CONNECT; Rise Of The Undead King

Over a thousand years ago, the earth trembled under the wrath of the Ghouls. They swept across the land like a plague of fire and shadow, they took the form of the creatures they devoured, their hunger insatiable, their fury unending. Villages were reduced to smoldering ruins, crops withered into ash, and mighty cities crumbled beneath their relentless onslaught. They were not mere beasts they were abominations of flesh and malice, creatures that thrived on suffering, their very existence a curse upon the world.

Their thirst was singular: human blood. It fueled them, drove them, made them stronger with every life they devoured. To them, humans were nothing but prey, weak, fragile, and yet the only species daring enough to stand in their way. The Ghouls craved more than just slaughter; they sought dominion, a world drowned in darkness where mankind would kneel or perish.

For centuries, the war raged. Battlefields ran red with the blood of countless warriors who dared to defy the Ghouls’ reign. Fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters fell before their monstrous tide, their screams swallowed by the night. Hope flickered like a dying flame, threatening to vanish entirely until a hero rose.

His name was a controversy, but his legend endured. With unbreakable will and a blade that shone like vengeance itself, he rallied the broken remnants of humanity. Under his command, the tides turned. The Ghouls, once unstoppable, were forced back, their numbers dwindling under the relentless counterattack. Step by bloody step, they were chased into a corner. A siege in the mountains.

With the hero's leadership a colossal barrier forged from iron and desperation was made It stood as the final prison, sealing the Ghouls away in their cursed lands. For a thousand years, the world knew peace. The Ghouls faded into myth, their horrors whispered only in cautionary tales.

Humanity forgot. They built, they prospered, they grew complacent. The Siege stood silent, a relic of a forgotten war, until the day it cracked.

Fast forward to the modern world, the Siege, standing unbroken for a millennium, finally gave way. At first, it was just a crack, a hairline fracture in the ancient barrier, barely noticeable. But like a dam holding back a flood, the weakness spread. The crack deepened, widened, until it became a gaping maw, a hole torn between worlds. And from that darkness, they poured forth.

Their hunger, starved over centuries of imprisonment, was a ravenous storm. Their rage, festering in the abyss for a thousand years, had twisted into something far worse vengeance.They did not just hunt; they punished. They did not just destroy; they erased. Skyscrapers that once kissed the sky were reduced to rubble in hours. Entire districts vanished beneath waves of fire and fang. People fled in terror, their homes left behind like discarded husks, the streets choked with screams and smoke.

Humanity, fractured by old wars and petty conflicts, now faced annihilation. There was no choice but unity. Countries that had once turned their weapons on each other now forged an unprecedented alliance, pooling armies, intelligence, and resources into a single desperate purpose: survival. The world’s greatest minds convened in bunkers and war rooms, strategizing not for victory, but for the mere chance to endure.

Technology became the last hope. Top tech corporations, rivals in another life, merged their research, their patents, their brightest engineers. Laboratories worked day and night, dissecting every known weakness of the Ghouls, every shred of data from the ancient wars. What emerged was a new era of warfare: armor that could withstand their claws, weapons that could pierce their hides, drones that tracked their movements through infrared and sonar.For the first time since their return, the warriors of mankind did not just fight—they fought back on equal footing. And sometimes, they even overpowered them.

Humanity waged a desperate struggle against the Ghouls, a war written in blood and fire across the world. But of all these battles, none shone brighter in legend than the Battle of Askalan, where courage defied the impossible.

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The sun hung high over the university courtyard, casting a golden glow over the sea of graduates in their caps and gowns. Among them stood Ali, the top student of his programming class, his chest swelling with pride as his name echoed through the speakers.

"Ali Al Hadi the top student of 20** programming class!" the announcer boomed.

From the stands, his family erupted in cheers. His mother waved frantically, her phone raised to capture the moment, while his younger siblings chanted his name. His father clapped proudly, a broad grin on his face.

Ali crossed the stage, shaking hands with the dean before returning to his friends, who immediately surrounded him with playful jabs and laughter.

"Did you see Fadi dancing Dabka like a madman?" Ali teased, nudging his friend in the ribs. "I thought you were summoning demons!"

Fadi rolled his eyes but grinned. "Hey, at least I celebrated properly! You just stood there like a statue!"

Karim, another friend, snorted. "Fadi, that wasn’t Dabka, that was cringe. I’ve seen goats with better rhythm."

The group burst into laughter, shoving each other as they posed for pictures. For a moment, everything was perfect, until the world shattered.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion ripped through the air. The ground trembled, and screams erupted as heads whipped toward the shore. The university stood dangerously close to the water, and now, chaos spilled from the docks.

At first, people thought they were seeing things—sharks? No. These were not sharks. Their movements were too sharp, their eyes too scary. Then the disguises melted away, revealing ghastly, gray-skinned figures with red eyes and jagged teeth, Ghouls.

They surged forward like a tidal wave, tearing through fishermen, tourists, and port workers. Blood painted the docks as the creatures screeched, their hunger driving them toward the university.

"What the hell is that?!" Fadi shouted, his voice cracking.

Ali’s stomach dropped. "We need to get away from here, Now!"

Panic erupted as students and faculty stampeded in every direction. The Ghouls scaled walls, leapt onto rooftops, and crashed through gates, their inhuman shrieks drowning out the screams.

Ali grabbed his friends. "This way! To the main building!"

But as they turned, a Ghoul landed in front of them, its maw dripping with saliva. It grinned. Graduation day was over. Now, it was about survival.

Ali’s heart pounded as he and his friends sprinted through the chaos, the screams of students and the guttural snarls of Ghouls filling the air. They were almost at the main building, just a few more steps .

"AHHH! HELP!"

Karim’s cry ripped through the noise as a Ghoul lunged from the side, its clawed fingers wrapping around his arm. The creature yanked him backward, but Ali and Fadi immediately grabbed Karim, pulling with all their strength.

"LET HIM GO!" Fadi roared, his face twisted in fury.

The Ghoul hissed, its grip tightening, but for a brief moment, it seemed like they might win—until a second Ghoul dropped from above, landing right behind Fadi.

"FA—!"

Ali’s warning came too late. The Ghoul’s claws sank into Fadi’s shoulders, dragging him down. The force sent Ali stumbling back, hitting the ground hard. He looked up just in time to see his friends being torn apart.

"NO!"

Karim’s scream was cut short as the first Ghoul buried its teeth into his shoulder. Fadi thrashed, but the second Ghoul wrenched his head to the side, ripping into his back. Blood sprayed, their bodies convulsing as the creatures fed.

Ali’s breath came in ragged gasps. His friends were gone in seconds. The Ghouls dragged their limp bodies away, disappearing into the frenzy.

His body moved by itself. He scrambled to his feet, his mind screaming one thought, my family.

He turned and bolted toward the stands where his parents and siblings had been sitting. The once-packed bleachers were now a warzone, people trampled each other, Ghouls picking off stragglers. His heart clenched as he searched frantically. Then, he heard a whimper.

Under the seats, huddled in terror, were his mother and younger sister, Amena. His mother clutched her close, her eyes wide with fear.

"Ali! Thank God!" she sobbed as she hugged him.

"Where are Dad and the boys?!"Ali demanded, scanning the area.

His mother’s face crumpled. "They were trying to protect us, a Ghoul appeared and the twins made him chase them, your father told us to hide here and went after them."

Before Ali could respond, a guttural growl echoed behind him. A Ghoul crouched on the bleacher above, saliva dripping from its jaws.

Amena screamed.

Ali shoved his mother and sister behind him, grabbing a broken chair leg from the ground.

"Run!" he barked. "NOW!"

The Ghoul leapt, just as Ali swung with all his might. The Ghoul’s jagged teeth clamped down on the stick, splintering it in half as it whipped its head violently. The force sent Ali crashing to the ground, pain shooting through his back. Gritting his teeth, he scrambled to his feet and grabbed his sister and mother, pulling them forward.

"Run!" he urged, his voice raw with panic.

Behind them, the Ghoul snarled, its claws scraping against the pavement as it gave chase. His mother gasped for breath, his sister stumbling as exhaustion took over. Ali knew they wouldn’t last much longer. Spotting a restroom ahead, he yanked them toward it.

"Get inside, lock the door and don’t make a sound!" he ordered, shoving them in before slamming the door shut.

The Ghoul’s attention snapped to him. Ali didn’t hesitate—he turned and sprinted in the opposite direction, leading the creature away. His lungs burned, his legs screaming in protest, but he pushed forward.

Then, he skidded to a stop.

Ghouls emerged from every shadow, their red eyes locking onto him. He was surrounded.

"Damn it…" he muttered, fists clenching.

He fought, he tried to kick and punch, he tried to grab anything to swing—but it wasn’t enough. Razor-sharp teeth sank into his shoulder, his leg, his arm. Pain exploded through his body as he collapsed, blood pooling beneath him. His vision blurred, the Ghouls closing in for the kill.

Then he heard a voice.

A strange, mechanical vioce filled his ears, and before him, a glowing screen materialized in the air.

[Congratulations, you've been chosen by the system to become the next Armored Knight. Please make a choice.]

[ 1. Start over the day with a new Armor and level up.

2. Reject the invitation of the system and die.]

Ali’s breath hitched. His body was broken, his friends were gone, his brother and his father were missing his mother and little sister were still in danger.

There was only one choice.

With the last of his strength, he reached out, and selected Option 1.