Until a few days ago, my life was nothing but a suffocating, alienating routine. I was a simple night-shift convenience store clerk. While my parents flicked the bill for my brother’s tuition and every whim without blinking, I was breaking my back pulling graveyard shifts just to pay for my own studies. Then, in the middle of a random night, as I was restocking shelves, the world as we knew it ended.
It happened in the blink of an eye. The sky tore open, and chaos unleashed: bloodthirsty zombies, nightmarish colossi, and humans suddenly manifesting strange, supernatural powers.
I thought it was the end. Paralyzed by panic, I barricaded myself inside the store, bracing for the worst. At some point during that night of terror, the fear became too much, and I passed out. When I woke, the silence was grave-like. I decided to take a risk and look for survivors, but as I stepped a meter outside, I slammed head-first into a colossal, shimmering blue translucent barrier. Not that I felt like trying again.
Outside, the scene was desolate. The sky had turned a toxic, murky orange; the air reeked of smoke and rotting flesh, and from the debris of buildings came blood-curdling roars. Yet, when I turned back inside, I found an incomprehensible miracle: everything was working perfectly. Neon lights flickered, running water flowed, the AC kept the air cool, and the shelves were stocked with intact food, as if the apocalypse hadn't touched this place.
Bewildered, I approached the register. That’s when the screen lit up on its own, displaying a floating interface pulled straight from a video game:
[Welcome to the End of the World!]
You are surely concerned about the whereabouts of your family, friends, or pets. It is likely you fear starving or dying of thirst, or perhaps... you are overwhelmed by the tragic idea of being unemployed due to the collapse of civilization.
But worry no more! You have been selected as the new Sole Operator of the 'Apocalypse Store.' From this moment on, your mission is to manage and thrive in this beautiful establishment until you become the richest tycoon in the new world. After all... is there anything more wonderful than working at a convenience store?
While the rest of humanity died in droves or awakened amazing powers of fire, ice, and destruction to fight for their lives in the ruins, I had just been linked to a System that forced me to do the only thing I knew how to do.
Apparently, I’ll be a cashier even at the end of the world.
At first, there are no customers—obviously, everyone is hiding, trying not to die—but then, a wounded guy arrives at your store. He’s just been betrayed by one of the search teams from the refuge he protects. He faints before he can say anything. Oh, and from the tag on his neck, it looks like he’s in the military. His name is Lance.