A long, drawn-out yawn slipped from his lips, a soft, muffled sound that seemed to stretch the air around him. "Another day in the safe zone," Ren Kiryuu muttered to himself. I guess today's the day I finish the system's special task.
He'd been here so long that the last time things had changed felt like a distant memory. The settlement was supposed to shift in two months, the routine cycle of moving every three and a half years. It had been three years and four months since the last shift, and he was counting down the days.
Ren checked the system's mission. Only three more beast-class monsters to kill. He'd already taken down 47, each fight pushing him closer to death. But it was worth it for the reward—Destiny Rewritten. A one-time skill that only appeared once in a hundred million systems.
If he completed the mission, the system would swap him with someone from another reality. He would take their place, and they'd take his in this messed-up world. It sounded crazy, but what did he have to lose?
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As for the world...
A thousand years ago, things were different. There was no wasteland. No monsters. Just a normal world. But that all changed when monsters began to appear. These monsters range from the weakest Insect-Class creatures to the massive Colossal-Class beasts, with a special class called the Titan-Class humanoids. Here's the ranking for the monsters:
1. Insect Class
Description: These are the weakest monsters. Small, often vulnerable, and easily taken down by even beginner adventurers. Their abilities are basic, relying on physical attacks or simple tricks.
Power Level: Low—no effort required to kill them.
2. Beast Class
Description: A step up from Insect Class, these monsters are often animals or beasts with enhanced physical abilities. They're stronger, but still manageable by moderately skilled adventurers. Their combat abilities vary, from brute strength to simple elemental attacks.
Power Level: Moderate—manageable by low to mid-tier adventurers.
3. Elemental Class
Description: These monsters are tied to specific elements like fire, water, or earth. Their powers are based on their element, and they can cause serious damage over a wide area. While dangerous, they can be defeated by adventurers who have an advantage over their element.
Power Level: Medium—requires strategy or tools to deal with them.
4. Abyssal Class
Description: These monsters are known for their immense strength or dark powers, like regeneration or shadow manipulation. They're tough to defeat and require preparation, especially in large numbers.
Power Level: High—requires strong, skilled adventurers or specialized tactics.
5. Colossal Class
Description: These massive monsters can tower over entire landscapes. Their strength and durability make them a major threat, and even experienced teams of adventurers need extensive preparation to defeat them. They can cause widespread destruction.
Power Level: Very High—capable of overwhelming even skilled groups or armies.
6. Titan Class (Humanoids)
Description: The highest class of monsters. These beings are god-like, often bending the world around them to their will. Killing one is nearly impossible unless under rare circumstances. Only the most powerful beings have a chance against them, but even then, the odds are slim.
Power Level: Extremely High—nearly impossible to defeat unless the right conditions align.
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But I wasn't born into the good times, and I've got some details you might not know. This info comes from the system I got when I was born.
A thousand years ago, God got bored with the world. He thought his "chessboard" was too old and predictable, so He decided to shake things up. He showed up on Earth and made a huge announcement: everyone would get a system. A system to track their progress, earn points, and exchange them for anything—water bottles, cars, swords, armor, you name it. People were hyped.
Then, God added a twist. He told everyone that the world would be turned into a post-apocalyptic wasteland, just like in a game. At first, no one understood what He meant, but after He left, the destruction started. Within 24 hours, the world as they knew it was gone, replaced by an apocalyptic nightmare full of monsters, dangerous creatures, and safe zone settlements.
The apocalyptic wasteland is a barren, lifeless world. Broken buildings and ruined cities are scattered all across the land, with rusted cars and abandoned building structures slowly being swallowed by nature. Dust hangs in the air, and the sun barely shines through the haze.
Dungeons appear in random places—dark, foreboding openings in the ground or towering structures that seem out of place. Inside, monsters lurk and traps await, but there are also valuable treasures hidden within.
Survivor camps are scattered here and there, built among the ruins. We use the system to purchase stuff and survive, so the weather isn't that harsh, but there are dust storms sweeping through, making survival even harder, But in particular area's. Night falls quickly, and the wasteland becomes even more dangerous, with predators roaming free.
Here's the catch: every three and a half years, a settlement has to move. Nobody knows why, but the ones who don't follow the rule? Dead. The entire settlement wiped out.
As for the system, you can use it to buy stuff, store things, or even carry entire buildings. But there's a condition: to use the system, you must be in a settlement.
God also added one final rule: if anyone wants to return the world to what it once was, they must kill all 15 Titan-Class humanoids. To this day, not a single Titan-Class has been slain, and the highest body count in this world is just one Colossal monster.
I absolutely hate this world. If you're not inside a settlement before 10:00 p.m., the monsters—Elemental, Abyssal, and Colossal Classes—will swarm in the hundreds. If you're outside, you're done for.
Now, back to the present...
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