Lucas woke with a sharp gasp, his chest heaving as his heart slammed violently against his ribs. For a moment, air refused to come, his lungs struggling as if they'd forgotten how to breathe.
After a few seconds, it passed.
"It's been almost a week…" he muttered, dragging a hand down his face. "And the nightmares won't stop."
He reached for the half-empty bottle beside his bed and drained what little water remained, the dryness in his throat barely easing.
Pushing himself up, he staggered toward the bathroom. His reflection stared back at him—icy black hair disheveled, eyes dull from restless nights. He ran his fingers through his hair, trying to steady himself.
But it didn't help.
The images came anyway.
That day, the day of the Impact…
More than twenty people had been trapped inside the convenience store. The screams, the blood and the chaos that followed.
In the end, only six walked out.
Lucas was lucky enough to be one of them. Not because he was brave or that he fought.
But because he was too terrified to move.
He had frozen… and somehow, that had saved his life.
A few people reacted bravely, and they managed to drive the monster away with special abilities they awakened. Powers that had only just begun to appear in this broken world.
Anyone else would have felt grateful.
Lucas didn't.
And to understand why… you'd have to understand who he was before the apocalypse.
He dropped out of college when he was younger to chase his dreams of being a movie star. His parents found out and kicked him out.
Back then he was so sure about his future that he left without turning back, but the future had other plans for him.
No matter how hard he tried he was never called bay for any of the parts he auditioned for. He was met with failure after failure, while he worked multiple jobs just to stay afloat.
As the years went by, Lucas was forced to confront the truth that maybe he didn't have the talent for acting, but instead of giving up, he decided to save and go to acting school.
He was a few years older than the other students, but it didn't matter because he had a dream. One that would end all of his suffering eventually.
It didn't matter to him when he saw other people winning, when they drove in their fancy cars, with gorgeous girls riding with them. He hardly felt any envy.
He was fine working the night shifts, and extra hours because he knew that his life would definitely reward him in the end.
But now, the world had ended and he still had nothing to show for it… Worse, he was getting saved by others.
'What shitty Karma...'
A soft sigh slipped from his lips as he pulled the blinds aside, peering out the window.
From the third floor of his apartment building, he had a clear view of the convenience store where he worked. Or… what was left of it.
The wall near the entrance was completely gone, torn open as a heavy machinery was used on it. Parts of the structure had collapsed inward, leaving behind a hollow, broken shell.
He had worked there for almost a years.
Seeing it like that felt… wrong.
"I wonder if Mr. Barry made it out…"
The thought lingered longer than he expected.
As the manager, Mr. Barry had always been kind. The type who checked in on everyone, who stayed late so others could leave early.
Lucas swallowed.
He felt guilty even wondering.
Because that day… he hadn't looked for anyone.
The moment the monster was gone, he ran.
Didn't stop to think.
Just ran all the way home.
[Hello host, would you like to share your Karma points? Support your heroes by gifting them Karma so they can grow stronger]
The message appeared like magic, but he was far from amazed.
This wasn't the first time he had seen this exact message, he saw it back then when that monster appeared.
He ignored it since he had no idea what it was but now he was curious.
"What are Karma points?"
[Karma is the general energy possessed by every living thing. It has always existed in the world around you but humanity has been unable to access it until now]
"Why now?"
[The war between the Multi-dimensional gods and the Chaos gods has intensified, so they opened your world so you all can join in protecting all of existence.]
"A war? What kind of war?"
[One that threatens to end everything. If the Chaos gods succeed then the world would forever be filled with mindless chaos. This war has carried on for thousands of years, and some dimensions have been lost to the chaos gods.
They use the Karma they acquire from those worlds to fuel their endless conquest, increasing their forces every second. By including humanity in the war, we stand to create more heroes and give us the upper hand]
Lucas thought about everything the system had said, and came to one conclusion.
"So let me get this straight, we were forcibly drafted for a war we had no idea about?"
[You can say that, but it's a war to protect life itself. You were even armed with the system so you can grow quickly.]
[With this system you would assimilate with the new reality very quickly and learn about your natural talents, legacy and skills. It would allow you to allocate Karma to stats and even trade on the Multi-dimensional market place. You can ask me about anything if you're confused]
He remained silent for only a few seconds.
"What about Heroes, what's the deal with that?"
[They are the brave warriors that protect the weak. They are blessed with talents and luck that set them apart from the rest, their growth and potential is evident from the start—]
"I get it." Lucas cut in with a sigh, his words was like adding wood to a fire.
[There is no need to feel bad because you're weak. You can contribute by giving your Karma to the heroes, that way you can help speed up their growth]
Lucas felt an invisible arrow go through his chest hearing the system outright call him weak.
He couldn't even deny it. He froze at the first sight of danger, while those two stood up to the monster.
"Why the hell would I do that when I can just use it for myself? I need to get stronger too"
[You can do that, but we have calculated that your civilization has a better chance of surviving if you have a strong warrior fighting the extremely strong monsters. A protector like that is very essential to at least give others time to grow stronger]
"Okay… in that case, I'll be a hero,"