yellowbook

The apocalypse is not the end — it is a game. And only the elect can play along.

Every week, a few chosen ones are placed in a twisted mirror of reality — a world on the brink of annihilation. Here, players must survive a new cataclysmic disaster, armed with only one randomly selected ability.

Ethan Cross never asked to be a player. But when he is drawn into the Apocalypse Game, his first draw changes everything:

"the Eye of Death" - an SSS-ranked ability that shows him visions of his own death.

While others fight blindly, Ethan outwits fate itself and replays his own demise until he finds the perfect path to victory.

"Congratulations! You have overcome the disaster of [Puppet Kingdom] and obtained the [Severing Seven]: [The Severing Seven]!"

"Congratulations! You've eliminated the threat of [Abyssal Horror] and received [S-Rank Ability: [Abyssal Horror]: [S-Rank Skill: Scales of Judgment]!"

"Congratulations! You have shattered the paradox of [Time Reversal] and unlocked the [SSS Rank Skill: Sword of Destruction]: [SSS Rank Skill: Sword of Annihilation]!"

Other players: "Bro, we’re still learning the rules, how can you clear dungeons already?"

Apocalypse Control Bureau: "Mr. Cross, your survival is crucial to the future of humanity! STOP THROWING YOURSELF INTO DANGER!"

Reality Hacker: Apocalypse Loop

Ethan let out a breath, his shoulders sagging. Thank goodness he didn't rush.

Death-replay #5 flashed in his mind—Wan'er's last screams:

"WHAT DID I DO WRONG?! ROT, ALL OF YOU!"

Raw and guttural. The cry of betrayed innocence.

Then there was John's intel: Lin Yingge. Vain. Addicted to Botox. Regularly at spas. How does that lead to a scene of horror filled with maggots?

The contradiction revealed the truth. Wan'er was the puppeteer, twisting her stepmother into a nightmare. She was hiding among her prey, untouchable.

Even the family photo showed it: Child-Wan'er aiming her toy gun, her stance perfect. Justice shone in her eyes, just like her part in this nightmare.

He shared his conclusion with the amazed trio. John turned pale. "If you hadn't figured her out…"

"Hold on," Ethan interrupted. "The game's cleared. How do we get out?"

Ray stepped forward. "Scores are counted for 30 minutes. Then it's over, and we go back to reality." Wang blinked. "But other regions took weeks to clear Disaster-class!" "Apocalypse Online warps time," Ray said, tapping his head. "Subjective time dilation."

BUZZ-BUZZ! John's phone vibrated—it was the Serenity Squad. CLICK. He ended the call forcefully.

Wang nudged Ethan. "Why did you hide the Terminus Shard earlier? It almost got us killed!"

"Wan'er couldn't know," Ethan replied, his expression darkening. "Two boxes were in that lake. Serenity Squad took the decoy dagger—the Devourer. The real blade?" He touched his neck. "One shot. I couldn't risk losing it."

"BACKSTABBING COWARDS!" Wang spat toward the fading horde.

Ray wrote down some numbers on a burned receipt. "Call me. The Apocalypse Bureau needs your insight." Wang added his number below. "My direct line—anytime!"

DING! Glowing screens appeared in front of each player:

SURVIVED CATASTROPHE-CLASS SCENARIO

SOLVED "PUPPET KINGDOM" (PERFECT CLEAR)

Effect: Terminates one biological entity unconditionally.

Special Trait: Killing an [Apocalypse Source] resets the charge.

Ethan blinked. S-Grade. And… reusable? Where's my resurrection coin?

Wang groaned and flexed his big fingers. "[Pianist]. C-grade skill. Look at these sausages!" Ray sighed. "[Excavator Operator]. Can it dig through concrete? Probably not." John smirked. "[Gourmet]. Finally, something useful."

Ethan looked at the shard shining in his palm—a blade no longer than a toothpick. Why did they get skills while he got a glorified shiv?

REALITY REINTEGRATION IN: 00:27:13

The temple stood empty and quiet. Somewhere, silver smoke lingered in the air.

The Grudge's Truth