A cold midnight breeze whispered through the grass of the garden, halting only when it met the tall concrete wall. The night was unnervingly dark, with only a thin ring of light illuminating the sky. In the garden, five figures stood side by side, their backs to the wall, watching in tense silence as tiny golden specks of dust began to materialize before them.
None of them dared to utter a word as they watched apprehensively as a few dots of golden dust appeared just in front of them. The particles were smaller at first, barely noticeable for normal eyes.
As the seconds passed, the particles multiplied and grew brighter, swirling in the air yet unaffected by the chilling wind. They twisted and gathered together, almost magnetically, until a golden orb the size of a fist hovered just a few feet in front of each person.
Nikolas' doubts vanished in an instant. There they were—five golden orbs, suspended five feet off the ground, one for each person standing in the garden. The sight was unmistakable.
[Well… The world is f**ked up.] That was the only thought that crossed Nikolas mind. Not only him but his family, master, alongside billions of people around the world realized that the apocalypse had indeed come. And the system wasted no time announcing it.
*DING!*
*APOCALYPSE INITIATED!*
*Spawning the First Wave*
*Spawn grade: F*
*Good luck!*
A robotic, monotone voice echoed in their minds. It was emotionless, efficient, delivering the message with cold detachment.
[Wait... Did the system say 'Good luck' the first time?] Nikolas couldn't quite remember. But this wasn't the moment to dwell on trivia. His eyes snapped back to the floating orbs, their golden glow intensifying.
"Stay focused!" he barked, snapping his family out of their daze.
The golden orbs began to pulse, glowing brighter before shifting, transforming into something more menacing—a swirling mass of yellow flame. The formless energy grew, contorting and taking shape. A creature was beginning to emerge.
But Nikolas had no intention of waiting for it to finish.
"KILL IT NOW!" he yelled.
Without hesitation, Nikolas unsheathed his katana in one swift motion and struck.
Splash!
The sword quickly slashed across the zombie's neck. Nikolas felt only a slight resistance in his hand, which disappeared the moment the beast's neck was completely severed.
Dark blood sprayed the air, the zombie crumpling to the ground, lifeless.
*DING!*
[Not now, stupid system!] Nikolas pushed aside the system notification chiming in his ears. His focus shifted immediately to the rest of his family.
Reginald, his father, was wielding a medieval sword with the intensity of a warrior, his eyes blazing as he prepared to strike down the zombie in front of him.
Erick, his younger brother, gripped his katana so tightly that his knuckles had turned white, fear and adrenaline etched on his pale face.
Master Yuemura stood calm and composed, effortlessly unsheathing his blade with the grace of a seasoned warrior.
But his mother, Emilia, was struggling. She clutched a butcher's knife, her hands trembling, her face contorted in fear. Her legs shook, and Nikolas knew in an instant—she wouldn't make it in time.
The Ex-Dragon king quickly sprang into action. He vaulted over the corpse he had just killed, crossing the short distance to his mother with two quick strides. The zombie in front of her extended its arms, reaching hungrily for its target, completely fixated on Emilia. That was its fatal mistake.
With a swift, practiced motion, Nikolas slashed his katana through the zombie's outstretched arms. Blood sprayed as its limbs fell uselessly to the ground with a wet thud. Before the zombie had time to react, Nikolas delivered a forceful kick to its chest, sending it sprawling backward.
With no resistance, the monster stumbled and fell to the ground. Without hesitation, he drove his katana into the creature's belly, pinning it to the ground. His movements were so fast, so fluid, that his mother didn't even realize what had happened until the zombie lay immobilized at her feet.
But the creature was still alive.
"Mom… I'm sorry, but you have to kill this one," Nikolas said, his voice pained but firm. "It's the only way to unlock the System."
Emilia's eyes widened in horror. "I… I can't," she whispered, tears spilling down her cheeks. Her heart was too gentle for this.
Seconds passed, but it felt like an eternity. The others had finished off their zombies and now gathered around Nikolas and his mother.
Nikolas didn't waver. "I don't like it any more than you do, Dad. But if she doesn't unlock the System, she won't survive. You know that."
Reginald sighed, his grip tightening on his sword. "Let me lend her my gun. It'll be easier that way."
Nikolas shook his head firmly. "No, Dad. I've explained this before—guns won't unlock the System. If they could, I wouldn't have bothered with the sword."
"Alright, honey, don't argue… I'll just close my eyes and get it over with," Emilia interjected, her voice trembling but determined. Reginald, understanding the weight of the situation, gave a reluctant nod. He moved closer to his wife, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder, his voice soft but firm.
"You can do this, my love," he said, his eyes filled with both encouragement and sorrow. "It's not a living being. You just have to harden your heart, just this once… for us."
Emilia gripped the butcher knife, her hands shaking as she knelt beside the pinned zombie. Nikolas watched her closely, finally able to take in the appearance of the monster she was about to face.
The spawned zombies were not like those from movies or books. They weren't decayed, filthy, or clothed in rags. Instead, their skin was unnervingly pale, almost translucent, with veins visibly pulsing beneath the surface. Their bodies were completely genderless and their glowing red eyes giving off a dangerous vibe. The way those red eyes glowed sent chills down anyone's spine, giving them an aura of soulless hunger.
"Grraaw..." The zombie gurgled, attempting to thrash its head toward Emilia, but it was held firmly in place by Nikolas' katana. It was helpless now, reduced to weak movements of its head and legs, unable to pose any real threat.
Emilia closed her eyes, gripping the knife tightly, raising it high above her head.
Nikolas watched, his heart heavy. He didn't want her to go through this, but there was no other choice.
Tuck!
A soft thud echoed through the garden, followed by an eerie silence. Emilia stood frozen, her eyes still shut tight, her body trembling with the weight of what she'd just done.
Nikolas gave a solemn nod, while Reginald immediately pulled her into a comforting embrace. His eyes shifted toward the lifeless spawned zombie, dark blood pooling from the wound in its head.
[Blood! Shit, I almost forgot!]
Nikolas sprang to his feet, urgency filling his voice. "Grab some pots and jars! We need to collect the blood, now!" Without waiting for a response, he dashed into the kitchen, returning moments later with as many containers as he could carry.
Listening to his urgent tone, they dared not to delay and did as said.
In times like these, nothing was wasted. The blood of the spawned zombies was a valuable resource—priceless in the brutal days ahead. Back then, humanity had resorted to unimaginable lengths to survive, and through those desperate measures, they'd discovered incredible uses for the zombies' blood. Nikolas wasn't about to let such an opportunity slip by.
With careful precision, he knelt beside the corpses, using a small knife to drain their blood into the containers. As he worked, he also pried out their red eyes—cold, glowing orbs that looked like eerie rubies. Though grotesque, they were strangely beautiful and, more importantly, useful.
Once the blood and eyes were collected, Nikolas took one of the lifeless bodies and hurled it over the garden wall, right into the potato farm
"What the hell are you doing? Won't that contaminate the crops?" Master Yuemura asked, alarmed.
Nikolas grinned. "Trust me, it's excellent fertilizer."
Yuemura raised an eyebrow but shrugged. "If you say so..." He followed suit, tossing a body into the garden as well.
Before long, the corpses were enriching the soil, and the garden was cleared of any trace of the battle. They'd gathered all the blood they could, cleaned up the area, and, for the moment, the night felt calm once more.
With a deep breath, Nikolas finally allowed himself to focus on the glowing blue screen in front of him. The Divine System had fully activated, revealing his stats.
*Congratulations, you have killed a Royal Zombie! The system has been unlocked!*
*Congratulations, you have leveled up! One free attribute point awarded!"
*Name: Nikolas Drachen // Title: none // Level: 1
Body Type: Mortal
STR: 7 AGI: 7
CON: 6 INT: 9
CHA: 6 ???
Points available: 1
Skills [3/5]:
-Swordsmanship [Master]
-Five Dragons Facing the Heavens [A]: Unavailable
-Shadow Steps [C]
*******
Nikolas studied his status screen with mixed emotions. He was far weaker than he'd been at his peak, yet his starting point this time was leagues ahead of where he'd begun before. Last time, most of his stats hadn't even come close to five points, and that filled him with a cautious optimism. His potential this time around was boundless.
What's more, the system had already acknowledged two of his most powerful skills—Five Dragons Facing the Heavens and Shadow Steps. The former was the technique that had convinced Master Yuemura of his past life, and the latter was the very skill he'd been teaching Erick the night before.
His swordsmanship mastery was just as expected, giving him the foundation he needed to build upon.
However what caught Nikolas attention was the status "unavailable" over the Five Dragon's Skill.
[Am I too weak to use even the first stage?] he wondered. The skill was divided into five parts, and each took an immense toll on his body. When he'd learned it in his previous life, his stats had been far more advanced. [But why do I feel cheated? I was reborn, yet I've gained nothing!?]
For some reason, as he looked at the status screen, Nikolas felt wronged. He was expecting something more…
He had lived through ten brutal years of an apocalyptic future, and from all the novels he had read, the protagonist who goes back in time usually gets some kind of "cheat" power. Yet here he was, with nothing but his memories. No powerful items, no system hacks—just hardship and no reward.
Suddenly, as if the System had heard his complaints, another notification was issued.
*DING!*
*Congratulations on being the second person to kill a Royal Zombie: 5 free attribute points awarded!
"...."
[Second!?] Nikolas' mind raced. [Motherf— only five points!? Where's my cheat!?]
Just as he was about to curse further, another notification popped up.
*DING!*
*Title awarded: Not Fast Enough!*
"What!?" Nikolas froze in disbelief. He stared at the notification, mouth slightly agape, his thoughts jumbled.
[Is the system messing with me?] he wondered, half-amused, half-annoyed. He had just being reborn after surviving hell, and now he was being mocked by the system?
This was not how things were supposed to go on his mind.
*********
Meanwhile, on a highway in the United States, a bearded man drove his truck, its bed packed with supplies. A hardcore prepper, he had taken the warnings on TV seriously and was escaping the city before the chaos erupted.
Puck*
The truck jolted violently as it ran over something—or someone. The man barely had time to register the impact, his grip tightening on the steering wheel. His heart raced, but his eyes stayed glued to the road. What had he hit?
Suddenly, a metallic sound ringed inside his head.
*DING!*
Congratulations! You are the first person ever to kill a Royal Zombie: 10 free attribute points awarded!
"Oh!?" The prepper's eyes widened in surprise. He chuckled, a wide grin spreading across his face. "Zombies? I was getting ready for a war or a virus outbreak, but... a zombie apocalypse? That's way cooler!" His laughter boomed inside the truck as he continued down the road, excitement now coursing through his veins.