[ Select the Apocalypse you'd like to challenge. ]
It was 2:17 PM on a 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 on his desk, so the appearance of a fifth "screen" caught him off guard, but he didn't panic
Well, as a cybersecurity ethicist or systems engineer, his first instinct was to trace its source or understand how the system message worked.
After all, it wasn't rendering on any of his physical displays.
It was projected directly onto his retinas, or perhaps into his visual cortex.
'Is this HUD technology? Neural interface? This is definitely real. I'm not hallucinating.' Kai thought as he read the message once again.
[ 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 ]
Kai knew he wasn't crazy. All around him, people were staring into empty space.
Many of his coworkers were stunned, and a few of them didn't even take that long to read the message. Soon, they vanished on the spot after selecting something.
However, some of them couldn't accept this so easily.
"What is this? Should we call the police?"
"Who would even choose an apocalypse?"
"Is this a prank?! You're messing with my mental health! I'll sue you!"
"Hahaha! Just shut up! This is good! No more work! Zombie Outbreak… Ragnarok or Alien Invasion! Zombies, of course! Here I come! Adios, my fellow workers!"
One of his co-workers didn't hesitate, and just like that, he selected Zombie Outbreak, vanishing on the spot.
The teleportation was instant... There was no particle effect or fade effect whatsoever.
It was like he was never there in the first place!
Still, the man's previous words made Kai realize that the man probably only had three options, unlike him!
After Kai exhaled, he felt more in control and focused. He had 13 minutes left to decide. That guy probably had a different time frame, so he had to choose quickly.
Around him, panic had spread after everyone realized it was real. But some people were strangely calm, even thrilled, but most, especially those with families waiting at home, were crying or frozen in fear.
That was normal in his opinion.
Unfortunately, Kai 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, no healing, no recovery.
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 had thought it was a different kind 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 as he continued reading... "Dragons… and we're forced to live in the cave or something?"
He dismissed it immediately.
[ 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 merging with Earth? 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 the humans would be the protectors of the Earth from these mystical beings. If these beings were something too overpowered, like Giants, Phoenix, or maybe even Ogres and Minotaurs, it would be at the lower end of his options... though fighting kobolds or goblins might be doable.
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." ]
"Being caught between two monsters fighting for dominance? Are we going to be recruited and choose sides or something?" Kai muttered.
Still, he believed that it would be the Lycans who would win against the Vampires after reading a long discussion online about them… If he somehow entered this realm, he'd definitely try siding with them.
He then 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. This might also be possible.
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 can live… but not as yourself."
Of course, he wasn't exactly sure what would happen here, but he felt that a lot of betrayals could occur in this type of Apocalypse.
Ragnarok appeared next.
[ Ragnarok:
"The end of the gods. Mythic beasts, great giants, and divine warriors clash in a final war. Humanity is caught in the storm of prophecy." ]
"That's not even a fight I can join. That's a war of gods. Humans are collateral damage. No thanks…" Kai muttered.
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, especially if they had already taken over most of the world.
He was about to shift his focus away when the screen blinked a few times...
"Hmm?"
[ Error… ]
[ Selection has been opted. ]
[ Challenge has been accepted. ]
[ Admin… ]
[ Error… ]
Kai froze. "What?!"
The text shifted again, and it was faster than he could react.
[ You have selected A.I. Rebellion. ]
[ Entering the Apocalypse… ]
[ You have entered the A.I. Rebellion: First Server... ]
[ Survivor Kai will enter a random starting region. ]
His heart skipped. "Oh shit… no! Why?! I still had time!"