Chapter 2 - Chapter 2: Where's the Next Safe Zone?

The sand seemed to eat through my boots.

I kept on walking for what felt like hours—no signs of life anywhere. Only bones scattered across the dunes, relics of what was once living.... but no longer.

A cold breeze slipped through the coat I'd got earlier from the system brushing against my skin like whispers of the dead. I reached a lone rock and sat down.

I called out, the familiar holographic interface flickered into my gaze, humming softly.

[Status: Active] 

Name: Liam (Fragmented) 

Rank: E-Rank (Unstable Core) 

Energy Output: 67% 

Physical Fatigue: 45% 

Mental Integrity: Stable 

Core Synchronization: 13% 

Rest recommended.

"Is there nothing here to help me out?" I muttered; my voice was cracked but dry. I hadn't tasted water since I got here—wherever here was.

Then another screen materialized before me.

[Second Segmentation: Active] 

{Missions} 

{Store} 

{Back to Stats} 

{Survival} 

{Practice}

This was starting to feel like a video game.

Except this time, my life was the game—and survival was the only quest.

I commanded.

 The word triggered a pulse of light, and the interface reconfigured into a more intricate display.

[System Store: Online] 

[Available Balance: 30 Points] 

[Category Selection:] 

{Weapons} 

{Armor} 

{Consumables} 

{Relics} 

{Utilities} 

{Restricted Vaults — Locked until Rank D+}

There was a lot to choose from, but I had to be careful—thirty points wasn't exactly generous.

, I said.

A blue holographic grid unfolded. At first it was a storm of —binary strings of 0s and 1s—then it stabilized into readable text.

[E-Rank Available] 

Minor Regen Potion — Restores 30% physical fatigue. (Cost: 8 pts) Neuro-Reflex Shot — Boosts perception and reaction speed for 2 minutes. (Cost: 12 pts) Synth-Water Capsule — Hydration substitute, neutral taste. (Cost: 5 pts)

[D-Rank+ Locked 🔒] 

Cellular Rebuild Elixir — Repairs organ trauma. Mana Stabilizer — Balances unstable core synchronization. Adrenal Surge Injector — Temporarily boosts energy output by 40%.

[C-Rank+ Locked 🔒] 

Echo Serum — Revives memory fragments temporarily. Divine Essence (Synthetic) — Grants brief access to "Godhood Fragment" data. Pain Nullifier Patch — Erases nerve feedback for 5 minutes.

[B to SSS-Rank: All locked, requiring Ascension milestones.]

It was an extensive list, but to my disappointment, I could only access E-rank consumables. Right now, all I wanted was water.

I said. The item floated to the center of the screen, its data pulsing faintly:

Synth-Water Capsule — Hydration substitute, neutral taste. (Cost: 5 pts)

{ Do you wish to purchase? } The system asked.

I replied.

A soft hum filled the air as a transparent bottle materialized in my hand.

I commanded, and the store interface returned:

[System Store: Online]

[Available Balance: 25 Points]

[Category Selection:]

{Weapons}

{Armor}

{Consumables}

{Relics}

{Utilities}

{Restricted Vaults — Locked until Rank D+}

"So basically… my points mean survival, huh?" I murmured, unscrewing the bottle. I took three gulps. It wasn't refreshing, but it was something. I tucked the rest into the small pouch at my side.

The interface dissolved into static light.

I stood and glanced at the sky—no sun, no moon, just the endless gray of nothingness.

"I'll restore my memories," I whispered, clenching my fist as the system's glow faded completely. "No matter what it takes."

❖ PHASE II: ENDLESS SEARCHING❖

✦ ✦ ✦ few hours later.... ✦ ✦ ✦

I collapsed on top the sand, spreading my hands and legs wide open. My chest heaved as if the world itself was sitting on it. and closed my eyes, panting.

"This is useless. Where on earth do I go? This place is in ruin," I muttered, voice breaking as I sat up.

"Now I regret not dying earlier," I added, dragging a trembling hand down my face.

Then, pain—sharp, stabbing, unbearable—split through my skull.

Flashes of something—faces, cities, blood—flickered before my eyes, all blurred like a broken hologram.

"Ah!!" I screamed, collapsing again. The pain clawed through my mind until finally, it dulled.

I wiped at my nose—blood.

"F*ck…" I hissed under my breath, feeling the sticky warmth on my fingers.

And then, as if it had been waiting, the voice returned.

Cold. Synthetic. Merciless.

[Warning: Neural degradation detected.] 

[Memory Fragments destabilizing.] 

[Cause: Prolonged stagnation and insufficient synchronization rate.]

My heart skipped. "What… what does that mean?"

The system didn't hesitate.

"Core Analysis — Active."

"User has failed to achieve synchronization growth for 6 hours."

"Warning: If progression remains static, memory data will begin to decay."

"Estimated time before permanent wipe: 48 hours."

"What?!" I bolted upright. "You're telling me my memories will just—disappear?!"

"Affirmative."

"Unstable cores require continuous evolution to preserve stored fragments."

"Current synchronization rate: 13.4%."

"Recommended course of action: Level up. Hunt. Adapt. Survive."

"Failure to evolve will result in identity collapse."

I clenched my fists. "You're joking. There's nothing here to hunt! It's just sand, bones, and—"

"Excuse detected: Inefficient."

"Directive Override: Initiating mission protocol."

"Survival route activated."

The air shimmered. A new holographic tab expanded beside me, its faint blue light slicing through the endless dusk.

[Mission Activated]

{ Objective: Restore Core Stability to 20% 

Method: Engage and eliminate hostile entities within designated zone. 

Reward: Memory Fragment (Low-tier) + 40 Points. 

Warning: Failure will accelerate neural decay by 10%. }

"Perfect…" I muttered bitterly, standing to my feet, brushing sand off my coat. "So, it's either I kill... or I vanish."

"Clarification: Termination of other entities extends user's lifespan."

"The system provides purpose."

"The system ensures survival."

"Adapt or be deleted."

I stared at the hologram as it slowly dissolved into light, its last words ringing inside my skull like a curse I couldn't escape.

Adapt or be deleted... huh?

I cracked my knuckles, the exhaustion fading behind a rising determination.

"Fine," I whispered. "Let's see who breaks first—me or your damn system.

❖ PHASE III: STILL NOTHING! ❖

I walked.

God knows I did.

Ruins stretched in every direction—left, right, ahead. Just endless wreckage. I didn't even know where I was going anymore. Frustration started boiling under my skin.

Then, it appeared.

"I need directions to my next safe zone," I commanded, trying to keep my voice steady.

The screen just… stared back at me. Blank.

"Seriously?! I'm out here stranded with thirty—scratch that—twenty-five points, and you decide to ghost me?!" I snapped.

A pause. Then finally—

[Map]

The air shimmered. Then lines of light bled out from the center of the screen, forming a fractured, holographic sphere. It glitched twice before stabilizing, its glow casting faint blue ripples across the ruins.

Tiny coordinates blinked like fireflies—each one pulsing as though alive.

My map wasn't just digital; it was… breathing.

A compass rotated at the top corner, static flickering through its letters. Roads, or what used to be roads, unraveled across the projection in thin red veins. A flashing gold dot marked my position. It was labeled:

[USER: LIAM] — STATUS: EXPOSED]

And then, another marker pulsed deeper into the wasteland.

[NEXT SAFE ZONE — 3.7 KM — DANGER: 84%]