Chapter 1: The Onset of the Apocalypse

As the sun continues to shine brightly, a reefer truck, which is used to transport meat, can be seen traveling along the road. The truck periodically sways due to the rough and rocky terrain. The driver, an elderly man appearing to be in his early 60s, is enjoying the classic rock music on the radio while puffing on a cigarette.

"Hey, kid! You want a cigarette?" asked the old man, offering a smoke.

The young man, seeing the offer, shakes his head and says drowsily, "No."

Hearing the answer, the old man just minded his own business and continued driving. He understands that the young man doesn't like smoking, and he just offered him one since they're still quite far from their destination.

Almost an hour later, they arrived in front of the gate of a warehouse, with two guards nearby.

"You've actually arrived on time, Old Jack! That's unusual coming from you," one of the guards remarks upon seeing Old Jack.

"Don't talk shit, Brent, especially when you're the one always sleeping on duty," Old Jack retorts, jesting with the guard.

After their banter, the truck continued on until it stopped directly in front of the warehouse. Old Jack got out of the truck and yelled at his companion. 

"Wake up, Shawn. Start unloading the items now, if you want to get home early! This frozen meat won't walk and arrange themselves properly, ya' know," said the old man.

The young man named Shawn got down from the truck sleepily and started working. He got this job of delivering meat roughly five months ago. The hourly pay is quite good with full benefits and they even gave away free frozen meat monthly. The only flaw in this otherwise good job is that it's tiring, and easily strains his whole body. In the first few weeks on the job, he'll go home with his whole body sore and aching. If it weren't for the fact that he entered the workforce very early in life, then he may just quit and find another job. 

Shawn was actually an orphan. He was abandoned as a baby, and he has lived in an orphanage for as long as he can remember. He jumps from foster home to another foster home, and it only stop after he turns 16 years old. Because of that, he didn't make many friends and was always alone. The few friends he had made also had an almost similar past that they experienced.

Due to those experiences, Shawn grew to be resilient, enduring, tenacious, and diligent.

"Old Jack, hey! Are we going to get paid today, or do we get it next week? ", asked Shawn after thinking about his pay.

"We'll get paid today, lil' kid, don't worry! The boss stated that since our work is challenging, we must receive our paychecks on schedule in order to maintain our diligence," answered Old Jack.

"Then, do we have work tomorrow? "Shawn responded.

"We still haven't gotten the next order yet, so we might just resume our work next week." 

"Alright. Remember to give me a call if you have any news."

"Hmm,"

With that, they continue unloading the goods and putting them in the warehouse.

After two hours, they're finally finished and can head home now. Old Jack talks to the manager of the warehouse and receives their pay. He then passes Shawn his salary for the whole week.

"Let's go, I want to take a shower since I'm so sweaty after all that lifting," Old Jack said.

"You can't feel it when you're in the warehouse, but it's really hot outside," Shawn replied after wiping the sweat forming on his forehead. 

They just got out of the cold warehouse, yet they're sweating buckets already.

"This damn weather is killing me! Let's hurry up and go home already."

Before it got dark, with the sun barely hanging on the horizon, casting long shadows across the landscape, Old Jack managed to drop off Shawn at his house.

"Thanks for dropping me off, old man." Shawn offered his thanks as he stepped out of the truck, grateful for the lift.

"What thank you are you talking about? That's $50 on your tab," joked the old man.

"$50!? Stop the bullsh*t. I'll pay you if you let me flick your balls, and if they move, I get to flick them again."

Old Jack feels a bit of cold pass through his balls at the mention of that.

"Damn you, kid! You think I would not dare? This daddy here is not a coward. I'll let you do that if I also get to flick yours."

"Sigh, that's a bit disadvantageous for me since, at your age, you can't even use yours anymore." After saying that, Shawn laughs loudly and ignores the furious Old Jack.

With a red face, Old Jack bellowed, "I, Old Jack, used to be known as Lord Everlasting back in the day, you little shit! My wife and I used to go at it, with three rounds being the minimum."

"Lord Everlasting? What kind of nickname is that? People can really come up with all sorts of bizarre nicknames," Shawn chuckled.

"Hmph, this stupid brat. You better get inside and stop bothering me, otherwise, I'll crush those balls of yours."

Shawn just snickered and said his thanks. Old Jack got back to his seat and started the truck.

"Get home safely, old man."

In response to that, Old Jack just took his left hand out of the window and raised his middle finger.

Shawn simply smiled at the sight of that and only entered the house after he couldn't see the truck anymore. No signs of recent activity can be found near the house. 

This neighborhood is always quiet and devoid of people, and this time is no exception. He'd moved into this house when he was 18 years old, and it had been five years since then. He wasn't close to his neighbors, and he barely even exchanged greetings if he happened to meet them.

In fact, the solitude is not just limited to this neighborhood since he lived on the outskirts of the village he was in. The village is sparsely populated, with the population only numbering in the hundreds. Well, it works out best for him since he likes the quietness.

He took off his clothes and hopped in the bathroom to take a shower. His whole body feels sticky and uncomfortable. After a refreshing bath, he came out of the shower with only a towel wrapped around his waist.

Having started work at a very young age and frequently taking on physically demanding jobs, he developed a strong and well-built physique. You could say that his experience not only molded his body but also his character, instilling in him a resilience and determination that set him apart from others.

His body can even compare to the models you see in fitness magazines, with well-defined muscles and a toned appearance. Unfortunately, a few scars mar his otherwise impressive physique; some were caused by his jobs, while others were formed from fights he had as a reckless young man.

Two prominent scars, one at his waist and one on his back, bore witness to a significant fight he had back in Green Ridge City. Despite his enrollment in a public high school there, the altercation forced him to discontinue his studies. Yet, it was the scar near his chest that held the most haunting memories, a visceral reminder of the perilous and turbulent life he had once lived.

He touched the scar with a solemn and contemplative expression.

"This scar...it's better to forget about it," he sighed, his voice heavy with unspoken history.

Shaking off that thought at the back of his head, he looks for his clothes and starts dressing. After getting dressed, he flops onto his bed, completely spent from the day's hustle. All he's after now is some shut-eye, hoping to recharge and wake up feeling fresh as a daisy.

Unfortunately, this wish of his is quickly shattered as a mechanical voice somehow enters his mind and says something incomprehensible to him.

[The laws of Origin Source have arrived on Planet Earth. The struggle for supremacy for this world has now begun.]

Thereafter, the world trembled, and things started to fall.