Chapter 2 – Scenario 1

Calming down was easier said than done. No, it would be good if there was a time to calm down.

[Scenario 1.]

[Monsters have spawned in different areas. Try to find a weapon and survive until midnight.]

Vale blinked. "Monsters?"

There was another loud crash from outside. It startled him slightly, but he quickly regained himself and looked out of his window.

People were running away in panic as a monster roared loudly. It was a giant snake, coiling and thrashing around in the streets. Vale could see a few people shooting at it with guns, but that wasn't doing anything.

The street of New York City was now a battlefield. People were running for their lives while the monster chased after them.

"Oh my god, this is really happening," Vale breathed out.

Other than the giant snake, many different monsters also roamed the street. They killed and ate humans. Seeing a man got squashed and then eaten by a monster wasn't a very pleasant sight.

However, for some reason, Vale wasn't affected much. He only thought that the man was unfortunate, but that was it.

As a novel author, he quickly guessed the reason was because of his abilities.

'Everything Vale Gilstar Can Do. Meaning, I get all of his experiences and abilities.'

Looking up, the sun was still in the sky, shining brightly. Morning had just arrived, but chaos had ensued.

'Let's calm down.' He stepped away from the window and sat on his chair again after putting it up.

Holding his chin, he tried to remember everything starting from the Earthquake and the voice in his head.

'Something about...apocalypse, monsters, system...' He murmured, 'And then Scenario. Okay, so it seems like I am in a scenario, and the monsters are spawning in different areas. Based on the voice, the goal is to survive until midnight, which is still around 16 hours away.'

He felt like he was on a mission, and that was the best way to describe his situation. Vale had always been a fan of web novels, and this was an opportunity he had always wanted.

"An apocalypse has arrived on Earth. People awakened system, and it's related to their passion. Because my passion is my book and the protagonist that shared the same name as me, I turned into him? Is that how it works?"

If that was the case, then he was really lucky.

He guessed other people started with Level 1 and without any ability. However, because he became his novel character, who was already strong at the start, he reached Level 100 in an instant. Although he only had one ability, it brough with it many skills.

"Passion-based System."

The word passion intrigued him. It meant that you could unlock abilities and levels by doing what you loved or enjoying yourself.

"Haa, how exciting." He smiled lightly. "For now, let's survive until midnight. Sitting around in my room is nice and all, but..."

Standing up, he grabbed a sword he displayed on top of his computer. It was a single-edged sword he bought a year ago as decoration. Even so, it was a real sharp sword forged using modern technology. It wouldn't lose to any traditional sword.

"I guess I will use this real apocalypse scenario to help me write my second novel. Let's get out and try to get some experience."

If an apocalypse truly arrived, then getting used to it early would prove useful. Finding out his new strength would also prove to be useful. He didn't want to destroy his wall like earlier.

With that in mind, he stepped out of his apartment. The monster outside was still rampaging, and the streets were in chaos. But Vale didn't care. He was determined to survive.

***

Directly facing a monster would be unwise, Vale understood that. So, stood in his apartment lobby and swung his new sword a few times to get the feeling.

His hand gripped the handle skillfully as if he had used this sword for years. It was already familiar, and he could see a pattern of his attack 5 seconds in the future when he imagined an enemy in front of him. It was thanks to [Mirage] and [Meditation] skill.

Thanks to these two skills, he felt like he had a grasp of his strength now. And it... surprised him.

'I feel like I can cut a mountain in half.' He smiled wryly, 'But it's impossible. I have no Mana or Qi. My body hasn't awakened it yet.'

Vale could tell he was physically stronger than an average human. He had no need to train and could lift heavy weights with ease. He had no limit and could run at an abnormal speed.

That was as far as his physical abilities went. His magical ability was currently questionable.

'Because my skill is focused on Swordsmanship, let's awaken Qi instead of Mana. It's better to focus on martial arts.'

There surely was an individual whose passion was magic and could awaken Mana. In fact, in his novel, there were Mages who used Mana and Martial Artists who used Qi. Vale, his character, was the latter.

"Now I am ready." He muttered as he exited the apartment.

It was chaotic outside. Monsters were everywhere, and people were running in all directions.

He could see a man and woman fighting a giant spider, one of the monsters. The woman had a strange green aura covering her body as she outstretched her hand. Following where her hand pointed was a floating block flying toward a monster.

'Telekinesis.' Vale calmly observed, 'And the man... His muscles are impressive. He also charged at the monster without fear. I guess his passion is building strength and gaining a strength system or something?'

Still, they underestimated the monster too much. The man punched the spider and grinned.

"How's that?!" He yelled out, "Die! Die!"

The spider just wobbled and then flipped upside down. It was not dead at all. It was just pretending to be dead.

Oblivious of it, the man went to the woman and high-fived. They lowered their guard down and walked away from the monster.

Sensing the two went away, the spider flipped up and raised its body. Its back arched, and then it shot web all over the man and woman.

Before it could do that, Vale had already moved. His movement was fast. He arrived in front of the monster in less than a second.

"Drawing Art, One Thousand Flash." Vale swung his sword in a horizontal slash.