It was 2:17 PM on Tuesday when it all happened.
"This is real…" Kai muttered as he looked at the message that had appeared in front of him.
There were already four monitors in front of him, so this new screen that had appeared surprised him a bit, but he didn't panic.
Well, his first instinct was to diagnose it or to identify how the system message works… It wasn't rendering on any of his physical displays.
It was projected directly onto his retinas, or perhaps into his visual cortex.
'HUD technology? Neural interface? This is definitely real. I'm not hallucinating.' Kai thought as he read the message.
[ Select the Apocalypse you'd like to challenge. ]
[ You have 15 minutes to decide. ]
[ You will have a random Apocalypse to challenge if you fail to select within the given time. ]
[ A.I. Rebellion ]
[ Alien Invasion ]
[ Demon Invasion ]
[ Deep Sea Awakening ]
[ Divine Judgment ]
[ Dragon Awakening ]
[ Fairy Realm Collision ]
[ Lycans versus Vampires ]
[ Magic War ]
[ Parasitic Evolution ]
[ Ragnarok ]
[ Zombie Outbreak ]
He knew that he wasn't crazy since he also noticed that everyone was confused, and they all seemed to be looking at something similar. Many of his co-workers were stunned, and a few of them didn't even take that long to read the message, and soon vanished on the spot after selecting something.
"Hahaha! I guess no more work! Zombie Outbreak… Ragnarok or Alien Invasion! Zombies, of course! Here I come! Adios, my fellow workers!"
His co-worker didn't hesitate, and just like that, he selected Zombie Outbreak, vanishing on the spot.
The teleportation was instant... There was no particle effect, no fade effect whatsoever.
It was like he was never there in the first place.
Still, the man's previous words made him realize that he probably only had three options, unlike him!
After Kai exhaled, he focused. He had 14 minutes to decide. That guy probably had a different time frame, so he had to choose quickly.
Around him, panic spread. Some people seemed fine, even excited, but others… those with families or children waiting at home were crying, terrified of the situation. That was normal in his opinion.
Unfortunately, he didn't have the time to worry about them.
Using his remaining time, he checked the Zombie Outbreak that the guy had chosen just now. He seemed so confident choosing it, and he couldn't help but feel curious if there was a description that said it was an easy mode or something.
Then, as soon as he focused on this option, he confirmed that there were some details about this choice.
[ Zombie Outbreak:
"The pathogen spreads. The dead rise with a hunger for the living. Society collapses through its sheer number. The greatest threat may not be the bitten, but the survivors turning on each other." ]
'No mention of easy mode… Just flavor text.' Kai thought as he read. It wasn't helpful. He already knew what a Zombie Apocalypse meant, so the real concern was the intensity of the outbreak.
Nonetheless, he knew that he couldn't select this type of Apocalypse. It was simply too dangerous… Getting bitten or injured by a Zombie means that he could turn into one of them. That would be the end of it.
The risk was too high! He couldn't make a mistake in that scenario.
With that in mind, he checked the other Apocalypses...
Kai sighed as he shifted his focus to the next option that caught his attention. He didn't really like the A.I. Rebellion, Alien Invasion, and Demon Invasion, so he turned to the next one.
[ Deep Sea Awakening:
"The oceans rise, swallowing coastlines and cities. Ancient creatures emerge from the abyss, claiming dominion over the drowned lands. Humanity must retreat inland or be consumed by the tide." ]
Kai grimaced.
'Water… swimming… that's a death sentence for me.'
He hated the ocean. Even the thought of being dragged under by currents or facing something massive from the deep made his chest tighten. "No way… This one's suicide."
He thought it was a different type of awakening. Anyway, he turned to the next one.
[ Divine Judgment:
"The heavens open, and celestial wrath descends. Angels and divine beings purge the unworthy. Survival depends on faith, obedience, or defiance against the divine decree." ]
Kai frowned. "What the heck? Is this some kind of faith-based apocalypse? That's not something I can gamble on. What if they decide I'm unworthy from the start? No chance to fight back, no chance to negotiate. Just judgment." He shook his head. "Not for me."
Next was Dragon Awakening.
[ Dragon Awakening:
"The ancient beasts rise from their slumber…
Kai helplessly smiled. He didn't even have to continue reading... "Dragons… and we're forced to live in the cave or something?"
[ Fairy Realm Collision:
"The gate between worlds collapses. The fairy realm merges with reality, and mana starts leaking. Time flows unpredictably, and mystical beings of the other realm will claim the land." ]
"Fairy Realm colliding with earth or something… I think this is decent." Kai thought. The only concern was the mystical beings that he might be facing there. After all, it was obvious that they would be the protectors of the earth from these mystical beings.
Then came Lycans versus Vampires.
[ Lycans versus Vampires:
"The night belongs to predators. Vampires and werewolves wage war across the land, dragging humanity into their conflict. Blood and moonlight dictate survival." ]
Kai muttered, "Being caught between two monsters fighting for dominance? Are we going to be recruited and choose sides or something?"
Still, he believed that it would be the Lycans who would win against the Vampires… If he somehow entered this realm, he'd definitely try siding with them.
He checked Magic War.
[ Magic War:
"Mana floods the world. Sorcerers and warlocks clash, tearing reality apart with spells. Ordinary humans must adapt or perish in the crossfire." ]
Kai stared at the message…
'Adapt, huh… Are we going to learn spells here and survive the war?' He mused.
Next was Parasitic Evolution.
[ Parasitic Evolution:
"A new parasite spreads across all living beings. Hosts mutate, evolve, and turn against one another. Survival means resisting infection… or harnessing it." ]
Kai shuddered. The last bit of this flavor text was definitely a warning.
"Parasites… no. Losing control of your own body? That's worse than zombies. At least with zombies, you die. With parasites, you live… but not as yourself."
Ragnarok appeared next.
[ Ragnarok:
"The end of the gods. Mythic beasts, giants, and divine warriors clash in a final war. Humanity is caught in the storm of prophecy." ]
Kai muttered, "That's not even a fight I can join. That's a war of gods. Humans are collateral damage. No thanks…"
Anyone who would choose this apocalypse would be an idiot, followed by those who had selected Divine Judgment.
Having no other option, he glanced at the first selection… A.I. Rebellion.
[ A.I. Rebellion:
"Artificial intelligence gained more power and seized control… Machines rise against humanity, enforcing logic over life. Surveillance, drones, and mechanized armies hunt survivors." ]
"A.I. Rebellion, huh… Machines rising against humanity." Kai muttered.
He just watched a movie about this, and although not as terrifying as other Apocalypses, it was still a difficult one…
He was about to shift his focus away when the screen flickered.
[ Error… ]
[ Selection has been opted. ]
[ Challenge has been accepted. ]
[ Admin… ]
[ Error… ]
Kai froze. "What?!"
The text shifted again, faster than he could react.
[ You have selected A.I. Rebellion. ]
[ Initialization begins. ]
His heart skipped. "Oh shit… No! Why?! I still have time!"