[Fifteen days of trial have ended, the true Apocalypse now begins.
I hope you can survive in this harshest era.
I will be waiting for you… at the final point.]
A distorted mechanical voice, as if coming from an old radio, echoed out.
Amid the thick fog that limited vision to barely five meters in radius, a man lay sprawled on the ground.
He was fairly handsome, but that face was now covered with grotesque blisters the size of beans, making him look revolting.
On his head was a bleeding wound, soaking into the expensive suit he wore.
His breath was shallow, his eyes hollow, staring into the distance as if waiting for Death itself.
That man was Rover.
Someone who should have lived a happy, fulfilled life, not lying here awaiting death in despair.
Images of his past replayed in his mind like a slow-motion film.
He had been a successful businessman, with assets surpassing ten million dollars, and a beautiful wife.
But all of it vanished the moment the apocalypse arrived.
Thump! Thump!
Rover's heartbeat grew weaker and weaker, slower and slower… until it seemed on the verge of stopping.
His eyes slowly closed, dragging him deeper into absolute despair.
'I don't want to die!' Rover screamed within: 'I want to live!'
[Ding! Congratulations, you have obtained the SSS Rank System – Arcadia System.]
[Ding! You have received the Novice Gift Pack. Do you wish to open it?]
Hearing the mechanical voice resound in his mind, Rover's heart filled with hope, but… his life force was already at its end.
"Ga… Ga…"
"Ha… Ga…"
Suddenly, strange guttural growls echoed. They weren't loud—on the contrary, somewhat muffled, as if the sound was trapped in the throat.
But in this silence, that sound became chillingly sharp and terrifying.
A group of dark figures slowly advanced toward Rover, their twisted steps staggering, like drunken men swaying as they walked.
The fog was thick, but judging from the silhouettes, it was clear—they were human-shaped.
Ten meters…
Seven meters…
Five meters…
The closer they came, the clearer it was… a horde of zombies, their bodies grotesquely rotting, the stench of decay spreading thick in the air.
Yes, more than a dozen zombies were slowly shuffling toward Rover, as if drawn by the scent of his blood.
"Uc… Ah… Ga…"
"Ga… Ah…"
The zombies growled deep from their throats, sounding almost excited at the feast laid out before them.
Rover also realized what they were, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't move—not even a single finger.
Thump…
His heart gave one final beat, then slipped into complete stillness.
"Ga… ga…"
The zombies drew close and began tearing chunks of flesh from his body, devouring him in a frenzy.
"Uc… uc… uc…"
From Rover's mouth came strange, gurgling sounds, like a man drowning underwater.
Blood vessels bulged like tree roots beneath his skin, spreading rapidly across his entire body.
Crack! Crack! Crack!
The sound of bones snapping echoed out, his body twisting into grotesque, unnatural angles.
BAM!
In that instant, a surge of pressure burst forth from Rover, exploding outward with a deafening roar that reverberated across the fog-shrouded wasteland.
The shockwave blasted the surrounding zombies away like scattered leaves.
At that moment, his body began to heal—at a speed visible to the naked eye.
In just ten seconds, Rover had completely recovered, his form returning to its original state, not a single scar left behind, as if nothing had ever happened.
[Ding! Congratulations, you have successfully awakened, becoming an Awakened One with S-rank talent – Perfect Creation.]
"Ha… ha…"
Rover was breathing again now, each breath brimming with power, like a beast awakening from a long slumber.
He slowly stood up, feeling a strange stream of information flooding into his mind, the pain sharp, as if someone were striking his skull with a heavy hammer.
Rover looked at his hands, then clenched them tightly, sensing the strength surging violently through his body.
The apocalypse…
Betrayal…
Death…
Rebirth…
System…
His memories became crystal clear, like a film replaying again and again in his head.
Fifteen days ago, when the apocalypse erupted, he and his wife—Catrina—had been lucky enough to hide in their home. When the army came to escort them during the evacuation, that was when he realized the man accompanying them was none other than Kaito, Catrina's old flame.
On the road, the looks and gestures Catrina gave Kaito made everyone think they were the true couple. Rover gritted his teeth and endured it, because survival was the only thing that mattered.
But during one zombie ambush, he was betrayed. The crushing blow to the back of his head still lingered in his mind, along with Kaito's mocking words:
"Don't blame me, Rover. This was all Catrina's plan. She never loved you."
And then the sinister laughter:
"Hahaha… don't worry, I'll take good care of your wife."
Rover tilted his head back toward the fog-choked sky and suddenly burst into wild laughter: "Hahaha… hahahaha…"
He laughed—laughed like a madman, the sound echoing through the silent mist, harsh and eerie.
"Ah… Ga…"
The zombies that had been flung back by the pressure wave weren't dead. Like bloodthirsty leeches, they began crawling and staggering toward Rover once more.
"Ga!" One zombie reached his leg, jaws gaping open, but—
BAM!
Its filthy, jagged teeth shattered instantly, blood and fragments of flesh spraying as Rover's kick smashed into its face.
Crack!
The overwhelming force of that kick snapped its neck on the spot.
Rover looked down at it, his eyes terrifyingly indifferent. Then, raising his foot—
BAM!
The zombie's skull burst apart like a watermelon, blood splattering everywhere.
"So strong…" Rover took a deep breath, raising his head to the fog-covered sky, paying no attention to the zombies slowly closing in on him.
"This power… it's incredible…"
Crack! Crack! Crack!
Rover clenched his fists, the sharp sound of his joints tightening echoing harshly.
"GAHH!!!" Rover roared in exhilaration.
He charged straight at the zombies like a wolf diving into a flock of sheep.
Whoosh!
Even his movement tore the air, a rushing wind trailing behind—his speed far surpassing that of any ordinary human.
BAM! BAM!
He smashed two zombies' skulls with his fists, though a sting of pain ran through his knuckles.
"Tsk!" He clicked his tongue, eyes turning cold. "Seems… my body still has its limits."
"Open the Novice Gift Pack," he commanded the System.
[Ding! You have successfully opened the Novice Gift Pack, obtaining:
New Talent – Space | Rank SSS. Experience Points: 10,000 EXP. Base Core: Used to install and establish a base. Recovery Pills x10: Restores stamina and cures basic ailments.]
Another stream of information poured into his mind, though this time it didn't bring the crushing headache.
"Ha…" Rover exhaled slowly, savoring the overwhelming strength now coursing through his entire body.
Around him, space itself rippled, like the surface of water disturbed by a stone.
"Ga… Ga…"
"Ga… ah…"
The zombies had not given up, still shambling toward him.
Rover didn't even glance at them, his eyes fixed on the glowing status panel before him. Yet his body moved with uncanny precision, sidestepping their every lunge with ease.
A whole group of zombies—and not a single one managed to touch him.
...
Name: Rover
Talents:
Space (SSS) | Level: 0 (0/20,000 Exp): Grants the ability to manipulate space and a Storage Space of 5x5x5 meters.
Perfect Creation (S) | Level: 0 (0/5,000 Exp): Enhances physical strength, endurance, adaptability, and regeneration to three times the peak of human perfection.
Harem: 0
Base: 0
...
Rover stared at the status panel, countless questions flashing in his eyes, but he knew—this was not the time to ask them.
"Ga!"
Suddenly, a zombie lunged at him, yet Rover merely shifted his body to the side, dodging with ease.
His gaze was cold, like a lone iceberg adrift in the ocean.
He raised his hand abruptly and—
Whoosh!
A sharp sound cut through the air. The zombies, less than two meters away from him, froze on the spot.
They stood motionless, as if locked in place, a stark contrast to their frenzied movements moments earlier.
Rover paid them no mind. He slipped through the gap between their stiffened bodies, his eyes fixed on the misty distance ahead.
"Catrina, Kaito… I hope you don't die too soon. Otherwise… how could I take my revenge…" Rover muttered, his words curling into a smile—madness brimming to the extreme.
He stepped into the dense fog and vanished completely.
A few seconds later—
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The heads of the frozen zombies toppled to the ground. Only after a brief pause did their bodies collapse lifelessly beside them.
Silence returned once more—so quiet it was terrifying.