I Awakened the Apocalypse System

The First Kill

Ethan ran through the rain without daring to look back, his legs burning and his injured arm aching with every movement, though he knew he could not afford to stop while the timer kept counting down and reminding him that his mother’s life depended on reaching home before midnight. Less than four minutes remained, and behind him he could hear the creatures landing on the street and following close behind. When he glanced back for only a second, he immediately regretted it, because three dark figures were chasing him, appearing human from a distance but moving in ways that were unmistakably wrong, too fast and too fluid, their bodies bending in directions that made his skin crawl.

The blue screen appeared once more.

HOSTILE CREATURES DETECTED. SHADOW EATERS: LEVEL 1.

Ethan kept his eyes forward and continued running, wondering how he was supposed to survive three of these creatures when he had barely managed to defeat a single one earlier. Then a sharp pain shot through his head, and he understood instantly that his Danger Sense was warning him. As the pain intensified, he threw himself to the side just as a dark hand swept through the空气 where his head had been only a second before, one of the Shadow Eaters having caught up with him faster than he expected. He stumbled but forced himself to keep moving, only for the creature to land directly in front of him and cut off his path while the other two closed in from behind, leaving him completely surrounded for the first time.

The Shadow Eater blocking his way smiled, its black eyes locked on his, and Ethan glanced desperately between the three creatures as his mind raced. He could not fight them, and he could not outrun them, but giving up was never an option while his mother was still waiting for him at home. Looking around in search of anything useful, he noticed they were standing near a small gas station with a few cars parked nearby and no one else in sight, and suddenly he remembered the word the system had given him earlier. Fire. His eyes shifted toward the station, and a dangerous plan began forming in his mind.

The Shadow Eater in front of him lunged, and Ethan bolted toward the gas station with the creature close behind while the other two gave chase as well. Weaving between parked cars, he made his way toward one of the fuel pumps, his Danger Sense pulsing with warnings the entire time as the creatures closed in around him. Spotting a metal bar lying near the building, he snatched it up just as the first Shadow Eater rushed toward him, and he swung with everything he had, striking it across the head and knocking it to the ground. For a brief moment he stared in disbelief at what he had done, but his hope collapsed almost immediately when the creature rose back to its feet completely unharmed.

It came at him again, faster than before, and its long fingers caught his shoulder and threw him hard against a parked car, sending pain rippling through his entire body as he crumpled to the ground. The creature advanced slowly while the other two simply watched from a distance, seemingly content to let this one finish the job. Ethan tried to push himself up despite the pain, and when his eyes fell on the timer his heart sank.

TIME REMAINING: 00:02:11

Two minutes remained, and fear surged through him as he thought of his mother alone and waiting, knowing that failure meant the system’s promise would come true. “No,” he whispered under his breath, reaching for the metal bar as the creature closed the distance between them. It grabbed his leg and dragged him across the wet ground, making him scream as his injured arm scraped painfully against the pavement, but he refused to let go of the bar even as the pain nearly overwhelmed him. As the creature pulled him closer and its black eyes bore into his, he suddenly remembered the fuel pumps nearby, and with the last of his strength he swung the metal bar toward one of them.

The first strike did nothing, and the Shadow Eater opened its mouth to release that same horrible sound, but Ethan swung again, and this time a spark caught the fuel and ignited it instantly. The explosion that followed threw him backward and left him momentarily deaf, his body slamming into the ground hard enough to send pain shooting through his chest. When he finally opened his eyes, he saw fire spreading everywhere and the creature that had been holding him now engulfed in flames, screaming and thrashing across the ground as it tried desperately to escape the fire.

Ethan forced himself back onto his feet and noticed that the remaining two creatures had backed away from the flames, watching him warily, and it dawned on him that they were afraid. He grabbed the metal bar again, its end now glowing hot, and held it out toward them as they retreated further. Taking a step forward, then another, he watched the creatures continue backing away, and despite the terror coursing through his shaking body he refused to let it show. “Move,” he said firmly, and when they only stared back at him, he repeated himself with more force. “I said move.”

One of them charged at him without warning, and Ethan swung the burning bar into its chest, causing it to scream as fire spread rapidly across its body before it collapsed to the ground, dark smoke pouring from its form until it vanished entirely.

HOSTILE CREATURE ELIMINATED. YOU HAVE GAINED 10 EXPERIENCE POINTS.

He stared at the message in disbelief, realizing he had actually killed another one. The final Shadow Eater screamed and rushed toward him, but this time Ethan did not run, because even though his fear remained, something inside him had shifted. He now understood that these creatures could be destroyed. He held his ground as the creature approached, and when his Danger Sense flared in warning, he sidestepped just in time to avoid its attack before swinging the bar across its face, knocking it down. Before it could recover, he struck it a second time, setting its body ablaze until it too dissolved into smoke and disappeared.

HOSTILE CREATURE ELIMINATED. YOU HAVE GAINED 10 EXPERIENCE POINTS.

Breathing heavily, Ethan realized only one creature remained, standing several meters away and staring first at the flames and then at him. For a long moment neither of them moved, until the creature finally turned and fled into the darkness, leaving Ethan standing alone, alive, and utterly exhausted.

The blue screen appeared again.

MISSION UPDATE.

His heart nearly stopped when he looked at the timer.

TIME REMAINING: 00:00:48

Forty eight seconds remained, and his apartment was still far away. “No,” he said, turning and running past the burning cars and through the deserted streets, his body aching and his arm still bleeding, but none of it mattered anymore because his mother was waiting and he had to reach her in time. The timer kept falling, thirty seconds, and he caught sight of his building in the distance. Twenty seconds passed as he pushed himself faster, his lungs burning with every breath. At fifteen seconds he felt as though his chest might give out, and by ten seconds he had finally reached the front of the building. With five seconds left, he burst through the entrance, and the blue screen flashed before him one last time.

TIME: 00:00:00

Ethan stopped completely as everything around him fell silent, staring at the screen and wondering whether he had truly made it in time. Then a new message appeared.

PRIMARY MISSION COMPLETED.

He collapsed against the wall as relief washed over his entire body, knowing his mother was safe, at least for now. The screen shifted once more, displaying a final message.

CONGRATULATIONS, ETHAN COLE. YOU HAVE COMPLETED YOUR FIRST MISSION.

He slowly lifted his eyes as one more line appeared before him.

NOW, THE REAL GAME BEGINS.