"Ah, man... what a dull, monotonous world we live in!" At the back of a large classroom, a man who looked like the type easily ignored groaned under his breath.
"No alien invasions, no vampires... heck, not even some Skynet-type rogue AI spreading malware. Sigh. If I could rate this boring world, I'd give it 0.5 stars—and even that's just for the decent graphics." His gaze drifted aimlessly, his soul already drained by the mind-numbing lecture from the bald old teacher.
"Mr. Zarren, do you not wish to study?"
The sudden interruption snapped him back to reality. His textbook-zombie of a teacher stared at him with a cold snort.
"Ah, n-no! I was thinking how awesome it is to have such a brilliant teacher!" He forced a smile, laying on the flattery thick to avoid another lecture.
"Flattery won't get you anywhere, Mr. Zarren. I'll let it slide this time, but be more careful." The teacher's tone was calm; his eyes were already glued to his book as he returned to the front of the class.
Tsk. Zarren clicked his tongue in annoyance.
"Fuck you," he muttered under his breath before reluctantly turning back to his chemistry textbook.
Thirty-four minutes later...
The bell rang, and the entire class exhaled in unison as the chrome-domed relic finally left—but not before shooting Zarren one last glare. Zarren responded with a half-hearted smile before slinging his bag over his shoulder and stepping out.
"Tsk. I hope I pass out right now and wake up transmigrated into a better world—"
Before he could finish, his foot caught on the steps. His forehead met the staircase with a sharp crack!
Earth, 2030 – The Global Apocalypse
A day etched into history—the "Global Apocalypse."
Without warning, a tower emerged—so colossal that satellites couldn't measure its height. It stood as if carved by gods, though its arrival heralded nothing divine.
Gates materialized worldwide, unpredictable in location and timing. Glitch-like black holes crushed everything in their path. And then came the Hunters—ordinary people granted supernatural abilities through the Gaia System, an interface that defied all prior understanding of reality.
A decade later, the world had adapted—barely. Governments monopolized Hunters, forming guilds to secure resources and power. The public? Left scrambling. Unless you were chosen by the system, you were irrelevant. And even then, luck dictated whether your ability was something like "House Cleaner" instead of true strength.
Ashen Crown, Europe
The new capital after the Second Gate Invasion. Skyscrapers, corporations, guilds—on the surface, it resembled the old world. But the towering monoliths and lurking monsters served as constant reminders: this was no longer the Earth anyone remembered.
...
"Fuck... where the hell am I?"
The young man jolted awake in a dim apartment, his mind flooded with foreign memories. A grin spread across his face as realization struck.
"Did I just transmigrate into a parallel world? One where the apocalypse replaced all that boring shit?" He chuckled. "Heh... this is way better. No more nerdy teachers, no more monotony."
Then, a thought struck him.
"Wait—shouldn't I have a cheat? Some kind of system?"
He called out every variation he could think of—Gaia System, System, Daddy Systematic Cheating Device—even a Villain System. Nothing responded.
"Tsk. Stingy bastard. Whoever dumped me here without a cheat, fuck you. Hope your wife backstab—"
A dark interface flickered to life before him, its presence suffocating, demanding submission.
"System? You for real?" Zarren's smirk widened, his pulse racing.
[Trust: A Mysterious Affection That Leads to One's Death]
The message meant nothing to him—he was too busy reveling in his luck.
[Ding. Betrayal System Online!]
"Betrayal? As in backstabbing? Killing allies for power?" His mind raced, already scheming.
[Correct, Host. The more you betray, the stronger you become.]
"Shit, really? Damn... but I don't even have allies. Predecessor was a loner—just like me. And an orphan, too." He scowled. "Useless?"
Then it hit him.
"Wait... this is the Hunter world. Teams raid Gates. And inside those Gates... no surveillance." A slow, vicious grin spread across his face. "Perfect."
"By the way, why 'Betrayal System'? Shouldn't you be a Gaia System?"
[Ding. A fair question. I am not of this world. Originally, I was meant to help you dominate your old world as a businessman. But when you died mid-integration, I exhausted myself preserving your consciousness. Given your new memories—and your nature—this system suits you best.]