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2024-10-29 19:42:56Marcus 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 up in his view once again.
-Congratulations. You are the 100th Ascender!
The words echoed in his mind, carrying a sense of weight and significance. The 100th Ascender? He had no idea what that meant, but it didn’t sound like some ordinary achievement.
Before he could dwell on it, another notification blinked into existence in his mind:
-As the 100th Ascender, you are entitled to a special reward. Select one of the following:
The notifications echoed in his mind, clear and inescapable.
-Spatial Pocket Technique
Description: This ability allows the user to create a small, personal dimensional space to store items. The size of the pocket space grows with the user's strength and mastery of the technique. Initially, the space is limited to 3 cubic meters and can only store non-living items. The pocket space is accessible only to the user.
-Flame Burst Ability
Description: Grants the user the ability to unleash a short-range burst of flames, burning enemies in proximity. The power and range of the flame are tied to the user’s fire affinity and will grow stronger with the mastery of elemental fire techniques.
-Aqua Shield Defense
Description: A defensive technique that allows the user to summon a barrier made of water, capable of absorbing physical and elemental damage. This technique requires the user to possess water manipulation abilities to be fully effective.
-Note: These Techniques can only be used with their corresponding Elemental affinity.
Marcus blinked at the options, a wry chuckle escaping his throat. He was supposed to choose between these? "Fire and water?" He scoffed. "Doesn't seem like I possess any of these 'affinities'. Might as well just give me one option here."
The system, indifferent as always, remained silent. With a sigh, he focused on the only option that actually made sense: Spatial Pocket Technique.
“Fine. I’ll take the pocket dimension,” he muttered. A surge of energy rippled through him, and for a brief moment, warmth spread across his chest, calming the soreness in his muscles. The knowledge of the technique appeared in his mind instantly, as though it had always been there.
-You have learned the Spatial Pocket Technique!
Sitting up slowly, Marcus reached out with his mind, focusing on the new ability. It responded almost instinctively, as though it had been waiting for his command. It felt strange, like reaching into the air with an invisible hand. Suddenly, a small space opened up before him. He couldn’t see it, but he could feel it, a pocket dimension, about 3 cubic meters in size.
"Well, that’s handy." He smirked. This would definitely make things easier. No more hauling around heavy bags or worrying about losing his gear.
The world might have ended, but now Marcus had something and that was power. This would greatly increase his chance of survival in this damned world.
But he didn’t have time to marvel over it for long. His family flashed into his mind, and the sense of urgency hit him hard. He had to get out of the city, out of the chaos that was swallowing everything whole. His parents lived far from here, about 120 miles away in the countryside. It was safer there for now, but Marcus knew that wouldn’t last long. Whatever this infection was, it was spreading fast.
He pulled out his phone, hands trembling slightly, and dialed his mother’s number. The phone rang once… twice… his heart pounding with each passing second.
Finally, she answered.
“Marcus?” Her voice was frazzled, but it was her. She was alive. “Are you okay?”
He exhaled, his chest loosening at the sound of her voice. “Yeah, I’m fine, Mom. Where’s Dad? Are you both safe?”
“We’re fine, for now,” she replied, her voice a bit shaky. “We’ve been watching the news, trying to stay inside. Your father’s talking about reinforcing the doors and windows. It’s getting bad, Marcus.”
“I know,” Marcus said, forcing his voice to stay calm. “Listen, don’t leave the house for anything. I’m coming to you, but it’s going to take me some time. Just keep everything locked up, okay?”
There was a pause, then a soft, “Okay. But please… be careful.”
“I will. Don’t worry.”
He hung up, a heavy weight still pressing down on his chest. His parents were safe for now, but what about his sisters? They were studying in Chicago, miles away from the countryside. His stomach twisted as he dialed Lily’s number.
No answer.
He tried again—still nothing. Switching to Alice’s number, the pit in his stomach deepened with each ring.
“Come on… pick up…”
Nothing.
The silence on the other end was deafening.
Please be okay.
He’d try again later, he told himself. For now, he needed to move. Supplies, transport—everything he needed to get out of the city and back to his family.
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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As Marcus stepped further into the shadows of the dilapidated building, the pain from his shoulder injuries faded into the background, a dull throb he could almost ignore. He could feel the adrenaline coursing through him, keeping him focused and perceptive but he knew better than to think he was out of the woods yet. “Hey,” Erika said, her voice breaking through his thoughts. “You sure you’re okay?” Her eyes were filled with concern, and he could see the faint light of worry in her expression.“Yeah, just tired,” Marcus replied, attempting a reassuring smile, though he knew it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I can already feel the pain subsiding.”Erika nodded, but he could tell she wasn’t fully convinced. “Just take it easy, alright? We need you in one piece.”“Got it.” Marcus took a deep breath, trying to shake off the lingering tension. He thought back to the zombies they had fought, recalling how each kill had been a small victory, Just 1 or 2 more zombies and he would level up. A
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The night air was thick with tension as Briggs, Clara, Ian, and Erika pressed forward through the shadows, their every step calculated to avoid detection. They moved along the edges of abandoned vehicles and shattered barricades, the distant chaos of gunfire and screams serving as a grim reminder of their limited time. A sudden guttural growl stopped them in their tracks. From the corner of a dilapidated building, an infected stumbled into view, its lifeless eyes locking onto them. It hesitated for a fraction of a second before breaking into a sprint. "Down!" Clara hissed, pulling Ian to the ground as Briggs swung a metal pipe he had picked up earlier. The improvised weapon connected with a sickening crunch, sending the infected sprawling. Erika stepped forward, finishing it off with a swift strike from a crowbar she had scavenged. Ian stared at the corpse, his breathing ragged. "How...how are they moving so fast? Did they evolve or something?" "No time for a biology lesson," B
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Chapter 22
The sun had dipped below the horizon, casting the quarantine zone in eerie shadows illuminated only by the harsh floodlights mounted on military vehicles. The once-distant sounds of chaos—screams, sporadic gunfire, and inhuman growls—was now all over the place.Inside the makeshift base, Clara, Ian, Erika and Briggs remained tense, huddled together near the edge of the cordoned area. The soldiers, now on high alert, barked orders and readied their weapons. Briggs paced, his ears keen on picking up anything that might clue them into the escalating situation. He froze when he heard a nearby soldier’s radio crackle to life. “Level 3 purge order confirmed,” the voice on the other end said coldly. “What’s the timeline?” the soldier asked, his face pale despite his hardened demeanor. “Eighteen hundred hours. No exceptions.” Briggs’s stomach dropped. He clenched his fists and turned back to the group. “They’re planning to kill everyone—infected or not probably.” Ian stared at him
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Chapter 21
After leaving the checkpoint where they had dropped their names and basic personal information, the military personnel directed the group to separate testing stations. Clara glanced around, noticing how the others were being led off in different directions, each to their own station. She was alone now, and that only heightened her nerves. “Step forward,” barked the medic at her station, motioning to the spot in front of him. Clara approached cautiously, keeping her expression calm despite the storm of thoughts racing through her mind. The medic adjusted his glasses and began explaining the procedure. “We’ll start with a temperature scan, followed by a quick blood draw. Standard protocol to check for any abnormalities,” he said, reaching for a handheld scanner. Alarm bells rang in Clara’s mind. 'Hell no.'Forcing a polite smile, she let her compulsion powers surge to life, their subtle influence weaving into the medic’s mind. Her thoughts pressed against his, implanting the sug
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The floodlights made it nearly impossible to see beyond their glaring intensity. The command from the loudspeaker boomed once more. “Civilians! Kneel down with your hands on your heads! Do it now!” For a moment, the group stood frozen. Hope flickered briefly in Erika’s wide eyes. “It’s the military,” she whispered, her voice tinged with cautious optimism. “They’re here to help.” Marcus frowned, his grip on his axe loosening slightly. Briggs glanced at him and then at Clara, who looked skeptical but resigned. “Let’s not make this worse,” Briggs muttered. “If it’s the government, we might finally catch a break.” Reluctantly, Marcus lowered his axe, setting it on the ground with a dull thud. He dropped to his knees, raising his hands above his head. The others followed suit, although Clara hesitated for a heartbeat before complying, wincing as her injured shoulder protested. The sound of boots hitting pavement grew louder as soldiers descended from the helicopters on ropes,
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Chapter 19
The group trudged through the deserted streets, their boots crunching against the shattered glass and debris. Marcus walked in silence, his axe slung over his shoulder, but the thought gnawed at him. The vent—their supposed escape route—had been blocked earlier. Something about that didn’t sit right with him. Finally, unable to suppress his curiosity any longer, he broke the silence. “That vent,” Marcus started, his voice cutting through the eerie stillness. “It was blocked earlier. How?” Clara froze mid-step, her body tensing for a fraction of a second before she quickly resumed walking. Her mind raced. 'He’s suspicious.' Taking a deep breath, she focused her thoughts, reaching out mentally to Erika and Ian. This wasn’t just about silencing doubts—it required precision. Implanting false memories wasn’t her strongest suit, but she had no choice. She concentrated hard, weaving her thoughts into their minds. 'You didn’t block the vent. You never saw it blocked. Everything was norm
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Chapter 18
Marcus raised his pistol, aiming at the advancing bikers, only to hear the hollow click of an empty magazine. He cursed under his breath—he was out of ammo. With no other choice, he slung the pistol over his shoulder and pulled out his axe, gripping its handle tightly. The weapon felt reassuringly solid in his hand, its blade gleaming under the faint moonlight.Just as he was about to charge, a shot rang out, and Clara cried out in pain, clutching her arm as blood began to seep through her fingers. Marcus's jaw clenched as he glanced at her. This bastards were certainly not going to let them leave here alive.Without another thought, he surged forward, swinging his axe with brutal precision. The first biker he encountered barely had time to register the threat before Marcus buried the blade into his shoulder, forcing a shocked gasp from the man as he crumpled to the ground. Marcus wrenched the axe free, his eyes cold, and turned to the next target.Each swing was a blend of speed and
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Chapter 17
The bikers shoved Clara, Erika, and Ian forward, forcing them toward a crumbling, abandoned building looming like a haunted skeleton against the night sky. The gang members laughed and jeered, clearly enjoying the helplessness of their captives.Clara glanced around desperately, hoping to spot some way out. But before any plan could form, a sharp, commanding voice sliced through the evening air behind them."Release them, or I’ll start popping bullets," the voice drawled, cold and confident.Everyone turned, and there stood Briggs, holding a rifle steady and pointed at the gang, his expression all business. Beside him, Marcus watched with narrowed eyes, taking in the scene, his arms crossed and posture tense. His gaze was sharp, calculating.The tattooed leader barked out a laugh, his men’s guns immediately swiveling toward the newcomers. “Well, well,” he sneered, flashing a crooked smile, “look who decided to crash the party.”Briggs cocked his head, his finger resting just above the
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Chapter 16
As the sun dipped below the horizon, evening shadows stretched across the desolate streets, casting an eerie calm over the scene. Clara, Erika, and Ian carefully made their way out of the building, each step cautious, as if even the ground itself could betray them. Clara kept her grip on her compulsion spell, feeling its fraying edges; maintaining control over two people this long wasn’t easy, and it was beginning to wear on her.A burst of gunfire split the silence, distant but unmistakable. Ian’s head snapped up, a glimmer of hope lighting his face. “Think it could be Briggs?” he asked, his tone almost pleading.Erika shot him a look, harsh and skeptical. “Don’t be an idiot. We blocked the only exit. No one’s getting through there.”Ian became confused. “And why did we block the exit?"Erika’s face clouded over, and her expression wavered between confusion and irritation, as if her mind was trying to piece together a memory just out of reach. Clara felt her influence slipping, a tin
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Chapter 15
Elara lay tense in the pod as the warmth in her veins intensified, creeping through her arms, spreading up to her shoulders, and seeping into her core. Her body felt like it was being enveloped in a strange fire—both cold and burning at once. A sharp sting flared at the base of her spine, and she clenched her fists, trying to keep her breathing steady, but the sensation was relentless.The compound had triggered a reaction at the cellular level, initiating the "adaptive response" the old man had described. Deep within her, every cell was reacting to the foreign neutral gene, which was nudging each strand of her DNA into a new configuration, unlocking dormant sections of her genetic code. Elara could almost feel her body being rewritten, as if someone were tearing her apart and piecing her back together from the inside out.A sudden, stabbing pain shot through her chest, and she gasped, her body straining against the restraints as the heat turned searing. Her muscles tightened involunt
