The world had already turned to shit.
No matter how you looked at it, there was no chance of rebuilding normal civilization.
Cities all around the world were decimated, reduced into piles of rubble and ashes. Monsters roamed everywhere, killing any remaining signs of life.
And in the city where the awakeners miraculously killed the Broodmother that gave birth to these monsters. The place once hailed as the final bastion of humanity, the sanctuary to rebuild civilization.
It was overtaken by invaders from other worlds in just one day.
All the top awakened were killed.
And the rest?
Forced to become slaves to perform hard labour and mine resources for the invaders.
Noir Simons was one of them.
Back then ten years ago, when this first started. People all around me awakened special powers thanks to the 'System'.
They were each assigned different unique skills that they were able to hone and level up.
As for me? I had nothing.
I was forsaken by the system, not only did I not receive a unique skill, I did not even get a system window.
Without a system window, I wasn't even able to level up my base stats, causing me to be much weaker than the average person.
This however did not spare me from becoming a slave.
I was worked to the bone, literally. By the first month of the invaders taking over, I was already reduced to just a skeleton wearing human skin.
But I could not stop working, as if I did they would torture me.
You thought whipping was painful enough, but back in their world they used more extreme methods to get their slaves to work and they brought that method here.
'Why must I suffer like this?'
I continued to ask myself that question every day but I knew there was no real reason.
In truth, it was just that the world was not fair.
The strong take from the weak.
And the weak obey the strong.
Even after humanity fought tooth and nail just to defeat one of the many Broodmothers around Earth, the world decided to play a cruel trick on us.
I did not see it at the time as I did not have a system window, but according to everyone else, a message was issued worldwide.
[Congratulation to humanity for defeating their first Broodmother and establishing a sanctuary.]
[But now it is time for the second phase.]
[Initiating Phase Two...]
[Connecting Earth to parallel worlds...]
[Opening the spacial barrier separating the worlds...]
At first nothing happened, but a month after that portals appeared all around the sanctuary and from them the invaders attacked.
And you already know how the story ends from there.
I continued to reminisce about how everything went wrong as I slowly pulled the stone using the rope slung across my back.
"You! Human 999999 work faster unless you want to get punished!"
Oh right, in this slave camp we were stripped of our names and given a number from 1 to 999999.
It was arranged in sequence according to how strong and physically capable we were, 1 as the strongest and 999999 as the weakest.
This was done to make the labour camp more efficient, assigning lower numbers to do more demanding tasks.
The higher numbers were mostly tasked with simpler jobs, but this still meant moving ten kilogram blocks of stone every day.
And like my number suggests, I am the weakest out of everyone in this camp.
Even so compared to children.
Since they had the system they could level up their basic stats but I couldn't.
So unfair isn't it?
"Are you listening to me?! I said hurry up."
'Why was I the only one without an ability? Without a system?'
'Why!'
My eyes started to go blurry and my body swaying.
"You are going to get it now!"
Already dizzy and unable to keep my balance, I was knocked over by the shockwaves produced from the invader's footsteps.
'I hate the system! I hate the world! Why must you give me such a cruel fate!'
Tears dripped down from the edges of my eyes, wetting the hot dirt ground beneath my face.
I clenched my fist tightly and gritted my teeth.
There was nothing I could do.
"Take this you human bastard!"
The invader placed his arm onto my back and from it blue lightning travelled, shocking me.
"AHHHH!"
I pathetically screamed out in pain, unable to even move.
'Am I going to die here?'
I felt my whole body go numb.
The invader continued to shout at me, but I could not hear what he said due to the ringing in my ear.
My body began to spasm as the flesh on my back began to char and burn.
It created a putrid smell that made everyone else around me recoil back.
'It hurts so much...'
I screamed so much that my voice gave out, until only a small squeal could be heard.
The whites of my eyes only seeable, I felt my vision completely darken.
I eventually found myself begging for that darkness, to die and be free from this painful world.
And that wish was soon granted as my consciousness started to slip away into the dark abyss of the unknown.
'Please do not make me reborn into this world once again!'
That was my final plea as I left this world for a farther place.
The death of Noir Simons.
The ending to my worthless story.
...
'So why... am I still alive?'
I looked around my surroundings and to my surprise I found myself in a college campus.
'This is impossible! All the universities had already been destroyed.'
Wide eyed, I continued to observe the people around me who were happily chatting without a care in the world.
I stood there frozen, unable to comprehend what was happening.
Why was everyone so relaxed?
Aren't they worried about the monsters or the invaders?
How can they walk around like nothing happened?
It was then I had a thought.
'Maybe... this is heaven?'
At that moment, it felt like a lightbulb lit up in my head.
'Yes! It must be!'
"Hah..."
'There is no way there could be a place like this on the hell that is Earth!'
"Hahahah..."
'I'm finally free!'
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
I laughed out loud like never before.
My lips were curled into an impossibly wide smile as tears of joy formed at the edges of my eyes.
The students around me though all looked like they had just seen a madman, and they quickly avoided me.
I continued to laugh out loud at my spot, eventually buckling over and gripping my stomach due to laughing too hard.
'Who would have thought that the happiest I would be is after I die!'
"HAHAHAHAHAHAH!"
I too then moved around slowly, like having a weight taken off my shoulders.
On such a beautiful day who wouldn't be happy!
The flowers were blooming, the skies were blue and there wasn't a single cloud in sight.
The gentle breeze caressed my body, making me feel completely relaxed.
'This is truly paradise!'
I took in every single sight and smell and etched it into my memory as I haven't felt this way in so long.
'Actually wait, I don't have to hold on to these moments so desperately. After all I can enjoy it every day now!'
At this realisation, I wore a stupid expression and slowly giggled to myself.
But just then, as I was in a state of euphoria I heard a voice. One that I haven't heard in a long time but still made me shiver down my spine.
"Hey! Noir why are you giggling like a little girl you stupid pipsqueak."
'Huh?'
Raising my head, I looked towards the source of the voice.
There was a guy the same age as me but significantly taller at around 185cm. He had a head full of blond hair which was mostly covered by his hat. His clothes were all designer outfits and his jacket alone would cost around five thousand dollars.
'Brad?'
My eyes widened as I instantly recognized him. After all, he was my bully during my university days.
'How is he here? Isn't this supposed to be heaven?'
I tilted my head and stared at him.
'Are they really just letting anyone into heaven now? Or did he turn over a new leaf after the apocalypse started? It might be possible considering I haven't heard or seen him in years...'
As I continued to eyeball him, he swaggered up to me and placed his hand around my shoulder.
"Who do you think you are staring at you little shit."
He brought his face near mine and whispered to me in a threatening tone.
'What?'
I was in disbelief the moment I heard him speak, so much that I unconsciously spoke back.
"How the hell did you get into heaven with an attitude like that?"
"Huh? Heaven?"
He continued to look at me but then suddenly pulled back and started to laugh.
"Hahahaha! Heaven? What are you talking about, have you really lost your mind? Hahahahah!"
"What do you mean? This isn't heaven? Then what is it, hell?"
I asked him genuinely curious.
"You, hahahaha! This is neither, we are on Earth. The big ball of stone. The green planet."
The more he talked, the more my body started to tremble.
'What does he mean this is not heaven or hell? Could it be...'
My body shook violently at that thought as beads of cold sweat dripped from my forehead.
'No it can't be. He must be lying to me. Yes.'
But just as I was about to call him out, something appeared right in front of me that made my skin crawl.
[Name: Noir Simons]
[Race: Human]
[Level 1]
[Exp: 0/100]
[Hp: 5]
[Str: 5]
[Int: 7]
[Ag: 5]
[Luck: 0]
A system window popped up right in front of my eyes displaying all sorts of stats about me and at the very bottom there it was.
[Unique ability: Rebirth]