Jae-Hwan's vision blurred, his eyes struggling to focus through the haze of pain. He lay on the cold, damp ground, his body surrounded by a sticky pool of his own blood.
The group of betrayers, led by the ruthless and scarred Hwon, stood over him. Hwon, a tall and imposing figure with a jagged scar running from his forehead to his cheek, sneered down at the bleeding Jae-Hwan.
Ji-Hyun, the beautiful girl who had been eating a candy bar, smiled sweetly beside him. Her long, curly brown hair cascaded down her back, and her bright green eyes sparkled with malice.
"Hey, Ji-Hyun, you played the damsel in distress perfectly," Hwon said, chuckling while cleaning the knife that he had just used to stab Jae- Hawan. "I'm surprised Jae-Hwan fell for it so easily."
Ji-Hyun smiled licking the chocolate off her fingers , her eyes glinting with amusement. "We'll I know he's had eyes for me since before the outbreak so I would have been an idiot not to use that especially since this fat bastard had so many supplies stashed away."
The group laughed, and one of them, a burly man named Tae, joked, "Hey, we should cook his dog for dinner! It's been a while since we've had a good meal."
Another member, a quiet and reserved girl named Su Whan, spoke up, "What about his body? What do we do with it?"
Hwon rolled his eyes. "What's there to discuss? We throw him to the mutants down below. They'll take care of him."
Jae-Hwan's gaze locked onto Ji-Hyun, who was now standing beside Hwon. She smiled at him, a cold, calculating glint in her eye as she stepped over his body towards her boyfriend.
Hwon noticed Jae-Hwan's gaze and sneered. "You really are a fool, Jae-Hwan. You thought you could trust people in this world? Ha! Kindness will only get you killed."
Ji-Hyun chimed in, "You were so easy to manipulate, Jae-Hwan. You let your emotions cloud your judgment and trusted the untrustworthy."
Hwon smiled and turned to Ji-Hyun and smiled. "Thanks to Jae-Hwan, you're safe and sound now. Aren't you grateful, Ji-Hyun?"
Ji-Hyun smirked, her eyes glinting with malice. "Oh, I'm extremely grateful. Thank you, Jae-Hwan, for taking such good care of me."
Hwon chuckled. "Yes, thank you, Jae-Hwan. You're a real lifesaver for taking care of my girlfriend."
Hwon leaned in and kissed Ji-Hyun, who wrapped her arms around him. Jae-Hwan's gaze locked onto the pair, his heart heavy with pain and anger.
Ji-Hyun ended the kiss and smiled cruelly at Jae-Hwan. "Thanks for the hospitality, darling." With a cold calculation, she raised her gun and pulled the trigger.
Everything went black.
System activating
System initialisation in progress
System initialisation complete now reviving host.
Jae-Hwan's eyes snapped open, and he sat up with a jolt. He screamed, his voice hoarse, and flailed his arms wildly as he dropped out of his bed. His heart racing, he landed hard on the cold floor.
Groggily, he looked around, taking in his unfamiliar surroundings. A small, dimly lit room came into focus. Where was he?
Soon he noticed that he was in his old bedroom. Freeing himself from his sheet he rushed towards his mirror and pulled back the curtains. Instead of the desolate, post-apocalyptic cityscape he expected, he saw people walking down the street, cars driving by, and buildings standing tall.
Jae-Hwan's mind reeled. Was it all just a dream?. Glancing at his cloch he noticed the time at date 31 of January 2045 he frowned why was it just the 31 of January but soon a searing pain lanced through his causing him to hold his head in pain.
And soon Memories began to flood back – The outbreak, the betrayal, the pain, the darkness. Jae-Hwan's face twisted in a snarl as he remembered Ji-Hyun's smile, Hwon's laughter, and the feeling of his life slipping away.
As he slowly lowered his hands he realised I've been reborn, I've been given a second chance at life he muttered as he looked out at the bustlings city of Xinzan But then, he noticed something strange. His right eye was glowing with a soft blue light.
With a startled yell he Jae-Hwan's heart skipped a beat. He stumbled backward, shocked and disbelieving. He rushed into the bathroom and flipped on the light. Staring back at him in the mirror was a stranger.
Jae-Hwan's eyes widened as he took in his transformed body. Gone was the soft, rounded belly and puffy cheeks of his former self. Instead, he saw a chiseled, lean physique with defined muscles and smooth, taut skin.
His face, once round and puffy, was now strong and angular, with high cheekbones and a sharp jawline. His eyes, once dull black and lifeless, now sparkled with a bright, piercing intensity.
Jae-Hwan's gaze lingered on his reflection, and he couldn't help but feel a sense of wonder and awe he was handsome now unnaturally so.
He stared down at his hands as he flexed them but as he looked up he noticed his right eye glowing again and soon he heard a message in his head.
"Ultimate apocalypse system activated."
"Welcome, Jae-Hwan," a robotic voice echoed in his mind. "You have been granted the 'The ultimate apocalypse harem system."
Jae-Hwan's eyes widened in confusion. "Whats going on? Who's their?" He asked looking around his empty bathroom.
"Ultimate apocalypse system activated."
"Welcome, Jae-Hwan," a robotic voice echoed in his mind. "You have been granted the 'The ultimate apocalypse system."
Jae-Hwan's eyes widened in confusion. "What's going on? What's happening?" He asked looking around for the source of the voice.
The system responded, "You have been given a second chance at life. Your body has been enhanced with unique abilities and strengths that will aid you in the upcoming apocalypse."
A notification window popped up in Jae-Hwan's mind:
_Ultimate apocalypse system_
_Attributes:_
- Strength: +100%
- Agility: +50%
- Intelligence: +50%
- Endurance: +80%
- Charisma: +54%
- Luck: +20%
_Skills:_
- Enhanced Senses
- Accelerated Healing
- Combat Intuition
- Cloning (Create up to 100 clones of any item)
- Hoarding (Store items in a virtual inventory)
Jae-Hwan's eyes scanned the list, his mind reeling with the implications.
"System, is this real?" Jae-Hwan asked, his voice shaking. "Have I truly been reborn?"
The system replied, "Affirmative, Jae-Hwan. You have been reborn. Your new life has begun."
Jae-Hwan's eyes narrowed as he looked into the mirror . "And the apocalypse? Did it really happen?"
The system responded, "The apocalypse is imminent, Jae-Hwan. But you have been given a chance to prepare and survive."
Jae-Hwan's gaze fell upon his glowing eye. "What's with my eye? Why is it glowing?"
The system explained, "That is your Ability and State Checker. It allows you to scan people, objects, and environments, providing you with valuable information."
Jae-Hwan's eyes widened in awe.
The system urged, "Jae-Hwan, you must prepare for the apocalypse. You have only 2 months before it strikes. Use this time wisely."
A countdown timer appeared in Jae-Hwan's mind, ticking away the seconds.
Jae-Hwan took a deep breath, determination burning within him. He would not waste this chance. He would survive, and he would thrive.
But first, he had to get ready.