It was a normal morning.
Ring! Ring! Ring!
"Hmm~ It's morning~"
Jake Thompson woke up to the sound of his alarm ringing, the familiar blare filling the small apartment he called home. Stretching, he rubbed his eyes and yawned. Just another day in the life of a 28-year-old man trying to get through his monotonous routine. He had a mediocre job as an office assistant and lived alone in the outskirts of the city. Nothing extraordinary. Nothing out of the ordinary. He was an average man leading an average life.
That morning, the sun was rising lazily behind the glass windows, casting a soft glow over the city. Outside, the streets were filled with people on their way to work, the city as alive and bustling as ever. The air smelled faintly of coffee, the sweet aroma of the caffeine-rich beverage filling the air from the local coffee shop. It was nothing like the doom and destruction that would come in the following hours.
Jake prepared himself for the day, slipping into a simple white shirt and dark jeans, grabbing a cup of coffee on his way out the door.
Buzz! Buzz!
His phone buzzed in his pocket, a text from his best friend, Mark.
Mark: "Yo, are you watching the news? Something weird's going down."
"Huh, what's going on?"
Jake frowned, but shrugged it off. Mark was always sending him messages like that. A conspiracy theorist at heart, Mark loved to stir the pot, especially when it came to government cover-ups and strange news stories.
Jake: "You mean the virus? Yeah, heard about it. Some kind of flu strain or something, right?"
Mark: "Not just any flu. People are turning into zombies, man. And animals too. Don't say I didn't warn you."
"Hahah!"
Jake let out a chuckle. Zombies? That was just ridiculous. Sure, he had seen movies about it, but in real life? No way. He rolled his eyes as he typed back.
Jake: "Hah, right. I think you've been watching too many horror flicks. I'm heading to work, catch you later."
He didn't give it much thought. Life went on as usual.
At the office, the usual chatter of coworkers, ringing phones, and the click-clack of keyboards filled the air. Jake settled into his cubicle, starting his work for the day. The news was buzzing around the office, people murmuring about the virus that had been on the news all morning. He ignored it—just another panic everyone would forget about in a few weeks.
Hours passed, and the workday was nearly over when Jake felt an odd sensation—something he couldn't place at first.
"What is this strange feeling?"
It felt like the air had shifted, an almost oppressive weight hanging in the atmosphere. He looked around, noticing a strange silence. People were still moving about, but there was an unease in the air, like everyone felt something was wrong but couldn't put it into words.
That's when the emergency alert on the TV caught his attention.
"Breaking news: Reports are flooding in about bizarre outbreaks happening across the city. Witnesses claim people are suddenly turning violent and attacking others. Authorities are urging residents to stay indoors and lock all doors and windows immediately. Do not attempt to engage with those who show violent tendencies—consider them dangerous and unpredictable."
The anchor's voice cracked as they continued to report, the tension in their voice growing with each word.
Jake's heart skipped a beat. He stood up from his desk, his eyes glued to the screen, "Is this… is this real?"
"Where is this coming from?" Jake muttered under his breath. "Could this be... a hoax?"
He grabbed his phone, his hands trembling slightly. He tried to text Mark again, but his screen flickered. The text didn't send. It was as if the world around him was glitching, and that's when he heard it.
"Aaaaaaah!"
"Run! Run away!"
The sounds of screaming outside the office building. Loud, primal, distorted screams.
"What's happening outside!"
Without thinking, Jake rushed to the window, peering outside.
What he saw made his blood run cold.
People—his coworkers—were running through the streets, panic etched on their faces. The city was descending into chaos. But it wasn't just panic. There was something more. The sounds of gnashing teeth, of people attacking others, their faces twisted into grotesque, animalistic expressions, told him everything he needed to know.
His phone buzzed, and it was Mark again.
Mark: "You see it? They're not people anymore. They're zombies! The virus—whatever it is—has completely changed them. You need to get out of there NOW!"
Jake's breath caught in his throat. It was happening. It was real.
"Fuck! I need to find a safe place!"
He didn't waste another second. Grabbing his bag and his coat, he rushed out of the office, his heart pounding in his chest. The elevator ride down felt like it took an eternity. When the doors opened, he bolted out into the parking lot, pushing past the screaming pedestrians and the terrifying sight of the infected attacking anyone they could get their hands on.
Roar!
In the distance, an animal—a massive, mutated bear—charged through the streets, its eyes glowing red, ripping apart cars and people in its wake.
"Fuck! Is that a bear!" Jake froze for a moment, taking in the sheer horror of it all. Zombies, mutated animals, and the growing chaos everywhere.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his chest. He looked down to find blood staining his shirt. A zombie had lunged at him, biting into his shoulder. His body froze in terror as the infection spread through him, the pain becoming unbearable.
"Arghhh! I-I don't w-want to die!"
His vision blurred, and his knees buckled beneath him.
As he collapsed to the ground, he thought to himself—this was it. His end. A world he knew would never be the same again.
But then, something… strange happened.
The world around him blurred, and Jake felt as if he was being pulled through a vortex. The searing pain in his chest vanished, replaced by a strange warmth.
"What just happened?"
He couldn't understand what was happening. Everything spun, and then—suddenly—it stopped. His body was whole again, free of the bite, but the city's destruction remained all around him.
A soft, mechanical voice filled his head:
{Welcome, host. You have been selected to receive the Survival System.}
Jake blinked, his mind struggling to comprehend the voice. He wasn't dead. The pain was gone. What was happening?
{The Survival System will reward you with points for eliminating infected creatures. These points can be used to purchase food, weapons, and abilities to aid in your survival. Please, do your best, host. The world is yours to conquer.}
Jake's mind raced, 'A system? Points? What the hell was going on?'
He looked around, the chaos still engulfing the city. Zombies, mutated animals, and panicked survivors. But now, he had something. Something that could help him survive this nightmare.
The system was his ticket to living in this new, twisted world. And maybe, just maybe, it would give him the power to survive long enough to understand what had happened—and to make those responsible pay.
{System Store unlocked!}
The voice chimed in his mind.
Jake's gaze hardened. The apocalypse had arrived. But so had his chance to become something more than a mere survivor.
And he would do whatever it took to not only survive, but to conquer.
The world was now his playground.