1 Second Chance

"Fuck all the world!" The young man with curly black hair heavily cursed standing at the top of a skyscraper. He rarely cursed in his life yet no word can describe the situation taking place below him. His blurry gaze fell upon all the chaos happening beneath him.

Humongous beasts strode in the streets slaughtering every citizen who ran for their lives. Loud explosions reverberated all over the city shaking the heart of its citizens. The odour of burned blood and gunpowder lingered all over the city.

As if ridiculing all the people struggling for their lives, the sky had turned scarlet red with a tinge of blood colour. Two moons can be seen rising ominously from the east as they stood above all the chaos.

The young man looking at all the madness happening on the ground found his situation helpless. He clearly understood that he won't survive today. He had a gaping wound on his chest such that his ribs could be seen beneath the wound. He stood atop a roof of the building and recalled how this catastrophe had happened.

Several hours ago, a beast horde struck the city walls as suddenly as the lightning on a sunny day. Caught by surprise, city officials were unable to act immediately, so the city walls fell three hours later after the start of the beast horde.

Dave or David Murckly, exactly, was one of the free hunters who guarded city walls against an initial wave of the demonic horde. However, he was heavily wounded by an avian demonic beast, losing consciousness and being hospitalized to the nearest medical facility.

'It's already too late. The city has fallen, and I'm trapped on the roof. Pathetic! Waiting for my own death on the roof...' A heavy sigh escaped from Dave since he clearly felt grim reaper's cold scythe on his neck. He knew at which condition his body was.

His wounds were too severe to move. He had a deep cut at his chest revealing his bones, while his internal organs were in a mess. On top of his heavy condition, he had lost too much blood weakening him greatly. Moreover, he had already used up all of his health potions nor he found any of them when he woke up.

"Screech!" A piercing howl sounded above Dave as he gazed at the city from the top. He turned his head in the direction of the sound and saw an enormous eagle as big as a car. He watched how the demonic eagle dipped sharply in his direction but was unable to dodge its attack due to his severe condition. He felt completely helpless...

A sharp pain pierced his shoulders as Dave was pulled higher to the crimson sky. Shortly afterwards, he was falling freely from the sky as the bag of sand. At the moment of his death, time slowed down in his eyes as deep regret washed over his heart.

He remembered that he had no close people to call friends.

He remembered that he was so weak that even the low-class avian demonic beast of the world could kill him.

All his life passed through his eyes like a film strip...Happy childhood...A car accident that took his parents...The diagnosis of a damaged nervous system...Expensive surgery and temporary peace...His enrollment to the most prestigious university and how happy he was that day...Then, a doom of the world.

Everything went wrong after that day...

'If I was given a chance...'

[User David Murckly is reaching the end of his life.]

[Your innate ability Regression reacts to your coming death.]

The sudden mechanical voice caught him by surprise since it was too familiar to him. It was a blessing and a messenger of doom at the same time. It was the voice that brought complete destruction upon human civilization. His eyes betrayed his confusion as he fell to death.

*Crash*

....

"Dave...Dave, are you okay?" A foreign voice woke the young man from his daze. He had black curly hair, square spectacles, dark hazel eyes and sharp facial features. He would have given a composed feeling if not for two huge scars and small burn marks on his face.

"Which girl are you daydreaming about?" Still muddle-headed, Dave heard a giggle from his right. He saw three people near him, each with a dish in front of them.

"Wh...Where am I?" He looked to his surroundings in confusion recognizing the cafeteria from his past. It strongly reminded him of his university cafeteria that was close to his dorm...But it was 5 years ago!?

'But... But it is impossible. It was destroyed on that day.' Numerous questions swirled in his head with no answers for them. Same cafeteria, same white milk round tables, and quite familiar faces.

"Where am I?" The answer to this question meant too much for him. He knew that it was impossible, but if it had even the slightest chance to become true, then he wanted it to be real.

"What is up with you today? We are having lunch in the cafeteria of our university. We decided to gather here to discuss our group assignment." Even if he recognized the same cafeteria from his past, he still didn't dare to believe it. So he quickly took a random phone on the table and checked the date.

'2020, September 15.'

Recalling the date of the start of all misfortunes his face's colour turned paler. He never forgot the date of that day, so this date told much more to him than any other words.

"Excuse me, but I remembered that I have something to do. I also recommend you quickly get into your rooms. Good luck!" He quickly took his leather bag and left the cafeteria in the direction of his dorm. Dave wasn't particularly close enough with any of the people with whom he shared the meal to save their lives. Even if he had told them everything he knew, they would have thought that he was a madman. So the only thing he can do is to wish them good luck and warn them.

Panting and sweating, he dashed through the campus. It was lively in university as students had lumped into different groups. Some of them laughed and joked with each other, others were busy reading books or even stuffing their mouths with food. 'Pity...most of them would die,' the thought resounded in his mind.

He could inform the university about the coming end of the world, but he obviously understood that he will be regarded as a madman rather than taken seriously by others. Even he wouldn't have believed his words if he didn't see it personally.

Dave tried to recall any useful information about the coming doom of the world. Of course, he might just be a paranoiac and had a psychological illness, but, dammit, they were 5 years of his life. He wasn't going to risk it when he still could remember those 5 years of hell.

'Everything will start at 3:00 pm. So I still have enough time to fetch the necessary food and water from the shop. Every second is important so I am better to not waste time. I can't let my second chance go in vain.' His heart was filled with both worries and excitement. He was 5 years ahead of others, so he would be ready when the world crumbles apart.

Getting into his room after visiting a grocery shop, he heaved a sigh of relief and took a seat. He didn't want to be outside when everything starts. He may even get attacked right after waking up. He still had some time before the mechanical voice would sound in his head. First, instead of recalling useful information about the future, he took his phone.

Nervously exhaling air from his lungs, Dave dialled a number with trembling hands. His heart pounded madly as sweat covered his palms, but a short while later, he heard the sound of his phone connecting with the contact number. Due to his nervousness, Dave even stopped breathing as he waited for the other end to respond.

"Hello, big brother. How are you doing?" The young voice sounded from his phone. At that voice, Dave's whole body shook as his eyes grew teary. But he quickly took control of himself as he steadied his voice.

"Carlos...Nice to hear your voice, but why do you have aunty's phone?" Dave also wanted to talk more with his little brother, but he had no time for it. Initially, he had dialled his aunt, not his brother.

"She's out with uncle. They said they wanted to sightsee historical places, but I didn't want to, so I stayed in a hotel room. They seem to forget their phones in a room." Carlos responded in a grumpy manner.

Dave's heart sunk when he heard it. "Are they close to the hotel? Can you somehow go after them? It's very urgent."

"They should be on a half-hour way from the hotel. I can catch a taxi from here. Is it so urgent?" Carlos asked.

'It's too late...Carlos won't make it before the start.' Dave thought in a frown as he grew sad for a moment...At least, he could warn his little brother. "No...Carlos, listen to me. You should stay in the room and lock yourself in it. And don't forget to open your Beginner's Pack...Arrgh!"

As a pained groan escaped from his mouth, Dave felt a sharp pain in his heart like it stopped beating for a short moment, and his vision blurred suddenly like he was going to lose his consciousness. Then, when his vision returned to normal, his pupils expanded in shock. "Dave! What's up? Did you hit your toe or what?"

"..."

...But it wasn't that simple as hitting his toe. The transparent information window, which shouldn't have appeared yet, had magically manifested before his eyes. It seemed out of the world, more ethereal rather than real.

[Warning! You're breaching Regression's terms. If you continue sharing information about the future, you and your world would be exterminated.]

'Damn, what's with that restriction?' Dave's face darkened. How his words could lead to world extermination? Dave heaved an annoyed sigh as he shifted his attention to Carlos. "Remember, don't throw away your club. Stay safe, Carlos! I still have urgent matters."

"Okay, be safe, too...I guess" Carlos said in a confused manner. The warmth spread through Dave's heart as he finished the call.

Ending the call, Dave didn't put his phone away and searched for another contact number. Now, he wanted to dial his best friend to call him over to his dorm room. He was the only person with whom Dave was close as they had known each other since elementary school. In his past life, his best friend had died to save him.

...

'Darn! He should have silenced his phone. Adam normally silences his phone when he studies in the library or in his room.' Dave thought grimly. 'I don't have time to go to the library. Well, I know where he would be during all the chaos and that Adam won't die easily, so I can find him right after the start. So now...'

Deciding over the course of his actions, Dave pulled out a notebook that he bought from the shop to jot down everything he remembered from his past life. Strategies, monsters, concepts of a new world, and other key information were neatly organized in the copybook.

Finishing with it, Dave checked the time. Less than a minute had left before the start. Having nothing to do now, Dave nervously stared at his screen as he counted seconds.

'3....2...1.'

[The world has reached the end of the 1st Cataclysm: Survival.]

The strange yet heavenly voice resounded in his mind as his consciousness slowly slipped away from him.