Chapter 02: Died because of overdrinking

Liora heard a continuous dinging sound in her mind, one after another. Her eyes widened as she looked around, wondering who had spoken.

But there was no one else except for the disgusting creature in front of her. The strange noises could only have come from it.

Grrrraaagh… Mmmmoooan...

The creature attacked again the moment it noticed her distraction. Hunger filled its eyes as it caught the scent of human flesh. It lunged at her with its claws, eager to tear her apart.

"You filthy thing!" Liora screamed, disgust evident in her eyes.

She ripped a glass shard from a jagged piece of scrap metal, feeling the sharp edges bite into her palm as she gripped it tightly. Without hesitation, she lunged forward and drove the shard straight into the creature's glaring eye.

The sickening sound of flesh being pierced filled her ears, and she twisted the shard viciously, savoring the pain it caused. The creature's screech rang through the air—a distorted, hideous sound that only fueled her anger.

Eeeeaaahhh! Aaaaarghhh!

A smirk crept onto her lips as the zombie writhed in pain. So its eyes were its weakness.

"Bloody hell! How dare you try to eat this princess? I'll show you the consequences of attacking a noble!" Liora sneered, her confidence unwavering.

Screech!

She yanked the glass shard free and twisted it back into the middle of its forehead. Then, with a powerful kick, she sent the zombie flying two meters away.

Arghhhhhhhh!!

The creature hit the ground with a dull thud, kicking up a cloud of dust. It twitched violently, screeching in agony before finally falling still.

[System Announcement]

[Congratulations, Host!]

[You have successfully eliminated a Level 1 Rotter Zombie.]

[Rewards Unlocked:]

+10 Survival Points

+20 Experience Points (EXP)

+5 Strength

Basic Combat Skill Unlocked: Glass Weapon Mastery

[System is now fully initialized...]

[Initializing Interface... Loading Basic Information...]

Liora heard the familiar ding, followed by a barrage of notifications. She tightened her grip on the glass shard.

"Hey! Come to the front, you cowards! Why are you only speaking—"

She turned in all directions, ready to strike at whoever dared to approach her.

[Princess Liora! I cannot come in front of you.]

[I am a virtual robot.]

"Fuck you!" Liora snapped when she heard the mechanical voice in her head. "Come out or be prepared to be hacked to death!"

[Do not be angry, Princess Liora. You cannot kill me...]

The system's tone held an odd note of amusement as it continued.

[You are dead in your world, Princess, and now you have appeared in another world that is facing an apocalypse.]

Liora froze. "What?" Her fingers twitched around the glass shard. "Dead? What kind of bullshit—"

She let out a sharp breath, irritation flashing in her eyes. "How can I be dead? I am perfectly fine, alive, and kicking! You dare to curse me, you short-lived ghost!"

She waited for the system's response, but the words she had just spoken echoed in her mind. Dead?

Her breathing became unsteady as her gaze fell to her hands. Her fingers, which should have been adorned with gold rings, were bare. The luxurious silk she had always worn was gone. Instead, strange clothes clung to her body—tight, rough-textured garments unlike anything she had ever seen.

"Wow! What is this?" She muttered, tugging at the skinny jeans on her legs. "Why is it sticking to me? How ungraceful!"

But despite her complaints, she couldn't deny that the fabric was surprisingly comfortable.

The system remained silent.

Liora slowly turned, taking in the unfamiliar sight around her—the lifeless body of the strange creature, the peculiar buildings in the distance, the piles of twisted metal scattered everywhere. The air smelled of rust and decay.

Nothing looked like home.

A cold weight settled in her chest. "Are you telling the truth?" Her voice was quieter now, hesitant. "Did I really die in my original world?"

[Yes, Princess. You died from overdrinking. You poisoned yourself with liquor.]

Liora's breath caught in her throat. "What?"

She blinked, struggling to process the words.

Overdrinking?

That was how she died? Not in battle, not from assassination—she drank herself to death?

A wave of embarrassment crashed over her. Her face burned as the ridiculousness of it sank in. Of all the ways for a noble princess to die, she had managed to pick the most shameful one.

Her lips trembled. "That… That's a joke, right?"

The system remained silent, as if mocking her.

Liora clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. She had died. Truly, utterly died.

And her family…

Her throat tightened as an unbearable ache spread through her chest. Her father, the Emperor, who always scolded her but spoiled her the most. Her mother, the Empress, who pampered her endlessly. Her brothers, who teased her but always protected her.

Would they mourn her? Would they cry for her?

Or would the palace grow cold and silent without her?

Would her father sit in his study, grieving behind closed doors? Would her mother clutch the last gifts she had given her, whispering her name in the dead of night?

Would her brothers laugh and tease each other as if she had never existed?

Her heart twisted at the thought. The life she had taken for granted was gone. Just like that.

Her vision blurred as she took a shaky breath, forcing back the tears threatening to fall.

"Is there… Is there any way to go back?"

[You can return to your world after completing the ultimate mission here.]

Liora's head snapped up. "Really?"

A spark of hope ignited in her chest. "What is the ultimate mission?"

[You will learn about it after reaching a certain level.]

The system's words doused her excitement a little, but she latched onto them anyway. If there was even a small chance of returning, she would take it.

[Currently, you are at the first level. You can also see your level and other information in the dashboard.]

Liora frowned at the unfamiliar terms. "Dashboard? Level?"

Ding!

A translucent green screen flickered into existence before her, floating in midair. A button labeled "Dashboard" appeared on it.

[Touch the dashboard button to see your stats...]

Liora stared at the screen in awe, her large eyes gleaming with amazement.

"What kind of magic is this?"

[It is not magic. It is an advanced system from the fifty-first century, designed to help people in an apocalypse.]

The system's tone carried unmistakable pride, as though boasting about itself.

Liora rolled her eyes at its arrogance but still reached out and tapped the dashboard button. The screen changed instantly, revealing her image and a list of details.