Federal Calendar: 21 July 2145
Hotel Royal Orbit, Room Number 356
I was sleeping in my bed, and after I woke up, I felt like I had become stronger than before. It seems like I leveled up to Rank C.
In the morning, I like to have breakfast as fast as I can, so I showered and then prepared my breakfast. If I wanted to order, I could, but I love making my own breakfast. This is the most I can do by myself.
After dressing myself in black pants and a white shirt with a long coat because it's winter season, I find that awakened people don't feel cold, but it's not bad to have good clothing, though.
I'm about to go to the black market to get some items to create my second persona, which simply means my hidden second identity. Along with that, I also wanted to establish a small research agency for my identity because of my hunter identity. It's said that I'm a researcher.
But I know I'm not, but I wanted to use that opportunity to gain access to an identity and use it as an excuse to hide my second identity that I'll be creating.
[Fourth wall]
Hello, readers! Sorry for not addressing all of you earlier; I was quite busy. If you're confused about my occupation, don't worry. When I visited the Magic Association for my Hunter identity, I used my reality eyes and informed them about my skill, which provides me with information about my surroundings. As a result, they selected me as a researcher. I simply utilized one of my original abilities to obtain a legal identity. That's it! See you later. I have some work to do, unlike you, who is reading a novel and peeking into someone else's life. Just kidding! I'll talk to you soon.
[Deactivate fourth wall]
After speaking with the readers, yes, it may sound quite abnormal to talk to someone who is so far away, especially when we are not even in the same reality. I was just thinking that people from different planets don't communicate with each other. Here I am, talking to people outside of our reality. Well, technically, it's not really talking; it's more of a one-way communication. Forget about it. Let's get back to work. Suddenly, I heard a voice that sounded somewhat similar to Alice, my AI.
[Attention, citizens of Earth. This is an important announcement from the World Orb System. A grave situation has arisen due to the instability of the planet core. Multiple dungeons have emerged throughout the planet, posing a significant threat to our existence. I urge you to ready yourselves to face an apocalypse and the potential for widespread destruction. Only the strong will have a higher chance of survival.]
[In these trying times, it is crucial that we stand together and support one another. By uniting our strengths and resources, we can overcome the challenges ahead. The World Orb System will provide guidance, quests, and vital information to assist you in preparing for the impending dungeon outbreak. Make use of the Status Window to track your progress and assess your abilities.]
[Remember, the path ahead may be arduous, but with determination, bravery, and adaptability, we can confront this apocalypse head-on. Let us support each other and strive for a future where our planet thrives once more.]
I was beyond shocked after hearing this. It explained the feeling of something missing in this world. Yes, it was the Apocalypse. After the arrival of mana, people have been experiencing rapid advancements over the course of a month. Humans made significant progress.
If I'm correct, mana is a gift from the planet's core, and this gift is meant to save most of the people on this planet. And now, the Apocalypse is unfolding.
I was right. The arrival of mana seemed too good to be true. There was a reason I heard about it from Alice, but now it appears to be true—the Apocalypse is indeed happening.
I was shocked, but not scared. However, just because I'm not scared doesn't mean others won't be. I opened my phone and called my mom.
{ Hello, Are you okay son. What's going on in our island? People are beating each other for food, and the whole island is in chaos.}
"Mom, calm down. Listen to me, please give the phone to father. I have to talk to him urgently."
My mother hands the phone to my father, and he says,
{"Alex, don't go outside. It's too dangerous. Just focus on your safety and hide."}
"Dad, I'm fine. Just listen to what I'm going to tell you. It's urgent. Take mom and go to the underground basement of our private house. Stay safe. I'll come to pick you up as soon as possible. Please don't leave, no matter what happens, Dad."
{ "You're saying this to your dad, Alex? I'm in the army, I've seen worse. I'll handle things here. And don't come here. When everything settles down, then come. Do you understand? Your mother is crying right now. Don't try to become a hero for people you don't know. You should listen to what I'm saying." }
Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"Dad, I'll be fine. Have you seen people with abilities? I'm one of them now, and I'm very strong. So, I'll be fine. Don't worry. Please listen to what I said. I'll pick you up soon. Please, Dad, just trust me this once."
{ "So, there's where your confidence is coming from. Just be careful and stay safe. I'll handle everything here. Be safe, son. You're my everything in this world. If you're coming here, think about the future. Don't die on me." }
"Okay, Dad. Take care of everything, and I'll be coming soon, I promise. Tell Mom I love her very much and to wait for me."
After I hung up the call, I wondered why I didn't talk to my mother. It was because she was incredibly kind-hearted, and in this situation, people were resorting to harming their own families just to survive. I trusted my dad to take care of everything. As for not saying goodbye to my mother, it was because I knew I would see her soon.
"Status window"
[ Alex ] [ Occupation: - LOCKED ]
[ Rank: C ]
[ EE: 156/1k ]
[ Lifespan: 400]
[ Vitality: C ]
[ Mana: - A ]
[ Strength: C ]
[ Agility: C ]
[ Existence: - LOCKED ]
[ Cosmic Energy: -- ]
[ Cosmic Vault: - Enigmatic Repository of Knowledge ] [ Lifespan Cost: ? ]
......
So, all of my attributes have become Rank C. Good, I'm ready. But before that, I have to do something about my weak combat ability because it will help me in weaker dungeons. I may feel like a god, but in the apocalypse, I have no idea what challenges I'll face in the future as I make my way to where my parents are.
"Let's see, Alice, check if my skill creation ability is usable because I have mana."
[ Master, your abilities are not yet unlocked. It seems they will become available when mana reaches S rank. ]
"Okay, I understand now. Let's see how much mana I can absorb from my surroundings."
[Activate Mana Conduit]
A surge of a large amount of mana is absorbed into my body, flowing directly into the cosmic space within me. It feels amazing, as if my whole body has come alive, with every cell becoming active. This feeling is incredibly addictive. After 20 minutes, my surroundings stop emitting mana.
Then, I check my status window once again.
[ Alex ] [ Occupation: - LOCKED ]
[ Rank: C ]
[ EE: 156/1k ]
[ Lifespan: 400]
[ Vitality: C ]
[ Mana: - S ]
[ Strength: C ]
[ Agility: C ]
[ Existence: - LOCKED ]
[ Cosmic Energy: -- ]
[ Cosmic Vault: - Enigmatic Repository of Knowledge ] [ Lifespan Cost: ? ]
......
[Congratulations, Master, on activating the skill creation ability.]
[- Sub-Abilities:]
[1. Skill Creation:]
- Description: Alex can modify and enhance his existing abilities or create entirely new ones, adapting to various challenges.
- Mana Cost: 5,000 units
After seeing the cost of this ability, I was shocked because S-rank Hunters only possess 10,000 units of mana. It's costing me half of my mana, which is an insane amount.
"Alice, can we use my cosmic space as inventory space to store my items?"
[Yes, Master, it can be done. I will allocate a portion of the cosmic space for inventory space to store supplies and items.]
"I use the skill creation ability to create an inventory using the cosmic space."
[The construction of the inventory using the cosmic space is in progress. Master, it will take some time. I'll continue with another task for you.]
"I use my remaining mana to create a domain skill that utilizes cosmic energy, making this ability absolute in its level."
[The domain skill, Cosmic Dominion, is in progress, utilizing a portion of the cosmic space as a domain. This skill will enable the creation of a domain outside of conventional reality, where no creature can survive.]
Skill Name: Cosmic Dominion
Rank: (Absolute Skill)
Description:
Tap into the power of your cosmic space to summon a domain that extends beyond the boundaries of normal reality. With Cosmic Dominion, you can bring forth a segment of your cosmic space as your domain. Within this domain, the sheer intensity of cosmic energy and disruptive forces renders it inhospitable to any living being. The size and potency of the domain depend on the extent of the summoned cosmic space. However, maintaining the domain requires a significant expenditure of mana, with a consumption rate of 500 mana units per second.
[Sub-ability]
[Size Expansion: You can summon cosmic space as your domain, at a cost of 500 mana units per second, expanding the domain by 50 meters per second.]
Wow, this skill is amazing! It will undoubtedly become my most powerful skill as long as I have enough mana. I can summon my domain, and its size will depend on the mana I possess. This skill can be used for long-range attacks as well.
I feel a lack of strength in my body because my mana has been completely drained. However, the outside world is in total chaos, so I must wait for my mana to recover. Once the surroundings emit any mana, I will absorb it. Let's begin.
After three hours, my mana is fully replenished. I absorbed most of the mana in my surroundings. As for my mana tank, it cannot be filled because it's a cosmic space, which is infinite.
[Master, inventory space construction is complete.]
I feel a lack of strength in my body because my mana has been completely drained. However, the outside world is in total chaos, so I must wait for my mana to recover. Once the surroundings emit any mana, I will absorb it. Let's begin.
After three hours, my mana is fully replenished. I absorbed most of the mana in my surroundings. As for my mana tank, it cannot be filled because it's a cosmic space, which is infinite.
[Master, inventory space construction is complete.]
Skill Name: Cosmic Storage
Skill Rank: ( Unique)
Skill Description:
With Cosmic Storage, you can utilize your cosmic space as an expanded inventory. This unique passive skill grants you unlimited capacity to store and retrieve items, equipment, and resources. The items stored within the cosmic space are protected, immune to damage, decay, or theft. Retrieval is efficient and instantaneous, though larger or complex items may take slightly longer to materialize.
Wow, this is an incredible skill! I can store a large amount of supplies for the upcoming apocalypse. Now, I need to go to the supermarket. I'm aware it will be chaotic, but this is just the beginning. Many guilds will handle the situation for a day or two at most. I can do my shopping during this time.
I opened the door to my hotel room when suddenly someone attacked me from above. Fortunately, my Danger Sense skill activated, allowing me to dodge the attack just like Spider-Sense.
When I saw who had attacked me, I was shocked. It was a boy, no older than 14 years old. He had slightly red hair, white skin, and black eyes. I used my Reality Eye on him to gather information.
[Name: Sam Osmer] [Occupation: Hacker]
[Rank: E] [Vitality: E] [Mana: -E]
[Strength: E] [Agility: E] [Life History]
[Weakness] [Hobbies] [Abilities]
Damn, what kind of luck is this? He turned out to be my mother's first sister's second son, making him my second cousin.
Why can't relatives leave me alone, especially in this fucking apocalypse situation? I asked him with a less-than-pleasant mood, "Sam, what are you doing here? Attacking someone with a surprise attack?"
I managed to control my emotions, realizing that he was my cousin. Otherwise, I would have killed that motherfucker if it had been someone else instead of him.
He looked at me as if he had seen a ghost, then he said, "Brother Alex, I'm sorry. I was scared. People on the ground floor were killing each other, and I just managed to escape. When I saw someone opening a door, I tried to kill him before he could kill me."
I was beyond shocked after hearing his reason. I knew the situation was going to get worse, but I didn't expect it to deteriorate so rapidly in just a couple of hours. Looking at Sam, my mind was in chaos.
He was barely 15 years old, yet he was already facing a situation where he had to kill people. I took a moment to calm myself down. After all, if someone else had been in my position, they would have been dead since I was Rank C and he was Rank E. So, I composed myself and said, "Come in the room."
He nodded, and I locked the door behind us.
I asked, "Why are you here in Royal Orbit?"
I was about to ask another question when suddenly, the hotel began to collapse due to a massive earthquake.