The sun blazed overhead, scorching everything in sight.
"Feels like it's trying to turn me into barbecue," Zane muttered, wiping sweat from his forehead. His boots crunched over cracked asphalt as he trudged through the desolate ruins. Around him, rusted car skeletons and crumbling buildings stood like ghosts of a forgotten era. Vines and overgrown plants clawed through the concrete, reclaiming what was once a thriving city.
Zane exhaled, pulling up the system interface in front of him. A translucent map flickered into view, showing his location and—thankfully—no nearby monsters. He wasn't in the mood for another fight. His body still ached from his last battle against a Beast-Class monster. If another showed up now? He was screwed.
His gaze drifted across the ruins. He had never seen this world before it fell, but the system had recorded everything. A past that belonged to another time, another humanity.
"The system says it's been a thousand years since the world turned into this wasteland," he muttered, scrolling through old data logs. "Back then, this was a busy street—full of people, neon lights, and noise. Even with wars, life was still… normal."
He sighed. "Honestly? That sounds better than this apocalypse."
The system archives detailed exactly how it all began.
---
The Day God Changed Everything
One day, without warning, the sky filled with screens—glowing projections that appeared on buildings, streets, even inside every piece of technology. Every human on Earth saw the same message.
A booming voice echoed across the world:
"This world is now my playground."
The voice—powerful, absolute—continued:
"I will bless every human with a system. In 24 hours, monsters will flood the Earth. Safe Zones will be established, along with new rules. Survive, grow stronger, and defeat the 15 Special-Class Archfiends to restore your world. Succeed, and you will earn the right to meet me."
Then, silence.
At first, people laughed it off. A hacker? A prank? Mass hallucination? Theories spread like wildfire.
But then, the system interfaces forcibly appeared before every human—adults, children, even newborns. A notification flashed across their eyes:
[Welcome to God's Game. You are now a Player.]
A status screen followed:
Name: ???
Age: ???
Level: ???
Class: Choose one from the Seven Classes
Skills: ???
Several locked tabs were visible:
▶ Weapons
▶ Storage
▶ Shop
▶ Daily Bonuses
A Rulebook explained the new laws of reality. The system stated that while every Player's system was unique, they all followed the same core mechanics.
But nobody understood what was coming.
---
The 24-Hour Countdown
As the countdown ticked down, the world fractured into factions.
The Fearful rushed to Safe Zones, desperate for protection.
The Skeptics dismissed it as a hoax and carried on with their lives.
The Preachers screamed that this was divine judgment.
The Survivalists hoarded weapons, determined to fight whatever came next.
The Governments & Militaries scrambled for a plan. Some even proposed escaping into space—until the system crushed that idea.
[Leaving Earth's orbit is strictly forbidden. Any attempt will result in instant death.]
Panic erupted. Riots broke out. Society unraveled.
And then, the countdown reached zero.
---
The Apocalypse Begins
A deafening trumpet blast echoed across the planet.
Then—
BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
Fifteen figures descended from the heavens. They were humanoid, yet monstrous—their twisted forms radiating an overwhelming sense of dread. Each bore a different color: crimson red, abyssal purple, radiant gold, and more. These were the Archfiends—the ultimate enemies of humanity.
They claimed territories for themselves, though they were not bound by them.
And then— the true nightmare began.
Monsters poured into the world.
Cities burned.
Streets ran red with blood.
Governments collapsed in hours.
The Safe Zones, however, remained untouched—protected by an impenetrable barrier. But they had one rule:
By 10 PM, the barriers would activate. Anyone left outside… would be trapped with the monsters.
And so, the true crisis began at the stroke of 10 pm.
---
A Thousand Years Later
Humanity adapted.
Most people stayed within Safe Zones, treating survival as their new normal. The System Shop became the foundation of civilization, where Players earned points by killing monsters and used them to buy weapons, potions, and skills.
Even the Archfiends, the greatest threat to humanity, were powerless against the Safe Zones' barriers—except once every two months, when the shields weakened. During that time, Safe Zones had to be reinforced using points contributed by their inhabitants.
Despite all this, after a thousand years, not one Archfiend had been defeated.
Sure, humanity had managed to take down Abyssal-Class and even Colossal-Class monsters.
But the Archfiends?
Untouched.
---
Zane's Choice
But me? I didn't care about Archfiends.
I didn't want to be a hero. I just wanted to survive.
At least… that's what I thought. Until one day, everything changed.
While battling an Insect-Class monster, a system notification popped up in front of me:
[Do you want to leave this accursed world?]
I froze. My heart pounded.
Without hesitation, I tapped YES.
Then—another message appeared.
[New Objective: Kill 50 Beast-Class monsters.]
My stomach dropped.
Fifty.
I had never even killed one.
Beast-Class monsters were on another level far stronger than anything I had faced. But if this was my chance to escape, then I had to take it.
So, I kept hunting.
I slaughtered Insect-Class monsters, leveled up, and saved every point to buy potions and gear from the system's shop.
Somehow—through sheer luck or stubbornness—I survived. Again and again.
And now?
I'm one kill away.
Just one more Beast-Class monster, and I can finally activate the Destiny Rewritten skill—a power that will let me swap places with another version of myself from a different universe or reality.
I don't know what the difference is between the two.
But I don't care.
I'm ready.
---
Beep beep.
Monster nearby. Beast class.
"What? Another beast-class monster? Hmm… let me check my stats."
Name: Zane Mercer
Class: Assassin
Level: 40
HP: 200/250
MP: 40/160
Attribute Points: 7
Currency Points: 3000¢
Skills:
[Shadow Step - 2/5]
[Poison Blade - 0/3]
[Quick Escape - 2/5]
[Silent Takedown - 0/3]
"Damn, this is bad. And I only have two potions left."
1. Healing Potion: Instantly restores HP to max and cures all wounds and injuries—even fatal ones, as long as at least 1 HP remains.
2. Recovery Potion: Restores 3 HP per second for 30 seconds. Slowly heals injuries but not completely. Cannot save from a fatal attack.
"And I don't even have skill cooldown timers to rely on… Do I really have to go through with this?"
For a moment, doubt creeps in.What if the other Zane is happy? Am I condemning him just to save myself?
SYSTEM ALERT: Are you lost in thought? Need help? Use the Help Guide.
I stare at the notification. I haven't used that thing since I was born, but maybe it's worth a shot.
"Help. Explain how the 'Destiny Rewritten' skill truly works."
SYSTEM RESPONSE: That information will cost 500¢ currency points.
I scoff. "Why would I waste points on that?"
I shake my head. No time for distractions. I can only hope that the other Zane will be okay and if possible lives a good life. Right now, I have a monster to face. At least I still have a healing potion…
"System, equip dual daggers."
A faint shimmer surrounded my hands as the weapons materialized, their cold steel reassuring in my grip. Without hesitation, I moved toward the red dot on the map, each step silent, controlled.
Then I saw it—a Razorhorn Boar.
"System, identify."
A translucent window popped up, displaying its stats:
Razorhorn Boar
HP: 400
MP: 200
Skills: MP-to-HP Conversion, Horn Enlargement, Speed Burst
I clicked my tongue. Figures.
"Great. Another beast-class monster with MP-to-HP conversion. That confirms it—every damn one of them has this skill. That's why they're such a pain to take down."
"Alright, I can make this work." Zane crouched low, slipping into the shadows. If he timed it right, he could use Shadow Step to strike and retreat before the Razorhorn Boar noticed. The skill lasted for two minutes—allowing him to teleport between shadows—before going on cooldown or using another.
He crept forward. The boar snorted, ears twitching.
Then it sniffed the air.
Damn. It sensed him.
Zane abandoned stealth, sprinting forward. His daggers gleamed as he leaped—aiming for its exposed flank.
But before his blades could land, the boar's horns expanded in an instant, slamming into his weapons. The impact sent a jolt up his arms as he barely twisted midair, landing lightly on his feet as the Razorhorn Boar snarled, its breath hot and rancid. His arms ached from the impact of its horns, but he didn't have time to dwell on it.
"Alright, no more playing around."
He activated [Shadow Step], slipping into the darkness cast by a half-destroyed lamppost. His vision sharpened as his body merged with the shadows. The world slowed, his senses heightened.
The boar grunted, swinging its head left and right, confused. It couldn't see him now.
Zane reappeared behind it, daggers slashing toward its hind legs. The blades bit deep.
Razorhorn Boar HP: 360/400
The boar roared in pain, but before it could retaliate, Zane activated [Quick Escape], vanishing back into the shadows. He reappeared ten feet away, just in time to see the beast rear up in fury.
The boar snorted, its MP flaring as it activated [Speed Burst].
In a blur, it lunged at Zane.
"Shit!" He barely managed to roll aside as the boar's horns crashed into the asphalt, sending debris flying.
Razorhorn Boar HP: 360/400
MP: 190/200
Zane narrowed his eyes. "So every skill it uses costs 10 MP, huh?"
Using [Shadow Step] again, he zipped behind it, aiming another slash at its exposed ribs. His daggers struck true.
Razorhorn Boar HP: 320/400
The boar shrieked and activated [Horn Enlargement]—its curved tusks doubling in size. It swung its head wildly, forcing Zane to retreat.
MP: 180/200
It didn't stop there. It activated [Speed Burst] again, rushing him down. Zane barely dodged, the wind from its charge whipping past his face.
MP: 170/200
The fight raged on. Zane weaved through its attacks, slashing whenever he could, while the boar kept burning MP on its skills:
[Horn Enlargement] (MP: 160/200)
[Speed Burst] (MP: 150/200)
[Horn Enlargement] (MP: 140/200)
[Speed Burst] (MP: 130/200)
[Horn Enlargement] (MP: 120/200)
[Speed Burst] (MP: 110/200)**
Zane panted, sweat dripping down his face. "Just a little more..."
His last attack struck deep.
Razorhorn Boar HP: 50/400
MP: 100/200
The beast staggered, its legs trembling. With a final, desperate move, Zane lunged, driving both daggers into its throat.
The boar collapsed.
Zane exhaled, hands shaking. "Finally…"
Zane then Opened his system interface and realized that experience point hasn't been added.
But then—
A sickening squelch echoed through the air.
His body jolted as something tore through his stomach. His HP plummeted.
HP: 20/250
Eyes wide, he looked down to see a bloodied horn sticking through his torso.
The boar was alive.
Razorhorn Boar HP: 100/400 (MP converted to HP)
It had used [MP-to-HP Conversion] to heal itself, and now, its eyes burned with fury.
Zane gasped, his vision blurring. His fingers fumbled for the Healing Potion, and with a desperate motion, he chugged it.
HP: 250/250 (Fully restored)
Rage surged through him.
"You should've stayed dead."
With a furious growl, he plunged both daggers into the beast's skull. The boar thrashed, but Zane twisted the blades deeper.
Its HP rapidly dropped.
HP: 70/400
HP: 50/400
HP: 20/400
HP: 0/400
With a final gurgle, the Razorhorn Boar collapsed for good.
This time, Zane waited.
A notification popped up.
[+500 XP Earned]
He exhaled sharply. "Finally."
He wiped the blood from his blades, staring at the corpse. This kill marked the end of his goal.
The system then displayed a notification:
[Objective: Kill 50 Beast-Class monsters.] [Completed]
New One-Time Use Skill Unlocked: Destiny Rewritten.
Do you want to activate it now?
A thought crossed Zane's mind—What if the world I'm about to enter is even worse than this one? The system hadn't exactly been kind to him so far. He let out a breath, deciding to ask for more information before making a choice.
"System, activate the help function."
[500¢ points have been deducted. You may now ask your question.]
"What exactly does the Destiny Rewritten skill do?"
The system processed his request before displaying the answer:
Destiny Rewritten is an extremely rare, one-time-use skill. You are the fifth person to receive it since the beginning of the apocalypse. Upon activation, the system will search the multiverse for a version of you [Zane] that is most compatible with this world. You and that alternate Zane will permanently swap places, merging memories in the process. This change is irreversible.
Zane then said, "Since it finds a version of me that's best, I don't have to worry too much. Now, what about me? No worries, I guess I will survive. System, activate skill."
As the skill activated, a brilliant light enveloped his body. The system's voice echoed in his mind:
"Looking for a perfect host that matches this world...
Multiverse #5009: Not compatible.
Multiverse #120078: Not compatible.
Ding! Ding! Ding! Multiverse #127840: Compatible.
Body swapping initiating...
Process complete."
[Welcome to God's Game. Zane Mercer, You are now a Player.]
A Zane Mercer from another universe was brought to this apocalypse world as a replacement for the former host and his first statement was
"Where in the hell am I"
----
The Zane at the beginning is not the Main Character, It's the one in Chapter 1.
His Story Ends Here.