《Divine Madness》 0 - Prologue A man trudged down a snowy path, his movements sluggish and labored, swaying from side to side. His body felt on the brink of collapse, yet he persisted, each step pushing him forward, though to where, he wondered. This question echoed in his mind repeatedly, each time yielding a different unsatisfactory answer. The biting cold had seeped through his clothing long ago, embracing him like a bitter mother. He sought to affirm his existence, to demonstrate his vitality by challenging the constraints that bound him. Though he knew this uncharted path would likely lead to his demise, he pressed on¡ªnot out of apathy, but out of sheer defiance. He craved to experience the pain and vulnerability of his humanity, to endure the physical sensations his body could offer. His mind had suffered enough; now he sought solace in the rawness of physical sensation. "Come!" In an attempt to shout, he murmured weakly, his lips cracked and tongue parched. Was he summoning death or life? He couldn''t tell, but it hardly seemed to matter. Life and death blended into one in his mind at that moment. His legs trembled, struggling to lift a foot from the deep snow and push forward. His right foot was nearly frozen in place, weakened by the biting cold and the long journey. As he gazed upward, he saw nothing but clouds and fog, no sky, no sun -- almost as if he were abandoned by the world. "In seeking lif..." If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. The man struggled to speak without coughing. Collapsing onto his back, his dry throat pleaded for silence, but he persisted. "In my pursuit of life, I stumbled upon death. I pondered whether in seeking death, I might have found life, but it seems both paths merely lead to the same end ¨C death." To whom was he speaking? To the fog concealing the world? To the clouds mocking him from above? To the heavy snow anchoring him to the ground? To the god he doubted existed? He didn''t know, nor did he have the strength to care. Yet, he cherished life and always had, despite the hardships. Even now, he felt the urge to cry and to laugh ¨C to weep for the sorrow of departing life, for the agony endured, and to chuckle at the inexplicable wonders of existence. Was the fog outside, or was it within his mind? Was the cloud above him or veiling his eyes? Was the snow beneath his feet, or was it nestled in his heart? He didn''t know. In the midst of nowhere, a man lay frozen in the snow, his eyes brimming with hatred, his smile radiating love. Yet another child of hope was lost to the snares of confusion. ¡­ Two slimy beings stood before a screen, observing the man''s demise in the snow. "Moloch has triumphed over this planet," remarked one, to which the other quickly replied. "Let''s depart. The barrier will fall in 10 years, and then we can obliterate Earth." The spherical object, hovering beyond the Oort Cloud, disappeared into thin air. ¡­ A man, partially buried in the snow, suddenly twitched. He opened his eyes and vomited a large amount of blood. He had never felt so invigorated and alive. "I''m not dead?" 01 - The Awakening (1) The man had been wandering aimlessly since waking up, his expression showing a mix of confusion and curiosity. The rectangular hologram floating beside him fueled his wonder, while the mysterious force that restored his health left him bewildered. System: ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ¡õ Title: None Authority: None Being: Body (Z), Mind (Z), Spirit (Z) Growth: Talent (Z), Potential (Z), Karma (Z) Faculties: None Abilities: None Inventory: 1 m3 Trade: Shop (Z), Market (N/A) Community: Earth (Z), Sol (N/A) Abyss: 0 Tower: 0 Points: 100 The neatly arranged floating information conveyed one thing to him: the world had transformed into something unrecognizable. He was far from any city, being in the heart of Antarctica. If the apocalypse had begun, there was no way anyone would attempt to rescue a lone man in such a deserted place. Although he was aware of the presence of observatories in Antarctica, he had no clue of their locations¡ªor even his own, for that matter. The man had two burning questions: how he was still alive and what was unfolding in the world. After a while, he sat down on the snow, using a handful of it to quench his thirst, and then turned his attention to the hologram. While he could grasp the meaning of each line, he remained uncertain about their full significance. Attempting to interact, he clicked on the Shop option, and a new window promptly appeared. Growth: Talent (FFF) - 500 Points Potential (FFF) - 1000 Points Karma (FFF) - 3000 Points Faculties: Mana Node (Z) - 50 Points Mana Generation (Z) - 70 Points, Mana Node Mana Circuit (Z) - 10 Points, 2 Mana Nodes Mana Flow (Z) - 20 Points, 2 Mana Nodes, Mana Circuit Mana Network (Z) - 100 Points, 2 Mana Nodes, Mana Generation, Mana Circuit, Mana Flow If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Solid (Z) - 50 Points, Mana Network Liquid (Z) - 100 Points, Mana Network Gas (Z) - 300 Points, Mana Network Plasma (Z) - 1000 Points, Mana Network Abilities: Ice (Z) - 100 Points, Solid (Z) Water (Z) - 200 Points, Liquid (Z) ¡­ The Shop had an array of items, prompting him to spend quite a while familiarizing himself with its offerings. "Feels like a game..." he sighed, disappointed to find nothing he could currently utilize. Clicking on Abyss once more, he pondered for a few minutes. [ Open portal to Abyss? Yes No ] With hesitation, he selected [ Yes ], and a dark violet portal materialized before him, causing him to instinctively take a step back in shock. However, his reaction was futile as the portal swiftly sucked him in. [ Purify 0th Floor of Abyss ] Upon entry, he was greeted by a dimly lit room, featuring a single wooden door on one wall and a tiny orb of light floating in the middle. The room appeared entirely empty, save for the pervasive mold that had spread almost everywhere. "I''m certain there are no cute girls beyond that door and if I follow the logic of games, there should be monsters outside. Monsters? Haha, even saying that sounds ridiculous." He spent a considerable amount of time in the room, pacing back and forth, contemplating the potential realities that awaited him beyond the door and how he might confront them. Each idea spawned further questions, and the more he thought, the more his confidence and courage waned. With a shaky hand, he slowly opened the door. In a dark tunnel, two hunchbacked, small, and ugly humanoid creatures battled fiercely, seeking to kill and consume each other with their jagged claws and teeth. One bled heavily from the right hand, while the other wore a wicked grin, confident of its triumph. Suddenly, an irresistibly delicious smell reached their noses, causing them to cease their fight and simultaneously turn their heads to the left. With a creaky sound, the door opened and the light barely illuminated the dark tunnel. The man saw two creatures, both around one meters high having their heads turned towards him. There were no eyes on their faces, only huge mouths with broken teeth. [ Barrier removed ] The creatures lunged at him, prompting the man to quickly shut the door and take a few steps back. Because the door couldn''t be locked, it swung open when the creatures collided with it. One of them managed to bite his leg, barely breaking the skin, while he seized the other by the throat and hurled it aside. Rushing with adrenaline, the man had no time to think, only to react. Seizing the creature biting his leg by its limb, he effortlessly hoisted it up, causing his skin to tear further as the creature was wrenched away, leaving a tooth embedded in his leg. He yelled out in pain and struck it in the face with his left hand, while the other creature had already positioned itself beside him, clawing at his stomach that it barely reached. Using the creature in his hand as a makeshift weapon, he struck the other one with his full strength and it fell on the ground, disoriented. He kept relentlessly pummeling it until the screeching sounds they made turned into muffled gasps and then silence. [ Rat Killed: 10 Points ] The one on the ground had died, but the other still jerked its limbs around. He moved to the wall and began hitting it with the creature. [ Rat Killed: 10 Points ] He threw the creature away and sat on the ground. Panting heavily he looked down on his bloodied hands and then glanced at the wrecked creatures that looked more like ugly humans than rats. "Killing creatures gives me Points. I need 400 Points to build my Mana Network and then get an ability. 28 more rats to kill... Seems unrealistic and if I get unlucky to meet something stronger I''ll most likely die." Opening the Shop he first bought Mana Node (Z) and then Mana Generation (Z), getting his Points to 0. A fleeting warmth filled his heart, lasting only a few seconds. "That''s it? I expected something more." Casting a troubled glance at the disfigured rat, he grabbed it by its leg like a weapon and ventured into the tunnel. 02 - The Awakening (2) He exited the room and ventured deeper into the tunnel. However, the light emanating from the orb illuminated only a few dozen meters ahead; beyond that, he couldn''t see anything. Standing at the edge of the light, he waited for his eyes to adjust to the darkness. Once his adrenaline levels lowered, he could sense the moldy smell coming from the walls and the ground. By now his eyes had slightly adjusted to the dark, but he couldn''t see much. "It''s futile, if I go farther, I still won''t be able to see anything. What if I shout and wait for those rats to come to me? Do they even have a sense of hearing?" He examined the rat in his hand and noticed ears on the sides of its head. "I guess they can hear. But it''s still risky, in case something stronger comes my way..." While wondering what to do, a familiar screeching sound echoed through the tunnel. Startled, he sprinted back to the room and, glancing over his shoulder, saw three rats charging towards him. Realizing their proximity, instead of running away, he lunged towards them, striking one rat with his weapon and seizing another by the scruff of its neck, flinging it against the wall. The last rat pounced on him, its claws tearing into his left leg. Meanwhile, the others quickly recovered and resumed their attack. The man tried dodging their attacks, but he soon found himself unable to handle them. With each passing moment, his strength waned. The pain from his numerous wounds gnawed at his resolve, threatening to overwhelm him.
As the fight went on, the man''s vision began to blur, his movements growing sluggish. He knew that he could not keep up the fight much longer. With his options dwindling and his strength fading, he faced a grim realization: he was fighting a losing battle against these relentless rats. He had also dropped the weapon some time ago, as it felt too heavy.
Ignoring the relentless attacks of the two rats, he focused his attention on one of them, seizing it by the head and slamming it against the wall with all his might. With a scream, he vented his fury on the debilitated rat, its head nearly split open from the impact. Meanwhile, the other rats continued running around and clawing him. Summoning every ounce of strength and determination, he repeated the same brutal tactic for the remaining two rats. He felt a surge of satisfaction as the system granted him 30 points for his hard-won victory. Exhausted and bleeding profusely, he staggered back into the room, his body battered but his spirit unbroken. Despite the pain and fatigue that weighed heavily upon him, he knew that he had emerged victorious. He closed the door and with a sense of grim satisfaction, collapsed onto the floor, his breaths ragged and labored, but his will to survive stronger than ever.
"Even if I survive this ordeal, I''ll likely succumb to bleeding out or infection," he muttered bitterly, a wry laugh escaping his lips. He wondered how the creatures were able to detect his presence. "They definitely can''t see... Perhaps they heard me moving, or maybe they caught my scent? I need a weapon. What about a rock?" With that thought, he rose to his feet and went back into the tunnel, scouring the ground for a suitable rock that he could grasp comfortably. After a brief search, he discovered a sharp one, roughly the size of his hand, and a smile flickered across his face. However, despite his efforts, he couldn''t find another. "That should do it." A few minutes later, two more rats appeared. This time he easily killed them, a few headshots with a rock was enough. Only one scratch was added to his body. "I have to get enough Points as soon as possible, otherwise it''s a certain death for me." Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. 3 hours passed. The man sat in the center of the room, head bowed, his breaths coming in heavy gasps. Dozens of rats lay scattered around, some within the room and the majority in the tunnel beyond. He realized that the rats could detect his scent from a certain distance; it was the only explanation, as they would approach even in silence. The creatures attacked in groups of no more than five. Despite his torn clothes and bloodied body, he wore a smile. [ Points: 340 ] He began by purchasing another Mana Node (Z), experiencing the same fuzzy sensation, this time centered in his brain. Next, he acquired Mana Circuit (Z) and Mana Flow (Z), followed by Mana Network (Z). He felt his body heat up, as if his heart were on the brink of a seizure and his brain about to burst. Gritting his teeth to stifle any noise, he persevered through the pain, and after a few minutes, it began to subside. [ Faculties: Mana Network (Z) ] [ Points: 160 ] He refrained from immediately purchasing Solid (Z) and Ice (Z), as a more pressing question weighed on his mind. "Even with the ability to kill them easily, how do I ensure my survival? I''m bleeding, and my wounds will inevitably become infected. Also, I don''t know what dangers lie ahead in that accursed tunnel." Once again, he opened the Shop, hoping to find something new, yet there was nothing. "Should I buy Water? It could quench my thirst, but no, that''s not how it works. Pure water would only dehydrate me further, making me flush out minerals. Fire would be useful for light, but the required points are too high... Ice it is, then." He purchased both Solid (Z) and Ice (Z), yet he sensed no immediate changes. Furrowing his brows, he clicked on Ice (Z), but nothing new appeared; there was no explanation given on how to use it. While pondering how to use magic, a lone rat darted into the room. With a groan, he rose to his feet and swiftly killed it by smashing its head against the floor. [ Points: 20 ] "I must find a safe place within a few hours at most. I can''t afford to sleep or rest here. And to do that, I''ll need to use magic." He extended his hand and concentrated, willing a ball of ice to materialize above it. A strange sensation emanated from his heart as mana began to flow to his hand, gradually forming into a small, transparent ice ball. It felt akin to a tree slowly sprouting from his palm, rather than ice appearing in the air above. "Hehe," he chuckled for a brief moment before regaining his composure. [ Faculties: Mana Network (Z), Solid (Z) ] [ Abilities: Ice (Z) ] "Having a ball of ice sprout from my hand is worthless." He proceeded to create a sharp shard of ice, roughly the size of his finger. Spending half an hour refining it, he attempted to project it forward, only to find the velocity lacking making him lose another hour in experimentation, he tested it on the deceased rats, trying to produce an ice projectile from his finger capable of piercing their bodies. After several attempts at honing the ice''s sharpness, he finally succeeded in creating a shard that could penetrate through a rat''s body and emerge from the other side, but at the cost of nearly all its speed. During that time he had already killed a few dozen more rats, the last 4 with the ice shard he could utilize. Even though, it was hard to use magic, the ice simply went in a straight line, which meant that as long as he aimed his finger accurately, it would hit the target. [ Points: 460 ] "Is my body stronger? I doubt any normal human could have withstood that much damage." ¡­ Humans are good at adaptation, however, they adapt easily to everything. "Great people of Japan! The apocalypse began a week ago and we have already reclaimed Tokyo from the wretched ghouls, and I promise!" An old man paused, his face contorting with anger for a few seconds before he continued. "We will reclaim all our cities!" He spoke loudly and confidently to the hologram, broadcast to all the people currently residing in Japan and automatically translated into their preferred language. The hologram was swiftly cut off, and the old man turned his gaze to a young girl standing shyly in the room. She was very young and beautiful, dressed in a thin fabric that concealed nothing, serving merely as an illusion of clothing and arousing excitement in the man. "Come over here." He patted his leg and the girl shuddered, slowly moving towards him. Once close, the man felt her up and smiled. "You know what to do." She wanted to cry, but controlled herself and kneeled. As a wave of pleasure came over him he looked up at the status window. [ Authority: Slave of Moloch - You get all the Points your subjects had before their death ] [ Title: Leader of Japan - The people of Japan are your subjects. ] [ Points: 153,102 ] "Haha, and I have already spent 2 million Points." The man laughed and all the Leaders of Nations laughed together with him. After all, they had the same Authority and the Title.