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Chapter 1

"Keep running Joe. Don't stop. Just keep going.”

Joe echoed these words relentlessly into his mind as he barreled through the city, shrouded in suffocating white smoke. From afar the smoke looked similar to mist but it couldn't be any more different. It was more akin to standing inside a boiling hot oven.

Joe could feel his lungs boiling as if they were swimming in lava. Each breath he took threatened to be his last. The smoke wrapped around his heart gripping it tightly. Joe coughed painfully, his lungs desperate for air. Try as he might—Joe couldn't breathe.

His legs slowed down and eventually his sprint came to a halt. He doubled over clutching his knees, desperate for any kind of reprieve. His eyes started to blur as ash infiltrated his sight. The sound of crackling flames came from every direction. The earth rumbled every few seconds and the horrific screams that followed were unbearable.

The sky roared, with a thunderous boom. The heavens themselves threatened to split apart. The sound only came once every few minutes, but everytime it did. It carried with it—the weight of death.

What started like a normal day, quickly turned into a battle for survival. Joe knew it. No, everyone in the world knew it. 

The world was coming to an end.

Even with the heat, pain and exhaustion that weighed him down.. Joe refused to yield. He couldn't yield. He had to find her, no matter what happened. Chloe was the top priority. 

He straightened once more as he prepared to run. Just as Joe took a step, a weak grip came from behind. It wrapped itself around his ankle, desperate for his attention.

Joe swung his head around, and there he was. An old man who looked to be in his seventies. He was bald and his skin was charred beyond belief. From head to toe the old man's skin was slowly withering away. Underneath his stomach, blood seeped through an open wound—drenching his entire midsection in crimson.

“Help… me… kid…” The old man spoke in hoarse whispers, his voice fading with every word.

Joe was completely frozen.

His heart raced as his eyes locked with the old man's. And then, without thinking. Joe yanked his leg free from the old man's grip, he turned the opposite direction and bolted without betting an eye. Each stride he took carried carried further away from the old man.

“That old man is going to die. If I help him, we will both suffocate in this smoke. I have to leave him. There's no other option. I did nothing wrong. I did nothing wrong.

Joe repeated the words like a chorus until they stuck with him, and slowly he began to accept them.

He could feel the wet and splashing surface underneath his boots. The cracking of bones under his weight every now and again. Even then, even through all that. Joe didn't stop. He kept up his pace for several minutes—until finally he burst through the smoke.

Everything came into view. Skyscrapers toppled like building blocks. Cars contorted and entangled in a messy wreckage. Fires raged—growing larger by the minute.

Joe couldn't deny it. This was hell on earth.

People ran frantically in numerous directions toppling and shoving each other like animals. The earth was ripped open, bringing to life gaping chasms that swallowed every thing that moved. The scene was overwhelming, but Joe didn't have time to stand around. He had to find Chloe.

Just as he looked to move, he heard something. A voice of a young girl. Joe darted his eyes until they landed on her.

A child no older than 6 years old gripped the pants of her father tightly. “Daddy stop it! Daddy stop it!” The girl pleaded desperately. Her father, who looked to be some businessman with his briefcase and fashionable blue suit, held a gun against his temple. Even with the pleading child, the man seemed unmoved. And then…

Boom!

The gun went off and the man collapsed to the ground. What remained was a young child submerged in the gore of her own father. She just stood there, rooted to the spot.

Joe turned his gaze away and continued to run. He thought about comforting the girl for a second, but he quickly dismissed that notion. What was he supposed to do? What could he possibly say to comfort that girl in this situation? The answer was obvious, say nothing at all. He just had to keep going and focus on what he needed to do. Someone else was going to come and comfort the girl. Yes, the girl was going to be fine. Joe convinced himself.

“Joe!”

A desperate shout cut through his thoughts. Joe froze. That voice…

Joe surged forward towards the source. He shoved and trampled everyone and everything in his path. “Chloe!” He screamed at the top of his lungs. His body leaping over the deep cracks on the ground. 

“Joe!” The voice called back, weaker this time.

Joe increased his pace as he scrambled and dragged himself forward. Until finally he spotted her. 

And in that moment, his heart shattered.

He found Chloe on the ground. Her once golden hair was marred in crimson. Her wheelchair chair was overturned, its wheels spinning aimlessly by themselves on the uneven ground. Chloe's legs were pinned to the surface by a massive chunk of iron. She reached out her hand, tears streaming down her ocean blue eyes. “Brother..’ she whimpered. 

“Chloe!” Tears flooded Joe's face, his voice rose to a pitch as he threw himself in a mad dash.

The Sky rumbled again, this time louder.

Joe reached out his hand, just a few more seconds and he could finally touch her. 

But the heavens had other plans.

A white light descended from above like a bolt of lightning. It struck the earth in less than a second. Consuming everything In a humongous blast.

And just like that, Earth was destroyed.

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[Welcome Outsider]

A voice rang loudly in Joe's head cutting through his consciousness and pulling him from the void. His body stirred and his eyes fluttered open. He was met with an intense and blinding light, which forced him to squint his eyes and hover his right hand above his face for cover. It took a few seconds, but his eyes finally adjusted.

When he opened them fully, he was met by an expansive blue sky. The sun's rays gently pressed against his body, encouraging him to get up. Joe sat upright, he clutched his head which stung painfully like a thousand needles. He waited for several minutes before the pain subsided, slowly he stood up. 

Joe's eyes darted around him in confusion. He was met by strands of grass which sprawled in every direction. Colorful flowers were dotted throughout, and the sweet aroma they carried rejuvenated his senses. He could see a tall forest looming in the distance. Only one question clouded his mind. Where in the world was he?

Feeling something tight around him when he tried to move—Joe's eyes fell to his body. Something was different. From head to toe he wore an outfit made of pure black leather. He couldn't believe his eyes. 

His boots glinted under the sun. His pants wrapped themselves tightly around his thighs. A belt secured his waist and a black jacket jacket fluttered over his shoulders—masking a white vest underneath.

Never in his life had Joe worn something so… Stylish. A grin broke across his face despite not knowing how he even got the clothes. Joe was certain of one thing, these clothes were awesome. 

The gentle breeze pushed around his messy black hair, and his gorgeous blue eyes could not look away from his outfit. But that's when something struck him. “That voice? Where is it?” Joe remembered the voice that woke him up from his slumber. His eyes searched frantically for the individual, but there was nothing. Besides himself, Joe found no one. Was he dreaming? 

[I See You're Awake Outsider]]

Just as Joe contemplated—a flashing blue screen materialized before his eyes. He shrieked, before staggering back and falling on his rear. “What the hell?” His eyes widened in confusion.

A flurry of questions flooded Joe's head at the sight. This couldn't be real.

He rubbed his eyes to confirm he wasn't dreaming. Sure enough, the screen remained, its words written in bold white letters. It resembled a hologram, something Joe had only seen in those boring sci-fi movies. Was he going insane?

“What in the world is this? Who are you?” He demanded, his voice growing louder with each question.

[My Name Is System-558942379, But You Can Call Me Syr For Short]

“Syr?” Joe was taken aback. He didn't actually expect the hologram to respond, much less have a name. This was getting into freaky territory. If his eyes and ears were playing tricks on him at once, he was definitely starting to lose it. 

No, he had to remain calm. Everything was fine. He tried to reassure himself despite not fully believing his own motivational thoughts.

“Why does your name have numbers? Are you some kind of robot?” It made sense, robots and holograms usually went hand in hand. The voice coming from Syr was also one of those Ai male voices which further fueled his belief that he might be talking to a robot.

[No, I Am A Guide. I Was Chosen By God Asura To Ensure You Survive Out Here.]

“God Asura? Are you saying a real-life god sent you to me?” 

[Yes. I Was Given An Assignment By God Asura, One Of The Great Primeval Gods That Govern The Universes. He Tasked Me With A Simple Mission, To Make Sure You Don’t Die, So You Can Reach Your Full Potential As An Outsider.]

“What? Outsider? Primeval Gods?” Joe shook his head, “slow down man, I have no idea what you're talking about. Why in the world would I die?”

[Grisha Is A Dangerous Planet. It Has Remained Unconquered For Thousands Of Years. It’s One Of The Few Free Planets To Survive This Long Without A Primeval God.]

“I'm sorry… Did you just say Grisha? Don't you mean Earth?”

[Earth Is Gone. That Planet Was Deleted.]

Joe's heart sank. He remembered the blinding flash of light that fell from the sky, but did that truly mark the end for earth? And if it did? Shouldn't he be dead? No, this couldn't be true. 

“You're lying! You're lying!” Joe yelled, as he reclaimed his footing. “This has to be some kind of sick prank? Someone must’ve dropped me here to pull some kind of twisted joke. I have to go back. I have to go back to Chloe.” 

[I'm Not Lying To You. Earth Is Gone]

“Shut up! Shut up! Get out of my head!’ Joe clutched his head as he sstormed off.

His eyes were glued to the forest that loomed in the distance. 

[I Wouldn't Go In That Direction If I Were You]

Joe ignored Syr's warning and marched straight ahead. He would have to be crazy to believe anything said by a floating blue screen with a robotic voice.

To Joe's pleasure, Syr did vanish from his sight, leaving him with some much needed silence. It took a while, but eventually he reached the forest.

Its trees towered him, his eyes glided up their trucks to meet the black leaves that hung from their branches. The wind was gentle, the slightest breeze ruffled the leaves producing a comforting yet slightly creepy sound. As Joe's eyes peered beyond the trees—he saw nothing but darkness. Even though it was sunny, the depths of the forest offered nothing but a pitch black void. 

“It's just a forest, come on Joe. You can do this” Joe tried to keep his trembling arms under control. His boots felt stuck to the surface, he wanted to move but his body wouldn't let him. It took minutes before it finally relented and allowed him to venture deeper into the woods.

[You Have Entered The Black Forest.]

Black Forest? As in Germany? Relief began to settle in Joe’s heart. This was still earth.

[You Have Entered A Sub-Dungeon.]

Joe froze.

“What the... Dungeon?” he whispered, his head darting around.

[Main Quest.]

• Objective: Slay The Dungeon Boss, ‘The Great Wolfin’

• Reward: 15,000 Gold Pieces

“What is this? Syr, answer me!” His voice rippled through the air.

Syr was silent.

“Fine!” Joe shouted, “I don't need your help. I can do this myself.” 

The talk about dungeons and bosses made him uneasy—but this still looked like your regular forest. Joe didn't explore the woods that much while he was a kid, but he was confident he could at least handle himself. He wasn't a child after all. 

He took cautious steps foward, his eyes darted around before every step. He may have looked a little paranoid, but it was better safe to be sorry. Despite not being much of a tourist—Joe did know that the Black Forest was a tourist attraction. If he kept pushing foward, he was bound to run into a few individuals who could offer their assistance. How he even got to this place was beyond him, but he had to take things one step at a time—or else he was really going to lose it.

Joe seemed to be progressing well, but when he heard something coming from his right side, he misplaced a step.

Snap!

A large sound reverberated throughout the forest. Joe flew backward instantly, his heart rate skyrocketing. His chest heaved as he took a closer look—it was just a broken twig. And the sound he heard coming from his right must've been his imagination because nothing came for him.

“Get a grip Joe! You're nineteen for crying out loud! You can't chicken out like this.”

His words gave him a little encouragement. He looked to take another step when—he saw them. From the shadows, large crimson eyes scrutinized his form.

Heavy footsteps shook the earth as the creature emerged. Its massive paws pressed into the dirt, leaving deep prints. Drool dripped from its jagged red teeth and its grey fur blended nicely with the shadows that embracd it. The creature was massive—easily two times Joe's own size.

His legs trembled as the creature approached methodically, its lengthy black claws shimmering in the cold—oppressive darkness.

[Mana Beast Attribute Window]

• Name: Wolflin

• Race: Mana Beast

• Clan: Yakura

• Evolution Stage: 1

• Level: 5

Mana Beast? Window? Joe had no time to process the information in front of him. Within seconds another notification flashed before him.

[Sub - Quest.]

• Objective: Slay 5 Wolfins 

▪︎ Time: 24 Hours 

▪︎ Failure Death.

• Progress: 0/5 Wolfins Slain

Terror rooted Joe in place. His mind was consumed by numerous questions.

Was this really Germany?

And more importantly... Was he going to die?

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