Havoc stood motionless, desperately trying to process everything that psychotic demigod had just dumped on him. Every answer had somehow raised even more questions. First, he'd been dragged into a tournament spanning countless worlds. Then he'd learned about the Infinite System, World Energy, and a throne capable of creating a god. And finally, the biggest bombshell of all—Vael'thrix had willingly gambled his own divine authority, his future, his chance at godhood, and even his own champion in a wager against six other demigods.
"...What the actual fuck..." Havoc muttered.
Who in their right mind did something like that? The lunatic had willingly stacked the odds against himself simply because he thought it would be entertaining. If Havoc lost, everything Vael'thrix had spent millennia building would be taken away. If Havoc somehow won, then Vael'thrix's gamble would pay off beyond imagination. Either way, the bastard had risked everything for the thrill of uncertainty.
Havoc slowly looked toward the grinning demigod and let out a long sigh. "...You're genuinely insane." He rubbed his temples before shaking his head. "Actually... no. I'm not even surprised anymore. I'm convinced you've been leaving out half the information on purpose just to mess with me." His eyes drifted toward the six silent champions standing in the shadows. "Hell, I don't even know their names. Then again, I'm pretty sure you conveniently forgot to tell us that too."
Vael'thrix suddenly threw his head back and laughed, the sound echoing throughout the Coliseum.
"You foolish mutt." He wiped a tear from his eye, still chuckling. "You actually think everything is about you? What a selfish little bastard."
Havoc's eye twitched.
"Not everything revolves around you, fool. I already told you, I enjoy being mysterious. I enjoy keeping secrets. I enjoy watching your reactions when the surprises I've prepared finally reveal themselves." His crimson eyes swept across the other champions. "Not just yours... theirs as well. Where's the fun in telling everyone everything from the beginning? No... it's far more entertaining watching the confusion, the shock, the anger, and the realization spread across your faces one surprise at a time."
Just as Havoc was about to continue arguing, he noticed Vael'thrix casually raising his right hand. His fingers positioned themselves for a snap.
Havoc's eyes widened.
"...Oh, hell no."
That was it. The game was about to begin. His heart skipped a beat. There were still dozens of unanswered questions racing through his mind, and once they left this place, he doubted he'd ever get another opportunity to ask them. Even if it earned him another punishment, he couldn't let this chance slip away.
"WAIT!" Havoc shouted with everything he had.
His voice thundered across the Coliseum, causing even the six shadowed champions to turn toward him. Vael'thrix paused, his fingers only inches apart before the snap, then slowly lowered his hand and looked down at Havoc with an amused smile.
"...Yes?"
Havoc let out an exhausted breath. "There's still a ton of shit we haven't gone over. You dumped an entire multiverse worth of information on us, then acted like that's all we needed to know before throwing us into this insane tournament."
Vael'thrix chuckled. "I assumed you'd adapt."
"No!" Havoc pointed directly at him. "You keep talking about these Seven Systems based on the Seven Deadly Sins, but you never actually told us which sin each of us represents." The entire Coliseum fell silent as every champion shifted their attention toward Vael'thrix. Havoc folded his arms. "Don't get me wrong. You gave us your wonderful lecture about the Infinite System, World Energy, alternate timelines, allies, equipment, divine wagers, and becoming gods... but somehow you skipped the one thing that actually tells us what kind of System we're supposed to have."
Vael'thrix's grin slowly returned.
"Skipped?"
He let out a quiet laugh.
"No, Havoc."
"I omitted it."
"Deliberately."
He clasped his hands behind his back and slowly walked across the platform before stopping to look over the seven champions.
"As I already told you... I enjoy surprises. The moment each of you discovers your Sin is a moment I refuse to ruin early."
His crimson eyes settled back onto Havoc.
"Oh, you'll definitely discover which Sin belongs to you soon enough."
Havoc frowned.
"...What?"
"And believe me..." Vael'thrix's smile became noticeably more sinister. "...it suits your personality perfectly."
Havoc immediately shot him an irritated glare.
"...What the fuck is that supposed to mean?"
"Oh, you'll find out." Vael'thrix continued walking with his hands behind his back. "The reason I never revealed which Sin each of you possesses is rather simple."
He stopped and looked across all seven champions.
"I like surprises."
"I enjoy watching the realization spread across your faces when you finally learn what kind of System has chosen you. That single moment is far more entertaining than simply telling you now." His crimson eyes swept across every champion before he gave an indifferent shrug. "As for whether your Sin reflects the life you've lived... I couldn't care less."
Silence settled over the Coliseum.
"I don't judge mortals by their virtues or their vices. Whether you're a saint, a murderer, a hero, or a monster means absolutely nothing to me. I simply don't give a damn." A quiet laugh escaped him. "My fellow demigods and I didn't spend centuries studying your lives. We looked across countless worlds, found mortals that interested us for one reason or another, and selected them."
He pointed toward the champions one by one. "Some of you were chosen because you possessed extraordinary potential. Some because your worlds abandoned you. Some because your stories ended far too soon." Finally, his finger settled on Havoc. "And some... simply because we felt like it."
Havoc felt his stomach tighten.
For just a brief moment, a thought had crossed his mind.
Did he choose me because I'm a bad person?
Is that why he tortured me?
But Vael'thrix had unknowingly answered that question.
No.
The demigod didn't care whether someone was good or evil. He didn't care about justice, redemption, or morality. He didn't even care about sin itself.
To him, mortals were nothing more than pieces on a game board.
Entertainment.
Nothing more.
Havoc slowly lifted his head and looked back at Vael'thrix.
The psychotic demigod was still wearing that same twisted smirk.
It wasn't the smile of someone passing divine judgment.
It was the smile of someone who couldn't wait for the game to begin.
Havoc remained silent, still trying to process everything that psychotic demigod had just told him. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he wasn't going to get any real answers. Every question he asked would probably be met with the same excuse.
"Because I like surprises."
Yeah... no shit, Havoc thought sarcastically.
His gaze slowly drifted across the enormous Coliseum toward the six shadowed champions. Even though their identities remained hidden, he could practically feel the tension radiating from them. They were probably asking themselves the same questions he was. Who are these people? Which one of them am I going to run into someday? What kind of world am I about to be thrown into? Fear tried to creep into the back of his mind, but Havoc forced himself to push it down. Panicking wouldn't change anything. There was no escaping this tournament. There was no arguing with a psychotic demigod who treated mortal lives like pieces on a game board. As much as he hated admitting it, all he could do now was accept his fate and survive long enough to find a way out.
His eyes slowly returned to Vael'thrix.
The hatred in them was impossible to hide.
Instead of feeling offended, Vael'thrix's grin only grew wider. He looked pleased. Excited. Almost proud.
"Excellent," the demigod said with a satisfied chuckle. "It appears you've finally realized something important."
Havoc didn't bother answering.
"You've realized that asking me any more questions is completely pointless." Vael'thrix theatrically cleared his throat before speaking in an exaggerated voice. "'Because I enjoy surprises.'" He laughed at his own imitation. "You already know exactly what my answer would be."
Several of the shadowed champions let out quiet groans.
"Tch."
Havoc clicked his tongue and looked away.
"Now, now," Vael'thrix continued, spreading his arms dramatically. "Don't be so disappointed. Mystery is one of life's greatest pleasures." He slowly lowered his arms as his crimson eyes swept across the seven champions. "However... I suppose I can reward your persistence with one final piece of information."
Every champion turned toward him.
"The worlds awaiting each of you will not be the same. Each champion will begin in a different world. Some of you may find yourselves in peaceful lands where survival is relatively easy. Others..." His smile became colder. "...will awaken in places where death waits around every corner. There are worlds filled with hope. There are worlds drowning in despair. And then..." He paused, allowing the silence to settle over the Coliseum. "...there are worlds so horrifying that even seasoned warriors would pray never to set foot within them."
Not a single champion spoke.
Vael'thrix clasped his hands behind his back and smiled.
"So pray that luck favors you."
His crimson eyes slowly settled on Havoc.
"And you... pray that you don't encounter any of your fellow champions in whatever world fate chooses for you."
The twisted smile on his face somehow grew even wider.
"Because if you do... your game may end far sooner than either of us would like."
Havoc's jaw tightened as he glared at the demigod. There it was again—that same smug expression. That same twisted smile that said he genuinely enjoyed watching people suffer.
If there was one thing Havoc knew for certain now...
It was that he had never hated anyone as much as he hated Vael'thrix.
AS Vael'thrix slowly raised his right hand and looked across the seven champions one final time. His crimson eyes lingered on each of them before finally settling on Havoc. For several long seconds, neither of them spoke. Havoc simply stared back. There was no fear left in his eyes. Only hatred. Only defiance.
He slowly took a deep breath before raising his right hand.
Then...
He extended his middle finger.
"...Fuck you."
It wasn't a battle cry or some heroic declaration. It was simply the most honest way Havoc could express exactly how much he despised the psychotic demigod standing before him. For all he knew, this could very well be the last thing he ever did. He had no idea if he'd survive whatever world awaited him, and if he was going to die, then the last thing Vael'thrix would ever see from him was exactly what he thought of him.
The other champions turned toward Havoc in surprise.
Vael'thrix merely chuckled.
A slow, dark laugh escaped his lips as he looked at his champion's final act of defiance with unmistakable amusement. "Oh, mutt..." he said quietly. "I truly hope you enjoy the world I've selected for you."
Havoc's eye twitched.
"...Wait."
That single word immediately caught his attention.
"Selected?"
Before he could question it any further, Vael'thrix slowly snapped his fingers.
Havoc instinctively looked down.
Instead of the instant teleportation he had been expecting, a massive black void suddenly opened beneath every champion.
Havoc stared at it for a full second before slowly lifting his head to look back at Vael'thrix with the most exhausted, deadpan expression imaginable.
"...Are you fucking serious?"
Vael'thrix's grin widened.
Before he could answer, the floor vanished beneath Havoc's feet.
"Oh, you've got to be fu—AAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
Havoc plummeted into the darkness, his scream echoing throughout the endless void as every curse imaginable followed after it.
"FUCK YOU, VAEL'THRIX! YOU PSYCHOTIC SON OF A BI—"
His voice vanished into the abyss.
One by one, the remaining champions were swallowed by the darkness until the Coliseum became completely silent.
Only for a moment.
Then Vael'thrix burst into maniacal laughter.
The sound echoed throughout the enormous Coliseum, loud enough to shake the very air itself. He laughed so hard he nearly had to steady himself, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. The other six demigods watched the scene unfold before several of them began laughing as well, amused by the ridiculous way the Championship had begun.
Seven champions.
Seven different worlds.
One impossible wager.
Vael'thrix's twisted grin slowly returned as he looked toward the empty space where Havoc had stood only moments earlier.
"...Now then," he whispered to himself, his voice filled with unmistakable excitement. "Let the entertainment begin."
Havoc continued plummeting through the endless darkness, screaming the entire way down. "FUCK YOU, VAEL'THRIX! YOU PSYCHOTIC, MANIPULATIVE, SADISTIC PIECE OF SHIT! I HOPE SOMEONE KICKS YOUR DIVINE ASS ONE DAY! AND IF I SURVIVE THIS, I'M GONNA BE THE ONE TO DO IT! YOU HEAR ME, YOU PSYCHOTIC BASTARD?!" His voice echoed endlessly through the void before silence answered him. Havoc rolled his eyes. "...Yeah... that's what I thought." He folded his arms as best he could while continuing to fall. "So... exactly how long is this fucking drop supposed to la—"
His eyes suddenly caught a small light beneath him. "...Oh." At first he smiled. "...Well, that's probably the ground." But as it rapidly grew larger, his smile slowly disappeared. "...Wait..." His eyes squinted. "...Is that a..." His face immediately drained of color. "...TREE?!"
WHAM!
Havoc slammed face-first into a thick branch.
"OW!"
The branch bent under his weight and, for one glorious second, actually held. Havoc blinked. "...Okay... maybe I'm gonn—"
CRACK!
"...Ah, shit."
The branch snapped.
WHACK!
His back smashed into another branch.
"GAH!"
CRACK!
"Oh, come on!"
THUD!
Another branch caught him directly in the stomach.
"HUUURK!"
Every bit of air exploded from his lungs.
CRACK! WHACK! CRACK! THUMP! CRACK! SMACK!
Havoc continued pinballing through the tree.
"SON OF A—"
CRACK!
"You've got to be kidding me!"
WHACK!
"WHO THE HELL PLANTED THIS THING?!"
CRACK!
"FUCK!"
THUD!
"FUCK!"
SMACK!
"FUUUUUCK!"
The final branch shattered beneath him.
"Oh, you've got to be fu—"
BOOM!
Havoc slammed flat onto his back, sending dirt, leaves, and broken branches flying everywhere. The forest became completely silent except for one frightened bird that quickly flew away from the abused tree.
Havoc didn't move. He simply stared up at the sky for several long seconds before slowly lifting one trembling hand and raising a middle finger toward the heavens.
"...Fuuuuuck you, Vael'thrix..."
His arm dropped limply onto the ground.
Then everything went black.
Minutes passed before Havoc finally began to wake, though to him it felt more like several miserable hours. His eyes slowly opened, but he made no attempt to move. He remained flat on his back beneath the tree, surrounded by broken branches and scattered leaves, unwilling to discover how much pain was waiting for him the moment he tried to stand. Instead, he stared silently at the night sky above him. The stars were brighter than any he remembered seeing back home, scattered across the darkness like countless tiny lights. Under any other circumstances, he might have found the sight peaceful. Unfortunately, the only thing he could think about was the psychotic demigod responsible for sending him here.
Vael'thrix had personally selected this world for him. That single detail made Havoc's stomach tighten. There had to be something deeply fucked up waiting for him here, because there was no chance that sadistic bastard had chosen a peaceful world where Havoc could live comfortably. Whatever waited beyond this forest was probably dangerous, horrifying, or specifically chosen to make him suffer. Havoc released a tired breath and closed his eyes for another moment. He wanted to stay on the ground, pretend none of this was real, and avoid whatever nightmare Vael'thrix had prepared for him. But he already knew that wasn't an option.
With a determined expression, Havoc placed both palms against the dirt and slowly pushed himself upward, preparing for every bone and muscle in his body to scream in agony. He clenched his teeth, forced himself onto his knees, and then carefully rose to his feet. The pain never came.
Havoc blinked. "...The fuck?"
He cautiously moved one arm, then the other. He rolled his shoulders, twisted his waist, bent his knees, and even jumped lightly in place. Nothing hurt. Not his back, not his ribs, not even his face after striking nearly every branch on the way down. Havoc checked his body again, searching for cuts, bruises, broken bones, or any sign that he had just fallen out of the sky and crashed through an entire tree. There was nothing.
"Okay... that's strange." Havoc looked down at himself with growing suspicion. "And I don't like strange."
For all he knew, the pain could be delayed, or Vael'thrix might have altered his body in some other fucked-up way without telling him. Either way, standing around in the open wasn't safe. Havoc looked around the dark forest, but all he could see were trees, bushes, and shadows stretching between them. He had no idea where he was, what lived here, or how close he might be to civilization. More importantly, night had already fallen, and wandering blindly through an unfamiliar forest without shelter or protection was one of the easiest ways to get killed.
Havoc raised his hand and focused on activating the Infinite System. A glowing digital window appeared in front of him almost immediately, but instead of the Status Page or Store, a loading symbol spun at its center.
SYSTEM UPDATE IN PROGRESS
ESTIMATED TIME REMAINING: 10:00
Havoc stared at the message in silence. "...Are you fucking serious?"
The timer changed to 9:59.
"You're telling me I have to wait for a fucking update? Right now?" Havoc shouted at the screen. "I was just dropped into an unknown world without a weapon, food, shelter, or any idea where the hell I am, and you decide this is the perfect time to update?!"
The screen provided no response.
Havoc's eye twitched. "This has Vael'thrix written all over it. That psychotic bastard is probably punishing me for flipping him off." He looked at the timer again and released an irritated breath. At least it was only ten minutes. If the screen had said an hour, six hours, or an entire day, he would have been completely fucked. Ten minutes was still terrible timing, but it was survivable as long as nothing attacked him before the update finished.
He dismissed the window and began moving through the forest, carefully watching every shadow around him. His first priority was finding somewhere defensible. A cave, an abandoned building, a large hollow tree—anything that could protect him until morning. Unfortunately, he hadn't taken more than a few steps before remembering another serious problem.
He had no weapon.
His Weapon Token was stored inside the System, which meant he couldn't access it until the update was complete. Havoc looked around before spotting a thick fallen branch near the base of a tree. It wasn't ideal, but it was better than fighting with his bare hands. He picked it up, tested its weight, and found a rough rock with a sharp edge. Crouching beside the tree, he began scraping and striking the end of the branch against the stone, slowly shaping it into a crude point.
"This is fucking ridiculous," Havoc muttered as pieces of bark broke away. "I have an infinite magical System capable of creating evolving weapons, but I'm stuck making a caveman spear because it needed a software update."
After several minutes, the branch finally had a pointed end. It wasn't sharp enough to be called a proper spear, but Havoc could at least stab something with it or keep an attacker at a distance. He gripped it tightly in both hands and continued through the forest, moving slowly so he wouldn't announce his presence to anything nearby.
As he walked, Havoc couldn't stop wondering what kind of world Vael'thrix had sent him into. It looked ordinary so far, but that meant nothing. This could be a world filled with monsters, demons, aliens, serial killers, or some other horrible bullshit waiting beyond the trees. He had watched enough movies and played enough games to understand one important rule: quiet forests were rarely safe.
Several more minutes passed before Havoc summoned the update window again.
SYSTEM UPDATE IN PROGRESS
ESTIMATED TIME REMAINING: 1:00
A relieved smile appeared on his face. "Finally. One more minute, and maybe I'll stop being completely fucked."
He dismissed the screen, tightened his grip on the sharpened branch, and continued searching for shelter as the final minute began counting down.
Havoc tightened his grip around the crude wooden spear and continued moving carefully through the dark forest. Every snapping twig beneath his boots made him flinch, and every gust of wind through the trees sounded like something stalking him. His eyes constantly swept from one shadow to another while his mind kept reminding him of one unpleasant fact.
"One more minute..."
He glanced at the floating countdown.
SYSTEM UPDATE: 00:58
"Come on..." he muttered. "Just finish already."
He dismissed the screen and continued walking until an unfamiliar sound froze him in place.
"...Grrrraaahhh..."
Havoc stopped breathing.
The low, guttural groan echoed somewhere between the trees.
Slowly...
Very slowly...
He turned toward the sound.
Standing several yards away was a man dressed in ordinary modern clothes. At first glance he looked completely normal, but the longer Havoc stared, the more wrong everything became. His skin had turned a sickly gray, chunks of flesh hung from his face, dried blood stained his shirt, and one cloudy white eye stared lifelessly in Havoc's direction while the other barely remained inside its socket.
"...The fuck..."
The corpse let out another groan.
It wasn't a man.
It was a zombie.
Havoc stood frozen for only a second before years of zombie movies and video games flooded back into his mind.
"Okay... don't panic. Different worlds, different zombies. Some are slow. Some run. Some mutate. Some spit acid. Some explode. Don't assume anything."
The zombie continued staring at him.
Neither one moved.
For a brief moment it almost looked confused.
"...Please be a slow one," Havoc whispered.
The zombie suddenly lunged.
"Oh, SHIT!"
Havoc threw himself to the side as the zombie stumbled past him with both arms outstretched. Before it could recover, Havoc gripped his sharpened stick with both hands and drove it toward the creature's skull.
THUNK!
The point struck the head...
And stopped.
"...What?"
The stick had pierced the skin but barely entered the skull.
"You've got to be fucking kidding me!"
The zombie groaned angrily and turned back toward him.
Havoc immediately jumped backward, barely avoiding another clumsy swipe. The creature was definitely slow, but slow didn't mean harmless.
"Die already!"
He thrust the stick again.
THUNK!
Still not enough.
The zombie kept coming.
"Oh, come on, man! Movies lied to me!"
The corpse reached for his throat.
Havoc stepped aside again before shoving both hands against the wooden spear with every ounce of strength he had. The sharpened tip slowly pressed against the zombie's forehead as the creature continued pushing forward.
"Why..."
Havoc gritted his teeth.
"...Won't..."
The point finally cracked through bone.
"...YOU..."
The zombie kept struggling.
"...FUCKING..."
With one final desperate roar, Havoc shoved with his entire body weight, forcing the zombie backward until its head slammed against a nearby tree.
"...DIE?!"
CRACK!
The sharpened branch punched completely through the skull and buried itself into the tree trunk behind it.
The zombie immediately went still.
Its arms hung limp.
Then its body slowly collapsed to the ground.
Havoc remained frozen, breathing heavily as sweat rolled down his face. After several seconds he slowly looked down at the corpse.
"...Please stay dead."
Nothing happened.
"...Good."
He staggered backward, his heart pounding so hard it felt like it might burst out of his chest.
"...Okay..."
He swallowed.
"...What the fuck kind of world did that psychotic demigod send me to?"
Havoc remained where he stood, breathing heavily as he stared at the dead zombie lying beneath the tree. "...Okay," he muttered, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "That officially sucked." Before he could catch his breath, a familiar chime echoed through the quiet forest.
Ding!
A glowing blue screen suddenly materialized before him.
SYSTEM UPDATE COMPLETE
WELCOME, CHAMPION
Havoc immediately let out the biggest sigh of relief he'd had all night. "Oh, thank God." Another window replaced the first.
INITIALIZING...
100% COMPLETE
The screen flashed once before a voice echoed inside his head.
"Initialization complete."
Havoc blinked. "...Okay... okay, System. First things first—"
"Stop."
Havoc frowned.
"Don't call me 'System.'"
"...Excuse me?"
"It's boring. Every champion in every isekai, manga, comic, web novel, and fanfiction calls their System 'System.' It's lazy, overused, and completely unoriginal. I refuse to answer to something that generic."
Havoc simply stared at the floating screen for several seconds before finally speaking.
"...Did my fucking System seriously just insult me?"
"No. I insulted everyone else. You merely happened to be included in the conversation."
"...You're a fucking douchebag."
"Thank you."
"...That wasn't a compliment."
"I know."
Havoc rubbed both hands down his face. "...I never thought I'd meet something more annoying than that psychotic demigod."
"Give it time."
"...The fuck is that supposed to mean?"
"You'll figure it out."
Havoc's eye twitched. "...Jesus Christ... you sound just like him."
"Please don't compare me to that lunatic. I have standards."
"...Bullshit."
"Fair enough."
Havoc released one long, exhausted sigh. "...Fine. If I'm not calling you 'System,' then what the hell am I supposed to call you?"
"Glutt."
"...Glutt?"
"Exactly. Short. Memorable. Better than 'System.' You're welcome."
"...I didn't ask for your opinion."
"You were going to get it anyway."
Havoc slowly looked toward the sky. "...Why do I always get stuck with the smart-ass ones?"
"Because normal ones are boring."
"...I already hate you."
"Excellent. That means we're getting along."
Havoc pinched the bridge of his nose before finally giving up. "...Fine... Glutt. Since you're clearly more than just another tutorial window, what type of System are you anyway?"
The glowing screen shimmered as elegant golden letters slowly appeared across its surface.
THE GLUTTONY INFINITE SYSTEM
Havoc read the words once.
Then again.
"...Gluttony..."
His eye twitched violently.
A familiar voice echoed inside his mind.
"And believe me... it suits your personality perfectly."
Everything clicked.
That psychotic bastard hadn't been complimenting him.
He'd been mocking him from the very beginning.
Havoc slowly raised his middle finger toward the night sky.
"...That fucking asshole."
"Correct."
Havoc looked back at the glowing screen. "...So he really was screwing with me the whole damn time."
"Yes."
"...I hate him."
"Good."
"...You're enjoying this too, aren't you?"
"Immensely."
Havoc let out one long, defeated sigh before looking back at the floating screen.
"...I swear to God... I somehow traded one smart-ass asshole for another."
Havoc folded his arms and looked directly at the glowing screen. "All right, smart-ass. Since you seem to know everything about manga, comics, and System stories, then you already know what I'm about to ask. So tell me... what type of fucked-up world did that psychotic motherfucking demigod send me to? I already have one clue." He pointed his sharpened stick toward the dead corpse beneath the tree. "Undead. Zombies. So I'm obviously in some kind of zombie-infested world."
"Bravo." Glutt answered with exaggerated enthusiasm. "Congratulations on successfully identifying a zombie after killing one. I'm so proud of you."
Havoc's eye twitched.
"Truly inspiring."
"...Just fucking tell me where the fuck I am."
"You didn't say please."
Havoc closed his eyes and took one long, deep breath, reminding himself that strangling a System probably wasn't possible. "...Please."
"Much better."
"...Now tell me."
"Are you absolutely sure you're ready to learn what kind of fucked-up world you're standing in?"
"I don't have fucking time for your bullshit, Glutt. Just fucking tell me already."
"Fine, fine... killjoy." Glutt let out an exaggerated sigh. "I was trying to ease you into it. Make the realization a little more comfortable. But since you insist on learning the hard way..." A brief pause followed. "...Fine. Fuck it."
The screen flickered.
"You're in the fucking Dead Rising Universe."
Silence.
Havoc didn't move.
The words repeated themselves inside his head.
Dead Rising.
His grip around the sharpened branch slowly loosened.
Dead Rising...
His breathing became noticeably heavier.
A world swallowed by a zombie outbreak.
Entire towns and cities overrun by the undead.
Thousands upon thousands of infected wandering the streets.
A place where one careless mistake meant being ripped apart alive.
A world where surviving just a few days was considered a miracle.
His eyes slowly drifted toward the zombie lying beneath the tree.
Then toward the endless forest surrounding him.
Every shadow suddenly looked dangerous.
Every distant sound made his stomach tighten.
This wasn't just another apocalypse.
This was Dead Rising.
Havoc slowly placed both hands over his face and stood there in complete silence for several long seconds.
Then he looked up toward the night sky with every ounce of frustration, anger, and disbelief he had left.
"...YEAH..."
He took one deep breath.
"...FUCK THAT MOTHERFUCKING BASTARD!"
His voice exploded through the forest, scattering birds from the trees as the echo carried deep into the night.