"So, do you think it was all caused by him?"
Nay, not so. It was caused by the greed of their nature.
"But still, this world is on the brink of extinction. Don't you think we are the responsible ones here?"
No, we didn't create that atrocious creature, which soon turned from a friend to foe in a couple of years
Suddenly a sound pops up.
|=====System Online=====|
Primary Task:
Ensure humanity's survival.
|====================|
What's this now?
"A system, which they call, you know, like an overpower machine, which gives the player selected by it immense power."
Dr. Val, in what hopes have you created it? Our race is about to end; their time has just begun.
"I know we can't do anything much now; this system is a hope for the past, a light that will shine at the darkest hours." Dr. Val talked about his creation with great pride, yet he felt some uneasiness. But suddenly.
BOOM
The facility's door was blown off, setting off the nearby alarms. Both of them have already guessed who or what might have invaded. With time racing, Dr. Val's assistant activated the self-destruction sequence.
|=SELF-DESTRUCTION PROTOCOL INITIATED=|
All personnel are hereby requested to evacuate the facility.
The destruction procedure will be initiated in T-5 minutes.
|===============================|
Boss, I have scanned the building. It seems they are trying to evacuate the facility.
"Surround the building quick."
The scene shifts towards the outside world. Crimson skies, a war-torn area, a semi-destroyed moon, and, at last, a red haze covering the atmosphere are so toxic in nature that the land below it is in ruins. Anyone who inhales it is destined to die in a matter of mere seconds.
The steel rods, which were once used to act as support for the buildings, now seem like steel bones from the charred earth, like the ribs of the earth have cracked open, and towering cities that were once full of life now cease to exist. Toxins have caused rivers to run black. Once green and lush forests are now fields of ash and scorched lands.
90% of the population has been wiped out, engulfed by the same ambition that gave rise to the monster that is now pursuing the last remnants of resistance. Life that once flourished here has gone.
Inside the facility, red lights started flashing, and the facility's emergency purge system vented toxic coolant into side chambers—one last line of defense against the invaders.
Mira's hands flew over the console. "Dr. Val! We need to go—now! If this place goes up while we're still inside—"
Dr. Val didn't move. His eyes stayed locked on the progress bar: 94%… 95%…
The flickering System Core cast a ghostly glow over his sunken face.
He could hear the footsteps now—boots slamming closer, metal scraping the corridor outside. The enemy was almost here.
Mira grabbed his arm. "Doctor, please! If you're not leaving, then at least let me—"
He wrenched free, shaking his head. "No, Mira. If this doesn't finish uploading, all of this is for nothing. The world's already dead—but that boy…" He swallowed the bitter taste in his mouth. "He's our last chance."
Beyond the reinforced door, the squad leader's distorted voice boomed:
"Override the locks. Break it down if you have to."
The steel door shuddered under the first impact. Sparks rained from its hinges.
Inside the control room, the timer on the wall flicked to
T-MINUS 2:12
2:11
2:10
Mira glanced at the timer, then at Dr. Val.
Her heart sank. There was no way he would make it out alive.
But maybe there was another way.
She rushed over to the nearest control terminal and began typing.
Dr. Val watched in confusion. What is she doing?
The door was starting to give. One more hit and it would buckle, and the soldiers would rush in, guns blazing.
He turned back to the console and watched the bar tick up, agonizingly slowly: 99%... 99.5%...
T-MINUS 01:49
1:48
1:47
At the door, the soldiers took cover. On the other side of the wall, they could hear the faint whine of charging laser cutters.
In the control room, Dr. Val was still staring at the bar, his heart hammering.
Just a few more seconds, and this will all be over.
T-MINUS 00:31
0:30
0:29
0:28
At the door, the laser whine grew louder, higher-pitched, almost ear-splitting.
Dr. Val was still waiting. The bar was still climbing.
T-MINUS 00:09
0:08
0:07
0:06
And then he knew.
Mira, I'm sorry.
Outside the door, the lasers were cutting through.
Mira was typing.
0:05
0:04
0:03
0:02
0:01
0:00
Dr. Val turned, his mouth moving in slow motion, but Mira couldn't hear him over the noise. She had her hands pressed to her ears, tears streaking her cheeks, as the countdown timer ticked to
ZERO.
BOOM
The entire facility detonated, destroying everything in it, the explosion creating a mushroom cloud in the sky.
|====System Initialized: Transferring Data to New Host...====|
Host Located:
Name: Rocky
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Age: 29
Status: Deceased
|===========================================|
...
In the middle of a cemetery, the ground shakes as a crack appears. A small, white light bursts through the crack, and the earth splits apart, revealing a coffin that rises from the depths of the earth.
As the coffin rises, the ground around it shakes violently and cracks apart, creating a small crater in the ground. As the coffin settles, a large, ominous cloud looms over the sky, blotting out the sun and casting a shadow over the ground.
The coffin's lid creaks open, and the coffin is empty.
Rocky is reborn.
But wait.
"Where am I?"
The place I'm standing looks a little too familiar. I'm standing in a cemetery.
Wait. "What is going on here?"
I have no idea what is going on here, but my head is throbbing; it's as if a thousand needles were piercing my skull.
I've been dead for so long, I've forgotten how pain feels. The pain is almost unbearable.
It's not that bad, but it hurts.
"I can't even remember what happened before I died."
But I feel like I should remember.
Suddenly.
|=========STATUS WINDOW==========|
Name: Rocky
Race: Human
Subrace: —
Gender: Male
Age: 29
Health Points (HP): 100/100
Stamina Points (SP): 100/100
Talent: Locked
|==============================|
Rocky stared at the flickering window. The word "Locked" pulsed in a faint red beneath Talent, like a sealed door he didn't have the key for—yet.
Beneath it, more lines of code slid into place:
| Primary Task: Ensure Humanity's Survival. |
as he was about to take a few steps.
| WARNING: |
| GENESIS ERROR DETECTED |
| Reboot Sequence: ACTIVE |
| REMNANT ERROR DETECTED |
| Memory Transfer: 5% |
A dull pain stabbed behind his eyes. For a heartbeat, the world around him—the cheap, creaking bed, the flickering bulb overhead—flickered like an old film reel.
Images he didn't recognize flashed in the haze:
A burning lab.
A man in a white coat whispering, "Forgive me…"
A monster—all metal and bone—tearing through steel doors like paper.
Rocky clutched his head, gasping. The status window warped, lines of code dripping down like blood.
| Core Memories Corrupted |
| Estimated Recovery: Unknown |
| Primary Task: Ensure Humanity's Survival |
Rocky forced his eyes open. He could feel it—something alien ticking in his skull, whispering half-formed sentences in a voice that wasn't his.
"Survival…? What survival…? What the hell is this—"
The window pulsed, then snapped shut like a dying heartbeat, leaving three words burning in the dark:
| YOU ARE SELECTED. |