Chapter 1: A weapon store in apocalypse

"...My name is Lucas, Lucas Brightster. My life is a very sad one, filled with challenges and miseries. I have a sickly mother and a sister to take care of. Moreover, there are these bastards who bully me simply because I'm a weak stage 1 chain breaker..."

"...Though I have no complaints, that is because without pain there's no gain. No main protagonist can slap the faces of young masters without going through the face of pain..."

"...Sigh, I wished that I had been born before the apocalypse occurred. My handsome dashing face, my beautiful silver hair, my amazing blue eyes! Ha, aren't these the traits of the main protagonist?! Sigh, I really am the chosen one ain't I? If I could marry myself, then I would!"

"...Once in a thousand years old genius? That Derrick guy? What a joke, The apocalypse started two hundred years ago!"

 "...Sigh, I can't wait to find some kind of precious treasures and the secret behind my father's family! My lost father must be some kind of stage 5 or 6 Chain breaker!"

"...Just wait for my daddy, it's all over when he comes! Wait, why did that sound so wrong?"

"...Anyway, I'm superior to any of those so called young masters! I will show them who the true protagonist is!"

It looked like Lucas's narcissism was once again acting up. This was something that would occur within him, whenever he faced some kind of threat. This was also his way of coping up with all that stress and miseries.

"Sigh, I'm just wasting my time here." Saying this, Lucas shook his head. Just as he was about to walk away from that place, his body froze. He could clearly feel a presence behind him, though this presence was most likely of a human.

'Sigh, I'm quite skilled after all. If it was those newbies or young masters then they would most likely think of this presence as a monster's presence. Is this result of all that experience?' As Lucas thought these words he started speaking without turning or seeing who this person was.

"Did you hear all of it? Well, I don't care, but all of it is true." As a matter of fact, Lucas indeed was shameless.

"I am going to be one of the greatest figures in the future, so mister it would be better if you gave all the money and resources you have. You'll indirectly be sponsoring a Future pillar of humanity."

As Lucas continued to bullshit he slowly turned around. And what he saw made him wish that he never did.

Two crimson-red eyes, intimidating razor-sharp teeth, a strong muscular gigantic body with light brown fur!

'What the fuck is this! Why didn't he make the heavy breathing sound that a monster normally makes!' Though inwardly Lucas was shaking and trembling in fear, he didn't allow it to leak outside. Maintaining a calm look he said. "Now you understand my greatness?"

Monsters would slowly gain intelligence the stronger they became. This was the reason Lucas was hoping that this monster would be amused by him and spare his ass, even better give him some heaven-defying artifact or in other words cheat that a protagonist gets. 

Lucas was staring intensely at the face of the monster, hoping that he would see a flash of amusement in those crimson eyes. Instead, he saw drool falling from the mouth of the monster, as it licked its lips.

Love what you're reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.

Who am I?

Why am I?

What am I?

It was over. Lucas started questioning his existence as he saw drool falling from the mouth of this humongous monster who was thrice the size of an average human. Next second Lucas twisted his body and dashed as fast as he could! 

Running in the face of danger was no shameless matter! In fact, to Lucas, it was an act of bravery! Even though he believed himself to be the protagonist of this world, he didn't have his cheat or didn't go through the 'Protagonist Training Period!'. 

The Mountain King stands as one of the mightiest branches among Panthera monsters. Mountain kings or queens shared similarities with Chaos Lions from the pre-apocalypse era. The moment they licked their lips in front of a person, it spelled the end – a method they used to choose their prey. He liked to court beautiful ladies, not death!

Despite the foolishness of running, Lucas's mind went blank when the Lion licked its lips. The realization of his mistake only hit him when it was already too late.

"What the F*ck... Where did my F*cking experience go!"

Cursing inwardly, Lucas sprinted faster. Suddenly, his instincts screamed to dodge, and he did just that.

Boom!

A gigantic paw crashed into the spot where Lucas stood moments ago, leaving a large crater in its wake.

'I would have turned into mashed meat!' Lucas gulped, staring at the formed crater. The next second, he resumed running, now certain that the monster was toying with him. It was playing with him! The shockwave alone from that single smash had enough force to push him.

'Not killing a protagonist when you can is the biggest decision of your life!'

A foolish grin adorned Lucas's face, but his instincts kicked in once again to save him.

'Stop fantasizing now!' Giving himself a sharp slap on the cheeks, he continued running. Right now, all Lucas wished for was a plot armor that would save him.

As Lucas kept running, he passed by numerous broken buildings, giving the impression that a disaster had befallen the region. 'Wasn't this a Desolate Zone?! Was the information wrong, and this is actually a Red Zone!'

His heart raced faster and faster as Lucas continued his sprint!

'No! What about my mother and sister? What about the happy life I promised them? No!' Saliva and snot escaped from his mouth and nose as Lucas continued running! His breath grew ragged, and his legs ached. His chest began to burn.

The sun was slowly setting, and droplets descended from the sky, quickly turning into a heavy downpour. Twenty minutes had passed since Lucas started running, and his adrenaline rush was gradually settling down.

"Huff! Huff!"

Bloody scars were visible on his body. The blood leaking through those wounds seeped into his black formal dress, falling on the ground and evaporating into a wisp of acrid steam, immediately washed away by the rain.

Entering an alley, for some reason, it seemed like the Mountain King had slowed down. However, he couldn't care less; now it was time to survive.

Through his slightly blurry eyes, he managed to see a store amidst the veil of rain. Dim light peeked out from the windows of this small shop.

[Chaos Forge... closed]

In all this rubble and the broken buildings surrounding the place, some insane person had opened a store here.

Looking at the signboard, his heart skipped a beat. Normally, he would have given a passing comment like "If someone gave me money to buy this store, I would still refuse!"

But currently, his life was more important. Rushing towards the store, he screamed at the top of his lungs!

"Save me! Save me!" Simultaneously, he banged his fist on the door. The bones in his fist broke as blood swept from his palm. However, he did not care, continuing to smash his fist on the door.

Finally, the door swung open, revealing the interior of the store. Despite its small size, the place looked ahead of its time, bathed in mainly blue-colored light. A man in his twenties stood behind the counter, wearing a three-piece formal suit with neatly combed black hair and dark brown eyes that were so deep they could almost be mistaken for crimson red.

Unable to stand any longer, Lucas fell to the ground, his legs aching. Yet, those deep brown eyes with a seemingly crimson flicker remained etched in his mind.

'Whom... Whom did I just see! A master! Yes, definitely a master! My... My life is saved!' The majestic figure leaning on the chair, slender fingers tapping the counter with a rhythmic tone...

It was as if everything was in sync with the surroundings!

'My life has been saved!'

...

1 second...

Tap! Tap! Tap!

2 seconds...

Tap! Tap! Tap!

3 seconds...

Tap! Tap! Tap!

1 minute...

"Sir, quit posing! Save me!"

"..."