Apocalypse: SSS-Rank Monster Breeder

​CHAPTER 1:

​The crimson countdown timer bleeding through the clouds hit zero, and reality shattered.

​It wasn't a sudden explosion, but a slow, agonizing tearing of space. The sky above the city didn't merely darken; it cracked open like brittle glass, exposing a swirling violet void beneath. Inside the Grand Plaza Mall, the morning rush turned into an absolute slaughterhouse in seconds.

​Jagged, dark portals ripped through the air directly in front of luxury boutiques and perfume kiosks. From these spatial tears, hideous, green-skinned goblins carrying rusted daggers tumbled out. They let out high-pitched, mocking shrieks, instantly butchering anyone within reach. Blood splattered across polished white marble floors, mingling with dropped shopping bags, shattered glass, and the desperate screams of thousands.

​Inside Creature Comforts, a luxury pet store on the ground floor, seven survivors scrambled frantically to stay alive. They slammed the heavy security gates shut, barricading the glass storefront with display shelves, bags of premium food, and overturned metal tables.

​"Everyone, calm down! Stop screaming and check your heads!" shouted Mr. Shola, the store manager. A stocky, balding man in his late forties, his tailored suit was now rumpled and smeared with dust. He white-knuckled a heavy metal mop handle as a translucent blue holographic screen floated before his sweat-slicked face. "The System voice... it said we've all awakened our initial talents! Look at your interfaces!"

​Mr. Shola’s hands suddenly erupted in sputtering orange flames. The fire wrapped around the metal handle, turning the steel white-hot. He let out a breathless, arrogant laugh. "I’ve awakened a B-Rank talent: Blazing Blade! I can turn any weapon into a fire sword! We can survive this!"

​The trapped shoppers cheered, their initial terror momentarily replaced by the intoxicating thrill of supernatural power. They quickly swiped through the air, shouting out their statuses.

​"I got C-Rank Speed Boost! I can outrun a car!"

​"D-Rank Stone Skin! My arms are turning into rock!"

​"I got water manipulation! I can shoot high-pressure streams!"

​Near the rear animal enclosures, nineteen-year-old part-time employee Mark Shola stood completely silent. He didn't join the cheering. His mind remained cold, analytical, and sharp—a mindset forged through years of surviving on his own. Raising his hand, he gently swiped his index finger through the air. A glowing blue window flared to life.

​[System Interface]

​Name: Mark Shola

​Class: Beast Master

​Talent: Divine Beast Synthesis (Rank: ???)

​Status: Current level insufficient to reveal true rank. Enables the sight of hidden evolutionary pathways, bypasses evolution cooldown constraints, and fuses unique creature traits to create entirely new lifeforms.

​Mark stared at the three question marks. In a world where everyone bragged about B and C ranks, the System couldn't even quantify his ability. But before he could process the implications of Divine Beast Synthesis, a deafening crash shook the store.

​BOOM!

​The wooden barricade blew backward, splintering into kindling. The reinforced iron gate groaning and buckled inward as a massive, seven-foot-tall Orc stepped through the wreckage. Its skin was a mottled, sickly green covered in thick scars, and yellow tusks protruded from a jaw dripping with saliva. In its trunk-like arms, it swung a heavy iron mace the size of a grown man.

​"Help me move the main display counter! Block the inner hallway!" Mr. Shola panicked, the flames on his mop handle flickering violently as his courage evaporated. He backed away toward the rear exit, eyes darting around frantically.

​Suddenly, a bright violet light flashed behind the cash register. A heavy metallic chest decorated with ancient, glowing runes materialized out of thin air—a System drop.

​Mark stepped forward to grab an iron cleaning rod to help defend the line. But as he passed the register, Mr. Shola lunged with a wild, greedy glare. Ignoring the approaching monster entirely, the manager dived over the counter, snatched the glowing purple chest, and violently shoved Mark backward with all his strength.

​"Sorry, kid! Every man for himself in the apocalypse!" Mr. Shola roared.

​Unprepared for the betrayal, the shove sent Mark flying. He crashed hard onto the slick tile floor, landing directly in the Orc's path.

​Mr. Shola didn't look back. He bolted through the backdoor followed by the six other shoppers, slamming the heavy fireproof security door shut behind them and throwing the deadbolt into place.

​Mark was locked inside. Completely alone.

​The Orc let out a ground-shaking roar, its yellow eyes locking onto Mark. It raised its iron mace high into the air, ready to crush him into paste. Mark scrambled backward on his hands and knees until his heel hit a dented metal cage in the dark corner of the room.

​Inside sat an injured, mud-caked stray dog. Mark had rescued it from an alleyway the night before, ignoring his manager's complaints about keeping trash in the store. The dog's hind leg was badly mangled, its ribs visible beneath matted gray fur.

​Yet, as the giant green monster approached, the stray didn't cower or whimper. It limped out of the open cage door, planted its three working legs firmly on the blood-slicked tile in front of Mark, and bared its teeth. Its small frame shook with raw fury as it let out a fierce growl, shielding Mark from a monster ten times its size.

​A sharp, crystal-clear chime echoed in Mark’s mind.

​[System Alert]

​Target Identified: Common Stray Dog (Injured / Malnourished)

​Hidden Evolutionary Pathway Detected!

​Unlock Requirement: 1x Low-grade Monster Crystal / Demonic Energy Source (Extractable from the Orc’s weapon tip)

​Bond Status: 100% (Loyal unto Death)

​Would you like to bind this creature as your First Bound Beast?

​Mark looked at the fierce, battered dog willing to lay down its life for him, then up at the descending iron mace. A cold, dark determination settled over his soul. His manager had left him to die, and the world had descended into madness. But this dirty stray was willing to stand against hell for him.

​"Bind!" Mark shouted, his voice echoing through the ruined shop. "Bind him and unlock the path!"