Briella Lunarise POV - Apocalypse Day.

I was in a bad mood. I was having a very bad day. I didn't think it could get any worse, until a massively debilitating headache made it so I could think no longer.

Pain seized my soul, my senses were overwhelmed. I wasn't quite sure how I acted back then, but I reckoned it was similar to a fish trying desperately to swim in the air.

There was a voice within the world of hurt and agony. It was robotic, it was mocking me. At least, that's what I thought at the time, based on the instinctual anger that it had evoked. But that wasn't the case at all, as I would later learn that it was actually The System, whatever it was, that was talking to me during that time.

The world returned to focus after a while. I recognized a pile of bile by my face that could not possibly be mine.

I swiftly stood up and looked around, relieved to see I was still in the same place as I remembered. An idyllic park I frequented, in order to relax. My Thesis was the final thing I had to finish before I was finally free of college, but my bloody group mates are right pieces of shit who should be gutted by a fish!

After another horrendous meeting of passing the blame, sometimes the stick even landing on myself, I went to this bastion of nature in order to preserve my sanity. It wouldn't do for someone as pretty as I to be pulling her own hair out.

Except now it was no longer quite such a beautiful place, as monsters have dominated the land, both malformed animals of fantastical origins, and abominations that occupied only the deepest secretive recesses of Lovecraft's mind.

Okay, I was unfair in my earlier description of the place. There certainly was a unique beauty to the chaos, if a morbid one. I can just see it now, a dashing heroine estranged from her own lands, left to fend for herself in an alien world filled with monstrosities abound!

Oh how may she survive?

Oh how may she thrive?

Oh what choices would she make?

Oh what choice encounters may she stumble upon?

Watch me in my heartfelt depiction of this uncountable tale of unlimited adventures. I'm just dying to twist into a spontaneous musical!

Except I want to act as that character! Not live in her shoes for real real!

Regardless of my desires, the truth was that I found myself suddenly thrust into a dangerous and thankless role. With a deep breath to psyche myself up, I immediately set to observing my surroundings, the role and position of every actor there for me to grasp.

From the monsters that have suddenly appeared. To the explosive sounds that came from far and wide. This was not an incident isolated to this park, but rather a phenomenon that had engulfed the entire city, perhaps even beyond.

A man was being mauled by a four winged eagle. A goblin had just set its sights on me. The sneer on its face gave me a bad feeling, and I immediately took off running, but not before noticing the peculiar shirt he wore. Printed upon its fabrics was an anime girl, in a pose that I wasn't quite sure was legal to wear in polite society.

Why the fuck would a mean green killing machine be wearing such an inappropriate thing!?

I ran faster as I pumped my legs, I dodged the larger monsters that I saw mucking about. Thoughts whirled in my head as I took care to not stumble, and I concluded that at least some of the monsters here came from people. But it could not be all of them, for there were more beasts to contend with than the modest turnout of the park. Unless if the other atrocities were conjured from thin air, or if some of the humans split into copies of themselves.

I took a wide turn as I edged closer to getting a decent grasp of the situation. My trajectory angled away from the park and the thicker greenery of a reserve beyond. I had lost my goblin pursuer, and I dipped my posture lower, hoping to avoid the eyes of those that may wish me harm.

My brain continued to work on overdrive during that time. I discarded the thought processes related to the full picture, and how such an impossibly deadly event had come about. Humans turn to monsters. I will consider that for now as fact. So following that line of logic, I must find an escape, towards a place devoid of people. That of animals, or any particularly complex and large lifeform as well, if at all possible.

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

I already had an idea for where such a place might be, and I altered my course to match it. I still laid low as I watched for dangers, a lot of the monsters seemingly attracted by the noise and the struggles of people on the streets. Several cars and vehicles have already piled up on each other.

I arrived at my destination, unaccosted. Good thing too, because I didn't rank my survival of such an event all too highly. I wouldn't rank my survival in general all too highly either, but that could change with further information. I had to believe that. Because if I were incorrect, then it wouldn't have mattered anyway, whether I struggled or gave up. So I might as well act like my struggle matters.

I found myself in an out of the way corner, accessible only by crossing a random alleyway and into a narrow street that a normal car would have trouble fitting through. I was at an abandoned church that hadn't been touched for years, its facade similar to something one might find in a film, done in a style reminiscent of the crusading days. The double doors were closed, but not locked. I pushed it ajar just a tiny little bit and took a peek inside. I found no obvious signs of monsters, and a roar sounding out from beyond the skyscrapers that shield me from behind convinced me to hedge my bets.

I entered the building, quickly but quietly shutting the door close behind me. I found myself in a dusty chapel of ill maintained church things. From unkempt rows of wooden benches, to religious paintings that lined the roof and the walls.

I never really asked why such a place was left to disrepair. The only reason why I even knew of its existence was because of how I frequented the area thanks to it being near my favorite calming park. Though, well, it wasn't quite so calming any longer.

I let that realization sink in, I allowed myself to finally process the panic and the distress. There were monsters everywhere, people were dying on the streets. The smell of blood and smoke still lingered on my nose, even as the four major walls of the chapel shielded me from further encroachment.

I was alone in the apocalypse.

I didn't know if I would quite survive.

What of my friends? Were they similarly inconvenienced?

Are they also in dire distress? Can they not help me?

Is this the end, and was my brief moment of struggle truly futile?

I breathed in a good spray of dust, my butt plopped into the creaking wood of a bench. The world seemed quite blurry, like somehow it was raining indoors. Only then did I realize I had been crying, and I somehow found that funny because I laughed.

I laughed and cried and let all of the emotions out. Only once my heart had tired, did I move on to the important tasks. The situation remains the same. If I'm fucked then I'm fucked, nothing I do will matter. But if I'm not necessarily fucked, then I would be fucked if I do nothing.

"Okay! Status report!"

I shouted towards the sculpture of god out front, and to my utter surprise, there was a response.

_______________

Name: Briella Lunarise

Level: 0

______________

(Unassigned MANA: 0)

Vitality: 0

Strength: 0

Magic: 0

Agility: 0

Intelligence: 0

_____________

Class: None (1 Slot Available)

Skills: None

_____________

Well. Fuck.

~~~

I had a lot more notifications than just my status sheet, and I looked through them all. I spent my time wisely, moving along as fast as I could, for the sounds of battle and turmoil were still audible from afar, even in a seldom traveled corner of the city such as the church I was in.

I had a lot of questions as to the how or the why, I desired the exposition that was so inconsiderately missing, but I did my best to keep my thoughts focused on what I could affect. And it seemed that there was a clear answer, for all intents and purposes. I could not hope to contend in this new world until I selected a Class, and so that was the first order of business that I did.

"I... I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I just found myself transported somehow to a wonderful world with mana, and it has been a huge blessing to me. And then found a way back. Home. To earth. Here. So I thought... I wanted to share with you all this fun and cool and amazing thing I discovered."

"I didn't know this would happen. I really didn't. If I did then I never would have done this. I really just wanted to share my wonderful gift. I didn't mean to kill everyone. I didn't! I just wanted to help. Really, I just wanted to help. I just wanted to help. To share my blessings. Give people power. That was all I ever wanted to do. Please. You have to believe me. This was all an accident. An accident. A cruel accident!"

Well, I would have picked my Class, but a magnitude of new information was just downloaded straight into my brain, interrupting my prior activities. I received knowledge that provided vital context to the horrifying events that have occured, if with little practical use at the moment. It was mainly the prattlings of a heartbroken person, really. Perhaps a credible villain if I were to be seeking vengeance, and by all rights every denizen of this world should… But I was never really the most vindictive.

So long as he's willing to leave us alone, or maybe even help us, then I'm willing to let it slide.

If nothing else, going after the person able to affect devastation to this extent seems… utterly unwise. If not outright impossible.

I'll not even consider it.

My mind once again clear of distracting thoughts, I dove right back in and picked my Class.

~~~

[Brilliant Theatrist]

That was the Class I chose for myself.

One based heavily on illusions, allowing me to potentially touch up props in a play or make shoddy things look more deadly. Like extra-effective makeup that isn't just for people. I could also make facsimiles of people and objects, and I can make them pretty detailed… given enough time and concentration. Fast movements would really ruin my creations a great deal.

All things that would improve with more stats, I'm sure.

All in all, it was a Class that I was happy with. In part, if I'm being honest, because of the possibilities when applied for their original purpose. In theater!

I so enjoy doing it with my friends, and I dearly hope they remain alive, and I would surely do theater with them again. But a one woman show, where every actor is myself… It would surely be an experience. I wish to have that someday. It would be an absolute blast. It wouldn't be so bad if something good were to come out of this disaster, even though it could never hope to make up for all the lives that were lost.

On the more practical side of things, to ensure that I do not fucking die, there was also plenty to like with my choice. It'd be pretty difficult to score kills and Levels with my Skills, but the survivability it grants is top notch. And that… is enough. I just wish to survive. And perhaps, if things go well, I may be able carve up a small slice of this monstrous world for myself.

Not that I wouldn't very much enjoy a story about a girl who rises to the top and wins it all. Classic tried and true underdog setup. But I'm still just the actor who spreads that story to the masses. I'm not supposed to be that girl for real!