The room was quiet.
Too quiet.
Arien lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling fan as it turned—slow, uneven.
Click… click… click.
Each rotation felt like time being shaved off his life.
"So that's it, huh…"
His voice sounded distant, even to himself.
Six months ago, the doctor had said it calmly, like explaining bad weather.
Untreatable.Late stage.No recovery.
Arien had nodded.
No anger. No denial. No questions.
He already knew.
Nothing had ever waited for him.
And it's not like life ever gave him real happiness.
No parents—gone before he understood what "family" meant.No friendships without conditions.No relationships without betrayal.
Only money stayed.
So he chased it.
Degrees. Promotions. Investments. Properties.
A perfect life on paper.
A hollow one in reality.
"Funny," Arien murmured, coughing into his fist."I won… and still lost."
Dark red stained his palm.
No panic.
Not anymore.
He stood, changed his shirt—for the eighteenth time—and tossed the bloodied one aside.
The medicine sat untouched.
Useless.
Painkillers dulled it—but pain always returned.
Stronger.
Sharper.
Like a reminder: this body isn't yours anymore.
He had stopped treatment months ago.
Not out of despair.
But by choice.
"I don't want machines breathing for me.""I don't want pity.""I don't want to die slowly."
He wanted to live—properly—until the end.
So he sold everything.
Investments. Plans. Futures.
And bought time instead.
Good food.Unread novels.And games.
His gaze shifted to the monitor.
APOCALYPSE OF DESTRUCTION
A brutal game.High difficulty.No mercy.
Soon to shut down.
But it was the only thing he enjoyed now.
"A world where most die in the first year…"
Arien smiled faintly.
"At least this one doesn't lie."
On the desk lay a black-and-gold card.
GOLDEN MEMBERSHIP+50% RewardsSpecial StorylinesHidden Events
He had laughed when he bought it.
"If I'm dying anyway… might as well die as a whale."
The game loaded.
Ruined cities.Twisted skies.Humanity collapsing.
Then—
"Kh—!"
A violent cough tore through him.
Blood splashed across the keyboard.
Vision blurred.
Pain exploded.
"…Guess this is it."
His legs gave out.
As he fell, his eyes locked on the screen.
"So… this is how I log out."
Darkness.
THUD.
Arien jolted upright.
"Hah—! Hah—!"
Air burned into his lungs.
No pain.
No blood.
"…What?"
He looked at his hands.
Steady.
Alive.
"This isn't my room."
Different bed. Old walls. Dust in the air.
Then—
Memories flooded in.
Not his.
A weaker life. A broken man.
"I was dying… just now."
Why does this feel familiar?
DING.
A blue window appeared.
"CREATOR SYSTEM INITIALIZED"
Player: ArienStatus: Soul Transfer CompleteWorld: AethernoxTimeline: 7 Days Before Collapse
"A system…?"
Another window—
MAIN QUESTAccept Your Fate
Objective: Survive the ApocalypseTime Limit: Permanent
WORLD EVENT CONFIRMED– Zombie Outbreak– Mutations– Survival Rate: Extremely Low
Collapse in: 6 Days 23 Hours
Arien's heartbeat slowed.
Not fear.
Clarity.
"So… I didn't escape death."
"I just changed the battlefield."
STARTER REWARD
Creator Inventory– Infinite Storage– Time Stasis
AP: 0Level: 0
He laughed quietly.
"All my life… I ran from the end."
He looked at the timer.
"Now it's coming anyway."
His gaze sharpened.
"…Fine."
"If fate wants to end this world—"
"I'll accept it."
Outside, the city slept.
Unaware.
For now.
Seven days.
That's all.
He checked the phone.
Money—gone.
Transferred.
Villa—sold.
All for a woman.
"Sophia…"
A faint frown appeared.
"I'll deal with that later."
Right now—
No money.No skills.No time.
Only one question mattered:
How to survive?
To be continued…