"Aah!" A youth shouted all of a sudden before freezing up in shock, noticing that he was seated in a cubicle, looking around in confusion, observing the nearby white-collared employees looking at him in surprise.
"Where…where am I?" The youth stammered, clutching his head in pain as he recalled everything that he had experienced in the apocalypse. His clothes were partially drenched in sweat as he was unable to make heads or tails of the situation.
"Felix! Were you sleeping mid-work?" The youth's boss stormed out of his cabin, having heard the youth shout, expressing his anger, "You freaking slacker!"
"Fuck off!" The youth, Felix waved his hand reflexively, hitting the boss, causing the overweight, unbalanced figure to tumble to the ground, panting as he felt his heart racing.
"Felix, are you okay? Do you want to visit the doctor?" A nearby employee asked cautiously, feeling that Felix's behaviour was strange.
Felix looked at the employee, slowly recalling the other party's identity, 'Isn't this…Domson? Didn't he die when the bastard boss pushed him into a horde of Tier 2 Aberrants to save himself?'
Rows upon rows of cubicles, each with flashing monitors, pictures, cards, and memos stuck on the cubicle walls, and the ever-present working atmosphere. The familiarity of the place slowly caused him to calm down, as reality finally struck him, 'Was everything…just a nightmare?'
He gazed at his hands, noticing that they were trembling nonstop while his clothes felt sticky due to the sweat. His breathing was slightly ragged while his heart was thumping at its peak capacity.
Click! Click! Tap-Tap-Tap!
The sounds of the employees clicking with their mouse, the tapping on the keyboard, and the faint murmurs; Felix listened to everything, feeling that the situation was surreal. Moreover, there was the figure of the boss on the ground before him, slowly getting up while cursing at him nonstop.
Upon seeing the other party, intense hatred brimmed forth within him. This level of hatred wasn't there the previous day.
Sure, his boss was akin to a urinated oil painting, but at most, he would curse at the boss with his colleagues. And if the boss were to trip and fall, he wouldn't help him but rather take a picture to commemorate the event and laugh at it during drinking sessions with his friends.
But now, there was a blinding desire in him to kill the boss.
As everything still felt surreal, Felix gazed at his watch, 'It's 9:00 AM…?'
He frowned, feeling his head spin as a certain piece of information echoed in his mind.
[1st August, the 10:00 AM Blood Rain!]
"You fucker, you dare slap me? You're fired!" The boss got up and bellowed in fury.
'So, I came back to the past?' He clenched his hand into a fist, 'Since the heavens gave me a second chance, I'll right all the wrong. This time, I'll protect my beloved.'
"I'm sorry, boss." Felix apologised to the boss immediately.
"You fucker! As if an apology would save you now. You're fired. You hear me? FIRED!" Veins popped all over his neck as the boss's face was flushed beet red. His cheeks danced like drums thanks to his fury.
"I hit you by mistake." Felix said his apology, sending a straight right into the boss's face, "It was too light the first time. I'm sorry about that."
Saying so, Felix turned around and walked away, heading towards the office's exit. As for the boss, he had fainted from the punch, bleeding from the nose.
The people around him just gawked at the scene before saluting at Felix in their hearts, for the brave man had, at the expense of his job, achieved their longstanding wish. Of course, none of them contacted the hospital.
The employee closest to the boss, Domson hurriedly took out his phone, cursing in response, "Shit, my phone just had to run out of battery. Seriously!"
In truth, he had switched it off. After all, it was pretty much at full charge. He just didn't want to help the boss. He then looked at the nearby employee, acting concerned, "Quick, call the hospital! He's bleeding."
"My dial pack expired." The employee replied instantly, surprising herself at the spontaneous lie.
Another employee went a step above, dropping his phone to the ground, causing the screen to crack. He was smarter than the rest, knowing that the CCTV camera was recording everything. So, he had to make his alibi perfect.
He could just change the phone screen later though. A small expense like that didn't matter in comparison to the personal satisfaction he was feeling now. He wished to revel in his boss's pitiful state for some more.
One after another, the employees made excuses before someone that typically licked the boss's ass—to obtain a promotion—came forward to pick up him and call an ambulance. There was a collective groan at his action as everyone couldn't help but openly curse him.
Felix didn't pay any heed to the drama that was happening as he unlocked his phone after fumbling around a little—it had been too long since he used a smartphone. He looked through the call list and dialled a number, speaking once the call connected, "Mom, where are you?"
"I'm coming home in ten minutes. Tell dad to be there too. Yeah, it's important. Where's the brat? …sheesh, tell her to wait. She can leave for the concert later. Wire me some money. Yes, I need it. It's not a scam. Yeah…yes, I know…of course…yeah, I'll be there. I'm not joking, mom!" He hung up the call, driving his car as he headed towards the nearby supermarket, emptying his account of all money, even spending until he hit the limit of his credit card, purchasing everything he felt was necessary.
He urged the supermarket to hurry up with the delivery, watching the workers load all the items into a truck that they drove towards his home. He followed them behind just to ensure they didn't delay the delivery.
Staring at the scene from the terrace of the supermarket was Rhizen. And held in his hands was a struggling old man who unleashed gargling grunts while bone-shattering sounds resounded from his body; multiple upheavals spasmed through his chest, as if something wished to force itself out.
"Tch!" Rhizen clicked his tongue, unleashing a mystical power that turned the old man into dust as he frowned, "Indeed, the corruption rate has become too high. The Aberrants are appearing even before the Blood Rain's arrival."
He then stared at the ground as his eyes slowly resembled the night sky; countless star-like glimmers shone through them. His vision morphed, allowing him to perceive a mysterious miasma that converged on the dust—that the old man had been reduced into.
The miasma slowly began to flow towards the ground as Rhizen scowled in response, noticing that faint smokes of miasma began to exit the road at various locations, seeping into the people on the street.
And immediately after, there were mild changes in their behaviour. Of course, only he could see this miasma. The people on the ground were oblivious to everything.
Rhizen wanted to stop the spread of the miasma immediately, but he couldn't take action rashly. After all, whatever methods he used would be destroyed by the Blood Rain which was the source of corruption.
Swish!
A pigeon landed behind him, turning into a human woman as she kneeled on the ground, saluting in respect, "Saint, all troops have been stationed in their assigned spots. We're ready to take action immediately."
She was a lady, aged twenty, sporting armour that was similar to his in appearance, akin to a rhinoceros. Currently, she had retracted the armour covering her head to convey the information to Rhizen.
Rhizen observed the lady, noticing that she was trembling in fear, "Is this your first dive?"
"Y-Yes." The lady nodded meekly.
"Your name?" He asked next.
"I'm Yulna," The lady replied, "I reached Stage 5 just recently and obtained the Celestial Armour. Hence, I was dispatched to serve you."
"Yulna…" Rhizen frowned in thought, recalling some information regarding her as he asked, "Do you remember your past?"
"No, sir. I don't. Saint Sterlena tested me recently and said I didn't attain the required mental capacity yet." Yulna replied honestly.
'She'll become plenty strong once she recalls her past.' Thinking as such, Rhizen said, "Do you know the type of enemy we're about to face?"
"Systems, right?" Yulna said.
"Not exactly." Rhizen shook his head, "Systems are our enemies. But what we'll be facing is a bit different in comparison to Secret Society…"
"Ah, I forgot that you don't remember that yet." He then thought for a moment before speaking, "Systems are entities that enter a Host body, give them Quests and reward them with beneficial items and abilities if they succeed or punish them if they fail. It depends on the System's character in the end."
"There are four Grades to the Systems." He continued, "Grade 1 Systems fall under the mortal limit, such as the Money-Making System, Engineering System, and the Harem System. They exist as a single entity. Grade 2 Systems fall under the magical limit, such as the Vampire System, Demon System, and the Hunter System. Each Grade 2 System can control thousands of Hosts."
"Above this lies the Grade 3 Systems, terrifying entities that are in a league of their own. Unlike the Grade 1 and 2 Systems, they don't make living beings as their Hosts, but instead, turn an entire world into their Host. They shape the world into their liking, change or modify the existing power system, and do anything they please." He said solemnly, "Every single living being born in the respective world after that is under this Grade 3 System's control."
"So, terrifying." Yulna shuddered.
"That isn't all." Rhizen said, "Grade 3 Systems can make multiple worlds their Hosts. And, our enemy is one such Grade 3 System."
"…Apocalypse," Yulna said, paling in fear as she looked around, gazing at the vast concrete jungle that stretched beyond the horizon.
"Yes," Rhizen nodded, "This world itself is our enemy. And, the level of corruption shows the extent of the world falling under Apocalypse's control. Currently, it's at 96.71 percent. Once it hits a hundred, it means this world is fully under its control. And every living being on it would become an extension of Apocalypse itself."
"At that time, every single entity in this world would be akin to a Grade 1 System Host, like the protagonists of the stories you usually read." Rhizen said, "That is a frightening scenario. Hence, we have to prevent the corruption from reaching a hundred."
"Yes, Saint." Yulna bowed in response, "Even though I'm afraid, I'll give my all to save this world."
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