Rise In The Apocalypse

Chapter 3: The Choice

Max moved his attention toward the Survival Tools Cache.

"I’ll go with you..."

[ You have selected the Survival Tools Cache. ]

[ You may now receive your Talent. ]

Max could only hope he hadn’t made the wrong call. The truth was, he had no idea where he would appear.

The fire starter meant he could produce heat and cook food—assuming he managed to find any—without depending entirely on luck. The pocket knife was small, but reliable. It could serve for cutting, carving, or even self-defense if things got desperate.

The rope and compass would help with movement and navigation through unknown territory, while the whistle and thermal blanket might very well keep him alive in emergencies.

Compared to a revolver with limited bullets, these tools felt more dependable. They could be reused again and again, lasting much longer—so long as he wasn’t thrown straight into combat the moment he arrived in the starting region.

"Hmm?"

At that moment, Max noticed something new in the corner of his vision.

A loading bar had appeared.

[ Beginning Survivor Analysis... ]

[ Scanning biological data... ]

[ Vital signs stable. ]

[ Neural activity detected. Cognitive adaptability: Above Average. ]

[ Emotional stability: Moderate. ]

[ Physical endurance: Low. ]

[ Risk assessment: High. ]

[ Cross-checking Apocalypse parameters... ]

[ Matching optimal Talent configuration... ]

As the messages continued appearing, Max felt strangely exposed, as though the system were peeling him apart layer by layer.

[ Analysis complete. ]

[ You have awakened your Survivor Talent! ]

[ You have equipped your Tier 1 Survivor Gear. ]

The notification never revealed what Talent he had gained, but Max assumed he would find out soon enough.

He let out a weak smile.

Everything was moving far too quickly. Despite the countless books he had read and the many fantasy games he had played, experiencing something like this in real life still felt unreal.

Even so, he understood one thing clearly—he had to remain calm.

Especially when circumstances were beyond his control. That mindset was something he had learned during years working as a systems engineer.

Panicking wouldn’t solve anything.

This was already happening.

The next second, his vision warped. His body felt oddly weightless, and before he could even draw another breath, the white void around him shattered.

"Uhmmmm?"

When his sight cleared, he found himself standing somewhere that smelled of rot.

"...A garbage dump?" Max muttered.

He was surrounded by towering piles of trash. Broken furniture, corroded metal scraps, ripped plastic bags, and heaps of spoiled food were stacked everywhere. The smell was unbearable, forcing him to cover his nose with his sleeve.

"What the hell? Why drop me here?!"

This had to be one of the worst starting areas imaginable… or maybe it wasn’t?

Turning slowly, he examined the surroundings.

There was no one else.

He was completely alone.

Above him, the sky looked dull and lifeless. There was no sunlight, no trace of blue—only a thick blanket of gray clouds pressing down over the world.

Max glanced down at himself.

Then he froze.

"Hmm?"

His office clothes had vanished.

In their place was a set of rough, practical gear—a dark jacket, tough pants with multiple pockets, sturdy boots, and a belt fitted with simple pouches. It wasn’t fashionable, but it was clearly designed for survival.

"...Starter equipment," he muttered. "So this is how it starts."

Max clenched his hands, forcing himself to stay composed.

He wanted to take a deep breath, but the stench was too strong. Breathing deeply here would only make him sick.

Looking around again, he realized the landfill stretched endlessly in every direction.

The silence only made it worse.

Mountains of trash blocked his view, preventing him from seeing how far the dump extended.

There were no birds overhead, no machines humming, no human voices.

Only the occasional rustle of garbage shifting in the wind.

Max slowly released a breath.

"Alright… step one. Survive."

He had already accepted the reality of the situation. With no family waiting for him back on Earth, there was nothing tying him down.

Fear was still there, gnawing at him, but he forced his thoughts into order.

Just as he settled his mind, another message appeared.

[ Welcome, Survivor of the Solvarian Continent! ]

[ As a beginner in this Apocalypse Event, you are granted three days of Beginner Protection. Hostile entities will not appear within your area. ]

[ However, leaving your starting zone will immediately end your Beginner Protection. ]

[ Use these three days to explore and prepare for the first week’s Mech Siege to earn a reward! ]

[ Hint: You only need to survive the Mech Siege within your region. Whether you escape or fight them off is entirely your choice! ]

"Beginner protection, huh…" Max nodded slightly after reading the notification.

Soon he noticed a small digital timer sitting in the corner of his vision, confirming the three-day countdown.

Thankfully, whoever—or whatever—had brought them here wasn’t completely merciless.

The mention of a Mech Siege was definitely worrying, but if he could find a good hiding place, survival might still be possible.

As for his overall objective here…

He remembered the earlier system message clearly.

The fate of the continent is in your hands. Survive and earn the title that is rightfully yours, and save your own world.

‘I have to survive, gain some kind of title… and then save the world?’ Max thought.

It obviously wouldn’t be that simple.

But he would do whatever he could to stay alive.

‘Wait… I still have my Talent and that Cache. How do I check them?’ he wondered.

He paused briefly, trying to figure out if there was some command to display his information.

Then, remembering the many games he had played, he tried something simple.

"Status."

A soft chime sounded in his ears.

A blue panel appeared in front of him.

[ Survivor Status ]

[ Name: Max

Title: Beginner Survivor

Level: 1

Health: 100/100

Spirit: 50/50

Stamina: 50/50

Talent: Weekly Gift Cycle (Rare)

Active Skills: None

Passive Skills: None

Inventory:

Survival Tools Cache (Basic) ×1 ]

"What kind of Talent is this?" Max muttered as he focused on its description.

Just the name alone didn’t sound especially impressive… but sometimes abilities were more powerful than they appeared.

"Let’s see…"

[ Weekly Gift Cycle (Rare): You receive three Caches every week. These packs are delivered automatically at the start of each cycle, and you may freely choose which ones to claim. This Talent guarantees a steady flow of resources, granting you a consistent advantage when planning your survival. ]

"Three Caches every week? Seriously? But… is that actually good?" Max wondered aloud.

At least the system labeled it as Rare, which sounded much better than Common or Uncommon.

Still, he remembered what those caches contained. Facing machines and A.I. overlords with nothing but those supplies would be extremely difficult.

Maybe impossible.

Unless he simply stayed hidden forever.

Technically, if he kept receiving weekly supplies, he could survive that way.

If he found a bunker—or some hidden place—he could just stay there quietly and wait for everything to end.

‘Living like that… no way.’ Max shook his head.

Even if it was practical, he hated the thought of it.

But before he could relax any further, the blue panel flickered again.

The letters began distorting, breaking apart like corrupted data.

"What now?!"

[ Error... ]

[ Talent configuration mismatch. ]

[ Reassigning... ]

[ Error... ]

[ Override detected. ]

[ Talent Upgraded: Infinite Cache (SSS) ]

Max froze.