Chapter 2 – A Broken System
The world returned slowly—like waking from a nightmare only to find another waiting.
James groaned as his eyes flickered open. He was lying on hard stone, the cold surface pressing against his spine. For a few seconds, he couldn't remember where he was. The ruins, the fight, the monster's blood still staining his hands… it all came rushing back in a dizzy wave.
He sat up with a gasp, clutching his chest. His breathing was ragged, every inhale scraping against his ribs.
A faint chime echoed in his head.
[System Warning: User Integrity at 83%]
[System Stability: 18%]
James blinked. "Integrity? What the hell does that even mean?"
The text flickered, glitched, and vanished before he could ask again.
He looked down at himself. His tunic was torn and stained with black ichor, his arm still bleeding from the wolf's claws. The wound burned, but the bleeding had slowed. He tore a strip from his sleeve and tied it tightly around the gash. It wasn't pretty, but it would have to do.
The dagger lay beside him, bent from the battle. He picked it up and frowned at the jagged edge. One more fight like that, and it would snap in half.
His satchel still held a scrap of stale bread and the waterskin. Pathetic.
"This is ridiculous," he muttered. "Other people get tutorials. Starter packs. Overpowered cheat skills. I get… whatever this broken mess is."
The blue screen shimmered again, almost as if mocking him:
[Quest Generated: Survive until nightfall]
Reward: Undefined
Failure: Death
James barked a hollow laugh. "Oh, thanks. Super helpful."
He pushed himself to his feet, legs trembling. The ruins stretched endlessly around him—broken walls, collapsed towers, piles of ash that used to be homes. The silence was oppressive, heavy, like the world itself was holding its breath.
He started walking.
---
The ash crunched beneath his boots as he moved through the ruins. Every corner looked the same: cracked stone, burned-out wood, rusted metal half-buried in gray dust. Time meant nothing here.
But the whisper in his head hadn't left.
"You are the Last Cycle."
The words replayed again and again. Last Cycle. What did that even mean? Why him? Why now?
His stomach growled, snapping him back to the present. He tore off another piece of bread, chewing slowly, forcing himself to swallow despite the dry, sand-like taste. The water helped, but only a little.
He needed more supplies. If there was a village nearby, maybe he could find shelter. Maybe.
The thought gave him just enough strength to keep moving.
---
Hours passed—or maybe minutes. He couldn't tell anymore. The ash sky never changed, the gray horizon endless in every direction. His legs ached, his throat dry.
And then he heard it again.
Growling.
James froze. His grip tightened on the dagger. His heartbeat pounded so hard he thought his chest might burst.
From the rubble ahead, shadows shifted. Yellow eyes glowed in the darkness. Not one pair. Several.
"Oh, come on…"
The first wolf stepped into view, just like the one he'd killed earlier—patchy fur, blistered skin, green-glowing veins pulsing under its hide. Behind it came two more.
The system chimed, cold and emotionless:
[Combat Encounter: Mutated Wolves x3]
[Survival Probability: 12%]
James' throat went dry. "Twelve percent? Are you kidding me?!"
The wolves circled, snarling, their eyes locked on him.
He backed up, step by step, until his foot hit broken stone. No way out.
The system flickered again.
[Emergency Protocol Active]
[Skill Granted: Desperation II – +4 Strength, 20 seconds]
[Warning: Stability Cost – 3%]
James clenched his jaw. He remembered what had happened last time. His stability had dropped. His whole body had nearly given out. But it was either that… or die now.
"Fine," he muttered. "Let's do this."
The wolves lunged.
---
He met the first head-on, ducking under its leap and driving the dagger upward. The blade pierced its belly, black ichor spraying across his face. The beast howled, but James ripped the dagger free and shoved it aside.
The second wolf came from his left. He swung wildly, slashing across its snout. The rusted dagger tore skin but didn't go deep. The wolf snapped at him, teeth grazing his arm.
Pain flared white-hot. HP dropped.
HP: 34/45
The third wolf tackled him from behind, knocking him to the ground. Its jaws snapped inches from his neck. James shoved his arm into its mouth, screaming as teeth sank into his flesh.
"AAAHHH!"
Blood poured, the world spinning. His free hand gripped the dagger. He stabbed blindly, again and again, until the wolf finally released him, collapsing beside him in a heap.
James staggered up, clutching his arm. Blood dripped from between his fingers. His vision swam.
Two wolves still stood, circling, growling.
He grit his teeth. "Not… dying here."
The system chimed again:
[Time Remaining: 5 seconds]
"No—no, not yet!"
He lunged at the nearest wolf before the strength faded, driving the dagger into its throat. It thrashed, claws raking his chest, but he held on until it went limp.
The last wolf hesitated, then growled louder, fury burning in its sickly eyes.
James stumbled back, chest heaving. His strength vanished like smoke, leaving his muscles weak, trembling. The system glitched across his vision.
[Stability: 15%]
The wolf charged.
James raised the dagger, too slow, too weak—
And then the world stopped.
---
The wolf froze mid-leap, jaws open wide. Ash hung suspended in the air. James blinked in confusion.
A new screen appeared, jagged and broken, unlike any he'd seen before.
[System Override Detected]
[User James Kane is unauthorized]
[Cycle Interference Confirmed]
His heart skipped a beat. Unauthorized? Interference?
Then, words appeared—not system text, but a whisper given form.
You are not meant to be.
Leave… before everything collapses.
James staggered, clutching his head. "What the hell are you talking about? What's the Cycle? Why me?!"
The text blurred, fading.
Warning: Hunters are coming.
You will not survive them.
The frozen world lurched back into motion. The wolf's jaws closed the distance—
James moved on instinct, thrusting the dagger upward. By some miracle, the blade pierced the roof of its mouth, straight into its brain. The wolf spasmed violently, then collapsed beside him, twitching once before going still.
Silence.
James fell to his knees, bloodied, broken, his chest heaving. The dagger slipped from his grip, clattering onto the stone.
The system chimed weakly:
[Enemies Defeated]
[XP Gained: 3]
[Level Progress: 4%]
[System Stability: 14%]
He laughed—a broken, hollow sound. "Four percent. I almost died for four percent."
His vision blurred again. Darkness pressed at the edges.
As he collapsed once more, he thought he heard the whisper one last time—soft, mournful, and certain.
"You are the Last Cycle… and the end begins with you."
Then everything went black.
--