The Weight of a Choice
Chapter 4 – The Weight of a Choice
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[Continent Panel]
Continent: Zareth
Size: 30x the size of Earth
Known Inhabitants: Unknown
Danger Level: Extreme
---
[System Panel]
[System Administrator: Seo Joon]
Free System Grants Remaining: [8]
Monthly System Grants Remaining: [1]
Total System Holders: [2]
Next System Holder Awakening: [30 Days]
System Holder List:
Humans: [1]
Goblins: [0]
Zombies: [0]
Animals: [1]
Other Races: [0]
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The First Nightfall
The sun was beginning to set.
The sky, once a dull gray, was now streaked with deep reds and purples.
Seo Joon stared at the horizon, gripping his rusted metal pipe tightly.
Nighttime in Zareth was different.
More dangerous.
He turned his gaze toward the small wolf pup lying near his feet.
It had fallen into a deep sleep after receiving the system. Its breathing was steady, its tiny body no longer trembling with weakness.
It would survive.
For now.
But Seo Joon couldn't afford to stay out in the open any longer.
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A Crumbling World
He moved carefully through the remains of a once-thriving city.
Skyscrapers had collapsed into jagged ruins. Roads were cracked, cars overturned, their windows shattered.
Signs of civilization were everywhere—yet it all felt like a graveyard.
A world abandoned by time itself.
Seo Joon wasn't sure how long it had been like this.
A year? A decade? Longer?
All he knew was that he wasn't alone here.
Somewhere in these ruins, things moved.
Creatures born from the collapse of this world.
And if he wasn't careful, he'd end up just like them.
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A Place to Rest
Seo Joon's eyes scanned the area, searching for shelter.
A collapsed building. A burned-out store. A hollowed-out bus.
None of them were safe.
None of them were good enough.
Then—
His gaze landed on a small pharmacy tucked between two crumbling structures.
Its walls were cracked, its windows shattered—but the entrance was still intact.
More importantly, it had only one way in.
Easier to defend.
He approached cautiously, his grip tightening around his weapon.
The air smelled of dust and decay.
He stepped inside.
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A Familiar Silence
The pharmacy was dark, the only light coming from the cracks in the walls.
Shelves were knocked over, medicine bottles scattered across the floor.
No bodies.
No blood.
But that didn't mean it was safe.
Seo Joon moved carefully, checking every corner.
Nothing.
He let out a slow breath, lowering his guard slightly.
This would do for the night.
He turned back toward the entrance, eyes flickering to the wolf pup still resting outside.
It hadn't moved.
He frowned.
Then—
A sound.
Soft. Almost imperceptible.
But it was there.
Coming from the back of the pharmacy.
Seo Joon froze.
He wasn't alone.
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To Be Continued…