He touched the rim of the elevator, which gleamed like new and had never been touched before.

Zach didn't notice that the number on the elevator had changed to floor 0. He was still paying attention to his surroundings.

The automatic door swung open unexpectedly. However, no one is inside.

"Should I take the elevator to get there faster?"

Zach nodded as if responding to his question. And his feet landed on the elevator floor.

When he walked in, the door closed perfectly. Zach is confused because there is no button at all. On the right, there is only a dark monitor.

"What type of elevator is this? That's strange. "How can I get out of here?"

Zach tried to open the door with his hands, but it wouldn't budge. His blue eyes are now fixed on the monitor screen, which is unusual in elevators in general.

Zach touched the screen out of curiosity. A red text flashed briefly and then became clear.

[Welcome to the World of Elevators!]

"Am I dreaming?"

[Do you want to make a change in your life?]

[Yes/No]

Zach creased his brows. He had no idea what had happened. He carelessly pressed the 'Yes' button on the monitor to speed up the elevator.

[What are your goals?]

[Press button 1 to become the wealthiest.

Press the -1 button to become the strongest.]

"It's really weird and kinda creepy."

Zach became irritated after a while. He carelessly pressed the monitor to exit the elevator. The text flashed before another sentence appeared.

[Please select one of the available options.]

A few seconds later, the writing returned to its previous state.

"Damn! What a waste of time!"

Despite his grumbling, Zach followed the script's instructions. He pressed button number one.

[You chose the first floor as the wealthiest. Complete missions to advance to level 2 or select another option. Remember! You only have three chances.]

[Good luck, Player 101. Best wishes on all missions!]

The elevator ascends at breakneck speed. Zach leaned up against the wall.

"What exactly is this? Is it a prank or something?"

'Ding!'

The automatic door opens. A bright light burst into the small space. Zach blinked to adjust his vision.

"What the fu..."

Zach's mouth opened wide. Likewise with perfectly rounded eyes. He was amazed and could not believe the sight in front of him.

A forest surrounds the lake with clear water. Dozens of sheep enjoy the thick green grass.

Several holograms appear before becoming clear. The elevator rooms gradually filled the green grassy ground.

"Is this a dream?"

Others were wondering as he was. Some immediately jumped out, some stood up in fear, and some fell to their knees in too much shock.

"I must be crazy!" Zach pinched his cheek. And groaned afterward.

The calm lake water became surging. From beneath the lake, a half-human creature appeared. The crowd outside the elevator rushed back inside.

The atmosphere darkened as the creature set foot on land. Because of the creature's intimidating glare, no one dared to approach or open their mouths.