Sweet Apocalypse System

Chapter 2

“How was that, Sir? Satisfied with our trial service? Don't forget the five-star rating!”

The voice didn't come from his ears, but buzzed directly inside Boby's skull. The tone was cheerful, shrill, and extremely annoying—exactly like a credit card salesman calling during work hours.

Boby jumped. He looked left and right. "Who is that? Hey! What demon is talking?!"

[Not a demon, Boss Man. I am the Universe Father Protocol System. Or just call me 'Sweetheart' for short.]

The text on Boby's retina flickered, displaying an annoying smiling emoticon.

While Boby was busy arguing with his digital hallucination, the zombies in the warehouse weren't waiting for introductions. Five living corpses charged forward simultaneously. One of them, a former convenience store security guard built like a two-door wardrobe, swung a baton toward Boby's head.

"Watch your left, Boss! That baton will hurt if it hits your forehead!" the System shouted.

Boby's body moved on its own. His reflexes increased by a thousand percent. He ducked to avoid the swing with a movement as smooth as a salsa dancer, then his left hand—still glowing with a reddish light—gripped the collar of the zombie guard's uniform.

"What's your weight, anyway? Go on a diet!" Boby cursed.

With a single breath, Boby slammed the hundred-kilo zombie into the crowd of others.

BAM!

The effect was like a bowling ball hitting pins. Five zombies behind him were sent flying, their bones instantly crushed as they collided with the concrete wall.

"Holy hell..." Boby stared at his hands again. "I... I'm that strong?"

[Of course. That's the power of 'Dad Getting Mad When He Sees the Electric Bill Went Up'. The effect instantly increases muscle mass and bone density. But remember the duration, Boss! Only 40 seconds left!]

"Forty seconds? You're so stingy!"

[It's a Free Trial from a piece of expired chocolate. If you want a longer duration, you need premium sugar intake. Now, go smash those lackeys!]

Boby looked around. The warehouse was narrow. Dozens of zombies blocked the only exit. In the corner, Dogy was busy biting the leg of an old lady zombie, but the dog was starting to get overwhelmed by the encirclement.

"Dogy!"

Seeing his best friend threatened, Boby's berserk mode fully activated. His fear vanished, replaced by pure adrenaline and skyrocketing blood sugar.

Boby shot forward.

"Get out of the way, you compost scraps!"

WHAM!

A straight punch shattered the chest of a zombie in a business suit. Its ribs exploded out of its back.

Boby spun, performing a spinning kick he dubbed the "Overdue Motorcycle Payment Kick." His right foot struck three zombie heads simultaneously.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

The three heads popped off their necks, rolling on the floor like soccer balls.

"Take that! Die, you!" Boby laughed hysterically. His laughter sounded insane, a mix of desperation and euphoria. "I'm a doctor! I know anatomy! Your weak point is the C1-C2 neck joint, right? Huh? Answer me! Why so quiet?"

Boby grabbed a heavy iron shelf that would normally take four people to lift. He hoisted the shelf as if it were made of Styrofoam, then used it as a giant blunt weapon.

"GROUND LEVEL PUNCH!"

CLANG!

The iron shelf was swung horizontally, sweeping the front line of zombies flat to the ground. Body parts scattered. Black blood, rotten guts, and slime splattered everywhere, turning the warehouse into a butcher's swimming pool.

Dogy, who had just managed to break free, leaped onto a stack of instant noodle boxes to avoid being trampled by his master's rampage. The dog's eyes were wide, his tail tucked between his hind legs. His look was clear: 'My master has gone completely insane. Definitely crazy.'

[Ten seconds left, Boss! Finishing Move recommended!]

"What's the Finishing Move?!" Boby yelled, holding the jaw of a zombie trying to bite his arm.

[The Fatherly Affection Slap! Slam both hands against the target's ears!]

Boby didn't ask questions. He released his grip, then simultaneously slapped both sides of the zombie's head with open palms.

SLAP! ... SPLASH!

The zombie's head didn't just break; it exploded into a red mist. The air pressure generated by the slap even cracked the small glass window in the warehouse ventilation.

[Time Expired. System Cooling Down.]

As the notification appeared, the red glow on Boby's body faded. His enlarged muscles shrank back to their normal size—the size of a middle-aged doctor who rarely exercised.

And that's when the punishment came.

"UGHHH!"

Boby collapsed to his knees. His stomach felt like it was being squeezed by a giant hand. His intestines twisted violently, as if a blender had been turned on inside his stomach.

"It hurts... it hurts so bad, you bastard..." Boby groaned, clutching his abdomen. His face was deathly pale. Cold sweat poured down again, this time even heavier.

[Side Effect Active: Sugar Crash + Snack Food Poisoning. Enjoy the sensation of god-tier stomach cramps, Sir.]

"You damn System... you didn't say... it would hurt this much..." Boby coughed, his saliva tasting sour.

He felt incredibly weak. His energy was completely drained, running a deficit. His hands shook so violently he couldn't clench his fingers.

Around him, the warehouse was silent. No zombies were left standing. They were all minced meat. There was only the sound of Boby's heavy breathing and Dogy jumping down from the boxes.

Dogy approached Boby, sniffing his pale face. The dog licked Boby's cheek once, cleaning off a splatter of black blood.

"I... I'm still alive, Dog..." Boby whispered weakly. He tried to smile, but his lips trembled. "I was the Hulk... for fifty seconds... cool, right?"

Dogy snorted, then barked softly toward Boby's pants pocket.

"What? You looking for leftover chocolate? It's gone, you greedy dog," Boby grumbled, trying to sit up against the slime-covered wall.

But Dogy didn't give up. He bit the edge of Boby's dirty lab coat and pulled.

Boby obeyed, dragging his body. It turned out that behind the wreckage of the shelf he had used to strike, there was a small, dented but unopened box.

Contents: Fruit-flavored gummy bears.

Boby's eyes lit up. "Gummy bears... Liquid glucose..."

With trembling hands, Boby tore the wrapper and poured the contents into his mouth. The artificial sweetness was instantly absorbed by his oral mucosa.

[Detecting Glucose Intake... Reducing side effects by 10%.]

The pain in his stomach subsided slightly, though the cramps still lingered. His breathing began to regulate.

"Better..." Boby took a long breath. "System, explain. What exactly are you? Why are you in my head?"

Silence for a moment. Then the blue screen reappeared.

[I am a Legacy System embedded in your genetic code. Activated by extreme stress triggers and abnormal sugar intake. My goal is simple: Ensure your survival and... produce an 'Heir'.]

"An Heir? You mean a child? I already had children... once..." Boby's voice softened, his eyes clouding with sadness. "They're gone."

[Correction. The Heir in question is a virus-immune Super Human. Your genetics have now been modified. You are a walking antibody factory. But you need... *ahem*... a production partner.]

"A production partner? You mean another factory?"

[I mean a Mother, Sir. A Woman. An Eve. A bed partner.]

Boby glared. "Hey! Pervert brain! The world is ending and you're thinking about crotches?!"

[This isn't about lust, Sir. It's about species survival! Besides, your body now needs a 'Stabilizer'. If you keep using Glucose power without channeling biological energy, your organs will explode within a month. Your kidney cracked a little just now.]

"Huh? My kidney cracked?!" Boby panicked, feeling his side. It did feel sore.

[That's why we need a Priority Mission.]

Suddenly, the screen turned red and flashed. An alarm blared loudly in Boby's head, making him cover his ears.

[WARNING! EMERGENCY MISSION DETECTED!]

A digital map appeared, showing a radar with a blinking red dot. The distance was close. Very close.

[Target: Potential Mother No. 1]

[Location: Building Across the Street, 4th Floor.]

[Identity: Irene (Ex-Spec Ops / Bodyguard).]

[Status: CRITICAL. Surrounded, Ammunition Depleted.]

[Mission Reward: Organ Stabilizer (Heals 20% kidney damage) + Unlock Feature: 'Wandering Eye' (Enemy Weakness Detection).]

Boby frowned. "Irene? I don't know her. And why should I save someone else? I almost died myself just now!"

[If she dies, you lose the chance to gain a natural Healer. And your kidney damage will worsen if you use your power again. The choice is yours: Be a single man with a damaged kidney, or have a beautiful bodyguard?]

Boby looked at Dogy. "Dog, what do you think? Do we bail or do we help the girl?"

Dogy tilted his head, then barked twice toward the air vent that faced the building across the street.

"You really are a dog-pimp, aren't you. Only excited when it comes to girls," Boby grumbled.

He tried to stand. His legs were still shaky, but the gummy bears gave him enough energy to walk. He looked out the broken ventilation window.

Across the narrow street, in the former office building, flashes of gunfire could be seen from the fourth floor. Faintly, he could hear a woman screaming obscenities.

"BASTARDS! COME AT ME! I'LL STICK A PEN IN YOUR EYES!" the voice yelled.

Boby winced. "She's fierce. Is that really a potential Mother? She sounds like a market thug."

[Strong women are sexy, Sir. Good genetics for your future child. Stop overthinking. Your sugar reserves are only enough for one jump and maybe two punches.]

Boby sighed deeply. He picked up the remaining gummy bears and put them in his coat pocket. He also grabbed a small crowbar lying on the floor.

"Okay, System. We'll take your crazy offer. But if I die falling off a building, I'm going to haunt your processor circuits forever."

[Noted. Now, run and jump, Sir! Use 'The Desperate Frog Leap'! Cost: 50 Calories!]

Boby backed up a few steps, taking a running start. Dogy had already jumped onto the windowsill, watching his master, waiting.

"In the name of God... For the sake of my kidneys..."

Boby ran. On the last step, he felt his leg muscles instantly solidify again. He pushed off the warehouse floor, cracking it, then launched his body through the ventilation window, flying across the narrow alley on the second floor toward the roof of the building opposite.

Mid-air, in a ridiculous floating pose—arms outstretched, legs spread—Boby yelled:

"HOLD ON, TOUGH LADY! THE PACKAGE OF LOVE AND CANDY IS COMING!"

Unfortunately, his landing wouldn't be as cool as his jump.