What would you do to survive?
On August 17 2023, eleven billion people were asked this question. Six billion answered, "Anything."
On May 31, 2024, their answers were tested.
The Red Moon replaced the sun, and the world turned upside down.
Benson Lovejoy was sitting in a squeaky plastic chair, waiting for a job interview he didn't really want. The university office smelled like stale coffee, and his sweat. Somewhere outside, he heard faint sirens, a dog barking. He tried not to think about it.
His parents had already texted him twice that morning. Do the best you can, I love you Benny, his mom had said. His dad's was shorter: Don't embarrass us. Typical. Benson didn't reply.
The waiting room light flickered. He shifted in his chair, tapping his worn leather shoes against the linoleum floor. Time dragged.
And then it stopped.
Not just time—everything. The buzzing fluorescent lights, the kinda quiet hum of the air conditioner, even the faint murmurs of conversation in the hall outside.
Everything went still.
Benson glanced at the window, and his breath caught.
The sun was gone.
In its place hung the Red Moon. Its light bled into the room, sharp and cold.
A sound tore through the air like a thousand voices screaming at once. The office trembled. Cracks split the walls. A cabinet toppled over, smashing into the ground, and suddenly people were running.
"Get out!" someone shouted. "Get out now!"
Benson stumbled to his feet, his heart hammering. He bolted for the door, joining the rush of bodies flooding into the hallway.
And then the ground shook.
It wasn't like an earthquake. It was worse, like something massive was moving beneath them. The walls groaned, bending unnaturally, and Benson tripped, landing hard on his hands.
That's when the first scream hit.
It came from outside. A woman, her voice high-pitched and raw. Benson scrambled to the window.
What he saw didn't make sense.
The parking lot was full of people, but they weren't just running. Some were… changing. A man clutched his head as his body twisted, his skin bubbling like molten wax. His arms stretched unnaturally long, and his face—
Benson turned away, gagging.
"What's happening?" he whispered, but no one answered.
[Welcome to the Wayward System.]
The voice came from nowhere. It was cold and mechanical, echoing in his mind.
[Rankings have been initiated.]
[Mission: Survive the Red Moon.]
[Objective: Reach a safe zone before nightfall.]
Benson blinked, his thoughts reeling. "What—?"
A glowing screen appeared in front of him, transparent but solid-looking.
[Player ID: 045637.]
[Status: Level 0.]
[Abilities: None.]
[Experience Points: 0.]
Before he could process it, someone shoved past him, yelling, "Move, man!"
Benson stumbled, clutching the wall for balance. The hallway was chaos now. People screamed, pushed, fought. Another screen popped up in front of him.
[Time until nightfall: 5 hours, 32 minutes.]
Nightfall? What was going to happen at nightfall?
A new message appeared:
[Tip: The Red Moon amplifies mutations after dark. Survival rate drops to 12%.]
His stomach turned.
"Get out of my way!" someone screamed. Benson barely dodged as a man shoved past, wielding a jagged piece of metal like a weapon. People were losing it.
Benson forced himself to move. He pushed through the crowd, heading for the exit. Outside, the air was thick, almost hard to breathe. The Red Moon's light painted everything in eerie crimson, that didn't seem to match the movements of the people.
[First kill achieved. Bonus points awarded.]
The message made him freeze. First kill?
He turned and saw it—a woman standing over a creature that had once been human. Blood dripped from her weapon as she grinned, her screen flashing above her head.
[Player: 023984.]
[Rank: 3.]
Benson didn't have time to process what he'd seen. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he yanked it out.
It was his mom.
"Mom? Are you okay?" His voice cracked, panic rising.
"Benson!" Her voice was shrill, frantic. "Where are you? Your father and I—"
The line cut out.
"Mom?" He checked the screen, but the call had dropped.
[Mission updated: Locate loved ones.]
The words burned into his vision, and something in him snapped. He wasn't just going to stand here. He had to move.
The streets were a nightmare. Buildings burned, and the mutated creatures—zombies?—were everywhere. Benson kept his head down, avoiding them as best he could.
Another message appeared.
[Tip: Mutated creatures drop experience points.]
He didn't have time to think about it. All he cared about was getting to his parents.
It wasn't until he was cornered in an alley that everything changed.
He'd been running, but the creature was faster. It slammed into him, pinning him to the wall. Its face was a grotesque mess of teeth and flesh, and its claws scraped against his skin.
Benson screamed, thrashing, but it was no use. He was going to die.
And then, it happened.
[You have been chosen.]
The voice was different this time. Deep, velvety, and cold. It wasn't the Wayward System.
[Welcome to Greed.]
The world blurred. A new screen appeared, larger than before.
[Greed System Activated.]
The creature froze. Benson felt it—a pull, a hunger that wasn't his own. And then, in an instant, the creature disintegrated, its body collapsing into ash.
Benson fell to his knees, gasping for air.
[Ability acquired: Consume.]
The voice reverberated in his mind, and for the first time, he wasn't sure if he was still human.