Chereads / Dragon King Returns: Apocalypse / Chapter 23 - D Day (3)

Chapter 23 - D Day (3)

Nikolas gave a warm smile as he looked at his parents' carefree faces. Erick had managed to lighten the mood, and now the conversation had shifted to playful speculation about how powerful they could become through this game-like system. For a brief moment, the tension had melted away, and even Nikolas found himself savoring the rare moment of peace. He knew that such moments would soon be hard to come by.

Time seemed to slip away, two hours passing in the blink of an eye. Nikolas took a sip of water, then loudly cleared his throat, reclaiming the room's attention.

"Ahem... I still have a few more things to explain." His voice, though calm, immediately drew them in. After a brief pause, and with all eyes on him, he continued. "Where did I stop? Ah, right—how humanity must use the system to level up. But how exactly do we do that?"

He let the question hang in the air for a moment, before answering it himself. "Well, as you might've already guessed, it's by killing the zombies that will spawn. That leads me to my next point: the spawned monstrosities. Just like in the movies, the first ones will be slow, weak, and stupid…"

Yuemura, who had remained silent up until now, raised an eyebrow. "The first ones?" he asked, his voice sharp.

"Yes, they will evolve." He said it so nonchalantly, as if it were a trivial detail. In his mind, it was. 

To someone like Nikolas—who had seen the end of it all, who had fought monsters most humans couldn't even imagine—the early stages of the apocalypse seemed almost like a gift. 

The initial spawns were humanity's chance to grow, a small window of opportunity to get stronger before the real horrors arrived. He remembered how the strongest of humanity had squandered that chance, how bickering and internal conflict had slowed their progress. 

Humanity wasted their time in useless fights. That was one of the things Nikolas aimed to change, the Tv video was only the first step of his plans. 

"Not only will these zombies become stronger and faster, but there's also the chance of mutations," Nikolas continued, his tone grave. "Some of these mutations will make them even more dangerous. That's why we can't afford to slack off. The first week is critical. After that… we'll be facing far worse than zombies. Think of mythological creatures or things you've only heard about in folklore." He paused, seeing the growing tension on their faces. "But I'll explain that part when the time comes."

The uneasy silence that followed told Nikolas all he needed to know. His family wasn't just absorbing his words—they were being weighed down by them. The knowledge that they were in a race against time, that their very survival depended on how quickly they could grow stronger, seemed to press on their hearts.

Sensing their anxiety, Nikolas broke the silence. "Don't let it overwhelm you," he said, his tone softening. "We'll have time in the first week to make real progress. That's when we need to strike hard. The first week is crucial—it'll be the easiest time to level up. But after that, it's going to get a lot harder. And leveling up isn't the only way to grow stronger. There's something else just as important—Relics."

He paused, knowing this next part was vital. In his last life, Nikolas had only managed to surpass the strongest humans on Earth because of Master Yuemura's brutal training and his own relentless will. But there was something more. His twin katanas, crafted from the bones of a saber-toothed tiger that had devoured thousands of people, were among the most powerful Relics known to humanity. They had made him almost unstoppable - almost.

"The Relics and the Heavens," Nikolas said, his voice lowering as if the very words carried immense power. "They're going to be game-changers in the apocalypse. A Relic can make you stronger in an instant. They're ancient tools or weapons imbued with the abilities of someone or something significant from history."

[Well, later we'll be able to craft them… but that's another thing.] He thought.

He could see the confusion in their eyes and decided not to bog them down with all the theories surrounding Relics. In his past life, it had taken humanity nearly two years to fully grasp what Relics truly were. Even now, he had his own doubts about it.

Nikolas gestured to the katana on the table, then to the medieval sword Reginald had brought. "That's why we're stockpiling old weapons and artifacts. Some of them could be Relics, but the truth is, I can't tell just by looking at them. Not yet, anyway. We'll need to unlock the system to really know what we're dealing with. Until then, it's a gamble."

He gave a small shrug, acknowledging his limitations. Despite everything, he wasn't omniscient, and there were things even he couldn't foresee. 

"And then there are the Heavens," Nikolas continued. "Think of them as sanctuaries—shelters that protect humanity from the chaos outside. Some people believed the system was divine, others thought the Heavens were. To me - well I don't care about it…"

He allowed himself a small, inward laugh before driving the point home. "Anyway, we need to get hold of one. Last time, I was just a survivor stumbling through the apocalypse by pure luck. But this time, I'm building something bigger—something that can change everything. If we can claim a Heaven, no zombies or monsters will be able to enter. Hell, most of them won't even notice it exists. The Heaven will be a godly shelter for our survival, once it's established, no spawn will occur inside."

His passion ignited, Nikolas locked eyes with each of them. "This time, with the right foundation, we can rise above the chaos. The world might fall apart, but we won't."

The room was silent again.

They looked stunned, too much information was given out in such a short amount of time. Mostly because it was hard to conceive these things in their minds. A Heaven was a unique existence and Nikolas actually hadn't given many details. 

The older boy waited as his family - and master - tried to absorb everything.

Even though he'd shared so much, Nikolas still held back. There were truths he couldn't reveal, not even to the people he trusted most. Not because he doubted them, but because some knowledge was too dangerous. It could cost them all their lives.

"So... we just need to survive until the Heavens appear?" Erick asked hesitantly, trying to piece together the implications.

Nikolas grinned. "Oh really, genius?" His teasing tone lightened the mood, and for a brief moment, laughter rippled through the room.

"But don't get the wrong idea," Nikolas added, his voice turning serious again. "The Heavens don't guarantee endless protection."

If they did, humanity wouldn't have been wiped out, and he wouldn't be here, back in the past.

Erick nodded.

Reginald leaned forward, his expression intense. "How will we even know what to look for? What does a Heaven look like?" If it concerned the safety of his family, he would shed blood if necessary to get it.

Nikolas shook his head, frustration evident. "I wish I could tell you, father. I never saw one before it was claimed. People theorized that Heavens were rare, limited items that only appeared after the third spawn, but by the time I learned about them, the secret was guarded by governments and organizations. I walked the entire world, visited dozens of Heavens, and fought more beasts than I can count... but I never found an unclaimed Heaven."

Perhaps they were really limited from the start. 

"How much do you think we should 'level up' - is this the correct term? - until then?" Asked master Yuemura, who had already changed his attire to his worn out white kimono. His gaze was sharp, as though already preparing for battle. 

Nikolas ran a few numbers through his head, estimating based on what he remembered from his first life. "If I'm right, and the Heavens appear around the third spawn, roughly after the second month, we should aim to be around level forty by then."

He paused, seeing the concern on their faces. "But don't get too fixated on that number. The most important thing is to keep leveling up as much as we can. Every level, every skill, every relic—it all matters."

Erick, ever the curious one, hesitated for a moment before asking, "How was it? The first time, I mean. When it all started?"

Nikolas's face darkened, shadows crossing his expression. He took a deep breath before answering.

"Terrible. The first week was the easiest, but even then... It was chaos. The scientists who survived estimated that by the end of those seven days, over half the world's population had been wiped out. Billions of lives lost in just one week."

"Gosh…" Emilia murmured at the side.

Nikolas's gaze darkened as old memories washed over him. "We never really stood a chance back then." His voice trailed off, but he quickly caught himself. "But this time, it'll be different, Mom."

He stood up, crossing the room to where Emilia sat. Gently, he pulled her into a comforting hug. "We're all here now, and we'll protect each other."

Reginald added, "Don't worry, honey. We've got each other's backs."

After a brief moment, Nikolas returned to his chair. Master Yuemura studied him closely, finally speaking.

 

"It seems you've thought this through in incredible detail."

"For the most part, yes," Nikolas admitted. "But things could change. I can't predict everything."

Master Yuemura nodded in understanding. "Our actions in this life may alter the possibilities of the future."

"The butterfly effect!" Erick chimed in.

Reginald gave his older son a meaningful look. "You could've told us sooner, Nikolas."

Nikolas sighed. "Try to see it from my perspective, Dad. Back then, I was overweight, broke, and honestly? There were times I thought I was losing my mind. I wanted to believe it was all just a bad dream. It wasn't until my fight with Master Yuemura that I knew it was real."

"The swordsmanship cannot be faked," Yuemura agreed, his tone solemn.

Nikolas nodded. "Exactly. And Dad, let's be honest, there's no way you would've believed me before."

Reginald raised an eyebrow but didn't argue. Erick smirked. "Yeah, remember when I tried to tell you and you nearly killed us both?"

"Thanks, brother!" Nikolas grinned, playfully bumping fists with Erick. "For now, we just have to adapt. Last time, humanity was wiped out. I refuse to let that happen again."

As the time passed, Nikolas explained about the System or as people called it the "Divine System" to his family, going over how to upgrade their skills and abilities. His parents, along with Master Yuemura, had no gaming experience, so Nikolas took the time to break down how leveling, stats, and the entire system worked. It was a crash course in survival, and they absorbed every word.

Before they knew it, dinnertime arrived. The meal was a quiet one, but the silence was filled with a sense of unity. Nikolas savored the atmosphere, smiling as he tasted his mother's home-cooked food. It was just as good as he remembered—comfort in a world about to be turned upside down.

He smiled. 

As the clock approached midnight, an unspoken restlessness filled the room. They could all feel it. Outside, the night sky was clear, no clouds, just the full, glowing moon. Yet, moments later, the moon's light began to dim, swallowed by the earth's shadow as the lunar eclipse took hold. The darkness thickened, deepening the stillness around them. Without a word, the family walked out into the garden, their steps lit only by the pale glow spilling from the windows.

What they didn't know—what no one could've predicted—was that this celestial event was happening everywhere, even on the other side of the world. But there, it wasn't the moon being eclipsed; it was the sun. A solar eclipse in the middle of the day, defying every scientific explanation known to man.

"Let's get ready," Nikolas said, his voice low but firm. "It won't be much longer."

He had spent hours preparing them for this moment. Now, it was time. He led them to the wall at the edge of the garden, positioning them in a line. Their backs nearly touched the cool concrete as they stood side by side, the weight of what was coming settling over them like a heavy blanket.

For a moment, Nikolas hesitated, glancing at his phone. He typed out a quick message to Marcos, warning him one last time. It was a shame his best friend hadn't come, but Nikolas knew that not everyone could be saved.

*Tick*

*Tack*

The clock struck midnight. The moon, now fully eclipsed, hung in the sky like a dark, ominous presence. Only a thin ring of fire was left in the sky. 

The world seemed to hold its breath, and so did they. Not a sound could be heard, as if the earth itself was waiting, bracing for the unknown.

Silence.

Suddenly, the air in front of them flickered, a shimmer that rippled across the garden. Small, glowing yellow dots began to rise from the ground, floating eerily before them.

*DING!*