Back to the Apocalypse - Chapter 34

Japan – National News BroadcastThe polished news anchor sat upright, her gaze sharp as she adjusted the stack of papers before her. The newsroom behind her hummed with quiet urgency, the weight of the moment settling over the broadcast.“Authorities are baffled by a sudden and unexplained surge in sleep-related deaths across Japan,” she began, her voice steady yet tense. “More and more citizens are passing away in their sleep without any prior health concerns. Experts are working tirelessly to determine the cause, but no clear explanation has emerged. Authorities urge the public to remain vigilant and report any unusual symptoms before bedtime.”A graphic appeared, displaying the spike in fatalities over the past month. Behind her, unsettling photographs flickered across the screen—blurred images of individuals found in their beds, their faces frozen in expressions of terror.The anchor’s tone shifted. “Health officials recommend citizens avoid excessive fatigue and maintain healthy sleep habits. More updates will follow as investigations continue.”---United States – Paranormal PodcastIn a dimly lit podcast studio, the host leaned forward, his eyes wide with curiosity. Across from him, a rugged man in a worn flannel shirt, gripping a faded photograph in one hand and a beer can in the other, leaned back in his chair.“So, you're telling me you saw this creature firsthand?” the host asked, clearly intrigued.The man scoffed, shaking his head. “Damn right, I did. Ugly thing had wings bigger than my body—slow but sneaky. Thought it could steal my pigs again, but I was ready this time—camera in one hand, shotgun in the other.”He slammed the table for emphasis, then shoved the blurry image toward the host. The photograph depicted a small, red-skinned humanoid figure with large, bat-like wings, its eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.“Spit, the thing didn’t know what hit it when I fired!” the man chuckled, his voice full of excitement.The host held up the picture to the live chat. “Alright, what do you think? Mothman? Demon? Or is our friend here just seeing things?”The chat exploded with theories—some skeptical, others eager for the investigation to continue.---China – Liangyuan Street MarketSurveillance footage from a bustling night market in China captured a chilling scene. A woman in a red qipao walked gracefully through the crowd, her figure striking in the soft glow of lanterns.Suddenly, she paused. Her body flickered—like a glitch in a video—before vanishing completely, as though she had never existed.The footage zoomed in, replaying in slow motion. In the final frame before she disappeared, her face distorted unnaturally, her eyes hollow and empty.The screen cut abruptly to black.

Derek Carter never asked for a System, an apocalypse, or the pressure of being humanity’s so-called “last hope.”He was just trying to survive the daily struggles of being an orphan in Paleview City—dodging bullies, scraping together meals, and lying his way into school. Life was already hard enough.Then, one day, a blue screen pops into his vision:[Warning: The world is doomed. Try not to die.]Yeah, great. Just what he needed—cryptic doomsday messages and no instruction manual.Now, monsters are creeping into the city, reality is unraveling, and Damien’s “legendary” starting stats are barely above zero. The System promises him power, but there's just one tiny problem—he’s never won a fight in his life.Armed with sarcasm, questionable decision-making skills, and the sheer refusal to die, Damien is about to embark on the worst (and possibly last) adventure of his life. Because if the world really is ending… he’s at least going to make it someone else’s problem first.After all, heroes are overrated—survivors get to tell the story.

Kaito was summoned as a hero... and discarded as trash.No magic. No blessings. Just intelligence and a mysterious deck of cards that summon legendary villainesses—women so dangerous the gods themselves sealed them away.Now, with three (soon four) villain queens at his side, Kaito will build a kingdom from the ashes of his humiliation. Not through strength, but through strategy. Not through destiny, but through choice.But every summoned queen has her own agenda. Every ally hides secrets. And the kingdom that abandoned him? They're coming with armies.[WARNING: R-18 | Explicit content, graphic violence, and adult scenes]→ Anti-Hero MC (Strategic, Morally Gray, No Beta Behavior)→ Four Villain Queens (Competitive Harem, Slow Burn)→ Kingdom Building (Economic, Military, Political)→ Tactical Warfare (Army Battles, No Plot Armor)→ Ancient Technology + Magic Coexistence→ Character Development (MC & Queens Evolve)→ No NTR | No Dumb Decisions | No Forced Drama

Subei was pulled into a horror game, awakening the hidden profession [Drinker] and anti-sky skills.

[Drinking table culture: Specter’s initial favorability +5, gain friendly reputation (upgradeable)]

[Toast, do not eat and eat penalty wine: Force a Specter below Grade A to fight with you, and after victory, you will force the same thing from Specter (upgradeable)]

[A thousand cups are not poured: your alcohol capacity is extremely large (upgradeable)]

“Ghost bride, you have a glass of wine with me on your wedding night, does your husband really mind?”

“Miss, it’s forbidden to drink underage, be careful madam spanks you.”

“Belly pocket? What kind of belly pocket, I have never seen the white embroidered gold trimmed belly pocket of the ghost princess.”

“Madam, you don’t want the lady to know about what happened last night.”

When other players shivered in the horror game, Subei picked up the drunk ghost bride and went straight to the bridal chamber.

“Fuck, beasts, not even ghosts.”

North Jiangsu said: “As long as you are brave, female ghosts will take maternity leave.”.

- Description from novelbuddy