Starting the Apocalypse (1)

"Using this ability, I saved you and killed the monster." Marin finished his explanation. "You see, it turns out killing a monster is not that difficult. You just need some courage, to be trained a bit and a special ability."

Vincent kept quiet, staring at Marin with eyes wide in disbelief. It wasn't easy to believe what he saw.

"And Vincent, I saved you because you owe me. When I killed the Shark, I took everything he had. Including the money he had lent to the others. Vincent, you owe me more than 2 million."

Vincent's expression darkened. "Marin, why are you bothering with such things? Look what happened. The whole system crumbled. Money is worthless."

Marin clicked his tongue, shaking his head. "Vincent, a debt is a debt. Even if money were worthless, don't you think you should repay what you owe? Also, you need to repay me for saving you."

"Marin, why are you making my life hell?!" Vincent roared in anger. Because of them, he almost took his life. And even now, when the world ended, they were not letting him go.

"Vincent, why don't you become my slave? You'll work till you pay back your debt."

Vincent went quiet in disbelief. Slave? How could Marin even think about that?

"Don't joke around!!" He roared. "Like I would ever work for a bastard like you!! Just go to hell and die!!"

Marin's expression darkened. "Vincent, don't rush to refuse me. Serving me will increase your chances of survival. You can forget everything that happened between us and come under me." He glanced at Finn.

"Look and learn from your friend. A wise man knows when to give in to circumstances. Now, he works for me. So, why don't you reconsi..."

"PTUI!!" Vincent spat straight at Marin's face.

"Boss!"

His lackeys roared in anger.

Marin closed his eyes, his body trembling in anger as Vincent's spit slid down his face. 

Marin extended his arm, stopping his two lackeys from rushing at Vincent.

"I see you need some convincing." Marin looked at Vincent with burning anger but still controlled himself. "How about I let your friend here convince you?" He glared at Finn.

Finn's whole body shook in terror but just lowered his head obediently.

"Finn, beat him," Marin ordered.

Finn glanced at Vincent.

Their eyes met.

Vincent stared at him, his eyes showing mixed emotions: uncertainty and pleading. He waited to see Finn's decision.

But to his disappointment, Finn immediately lowered his head and walked forward.

"Have you forgotten what we went through? We survived together for a week in this hellish world." Vincent spoke, but Finn didn't stop and walked closer. "Will you abandon me now?"

Swoosh!

As he reached him, Finn raised his fist. But just as he was about to strike down, he hesitated.

"That's right. You are not that kind of person to follow his bidding." A smile spread on Vincent's face.

Marin's expression grew darker. "If you don't hit him, I'll burn you alive."

Thud!

Instantly, Finn's hesitation vanished.

The punch landed on Vincent's right cheek.

Blood rolled down Vincent's mouth as he bit the side of his lip when the punch landed. But it didn't hurt as much as the pain of betrayal.

"You did it..."

"BEAT HIM!"

Thud!

Without even letting him finish his sentence, Finn swung, hitting Vincent again.

"Beat him! Beat him! Beat him!"

As Marin roared, Finn closed his eyes and threw his punches, hitting Vincent's face.

"Stop!"

Under Marin's command, Finn stopped hitting Vincent.

One couldn't even look at Vincent. His bloodied face with several open cuts on his forehead caused by the punches. Blood dripped from his nose and mouth.

"Vincent, are you convinced?" Marin asked. "Will you become my slave?"

"Go and rot in hell! Bastard!!" Vincent roared, spitting blood all over as he opened his mouth. "DIEE!"

"Beat him up!" Marin ordered. "Don't stop until I tell you to."

Giving his order, Marin turned and left, followed by his lackeys.

"Don't you dare go easy on him." Before leaving out the door, Marin stopped and turned back. "I'll kill you," With those words, he left the room.

Thud!

Finn threw a punch at Vincent's chest.

"Finn. You selfish scum! After everything we went through. This is how you repay me for taking you in back then and not chasing you out!??!" Vincent roared in anger.

"What do you know!!" Finn roared, throwing another punch at Vincent's abdomen. "The world suddenly turned out like this. I don't want this. I don't want to die. I don't want to suffer.

So what if I beat you up? So what if you suffer a bit? Besides, this is all your fault. If you submitted to him, you wouldn't have suffered. So how am I to blame?"

Thud! Thud!

Vincent's groans filled the room as Finn continued throwing punches. His fists hurt, and the intervals between the punches increased with every punch, but he didn't dare stop.

Creeak!

About ten minutes later, the door opened.

"Stop," Marin ordered.

Finally, Finn stopped. His arms trembled.

Vincent had blood all over his body, his eyes almost whited out. He barely hung on to his consciousness.

"Vincent, I give you ten minutes to think things through. When I return, if you still refuse, I'll kill you. You have only one choice. Become my slave."

Saying those words, Marin left, and Finn followed obediently after him like a puppy.

The door closed, leaving Vincent in complete darkness alone.

'Why do I have to suffer? That back-stabbing bastard! After I helped him survive in this apocalypse. I didn't chase him out. Why did all this happen? Why is he repaying me like this??' Anger burned deep within Vincent as the constant pain in his shoulder, face, and torso reminded him of the injustice. It also kept him from fainting.

'How can I become his slave? How many times did he beat me? How many times did he take my money and refuse to report to the Shark, taking my money as his? My debt kept increasing because of him! Just how many times did he add up to my struggle and pain!!'

 'Ohh, now that I think about this...' The system window still hovered before his eyes, though he could barely see it as his eyes had swelled up. 

'It said something about starting the zombie apocalypse.' Vincent thought slowly, seeing this as a possible opportunity for his revenge. 'Come to think of it, Marin babbled something about his ability. Could this be my ability?'

'Ahhh...I don't care anymore.' Vincent's hatred soared as he thought of the injustice he suffered. 'I don't care what happens. I want this all to end. I want them to suffer. I WANT THEM DEAD!'

[Do you want to initiate the zombie apocalypse] - [Yes/No]

Vincent locked his sight on the last sentence on the bluish window.

'Yes,' He confirmed internally.

Instantly, the window before his eyes changed.

[Integrating the zombie virus into the host's body]

"AGHHHHH!"

Vincent's half-open eyes flew open as an excruciating pain attacked his whole being.

The pain in his shoulder paled in comparison.

As if someone had pierced the insides of his body with needles.

'Aghhhh!' Vincent struggled on the chair. A pain so great attacked him that he couldn't even breathe or speak. His senses left him. Everything turned black.

Only the constant pain remained. And it only increased. At first, it was as if someone pieced his insides with needles. He felt the vessels in his body hurting. The blood pumping in his veins caused him excruciating pain. All the veins and vessels in his body hurt.

All the veins on his body popped up, turning from blue to slightly violet. He felt as if he had a porcupine in his chest. There was not a part of his body that didn't hurt, his organs, flesh, vessels, and bones, which he felt as if someone was grinding them.

'Let me die! I want to die! I want this pain to end! Aghhhh!' In just a few seconds that felt like an eternity, the pain already made Vincent want to give his life.

But he couldn't even move, let alone take his own life.

[Congratulations, you are now a carrier of the zombie virus]

As the system window with this notification appeared before Vincent's eyes, the pain started fading away, and he regained his senses.

"Haaaa! Ha!" Vincent took greedy breaths as he almost suffocated. An overwhelming feeling of pleasure washed over his body as the muscle memory of the horrendous pain slowly faded. His injured body remained, but after experiencing that excruciating pain that made him wish to die, he barely even felt the pain in his shoulder.

[Ding]

[Main Task: Spread the zombie virus]

[Bite a living organism to spread the zombie virus]

Another system window appeared before his eyes. And immediately after, another followed.

[Status window]

[Name: Vincent]

[Race: Human (Carrier of the zombie virus)]

[Level 1] - [Exp: 0/100]

[Stats:]

[Strength: 6]

[Stamina: 4]

[Agility:6]

[Perception: 8]

[Mana: 10]

'Spread the zombie virus?' Vincent sat on the chair, unmoving. His eyes dim, his body void of strength. He still recovered from the ordeal.

Creeak!

However, the door opened. Vincent couldn't rest.

Vincent's eyes gleamed as Marin walked in, followed by Finn.

Vincent gained strength as his heartbeat increased, igniting his desire for revenge. 'Spread the zombie virus? Doesn't that mean...' His eyes shone with desire.

"So, have you decided?" Marin walked closer.

Vincent's lips moved as he muttered something quietly.

"What? Speak louder?" Marin roared angrily, but Vincent spoke quietly again, forcing Marin to walk closer to hear him.

But as Marin walked closer, Vincent spoke quieter.

"Bastard!! Speak properly!!" Marin roared, hitting Vincent's leg.

"B-Boss, m-maybe he doesn't have the strength to speak after going through that beating," Finn spoke fearfully, attempting to appease Marin's anger so he wouldn't hurt Vincent any further. This was his way of trying to make up for betraying Vincent.

Vincent's lips moved again, but they couldn't hear.

"Tsk!" Marin clicked his tongue in annoyance as he lowered his ear near Vincent's mouth.

Swoosh!

Vincent jumped, aiming at the wide-open neck before his eyes.