Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End
Amid the urban chaos of São Paulo, Brazil, Klaus lived an existence that felt like an empty echo of life. At twenty-eight, he lived alone in a cramped apartment downtown — one of those old, decaying buildings where the noise of cars and crowds never ceased. Polluted air slipped through cracked windows, blending with the stale smell of food and accumulated dust.
Klaus worked as a freelance programmer, spending endless hours in front of a computer screen, writing lines of code that felt as meaningless as his own routine.
His life was a cycle of loneliness and depression. He woke up late after sleepless nights spent tossing in bed, wondering how everything had fallen apart. His parents had died in a car accident five years ago, and since then, his friendships had faded like smoke. Relationships? None lasted more than a few months — he sabotaged himself, sinking into negative thoughts that drove him into isolation.
"Why even try?" he murmured to himself as he stared into the mirror, seeing a man with hollow eyes, unshaven, and an expression of permanent defeat.
But there was one refuge in that darkness: Klaus was addicted to manga, series, novels, and manhwas. His apartment was filled with piles of both printed and digital volumes — from fantasy epics like One Piece and Solo Leveling to online novels packed with level systems, skills, and apocalypses. He devoured stories of protagonists who gained supernatural powers, leveled up, and conquered worlds.
It was his escape, the only place where he felt alive — imagining himself in the place of those heroes.
"If only real life were like those worlds…" he thought, as he binged yet another episode or read chapters until dawn. That obsession isolated him even more, but it was the only thing keeping him breathing.
That October morning, sunlight filtered through dirty curtains, illuminating his messy room. Klaus dragged himself to the kitchen, made instant coffee, and sat at the table, staring into nothingness.
His apartment was a reflection of his mind — piles of clothes on the floor, dirty dishes in the sink, manga scattered across the table, and a muted TV showing the morning news.
He felt like a ghost haunting the city itself — São Paulo, with its millions of people, made him feel even more invisible.
"Just another day like all the others," he thought, as the weight of depression pressed him deeper into the chair. Dreams of a better life felt distant, buried under layers of apathy and exhaustion.
Then, the world stopped.
Klaus felt a tremor in the air, as if reality itself was being torn apart. A bluish light flashed before his eyes — not an illusion, but something real, projected directly into his mind.
He blinked, confused, thinking it was another trick of his exhausted brain. But then, a voice echoed — not in his ears, but inside his head.
It was neutral, mechanical… like a divine narrator.
[Global Apocalypse System Activated]
[Welcome to the New World. Earth has been integrated into the Universal System. All surviving humans will gain access to basic functions required to endure the upcoming apocalypse. Monsters, dungeons, and challenges will soon emerge. Prepare yourself.]
Klaus jumped up, heart pounding. "What the hell…?" he muttered, looking around.
Through the window, he saw people frozen in shock, panic on their faces. Cars crashed, sirens blared in the distance.
It wasn't just him — it was global.
The blue light expanded, forming holographic panels floating before his eyes. The system began displaying its functions one by one, like an unavoidable tutorial.
[Function: Status]
[Access your current attributes. Speak or think 'Status' to visualize them.]
Curious and terrified, Klaus whispered, "Status."
A screen appeared before him:
Name: Klaus
Level: 1
XP: 0/100
Attributes:
Strength: 10
Agility: 10
Vitality: 10
Intelligence: 10
Dexterity: 10
Luck: 10
Free Points: 0
(Each level grants +1 to every attribute and +1 free point to distribute.)
"Just like in a game… or better yet, like the manga I read!" Klaus thought, his depression momentarily replaced by shock — and a spark of excitement. He remembered all those stories where ordinary people gained systems like this.
[Function: Skills]
[Here you manage your skills. All users receive one Random Skill Book. Use it to unlock your unique ability.]
[Function: Quests]
[The System will assign daily, main, and event quests. Completing them grants XP, items, and rewards. Failure may result in penalties.]
[Function: Inventory]
[Dimensional storage space. Initial capacity: 5 slots. Non-living items only. Speak 'Inventory' to access.]
Klaus tested it. "Inventory."
An empty grid appeared — five squares waiting to be filled.
Then came the final announcement:
[Global Distribution: All humans receive 1x Random Skill Book. Use it immediately to survive.]
A golden light materialized in his hand — an ancient book with a black cover and ethereal inscriptions. He opened it, and the System confirmed:
[Skill Book Acquired: Essence Devourer (Rank: Unique)]
[Description: The Essence Devourer is a rare and mystical ability granting its wielder the power to absorb and manipulate the life energy of other beings. This energy, known as Vital Essence, is the fundamental force that sustains all life. Through this ability, the user can extract the energy of living or recently deceased creatures, storing it within to strengthen body, mind, and abilities.]
[Current Level: 1]
[Unlocked Sub-Skills:]
Vital Absorption: Drain life energy through touch or attacks. Restores vitality or temporarily boosts power.
Essence Storage: Store Pure Essence within an internal core. Limited initial capacity.
Evolution Conversion: Convert Essence into Evolution Points (EP). Rate: 100 Vital Essence = 1 EP. Use EP to evolve abilities.
But it didn't stop there. Another light — weaker, grayish — appeared beside the first book. The System announced:
[Initial Secondary Skill Acquired: Player Appraisal (Rank: F)]
[Description: A basic ability allowing the user to analyze items, creatures, and players, revealing information such as rank, attributes, and weaknesses. At Rank F, accuracy is low and limited to targets of similar or lower level. Can evolve through usage and EP.]
Klaus felt a tingling sensation spread through his body — as if new energy was filling him.
"This… this is real? Essence Devourer… and Appraisal? It's like I've become the protagonist of one of those manhwas I love!" he whispered, a spark of hope flickering amid the terror.
Outside, screams echoed through the city — the apocalypse had begun.
Monsters were appearing on the streets of São Paulo, and the world he once knew was collapsing.
But now, with these abilities… maybe he had a chance to survive.
Or perhaps… to be reborn, just like in the worlds he once dreamed of.
Would you like me to: