System Fall

 

[System Fall Notification]

Prologue of a Ruined World

The sky suddenly darkened, washing over the once-vibrant city like a tidal wave of despair. Fear and confusion spread through the streets as people began to realize what had happened: They were at the mercy of a powerful being called the [Admin].

The [Admin's] voice thundered through the now-desolate streets of every city, announcing its intent to unleash an apocalypse and turn the world into a living battleground. Buildings crumbled and smoke filled the air as monsters and demons emerged from the depths of dungeons to ravage the land.

The world as they knew it was gone, replaced by a brutal, unforgiving landscape filled with dungeons, rifts, and dangerous creatures. Mankind had no choice but to adapt or perish. The [Admin] had introduced a system that imbued the survivors with unique abilities, allowing them to level up and become stronger as they faced the deadly challenges that awaited them.

People learned to harness their newfound powers, gaining skills and abilities that would have been deemed impossible before the arrival of the [Admin]. Some gained the power to control the elements, while others developed incredible strength or agility. As these individuals leveled up, they became the last bastion of hope for humanity, the rare heroes who could stand against the monstrous threats that now roamed the earth.

Death and destruction became the norm, and many lost their lives in their quest for power and survival.

Yet, amidst the chaos and despair, a glimmer of hope emerged. Stories began to circulate of a select few who had managed to defy the odds and thrive in this new world. These rare heroes had conquered the dungeons and rifts, unlocking incredible powers and becoming living legends.

As the years passed and the survivors struggled to adapt to their new reality, these heroes became symbols of hope, shining beacons in the darkness. Even as the human race dwindled towards extinction, it was said that these heroes had the potential to challenge the [Admin], to bring an end to the nightmare that had been unleashed upon the world.

This was no game of chance -- it was a cruel game of survival, and those who could prove their worth would be rewarded with power they could never have imagined. At the edge of disaster, only the strongest remained.

[System Fall Notification]

The Final Battle

The howling winds of Mount Everest, which would have frozen the skin of any ordinary person, served as a testament to the power of those who had come. I stood among a group of ten survivors, all S Ranks, as we braced ourselves against the harsh weather. Jagged rocks beneath our feet were dusted with snow, and the stars above silently witnessed our approach to the final battle. The snow seemed to glow with an ethereal light, bathing us in its radiance as we began our ascent. I did not know all of those on a personal level that I traveled with, but I did know them by reputation.

Twenty years ago, a new world had dawned - System Fall. The world we had once known was now just a distant memory, forever altered by the catastrophic arrival of the system that had torn the world asunder. Dungeons rose from the ground, rifts formed, and monsters roamed the earth, testing the mettle of the strongest survivors.

That was why we were here, standing at the peak of Mount Everest, where the rumored [Admin] of the new world was said to reside. The [Admin], who had made this world a living hell, was now willing to grant a wish to those brave enough to face the trials and overcome them. I didn’t plan for a wish, and neither did the others. We came to end it all.

The trials and tribulations of the last two decades had all led to this. All of us survivors, each possessing unique abilities. We had come to this place, where the rumored [Admin] of the new world awaited. Mount Everest had become a specialized battlefield, meticulously prepared by the [Admin] for this final confrontation.

Adrian, one of the last remaining survivors, gazed upon the treacherous path ahead and said, "So this is it, huh?" Sasha, another survivor, replied with a nod, "I suppose so." Although most of us were strangers, I could count on everyone who answered the call to be powerful, each having climbed the ranks of the new world to be here.

I, Nick Vandal, walked among the group of survivors, my confidence and composure unshakable. We had gathered before our ascent, each of us wondering what we would face in the unknown terrain ahead. Would we encounter another dungeon? The attempt to find the [Admin] had taken us farther than ever attempted before. All for a chance to end System Fall, and there was no telling what kind of creatures or monsters lay in wait.

Danielle approached me, noticing that I was slowing down. "Are you doing okay, Nick?" she asked with concern. "Just thinking," I replied, my mind focused on what was to come. "Exciting, isn't it?" Danielle smiled, "After all these years, we can usher in a new world. What will you wish for?"

My steps became heavy as I thought about the battles I had faced for the last two decades. "I don't know," I finally replied. “I don’t trust it.”

"It's been one battle after another. Can we ever go back to the way things were? Can we ever make this stop?"

As the stars above began to fade away, darkness enveloped us. We could make out each other's shapes only because of our upgraded bodies. Some had the ability to see in the dark, while others had thermal vision.

I, however, had to rely on my memory and basic senses. Suddenly, a message appeared in everyone's vision,

[System Fall Notification]

Now Beginning The 10th Round

The news was met with alarm, as someone shouted, "The 10th? But there were only supposed to be nine! This is supposed to be the end!"

Tension filled the air as each of us survivors tightly gripped our weapons, ranging from swords to bows to battle axes, waiting for the next message to appear. Ice-cold fear coursed through my veins, causing me to instinctively drop back. I knew it. The [Admin] could never be trusted.

As we prepared ourselves, the [Admin's] mocking voice echoed through the air, "Well, well, look who's made it to the top. The best of the best, or so you believe. I must say, I'm quite impressed. But this... this is where the real challenge begins. I hope you're ready."

We exchanged nervous glances, gripping our weapons even tighter. The wind roared around us, it was a cold far deeper than that of the environment. But it did little to distract us from the mounting sense of unease. As the ground trembled beneath our feet, I could hear the faint, sinister laughter of the [Admin], mocking our determination.

Every muscle in my body tensed, ready to react at a moment's notice. I had trained for years, honing my skills and power as swordsman, and I knew I had to rely on every ounce of my strength to overcome whatever the [Admin] had in store for us. My heart was filled with anger, fueled by what we endured for the past two decades and by rage for those who hadn’t survived.

In that moment, my surroundings seemed to sharpen as I took in every detail. The soft crunch of snow beneath our boots, the eerie howl of the wind as it whipped around us, and the flickering shadows and the steady breathing of my companions. I was ready as I would ever be.

And then the message appeared in front of everyone.

[System Fall Notification]

Title: The Winner Stands Alone!

Bask in the glory of the Gods, or perish in the throes of oblivion! A cruel jest, a delicious game begins, dipped in the crimson of bloodshed. Cower, or wield your weapon high. Kill or be killed. It's a dance of survival, a hunt in the shadows. Wear the crown of the lone victor and bask in divine might.

The stage is set. Only one of you will revel in the God-like power and the fulfillment of your most profound yearnings. Yet, the path to glory is littered with the corpses of the fallen.

Conditions: Prove yourselves worthy of god-like power and the fulfillment of your deepest desires. But first, only one of you can remain. A contest! Kill one another. Prove yourself in battle. The last one among you will share my power. Whomever kills the last among you will be granted one wish.

Seek joy in this bloody carnival. Now, let the games begin.

All of us survivors looked at each other, our eyes reflecting the weight of the decision before us. For a moment, it seemed as if the darkness would consume the rest of them, turning our group against one another in a desperate bid for power. But instead, we stood firm, united in our resolve.

"I refuse," I declared, my voice strong and defiant. I raised my weapon, pointing it towards the unseen [Admin]. "We've come for you. To take back what you stole from us. What you stole from the world."

The others followed suit, their weapons held high, a symbol of our unity against the tyrannical [Admin]. The very world started to vibrate and shift in response. A thunderous rumble resonated around us, threatening to swallow all in its wake.

The [Admin]'s laughter filled the air, cold and sinister. "Very well. If you won't fight each other, you shall face my wrath instead. A creature with whom I share power will do the rest." And with those words, the mountain began to tremble, the ground in front of us split and tore open. Snow fell from peaks in avalanches around us, but we were unaffected as an eldritch abomination emerged from the depths of Mount Everest.

Before us was a monstrous creature. A horrifying sight to behold, with tentacle-like appendages writhing in the air that eclipsed the tallest trees any of us had known. Its form shifted and changed as if the very fabric of reality struggled to contain it. We knew that we were facing something far beyond our comprehension, an outer god of immeasurable power and malice.

As the battle began, we unleashed our full power, every ounce of our superhuman abilities pushed to the limit as we faced the unfathomable might of the eldritch god. As the swordsman among us, I sent arcs of crackling electricity through my blade, attempting to pierce the creature's form while Luna, the Ice Empress, summoned ice shards that hurtled towards the abomination. Edged weaons clashed against its ever-shifting mass as James, the Martial God executed intricate martial arts moves with unparalleled speed.

“Pull back. You’ll only get in the way of my power.” Aria commanded.

Aria, the Summoner, began her incantation. Her carving an opening into our world, diving the line between myth and legend. The Lion of Nemea, a beast hailed in lore for its untamed power and invincibility, emerged in a blast of shimmering golden light through an arcane portal she opened. Its muscles rippled under a coat of golden fur, its roar a declaration of might.

Unyielding and defiant, the Lion threw itself at the eldritch monster. It was a sight to behold – the embodiment of raw power and primordial majesty, a force of nature hurtling towards an entity beyond comprehension, a creature pulled straight from mankind’s deepest, most unspeakable nightmares.

But the terror of the unknown proved more formidable than the might of a myth. A dark appendage, blacker than the void itself, lashed out, ensnaring the lion mid-pounce. The air as if reality itself started to tear as the Lion, caught in the relentless grip of the eldritch monster, struggled against its impending doom.

And then, the laughter. A sound so malevolent, so grotesquely wrong, it felt like a violation of sanity itself. It echoed across the battlefield, filling the air with a sound that made the skin crawl and the blood run cold.

With a movement as casual as it was horrifying, the eldritch monster cast the lion into its monstrous maw. The mighty roar of the lion was snuffed out, replaced by the wet, gruesome sounds of tearing flesh and splintering bone. It was a grim spectacle, one that left a sickening taste in the mouth of everyone who witnessed it. The once proud Lion of Nemea, reduced to nothing more than a ghastly feast for the unspeakable horror that lurked beneath the dark tendrils of the eldritch god. .

“Is this the limit of your power!?” the monster taunted. In a low voice.

“Move out of the way,” Aria called out.

Determination hardened her features as she invoked another one of her powerful summons. This time, a colossal beast of legend, the Leviathan, erupted forth from her command. Its sheer size dwarfed everything around it, the earth quaking beneath the weight of the massive, serpentine creature. The ancient sea monster bared its fangs and launched itself at the dark entity with a ferocity that rivaled the forces of nature.

Yet, the Elder God remained unmoved, the power dynamics of this battle horrifyingly clear. With a flick of its monstrous tentacle, it ensnared the rampaging Leviathan. An eerie quiet settled over the battlefield as the spectators watched the great sea monster, a being of legendary might, being casually lifted off the ground by the Elder God’s inky appendage.

Then came the sickening crunch. A sound so visceral and brutal, it echoed through the stunned silence, imprinting itself into the memory of every witness. The once-mighty Leviathan was broken in half, like a child snapping a stick, its life force extinguished in a split second.

“You are weak, human. Your creatures are nothing but playthings to me.”

In a final, desperate attempt, Aria conjured an army of ethereal beings, spectral warriors of a bygone era, their ghostly forms shimmering in the eerie glow of the battlefield. It was a sight to behold, a phalanx of spectral soldiers, each a fierce apparition of their once living selves. They charged at the eldritch god, an awe-inspiring wave of spectral might, a last-ditch effort to subdue the monstrous entity.

But the eldritch god, merely observed. Its multitude of eyes gleamed with an alien malice that made the blood run cold. As the spectral army rushed forward, the creature responded with an apocalyptic torrent of dark energy. A wave of raw, malignant power burst forth from its form, sweeping over the battlefield like a plague of shadow and death.

The spectral army stood no chance. The moment the deadly wave made contact, it began to eat away at them. Their ghostly forms disintegrated under the onslaught, their spectral bodies reduced back into mana instantly, their collective charge snuffed out like a candle in the wind.

The eldritch god didn’t stop there. The lethal ray of dark energy raced up the ephemeral links between Aria and her summons, a vengeful serpent biting at its creator. The impact of the energy sent Aria flying back, her body slamming into the hard, rocky ground with a sickening crunch. Her form lay mangled and broken, a testament to the sheer might of the Elder God. Her blood stained the ground around her, seeping into the cracks in the earth, a grim herald of her fate.

Then, the disintegration followed. The same dark ray that had reduced her spectral army to nothingness latched onto Aria. Her body began to crumble, to dissolve into nothing more than dust, leaving behind no trace of the formidable summoner who had dared to challenge a god. Her screams echoed for a moment, before they too were silenced.

[System Fall Notification]

Title: The Winner Stands Alone!

Update: Aria, the Summoner, has fallen. Eight more must be extinguished before a victor can be declared. Let the divine bloodbath ensue.

Witnessing the annihilation of his comrade, Ethan, the Gravity Manipulator, felt a surge of fury that lit his veins on fire. His eyes blazed with a deadly resolve, his voice yelling out loud for all to hear, “This ends now!”

He was to be the next offering to the monster. Ethan strained to manipulate the gravitational pull around the eldritch deity, attempting to bury it under its own crushing weight. His muscles tensed, veins bulged, sweat mingled with blood trickling down his face, his voice echoed with a guttural scream that carried the anguish of loss.

In a vicious twist of fate, the entity took Ethan’s power as its own. The gravitational force suddenly went skyward, catapulting Ethan into the air before he was engulfed by an ominous surge of dark energy. A terrible sound echoed through the field as the invisible force twisted his body, bone snapping and blood gushing. His organs were compressed, his body brutally compacted under the overwhelming pressure as if subjected to the bottomless depths of the ocean, and it was over. He plummeted back to the earth – mangled, lifeless, and a haunting tribute to the god’s terrifying dominion.

[System Fall Notification]

Title: The Winner Stands Alone!

Update: Ethan, the Gravity Manipulator, has fallen. Seven more must die before a victor can be declared.

James, the Martial God, was not a mere spectator in the spectacle. He embraced the spirit of the legendary Wukong, his body aflame with a celestial fire akin to the Monkey King's own. His fists, blazing orbs of divine wrath, became the incarnation of the flaming staff Wukong once wielded. Harnessing the martial powers that were his birthright, he invoked an inner power, his aura ablaze with a fiery chakra.

The flames around his fists flared brighter, scorching the air and painting the field of battle with a violent spectrum of crimson and gold. Every punch he launched at the eldritch god resembled a comet streaking across the night sky, his attacks as ferocious and relentless as his spirit.

But from the monstrous deity's form, creatures of the nightmare unfurled. Not just mere spectral wolves, but Fenrirs – god-eaters – cloaked in the same abyssal energy that the elder god emanated. Ethereal fangs, capable of rending divinity, glinted under the ominous glow of their eldritch creator.

With the hunting prowess of the pack, they surrounded the Martial God, their feral eyes reflecting his flaming silhouette. The spectral Fenrirs launched at James, gnashing their ethereal teeth. Despite his agile evasions and furious counter-attacks, the nightmare creatures anticipated his every move, herding him like a lamb to the slaughter.

And then, the bloodbath ensued. The monstrous deity reveled in its ghastly entertainment as the Fenrirs began their savage feast. James's cries of torment echoed across the land, a chilling melody to the symphony of the elder god's grotesque mirth. The divine flames that once wreathed his fists were snuffed out, each spectral bite extinguishing the brilliant aura that coursed within him.

The once formidable Martial God being reduced to mere carrion. The spirit of the Wukong, the martial jutsus – all were devoured by the monstrous Fenrirs. They fed not just on his physical form but his godly essence as well, their spectral bodies pulsating with each morsel of divinity they consumed.

The merciless gorging did not cease until all that was left of the fierce James was a bloody, charred husk.

Of the rest of us, we could do nothing to help him.

[System Fall Notification]

Title: The Winner Stands Alone!

Update: James, the Martial God, has fallen. The blood of six more must stain the ground before a winner may be announced.

In the face of the eldritch god's unfathomable power, the battlefield turned into a scene straight out of hell. The champions, Damian, Ivy, Hector, Ellie, and Luna, stood united against the eldritch monster, showcasing their perfect teamwork, but that only seemed to amuse the beast

Damian, the Void Walker, conjured a matrix of portals around the entity, intending to ensnare it within an intricate labyrinth of infinite void spaces. During the same moment, Ivy, the Time Weaver, created an array of time locks around the monstrous form, attempting to imprison the deity in a temporal cage. The eldritch god, however, was not so easily subdued.

With a malevolent laugh, it distorted Ivy's temporal traps, directing them towards Damian instead. In a horrifying twist of fate, time ruptured around the Void Walker. Wrinkles etched across his face, his hair turned gray and brittle. Muscles withered, and bones weakened, causing him to hunch. Each breath robbed him of vitality. And then, in a cruel climax, Damian disintegrated into a cloud of dust, vanishing from existence,

Capitalizing on their ally's tragic fall, Hector, the Earth Shaker, called upon the earth's might, crafting a sturdy prison of rock to constrain the deity. Ellie, the Telepath, unleashed a potent psychic assault to distract the god, but the creature was far from deterred. It manipulated the remaining portion of the Void Walker’s power, using the void spaces to manipulate the rocky formation that had been created. The ground beneath Hector rumbled and opened up, swallowing him into the abyss. As for Ellie, the eldritch god returned her attack on her, The force of the mental attack overwhelmed her senses, and she fell to the ground, clutching her head in agony as her eyes started to bleed.

Meanwhile, Luna, the Ice Empress, used her time to create a blizzard of deadly ice shards, aimed at the deity. But fate had a cruel sense of humor. The imprisoned Hector, caught in a within a void within the earthen prison, inadvertently sent an attack back at Luna. It was a spike that impaled her, lifting her off her feet as blood poured from her mouth. Hector fared no better as showers of frozen projectiles found their way into the earthen prison within the void.

As the spectral dust of the defeated champions settled, Ivy found herself face to face with the eldritch god. Her companions had fallen, their powers used against them in the most horrifying manner. The god, unscathed, met Ivy's horrified gaze, a wicked smile etched onto its face. Before she could react, the eldritch god lashed out with one of its tentacles, effortlessly piercing Ivy's chest.

[System Fall Notification]

Title: The Winner Stands Alone!

Update: Luna, the Ice Empress, Hector, the Earth Shaker, Damian, the Void Walker, Ivy, the Time Weaver, and Ellie the Telepath have fallen. The blood of just one more is required for a winner to be declared.

I didn’t stand by idly and wait. Though I fully expected to be killed just as easily as the others had been. I charged back in with a swift, powerful swing. My Lightning Blade crackled with energy. The blade tore through the air, the atmosphere charged with channeled power The eldritch god, momentarily caught off-guard, bellowed in surprise and pain as the blade sliced into part of its body, drawing a few drops of blood from the seemingly invulnerable creature.

As the god reeled from the attack, I grinned, believing that I had found the key to defeating the beast. However, my moment of triumph was short-lived. The eldritch god, enraged by its wound, retaliated with a wave of dark energy that slammed into me, tossing me across the battlefield to land in the snow, even as my body convulsed violently as the electricity coursed through me, and I collapsed on the battlefield, smoke rising from my shattered form.

Seeing me fall, Selene, the Light Bringer, rushed to my side. The eldritch god, sensing her approach, attempted to finish me off, with a barrage of dark tendrils. Selene, her eyes filled with determination, unleashed a powerful shield of light that enveloped both her and me, deflecting the tendrils and protecting us from the eldritch god's wrath.

As the shield held, Selene knelt beside me, her hands glowing with the warm, healing light of her power. She placed her hands on my battered and scorched body, focusing her energy on repairing my wounds and reviving me. Slowly, life returned to my eyes as I took a deep, shuddering breath, and my wounds began to heal.

"Thanks for the assist," I coughed.

"Don't thank me yet," Selene replied, her voice laced with urgency. "It’s just us left and we still have to stop this monster."

I coughed again and struggled to sit up as the Eldritch God turned our direction. "I don’t think we can. Not without some kind of miracle."

"Haven't been anyone of those in awhile.Then this is it." She muttered before looking back at me.

"So, what do you think, Nick? Do you think that wish thing was true."

She didn’t wait for my response.

"You’re the last one standing now, Nick."

"What?" I stared at her in disbelief. "Oh, you can’t just push this on me now, I’m sure this wish is an even greater hellscape planned to rob whatever hope the victor of this final battle royale had left."

Selene made no movement towards me. She placed the naked blade of one of her swords against her neck, and looked me in the eye, putting my smoking hand over hers.

"Wait, don’t–!"

"You always were a sentimental idiot and I already know what I want to wish for. I can’t have it in this life. You better hope this works. Use the wish…"

With her other hand, she slammed the back of her hand over mine that covered the blade, and crumbled to the ground, staining the fresh snow with her lifeblood.

And for some reason, she smiled.

The world continued to shake and tremble.

I stared into the black abyss of the Eldritch God above me and the cackling of the [Admin] as a final attack started to bear down on me. A wordless scream of rage caught my throat.

‘This goddamned system!’

"Come down you bastard! Come down so I can tear you to shreds! I have a wish. To kill you. To do whatever it takes to kill you!" I just wasn’t strong enough.

Power rained down on me, shards piercing through my body. And still I moved forward, blood raining from every wound, my breath heavy and labored. And then it all went quiet. Was I dead? Was it finally over?

 

[System Fall Notification]

Title: The Winner Stands Alone!

Update: Selene, the Light Bringer has been slain.

Victory Achieved! Wish Granted!
Now returning to the tutorial. Starting the Quest, "Kill the Administrator."

The fulfillment of your innermost desire is now within reach. A wish, born in the silence of despair, stands acknowledged! Your path is decided, into the yawning abyss of yesteryears apocalypse, where the puppet master orchestrating this grim spectacle watches.

Tutorial Reset: Initiated. Arise, lone Survivor. Your quest for vengeance is about to unfold!

"Looks like I will have a chance to drag you down after all."