2026-08-12 16:20:45Chapter 1
The deafening roar of machines echoed throughout the factory, filling every corner of the massive building. Metal clanged against metal while conveyor belts moved without rest. Outside, the sun had long disappeared beyond the horizon. Darkness covered the city as the moon silently took its place in the night sky. While most people were asleep in the comfort of their homes, Owen was still at work. His shoulders ached with every movement. Sweat soaked through the back of his faded uniform, and dark circles beneath his blue eyes made it obvious he hadn't slept properly in days. Strands of messy brown hair stuck to his forehead as he lifted another heavy crate onto the conveyor belt. He had worked the morning shift. Then the afternoon shift. Now he was halfway through the night shift. His body begged him to stop, yet his hands never slowed. A sharp vibration came from his pocket. Owen paused and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his gloved hand before pulling out an old smartphone with scratches covering almost every corner. The name Vivian flashed across the screen. He answered immediately. "Hello, Vivian. What's up?" "Owen..." Her voice sounded tired. "Are you still doing the night shift?" He forced a small smile even though she couldn't see it. "Yeah. I had to." Silence lingered between them. Finally, Vivian spoke again. "Okay... but come home early tomorrow morning. Mum's illness started acting up again. Try to buy some medicine on your way back." Owen's grip around the phone tightened. His eyes drifted toward the old clock hanging high on the factory wall. Past midnight. Even if he left now, every pharmacy nearby would already be closed. "I will," he said softly. "Take care of Mum until I get back." After ending the call, he slipped the phone into his pocket and returned to work. Please hold on until morning, mum. If he finished early, he could leave the moment his shift ended. Heavy footsteps echoed across the concrete floor. Thud. Thud. Thud. Owen didn't need to turn around to know who it was. "Hey, Owen." He looked over his shoulder. John stood behind him with his usual arrogant grin. The giant of a man towered over everyone in the factory. At nearly six foot seven, his broad shoulders blocked part of the light above them. "Once you're done with your work," John said lazily, "finish mine too. I feel like catching some sleep." Owen shook his head. "Not tonight. My mum is sick. I need to get home as soon as this shift is over." John's smile disappeared. "And that's supposed to concern me?" A few workers nearby snickered. "Hurry up and do my work first." John's voice became colder. "Then you can run into your mummy's arms." Laughter spread through the group standing behind him. Owen's jaw tightened. "I'm sorry," he said, keeping his voice calm. "I really can't help you tonight." John's face darkened. "You dare tell me no?" Before Owen could react, John grabbed the front of his uniform and yanked him forward. His feet nearly left the ground. "Are you tired of breathing?" John roared. Owen grabbed John's wrist, trying to loosen the crushing grip around his collar. "John, let him go!" "No fighting inside the factory!" Several workers rushed over and grabbed John's arms, trying to pull him away. It was useless. John barely moved. Instead, Owen became the one being dragged back and forth between them. His vision blurred. His exhausted body could no longer keep up. Stop... He wanted to say it. No sound came out. Just as darkness began creeping into the edge of his vision— A sharp ringing exploded inside everyone's heads. "Ah!" "What is that?!" "My ears!" The piercing sound grew louder with every passing second. Workers dropped to their knees one after another, clutching their heads in agony. Some screamed. Others rolled across the floor. Even the machines seemed quieter beneath the unbearable ringing. Owen collapsed onto one knee. His head felt as though it would split open. His heartbeat pounded wildly against his chest. Just when he thought he couldn't endure another second— Ding. The pain disappeared. A glowing blue screen materialized before his eyes. --- | Earth has been selected for the universal trial. Congratulations, Host. You have passed the first stage of the Universal Trial. Acquiring System... Beginning integration... Error. Error. Unknown malfunction detected. Integration with the Universal Trial System has failed. | "W-What..." Owen stared blankly at the floating screen. His breathing became uneven. "What... is this?" He blinked. The screen remained. He squeezed his eyes shut for several seconds before opening them again. The glowing blue screen was still floating silently before him. The blue screen flickered once before new words appeared. | The Origin System is searching for compatibility with the host... Syncing... Integrating the host's data into the Origin System... Sync complete. Compatibility rate: 100%. Congratulations. The Origin System has chosen the host. | Owen froze. His mouth slowly fell open. A... system? His heart pounded against his chest. He blinked several times, half expecting the glowing screen to disappear. It didn't. His fingers trembled slightly. This... wasn't this exactly like the systems in those web novels he read whenever he had a little free time? Another screen appeared. | Host Name: Owen Wilson Age: 24 Occupation: Factory Worker Stats Strength: 15/50 Agility: 15/50 Stamina: 15/50 Endurance: 35/50 Energy Orbs: 0 Ding! New Quest Available. Gather 20 Energy Orbs to unlock a fragment of the Origin System's history. | Owen stared at the words. His brain refused to process what he was seeing. "What... is going on?" A blood-curdling scream suddenly tore through the factory. "Aaaahhh!" Owen's head snapped up. The blue screen vanished instantly. His pupils shrank. Several workers had collapsed onto the floor. Their bodies jerked violently as though invisible strings were pulling them in every direction. Crack! One man's wrist bent backward with a sickening snap. Another worker's fingers curled into impossible shapes. Bones shifted beneath their skin. Necks twisted until they rested at horrifying angles. The sound of popping joints echoed throughout the factory. Owen felt his stomach tighten. "What the..." A low growl came from beside him. He turned sharply. John. The giant man's body convulsed uncontrollably. Thick veins bulged beneath his skin while his muscles twitched violently. His head hung low as his entire body trembled. Without thinking, Owen stumbled backward and quickly got to his feet. Something was terribly wrong. Then... Everything became still. The twitching stopped. The growling disappeared. For one brief moment, the factory fell silent. Only the endless hum of the machines and conveyor belts echoed through the building. John slowly pushed himself off the ground. Pop. Pop. Pop. His joints cracked one after another. His head jerked upward. Milky white eyes locked onto Owen. There was no recognition. No anger. No humanity. Only hunger. A chill shot down Owen's spine. "Oh, shit..." He instinctively took another step back. John opened his mouth. "ROARRR!" He lunged. Owen threw himself to the side just as John's hand swept past where his neck had been. At the same moment— The other workers who had collapsed opened their eyes. Every single pair was completely white. A chorus of inhuman growls erupted across the factory. They charged at the remaining workers. Chaos exploded. "Help!" "They're biting people!" "Run!" A woman screamed as one of the twisted workers tackled a man to the ground. Another worker shoved people aside in a desperate attempt to escape. Fear spread through the factory like wildfire. Without anyone saying a word, everyone ran. One destination filled every mind. The exit. Owen stared at the factory doors. They were only thirty meters away. But between him and freedom... The monsters were already feeding. He tightened his fists. Then he ran. But deep down, he knew not everyone would make it out alive.
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Into the first rift
As realization dawned on the group, faces went pale."No."First Lieutenant Becky spun around and sprinted toward the front lines."First Lieutenant, get back in your line!" Lieutenant Colonel Jeffrey shouted.Becky didn't slow down."Sir, you have to listen to me. Right now."Jeffrey's brows pulled together."What is it?""Sir, remember the system's warning? It said not to enter with fewer than twenty people in a group.""Isn't that why we have them going in groups of thirty?" he snapped.What a short-tempered man. How did he become a Lieutenant Colonel?Owen kept the thought to himself.By now, the line had stopped moving. Everyone nearby was watching Becky."Sir, don't you understand?" Becky pointed toward the rift. "Everyone in a group is supposed to hold hands before entering. Otherwise, they'll be sent to random locations inside the rift."She swallowed."And that's instant death."A wave of gasps swept through the crowd."My sister already went in!""Does that mean she's going
something was wrong
Somehow, it felt as if every zombie had disappeared. The silence was almost unnatural. Owen looked around, his fingers tightening around the crowbar still in his hand. Just moments ago, the streets had been filled with snarls, screams, and the sounds of people fighting for their lives. Now, nothing. It was as if the zombies could feel the weight of the rift hanging above them. Soon, they reached a wide-open field. The place was crowded. Hundreds of people had gathered there, civilians packed together while soldiers moved through the crowd, shouting instructions and trying to keep everyone organized. The noise was overwhelming. People were asking questions. Some were crying. Others were desperately looking around, wondering what they were supposed to do next. "Where are the weapons?" "Are we supposed to fight those things with our bare hands?" "I don't even know how to use a weapon!" Owen glanced around. The soldiers at the front were trying to coordinate everyone, but
Origin wielder
Chapter 6The three of them charged.Owen gripped his crowbar tightly.The first zombie reached him.He swung.Crack!The crowbar smashed into its jaw, sending broken teeth flying as the creature spun sideways.Before it could recover—Owen stepped forward.Another swing.The second zombie's skull caved in.The third roared and lunged.Owen ducked beneath its arms and drove the crowbar upward.Crunch.Its body collapsed at his feet.Silence.Owen stood there breathing heavily.Not because he was exhausted.But because...The little boy had almost died.He looked toward him.Kai stood frozen.Tears streamed down his cheeks.Then he suddenly ran toward Owen.Before Owen could react, the boy's tiny arms wrapped around his waist.Owen's body stiffened.After a moment, he sighed and gently ruffled Kai's hair."It's okay."---A few minutes later, they sat inside the same car.A loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter lay between them.Neither of them spoke.The only sound was the quiet ch
To rescue a little kid
Chapter 5The streets weren't the only places drowning in chaos.Across the world, government buildings buzzed with frantic activity. Officials rushed through hallways carrying stacks of documents while military officers barked orders over ringing phones. Giant monitors filled with maps, satellite feeds, and emergency reports covered the walls.The first priority was restoring communication.Teams worked around the clock to bring phone signals and internet services back online. As networks gradually stabilized, an emergency broadcast was pushed through every available television station, radio frequency, and mobile device.Everyone received the same message.Stay indoors. Avoid unnecessary travel. Wait for further instructions.Not long after, the President of the United Nations appeared on screen.His usually calm expression was heavy with exhaustion."Following the emergence of the Universal Trial System—which, from every report we have received, has appeared before every human bein
The price of hesitation
Chapter 4Owen swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. That roar... It wasn't the shriek of a zombie or the howl of a wild animal. It was deep enough to shake the air itself, echoing across the city like distant thunder. His eyes drifted toward the glowing rift hanging in the sky. A chill crawled up his spine. Whatever was behind that thing, it was huge. Owen tightened his grip around the crowbar until his knuckles turned white. Rifts. If his memories from all those novels were worth anything, they were gateways. Leave one open long enough, and zombies would become the least of humanity's problems. The real monsters would start pouring out. He rubbed a hand down his face, forcing himself to breathe. Panicking wouldn't help. Then another thought crossed his mind. "I killed a zombie..." Shouldn't he have gotten something for it? Owen focused on the Origin System. A translucent blue screen shimmered into existence before his eyes. Lines of text scrolled upward as he ment
A corrupted trial
Chapter 3Beyond the skies. Beyond the heavens. Beyond the reach of mortal eyes. Silence ruled the Observation Tower. Darkness swallowed the vast chamber, broken only by the emerald glow of countless holographic screens suspended in the air. Streams of glowing symbols flowed across them like rivers of light, painting the room in shifting shades of green. Azaria stood alone before the largest display. Her long purple gown hugged her figure, the high slit revealing one toned leg whenever she shifted her weight. Golden bracelets rested around her wrists, their polished surfaces reflecting the green light. Her silver hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall. The streams of data moved with perfect rhythm. Until— BEEP! A crimson light flashed at the top of the central screen. Once. Twice. Again. Azaria's breath caught. "...No." The whisper escaped before she realized she'd spoken. The red light continued to pulse. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. Her eyes widened as more crimson warni
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