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Prime Ascendant Chapter 1
The world ended on a day like any other.Marcus sprinted down the once familiar streets, now in the grip of chaos. Abandoned cars cluttered the road, their horns blaring uselessly into the dusty afternoon air. People ran in all directions, some screaming for help, others attacking each other in frenzied panic. The sky was tinged with an eerie red hue, a reminder of the catastrophe sweeping across the country. Just a few hours ago, everything had been normal. He had been normal.Then the news broke.It started like any other viral headline: "Breaking News! : Unexplained Violent Outbreaks Across the Country."At first, it was just contained random acts of aggression, riots erupting without cause in major cities. Marcus had seen the videos circulating online, each one more horrifying than the last: people attacking others with mindless rage, their eyes glazed over, faces twisted with unnatural hunger. Experts on TV scrambled for explanations ranging from terrorism, a new virus, or even m
Prime Ascendant Chapter 2
Marcus stepped out of the bathroom, steam swirling behind him as he wiped the last droplets of water from his face. The grime and filth that had seeped from his body earlier were now washed away, leaving his skin feeling fresh and clean. The strange, almost euphoric high that had gripped him during the transformation had subsided, but the sense of renewal still lingered. His muscles, sore from the recent battle, now only ached faintly, as if the worst of the strain had been purged along with the dirt. He inhaled deeply, feeling the air fill his lungs more fully than before, as though his body had been reset. The infection that had threatened to overtake him was gone, but the changes it left behind were undeniable. He caught his reflection in the cracked mirror above the sink—a face he barely recognized anymore. His skin, once pale and sickly, now had a healthier glow, and his eyes, sharper and more alert, seemed to gleam with an intensity he hadn’t seen before.Then the screen popped
Prime Ascendant Chapter 3
He glanced out through his window and caught sight of several infected roaming the street below. The eerie silence was occasionally broken by distant groans and shuffling feet. Marcus exhaled, grabbed his backpack, and moved toward the door.The hallway outside was eerily quiet. Marcus paused for a moment, listening intently for any movement. Nothing. He started down the stairs, taking care to make as little noise as possible. His thoughts were a jumble—his family, this infection, and whatever strange power had just been bestowed upon him. As he reached the ground floor, Marcus froze. A figure stood near the entrance, hunched over and twitching. His stomach sank as he recognized her—the building’s caretaker. She had always been unpleasant, quick to snap at residents over petty issues. Still, she didn’t deserve this fate.Her skin had taken on a pale, sickly hue, and her eyes, once sharp and judgmental were now clouded and dead. The infected caretaker suddenly let out a low growl, her
Prime Ascendant Chapter 4
Marcus took a deep breath as he stepped outside, the chaos of the city now in full view. Smoke filled the air from burning cars, and the distant screams of panicked civilians echoed through the streets. It was a scene out of a nightmare—total anarchy. People were running, some trying to fight the infected, while others fled in desperation. The infected themselves were relentless, lunging at anyone in sight, their grotesque forms an all too horrifying reminder of what awaited anyone who failed to escape.Marcus’s eyes scanned his surroundings, his mind racing. He needed a plan. His first thought was simple: gather supplies. He couldn’t survive on just the clothes on his back, and the spatial pocket he had was a godsend in this situation. A quick inventory check showed he still had some basic items, but it wasn’t nearly enough. He needed food, water, and most importantly, a weapon, something reliable that didn’t drain his Aether. After his earlier fight, Marcus was acutely aware of his
Prime Ascendant Chapter 5
He stood there for a moment, adrenaline still pulsing through him, the weight of the axe familiar in his hands. He was stronger now, faster too. The infected man would’ve overwhelmed him before. But now… now he could take their heads off. As gross as it looked...it felt good."Okay," he whispered to himself, wiping the sweat from his brow. "I can do this."The reality of the situation was becoming clear to him—this was his life now. Every encounter with the infected would be life or death. He couldn’t rely on his spatial blades for every fight, not with how much they drained him. The fire axe was a crude solution, but for now, it would do.With the infected man dealt with, Marcus made his way toward the exit. Outside, the city was still in chaos, but he had a plan now. He needed to keep moving, find a way out of the city, and make his way back to his family. The fire axe swung by his side as he jogged down the street, carefully avoiding the groups of infected scattered along the way.
Prime Ascendant Chapter 6
As Marcus reached the makeshift barricade, the large bearded man stepped forward, his rifle still in hand but lowered now that Marcus posed no immediate threat. He was broad-shouldered, with sunken eyes that betrayed exhaustion and perhaps something more—wariness, or maybe even hopelessness. The man eyed Marcus from head to toe, sizing him up.“Introduce yourself,” the man barked, his voice deep and gruff.“Marcus,” he said simply, keeping his tone neutral but respectful. “like I said earlier, I'm just trying to find the best way out of the city."The bearded man grunted, seemingly satisfied with the brief response. “Name’s Briggs,” he said after a pause. “And since the world’s gone to shit, it’s hard to know who to trust. But I figure it’s better we have numbers. Safety in numbers, especially against those freaks.” He gestured vaguely behind Marcus, toward the direction where infected were still roaming in the distance.Marcus nodded. It made sense. Strength in numbers had always bee
Prime Ascendant Chapter 7
Marcus noticed that the XP he got from each zombie varied. Some lower that his initial kill while some were higher. Marcus was still lost on the system's criteria for Xp distribution but he was sure it was something he would figure out soon enough The group reached a small pharmacy and decided to stop for a quick supply run. The streets around them were eerily quiet, the kind of stillness that made Marcus’s skin crawl. Despite the apparent silence, there was an underlying tension in the air, as if danger lurked just out of sight, waiting to strike. The pharmacy itself looked looted, shelves partially emptied and debris scattered across the floor from previous scavengers. Briggs and Erika moved inside first to scout the area, their movements deliberate and cautious. Meanwhile, Marcus and Ian stood near the entrance, tasked with keeping watch.The silence between Marcus and Ian was thick, almost suffocating. Every glance from Ian carried a palpable weight, as if his distrust was a phys
Prime Ascendant Chapter 8
As they stepped out of the pharmacy, the cool air hit Marcus's face, doing little to quell the simmering anger within him. He glanced at Ian, whose contemptuous glare felt like a physical weight. Marcus had to take deep breaths to resist the urge to punch the man.Briggs, leading the way down the deserted street, took the point once more. Erika fell back with Marcus, who was beginning to feel the pain from his injury subside. The throbbing in his shoulder was less pronounced than before, a testament to the resilience his body had gained. This was a positive development, as he couldn't afford to show weakness now. Not when a certain someone was likely plotting against him."Hey," Erika said softly, concern etched on her face. "You did great back there. I know it was tough.""Yeah, well, Ian doesn't think so," Marcus replied, struggling to maintain his composure. "What's his problem? Do I look like someone who killed his parents or something?""He wasn't always like this," Erika explain