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Geon sat atop the ruins of an office building, the jagged remnants of its rooftop offering a precarious perch. From this vantage point, he could see the sprawling devastation of the city—a tapestry of destruction painted in ash and blood. The air was thick with the acrid scent of fire, the distant cries of combatants blending with the growls of mutated beasts.
His phone buzzed, breaking the silence.
Population Status: 9,001,345,678 remaining.
Notice
When population reaches 9 billion, the first Culling Zone Reduction will occur.
Kill or be killed. Good luck.
Geon’s brow furrowed. He reread the message twice, trying to make sense of it.
“Culling Zone Reduction?” he muttered, the words tasting foreign in his mouth.
“It means the game will shrink the playing field,” the shadow offered, its voice calm and clinical. “Fewer players. Fewer places to hide.”
Geon’s stomach turned. The idea of the world getting smaller as people died wasn’t just unsettling—it was horrifying.
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He swiped at his phone, pulling up the leaderboard. Hundreds of names flashed by in quick succession, some highlighted in red to signify their deaths. At the top were a few names marked with intimidatingly high levels, far beyond his own.
Leaderboard Global Rank Player Name
Level Zone
#92 Killing Machine Tom
78
West #93 Liao Guówáng Xing
78
East #94 Rashpev Mertvyy Loivolo
78
East #95 Bjorn Lanxxess
77
North
“Search...” he murmured, noticing a new icon at the top of the screen.
The system now allowed players to search for other names on the leaderboard.
Search Player Enter player name:
Geon hesitated. The function was dangerous—it could reveal the location of enemies, making them easy targets. But it could also be a way to find allies, assuming anyone still believed in alliances.
“Let’s see if I recognize anyone,” he said, typing in a name.
He entered the name of his younger sister, Lila. A pang of guilt hit him as he thought about her.
The screen blinked.
No results found.
The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
He swallowed hard, his chest tightening. Maybe she wasn’t selected. Maybe she’s safe.
But the game didn’t care about safety, and Geon knew better than to cling to false hope.
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The sound of crumbling debris pulled Geon’s focus back to the present. He peered over the edge of the rooftop, his shadow wrapping around him protectively. Below, two players were locked in combat.
One wielded a glowing spear, their movements sharp and deliberate. The other relied on brute force, swinging a massive hammer with devastating power. Both were bleeding, their clothes torn and singed.
Geon watched, a knot forming in his stomach. He didn’t want to intervene, but he couldn’t ignore the opportunity.
“They’re distracted,” the shadow whispered. “A perfect chance to strike.”
Geon shook his head. “I’m not killing people unless I have to.”
“Then you’ll die,” the shadow said flatly.
Ignoring it, Geon stood and carefully made his way down the building. The fight was moving away from him, the two combatants disappearing into the distance.
Instead of following, Geon turned in the opposite direction, his tendrils extending to help him navigate the unstable terrain.
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The memory of his most recent level-up surfaced in his mind. After defeating the Infernal Grizzly, the system had presented him with a choice:
Distribute stat points. (125)
Power
Strength, affecting the damage of physical attacks.
15
Defense
Resistance, reducing the impact of incoming attacks.
45
Stamina
Endurance, dictating how long the player could fight or move before exhaustion set in.
45
Agility
Speed, improving reflexes and movement.
20
He had stared at the screen, weighing his options. The four core stats were simple but crucial.
He’d added most of his points to Defense and Stamina, deciding he needed to survive longer before worrying about hitting harder.
Now, as he moved through the desolate streets, he wondered if he’d made the right choice.
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Geon stopped in his tracks.
Ahead, a pack of mutated dogs prowled the street, their eyes glowing with a malevolent light. Their bodies were gaunt, their ribs pressing against their mangy hides, but they moved with terrifying speed and coordination.
Enemy identified: Rabid Hounds.
Difficulty: Moderate.
Experience reward: 300 points per kill.
Geon crouched low, his shadow-sword forming in his hand. He counted five hounds, each one more feral than the last.
“This could be good,” he whispered. “I need the experience.”
The shadow chuckled. “Then stop talking and start fighting.”
The first hound lunged before he could finish his thought. Geon rolled to the side, his sword slashing upward and slicing through the creature’s throat. It dissolved into ash, its death accompanied by a faint ping of experience.
The remaining hounds snarled, their movements growing more frenzied.
Geon raised his hand. “Shadow Tendrils!”
The tendrils erupted, coiling around two of the hounds and slamming them into the ground. One broke free, charging at Geon with its teeth bared. He sidestepped, his sword driving into its side.
The fourth hound leapt onto his back, its claws digging into his shoulders. Geon cried out, spinning wildly to throw it off. His shadow retaliated, forming a spike that impaled the creature mid-air.
The final hound hesitated, its glowing eyes flicking between Geon and the corpses of its pack.
“Go on,” Geon muttered, his voice low. “Run.”
The hound snarled but retreated into the shadows, disappearing from sight.
Geon sank to his knees, his breath ragged.
Enemy defeated. Experience gained: 1200 points.
+1 Level up!
Player reached Level 29.
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As he caught his breath, his phone buzzed again.
Notice
Population has reached 9 billion. Culling Zone Reduction initiated.
Kill or be killed. Good luck.
Geon stared at the screen, his chest tightening. The map of the world appeared, red lines cutting across it like the boundaries of a warzone. The playable area was shrinking, whole regions grayed out and marked as “Inactive.”
The shadow’s voice broke the silence. “The walls are closing in.”
Geon didn’t reply. He couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning.
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