The world did not end with a dramatic big bang. For Mark Miller, the apocalypse began with the long, continuous beep of a jammed photocopier and the pungent stench of burning human flesh.Mark lay beneath the ruins of a shattered concrete desk. His left ribs were no longer in their proper place. Every time he tried to draw a breath, a sharp pain, like the stabbing of a thousand hot needles, pierced his lungs. A thick, warm fluid flowed from his temple, seeping into his right eye and casting a red filter over the horrific scene before him."Cough! Uh... dammit," Mark cursed.Blood spilled from his mouth, soaking his now-tattered white shirt. The world did not look okay at this moment. For some reason, this strange atmosphere had suddenly manifested right before his eyes.In the middle of the destroyed meeting room stood The Shredder. The creature was an insult to the laws of nature. It was three meters tall, its skin pale and dry like old parchment, and where its fingers should have be

[System: "Warning: You lack the necessary points to execute that action. That is a blatant public falsehood."]"Shut up! Mark retorted internally. They don't know that!"David hesitated, his eyes lingering on Mark’s injuries—the fingers twisted at impossible angles, the caved-in chest, and the flickering aura of madness in his eyes. Their fear of a wounded Mark, it seemed, had begun to outweigh their pity."Help me stand," Mark commanded, his voice deep and menacing despite his shallow breaths. "Now. Before I change my mind and leave you to face whatever is waiting in the stairwell alone."With trembling hands, David approached and braced Mark’s shoulder."AAAGH! Easy, you bastard!" Mark snapped as David’s touch hit a massive bruise. He nearly blacked out as the pain detonated once more, like a cluster bomb exploding within his joints.[System: "Highly manipulative social interaction detected. Loyalty Points +10 for successful intimidation while in a critical state. Balance: -440 Poin

Thick concrete dust hung suspended in the air, dancing within the beams of the colossal mechanical eye that pierced through the shattered pantry wall. Amidst the carnage, Mark Miller stood with an uncanny stillness—an emotional anomaly fueled by the neon-green fluid he had just consumed.The icy sensation coursing through his veins made Mark feel as though he were merely a spectator in a film of his own life. He knew his ribs were crushed; he knew his fingers were turning a bruised indigo, but his numbed mind no longer registered the signals of alarm."Subject Miller," the voice of The Auditor resonated like a thousand colliding radio frequencies. "Your work efficiency exceeds the average employee in this sector. However, the financial report of your life... shows an unacceptable deficit."Mark wiped the black ichor of The Janitor from his cheek, meeting the mechanical eye with a flat, hollow gaze. "Deficit? I just finished cleaning up the mess on this floor. Isn't that what you peopl

The silence within the opulent room was more suffocating than the dust-choked air of the spiral staircase. The man behind the executive desk exhaled a cloud of cigar smoke that smelled of expensive vanilla—a sickening contradiction in the midst of a rotting world.Mark Miller did not move. His hollow eyes were locked onto the man’s throat. In the periphery of his vision, a crimson system notification pulsed incessantly, demanding execution.[System Order: EXECUTE TARGET NOW][Status: Priority SSS][Delay Penalty: Erasure of Self-Awareness in 60 seconds...]"Mark, wait!" Sarah screamed from the doorway, her voice trembling. "He said that contract is a suicide note for humanity! We have to hear his explanation!"The well-dressed man offered a thin smile, as if Sarah’s plea were nothing more than insignificant background noise. "The System is afraid, Mark. It fears I will tell you that you aren't saving the world. You are building a much larger prison for—"WUT!Without warning, Mark lun

The lingering static from the "system penalty" still prickled Mark Miller’s nerve endings as he landed on the scorched asphalt of Residential Sector 4-B. Smoke curled from his charred shoulders, but Mark only grunted, rolling his neck with a sickening crack. Thanks to the mysterious "hacker" from The Underground, the lightning meant to incinerate him had been diverted to recharge the Budget-Cutting Chainsaw in his grip.[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: HELPDESK OPERATIONAL][Status: Reboot Complete.][Message: "Operator Miller, baiting lightning is a severe violation of Workplace Safety SOPs. This has been noted in your behavioral conduct report. Now, please resume asset clearing."]"A conduct report? Am I back in high school now?" Mark spat, his blood mingled with soot. "I nearly died, and you’re worried about SOPs? Where’s your corporate empathy, huh?"[Helpdesk System: "Empathy has no exchange value on the galactic stock market, Mark. Efficiency, however, is at a premium. Before you lies a cl