The year was 2024.
No prophet had predicted it. No government had prepared for it. No scientist had warned humanity that civilization would collapse before the sun reached its highest point.
It began on what should have been an ordinary morning.
The city stirred awake beneath a golden sunrise. Cars filled the highways, students hurried toward their universities, workers complained about another Monday, and vendors shouted to attract customers. Everything looked peaceful.
Then the screams started.
At first, everyone assumed it was an accident.
A middle-aged man collapsed in the middle of the road, his body twitching violently. Foam spilled from his mouth while his bones cracked beneath his skin. Within seconds, another person fell.
Then another.
And another.
Panic spread like wildfire.
People rushed to help the victims, but the moment they got close, something impossible happened.
The convulsing victims suddenly stopped moving.
Silence.
A terrifying silence.
Then...
Their eyes slowly opened.
The whites had vanished.
Their pupils became blood-red while dark veins spread across their faces like living parasites. Their skin turned pale, their fingernails elongated into black claws, and their mouths twisted into monstrous grins.
The first monster lunged.
Its teeth tore into the neck of the woman kneeling beside it.
Blood erupted into the air.
The woman's scream echoed through the street before it was abruptly silenced.
The monster continued feeding.
Everyone froze.
No one could believe what they were seeing.
Then chaos exploded.
"Run!"
"Someone call the police!"
"What the hell is happening?!"
People scattered in every direction as more infected awakened.
Every bite created another monster.
Every scream announced another death.
Within minutes, the city descended into absolute madness.
The dead began walking.
The living became prey.
Humanity's peaceful world ended in less than ten minutes.
...
Far from the streets soaked with blood, inside the dormitory of Horizon National University, an eighteen-year-old boy sat silently on his bed.
His name was Hunter.
Unlike everyone else, his greatest problem that morning had been heartbreak.
The girl he had loved for nearly three years had ended their relationship with nothing more than a cold text message.
She had called him ordinary.
Weak.
Someone who would never amount to anything.
Hunter had spent the entire night staring blankly at his phone, wondering where everything had gone wrong.
He had no idea that fate was about to answer that question.
A loud explosion echoed outside his dormitory.
Hunter frowned.
More screams followed.
Then came the sound of dozens of people running through the hallway.
Confused, he slowly walked toward the window.
The moment he looked outside...
His blood froze.
A woman stumbled across the university courtyard.
She was crying desperately while clutching her bleeding arm.
Behind her chased a man.
Or rather...
Something that had once been a man.
Its skin was gray.
Its eyes glowed crimson.
Its mouth dripped with fresh blood.
Before the woman could escape, the creature tackled her onto the pavement.
Crunch!
Its teeth sank into her shoulder.
Hunter watched in horror as blood covered the concrete.
Students nearby screamed and fled.
Some tried to help.
Those brave enough to interfere were quickly dragged to the ground and devoured alive.
Bones snapped.
Limbs were ripped apart.
The entire campus transformed into a slaughterhouse.
Hunter staggered backward.
"No..."
His breathing became uneven.
"This can't be real..."
His trembling hands reached for his phone.
No signal.
The internet had vanished.
Emergency broadcasts failed.
Every news station had gone offline.
Outside, the sounds of death continued growing louder.
Hunter quickly locked the dormitory door before dragging a heavy desk in front of it.
His heart pounded violently.
His parents...
They were still at home.
If the entire world looked like this...
Were they alive?
He clenched his fists until his nails dug into his skin.
"I have to save them..."
But how?
He wasn't a soldier.
He wasn't an athlete.
He was just an ordinary university student.
Even one of those monsters could tear him apart.
As despair threatened to consume him...
Time suddenly froze.
Every sound disappeared.
The screams outside vanished.
Even the floating dust stopped moving.
Then...
A brilliant crimson light filled the room.
Countless mysterious symbols appeared before Hunter, rotating in the air like ancient runes.
An emotionless voice echoed directly inside his mind.
[Suitable Host Detected.]
Hunter's eyes widened.
A translucent crimson screen materialized before him.
Would you like to obtain the power to survive?
YES ▢
NO ▢
Hunter stared blankly.
His exhausted mind immediately thought of one thing.
"A game...?"
No.
This wasn't possible.
Yet everything happening outside wasn't possible either.
If this was his only chance...
He couldn't hesitate.
His parents needed him.
Hunter reached forward.
His finger pressed the glowing YES button.
The crimson screen shattered into countless fragments before reforming into a massive throne surrounded by black flames.
A deafening roar shook Hunter's soul.
The voice returned.
This time...
It sounded like an ancient emperor proclaiming the birth of a king.
Congratulations!
The Strongest Tyrant System has chosen you as its Host.
Beginning Race Evolution...
Hunter suddenly screamed.
Every muscle inside his body expanded.
His bones cracked violently.
Dark crimson veins spread across his skin.
His heartbeat accelerated beyond human limits.
His vision blurred before becoming unnaturally clear.
He could hear the heartbeat of zombies outside.
He could smell blood from dozens of meters away.
His body radiated an overwhelming pressure.
After several agonizing minutes...
The pain disappeared.
Hunter collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath.
The notification continued.
Race Evolution Complete.
Race Obtained: Half Human / Half Tyrant
Bloodline Compatibility: Perfect
Reward Granted.
Unique Skill Acquired.
Monster Mode
A torrent of knowledge flooded Hunter's mind.
The Tyrant Race...
A supreme race that ruled through absolute strength.
Unlike ordinary awakened humans, Tyrants evolved by conquering stronger enemies.
Every battle increased their dominance.
Every victory strengthened their bloodline.
Every fallen enemy became nourishment.
The stronger the prey...
The stronger the Tyrant became.
Hunter slowly stood.
Even without activating any skill, he felt stronger than before.
The system spoke once more.
Welcome, Host.
Initializing Status Window...
A crimson interface appeared.
Host: Hunter
Age: 18
Level: 1
Title: None
Race: Half Human / Half Tyrant
Bloodline Purity: 1%
Health: 100/100
Energy: 100/100
Sanity: 90/100
Base Attributes
Strength: 10
Speed: 10
Agility: 10
Stamina: 10
Vitality: 10
Energy Control: 10
Mental Power: 10
Perception: 10
Willpower: 10
Luck: 1
Potential: SSS
Skills
Monster Mode (Unique)
Transforms the host into a berserk Tyrant for fifteen minutes.
• All base attributes increase by 200%.
• Pain is greatly reduced.
• Fear Immunity.
• Regeneration speed increases.
• Killing intent intimidates weaker enemies.
Cost: 5 Energy.
Cooldown: 30 Minutes.
Racial Abilities
Tyrant Aura (Passive): Weak enemies experience fear and hesitation.
Predator's Instinct (Passive): Detect nearby life forms and hostile intent.
Blood Devour (Locked): Consume enemy essence to permanently increase attributes.
Evolution Core (Locked): Unlock new Tyrant forms through evolution.
Domination (Locked): Command weaker monsters.
Starter Pack Available.
Would the Host like to open it?
Hunter didn't hesitate.
"Open."
A flash of golden light burst before him.
Starter Pack Opened.
Rewards Obtained
• Beginner Tyrant Blade
• Infinite Storage Space (10 Slots)
• Basic Healing Potion ×5
• Energy Recovery Potion ×3
• Tyrant Detection Eye
• 100 System Points
Another notification appeared.
First Main Mission Issued.
Mission: Survive the First Seven Days of the Apocalypse.
Reward:
• Level Up ×5
• Rare Skill Scroll
• Bloodline Evolution
Failure: Death.
Hunter stared at the final two words.
There was no escape.
No retry.
No second chance.
Outside, terrifying growls echoed throughout the dormitory.
Something slammed against the hallway door.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
The monsters had found survivors.
Hunter slowly gripped the hilt of the Beginner Tyrant Blade as crimson energy flowed through his veins.
The frightened university student who had hidden behind a locked door moments ago was gone.
In his place stood the first bearer of the Strongest Tyrant System.
His journey had begun.
Not as a hero destined to save humanity...
But as a ruler who would dominate a world consumed by the apocalypse.