The city lights flickered.
At first, it looked like a normal power problem. Streetlights dimmed, then brightened again. Neon signs buzzed and went quiet. Cars slowed as traffic signals stopped working.
But the darkness did not spread randomly.
It spread together.
Li Yuan stood on the rooftop of an office building, looking down at the city below. Wind brushed against his coat, carrying the smell of dust and smoke. From this height, the city usually felt endless and alive.
Now it felt restrained.
Like something unseen had placed a hand over the city and pressed down gently—but firmly.
This isn't a blackout, he thought calmly. This is control.
A strange pressure formed behind his eyes.
It did not hurt.
It did not blur his vision.
It felt like attention.
Then words appeared in his vision, clear and quiet.
System Notice: The world has changed.
More than one path now exists.
Li Yuan did not move.
So it's finally here, he thought.
The air grew heavier, like the moment before rain. Somewhere far away, glass shattered. A scream rose—and ended too quickly.
Another message followed.
System Notice: A hidden force has returned.
Human limits are no longer fixed.
Li Yuan stepped closer to the edge of the rooftop.
Three blocks away, the road bent inward like soft ground. A dark tear hung in the air. Buildings near it aged in seconds. Metal rusted. Concrete cracked.
Creatures crawled out.
They looked wrong. Arms bent the wrong way. Movements were stiff and uneven, like unfinished copies of living things.
People ran.
Some froze.
Some fell.
Li Yuan watched quietly.
This isn't an attack, he thought. It's a test.
The pressure returned, cooler this time.
System Notice: Those who survive may continue.
Those who fail will disappear.
"So it's not mercy," Li Yuan said softly.
"It's selection."
Another message appeared—closer than before.
System Notice: You are part of this change.
Endure, or be removed.
No reward was mentioned.
No promise was made.
Li Yuan nodded once.
Fair.
Then the world asked him something—not aloud, but directly.
System Notice: Many ways forward are open.
Choose one way to walk.
Images filled his mind.
People sitting still, slowly strengthening their bodies.
People entering strange places and killing creatures to grow stronger.
People improving themselves directly, piece by piece.
Different ways.
Different limits.
Choosing one means being trapped by it, Li Yuan thought. I don't like traps.
"I won't choose just one," he said quietly.
The building trembled slightly, like reality adjusting itself.
System Notice: You chose to walk between paths.
No protection will be given.
No guidance will follow.
Li Yuan smiled faintly.
"No help," he said. "Good."
Behind him—
The stairwell door burst open.
Concrete fragments scattered across the rooftop as something crawled out. It had a human shape, but only barely. Its neck twisted too far. Its mouth opened wider than it should have.
It screamed and rushed toward him.
Li Yuan did not panic.
I'm weaker, he thought. So I must move correctly.
He stepped aside at the last moment, grabbed a metal pipe from the ground, and pushed it into the creature's throat—not to kill, but to throw it off balance.
Then he pushed again.
The creature fell over the edge of the building, screaming until the sound vanished far below.
Silence returned.
The pressure shifted once more.
System Notice: A life ended by your decision.
A mark can now be taken.
Li Yuan did not accept it.
Being seen too early is dangerous.
"Later," he said quietly.
A small weight settled in his head—not pain, just presence.
So every action leaves something behind.
Li Yuan turned and walked back toward the stairwell.
The city below was no longer a place to live.
It was a place to decide.
And Li Yuan had already made his first choice.