WebNovels

Chapter 2 - Chapter 2: The First Choice

The countdown numbers burned into Lin Ye's vision.

71 hours, 59 minutes, 59 seconds.

He couldn't look away. They pulsed like the beat of a merciless heart, each second stripping away the fragile illusion that this was just a nightmare.

His breaths came uneven, ragged. He wanted to laugh, scream, deny it all—but the silence of the dead city pressed down on him, crushing those thoughts before they could escape.

The voice in his skull repeated with glacial calm:

[Please make your first Destiny Choice.]

Lin Ye shook his head violently. "No. I won't. This is insane. I'm not playing this game!"

For a moment, there was only silence. His chest heaved, sweat dripping from his chin onto the cracked pavement.

Then the system spoke again.

 [Warning. Delay in choice will result in Punishment Protocol.]

[Countdown to punishment: 10… 9… 8…]

Lin Ye's eyes widened in horror. His veins felt as though ice water had replaced his blood. "You're kidding…"

But the numbers fell, cold and merciless.

7… 6… 5…

His mind raced. Three choices. None of them were good. Death in 72 hours. Survival for three months before being hunted. Or… Future Tower.

The words chance to overturn destiny burned in his memory. It was vague, but it was hope. A sliver of light in a wall of darkness.

3… 2…

"Stop! I'll choose!" His voice cracked.

The countdown froze.

 [Choice required. State option number.]

Lin Ye's lips trembled. "Option Three. Future Tower."

The screen pulsed once, and the numbers reset.

 [Choice recorded.]

[Survival path updated.]

[Primary Objective: Reach the top floor of Future Tower in 72 hours.]

The words sank into his mind with the weight of chains. He was bound. There was no turning back.

And then sound returned to the world.

Distant horns blared, overlapping with shouts. Windows shattered in the distance. The illusion of silence broke, replaced by chaos.

Lin Ye spun toward the main street. Cars sat abandoned in every lane, their headlights dead. People stumbled through the shadows, their phone screens glowing faintly in their hands. Some screamed at the sudden blackout. Others argued, pushed, fought.

The city that had once felt so untouchable was unraveling within minutes.

"God…" Lin Ye whispered. "It's really happening."

He forced himself to move, legs trembling but unwilling to freeze. He had to reach Future Tower. He had seventy-one hours, and already the world was collapsing.

The streets twisted with confusion. Without lights, the city was a labyrinth of shadows. Lin Ye's phone had died the moment the crimson lightning struck, leaving him blind to maps, blind to contact.

Every corner he turned revealed more panic. A man smashed the window of a convenience store, hauling out bags of food. A group of strangers screamed at one another over a single working flashlight. Somewhere nearby, a gunshot cracked the air, silencing everything for a breath before the panic doubled.

Lin Ye's chest tightened. It wasn't just the blackout. It was fear—spreading faster than fire.

And beneath that fear… something else.

He saw it when he passed under another dead streetlamp. A man crouched on the sidewalk, clutching his head, groaning in agony. His skin bulged unnaturally, veins glowing faint red beneath the surface. His fingernails elongated as he scratched at the concrete, leaving gouges.

Lin Ye froze. His breath caught in his throat.

The man lifted his head. His eyes glowed faintly—an inhuman crimson.

The system's voice whispered coldly in his mind:

 [Warning: Mutation detected. First Stage Entity identified — "Infected."]

[Combat not advised. Escape priority.]

The man—or rather, the Infected—snarled, saliva dripping from jagged teeth. His gaze locked onto Lin Ye.

Adrenaline surged. Lin Ye bolted.

His shoes pounded against the pavement as he tore down the street, weaving between stalled cars. Behind him, the infected creature screeched and gave chase, its footsteps unnaturally fast, claws scraping against metal as it bounded forward.

"Shit, shit, shit!" Lin Ye's lungs burned. His body screamed for air, but fear forced him onward.

He vaulted over the hood of a car, slipped, nearly fell. The infected slammed into the vehicle behind him, crumpling metal with terrifying force.

Lin Ye's vision blurred with panic. He couldn't outrun it. Not for long.

Then, the system's voice cut through the chaos:

[Temporary Quest generated.]

[Objective: Escape the First Infected.]

[Reward: Destiny Points +10.]

Destiny Points? He had no time to ask. He just ran.

A narrow alley opened to his left. He dove into it, squeezing between dumpsters, lungs heaving. The infected creature slammed into the wall of the alley, shrieking as it clawed through brick. Dust rained down, but the narrow gap slowed it, buying him precious seconds.

Lin Ye staggered deeper into the shadows, his heart hammering. He could still hear the creature tearing after him, each sound scraping against his sanity.

At last, the alley spat him out onto another street. He collapsed against the wall, gasping, sweat pouring from his skin.

The system chimed in his skull:

 [Quest Complete.]

[Reward: +10 Destiny Points.]

[Destiny Points: 10.]

The screen pulsed faintly, showing a new icon beside his countdown.

Even through the terror, Lin Ye's mind latched onto the word. Destiny Points. A currency? A tool? Something that might help him survive.

He clenched his fists. He had seventy-one hours. A city falling apart. Monsters waking in the shadows. And a system that demanded choices.

His eyes lifted toward the distant skyline. Even in the darkness, the outline of Future Tower loomed above the city, its spire stabbing into the crimson-stained heavens.

That was his goal. His only chance.

Lin Ye pushed himself upright, trembling but resolute.

"Fine," he muttered through gritted teeth. "If this is the game… then I'll play. But I'll make my own ending."

The infected's screech echoed faintly in the distance, promising he wouldn't be alone for long.

And the countdown ticked on.

71 hours, 32 minutes, 14 seconds.

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