The Horde

I gave her everything. She gave me a grave. Jayden Cole died exactly the way he lived: sacrificing everything for the people he cared about. His girlfriend, Lilly. His best friend, Kyle. He gave them his loyalty, his resources, and ultimately, his life. But when the horde came knocking, they were the ones who unbolted the door and let the nightmare in. Then, he woke up. It was the same city, the same girlfriend, and the same best friend, smiling at him as if nothing was wrong because, for now, nothing was. Not this time. This time, Jayden isn't going into the fray empty-handed. While the rest of the world sleepwalks toward the coming outbreak, he’s quietly building an empire in the shadows, stockpiling supplies, securing safehouses, and amassing a fortune no one knows about. And when the system finally triggers, granting everyone the powers they need to survive the dead, his gift is different. He didn't get fire. He didn't get ice. He got the truth. Every lie, every ulterior motive, every mask Lilly and Kyle wear, he sees right through them. And the more his rage builds, the stronger he grows. All he has to do now is wait. They betrayed him once and called it survival. This time, he’s going to make sure they regret ever being born.

Three years after the Great Resonance shook the world, New York City has become a war zone. Skyscrapers have turned into monster-filled dungeons. Central Park has mutated into the Green Abyss. And the ancient bloodline families hidden for centuries now rule the city like ruthless kings. Kai Vance is a nobody. A broke bike courier with no pedigree, no power, and no future. Until the day a monster horde corners him and a calm, mechanical voice speaks in his mind: << Aura Ascendancy System initializing… >> Suddenly, Kai’s life is rewritten. The System grants him quests, perfect techniques, and refinement paths the elites spend years mastering. While noble heirs struggle to reach Level 11, Kai is being pushed toward the unimaginable Level 13. His rapid rise draws attention and danger. The Astors want to control him. The Guan Yu clan wants to recruit him. The Tammany underground wants him dead. And a dormant bloodline within him marked only as is awakening, one that terrifies even the oldest families. Worse, the monster attacks are becoming organized… almost intelligent. Earth itself seems to be evolving, and the noble families are ready to sacrifice the rest of humanity to survive. Armed with a System designed for the ordinary, Kai must master every refinement stage, rally the scattered System-Blessed, and fight through dungeons, beasts, and corrupt aristocrats to claim his destiny. From a nobody courier to the Demi-King of the city, Kai will rise and rewrite the fate of a reborn world.

"You used to say a piece of bread was worth more than my life, didn't you? Well, look at me now. I have everything, yet I would rather feed this to my guard dog than toss it to traitors like you. The world has changed, Cindy. In my world, you are not even worth the dust on my shoes." The apocalypse was not the end of everything. It was the beginning of the reckoning of sins. When the black meteor Khamul crashed into the continent of Eldoria, the world transformed into a living hell overnight. Axel Edward was betrayed by his girlfriend for a single piece of moldy bread and thrown into a horde of zombies to die. However, death instead awakened a miracle: the 100x Rebate System. The rule was simple. Give any resource to a woman chosen by the system, and receive a return up to a thousand times over in god-tier quality! Give away a sip of leftover water? Axel received an entire warehouse of pure mineral water. Give away a rusty kitchen knife? Axel received a steel-shattering laser vibration sword. Offer basic shelter? Axel received an invincible divine fortress. While the rest of the world shivered and starved in the dark, Axel was busy figuring out how to finish his fresh Wagyu beef and taking hot baths inside his grand palace. Alongside the goddesses who had sworn absolute loyalty to him, Axel would ascend to the highest throne. To those who betrayed him: prepare to beg for death. To the ruined world: bow down and worship your new ruler.

“Your family’s blood runs thick with treason.” The words seared into young Thorne Valtor’s mind as he watched his world crumble. His uncle’s guards dragged his father away in chains, accused of murdering the grandfather Thorne barely knew. His mother lunged forward, desperate to stop them, only to be cut down in a spray of blood right before his eyes. “Mother!” Thorne’s scream echoed uselessly as blades flashed again. His father broke free for a heartbeat, grabbing Thorne in a frantic escape attempt, but arrows felled him mid-stride. Thorne crumpled beside his father’s body, the warmth of life fading under his small hands. The uncle’s shadow loomed over him. “You’re no longer needed here, boy.” Sold into slavery to the neighboring kingdom of Eldoria, Thorne toiled in the brutal depths of their mining pits, his body scarred by whips and his spirit hardened by years of endless labor. Freedom came not from mercy, but from chaos: Eldoria fell under siege by a nameless horde wielding forbidden dark mage powers, their shadows twisting reality itself. Thorne fled through the carnage, crossing borders back to his homeland of Valeria, where he sought refuge in his father’s hidden sanctuary,a forgotten cavern etched with ancient runes. There, a sealed door his father had once whispered about beckoned. “It will open when the time is right.” The time was now. The door yielded, revealing five ethereal thrones occupied by spectral ancient mages. “He has returned, the chosen one.” They descended, pressing a glowing tome into his hands. “Within lies powers, Use it wisely, heir of the clovers. “Do the right thing.” Read on to unravel a tale where betrayal forges heroes, magic awakens legacies, and one boy’s choice could shatter empires or mend them.

"Mother," I opened my eyes. Everything around me is a haze. I gazed at the candlelight. It was wobbling from side to side. I noticed a woman seated near me, but everything was fuzzy. I heard a voice unexpectedly. It was a woman's voice, echoing in my ear. She was singing a low-toned lullaby. "Mother, is it you?" I heard my name, "Maxilin, I am here." "Mother," I said with a tremble in my voice. I have no idea what's wrong with me. I reached out cautiously to touch her, but she was out of my reach. "Where are you, mother?" "Oh, my beloved, try to hold me, come here, " "Mother," Maxilin tried to stand up, but he was too weak. Maxi narrowed his eyes in an effort to see her face clearly, but he couldn't because everything was fuzzy. A woman in a white outfit moved in front of his sight. Maxi took a few steps forward while still gripping the chair. "Mother, don't leave," he murmured, dizzily. As he said, he saw in his fuzzy vision that someone had opened the door. "Mother, please don't leave me," Maxilin pleaded. He let go of the chair's hold and dashed behind her. "Mother, don't leave me. Wait." In his frail state, he shouted and followed her. "Huf". In the middle of his path, he stopped. "Mother, you've left me here alone," "Maxi," he heard the voice unexpectedly. Maxi glanced up and looked around. It's all clear now, but he's stuck in the midst of the woods. He gazed up at the sky. A giant moon was staring at him, and a horde of deadly, voracious creatures were roaring around him. "Son," someone touched his shoulder, he looked back, saw a terrifying creature standing in front of him. "Hello, dear."