"Crisis is an opportunity."A famous saying, but one I can't agree with.Faced with an overwhelming crisis, there is no such thing as opportunity.No, maybe a crisis where you can even look for an opportunity wasn't a crisis to begin with."Fuck."The curse escapes on its own.In this chaos, the only thing I can do right now is spit out profanities.And with them, I feel fear.It's not just because of this situation.It's because of the countless branching futures that could unfold after it."…This is driving me insane."Normally, I'd be no different from the citizens panicking at the horror before their eyes.But I'm more than just okay; my mind is even cold.Is it because of the messages floating before my eyes? I don't know.【Survive the confirmed annihilation.】【Difficulty: LAST】Familiar, yet alien.No, it's an alien message *because* it's so familiar.A combination of letters I've only ever seen on a screen.This alone vaguely explains the current situation.It tells me that I'm inside the game I've been playing until now.*The LAST difficulty…*The biggest difference from what I usually saw on screen is the difficulty.It's a difficulty I've never seen before.For that reason, a hollow laugh bursts out."Heh heh…"A reality I can't easily accept.Is this really not a dream?*CRACK—!*The cheek I struck without hesitation comes with a pain that sends a chill down the back of my neck.The pain brings even greater confusion.And so, an unconscious action follows.As if possessed, I look around with my blurred vision.*The mutants haven't appeared yet… What do I do?*No matter how I look at it, this isn't the gameplay phase.This is the prologue.A part of the world-building cinematic that plays briefly before the game begins.That makes it even harder to understand.The fact that I've been dropped into this prologue situation. There's a significant time gap.Thanks to that, the psychological pressure hits even harder.The unfamiliarity of an environment I've never once played in. Even that just complicates things further.So, what I chose was a temporary method to stop thinking.The surroundings I carefully examine again are colorful. Countless things are happening at once.Fallen people clutter my vision."D-Dorothy!""Move! We have to get to the repair center!"No, they weren't people, they were androids.Frozen with a smile as their internal circuits burned out.It's grotesque.And someone, carrying one of those grotesque dolls on their back, runs past.As their shoulder bumps into me and pushes me back, the world feels like it's in slow motion.*WHUMP—*"Agh!""Uh…""What the hell, you bastard! Watch where you're…" He glares, but when he meets my eyes, he flinches and flustered for a moment, then quickly brushes past.That pain served as a period to all my stray thoughts.*It's real.*I have to admit it now.This is not a dream.I even slapped my own cheek to be sure.A dream world couldn't have such clear sensations.This is another world.A world that feels familiar, and for that very reason, feels alien and dissonant.Earth, 100 years from now.Apocalypse City.The City of the End.I realize something.Do I have time to just stand here blankly, wringing my hands? Having witnessed the inevitable phenomena of this world firsthand, have I still not grasped the situation?Could this actually be an opportunity?The prologue situation I've never played before. Right now…"I might be able to change it."My feet moved more easily than I thought."I have to go."My mind is a mess from the confusion, but I have to go.I absolutely have to start moving now.Where? How? If this is the prologue, there are only 12 hours left until the first mutant is generated.Now is the turning point. A chance, perhaps, to change the starting difficulty.***It's like the world from the screen has been moved here. No, to be precise, I've come inside the screen.What's important is that finding my way isn't that difficult.The experience of playing the game for seven years allowed me to guess my location without a map, even with my blurry vision. Thanks to that, my steps are hurried as I push through the hectic and confused crowds.*This is Rosen-3 Avenue.*A little further is the city's very center, the Wayless headquarters. Actually, I don't even need to know the way.The massive structure towering over everything boasts an overwhelming presence.Seeing it in person is a new experience, but on the way to my destination, I can't help but constantly frown at the horrible burning smell."It's… it's collapsing!""KYAAAAAAK!""Stop pushing me!"*KRA-KOOOOM!**There are too many obstacles.*The setting is the cyberpunk era.A world where electronic civilization has developed to an extreme.It would be a disaster even if a widespread EMP went off in the modern day, but in this era where electronics have replaced most things, the EMP that went off has opened the gates of hell.In the sky, flying vehicles crash into buildings, sending debris falling, and countless people are entangled in the chaos.After the androids fell, the next in line are the humans.People with artificial organs begin to collapse one by one.Unfortunately, I couldn't afford expensive emotions like pity or sympathy for the scene.I'm just moving urgently because I have a destination; I'm in the same boat as them when it comes to feeling confused.Besides, the real disaster hasn't even started yet. The real disaster won't be this leisurely.Mutants.I joked that the EMP opened the gates of hell, but the moment they show themselves is when hell truly begins.So I have to prepare.*It's absurd, but I have no choice but to prepare.*On the other hand, this strong compulsion made my head throb. Even if I shake my head vigorously to get rid of distracting thoughts, I still can't adapt to my current situation.Not that it's a problem I *can* adapt to in the first place, but I force myself to brainwash my mind.*'I've done this thousands of times. Thousands of times…'*A complicated mind isn't helpful.Simply moving towards the goal is the best option.And at the same time, I regret.*'Fuck, a swordsman… for what…'*The traits I chose.Their faces come to mind. I can't be sure yet.What if the traits haven't been applied? But that hope gradually crumbles.My out-of-focus vision.This, for a start, is real.I'd be lucky to have prescription glasses, but this isn't a situation where I can get a pair right now.What if all my traits are applied as they are?This is a world where firearms are the main weapon in the first place.I'm reminded of it again.The atrocities I've committed.【Legendary Swordsmanship Talent】【Mankind's Strongest Weapon】【Mechanical Heart and Lungs】A few excellent traits. And then.【Gun Phobia】【Implant Incompatibility】【Compromised Immune System】【Dyslexia】【High Basal Metabolism】【Poor Vision】The traits I should never have chosen.A truly hopeless future.The reason I chose a melee weapon was because the one swinging it was a game character.Can I really move like in the game, now that it's become reality? No matter how much I have cheat-like traits such as 【Legendary Swordsmanship Talent】 or 【Mankind's Strongest Weapon】, when the one wielding them is an unemployed, game-addicted loser?"Haa, dammit…!"Still. Even so, I can't be sure.That too, has nothing proven, so it's too early to judge.The only silver lining is that at this point in time, I can adjust a few things before the situation gets to its worst.That's also why I'm rushing towards the Wayless headquarters.*‘I'll be more comfortable if I solve those things first.’*Just then.It's about time.Are they starting to react?"Uegh… keghk…""Wh-what's that!""BLEAGH—!"Right in front of me.A woman wearing what are clearly expensive clothes.She places her hands on the ground and starts to retch.*‘The precursor to turning into a mutant.’*It really hits home how little time I have.A large poster conveniently placed in the direction I'm passing also explains the reason for the mutants' birth.[҉N҉H҉-҉0҉3҉,҉ ҉A҉g҉i҉n҉g҉ ҉i҉s҉ ҉a҉ ҉d҉i҉s҉e҉a҉s҉e҉.҉]A phrase obscured so I can't read it.It must be because of the 【Dyslexia】 trait.But it doesn't matter.I know pretty much everything inside and out.I've played countless times, enough to remember even such trivial things.The content is simple.A powerful message that humanity has overcome aging. According to the lore, the humanity of this world really does conquer aging.NH-03, as it's called.A procedure that manipulates genes, allowing them to defy the providence of aging.The results of the procedure showed no particular side effects so far, but…"Damn it, why did they have to develop such a thing…"The problem is now.The moment they come into contact with the special waves generated by the aftermath of the megaflare, the manipulated genes begin to mutate.I can't see a clock, so I don't know the exact time, but there's probably about 11 hours left.Until a third of humanity turns into mutants."Hmph…"Is it because I was lost in thought? I forcibly swallow the sigh that threatens to escape and shake off my thoughts.I'm in front of the headquarters.***Pandemonium.That expression is just about right.Amidst the chaos I'm gradually getting used to, I see a few fallen people.But my vision is focused on a single point.The entrance to the headquarters.That's it. I have to go past that and get to the top floor.Obtaining the 'Master Key' that can control the city there is the first priority, above all else.A thought occurs.In a situation where the entire city has lost power, what's the point of a Master Key? — I remember a post someone made in the community in the early days.The post was quickly dismissed as the ignorance of a gaming noob.An EMP, an electromagnetic pulse, is a phenomenon that can also be caused by a nuclear explosion.The method to prevent it is surprisingly simple.Shielding—completely enclosing the surroundings with a conductor.A simple example would be placing an electronic device in a sealed metal can to keep it safe from an electromagnetic pulse. Therefore, as befits a world where a weapon like the nucleus exists, they aren't completely unprepared for EMPs.Major facilities, at the very least, have shielding functions.It's the same here.The entire Wayless headquarters doesn't have shielding, but the main departments and the top floor do.The 'Master Key' that can control such major facilities is the highest priority task that can change the survival difficulty.After obtaining that master key, what's the first thing I need to do?*‘I have to stop it from the source.’*The first thing to do after getting my hands on the Master Key is to create a survivable environment.I need to eliminate the worst conditions one by one to make survival easier.So, the main facility, the power plant. Among them, I have to shut down all the facilities that produce electricity through nuclear fission.Currently, the nuclear power plants are fine.They haven't stopped operating thanks to the shielding.That's the problem.The power lines that transport electricity are all fried, but they're still producing electricity.Add to that the moment mutants appear and the number of infected increases exponentially, managing the power plants becomes virtually impossible.Just a few hours.In those few hours, the unmanaged power plants will start to cause problems.And the moment the reactor core melts and is released outside in any way, the surroundings will turn into a complete barren wasteland. It will become a land of death, contaminated with radiation.The fact that the range is wide is a secondary problem; you can assume that all major facilities within the radius will be unusable.*'If the city gets contaminated with radiation, it's the start of another apocalypse. I have to stop it, no matter what.'*As I organize my thoughts, my mind calms down.I felt like even the little bit of confusion that remained was subsiding.But in the midst of that, my eyes meet with someone else's."E-excuse me!"Someone unexpectedly runs up to me.Their expression as they grab my arm is urgent."Could you please help us?"The man I'm seeing for the first time glances behind him.Behind him, a few humans are recklessly trying to break down the headquarters' entrance, ramming their bodies and kicking it, causing a whole scene."Damn it, the power suddenly went out and there are people at the entrance…!"I was flustered for a moment.I couldn't understand why he would single me out for a request, bypassing so many people, but when I looked around, pretty much everyone was already trying to break the door down.At that moment, I was able to recall something.*‘This is…'*This situation reminded me of something."You look like you work out a lot, so if several people lend their strength, I'm sure we can open it quickly!"Soon after, a familiar text began to arrange itself in my vision.【Encounter Occurs】The thing I had forgotten amidst the chaos reveals itself.The person who knows, best understands, and best utilizes this system would be me.*‘…I forgot about encounters.’*Next to it.【The People Trapped in Wayless】[Due to the unprecedented disaster of a city-wide blackout, people in trouble have ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) appeared everywhere. One of them requests your help.][(Help) Condition: Strength LV3][(Don't Help)]In this unexpected situation, the first choice of this world appeared.

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