Chapter 263

"What?" Asher York's eyes widened, his water bottle nearly slipping from his grasp.

Lucy White's slender fingers tapped lightly against the warehouse wall. "This isn't a real warehouse. We're still inside the supermarket."

Finn Wallace frowned. "But we ran so far—"

"Illusions," Lucy interrupted. "Holographic tech is overlaying the real environment."

Jasper King silently flicked his lighter open and shut before speaking. "So those zombies..."

"Projections," Lucy confirmed. "But the tactile feedback is real. That's the brilliance of this system."

In the control room, a dozen monitors glowed with blue light.

"How does she know?" A lab-coated researcher adjusted his glasses. "We spent five years developing this."

The chief engineer studied Lucy's profile, fingers drumming the console. "Fascinating."

Ian Evans leaned back in his chair, lips curling in amusement. The girl who'd once treated his illness never failed to surprise him.

Inside the simulated warehouse, Xavier Boone suddenly crouched, running his fingers across the floor. "Temperature's wrong."

"Noticed that?" Lucy smiled. "Actual flooring would be warmer."

Finn scratched his head. "Wait, so where are we really?"

"The seafood section." Lucy pointed toward a corner. "Smell that fishy odor?"

Asher sniffed loudly. "Holy crap, she's right!"

[Live comments exploded]

[What kind of sorcery is this?]

[Is she even human?]

[My mom asked why I'm watching this on my knees]

[All Lucy haters can exit stage left]

"Enough speculation." Lucy clapped her hands. "System alert incoming."

Their smartbands vibrated simultaneously:

[First Clue: Locate the red marker]

Jasper suddenly pointed upward. "There!"

A faint red dot pulsed near the ceiling.

"Move!" Lucy sprinted ahead.

Alarms blared in the control room.

"Warning! Contestants approaching core zone!"

The chief engineer shot to his feet. "Activate Protocol B!"

Ian's eyes narrowed. "Now things get interesting."

[Live comments]

[Oh this is bad!]

[Lucy's about to break the game]

[Production crew messed up big time]

[Popcorn anyone?]

The warehouse doors groaned open, revealing blinding white light laced with swirling data streams.

Lucy turned, flashing a sly grin at the cameras. "Ready to see some real technology?"

Every viewer held their breath.