《Never Stay Dead》 1. Wake Up, Its the End of the World I woke up to screaming. Not the ''someone burned breakfast'' kind of screaming. The ''holy shit, the sky is falling'' kind. My body felt like I''d been thrown off a building and left to marinate in pain overnight. Limbs stiff, head pounding. The worst hangover of my life, except I didn''t remember drinking. Last I checked, I fell asleep in my one-bedroom apartment like any other disappointing Wednesday. Instead, I was on the floor. The carpet beneath me smelled like burnt plastic and copper, and the air carried the distinct metallic tang of blood. A low, inhuman growl rattled against my skull, too close for comfort. Adrenaline surged. Danger. Move. I tried to sit up and immediately regretted it. My ribs screamed in protest. My head swam. Something had happened to me. Something bad. The memories crashed in like a poorly edited jump cut. The midnight storm. The black rift tearing across the sky like reality itself had been unzipped. The unnatural light flooding my room, pulling me out of my body. Falling. Burning. And then¡ªnothing. Until now. I blinked rapidly, forcing my vision to clear. The growling thing was standing by the shattered remains of my front door. It was humanoid, but barely. Six feet of corded muscle wrapped in gray, leathery skin, its mouth split too wide for any natural predator, revealing a row of jagged teeth slick with something I didn''t want to think about. It locked eyes with me, and my brain finally kicked into high gear. Monster. Fight-or-flight should have kicked in, but my body felt wrong¡ªsluggish, foreign, like I was still playing catch-up with reality. The creature took a lurching step toward me, drool hanging in thick strands from its broken maw. I reached for something, anything. My hand found a chunk of broken furniture, a splintered table leg. Not great, but I''d worked with worse. The monster lunged. I rolled to the side just in time, pain flaring up my spine. It crashed into the wall where I had been a second ago, snarling in frustration. Before it could turn, I slammed the table leg into its temple, putting every ounce of my weight behind it.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. The impact cracked like a gunshot. The thing staggered but didn''t drop. It turned to look at me, eyes now filled with something far worse than hunger¡ªrecognition. That was when the blue notification flickered into my vision. SYSTEM INITIALIZED. Welcome, Survivor. You have been Selected. Loading Personal Status¡­ Error: Status Data Missing. Compensating¡­ Unique Skill Granted: LAST LIFE Trait Detected: Persistent Bastard Respawn Location Set: Home Base (Apartment 404). I barely had time to process that before the monster tore into me. Pain exploded through my chest as claws ripped through muscle and bone. My breath hitched. My vision dimmed. Everything tilted as I collapsed backward, blood spraying across the already ruined carpet. My heartbeat staggered. A final, electric jolt of agony lanced through my spine. And then¡ª Nothing. For a moment, I was suspended in darkness, weightless, thoughtless. Cold. Gone. Then, light. I sucked in a deep, shuddering breath and bolted upright. I was back. Right where I had woken up the first time. Same carpet. Same apartment. No wounds. And the monster? Still there, glaring at me in confusion. I exhaled slowly. Respawn. I just died and came back like a video game character. A grin crept across my face as realization hit. Oh, this just got interesting. The monster charged again. This time, I was ready. I ducked under its swing, snatched up the table leg, and smashed it across its jaw. No hesitation. No fear. I wasn''t holding back this time. It staggered, dazed. I hit it again. CRITICAL HIT! +20 XP. A sharp, satisfying crunch rang out as the creature''s skull collapsed inward like a rotten melon under a sledgehammer. It collapsed in a twitching heap. +50 XP. First Kill Bonus. Level Up! Strength +2, Agility +1. I let out a breath. The air crackled around me. My body felt different. Better. Stronger. I looked down at my hands, flexing them. The dull ache in my limbs was already gone. My breathing was easier. Faster. Like my entire body had been supercharged. I hadn''t just respawned. I had leveled up. I turned to look at the dead monster. Its corpse was already melting, dissolving into a puddle of black sludge. The last vestiges of reality as I knew it were crumbling. Whatever this was, it wasn''t just my problem. The world had changed. I stood up, rolling my shoulders, adrenaline still singing through my veins. Then I heard another scream¡ªthis one coming from outside. I grabbed the closest weapon I could find¡ªa steel baseball bat lying half-buried under my wrecked coffee table¡ªand cracked my neck. Time to see what the hell had happened to my city. And if it was as bad as I thought? Well. I had infinite tries. Let''s go. 2. Blood, Bats, and a New Reality I stepped into the hallway, bat in hand. The stench hit me first¡ªa mix of charred insulation, rotten eggs, and the coppery reek of way too much blood. The lights were out. Flickering red emergency bulbs glowed overhead. Everything else looked wrecked. Cracks in the walls, twisted metal where the elevator doors used to be. ¡°Nice. Definitely not paying rent for this.¡± My voice came out sharper than intended, but can you blame me? Two minutes ago, I was dead. Now, I was strolling around my apartment building like it was a funhouse. The floor was slick with something I didn''t want to identify. I forced a grin. Somehow, a dark sense of humor took the edge off. From somewhere to my right, I heard a crash. Then a scream. I sprinted down the hallway. When I turned the corner, I saw a half-collapsed door. Past it, an old woman crouched behind a busted sofa, clutching a frying pan as if it could stop a nuclear warhead. Between me and her? Two creatures. They looked like scrawny dogs mixed with humanoids. Joints bent wrong. Flesh sagging in patches. One of them was gnawing on a severed arm, snapping bones like they were breadsticks. The old lady locked eyes with me, terror on her face. "Please...help..." ¡°Sure,¡± I muttered. "I do have infinite tries." I took a breath. When the first beast lunged, I swung the bat at its snout. CRACK¡ªthe thing¡¯s head caved in with a noise like stepping on a water balloon. Sprays of gore splattered the walls. I jumped back, cursing under my breath. My system interface pinged:
+10 XP.
The second monster leapt at me from the side. Teeth tore into my shoulder. I gritted my teeth, ignoring the agony, and smashed an elbow into its ribs. The beast let out a wet snarl, but it didn¡¯t drop. Hot pain radiated from my shoulder. Blood poured down my arm. No time to think, no time to hesitate. I grabbed the monster by its greasy hair, wrenched its head to one side, and swung the bat up in a savage uppercut. Bone shattered. The beast toppled. Brain matter hit the floor in a sloppy mess.
+15 XP.
My vision swam for a second from blood loss. Didn¡¯t matter, I¡¯d heal if I died. But hey, I was trying to keep some of my limbs attached, at least for pride. I exhaled through my teeth, pressing a hand to the gashes in my shoulder. ¡°That stings.¡± The old woman stumbled forward, tears streaming. ¡°T-Thank you. That¡ªthat was¡­¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°Weird day. You okay?¡± She nodded, clearly not okay but alive at least. ¡°I¨CI think so. What¡¯s happening? Are there others?¡± ¡°I¡¯m guessing the entire building''s crawling with these freaks,¡± I said. ¡°Stay put. Lock your door¡ªif it still locks¡ªand try not to get eaten. I¡¯ll look around.¡± She gave me a shaky smile. ¡°God bless you.¡± I wasn¡¯t sure if God was doing anything these days, but I gave her a polite nod. The system beeped again:
Side Quest Activated: Clean Sweep Objective: Clear the building of hostile entities (0/???). Reward: 200 XP + ???
A quest. Right. This was a game-like reality now. Might as well accept. I turned back toward the hallway, ignoring the blood still dripping from my torn shoulder. My health bar (somewhere in my peripheral vision) hovered at about half. I spat onto the floor, forcing a grin. ¡°Time to do a bit of monster cleanup.¡±
I started with the next apartment over. Door wide open, furniture in ruins, no sign of survivors. But I sure found a monster rummaging through a kitchen. Looked like a skinless gorilla with extra limbs. It didn¡¯t even react until I was a foot away. I hammered it in the spine with the bat. Felt something crunch. The thing screeched, flailing an arm at me, but I ducked low and smashed the side of its knee. A sick pop, and it dropped onto shards of broken tile. It tried crawling away, leaving greasy streaks. I finished it off with a swing to the skull that sprayed bits across the pantry.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Over-the-top enough for you? I thought. My stomach churned at the carnage, but if this was the new normal, I¡¯d adapt. The system dinged:
+12 XP
No level-up, but every little bit helped. The next few apartments were empty. Some had dismembered bodies, torn-out walls, or bloody footprints. I tried not to think too hard about the weird shapes I saw half-lurking in corners. If they weren¡¯t attacking, I¡¯d prioritize the apartments with screams or obvious signs of a fight. Finally, on the seventh door, I heard a banging inside. "Help! Anyone out there?!" I kicked open what remained of the door. A man in a torn business suit scrambled back. He aimed a small revolver at me, hand shaking. ¡°Easy, partner,¡± I said, holding up my free hand. He lowered the gun, relief flooding his face. Then a shape lunged out of the closet behind him¡ªanother monster, all skeletal arms and jagged teeth. I reacted on instinct, vaulting over a busted coffee table. I smashed the bat into the creature¡¯s face before it could shred the man¡¯s neck. The monster¡¯s face caved, gore dripping onto the couch. The man coughed, trembling. ¡°Th-Thank God!¡± We both turned as two more creatures crawled out. Probably heard the racket. My new friend fired his revolver, missing by a mile. I sighed. ¡°Stand back, man. Let me handle this.¡± I rushed them. Brought the bat down on the first monster¡¯s clavicle. Blood shot across my jacket. A second monster lunged, managing to rip a chunk from my forearm. I roared in pain, pivoted, and headbutted it. The crunch was loud and wet, but it still clawed me, leaving deep gashes in my chest. Pain hammered at the edges of my mind. My vision blurred red. Screw dying again, though. That¡¯d be too easy. Snarling, I slammed the bat forward. The creature¡¯s ribcage splintered. I kept swinging until it stopped moving. "Holy¡ª" the businessman swallowed, eyes wide. "You¡¯re insane!" "Yeah, well, it¡¯s that or get eaten,¡± I wheezed. My entire left side felt like raw meat. ¡°Name¡¯s Dan, by the way.¡± "George," he said, still panting. "You¡­you saved me." A faint beep.
Side Quest Updated: Clean Sweep (6/???) Bonus Objective: Rescue Survivors (2/???)
I checked my shoulder. The wounds were nasty. Blood soaked my shirt. My health bar flickered around a quarter. George noticed. ¡°Y-Your arm¡­ you need a doctor.¡± I let out a ragged breath. ¡°I just need five minutes¡­ or to die. Don¡¯t worry, I bounce back.¡± He stared, baffled. I forced a grin and motioned him toward the doorway. "Go find the old lady down the hall. She¡¯s holed up. Safer in numbers." He hesitated but nodded. "Y-You sure?" "Yeah. I got a quest to finish." He left, stumbling over debris. I took a moment to lean against the wall, breathing carefully. Pain flared with every inhale. If I died, I''d revive at my apartment. Maybe I''d skip the next few fights. But something in me refused to let these monsters roam free. Why not push it? I already died once today¡ªwhat¡¯s a second time, for a good cause? I found some old dish rags in a drawer and tied them around my forearm, ignoring how gross it was. The best I could do. Then I lifted the bat again, ignoring my screaming muscles. Another door, another rummaging nightmare. And so on. Apartment by apartment, corridor by corridor, each fight more brutal than the last. Bone crunches, splashes of gore, monstrous screams. Half the time, I was coated in sticky fluids I didn¡¯t care to name. Whenever I felt like I was about to collapse, I reminded myself that if I died, I''d come back. That gave me enough nerve to keep swinging. My system notifications piled up with each kill:
+5 XP +9 XP +8 XP
My vision wavered from blood loss. At last, I kicked open the final door in the hallway. One last monster leapt out, a spidery shape with too many limbs. It latched onto my chest, ripping at my torn jacket. I gasped, feeling claws sink into my ribs. Everything spun. My health bar, barely a sliver. It all snapped into a single moment. "Screw you," I grunted. I jammed the bat''s end straight into its mouth, pushing past rancid drool. Then I shoved with everything I had, ignoring the agony as it tore more flesh off me. Bone gave way. The creature¡¯s eyes rolled back. It dropped with a wet flop.
+15 XP Side Quest Complete: Clean Sweep Reward: 200 XP + ???
A surge of energy flooded my body. My muscles locked in place. Then:
Level Up! Choose Bonus: Strength +3 or Vitality +3
I chuckled through the pain, selecting Vitality with a mental flick. My wounds itched fiercely, skin knitting itself back together at least halfway. Not perfect, but enough to stand. "That¡¯s better," I mumbled, picking gore off my bat. Then the system fired another prompt:
??? Unlocked: Inventory Slot (1) You may store 1 item in this slot, retrieval at will.
An inventory slot? Like a living video game. I had to laugh, breath shaky. ¡°Sure. Why not.¡± I tried to figure out how it worked. Holding the bat, I focused on the idea of ¡®store item.¡¯ Nothing happened. Alright, maybe I needed an interface command. I brought up the mental menu. After a few tries, the bat shimmered, vanishing from my hands. I yelped. ¡°Holy¡ªwhere¡¯d you go?¡± I felt a tug in my mind, a sense I could call it back. Concentrating again, the bat popped back into my grip. ¡°Neat trick.¡± I heard footsteps behind me. George and the old lady peered in from the hallway, eyes full of equal parts relief and horror. They spotted the spider-thing¡¯s corpse, my battered frame, the battered walls. George let out a nervous laugh. ¡°Remind me never to mess with you.¡± The old lady just shook her head. ¡°Are you even human, son?¡± ¡°Mostly.¡± I glanced around. The building was quieter now. No more snarls or shrieks.
Side Quest Complete flashed again, confirming we¡¯d cleared this section.
I took a shaky breath. "We should gather whoever¡¯s left, see if we can lock this place down. Need to check outside too. Could be worse out there." George swallowed. ¡°I¡­ I saw through a window. The street¡¯s torn open like a bomb hit it. More monsters outside, fires, people running.¡± The old lady pressed her lips tight. ¡°You¡¯re going out there, aren¡¯t you?¡± I nodded, adrenaline thrumming through my veins¡ªscratch that word¡ªracing through my veins again. ¡°Somebody¡¯s gotta do it.¡± And if I die? I come back. Simple enough. I turned to them. ¡°Stay here. Barricade the entrances. If anything tries to bust through, you scream. I¡¯ll do what I can.¡± They exchanged uneasy looks but nodded. I headed for the stairwell leading to the lobby, ignoring the sticky blood that crusted on me. My heart pounded, half from exhaustion, half from an odd thrill. A new reality had forced itself on us, and it was a messy one. But I had a trump card none of these monsters could match. ¡°Infinite tries,¡± I repeated, smirking. ¡°Let¡¯s see how far that goes.¡± 3. Nightmare in the Lobby I never thought I¡¯d be playing bodyguard to an old lady in a ruined apartment building during the apocalypse, but here we were. She insisted on coming along. ¡°I¡¯m not staying up there by myself,¡± she¡¯d said, voice surprisingly firm for someone with shaky hands. She gripped a weathered cane that looked sturdy enough to break a jaw if it came down to it. George tried to talk her out of it¡ªso did I, to be fair¡ªbut she just gave us both a stern look that reminded me of a retired drill sergeant. ¡°Boy, I¡¯ve lived through two wars and three hurricanes. You think some drooling freaks are going to keep me locked in a closet?¡± I shrugged, wincing at the ache in my ribs. ¡°Fine. But we¡¯re doing this carefully.¡± And that¡¯s how I ended up on the landing between the third and second floors, old lady at my left, George behind us carrying his little revolver with trembling hands. I led the way, blood-drenched bat resting on my shoulder. ¡°By the way,¡± I muttered to her, ¡°I never got your name.¡± ¡°Name¡¯s Bernice,¡± she said, her voice low but unwavering. ¡°And if we make it out of this, I¡¯ll bake you one hell of a pie.¡± I snorted. ¡°Can¡¯t say no to that.¡± George let out a brittle laugh. ¡°Pie¡­ in a time like this? You two are nuts.¡± ¡°Says the guy who fired six shots into a lamp and missed the monster entirely,¡± I teased. He just grumbled in response. The building groaned around us, as if the structure itself was on the verge of collapse. We reached the second-floor corridor, and I bit down a curse. The entire hallway was ripped to shreds: floor partially caved in, walls decorated with deep claw marks. The smell of rotting flesh hung heavy in the air. An upturned vending machine blocked the path. Something had torn a chunk out of it, revealing crushed soda cans and half-eaten candy bars. Great¡ªour local creatures apparently had a sweet tooth. I motioned for the others to stay back. Carefully, I nudged aside some debris. Nothing jumped out yet. Good. I crawled over the vending machine to scout ahead. The hall was scattered with furniture debris, bits of plaster, and¡­ yeah, body parts. The overhead emergency lights flickered, painting everything in a lurid red. ¡°What do you see?¡± Bernice whispered. She was surprisingly stealthy. ¡°No movement,¡± I said, stepping around a severed arm. ¡°Could be a trap, though.¡± She climbed over the vending machine with a grace that defied her age. George followed, muttering under his breath. The corridor opened into the main lobby stairwell on the far side. We just had to cross about thirty feet of collapsed floor and tattered wallpaper. ¡°Man, this place used to have a two-star rating at best,¡± I joked, trying to lighten the mood. Bernice actually chuckled. ¡°At least the roaches kept to themselves back then.¡± We made it halfway when a feral snarl echoed from behind us. I spun, bat raised. Two new creatures emerged from the shadows near the vending machine, drool dripping off their fangs. They were bigger, bulkier¡ªlike someone had shoved a grizzly bear¡¯s upper body onto a human frame. Their eyes glowed in the flickering lights. George yelped and leveled his revolver, but his hand shook. Bernice squared her shoulders, cane at the ready. I cracked my neck. ¡°Alright, big guys, let¡¯s do this quickly.¡± The first monster roared, bounding forward. I met it halfway, swinging the bat in a heavy arc. CRUNCH¡ªit caught the blow right in the snout. A splatter of blackish blood rained across the wall. The creature recoiled but stayed upright, spitting out broken teeth. Its buddy lunged at Bernice, who, to my shock, jabbed forward with her cane. The tip rammed into the thing¡¯s throat. It staggered back, choking. ¡°Not today, you damn beast!¡± she snapped. The look in her eyes said she wasn¡¯t going down without a fight. The first monster came at me again, slashing with razor-sharp claws. One found a gap in my guard, opening a fresh wound on my forearm. I hissed but swung upward, caving in the creature¡¯s ribs. My bat connected with wet, meaty force. Ribs snapped like dry twigs. It howled, stumbling¡ªthen I reversed the swing and brought the bat crashing down on its skull. The splatter hit the ceiling with a noise that made George retch. Over-the-top? You bet. The second monster, still reeling from Bernice¡¯s cane, tried to barrel past her to get at George. She whacked it across the back of the knees. It dropped onto all fours, scrabbling for balance. ¡°George, shoot it!¡± I shouted. George swallowed hard and fired twice. One round pinged off the floor. The other struck the creature in the shoulder, spraying out a chunk of flesh. It roared in pain and pivoted¡­ right into my waiting bat. WHAM¡ªI felt its jaw break beneath my swing. I kept going, adrenaline urging me on, smashing the monster repeatedly until it lay in pieces, bleeding out across the torn carpet.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.
+20 XP +15 XP
¡°Ugly lumps of¡ªugh,¡± Bernice growled, wiping her cane on a rag of cloth lying nearby. George was breathing hard, looking from the shredded corpses to us. ¡°I¡­ I can¡¯t believe we¡¯re doing this.¡± ¡°Welcome to the apocalypse,¡± I said, forcing a tight grin. ¡°Now let¡¯s see if we can make it downstairs without more interruptions.¡± We moved in silence. Even the building seemed quieter, though the air was thick with dread. Down the staircase, the lobby windows came into view. They were smashed. Rain blew in from outside, mixing with swirling ash. Beyond the broken glass, the street looked like a war zone¡ªfires, destroyed cars, half-collapsed buildings. I spotted shapes prowling among the wreckage, some big, some small. Not a single normal human in sight. Bernice let out a heavy breath. ¡°Dear Lord¡­¡± We stepped into the lobby, which was mostly caved in. The reception desk was overturned, and a fine layer of dust coated everything. A half-devoured security guard lay sprawled near the exit, the radio on his belt squawking static. George swiped at his eyes, voice unsteady. ¡°This is insane. What¡­ what¡¯s the plan?¡± Before I could answer, the air shimmered. A big blue screen popped up right in front of me:
WORLD QUEST: THE FIRST NIGHT Survive until dawn. Additional Bonus for Saving Survivors. Time Remaining: 8 hours 57 minutes
I frowned. ¡°Eight hours. So I guess something¡¯s happening at sunrise.¡± Bernice gripped her cane. ¡°A ¡®World Quest¡¯? Like in those video games my grandson plays?¡± ¡°Yeah. Except it¡¯s real. And we¡¯re all stuck in it.¡± George paced in a circle, eyes darting. ¡°We can¡¯t just wait eight hours in this building, can we? I mean, maybe it¡¯s safer inside than out, but if more of those things show up¡­¡± He wasn¡¯t wrong. I tapped my bat against my palm. ¡°We can barricade the entrances. At least buy ourselves time to figure out what to do next. If dawn is some major checkpoint, I¡¯m guessing we should do whatever it takes to see that sunrise.¡± Bernice peered at the demolished doors and windows. ¡°We¡¯ll need supplies, tools, maybe some furniture. If the building¡¯s infested, we¡¯ve got to clear it out or block it off.¡± George looked pale but determined. ¡°I¡­I¡¯ll help gather anything that can be used for barricades.¡± ¡°Good,¡± I said. ¡°Let¡¯s make a base of operations here in the lobby¡ªsomewhere we can keep an eye out for survivors or more monsters. Bernice, you¡ª¡± ¡°Don¡¯t go thinking I¡¯m a helpless granny,¡± she cut me off. ¡°I can hold my own. You saw what I did to that freak upstairs.¡± I raised my hands in surrender. ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am. How about you watch the front entrance while George and I scrounge for materials?¡± She nodded, setting her cane next to her so she could push an overturned desk toward the shattered doors. The woman was sturdier than she looked. George and I made our way behind the reception desk, sifting through the wreckage. We found a maintenance closet with a battered metal door. Inside were some battered tools¡ªhammers, nails, a heavy wrench¡ªand a dusty old fire axe. I took the axe in place of my bat for a while. Maybe a bit of variety if something needed hacking. As we scavenged, a system prompt flickered in my peripheral vision:
New Equipment Found: Fire Axe (Common) Damage Type: Slashing Condition: 70%
I mentally stashed it in my newly unlocked inventory slot. I tested the system by pulling the axe in and out a few times, feeling like a stage magician. George looked at me like I was a space alien. ¡°Long story,¡± I muttered, shrugging. ¡°Let¡¯s just say I can store stuff. Super convenient.¡± We spent the next half hour dragging wrecked furniture across the lobby, stacking it against the broken windows. The doors were beyond repair, so I hammered nails and boards into what remained of the frames, forming a makeshift barrier. It wouldn¡¯t keep out a determined monster forever, but maybe it¡¯d slow them down. Bernice helped the entire time, surprising me with her grit. At one point, I saw her jab a crowbar into the hallway floor, prying up loose boards to reinforce the blockade. She even taught George how to tie a decent knot with wire and cloth. Old lady had skills. While hammering, my system pinged softly:
Temporary Stronghold Created Defenses: Low Populace: 3 Recommended Action: Increase Security
¡°Sure, we¡¯ll just put in a laser grid,¡± I joked under my breath, tossing aside broken nails. Bernice snorted. ¡°I missed that. You say something, dear?¡± I shook my head. ¡°Nothing important.¡± We¡¯d only just finished our impromptu barricade when something outside let out a feral screech. The three of us went rigid. We crouched behind the desk, peering out through the cracks. A huge shape limped into view on the street, dragging a massive chunk of metal behind it. Looked like it used to be a telephone pole. The creature had a spiky carapace and multiple eyes, each glowing a sickly yellow in the gloom. George sucked in a breath. ¡°That¡¯s not fair. Why does it get armor?¡± I tapped the desk, swallowing. ¡°Just¡­ keep quiet.¡± We watched it lumber past the building. It paused, sniffing the air. My heart hammered¡ªdefinitely no thrumming¡ªfor a second, I thought it would come crashing right through the door. Instead, it moved on, disappearing behind a wrecked bus. I exhaled. ¡°We are so out of our league,¡± George whispered. Bernice gave me a look. ¡°You think we can kill that?¡± I shrugged, wiping sweat from my brow. ¡°Probably. I mean, I can always resurrect if it kills me.¡± They both stared, still not used to the concept. In fairness, neither was I. But I¡¯d take that advantage any day. Outside, the distant sounds of chaos continued¡ªscreams, metal twisting, the roar of beasts. Fire glowed in the distance. The system prompt about the World Quest hovered in my vision:
Time Until Dawn: 8 hours 23 minutes
I turned to Bernice and George. ¡°Alright. If we¡¯re going to hold out until sunrise, we need more survivors, more weapons, and maybe some actual plan. Because something tells me these barricades won¡¯t last if another big freak decides to say hi.¡± George swallowed. ¡°Should we search neighboring buildings?¡± ¡°We could,¡± I said. ¡°But that means stepping outside into Monster Town.¡± Bernice cracked her knuckles with surprising confidence. ¡°You handle the big lumps. I¡¯ll watch your back.¡± I couldn¡¯t help but grin. ¡°Now that¡¯s the spirit.¡± I glanced back at the door leading upstairs. A handful of other survivors were presumably holed up in their apartments. Some might have died already. I wanted to rescue them, but stepping out into the city could yield more resources¡­ or immediate death. Then again, immediate death for me was just a brief inconvenience. ¡°Alright,¡± I decided. ¡°We¡¯ll do a quick sweep of this block. If the place isn¡¯t crawling with abominations, we can salvage gear and maybe find more living people. That way we stand a better chance once real trouble arrives.¡± George nodded, trying to look brave. Bernice just checked her cane, then gave me a defiant nod. ¡°Lead the way, son.¡± I allowed myself one more glance outside. Fires danced along the broken skyline. Roars and shrieks filled the air. The apocalypse had turned my city into a twisted nightmare, but I had no plans to lie down and take it. ¡°Stay close,¡± I said. ¡°And if we run into that spiky biggie¡­ well, we improvise.¡± And with that, we stepped out into the ruin, determined to survive another eight hours¡ªand maybe crack some skulls in the process. 4. What of Me ¡°I¡¯ve basically just met you two,¡± I said, eyeing Bernice and George in the flickering half-light of the barricaded lobby, ¡°but if we¡¯re gonna survive, we¡¯d better stop playing defense. We need to pick off the biggest threats and keep them from swarming us.¡± George gulped. ¡°Monster hunting¡­like, on purpose?¡± Bernice tapped her cane on the floor. ¡°Smart idea, if you ask me. The building¡¯s only so sturdy, and those things outside aren¡¯t going away just because we¡¯re hiding. Might as well take the fight to them¡ªplus it could buy time for any other survivors.¡± I spread a quick grin. ¡°You catch on quick. George, you in?¡± He looked pale, but after a moment, he forced a nod. ¡°Yeah. I¡ªlook, I¡¯m scared outta my mind, but¡­ we can¡¯t just do nothing.¡± ¡°Great.¡± I turned, peering through the cracks in the barricade. ¡°So, first target: that spiky beast we saw? Let¡¯s see how tough it really is.¡± It was no small plan. I¡¯d only met these two about an hour ago. But in an apocalypse, you form alliances on the fly or you die alone. Bernice had the nerve of a steel-lunged ex¡ªsomething, and George had the seeds of courage if he could stop trembling long enough to aim. Me? I had an advantage no other human had¡ªinfinite respawns. And I intended to use it. Stalking the Streets After prepping a little¡ªfinding a half-intact backpack with some water bottles and a first-aid kit¡ªBernice and I stepped outside. George volunteered to stay near the barricade¡¯s vantage point for cover fire. He wasn¡¯t exactly a sniper, but at least he¡¯d call out threats or plug a bullet into something that got too close. Wind whipped ash and dust through the street. Smoldering car wrecks lay scattered around, and the dull glow of random fires gave everything a hellish tint. I gripped the fire axe in one hand, my trusty bat slung over my shoulder. Bernice clutched her cane, the lines of her face set. We crept down the block, scanning for movement. A twisted lamp post blocked most of the sidewalk, forcing us into the open. Every step set my heart pounding. This was a far cry from idle scrounging. A faint chittering noise alerted us to a pair of smaller creatures skulking amid broken glass. They looked like dog-sized scorpions with elongated limbs, their exoskeletons glistening with patches of black fluid. Bernice frowned. ¡°I¡¯ll keep these pests off our backs if they come sniffing. You focus on that spiky biggie.¡± ¡°Copy that.¡± We pressed forward, stepping around busted fences and twisted lumps of something I refused to identify. Occasional notifications of ¡°You have discovered: Ruined Intersection¡± flickered at the edge of my sight, but I dismissed them. CRUNCH. My foot landed on something soft¡ªa severed monster limb, still leaking some dark gunk. Bernice wrinkled her nose. ¡°This is worse than the time my basement flooded, dear Lord.¡± A snort of laughter nearly escaped my throat, but I held it in. The apocalypse apparently had comedic parallels for everything. At least she was staying calm. Suddenly, a guttural roar echoed from behind a collapsed chunk of building. I raised a hand in warning. Bernice froze. There it was¡ªthe spiky beast. Standing near an overturned city bus. It rose to its full eight-foot height, plating of bone and carapace jutting from its shoulders. Four glowing eyes sized us up. ¡°Showtime,¡± I muttered. The First Clash The creature charged without preamble, metal pole still clutched in one clawed hand. It swung the pole like a battering ram. I dove aside. The impact annihilated a chunk of concrete where I¡¯d been standing. Pebbles rained down. Bernice, with a speed belying her age, rolled behind a scorched sedan for cover. ¡°He¡¯s all yours, hotshot!¡± she called. ¡°Thanks,¡± I growled, gripping the fire axe. ¡°Come on, ugly!¡± The beast hissed, baring row after row of jagged teeth. I dashed forward, swinging the axe at its flank. A shriek of metal on bone told me I¡¯d landed a hit¡ªbut barely. The blade skittered off its armor-like plating, leaving a scratch. Then it backhanded me. I felt my ribs cave as the blow sent me flying onto the hood of a wrecked car. Pain erupted in my chest. Gasping, I forced myself up. My health bar teetered around 30%. ¡°Ow.¡± The creature roared, closing in. I flung myself off the hood, ignoring the burning agony. I wasn¡¯t done yet. Summoning every ounce of adrenaline, I feinted left, then pivoted, burying the axe into a softer seam near its midsection. This time, flesh parted. Dark ichor spurted out, splashing across my face and torso. The beast howled, staggering. A system message flashed:
-10% HP to Target
Good. That meant progress. Then it slammed the metal pole down. I couldn¡¯t dodge in time. The blow shattered my left shoulder in a sickening crunch. My vision blurred red with agony. My grip slackened on the axe. The creature pounced, claws tearing into my abdomen. I died before my scream fully left my throat. Respawn I jolted awake on the carpet back in my ruined apartment, the same flickering overhead light greeting me like a twisted friend. My entire body was intact¡ªno broken bones, no gaping wounds. I took a moment to breathe, rolling onto my knees. Dying still sucks. That blow to the shoulder¡­ I could still taste the memory of that pain. But in the next second, that insane advantage kicked in: I was alive again. My gear, minus whatever I''d dropped. I still had my baseball bat in my hand, weirdly enough. The system must preserve one item? Or maybe anything in my inventory was safe. I staggered to my feet, ignoring my shaking legs. Bernice is out there, I realized with a surge of dread. That spiky beast could turn on her next.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. But maybe it couldn¡¯t kill her if she was careful. She wasn¡¯t some helpless old granny. The real question: how fast could I get back to the fight? I dashed out my apartment door and down the stairs two at a time. George, behind the makeshift barricade, nearly jumped out of his skin. ¡°Dan?! That was¡ªdid you just¡ª¡± ¡°Yeah, died. Gotta go.¡± With that, I hopped over the barricade, ignoring his stunned expression. The street was chaos again. I sprinted the same path, noticing monster carcasses scattered about. Bernice must¡¯ve fended off smaller creatures alone. The scorpion things lay in two twitching halves. A corner away, I found the spiky beast, still wielding that metal pole. It was hunched over, something clearly paining it. My axe handle jutted from its side. Bernice was huddled behind a chunk of rubble. She shot me a relieved glance. ¡°Took you long enough.¡± ¡°Sorry,¡± I said, panting. ¡°Busy resurrecting.¡± The beast whipped around, letting out a furious screech. Blood¡ªwell, black fluid¡ªmatted its armor plating. My successful wound was still there, but it was furious now. No question. I cracked my knuckles. ¡°You up for a two-on-one?¡± Bernice smirked, spinning her cane. ¡°I¡¯m game.¡± We attacked in tandem. I ran headlong, brandishing my baseball bat. Bernice flanked right, cane in one hand, a broken piece of rebar in the other. The beast lunged at me, swinging that pole again. I ducked. The pole whistled overhead. I retaliated with a mighty overhead smash. My bat hammered into the partially cracked plating on its shoulder. The creature howled, reeling. Bernice seized the opportunity¡ªshe jabbed the rebar under the beast¡¯s arm, hooking at more vulnerable flesh. A wet rip told me she¡¯d done real damage. The creature retaliated with shocking speed, elbowing her away. She stumbled, letting out a pained grunt. I pressed the assault. Summoning adrenaline, I battered the same spot again and again, bone and carapace fracturing under repeated hits. Thick fluids spewed across the pavement.
-15% HP to Target
The beast roared. Suddenly, George¡¯s voice rang out from a building window above. ¡°Duck!¡± I dropped to a crouch without hesitation. A deafening BANG echoed¡ªGeorge had fired his revolver from the makeshift vantage. The bullet pinged off the beast¡¯s exposed carapace, but it flinched, momentarily distracted. A grin split my face. ¡°That¡¯s right, team effort.¡± Bernice, panting, yanked the rebar free. ¡°Let¡¯s finish this!¡± We both lunged. My bat slammed into the creature¡¯s collar region. Bernice thrust the rebar into its open wound from earlier. The spiky beast convulsed, letting out a soul-rattling shriek. Then, with a final, savage blow, I smashed the bat across its head. The beast¡¯s skull caved in, shards of bone spraying across the cracked asphalt. With a shudder, the monstrous body collapsed, twitching one last time before going still.
+200 XP Major Threat Eliminated! Unlocked: Field Boss Loot
¡°Field Boss,¡± I muttered, chest heaving. ¡°I like the sound of that.¡± We watched as the creature¡¯s corpse began melting, leaving behind a bizarre swirl of black fluids and bones. Then a glowing blue sphere appeared in the remains, along with a battered metal object. ¡°What in the world?¡± Bernice asked. I leaned in, the system offering a prompt:
Loot Discovered: Core of the Ravager (Uncommon), Mysterious Key Fragment (?)
A key fragment? My curiosity piqued. I mentally accepted both items, and the sphere plus the metal shard vanished into my inventory. A system message flashed:
Quest Update: The First Night Sub-Objective: Eliminate Major Threats (1/3) Additional Rewards Possible
George came rushing over from the barricade side, still breathing hard. ¡°Holy¡ªdid we just kill that thing? And you¡­ you died, Dan.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, trying to appear nonchalant. ¡°But I got better.¡± Bernice gave me an up-and-down look. ¡°Not sure I¡¯ll ever get used to that. You sure you¡¯re okay?¡± I nodded, ignoring the mental echo of broken bones. ¡°I¡¯m good. Actually, I feel¡­ stronger.¡± The system beeped in my vision again.
LEVEL UP! Current Level: 5 Points to Allocate: 3 New Skills Available
My grin widened. ¡°And apparently I got a level-up.¡± George blinked. ¡°Uh, how does that¡­ I mean, you look the same.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Must be a game mechanic. Let me see.¡± And then, my first actual status screenn DAN HANSON ¨C LEVEL 5 I didn¡¯t say the exact numbers out loud¡ªI wasn¡¯t sure if that was wise¡ªbut I told them the gist. ¡°I can choose where to put some stat points, and apparently I have a new skill. Something called ¡®Batter Up¡¯ for blunt weapon damage.¡± Bernice snorted. ¡°That¡¯s fitting, seeing how you smash skulls.¡± George peered at me enviously. ¡°So you really are¡­ leveling up like in an RPG.¡± I put two points into Strength and one into Vitality, feeling a rush of power. My muscles tensed, as if I¡¯d done a week¡¯s worth of workouts in a second. I exhaled slowly, letting the system¡¯s change settle. ¡°Alright,¡± I said, ¡°that¡¯s done. We got a weird key fragment from that thing. Might come in handy. Also, it looks like we need to take out more ¡®Major Threats¡¯ if we want to finish some sub-objective of the World Quest.¡± Bernice folded her arms. ¡°That means more monsters like that?¡± ¡°Likely,¡± I said. ¡°And I bet each kill makes us¡ªand any other survivors¡ªsafer.¡± George¡¯s eyes flicked around nervously. ¡°So you plan to keep hunting them?¡± I wiped some gore from my cheek. ¡°Yeah. But maybe let¡¯s regroup first. We used a lot of energy here. The building¡¯s not too far.¡± Bernice nodded. ¡°I¡¯m all for that. I need a moment to breathe¡­ and maybe a stiff drink. And we should see if anyone else survived around here. That ruckus might¡¯ve drawn attention.¡± We made our way back toward the makeshift barricade, stepping over dead scorpions. The fight with the spiky beast had changed something in the air. I caught sight of a few more creatures slithering away as if unnerved by our presence. If monsters even felt fear, maybe they recognized we weren¡¯t easy prey. ¡°Hey!¡± George yelled, waving to someone across the street. A man poked his head out from behind a crushed mailbox. He looked terrified. We guided him behind our barricade, found out his name was Kyle. Another newly minted apocalypse buddy. ¡°Welcome to the safe zone, or well, somewhat safe,¡± I told him, forcing a smile. ¡°We just killed a big walking spike tank. Figured we¡¯d keep the streets a little tidier for the rest of you.¡± Kyle stared at my gore-splattered gear, then at Bernice¡¯s equally battered cane. He swallowed. ¡°A-are you guys¡­like, a rescue team?¡± Bernice let out a wry chuckle. ¡°No, dear, just a few stubborn survivors.¡± George leaned on a half-cracked pillar. ¡°With Dan¡¯s¡­uh¡­special gift, we can do a lot more than cower.¡± Kyle looked at me. ¡°Your gift?¡± I waved it off. ¡°Long story. Let¡¯s just say I can come back from the dead. So we¡¯re pushing back against these nightmares. You can stay here, or help. Your call.¡± He nodded slowly, eyes showing the faintest glimmer of hope. ¡°I¡¯ll stay¡­ help keep watch, if that¡¯s okay.¡± ¡°Perfect,¡± I said, genuinely relieved. Another pair of eyes on the barricade was good news. Bernice patted Kyle¡¯s shoulder as we led him inside. ¡°You can¡¯t do worse than George was. We¡¯ll show you how to reinforce the front.¡± George rolled his eyes. ¡°Ha-ha. I¡¯m improving, okay?¡± We settled the new arrival near the front windows, gave him some water, and updated him on the plan: we were hunting big monsters, either to reduce threats or because the system seemed to want it. I stepped aside to check my inventory again, eyeing that Mysterious Key Fragment. A mental prompt revealed it was ¡°1 of 3 shards.¡± So presumably, we needed two more to form a complete key. Key to what? Bernice approached, her face smudged with dust and sweat. ¡°You okay, kid?¡± I nodded. ¡°Just thinking about how insane this is. But we¡¯ve got an edge, and I¡¯m not letting it go to waste.¡± A faint smile tugged at her lips. ¡°Good. Because I have a feeling that was just the opening act.¡± I glanced at the battered clock behind the reception desk. We still had hours until dawn, and the World Quest. ¡°Plenty of time for more bloodshed and rescue missions, I guess.¡± She snorted. ¡°Just don¡¯t get cocky. Dying might be a minor inconvenience for you, but us mortals like to keep our guts on the inside.¡± I cracked a grin. ¡°Noted. Let¡¯s take five, gear up, and see what else is out there for us to break.¡± She gave me a playful smack on the shoulder. ¡°Atta boy. Then let¡¯s give the apocalypse something to worry about.¡± I laughed, ignoring the swirl of carnage around us. Because in this messed-up new reality, we had one thing most people didn¡¯t: Hope. And if that hope came in the form of an old lady, a shaky marksman, a new recruit, and a respawning lunatic with a baseball bat¡ªwell, the monsters could choke on it.