System Fall

The tutorial, contrary to the impression given by Zagrid, encompassed more than merely slaughtering Zombies and humans-turned-Zombies for those who didn't venture beyond the starting point. The starting zone harbored weaker monsters that new players could handle, and amnesty restrictions deterred fighting among players.

Defeating Zombies had earned the players 'Points.' However, as time passed and regions connected, the gaming terminology grew outdated. Like any well-designed game, the challenges intensified, and players needed to adapt to survive.

These Points weren't a simple solution, and their influence on reality was limited. Although they could enhance human physical attributes, one couldn't merely cram them into a desired slot and modify reality. For instance, if a bodybuilder required hormones and steroids to improve their workouts after years of training, these Points would merely accelerate the process.

The same bodybuilder could now achieve an unnatural physique and strength by vanquishing monsters. Likewise, someone who was once merely flexible could now execute Olympic-level gymnastic feats by raising their points properly. However, these Points had limitations, and they couldn't make someone superhuman or defy the laws of physics. A skill could do that, but not stats.

“[System Fall has graciously wiped out your tiresome tech dependency. We've ushered in the age of magic; isn't it thrilling? Rejoice! We’ve mad your life interesting.]” Zagrid announced with such enthusiasm that I wanted to slam the thing against the pavement. The boyish voice grated on my nerves.

"[For those unfortunate, uneducated souls who are still struggling to access it, simply tap the side of your temple with your dominant hand. It's as easy as blinking, really. A nifty slideshow has been added to your menu. I call it Zagrid’s Pro Tips. You're welcome.]" I quickly checked my status, tapping my temple near my left eye to bring up my menu. It was a very obvious movement, and I made it seem like I was just messing around, in case my every move was being monitored. Slowly, I navigated to the main screen, exploring various settings along the way.

[System Fall Notification]
Title: Zagrid’s Pro Tips – Getting the Hang of the System

Greetings, players! This is Zagrid, your friendly guide in the harrowing world of System Fall. We're about to delve deep into the nitty-gritty of stats, statuses, quests, abilities, magic, and our unique ranking system. Ready to equip yourself for survival? Probably not but let’s go!

 

Stats: In System Fall, the numbers make the man, or woman! Stats represent your physical and magical prowess. Keep tabs on Strength, Agility, Endurance and Mana - these digits define how well you’ll do in battles and trials. Want to keep breathing? Better work on those numbers and pump ‘em up.

Status: Status screens, your new best friend! It's the reliable diary that tracks your current stats, skills, gear, and quests. Keep an eye on it, or you'll be wandering blindfolded in a minefield. No pressure, though.

Quests: Think of quests as your new boss – demanding, reward promising, and utterly inescapable. They are dished out by the system or your fellow doomed souls. Survive them and you'll find yourself rolling in stat points, shiny gear, or new abilities. Ignore them and you'll find yourself taking a permanent dirt nap.

Abilities: Abilities, your survival cheat codes. Some are like clingy lovers, always there to help, while others need your precious attention to shine. Take them out for a spin. After all, there's no second life to save your experiments for.

Magic: Magic, a pretty word for 'burning your Mana to do cool and destructive stuff'. From sending spells zipping towards your enemies to playing the good witch with healing and support magic, it's all in a day's work. If you want cosmic power? This is where you go.

The G-SSS Ranking System: In System Fall, we rank stats on a G-SSS scale. Here's your crash course on the ranking hierarchy:

• G Rank: Stats under 10. Welcome, beginners!

• F Rank: Stats between 10 and 19. Better, but not quite there.

• E Rank: Stats between 20 and 29. Congratulations, you're average!

• D Rank: Stats between 30 and 39. Now we're talking!

• C Rank: Stats between 40 and 49. Solid work!

• B Rank: Stats between 50 and 59. You're not a joke anymore!

• A Rank: Stats between 60 and 69. It's getting serious.

• S Rank: Stats between 70 and 100. The elites! Nice job, show-off.

• SS Rank: Stats over 100. Looks like someone's been hitting the gym.

• SSS Rank: All limits shattered. You are a human no more.

 

So, there you go, your quick and dirty guide to surviving System Fall. Embrace growth, challenge your limits, and maybe, just maybe, you'll live to see another day. Best of luck, you'll need it!

"[So, after looking it over, you're seeing some stats about yourself. We kept everything pretty simple for you.] Zagrid's descent unnerved the people nearest to it. [Let me read off my slides. First off is your strength…]."

I tuned out parts of the explanation I already knew.

These were the three basic stats, or traits, unlocked at the start of System Fall. The fourth stat, Mana, wasn’t a guarantee. Depending on the missions, dungeons, or quests one completed, hidden traits might even be unlocked.

What were the benefits of all this?

Each skill was connected to a trait. For instance, magical abilities hinged on Mana, while physical and bodily abilities were anchored in Endurance, Strength and Agility. Although the world seemed to have morphed and gained game like rules, it wasn’t actually a game. A person's innate dexterity wasn't influenced by the system. While there were skills that could be learned to become a master craftsman, those with inherent dexterity could achieve the same results through their own abilities.

Which meant that somebody with natural talent, a genius, would be much more powerful than somebody with the same stats that wasn’t.

This raised a question I wasn't sure how to answer. Agility referred to reaction time, something distinct from speed, which depended on the strength of one's muscles. Roughly, it was the advantage one had in perceiving things and reacting to them faster, something measured in milliseconds. After all, you were only as fast as your nerves could conduct signals from your brain to your body.

However, I still felt a similar reaction time when I fought the horde of Zombies was similar to my reaction time at my peak in the other time line, yet my Agility stat was like any beginners, albeit slightly higher than average.

“Does this mean I can improve my base beyond what it was?”' I wondered, enjoying the possibilities.

I flexed my hands, clenching them into fists. My strength still felt the same, so why was my agility seemingly so high?

Keeping in mind the [Admin] had made it so that stats maxed out at 100.0, regardless of the circumstances, I wondered, but kept in mind the SSS-Class. Right there in Zagrid’s slide was proof that I could go beyond my limits.

But what if my starting Agility, that of a veteran, was already the baseline? Like a modifer applied to a stat? I’d have to find out. How much faster would my perception become if it were to level up as usual? I mulled over the question, realizing that the system was more intricate than any of us had initially thought. My mind drifted to my lost comrades – James and Selene - and those I had left behind.

"I don't have time to play detective right now," I muttered, determined to concentrate on the task at hand. With that, I navigated through the crowds, eager to avoid any unwanted attention.

I knew that all around the world, people would soon be culled, and the initial ease of this new life would quickly vanish. It was time to act swiftly and capitalize on significant gains with minimal risk.

"[Alright, alright, my little adventurers, time to wipe those tears!]" Zagrid moved through the crowd, its voice booming with a touch of forced cheeriness ringing clear. "[It's time for a much-deserved break. Did I hear a sigh of relief? Good, because you heard it right. We're switching to free play mode! How exciting!]"

The chatter quieted to a hush as Zagrid continued, "[This is your time to shine, your chance to get a feel for the brand new world we're inhabiting. No hand-holding, no guiding lights, just raw, unfiltered freedom. So shoo, scatter! Traverse the lands, dip your toes into the unknown, don't be shy!]"

"[Rummage through your city, you might find a treasure trove of side quests waiting for you. It's a goldmine of experience and rewards! Plus, who doesn't love a good old riddle or a feisty monster hunt?]" The bot added with a dash of enthusiasm that was borderline eerie.

"[And don't worry about the ownership. Everything is yours for the taking if your brave enough. Think about dungeons stuffed with secrets and treasures. Just waiting for brave explorers like yourselves to discover them. Ruins, caves, forests, cities... System Fall is your oyster!"]

"[But remember, folks,]" Zagrid's voice lowered, taking on a sharper edge, "[This is still System Fall, not your grandma's afternoon tea. Every choice has a consequence. Every path, a challenge. Every victory, a price. Stay on your toes and keep your wits about you. When the going gets tough, the tough get going.]"

"[This is your free time, but don't get too comfortable. It's dangerous to go alone! Use this time wisely, as we're just getting warmed up.]"

"[Oh, and don't fret about missing out on the action - I promise you, you won't. When it's time for the next fun-filled activity to commence, you'll be the first to know. So sit back, relax, and enjoy the calm before the storm. You'll be yearning for these peaceful moments once the true game begins.]"

"[Trust me. Zagrid's got your back.]"

I didn't bother to listen to the rest. As I slipped away from the crowd, I contemplated my options. How could I become strong enough to not just survive, but thrive in this new world? I cautiously made my way down a dimly lit alley, my senses on high alert.

I knew one thing for sure - I was going to go Solo and my Lone Survivor class was going to help me with that.. As I scanned the crowds, searching for potential threats or opportunities, I couldn't shake the sensation that something big was on the horizon.

James, he had been a good man. I wished his fists had done more in our final battle against the [Admin] and the Eldritch God. The look in his haunted eyes when he realized we wouldn’t win had reflected a broken man, and I did wonder if James had been broken long ago. James had spent every waking moment trying to help someone, anyone he could find, often at the expense of himself.

He had been studying to become a doctor and hoped to join Doctors Beyond Borders. But in the end, he had been a bit too skilled for those around him, and in his wake, he left many dead comrades he was unable to save, unwittingly making him even stronger in terms of his status, if not his spirit.

The answer to how James made it to the end was in those humans-turned-Zombies I had taken down as well. They had fueled his initial growth.

Around me, people walked in a daze, displaying a variety of emotions on their faces.

I, who had single-handedly crushed the collection of humans-turned-Zombies, had left them in the dark of this one simple fact: Killing humans also dropped points and items. At this stage in the game, no one had any items worth killing them for, but they did offer experience upon defeating – no, I had to be honest – upon killing them.

I was already beyond most people. I had Mana at a 2.0, while everyone started out with 0.5, just enough to feel a trickle of magic within them. I checked my notification archive by 'stumbling' upon it, still wary that somehow, [Admin] was watching my every move.

Sure enough, there was a tell-tale bundle titled [Tutorial Experience], logging each individual kill I made and the experience that rendered it to me. Every human-turned-Zombie kill was listed as a human kill.

[System Fall Notification]

Title: Tutorial Experience

Attention Player Nick Vandal

Update on Tutorial Experience and Enemy Slain Counters:

Tutorial Experience and Enemy Slain counters have been disabled.

Opt into Auto Stat Distribution:

You now have the option to activate automatic stat distribution along natural progression pathways. Choose this feature for enhanced skill development.

Confirmed. Opted in.

I turned one off and opted for the other. Natural growth mattered more than artificially inflating one stat over another that didn’t go in line with what the body needed.

There was novelty to how James had gained his experience. The more he failed to save, the stronger he grew. Similarly, the more I failed to save from the zombies, the more zombies I was able to kill for experience. For whatever reason, his attempts to save lives transferred the points of those who died under his care or when he attempted to rescue them if they perished during the rescue. He had confessed it to me once, burdened by his conscience. I did not know what to say and merely offered a cold nod of understanding.

Now that I had benefitted from loss of human lives, nausea almost rose somewhere deep inside me, but I suppressed it. I would not be blackmailed by the [Admin] again. I wouldn’t be made to feel bad or guilty about something outside of my control wasn’t something I was going to entertain. Whether those people were still sane or not did not matter to me – I had seen enough death to know it was irreversible.

I was not going to resort to the same method; it was far too inefficient. The number of people I would have to kill would start going into the hundreds if I were to make any significant gains.

I would have to kill everyone in Times Square to jump to D Rank. There were a few strong ones I left behind, but I didn't feel like walking up to someone and asking to see their menus. That wasn’t the path I wanted to walk.

The next survivor I was close to was Aria, someone I met a few years later, who was part of a guild. But that plan was never going to work for me. My style didn't mesh well with other players. I always felt I could do better, but I never had the stats to go solo before, which led me to think that I was operating with a handicap.

I thought about Selene, the last person standing alongside me, the person who had made my chance to defeat the [Admin] materialize. She was resourceful and seemed to have a knack for survival. We had formed a bond during our time together, a bond that I couldn't quite explain. But I knew that I needed to forge my own path, and that joining forces with Selene might not be the best course of action.

Memories followed, the blade against her neck and her hand over mine pushing the blade forward. I frowned as I thought about her. Yes, she had forced me to take her life, but she had also helped me in many ways.

"She died with a smile on her face; maybe this is exactly what she wanted," I mused, exhaling slowly. If I were to meet her again, I'd have to find a way to repay her.

Selene's approach to power had been to use her innate abilities and martial arts to enhance everything else the System provided. She wasn't concerned about dying if it meant getting back at anyone for any perceived slights they had dealt her. I was already using every ounce of my spite against the [Admin].

“I’ll do like Selene then.” I admitted.

I was going to give it everything I had. If the [Admin] was indeed paying special attention to me and intended to counter my foreknowledge, I would have to outwit them by being as cunning as possible. As long as no part of the System could read my thoughts, I was safe, and safer if the [Admin] didn’t know I’d gone back in time. I wondered if somebody, or something else had granted the wish.

For now, I was as safe as I could be.

As I left Times Square, something caught my attention. A middle-aged man with silver hair and a grey business suit was staring at me curiously. Despite appearing as exhausted as everyone else, he stood tall and confident. I felt his eyes following me as I made my way toward 34th St, Penn Station, trying to avoid attracting attention by going solo.

I had to admit that going solo wasn't the wisest decision. "But it sure beats explaining to everyone the kind of things I'm going to do in the future," I muttered to myself. I hadn't spent the last normal day of the world indulging in my favorite foods for the past 20 years. I knew I needed the best weapons possible to continue, which was why I was heading toward a dungeon.

As I navigated the desolate, broken streets, strewn with blood and corpses, I avoided the debris and bodies with a stoic expression. Smoke and fires from destroyed vehicles filled the air, making breathing difficult.

The acrid atmosphere irritated my eyes, and the harsh fumes lingered in the back of my throat, causing me to retrieve a black surgical mask and put it on. A handful of disoriented individuals wandered aimlessly, and I could feel their eyes on me as I walked with determination.

"Hey Nick! Isn't that Nick?" I heard someone call out. I turned around to see a group of somewhat familiar boys and girls, all looking as disheveled as everyone else.

They seemed to be university students, so why were they addressing me? Then it dawned on me: I was a university student at this point in time, and these were people from my year.

A tall, somewhat attractive guy with a square jaw and short, blond hair approached me. He looked like the type who wouldn't be out of place in a football jersey. "Hey man, I almost didn’t recognize you, but not many people around with that outfit. Glad to see you're okay. You never showed up."

I remained silent, unsure of what he was talking about or even their names. How could I tell this guy, whom I had never seen again and therefore probably hadn't survived, that I had no clue what he was talking about? At the same time, I didn't want to alienate them outright. They might prove useful, for all I knew.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," I replied, furrowing my brow. "With how today has been going, I've kind of forgotten everything. Mind reminding me?"

"Wait, really? That's intense, man. You could have just said you blew us off.?” The blond frowned in concern; his blue eyes filled with worry. He didn’t seem to be a bad guy.

I decided to just go with it.

Trying to appear convincing, I touched the back of my head and replied, “No, serious, I'm going to need a doctor's opinion on that, but I really can't tell." The blond's expression softened, and he said, "That sucks. Wanna join in with us?"

"Where are you headed?" I asked, curious about their plans.

"Not really sure at the moment, but we'll have a better idea once we finally settle down someplace," he responded, shifting his weight from one foot to the other.

"Right, let me consider that. What was your name again?" I asked, keeping my tone polite. Inside my mind, I could feel a clock ticking with every second that passed by.

"God damn, did you get hit in the head or something? I'm Jason Strauss," he introduced himself with a short laugh. "And you're Nick Vandal. Judging by that baseball bat you're carrying around, you're not half-bad, but it's better to be in a group, right? Makes everything easier." He gave a reassuring smile.

I cocked my head to the side, allowing my bangs to hang away from my forehead. Observing the group, I noticed three guys and four girls. With me added to the group, everything would even out, and I could see the appeal of that.

It was natural to seek safety in numbers, especially if there was some aspect of familiarity among each other like family, co-workers, or colleagues. That was a fundamental aspect of society that did not change whether it was System Fall or not.

As I mulled it over, one of the girls replied to a guy I hadn't noticed before, "Well, we'll be headed with our friend here!" She gestured towards me.

"Or you can just tell him to f*** off. Why are you being so nice?" Another girl chided her companion. I noticed the competition to secure the better-looking people. In a lawless world where you could take what you wanted by force, with no police or security to track you down, there was no shortage of danger and no shortage of people who wanted to group with the most skilled or the most beautiful.

I wasn't from New York City, and judging by how friendly Jason was, neither was he. A ragtag bunch of university students, twenty years younger than me, gathered around, giving me odd looks and shy smiles. I held back the curse I wanted to unleash, pretending to be more at ease than I actually felt.

Then someone else tapped me on the shoulder,