War God of the Apocalypse

Chapter 2: A second chance.

 "Will..."

 "Will..."

 "Will!"

 A familiar voice kept calling his name, growing more impatient with each attempt. Will slowly opened his eyes, his eyelids feeling heavier than they should have been. For a moment, he remained still, staring at the ceiling as he tried to make sense of his surroundings.

 What he saw wasn't the boundless darkness of the abyss or the cold, empty room where he had taken his last breath. Instead, he found himself in a room he knew all too well. The familiar ceiling, the furniture, and the faint smell of the room brought back memories he had thought were lost forever.

 "Are you planning to sleep all day?" the voice asked again, drawing his attention away from his surroundings.

 Will turned his head toward the voice, and his eyes immediately landed on the girl standing beside his bed. She had long black hair, blue eyes, and a curvy figure. It was Isolde Bells, his girlfriend.

 For a few seconds, Will simply stared at her, his heart pounding harder in his chest. He remembered the poison burning through his veins, the pain that had left him unable to move, and the cold indifference on her face as she stood over him with Jason. The memory was so vivid that his fingers instinctively curled against the bedsheets.

 Isolde Bells...

 The woman he had done everything for, the one he had trusted enough to sacrifice his own interests for, was standing before him as though nothing had happened. He could still remember how she had abandoned him to die, leaving him alone in that cold room while she walked away with Jason.

 His jaw tightened as anger rose within him, but he forced himself to remain calm. He didn't know how he had returned to this point in time, nor did he fully understand the mysterious power that had appeared at the moment of his death. However, one thing was certain: he had been given another chance, and he had no intention of wasting it.

 This time, he would live for himself.

 "You promised to get my family some things today. Have you gotten the loan yet?" Isolde asked, watching him expectantly.

 Will lowered his gaze and reached for his phone. The familiar device felt real in his hand, and when he checked the date on the screen, his eyes narrowed slightly. The numbers confirmed what he had begun to suspect.

 He had truly returned to the past.

 "Not yet, honey. The loan got rejected," he replied calmly, lifting his eyes to study her reaction.

 "What the hell? You promised you'd get it by today!" Isolde snapped, her expression twisting with irritation.

 Will looked at her for a moment, remembering all the times he had borrowed money, exhausted his savings, and put himself in difficult situations just to satisfy her demands. Back then, he had mistaken her willingness to accept his sacrifices for love. Now, with the memories of his previous death still fresh in his mind, he could hardly believe how much he had allowed himself to endure.

 "Well, if you're that much in need of money, you can get the damn loan yourself," he replied, his voice firm.

 Isolde froze, staring at him as though she hadn't heard correctly. Her blue eyes widened, and the anger on her face gave way to visible shock. Will had always been willing to help her, even when doing so meant putting himself at a disadvantage. Hearing him refuse so directly was clearly the last thing she had expected.

 "I'm sorry," she said after a brief pause, her voice suddenly softer. "I'll wait for the loan to come through."

 Will didn't bother answering. He pushed himself out of bed, got dressed, and made his way outside their apartment, leaving Isolde standing behind him.

 The moment he stepped outside, the cool morning air brushed against his face. He took a deep breath, allowing the sensation to settle in as he glanced at his phone again. The date remained unchanged, and the realization brought a sharp focus to his thoughts.

 He had only two weeks left before the first wave of the apocalypse arrived.

 Two weeks to prepare for the disaster that would tear the world apart.

 Humanity had once celebrated the discovery of a miraculous drug known as Evolyte. At first, it was hailed as a medical breakthrough capable of curing diseases that had plagued mankind for centuries. Then came another discovery: the drug could slow the aging process, allowing people to remain young for far longer than anyone had thought possible.

 But the changes didn't stop there.

 Evolyte eventually began to trigger mutations in humans, granting some of them extraordinary abilities. What should have been humanity's greatest blessing soon became the cause of a struggle for power. Nations and powerful factions fought to control the drug, and its properties were exploited to manufacture weapons. The resulting experiments and conflicts corrupted the earth itself, triggering further mutations and pushing the world toward the Doomsday Era.

 Will knew how that story ended. He had lived through the consequences once, and he had no intention of allowing himself to be caught unprepared a second time.

 Just as he was gathering his thoughts, a clear notification sounded in his mind.

 [Congratulations.]

 Will stopped in his tracks as a translucent red window appeared in front of him. Its sudden appearance caught him off guard, and he instinctively looked around to see whether anyone else could see it. The people passing nearby continued with their business, seemingly unaware of the strange display floating before him.

 His attention returned to the window as another message appeared.

 [Host has rejected an untrustworthy girl. You've been rewarded with 100 points and a spatial storage space.]

 Will stared at the notification, reading it twice to make sure he hadn't misunderstood. A spatial storage space? The words immediately brought back memories of the games he had played in his younger days. He was familiar with the concept, but seeing it appear before him in reality was an entirely different experience.

 A faint smile touched his lips as he began to understand what this could mean for his survival. If the system was real, then the storage space could prove invaluable during the coming apocalypse.

 "Show me the storage space," he said, keeping his voice low.

 The red window flickered, and a three-dimensional hologram appeared before him. It displayed a square-shaped room with plain walls and a clean floor, its dimensions resembling those of an average bedroom. The holographic image rotated slowly, allowing him to examine the available space from different angles.

 Will studied it carefully, taking note of its size. It wasn't endless, but it was certainly large enough to hold a considerable amount of supplies. He could store food, medicine, weapons, and other essentials without having to carry everything on his person.

 "That's decent enough," he muttered, nodding slightly as he continued to inspect the hologram.

 Another notification appeared, providing further information about the storage space.

 [The spatial storage space has a fixed capacity equivalent to an average bedroom. Items placed inside will remain in the exact condition they were in when stored. Time does not pass within the storage space, meaning food will not spoil, medicine will not deteriorate due to the passage of time, and stored objects will remain unchanged until removed.]

 Will's eyes brightened as he read the explanation. The ability to preserve food and medicine indefinitely would be a significant advantage in a world where supplies would soon become scarce. He could gather perishable food in advance and keep it fresh until he needed it, reducing the risk of waste and making his preparations far more efficient.

 However, the space had a limit, so he would need to use it wisely. He couldn't afford to waste valuable capacity on things that wouldn't help him survive.

 As he considered the possibilities, another question came to mind. The system had rewarded him for rejecting Isolde, but he needed to understand whether that was a one-time benefit or part of a larger mechanism.

 "Explain how the system works," Will said.

 The red window flickered again, and a new message appeared before him.

 [The Herem System rewards the host with points when he establishes meaningful connections and earns the trust of girls. Depending on the significance of the connection and the level of trust gained, the host may also receive additional rewards.]

 Will's expression grew thoughtful as he read the message. The system wasn't simply handing out rewards without a reason; its benefits were tied to the relationships he formed and the trust he earned. If he understood its rules, he might be able to use it to his advantage while preparing for the apocalypse.

 Still, he would need to learn more about how its rewards were calculated and what qualified as a meaningful connection. He had no intention of blindly relying on a system he barely understood, especially when his survival depended on making the right decisions.

 He glanced back at the apartment building, his expression turning cold as he thought of Isolde. Whatever connection they had once shared, he would no longer allow it to become a chain around his neck. He had already paid too much for his misplaced trust in his previous life, and he wasn't about to repeat the same mistakes.

 With the spatial storage space and the Herem System now at his disposal, he finally had an advantage he hadn't possessed before. The apocalypse was approaching, and two weeks would pass faster than most people could imagine.

 Will slipped his phone into his pocket and began walking, his mind already turning toward the supplies he needed t

o gather. He had no time to waste on Isolde or anyone else who would only drag him down.

 This time, he would prepare for the apocalypse on his own terms.