Chapter 4: The Night of Reddmere
It was 11:37 PM when Ashton Clark stepped off the train into the heart of Reddmere's decaying lower sector — Port Varron, a place long forgotten by the pristine cities above. The streetlights flickered, casting fractured glows across alleys lined with derelict storefronts and boarded apartments. The faint hum of the rail faded behind him, replaced by the distant rumble of thunder rolling across the sea. The air reeked of salt, rust, and something far worse — something that churned beneath the wind.
He had just purchased a small apartment using the last of his savings, a modest space wedged between collapsed warehouses. It wasn't meant to be home — only a temporary staging ground for his plan. The System had revealed the truth to him: this place would be the first to fall. And in that fall, opportunity would rise. The infected, once humans, would become the source of his power, his points, and his survival. Every one of them represented strength waiting to be taken.
As Ashton climbed the cracked stairwell toward his new residence, the world began to unravel. The first screams came from the docks, carried by the cold coastal air. The sound of glass shattering followed — then the unrelenting shriek of a siren before the power grid failed entirely. Darkness swept the streets as chaos erupted below.
He didn't hesitate. The System Interface shimmered to life before his eyes, glowing faintly blue against the pitch-black night. The tabs pulsed with energy — Attributes, Provisions Shop, System Resource Shop, and the new menu he had discovered only hours before: The Genesis Exchange. His heart raced as he checked his stats.
[Attributes]
Name: Ashton Clark
Age: 27
Occupation: Office Worker
Level: 3 (2,154 / 4,000 XP)
Health: 83/100 (Good)
Strength: Above Average (142)
Vitality: Excellent (157)
Agility: Average (110)
Constitution: Average (117)
Tactical Intelligence: Subpar (92)
Intuition: Minimal (68)
Infected Killed: 0
Genesis Coins: 0
Apocalypse Credits: 12,000
Necron Tokens: 0
Warehouse: Empty
He gripped the railing as the sound of wet footsteps filled the stairwell. One of them had found him already. The body stumbled from the shadows — its eyes milky white, its jaw trembling as a guttural snarl escaped. Ashton's pulse quickened. There was no fear, only grim acceptance. He pulled the iron pipe from his bag and swung with all his strength. The sound of bone snapping echoed through the narrow corridor. The System Notification appeared instantly.
[Infected Killed +1]
[+1 Attribute Point | +20 Necron Tokens | +2 Genesis Coins]
[Experience +100]
The body fell still. Ashton exhaled slowly as the digital hum of the System faded. His first kill since returning — and the first of many.
Outside, the city was consumed. The glow of fire spread along the dockyards, illuminating hordes of staggering silhouettes. The outbreak was no longer rumor — it was reality. Ashton stepped out into the chaos, his hands trembling not from fear, but from the rush of something primal. Every death fed him, strengthened him, and the System grew more responsive with each kill.
Hours passed as he carved through the infected in silence. His movements sharpened with every strike, his reflexes honed to near precision. Blood slicked the streets, pooling in the gutters, the moon's reflection trembling in crimson water. When the final corpse fell, he stood among hundreds of still bodies — a monument of carnage beneath the fractured night sky.
The System Notification reappeared:
[Infected Killed: 372]
[+744 Genesis Coins | +7,440 Necron Tokens | +28,560 Apocalypse Credits]
[Level Up → Level 6]
[New Feature Unlocked: System Resource Shop Access Tier 2]
He opened the shop, the interface glowing brighter than ever before. Rows of impossible technology appeared — weapons beyond reason, armor forged from unnamed alloys, and a single entry marked with a faint golden hue.
[System Resource Shop: Tier 2 Item]
Worldslayer – 35 Genesis Coins
A polymorphic weapon meant to slay creatures beyond human comprehension. Designed for infinite evolution, it grows alongside its wielder. Forged from unknown alloys and reinforced with adaptive nanostructures, it can transform seamlessly between Scythe, Sword, and Spear. Its core energy harmonizes with the user's strength, increasing exponentially with every battle. A weapon of the impossible — meant not for humans, but for those who surpass them.
Ashton stared at the screen. The name alone drew him in — Worldslayer — a title worthy of gods and monsters. His hands itched to accept, to claim the strength it promised. He hovered over the purchase button, breath unsteady.
And then, from the far end of the street, something moved. A tall figure stepped into view, the firelight glinting off the edge of glass. Philippe Ardeaux stood beneath the broken lamplight, holding a vial filled with a swirling black liquid. His expression was unreadable — but the faint smirk that formed sent a chill through Ashton's veins.
The System flickered, as if reacting to the presence of something unnatural. The air grew still, and for the first time that night, Ashton felt a weight settle in his chest that even the System could not quantify.
He looked down at the notification window one last time.
[Purchase Pending: Worldslayer – 35 Genesis Coins]
[Confirm?]
And for the first time since his regression, Ashton hesitated.