On June 25, 2021, the morning in Atlanta was already sweltering, even at 10:00 AM. The sun blazed fiercely, its intense rays slicing through the city and making it feel more like midday than early morning. As I groggily woke up, the remnants of last night's events were still clinging to me. My apartment, bathed in a harsh unforgiving light, bore the brunt of the sun's relentless assault. The remnants of a long night of bar hopping in Buckhead with friends left me with a throbbing headache, a dull and persistent ache that seemed to pulse in time with my heartbeat.
The sunlight streaming through the window was a brutal reminder of the previous night's excesses. It seemed to mock my groggy state, making my efforts to ignore it futile. I dragged myself out of bed, stumbling slightly as I navigated the path to the kitchen. A good breakfast was not just a craving but a necessity; I knew it was the only remedy that could help alleviate the lingering effects of my indulgent night out.
Dragging myself out of bed, I headed straight for the shower. The cool water washed away the remnants of sleep and the lingering stickiness of the night before. Refreshed, I brushed my teeth, feeling somewhat human again. My apartment was modest but had everything I needed. The bedroom featured a simple setup: a king-size mattress and box spring without a frame, providing comfort without frills. A chest of drawers stood beside the closet, and one wall was lined with clear shoebox cases displaying my cherished collection of J***** sneakers, a passion of mine. The room had an en-suite bathroom, and a short hallway led to the living room and kitchen, with another bathroom branching off to the right.
As I made my way to the living room, my gaze fell on my dog, Crystal, who was stationed by the sliding glass door leading to the porch. She stood there with an air of quiet patience, her soulful eyes fixed on her water and food bowls, which were outside. The sight of her sad, expectant expression tugged at my heartstrings.
Crystal was a striking white husky, her fur a pristine canvas accented by distinctive black markings on her paws—an unusual pattern that had captured my attention the moment I first saw her as a pup. Her unique appearance was as captivating as her gentle demeanor.
When she noticed me approaching, her tail began to wag with enthusiastic vigor, lightly brushing against my leg in a gesture of silent communication. "I know, I know, I'll get your food ready in a sec," I reassured her, though my voice was still thick with the remnants of sleep.
I slid open the glass door and stepped outside to retrieve her bowls, bringing them back inside to refill. Crystal followed me closely, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. After I refilled her water and food bowls, I returned them to the porch. With a joyful bark, she began to eat, her tail wagging as she settled into her meal.
With Crystal happily munching away, I shifted my focus to my own breakfast. I ambled over to the fridge, its cool interior offering a momentary respite from the sweltering heat of the morning. After sifting through a few containers, I retrieved the leftovers from the previous night: honey lemon pepper wings. The tantalizing aroma of the sweet and tangy sauce lingered in the fridge, promising a satisfying start to my day.
I placed the wings in the microwave and set the timer. As they warmed, I flipped on my 65-inch TV and navigated through my anime list. Today's choice was clear: I needed to catch up on "One P****," one of my favorite series. The vibrant characters and epic adventures always made for an engaging escape.
The microwave beeped, pulling me from my thoughts. I pulled out the steaming container of wings, their glossy coating promising a flavorful meal. I settled onto the couch, wings in one hand and the TV remote in the other. As the opening theme of "One P****" played, I took my first bite, savoring the sweet and spicy flavor. The episode unfolded on the screen, and I allowed myself to be immersed in the world of pirates and treasure, my worries from the previous night gradually melting away with each bite.
Just as I was getting comfortable, everything came to a sudden halt. A voice, calm and authoritative, filled my mind, along with the minds of every living being on the planet:
In the dim, ethereal glow of an ancient, otherworldly chamber, the voice of the deity reverberated through the cosmos. The immense power behind the words was palpable, shaking the very fabric of reality itself.
"Mortals, your progress has stagnated, and time is running out," the voice intoned with a blend of authority and anticipation. "To expedite your advancement, I shall release a surge of mana into your galaxy. This will accelerate your growth, pushing you to evolve rapidly, so that you may one day stand by my side in the quest for supremacy."
The cosmic energy crackled as the deity's essence infused the galaxy, weaving threads of mana into every corner of existence.
"To assist in this grand transformation," the voice continued, "I will introduce a System, a mechanism with which you are all familiar. This System will guide your journey—live, fight, and survive as you harness its power to grow stronger. The weak will be trampled beneath the might of the strong, and only those with the heart and spirit to endure will rise to the top."
The air grew heavy with the weight of divine purpose, and a sudden clarity of vision filled the cosmos, revealing glimpses of the challenges and trials to come.
"Many will fall, and some will change beyond recognition," the deity declared with a note of solemnity. "But it is the strong-hearted, those who can face the trials with unwavering resolve, who will make it to the end. I've said all I need to say."
The voice softened, leaving a lingering sense of both urgency and hope. "Make me proud, as your creator, and good luck."
As the divine proclamation faded, the cosmos began to pulse with a new, vibrant energy. Waves of mana spread across the galaxy, igniting an invisible current that resonate with the promise of transformation. The very fabric of reality seemed to hum with a newfound intensity, setting the stage for the trials and evolutions that would soon reshape the lives of countless beings.
The deity's voice, now a mere echo in the vastness of space, gradually diminished until it was no more than a whisper in the cosmic wind. Time seemed to resume its normal flow, but the weight of the divine message lingered heavily in the air. I sat in stunned silence, grappling with the enormity of what I'd just heard. My mind raced, struggling to reconcile the fantastical vision with the reality of my mundane life.
In a state of disbelief, I instinctively reached for my phone, intent on calling my friend Joe to confirm whether I was imagining things. My fingers fumbled with the device, barely able to focus on the task at hand. But before I could dial, a deafening clap echoed from the heavens, so loud it felt like it was resonating within my very bones.
A blinding flash of light erupted from the sky, bathing the room in an intense, searing brilliance. The entire planet seemed to convulse under the force of the explosion, a massive shockwave enveloping everything in its path. The ground trembled violently, and I could feel the very essence of the world around me being torn apart.
The force of the blast was overwhelming. I felt myself being pulled towards unconsciousness, my senses blurring and fading. My last coherent thought was a fleeting recognition that I had collapsed onto my Batman rug, which now lay crumpled beneath me. My wings, once piping hot and succulent, lay forgotten on the coffee table, untouched by the chaos that had engulfed my surroundings.
Everything went dark, and the world fell silent, leaving only the faint, distant echo of the cosmic energy that had altered the course of reality itself.
When I regained consciousness, I was jolted awake by car alarms blaring relentlessly outside. My head pounded with a sharp, insistent ache as I fumbled for my phone. I stumbled toward the sliding glass door, desperate to understand the source of the commotion.
The sight that greeted me was nothing short of apocalyptic. Cars were ablaze, their once-sleek forms now twisted and charred, sending plumes of black smoke into the sky. Buildings smoldered, their structures reduced to skeletal frames, as if ravaged by an otherworldly force. The streets were a frenzy of chaos, with people running in every direction, their faces etched with terror as they fled from what appeared to be zombies. The scene resembled something straight out of a horror movie—utterly surreal and deeply unsettling.
The normally mundane vegetation outside had undergone a grotesque transformation. What was once neatly trimmed grass and modest bushes had grown wild and twisted, their forms now twisted and chaotic. Thick, vine-like tendrils snaked up the sides of buildings, clinging with a menacing grip. The flowers that dotted the landscape had grown to an unnatural size, their colors unnervingly vibrant and otherworldly. They swayed rhythmically, as if they were alive, their movement a disturbing mimicry of sentience.
My heart raced as I took in the chaotic scene, my mind struggling to make sense of the upheaval. Beside me, Crystal lay on the floor, her fur crackling with small, flickering sparks of blue electricity. She had grown significantly during my unconsciousness; she was now the size of a wolf, her once-small frame now imposing and powerful.
Panic surged through me as I quickly shut the sliding door, trying to block out the nightmarish vision outside. My thoughts were racing, trying to piece together what had happened and how to respond to this new, terrifying reality. The transformation of the world was overwhelming, and the urgency of the situation pressed heavily upon me.
A sudden, frantic banging on my front door yanked me from my thoughts, sending a jolt of fear through my body. I rushed to the door, heart racing, and made a quick detour to the coat closet where I kept my katana—a prized replica from One P****. The weight of the blade felt reassuring in my hand as I approached the door, every thud and crash intensifying my dread.
Peeking through the peephole, I was met with a nightmarish sight that made me recoil in horror. On the other side was my neighbor Fred—or rather, what was left of him. His once-familiar face was now a grotesque mask of decay. His skin was a sickly, mottled gray, peeling away in places to reveal the underlying tissue. Pus oozed from open sores on his face, and his eyes had turned a milky, lifeless white, devoid of any hint of recognition or humanity. Blood dripped sluggishly from his mouth, pooling at his feet.
It was immediately clear that Fred had succumbed to the same fate as the zombies I had seen outside. The realization struck me with a cold, hard edge of terror. As if sensing my horror, Fred's deteriorated body slammed against the door with an unnatural, bone-crushing force. The door groaned and buckled under the impact, the hinges creaking ominously. Each strike threatened to break through, making the situation feel increasingly dire.
Panic surged through me, a tidal wave of adrenaline that nearly overwhelmed my senses. Yet, amidst the chaos, my love for anime and fantasy fueled a strange sense of resolve. My mind raced through a torrent of survival strategies, each one emphasizing the same crucial rule: avoid getting bitten.
As the door gave way under Fred's relentless assault, it flew open with a resounding crash. I leaped backward, narrowly evading Fred's decaying, grasping hands. His movements were sluggish, his once-coordinated actions now marred by his compromised state. I could see the flecks of rot and blood splattering around as he lunged at me.
Seizing the opportunity, I gripped the katana tightly and aimed for his head. With a determined thrust, the blade sliced through the air, finding its mark. The katana sank into Fred's skull with an unsettling ease, the resistance of flesh and bone giving way under the sharp edge. Fred's body went rigid for a moment before collapsing to the floor in a lifeless heap, his once-dangerous grasp now nothing more than a final, desperate twitch.
As I stood over Fred's fallen form, my heart pounded in my chest, the reality of the situation sinking in. Then, without warning, a voice began to echo in my mind. It was a disconcerting blend of mechanical and feminine tones, the kind of voice that seemed to speak from another realm or dimension entirely.
"[ Welcome to the Mana System, new user. As the first organisms on the planet to kill a zombie with your own hands, you have the opportunity to choose your first element and roll for an item of varying degrees. ]"
A holographic screen appeared before me, displaying a list of available elements, glowing softly with an otherworldly light. The world around me had irrevocably changed, and I had a feeling this was only the beginning.