System of the Last Dawn

Chapter 1: The World Ends, Just Like That

The day the world ended started like any other.

Alex Chen sighed as he rolled out of bed in his dingy apartment, his phone's cracked screen blinking at him with notifications he didn't care to read. Another day. Another job rejection. At this point, he wasn't sure what was worse—waking up every morning or the endless sense of failure that followed him like a shadow.

He flicked his lighter and lit a cheap cigarette, the harsh smoke filling his lungs. Through the grimy window, he could hear the faint bustle of the city. Horns blared. Dogs barked. Life went on, oblivious to how fragile it really was.

That was, until it wasn't.

At 3:17 p.m., the first screams echoed through the streets.

Alex had been halfway through heating up instant ramen when his apartment trembled, the distant sound of explosions rattling his thin walls. His phone vibrated furiously on the counter. He glanced at the screen.

EMERGENCY ALERT: UNKNOWN OUTBREAK. STAY INDOORS. DO NOT APPROACH INFECTED INDIVIDUALS.

"What the hell?" Alex muttered. He peeked through the window and froze.

The street below was a scene straight out of a nightmare. Cars were overturned. People were running, screaming. A man tackled another to the ground and… bit his neck. Blood sprayed like a fountain.

The attacker lifted his head, his face pale, his eyes milky white and devoid of life. His victim twitched violently, convulsing on the pavement before suddenly standing up, his movements jerky and unnatural.

"Zombies?" Alex whispered, his voice trembling. He backed away from the window as his mind tried to process the madness unfolding below.

Then, a voice echoed in his head.

Initializing... System activation successful. Welcome, user.

Alex clutched his head, stumbling backward as a glowing interface flickered into his vision. It was semi-transparent, floating right before his eyes, no matter where he looked.

[Last Dawn System] successfully bonded.

User: Alex Chen

Rank: Unawakened

Starting Scenario: SURVIVE THE FIRST NIGHT.

"What the hell?!" Alex muttered, his voice rising in panic.

Mission: Kill Your First Infected. Reward: Basic Starter Pack. Penalty for failure: Death.

"Survive the first night? What's that supposed to mean—"

His thoughts were interrupted by a deafening crash from his front door. Something—or someone—was slamming into it with inhuman force.

Thud. Thud. CRACK.

Sweat dripped down Alex's forehead as he stared at the interface again. The words Starter Pack Locked glowed faintly in red.

"Locked?! Are you kidding me?!"

Tip: Use available resources to eliminate threats. The system will unlock additional tools as missions are completed.

Before Alex could react, a deafening crash shook his apartment. He whipped around just in time to see his front door buckle under the weight of something slamming into it from the hallway.

Thud. Thud. CRACK.

It was only a matter of seconds before whatever was on the other side broke through.