World Unbound: A System Apocalypse LitRPG

The dark apartment held its breath. Alex stood weaponless, muscles screaming, heart hammering against his ribs like a drum solo. Across the debris-strewn floor, the Mantis-Roach coiled, its multifaceted eyes burning with alien malice, fixed solely on him. Greenish ichor dripped from the deep wound in its flank, but it seemed more enraged than weakened. Maya was slumped against the wall, alive but stunned, her wide eyes flicking between Alex, the monster, and the space just in front of her face where only she and Alex could see the impossible interface that had just saved her life. In the corner, Daniel's hysterical sobbing provided a grating soundtrack to the tableau of terror.

Alex's mind raced, desperately calculating odds that seemed impossibly grim. No weapon. Stamina low after two Flicker Steps. Maya potentially has abilities but zero control. Daniel is worse than useless. Monster is wounded but fast and lethal. He needed his knife. It lay on the floor several feet away, near where the creature had flung it. Reaching it felt like crossing a minefield.

He saw Maya push herself upright, her breathing ragged. Her eyes were locked onto her UI, a look of profound disbelief warring with dawning comprehension. He saw her MP bar – [MP: 45/60] – the cost of that single, life-saving ward. She looked utterly lost, like someone dropped into the cockpit of a fighter jet mid-flight.

The Mantis-Roach chittered, testing its footing, its wounded leg dragging slightly. It was wary now, perhaps confused by the blue energy shield, but its predatory focus was clearly locked back onto Alex, the one who had inflicted the most pain.

Distraction, Alex thought. Need a distraction. He couldn't rely on Maya consciously using whatever power she'd just unlocked. He had to create an opening himself. He glanced at Daniel, still sobbing uncontrollably, then back at the heavy floor lamp near the corner.

"Maya!" Alex hissed, keeping his voice low but urgent. "That blue shield thing! Can you do it again? Just distract it! Anything!"

Maya jumped at his voice, startled. She looked from him to the monster, then down at her own hands as if seeing them for the first time. "I… I don't know!" Her voice trembled. "It just… happened! I don't know how!" She raised a hand tentatively, concentrating fiercely, her brow furrowed. Alex saw her MP bar flicker slightly, dropping another point or two, but nothing visible manifested. [-2 MP]. Just wasted mana from unfocused intent. Useless right now.

Fine. Plan B.

With a surge of desperate energy, Alex activated Flicker Step again. [STA: 70/100]. He didn't dash towards the knife, not yet. He darted sideways, towards the corner where Daniel huddled. Ignoring the man's terrified squeak, Alex grabbed the heavy base of the old-fashioned metal floor lamp Daniel hadn't managed to throw yet. With a grunt of exertion – it was heavier than it looked – he swung it around and hurled it with all his might towards the Mantis-Roach.

The lamp wasn't aimed to do damage, just to create a diversion. It sailed through the air, striking the creature's chitinous back with a loud clang before bouncing off and crashing to the floor.

The Mantis-Roach screeched, startled by the sudden impact from an unexpected direction, its head whipping around towards the noise.

That was the opening Alex needed.

Flicker Step! [STA: 65/100].

He appeared beside his fallen knife, scooping the familiar – if inadequate – handle into his sweaty palm just as the Mantis-Roach realized the lamp was no threat and spun back towards him, mandibles clicking in fury. Steel in hand, Alex felt a fraction less terrified, a sliver more grounded.

The creature charged, ignoring Maya now, seeing Alex as the primary, persistent threat. It skittered across the floor, surprisingly fast despite its injured leg.

Seeing Alex directly in danger seemed to galvanize Maya again. The confusion on her face morphed into fierce determination. She wouldn't – couldn't – just stand by. She focused again, not on the ward this time, but on the feeling, the potential she'd glimpsed. Her UI flickered again, unnoticed by her in the heat of the moment:

[Basic Mana Manipulation (Passive) - Rank 1/10 Learned!]

[Effect: Grants rudimentary awareness and control over internal Mana flow. Increases base MP Regeneration slightly.]

She felt a faint warmth spread from her core, a subtle thrum of energy she'd never been aware of before. She tried to push it, to shape it into that shield again, pouring her willpower into the effort. A barely visible shimmer, like heat haze, flickered around her hand for a second, costing another few MP before sputtering out. [-4 MP]. It wasn't working. Not like before. Panic threatened to overwhelm her again.

How are we supposed to fight these things? The thought flashed through her mind, laced with despair. Where's the army? The police? Is anyone coming? Is there even a government left out there? The sheer scale of the catastrophe, the silence from the outside world, pressed down on her.

Alex, meanwhile, was fighting for his life. He met the Mantis-Roach's charge not head-on, but with evasive maneuvers, using the overturned furniture and the cramped space to his advantage. His increased Agility made him feel slightly quicker, more responsive than he had any right to be. He dodged a scything claw, ducked under a spray of ineffective spittle (not acid this time, thankfully), and tried to land quick jabs with the knife whenever the creature exposed a joint or a softer spot in its armor.

[Damage Dealt: 9 HP!]

[Damage Dealt: 7 HP!]

Minor hits. Annoying, but not stopping the relentless assault. The creature was learning, adapting its attacks, trying to corner him. It feinted with one claw, then lashed out with another, faster than he anticipated.

Alex twisted, but not fast enough. The claw raked across his side, tearing through his shirt and scoring shallow grooves across his ribs. Pain exploded, hot and sharp, stealing his breath.

[-12 HP!]

[HP: 80/100]

He stumbled back, gasping, clutching his side. The hit wasn't deep, but it hurt. The red of his HP bar seemed to mock him.

Seeing Alex injured snapped Maya out of her futile attempt at mana manipulation. Fear morphed into protective anger. She gripped the heavy hammer she'd found earlier, its weight feeling substantial in her hands. If she couldn't conjure shields, she could still hit.

While the Mantis-Roach reared back slightly, savoring its hit on Alex, Maya moved decisively. She circled around its flank, ignoring the terrified whimpers from Daniel, timing her approach as the creature focused its attention back on Alex. She spotted the joint where its injured leg met its main body – a potential weak point. Lifting the hammer high, she brought it down with every ounce of strength she possessed.

CRACK!

The sound was sickeningly loud in the small apartment. Not the dull thud against chitin, but the sharp snap of something breaking. The Mantis-Roach's injured leg buckled completely, twisting at an unnatural angle.

A notification flashed on Alex's UI, tied seemingly to Maya's action:

[Ally Action Detected: Maya Reyes - Critical Hit! Target Limb Crippled! Target Speed Significantly Reduced!]

Ally Action? The System tracks teamwork? The implications were huge, but Alex couldn't dwell on them.

The Mantis-Roach let out an ear-splitting shriek, a sound of pure agony and rage. It stumbled, its movement severely hampered, whirling awkwardly on its remaining legs, trying to bring its claws to bear.

This was the chance. The opening.

Alex ignored the searing pain in his side. His Stamina was low, but he pushed himself. One last Flicker Step – gambling the remaining energy. [STA: 10/100].

He appeared directly in front of the creature's hideous head as it struggled to turn, momentarily unbalanced by its crippled leg. Its multifaceted eyes swirled with panicked fury. Alex didn't hesitate. Aiming for the central eye cluster, the spot that seemed most vital, he plunged the chef's knife forward with all his remaining strength, driving it deep into the creature's face.

[Lethality Activated! Critical Hit!]

[Targeting Weak Point: Eye Cluster!]

[Massive Damage Dealt: 68 HP!]

[Mantis-Roach - Defeated!]

[EXP Gained: 40]

The creature shuddered violently. Its limbs spasmed. A final, gurgling click escaped its mandibles before its alien light in its eyes extinguished. Then, just like the Shadow Hound, its physical form dissolved rapidly, evaporating into wisps of black, acrid smoke that dissipated into the stale air, leaving absolutely nothing behind. No corpse, no ichor, nothing but the lingering stench and the memory of its terrifying presence.

Alex's EXP bar pulsed: [EXP: 65/100]. Closer to Level 2.

Silence slammed back into the room, broken only by Daniel's continued, muffled sobbing and the harsh, ragged sound of Alex and Maya gasping for breath. Alex leaned heavily against the wall, his side screaming in protest, his Stamina bar flashing empty red before slowly beginning to refill. [STA: 12/100]... [STA: 13/100]...

Maya stared at the empty space where the monster had been, the hammer held loosely at her side. Her eyes were wide, unfocused for a moment, before slowly centering on Alex. The adrenaline was fading, leaving shock and confusion in its wake.

Daniel remained huddled in the corner, seemingly lost in his own private terror.

After a long moment, Alex pushed himself off the wall, wincing. He met Maya's gaze directly. The shared horror, the shared survival, hung between them. But now, there was something else too. The impossible shield. The blue screens.

"Maya," he said, his voice hoarse. He had to know. He couldn't be the only one experiencing this madness fully. "The… the screens. The blue light just now. You saw it too, didn't you?"

Her head snapped up, eyes locking onto his. Fear warred with a desperate need for validation. She swallowed hard, then gave a jerky, almost convulsive nod. "Y-yes," she stammered, her voice barely a whisper. "When it… when it almost hit me. A screen popped up. HP? MP? It said… 'Basic Ward'?" She gestured vaguely in front of her face, where her UI remained invisible to anyone but her and Alex. "I thought… I thought I was hallucinating. Dying. What is it?"

A wave of profound relief washed over Alex, so potent it almost buckled his knees. He wasn't alone. "I see it too," he said, the admission feeling momentous. "Ever since the power died. Levels, stats, skills…" He tapped his bandaged forearm, then gestured to his wounded side. "HP is real. Taking damage hurts." He pointed to the empty space where the Mantis-Roach died. "Killing those things gives… EXP. Experience points. Like in a game."

They stared at each other, the shared secret forging an immediate, intense connection in the midst of the surrounding nightmare. Two Players, Awakened in the chaos. How? Why?

"Did you… did you get asked to choose something?" Alex asked, remembering his own Class selection. "A Class?"

Maya frowned, accessing the memory, still clearly shaken. "No," she said slowly. "It just… appeared. Showed the HP, MP… Stamina, I think? Then that 'Tutorial' thing popped up right when the creature attacked. I just… reacted." She looked down at her hands again, flexing her fingers. "I felt… something. Warmth. When I tried to do it again, it barely worked." She gestured to her UI, though only Alex could understand the reference. "It used… MP? Like magic?"

Alex nodded slowly. So her Awakening was different. Triggered by near-death, no initial Class choice, a tutorial prompt instead. And she'd instinctively learned Basic Mana Manipulation. It confirmed his suspicion – the System wasn't a uniform experience. Maybe Class selection came later for some? Maybe some never got a choice? The possibilities were dizzying and worrying.

Their attention was drawn back to the corner by a low moan from Daniel. He was rocking back and forth now, eyes squeezed shut, muttering incoherently. He was useless, a liability, but leaving him felt wrong.

"What do we do about him?" Maya asked quietly, nodding towards Daniel.

Alex sighed, rubbing his temples. His head was starting to ache. "We can't take him with us like this. He'll get us killed. But leaving him…." He trailed off. They quickly searched the immediate vicinity near Daniel, finding a length of sturdy rope used to tie back curtains and some duct tape in a drawer. After a brief, grim discussion, they made the hard choice. They gently but firmly restrained Daniel's arms and legs with the rope, loosely enough not to cause injury but securely enough to prevent him from hurting himself or others if he lashed out again. They used the duct tape to secure him slightly more comfortably in the corner, away from the broken window. They placed a bottle of water and a couple of granola bars they'd found within his reach. It felt brutal, but necessary for everyone's survival. Daniel barely seemed to notice, lost in his trauma.

"We tell Frank when we get back," Alex said heavily. "Maybe they can figure something out."

With Daniel temporarily secured, they did a final, quick sweep of the apartment. They found a much better-stocked first-aid kit in the bathroom cabinet, which Alex gratefully added to his pack after using some stronger antiseptic and fresh bandages on his side. They gathered more canned goods and water bottles. Alex's Stamina bar was slowly climbing – [STA: 45/100]. Maya reported her MP was also regenerating, albeit slowly – [MP: 48/60].

"Okay," Alex said, checking the time mentally. They'd been gone maybe forty minutes. Close to their limit. "We need to head back. Report in. Get Henderson looked at."

Maya nodded, hefting her hammer. The shared knowledge of the System hung between them, unspoken but powerful. They were no longer just two random survivors. They were Players. Partners, perhaps?

"Stick close," Alex said. "Watch my back, I'll watch yours. Let's try to be quiet this time."

They cautiously pushed the damaged apartment door open, peering into the dimly lit hallway. It seemed quiet. For now. Alex took the lead again, Maya a step behind him, both moving with a heightened awareness, acutely conscious of the invisible numbers governing their health, their energy, and their progress in this deadly new game.

As they turned the corner back towards the main stairwell access, a new sound reached them, cutting through the ambient silence. It wasn't the skittering of claws or the guttural growl of a monster. It was… rhythmic. Almost like… chanting? Faint, distorted, but undeniably structured. It seemed to be coming from one of the floors above.

Alex and Maya froze, exchanging wary glances. What fresh hell was this? Monsters were one thing. Organized chanting suggested something else entirely. Something potentially far more dangerous.