Zaire Ma was supposed to inherit his father's business empire in China. However, driven by a desire to experience new things and carve his own path, he made the bold decision to move to the United States. His sudden move created a rift between him and his family. Despite his father's threats of cutting ties and withdrawing all support, Zaire remained stubborn and followed his own will.
It was a harsh decision—cruel, even—but from that day on, his family ceased all contact with him. His younger sister, once close to him, became deeply disappointed. Zaire tried to mend their broken relationship, calling home countless times and sending messages, but he was met with silence. Eventually, after enduring months of being ignored, he gave up. He realized it was time to stop chasing something that no longer seemed within reach.
The first year in the U.S. was brutal. With no family to lean on, he struggled with homesickness, financial problems, and loneliness. But luck smiled on him when he developed an app that became an unexpected hit. The success of the app provided him with a stable source of income, allowing him to continue his studies and eventually graduate—alone, without the presence or recognition of his family.
Maybe they've forgotten me… or maybe they can't forgive me, he often wondered. Despite everything, they were still his family.
He worked tirelessly, pushing himself forward.
Sigh… I wonder what happened to my original body? Am I really dead? And what about my family?
Maybe it's okay. They're still my family, even if things have changed. Good things take time, I repeated this thought in my mind, clinging to the hope that eventually, I would get what I truly wanted.
But for now…
I turned my eyes to the screen, looking at the choices.
Poison
Bear Strength
Perception
Strength
Dash
Sprint
Jump
Glide
More....
The world of Apocalypse is similar to Earth—same skies, same oceans, —but with one major difference: it is governed by a single ruling body, known simply as the World Government.
At first glance, it might seem like humanity had achieved unity. But beneath this illusion, a power struggle simmered. Cities across the globe competed fiercely for prestige, influence, and wealth. Instead of nations warring, now it was cities vying to become the next center of power. This fragile balance held… until the Apocalypse arrived.
On the first day of the Apocalypse, everything changed.
Every person in the world was granted a choice of skill—a personal ability that would stay with them for the rest of their lives. Along with the skill came a mysterious item: the Coin. These Coins were the only way to improve one's stats, strengthen abilities, or purchase items from a strange new system that had appeared alongside the apocalypse.
But here's the twist—the only way to gain Coins during the first month… was by killing other humans.
Each human life taken granted 1,000 Coins.
Madness followed.
Massacres and genocide swept the globe. The world government? Powerless. Why? Because humanity wasn't just fighting itself—monsters had begun appearing. Every single day, grotesque beasts and deadly creatures would spawn across the globe. Among them were terrifying beings known as Mutants—monsters of immense strength that acted like kings among their kind.
Killing a regular monster earned you only 200 Coins. But killing a Mutant? That gave you 1,000,000 Coins… and rare, powerful loot—just like in a game.
Sigh…
With monsters and mutants spawning daily, towns and villages fell into chaos. Cities fared slightly better, thanks to the rise of powerful individuals called Guardians. Becoming a Guardian granted immense power and authority. But power breeds envy. The only way to inherit the Guardian title… was to kill its current bearer.
Brutal, right?
And that's not all.
Two months after the disaster began, the existence of Dungeons was discovered. These dungeons appeared only at night, and only after a Mutant had been slain nearby. Each dungeon presented challenges, but those who survived them gained unimaginable power and equipment.
Now… let me introduce the protagonist of this story:
Ash Gray.
A 19-year-old first-year college student.
As the main character, Ash finds himself thrust into an endless series of life-or-death trials. But fate seems to favor him—he possesses an abnormal level of luck and soon gains loyal allies who will follow him through thick and thin. He rises to become the Guardian of his city. Righteous and kind to the innocent, yet utterly ruthless to his enemies, Ash is the perfect balance of heart and power.
A true overpowered protagonist.
Sigh… enough backstory. Now then…
Let's choose a kill—so I can finally see my stats.
After browsing and evaluating the wide array of skills, I finally found one that caught my eye. It wasn't listed in the novel, but it looked incredibly overpowered. Even better—it was ranked S, the highest in the tier list, which went from D, C, B, A, to S.
"Lucky me," I muttered, grinning as I tapped on the skill to select it.
But then—something strange happened.
System Notification:
Error. Error. Invalid selection.
Finding solution for the error…
It has been determined that the host is… unusual.
Recalculating...
Skill granted: Dual Swordsmanship (SSS)
My eyes widened.
"Wait… what?? Triple S? SSS??" I gasped.
That wasn't supposed to exist yet! In the novel, the strongest known skills were ranked S… and here I was, holding something beyond that. I had to check my stats immediately.
"Status," I said.
Name: Alex Dawn
Age: 21
Coins: 5,000
Strength: 15
Speed: 9
Stamina: 10
Perception: 20
Vitality: 18
Items: None
Skill: Dual Swordsmanship (SSS)
Skill Description:
Dual Swordsmanship (SSS) – The pinnacle of twin-blade combat. A swordsman who achieves this level can wield two blades with perfect harmony, treating each as if it were a natural extension of their body. This style emphasizes speed, offense, fluidity, and adaptability, allowing the user to unleash a relentless flurry of attacks, defend from multiple angles, and overwhelm opponents with unpredictable ferocity.
Seeing the description made me both excited and nervous. I was already starting off OP. With this skill, I had the potential to rise fast—maybe even rival Ash Gray or surpass him.
Everyone starts with 5,000 coins. With this edge, I could become one of the strongest in the world. But how should I use them?
The only known way to gain coins in the first month… was by killing people.
Killing a human gave 1,000 coins. The idea disgusted me. But I made a decision:
I'll only target murderers—those who attack and kill innocent people. I won't spill blood for selfish gain, but I won't hesitate to eliminate those who cross the line. After all, sparing someone who wants to kill me would only lead to my downfall.
For now, I need to adjust to this new world. Adapt. Survive.
Looking at my stats, I was already above average. Most people would have single-digit stats at this point, but my Strength, Vitality, and especially Perception were far higher. Perception at 20? That was already nearing genius or monster-tier.
With a foundation like this, and an SSS-ranked skill, I had a huge advantage.
If I play this right, explore the dungeons early, and use my knowledge of the future events—I might just become stronger than anyone else in this world.
Stronger than Ash Gray.