Apocalypse System: I Evolve by Devouring Everything

I Ate Their System

The darkness shattered.

It broke into millions of black fragments that slowly faded, swept away by the cold wind of reality. Jhonatan's consciousness snapped back. His eyes flew open, but what he saw was no longer the void of Sector 0. It was no longer the embrace of Emma's body.

He was back in the rotten real world.

Jhonatan's breath was ragged. Something from the Void was still left under his skin. It was cold, empty, and threatening. The shadow of Sienna's betrayal still felt like a dagger being twisted in his back. Jhonatan could feel it, as if a pair of eyes from that darkness were constantly watching him, even here, in the ruins of his world.

BRRRTTT. COUGH.

The sound of a sputtering helicopter engine broke the silence above his base. Jhonatan stood on the thirtieth-floor balcony, looking at the sky that was the color of cigarette ash. There, a military helicopter with a faded silver wing logo struggled against gravity. Black smoke billowed thickly from its tail, while its blades let out an ear-splitting metal screech.

"Hey, Boss. Wake up. Look, there's an iron bird about to die in our yard."

Sarah's shout echoed from downstairs, bouncing off the empty concrete walls.

Jhonatan spat down below, trying to get rid of the bitter taste from the sudden simulation transition. "I'm not blind, Sarah. You're so loud in the morning."

"Geez, so sensitive. That's a military helicopter, Jhon, not a broken kite. If it explodes in the lobby, we'll all be barbecue," Sarah appeared on the stairs, panting, her soot-covered face tense.

Jhonatan didn't answer. He narrowed his eyes, focusing on the flying object. Instantly, a neon blue digital interface appeared on his retina.

[Target Detected: UH-60 Military Transport Helicopter (Modified)]

[Status: Engine Damage 70% - Hydraulic Failure]

[Passengers: 6 Humans (Bio-Sign: Stable, Fully Armed)]

"Get down now," Jhonatan ordered without turning his head. "Tell the others. Get your weapons ready, but don't shoot first if they're not looking for trouble."

"Got it, Boss. Should I wake up Emma?"

"Don't," Jhonatan intercepted quickly. His voice softened for a moment. "Let her rest. She went through something insane last night."

Fragments of memory from Sector 0 flashed back, Emma's struggle, the Void's threat. It felt so real that his hand trembled slightly. He had to protect that girl, no matter the cost.

The helicopter finally gave up. With a deafening crash, the iron bird made an emergency landing in the cracked concrete parking area. Dust and gravel flew everywhere, obscuring the view.

Jhonatan didn't use the stairs. He stepped over the balcony railing and dropped down. However, instead of crashing, his body descended with a terrifying grace. Through the Alpha System, he manipulated the gravity around him, landing as lightly as a feather on the asphalt, just a few meters from the still-burning helicopter wreck.

The helicopter's sliding door was forced open. Several men in camouflage uniforms with bulletproof vests came out coughing, covered in dust. They immediately formed a tactical line, aiming their assault rifle muzzles at Jhonatan.

"Don't move! Hands up!" one of the soldiers shouted, his face smeared with oil.

Jhonatan smirked. He casually put his hands in his pockets as if the gun muzzles were just plastic toys. "Visiting someone's house and being so rude? You're uninvited guests, you know."

"Hey, kid! Can't you see this uniform? We're the military! Where is your leader? Call him now!" another soldier barked, his voice trembling between anger and fear.

"Leader?" Jhonatan stepped forward, letting the tips of their rifles almost touch his chest. "You're looking at him now. My name is Jhonatan. And this is my territory. So, you better lower those toys before I turn you all into plant fertilizer."

"So arrogant, you punk. You think your dad owns the world?!"

"The world doesn't belong to my dad," Jhonatan took another step. The air around the soldiers suddenly grew cold and heavy, as if the earth's atmosphere was trying to crush their lungs. "But this city... this city belongs to me."

"Enough, soldier. Don't waste bullets on useless threats."

A middle-aged man with a colonel's rank stepped out of the helicopter. His face was hard as stone, with a long scar that made him look even tougher. Bram. He patted his men's shoulders, signaling them to lower their weapons.

"So, you're the one named Jhonatan? The one who's been messing with the military communication system in this sector?" Bram looked at Jhonatan with a judging stare.

"Messing with it? I was just cleaning up monster trash, Colonel. If your signal got disturbed, that's your crappy technician's problem," Jhonatan replied indifferently.

"I'm not here to debate technicalities. My name is Bram. And I have a mandate to secure all subjects with 'anomaly' potential in this city. Including you." Bram stepped closer until his face was just inches from Jhonatan's.

"A mandate? From whom? The government hiding in underground bunkers eating steak?" Jhonatan laughed mockingly, his laughter dry and sharp. "You're too late, Bram. The old world is dead. The law you're carrying is just trash paper now."

"Military law still applies as long as I hold a gun," Bram snapped. "I'll give you an easy choice. Come with us to headquarters for 'examination,' or you leave here in a body bag."

"Wow, a tempting offer. What color is the body bag? I prefer black, to match my hair," Jhonatan replied, his eyes glinting with defiance.

"You really want to die, don't you!" Riko, a muscular soldier, aimed his weapon again. "One order from the Commander, and your brain will be splattered on the asphalt!"

"Riko, shut up!" Bram barked. His eyes locked back on Jhonatan. "I heard you have a unique system. Alpha, right? The Galactic Federation, uh, I mean, my superiors need that data."

Jhonatan froze for a moment. Galactic Federation? That name was the same as the arrogant beings who destroyed the world order. So it was true, the military had become servants to those invaders from the sky.

"Galactic Federation, huh? So you're an alien ass-kisser now, Bram? You're just embarrassing your uniform," Jhonatan spat right in front of Bram's boot.

Bram's face turned beet red. "You don't know anything about what we're facing! We are cooperating for the survival of humanity!"

"Survival or slavery? I know how they work, Bram. They just want to turn us into batteries!" Jhonatan shouted. His energy began to overflow, making the pebbles under his feet vibrate and float into the air.

"Enough! Attack him! Capture him alive, if he resists, cripple him!" Bram ordered, his patience gone.

"Come on! Step up if you're tired of living!" Jhonatan prepared himself. The air in his right hand solidified, forming a crackling black energy sword.

However, before the clash could happen, Bram raised a small, silver triangular device that pulsed with blood-red light.

"You think you can win with just muscles?" Bram pressed a button.

BZZZZZZTTT!

A high-frequency wave exploded from the device. Jhonatan suddenly collapsed, clutching his head, which felt like it was being stabbed by thousands of hot needles. His vision shattered. The Alpha System in his retina glitched, displaying thousands of chaotic red code lines.

[WARNING! ALPHA FREQUENCY INTERFERENCE DETECTED!]

[SYSTEM EXTERNALLY LOCKED]

[HOST AUTHORITY DECREASED TO 15%]

"Argh! Damn it... what did you do?!" Jhonatan groaned, his breath ragged between the pain that shattered his focus.

"This is a system suppression technology from our 'partners,' Jhon. You are strong, but you are still using the system *they* created. You think you can win against its creators?" Bram approached, looking at the helpless Jhonatan with a sickeningly triumphant smile.

"You cunning dog," Jhonatan tried to get up, but his body felt as heavy as a mountain.

"Riko, tie him up with the anti-energy chains. Now!"

Riko stepped forward with a satisfied smirk, pulling out glowing blue silver chains. "How about it, Boss? Still want to choose the body bag color? Now you better think about how to breathe during interrogation!"

THUD!

Riko kicked Jhonatan's stomach hard, sending him sprawling on the asphalt. Jhonatan vomited blood, but his eyes still glinted with vengeance. In his mind, he screamed at the entity inside him.

'System! Wake up, you bastard! Don't let these military dogs win!'

[Attempting Bypass Protocol. Failure.]

[Attempting New Encryption. Loading.]

"Hey, Commander! Look! There's a hot chick on the balcony!" one of the soldiers shouted, pointing toward the building.

Sarah stood there, aiming a sniper rifle. "Let my boss go, or I'll blow your commander's head off!"

Bram laughed lowly. "Go ahead and shoot if you dare, Miss. But remember, our helicopter wasn't the only one that came here."

Suddenly, from behind the ruined skyscrapers, three Apache attack helicopters emerged. Their caliber cannons spun, locking onto Jhonatan's base.

"Lower your weapon, or this building will turn to dust in seconds!" Bram threatened through a loudspeaker.

Sarah bit her lip, her hand trembling on the trigger. She looked at Jhonatan lying on the asphalt. "Jhon! What do we do?!"

Jhonatan slowly lifted his head. A terrifying thin smile appeared on his bloody lips. "Sarah... don't lower your weapon."

"What?! But Jhon, you could die!"

"I said... don't lower your weapon," Jhonatan whispered, but his voice traveled through the air like a pure vibration that shook the bones.

Suddenly, the triangular device in Bram's hand began to shake violently. Its red light turned pitch black, and the device's temperature suddenly became so hot that Bram was forced to drop it on the ground.

"What's happening?! The device is broken?!" Bram panicked.

"You said I'm using the system they created?" Jhonatan stood up slowly, even though the anti-energy chains were wrapped tightly around his hands. "You're wrong, Bram. I'm not using their system. I ate their system."

KRAAAKK!

The silver chains shattered into pieces as if they were made of cheap glass. A pitch-black aura exploded from Jhonatan's body, destroying the asphalt around him, forming a small, cracked crater.

"Impossible! That device should have locked the Alpha system up to ninety percent!" Bram stepped back, his face pale as a ghost.

"Alpha? I'm past that, Bram. Now, welcome to the new era." Jhonatan raised his left hand toward the sky. "System! Activate: Anti-Air Gravity Crush!"

[Command Received.]

[Target Locked: 3 Apache Helicopters.]

In an instant, the three attack helicopters in the sky suddenly stopped mid-air. Their engines roared loudly, trying to fight against an invisible gravitational pull. The next second, the helicopters plummeted at an incredible speed, as if a giant hand was pressing them from the sky to the ground.

BOOOM! BOOOM! BOOOM!

Three massive explosions shook the earth, creating giant fireballs that illuminated the grey city.

Bram's soldiers fell to their knees, their faces filled with pure terror. They were no longer facing a human, but a walking disaster.

"Riko! Shoot him! Quick!" Bram screamed hysterically.

Riko, trembling, tried to pull the trigger. "D-die, you devil!"

BANG!

The bullet flew, but Jhonatan just tilted his head slightly. The bullet only left a thin scratch on his cheek before he vanished. The next second, he was standing right in front of Riko.

"Your shot... is pathetic," Jhonatan whispered.

He grabbed Riko's face with one hand, then slammed the soldier's head against the wrecked helicopter body. The sound of metal meeting bone was horrifying. Riko went limp instantly.

"Who's next?!" Jhonatan challenged, his eyes now glowing purple, staring at the other soldiers.

"Don't come closer! I have a grenade!" a soldier tried to pull the grenade pin.

Jhonatan just waved his hand, and the grenade was released, floating toward him, then disintegrated into dust before it could explode. "Toys like that won't work, bastard."

Bram tried to draw his pistol, but Jhonatan was faster. He choked the colonel's neck and lifted him into the air as if the man were lighter than a piece of paper.

"How about it, Bram? Where's your mandate? Where's your Galactic Federation? Why aren't they helping their loyal dog?" Jhonatan tightened his grip.

"Ugh... you... will... regret..." Bram gasped.

"Regret is for losers, Bram. And I don't plan on losing today." Jhonatan brought his palm to Bram's forehead. "System! Execute: Neural Devourer!"

[Initiating Memory Extraction.]

[Warning: Target will experience permanent brain damage. Continue?]

"Just do it! I need an address for my next visit."

Purple light streamed into Bram's eyes. The colonel screamed without a sound, his body convulsing as memories and military secrets were forcibly sucked out by Jhonatan.

"Jhon! Stop! That's enough!" shouted Sarah, who ran out with the survivors. "You could kill him!"

"That's the point, Sarah! You think they would have let us live?!"

However, in the middle of the process, a static voice was heard from the walkie-talkie on Bram's shoulder. The voice was cold, mechanical, and didn't sound human.

"Subject Jhonatan... your actions have exceeded Earth's security protocol limits."

Jhonatan stopped the extraction, bringing the radio to his mouth. "Hey, who's this? The boss of these camo dogs?"

"I am Inquisitor Valerius of the Galactic Federation. You have stolen our property, and you have killed our asset personnel. From this moment, your city is declared a Total Elimination Zone."

"Elimination Zone? Wow, I'm so scared!" Jhonatan laughed mockingly. "Come here if you dare!"

"We do not need to come, Jhonatan. We have already sent a 'gift' for you. Look to the north."

Jhonatan turned his head. From behind the black clouds, a giant pillar of blue light descended from the sky, hitting the city center with a force that made the earth tremble violently. A giant portal opened, and from within, thousands of winged mutated monsters, ten times larger than usual, emerged.

"Damn it... what now?!" Sarah gaped.

"That is our cleaning crew. Enjoy your end of the world," the voice on the radio disappeared in a hiss of static.

Jhonatan threw Bram's lifeless body aside. He stared at the horde of monsters starting to fly across the sky toward his base.

"Everyone inside the building! Prepare for maximum defense! Where's Emma?!"

"I'm here, Jhon!" Emma ran out of the lobby. Her eyes glinted with a different aura since last night. "I can feel them... there are thousands!"

"Em, can you use your Legion power to create a shield?"

"I'll try, Jhon! But I need time!" Emma immediately sat cross-legged, concentrating her energy until the ground beneath her cracked.

Jhonatan stood in front of Emma, wielding his energy sword. The Alpha aura overflowed, covering the entire base in a thick black-purple mist.

"Sarah! Take everyone to the basement!"

"What about you, Jhon?! You're going to fight thousands of monsters alone?!"

Jhonatan turned his head slightly, smirking wildly until his fangs showed. "Who said I'm alone? I have a hungry system, and up there... that's a free buffet for me."

The first monster, a scaleless dragon with four wings, dove down with its mouth wide open. Jhonatan leaped high, spinning his body in the air, and slashed the monster's head in half with one clean motion.

CRAAAASSSHH!

Green blood splattered on the asphalt. Jhonatan landed on the monster's carcass, staring at the thousands of other creatures approaching. "Come on, all of you! I'll eat you until my system pukes!"

However, just as the horde was only a few dozen meters away, one giant monster in the front row suddenly exploded from the inside. From behind the fleshy ruins, a man in luxurious golden armor emerged, radiating an incredible pressure.

The man held a spear of light that made the air around Jhonatan suddenly hard to breathe.

"Subject Jhonatan," the man spoke with a calm tone that vibrated the foundation of the building. "My name is Valerius. And I am not here to talk, but to—"