?? Day 1 of the Apocalypse
?? Sta Mesa Condominium
The night sky over Manila once shimmered with lights headlights, skyscrapers, billboards. But tonight, there was only crimson. Red cracks scarred the clouds like shattered glass, and a low hum echoed across the city. Earth’s atmosphere wept as if the planet itself sensed the impending doom.
Inside a modest condo along V. Mapa, Jackie Tricksters, 33 years old, average height, unassuming face, and just another office guy, blinked at his laptop. His screen flashed “Connection Lost.” He sighed, leaned back, and stretched his arms, unaware that this would be the last moment of peace he'd ever know.
Then the quake hit.
The floor trembled. Distant car alarms screamed. Furniture slid. Glass shattered. Jackie barely managed to steady himself before a deafening roar tore through the sky. He rushed to the balcony.
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A pillar of energy black at the core, surrounded by rotating rings of purple flame had erupted in the distance, piercing the heavens. A rift.
“Holy shit…” he whispered, heart pounding. Another crack opened near the horizon. Then another. Five, ten too many to count. Manila was bleeding rifts.
And from the first rift… something crawled out.
Tall. Hulking. Dripping with obsidian ooze. Eyes glowing with a malicious green hue. The monster let out a roar that shattered windows in five blocks.
Jackie stumbled back into his room. The air was heavy. A pressure bore down on his chest. His phone buzzed violently.
EMERGENCY ALERT: All residents, shelter in place. Unknown event. Await further instructions.
But there was no shelter from what came next.
A wave like a pulse from the rift rippled across the city. Jackie screamed. His veins lit up like molten wires. His knees buckled as a vision seared into his mind.
He saw blueprints. Circuits. Defense turrets. AI cores. Energy reactors.
He saw everything.
[You have been chosen.]
[Class Awakening: Tech Warden.]
[System initializing… syncing knowledge… syncing biomechanical interface… unlocking base schematics…]
He collapsed. His eyes glowed electric blue for a second before fading.