Rise In The Apocalypse

Chapter 2: Enter The Apocalypse II

"No freaking way..."

Max stared in disbelief as the world around him dissolved into pure white. He clearly remembered that more than six minutes were still left on the timer!

Yet somehow, the system had malfunctioned and locked in the last Apocalypse option he had been examining.

For a moment he tried to process what had happened, but he barely had the chance before new messages began appearing in front of him.

[ Welcome to the Solvarian Continent ]

[ The fate of this continent now rests upon you! Survive, earn the title destined for you, and preserve your own world! ]

[ Every Survivor will awaken a Unique Talent that will aid them in survival. ]

[ Before you begin, you may select one of the 10 Basic Caches prepared by the Lord of the Realms. ]

[ You have 10 minutes to choose. ]

[ Energy Cache ]

[ Entertainment Cache ]

[ Food Cache ]

[ Medical Cache ]

[ Shelter Cache ]

[ Stealth Cache ]

[ Survival Tools Cache ]

[ Transport Cache ]

[ Water Cache ]

[ Weapon Cache ]

Max frowned as he read through the unfamiliar message.

"Solvaria… Unique Talent… and these Caches. But I can only pick one? Out of ten? That’s… harsh."

His hands tightened into fists as the reality of the situation settled in.

The system had already dragged him into an apocalypse he never wanted. Now it was restricting the one advantage he could bring with him. He had no clue where he would even appear—whether it would be a destroyed city, a forest somewhere, or the middle of a battlefield.

At this point, Max had already pieced together the basic concept behind this Apocalypse.

It felt like humanity had been thrown into some kind of massive game.

People were presented with choices and then transported to another world depending on the apocalypse they selected. The whole thing really did resemble a game system.

Then Max suddenly remembered the earlier message mentioning a random starting region.

His eyes brightened slightly.

‘Right… a starting region. That probably works like a beginner village or something…’ he thought.

If that assumption was correct, then new arrivals should at least have a little breathing room during the early phase of the Apocalypse.

At least, that was what he hoped.

Besides, the system also mentioned that everyone would awaken a Unique Talent later.

For now, all he could do was look forward to that.

After steadying himself with a deep breath, Max began evaluating the options one by one.

Fortunately, the system included a brief description of each cache’s contents. The information wasn’t very precise about quantities or specifications, but it was enough to understand the general idea.

The first option appeared.

[ Energy Cache (Basic)

Contents: power bank, solar charger, batteries, radio. ]

"That might help if I end up somewhere with functioning technology… but if the entire grid is down, it’s useless." Max shook his head. "Way too situational."

Honestly, it was hard to imagine anyone picking something like this.

The next one appeared.

[ Entertainment Cache (Basic)

Contents: playing cards, a journal, books, harmonica. ]

"Entertainment? During an apocalypse?" Max scoffed. "Sure, mental health is important, but I’d rather not die clutching a harmonica."

He moved on immediately.

[ Food Cache (Basic)

Contents: canned goods, instant noodles, granola bars, tea bags, mayonnaise. ]

This time Max paused.

Food was no small matter.

"Food is essential… but without water, it won’t last long." He frowned. "And mayonnaise? Who even thought that belonged in a survival kit?"

Next came another option.

[ Medical Cache (Basic)

Contents: first aid kit, painkillers, antibiotics, bandages. ]

Max gave a small nod.

This one was clearly solid. Injuries were unavoidable in situations like this, and having medical supplies could easily mean the difference between life and death.

Still… if he only had one choice, he doubted most people would spend it on medicine.

He continued reviewing the rest.

[ Shelter Cache (Basic)

Contents: small tent, sleeping bag, flashlight, thermal blanket, rain poncho. ]

[ Stealth Cache (Basic)

Contents: camouflage suit, night vision goggles, silencer, smoke grenade. ]

[ Survival Tools Cache (Basic)

Contents: fire starter, compass, pocket knife, whistle, rope, thermal blanket. ]

Seeing these options made Max feel slightly more optimistic.

"Now these… these could actually keep someone alive."

He studied the shelter and stealth packs carefully.

If fighting wasn’t possible, hiding could still work.

But camouflage only helped against enemies that relied on sight. If the A.I. used thermal sensors or sound detection, stealth gear might not matter at all.

His attention shifted to the survival tools.

"Classic survival equipment," Max murmured.

"Reliable, but basic. Feels more suited for camping than an apocalypse. Still… better than nothing."

He moved on to the next pair.

[ Transport Cache (Basic)

Contents: folding bicycle, helmet, lock, repair kit. ]

[ Water Cache (Basic)

Contents: water filter, filled bottles, purification tablets, collapsible bucket. ]

Both had their advantages, but something about them felt limited.

Even if water was important, it could theoretically be collected through rain or other sources—assuming he didn’t spawn somewhere like a desert.

Finally, the last option appeared.

[ Weapon Cache (Basic)

Contents: revolver with six bullets, holster, extra ammo, hatchet. ]

Max stared at the description for several seconds.

"Finally… something practical."

Then he frowned slightly.

"But the extra ammo… how much is that exactly? Once it runs out, all I’ll have left is the hatchet. That’s more of a short-term advantage."

Still, Max couldn’t deny how valuable a gun could be.

If he ran into other Survivors who had chosen the same Apocalypse, conflict would almost certainly happen. In many situations, having a firearm could determine who walked away alive.

But every cache had its own drawbacks.

"Tsk… why only one?" Max muttered under his breath. "One wrong decision and I’m dead before I even get started."

The countdown continued to drop.

00:06:12.

Frustration crept into his chest.

"Damn it. I don’t even know what kind of environment I’ll spawn into. Choosing blindly is the worst part."

If the timer expired before he selected a cache, there was a real chance he would start with nothing at all.

And that would be even worse.

So after spending a few more minutes thinking it over, Max finally made up his mind.

"Well… looks like I’m picking you then…”