New Year's Day.
The entire world was immersed in the warmth of reunion and the joy of celebration.
Then, a boundless darkness suddenly swallowed the earth.
Everyone lost consciousness and fell into a deep slumber.
When they woke again, a vast and overwhelming voice echoed in their ears.
"1. Welcome to the world of the Apocalypse Board."
"2. Here, all previous order will be shattered. Everyone returns to a fair and equal starting point."
"3. Each of you holds a single die. You may roll it once per day."
"4. Remember your only goal: survive on the board. The longer you live, the better."
"5. Each day, your maximum movement is determined by the die. Up to six spaces. Perhaps one day you will meet others on this board."
"6. Do not worry about age or strength. All initial attributes are equal."
"7. The Apocalypse Board will settle rankings monthly and quarterly. Those at the top of the leaderboards will receive generous rewards."
"8. Do not attempt to leave the board. Doing so will bring instant death."
"9. Explore the board! You will find food, pets, weapons, beasts, and even ancient, mysterious curses."
"10. Finally, enjoy the game!"
In the endless void, only the glowing board stretched before him.
Seven spaces in total.
Jacob Bovan stood on a hexagonal tile marked in red with the word Start.
Ahead, he could see only six spaces.
Beyond that, there was nothing but infinite darkness and emptiness.
In his hand was a golden die.
Something magical, defying all laws of physics.
"An apocalypse survival game… played on a board," Jacob murmured, staring at the die.
He had stayed up late last night keeping watch, then drifted off to sleep.
When he opened his eyes, he was here.
And those ten ominous messages still rang in his mind.
From the look of it, the entire global population had been pulled into this so-called Apocalypse Board game.
A circle of faint golden light shone beneath his feet, marking his identity as a player. The die in his hand glimmered with the same golden hue.
The die was about the size of a thumb, with six faces numbered 1 through 6.
Etched on it was a small inscription:
"Initial player item. Can be rolled once per day. After rolling, the player will move forcibly based on the result."
Jacob glanced ahead.
A board large enough to hold the entire human population must be unimaginably vast, yet only the six tiles before him were visible.
And what he saw made his brows furrow.
"My luck couldn't be worse…"
Of the six visible tiles, only the third and sixth appeared safe. The rest were deadly!
[Tile 1: Arena. A saber-toothed tiger sleeps inside.]
[Tile 2: Cursed Zone. Step here, and you can't roll the die for three days.]
[Tile 3: Supplies – coarse grain biscuits and bottled water.]
…
[Tile 6: A blue skill book.]
Tiles 4 and 5 were equally grim: one held steel spike traps, the other a corridor lined with Terracotta Warriors.
His chance of surviving the first move? One in three.
"My luck really is terrible. I need to be extremely careful with this first roll."
Though his heart sank like a stone, Jacob forced himself to stay calm.
Aside from the golden die, every player was also equipped with a personal game interface.
The interface had several functions:
Chat Channel, Trading Hub, Leaderboards, and Inventory.
The Trading Hub offered two options: Fixed Price and Auction.
The first allowed players to sell items for a set price.
The second was a traditional auction system, though it deducted a 20% commission.
Leaderboards were split into Combat Power, Distance Traveled, and Wealth Rankings.
The Chat Channel was divided into World Chat and Regional Chat, though for now only the Regional Chat was open.
At this moment:
"Hello? Hello? I shouted three times just now. Anyone nearby hear me?"
"I'm stuck on some kind of floating board in the void! It's pitch black all around. I'm terrified I've got a fear of heights and enclosed spaces!"
"Does anyone know what the hell is going on?"
"All I've got is this golden die. Nothing else."
"Why do I see a wolf pack on the second tile? Don't tell me if I roll a 2, I have to fight them…"
Countless messages flashed across the screen.
Jacob skimmed through and confirmed that everyone else was in the same situation as him.
There was no way around it.
If they wanted to survive, they had to rely on the die and pray for a lucky roll.
The Leaderboards hadn't updated yet; the first refresh would come after 24 hours.
But a quick glance at the monthly settlement rewards was enough to make Jacob's heart race.
The top 100 players in Combat Power, Distance Traveled, and Wealth Rankings would receive food, equipment, and even skill books!
In other words:
As this apocalypse board game progressed, the strong would only grow stronger.
But for now…
Jacob had to deal with his disastrous starting position.