I have been stuck in my apartment for four days.
Time moves differently when you are waiting to die. Hours stretch out until they blur together and the only thing that tells me another day has passed is the light leaking through the edges of the blinds. I sleep when my body gives up and wake up when fear does the same.
The screams stopped on the second day.
That was not comforting. It was worse.
On the second day something else happened. Something everyone online kept calling the System.
I thought it was a joke at first. Stress hallucinations. Group hysteria. Then the notification appeared in front of my eyes clear as day and I could not deny it anymore.
Everyone had it.
Classes. Stats. Skills. Cooldowns. A clean interface slapped on top of a collapsing world like it was a game that someone forgot to turn off.
I got mine two days ago.
And today something new was unlocked.
The air in my room felt heavier for a moment. Not like before when the lizardman stood outside my door but different. Internal. Like something shifted inside my chest.
Then the text appeared.
Unique Skill Unlocked
Isle of the Summoner
This skill manifests as an internal domain bound to the user.
The domain takes the form of an island.
Current structures detected: 3
Restriction Applied:
The user is unable to physically enter or interact with the internal domain.
All interactions with the Isle of the Summoner occur indirectly through summoning and system mediated functions.
I stared at the words until my eyes hurt.
An island. Inside me.
I did not feel different. No surge of power. No warmth. No sudden understanding. Just text floating in front of my face like it expected me to know what to do with it.
More lines followed.
Structure List
Summoning Circle
The Summoning Circle is used to create summons.
Compatible resources include collected monster crystals and summoning scrolls.
Summoning scroll rarity is divided as follows:
Basic Scrolls: Produces 1 to 3 star summons
Mystical Scrolls: Produces 3 to 5 star summons
Elemental Scrolls: Produces 3 to 5 star summons with a guaranteed elemental alignment
Summon star level determines base strength, growth potential, and skill quality.
Summons generated within the Summoning Circle can be deployed outside of the inner domain.
Current limit for monsters summoned outside: 0 out of 15
I swallowed.
Fifteen.
That number alone made my pulse quicken. Fifteen monsters fighting for me. Fifteen things standing between me and whatever was stalking the streets outside.
If I had any.
The text continued.
Ascension Hall
The Ascension Hall is used to increase a summon's star level.
Ascension enhances overall attributes, skill effectiveness, and latent abilities.
Compatible summons or materials are required for ascension.
Maximum ascension level: 6 stars
Ascension is processed automatically by the system.
Manual user interaction is not permitted.
So even improvement was automated. I could not mess it up even if I wanted to.
That should have made me feel better.
It did not.
Equipment Hall
The Equipment Hall is used to store and upgrade equipment.
Equipment may be assigned to summons during deployment.
Equipment upgrades are processed through system authorization.
Equipment rarity is classified as follows:
Common
Uncommon
Magical
Rare
Mythic
Legendary
Higher rarity equipment supports greater enhancement potential.
Then the final lines.
Domain access restricted.
Summoning permissions active.
Synchronization ongoing.
The text faded.
I sat there in silence listening to my own breathing.
The ability looked strong. Ridiculously strong even. An army in my pocket. A whole island dedicated to turning me into something that mattered.
But I had nothing.
No summoning stones. No monster crystals. No scrolls. The System might as well have handed me a locked vault and congratulated me on owning it.
I checked my inventory. Empty except for the revolver and a few basic items the System had automatically registered. Apparently mundane trash still counted as gear.
Great.
I opened the forums again using my phone. The signal was unstable but still usable. People were posting everything. Builds. Death footage. Warnings. Lists of monsters spotted in different districts.
That was where I confirmed what I already suspected.
Lizardmen.
Mana enhanced scales. High physical resistance. Low caliber firearms were borderline useless. Pistols barely left marks. Shotguns only worked at close range and even then it took multiple hits to do anything meaningful.
One post had a slow motion clip of a bullet flattening against green scales like it hit reinforced steel.
The comments were clear.
You needed high velocity rounds. Sniper rifles. Anti material weapons. Magic.
I had none of those.
I closed the browser and leaned my head back against the wall.
As if to mock me the System decided that was the perfect moment to notify me of my class.
Class Unlocked
Magic Knight
I laughed. It slipped out before I could stop it.
Magic Knight. Me. A guy who could barely stand without gritting his teeth. A guy hiding behind furniture and holding his breath to survive.
I opened the class details. Basic stat growth. Hybrid scaling. Weapon compatibility. Mana reinforcement.
All of it assumed I could move.
I looked down at my right foot wrapped in a brace. Swollen. Tender. Still healing. Every step sent pain shooting up my leg.
The smart thing to do was obvious.
Wait.
Rescue would come. Guilds would clear buildings. The military would adapt. Someone would eventually knock on doors and tell survivors it was safe.
Even now helicopters could be heard sometimes in the distance. Heavy ones. Armed ones.
I checked my supplies again.
Six days left if I rationed properly.
Seven if I got desperate.
I rested the revolver on my chest and stared at the ceiling.
The System gave me power. Just not yet.
I whispered the thought out loud like saying it might make it real.
I will make my decision when I only have a few days worth of supplies left.
Then we will see what happens.
Until then I stay alive.
Even if that still makes me a rat.