As the final hour ticked down, Viktor raced against time, his boots pounding against the frostbitten earth. The forest seemed to stretch endlessly before him, its trees twisting their gnarled branches as if to block his path. Each step forward felt like a battle against the landscape itself. Low-hanging branches clawed at his coat, their jagged ends tearing small holes in the fabric. The dense underbrush snatched at his legs, slowing his pace as though the forest was alive, conspiring to hold him back.
The city of Verdantra lay ahead, his beacon of hope away from the island, but he could hardly see past the trees that stretched skyward, their canopy blotting out the moonlight. He pressed on, repeating a single mantra in his mind.
" Run. Run. Just run".
His breaths came in ragged bursts, visible in the freezing air, as he pushed his body to its limits. The thought of what lay behind him kept him moving. Those accursed portals had haunted humanity for decades, spilling out monsters from otherworldly realms. Within the gates, humanity had some measure of control, a medium of hope that it might all just be alright. The monsters followed rules, their numbers limited by the system's constraints. But the world knew that once the gates broke, those rules would cease to matter. Humanity's tenuous hold on survival would shatter.
The gates could not be closed. Humanity has tried everything. Countless experiments, battles, and sacrifices had been made in vain. Over time, the world had accepted the gates as permanent fixtures, adapting to their presence like scars on the earth. Yet, even with their permanence, they held secrets no one had unraveled. Scientists and adventurers alike had concluded that the 100 known gates were linked to 37 different worlds, each filled with its own unique horrors. Humanity had cataloged these worlds and the monsters they spawned, learning their strengths and weaknesses. This knowledge allowed the chosen system users to navigate the gates with relative ease, turning once deadly realms into something akin to marketplaces for rare resources.
But this uneasy equilibrium hid a darker truth. No matter how many monsters humanity defeated, there were always more. It was as if the gates were bottomless wells, and every slain beast only made room for another. The frontline was plagued with whispers of something missing, something unseen. Some assumed it was a quirk of the system's design, a mechanic to ensure endless challenges and rewards. No one dared to entertain the possibility of an even graver threat lurking within.
In truth, the gates' balance was maintained not by humanity's efforts but by an unseen force: the incompleteness of the system itself. Hidden deep within each gate were supreme monsters, boss entities so powerful they had been sealed away as a natural balance to their existence. These creatures remained unknown, their very presence veiled by the system's fractured design. But with the timer now counting down, that fragile seal was breaking.
Viktor stumbled as the forest floor suddenly dipped, sending him sliding down a short incline. He caught himself on a large rock, his gloved hands scraping against its icy surface. Rising to his feet, he spotted the glimmer of water through the trees ahead. Relief washed over his face, but there was no time to even take a breather. The river marked the edge of the forest, and beyond it lay the city. His path was clear.
As he approached the riverbank, he noticed a pile of wood stacked neatly beside a boulder. "Lucky," he muttered under his breath, though the word felt hollow. Luck had been a constant companion since he'd unlocked the stat and maxed it out, even though he never thought about it.
Calling up his system interface, Viktor activated his class skill: Conjurer. With a wave of his hand, he dismantled the woodpile, the logs disintegrating into particles of light before reforming into the shape of a small boat. The system chimed with a rare message:
[Success Rate: 100%]
Even in his desperation, Viktor felt a flicker of amazement. He had never seen a perfect success rate, not even when purifying water. There was always at least a 1% chance of failure, yet here it was absolute certainty. He didn't have time to dwell on the implications. The boat materialized fully, its sturdy frame glinting faintly as it became tangible. Viktor wasted no time pushing it into the water.
The river was calm, its surface reflecting the faint glow of the sky's ominous red timer. Viktor climbed into the boat and grabbed the oars, rowing with frantic energy. The city of Verdantra was a trader's hub, not a fortress, but it offered shelter and supplies. He prayed it would hold long enough for him to regroup and plan his next move.
The boat glided across the water, the gentle lapping of waves against its sides the only sound in the eerie silence. Viktor's heart raced as he neared the city's docks. He jumped out of the boat before it fully reached the shore, his boots splashing into the shallow water. Pulling himself onto solid ground, he scanned his surroundings.
The silence was deafening. Verdantra, usually bustling with merchants and travelers, was desolate. The air felt heavy, oppressive, as if the city itself was holding its breath. Viktor's gaze shifted upward, and his heart sank.
[00:03:47…]
The glowing red digits hovered in the sky, counting down with relentless precision.
"No, no, no," Viktor muttered, his voice rising with each word. Panic clawed at his chest as he bolted toward the city gates. The world seemed to blur around him, his mind consumed by the timer's grim finality. Trying to control the fear in his heart, As he reached the gates, a new system message materialized before him.
[The apocalypse will begin in 5… 4… 3… 2… 1…]