System Fiction

In a world upended by the whims of the [Admin], all of humanity has been forced into a brutal game of survival. Nick is more than just another man: he's a man who saw the ending and used a wish to travel back in time. His story has started over. Following his escape from the Manhattan Rooftops, he must next fight against the Ancient Mariner of Central Island and the hoard of undead that the Ancient Mariner commands. The survivors are under attack, and all eyes are on Nick to make sure they survive to see the next challenge.

No more cute koala bears, bouncy kangaroos, or fuzzy wallabies. Now, everything is mutated and aggressive? Who made the spiders so big? The world's most dangerous continent just got a lot more dangerous, and no one, not even the alien Galactics who arrive, are ready for it.

It is the year 2562, and centuries have passed since mankind left the Milky Way in search of a better life. For most, the dream of a grander existence has become a reality. But for the descendants of exiled criminals, sentenced to live on the harsh red planet of Reva, their only dream is reaching twenty years of age and passing their Oranos Trials, which grants them unrestricted citizenship in the United Planetary Systems—and freedom from Reva.

These stories and more are featured in the third short story anthology for the System Apocalypse, continuing the saga of survival in a world transformed by the arrival of the System. Humanity has adapted to a new reality filled with Classes, magic and monsters, but the struggle for life, love and purpose never ends. This anthology brings together gripping tales from returning authors and two new short stories by Tao Wong.

With the Slosth and Devil Incursions taken care of, Drew Wright should be settling down for some well-deserved rest. But… the world is still in shambles, survivors are fighting over limited resources, and he no longer has access to magical, gun-wielding minions. So, rest will have to wait. Drew needs to find a new way to control hordes of undead minions without his brain leaking out through his ears. Becoming an undead Lich is certainly an option, but that involves losing certain… assets that he’d rather hold on to, especially with him and Amber considering the option of having children.

House Gracefall wasn’t anything like what Derek had imagined it would be. Instead of rage and anger at the loss of one of their young masters, House Gracefall showed humility and even apologized. Despite one noble house exemplifying honor and nobility, another awaited to reinforce the negative stereotypes that Derek had been anticipating all along. Somehow, out of all that, Derek made a new friend, a new business partner, and learned some secrets, while Silvi got her first taste of the real world of cooking and loved it.

In just seven days, the world will crumble. The System's Descent will usher in a new era of chaos: wild animals mutating, monstrous creatures emerging, and the cessation of modern technology. Humanity will be left defenseless. Drew Wright knows none of this. At least not until he is rudely ripped from his bed and thrust into a white room to undergo a taser-happy ‘Tutorial’. Turns out, he is one of a thousand randomly selected people to be forewarned of the approaching apocalypse. Now, he faces the delightful task of convincing his wife and mother of the devastation hurtling towards them.

Su Fang arrives in a realm of cultivation unprepared—no skills, no knowledge, and no backing. Like everyone else in this new world, he is given a blessing from the Heavenly Dao to help him success, but Su Fang's blessing isn’t power over the elements or mastery of profound arts. No, it takes a brutal lesson to teach him that he’s been ‘blessed’ with repetition. Every time he dies, he returns to the moment of his arrival. The young cultivator uses each reset to grind skills, refine his inner essence, and empower his very soul, using only the memories of countless failures.

Savannah was unlike any city Derek had ever been to. For the first time since his arrival in Cydaria, Derek actually met a respectable city lord. Natalie Savannah and the city she ruled were much more than he’d imagined. With this combination, Derek made the decision to put down roots by building a shop from scratch and moving his people in. He was even able to get Silvi the beloved kitchen that she so desired, along with personally meeting Alanah Swan and learning new things about the new system he was thrown into—things that only someone who was truly strong would know.

Ten years ago, Amelia woke up alone and lost in a broken world where she had to fight for her survival. Now, after reaching the pinnacle of power, defeating the Void itself, and escaping the abyss, she has finally found her way back into the real world. But instead of returning to Earth, she arrives in the land of Vacuos. A fantasy world with magic, monsters, Classes, and Levels. A world that is governed by a System like it were a video game.

Knox wants nothing more than to escape his small-town life as a woodcutter. He finally gets his chance to delve deep into a dungeon, and his world is forever changed! When disaster strikes, even in his new life as an Adventurer, can he survive long enough to walk the mysterious Path of the Titans? In the realm of Premar, where magic is wild and unbound, rules are about to be set forth. The Path of the Titans will unlock the Titan System, forcing all magic to obey the laws and rules set forth by the powerful Titans themselves.

Not for John Lee. His search for answers for the System Quest has taken him deep into the Forbidden Zone, into the very arms of his enemies. He's betrayed family and friends and been betrayed in turn. The most powerful human in the System has come to the final leg of his journey. And still, he has no idea if what he will find will fill the burning need within him. For the Redeemer of the Dead will not stop, until the cries of the lost and the sacrificed are answered.

Hal Mason's still going to find surviving the System Apocalypse challenging. While bringing in his latest fugitive, Hal's payday is interrupted by the translucent blue boxes that herald Earth's introduction to the System - a galaxy spanning wave of structured mystical energy that destroys all electronics and bestows game-like abilities upon mankind. With society breaking down and mutating wildlife rampaging through the city of Pittsburgh, those who remain will sacrifice anything for a chance at earning their next Level.

A mysterious object threatens to destroy our solar system. The survival of humankind is at risk, but nobody takes the warning of young astrophysicist Maribel Pedreira seriously. At the same time, an exiled crew of outcasts mines for rare minerals on a lone asteroid. When other scientists finally acknowledge Pedreira's alarming discovery, it becomes clear that these outcasts are the only ones who may be able to save our world, knowing that the Hole hurtles inexorably toward the sun.

Marc's home from college on break, spending his time laughing about some of the crazy news stories he's found online, and gaming. When a message appears in his line of sight, blocking out absolutely everything else, he nearly freaks out. The message warns that the world has been in a variant Natural Laws beta test for millennia and that it's about to revert to the norms.

Stuck working a dead-end job, another lonely Valentine's Day passes Oliver by. There's a coworker he's kind of into, but irl flirting isn't as easy as choosing the right dialog option and clicking a button, sadly... but what if it was? After a lonely night jackin' it under the influence of Special Californian Gummies™, Oliver awakens to what appears to be a complete psychotic breakdown. System notifications, menus, stats, and so much more RPG crap gets injected into his life faster than you can say, 'I Can't Believe It's Not Schizophrenia'.

After some unsettling news brought to them by an unexpected messenger, Prince Edgar fled the Raid Dungeon to hurry back to his kingdom, leaving Derek as the impromptu leader. Being concerned about his people on the outside, Derek chose to rule with an iron fist to finish the dungeon as soon as possible. This choice didn’t make him any friends, but he didn’t need any for it to work.

Bienvenue à Torith ! Cité de tous les mystères, où l'aristocratie intrigue sans relâche. Où les alliances se nouent dans le plus grand secret. Où les serments sont plus redoutables que le fil d'une épée. Derek Hunt est sorti victorieux du donjon des immortels. Ses statistiques sont hors du commun. Dans cette ville où il voudrait se faire un nom, ses pouvoirs attisent toutes les convoitises. À qui accorder sa confiance, dans ce jeu dont il ignore les règles ? Pour lui comme pour ceux qui ont juré sa perte, la partie ne fait que commencer.

Most will die. Some will survive. A small few will thrive. My party and I cleared the dungeon in Griffith Park, got a ton of loot, and saved the safe zone. So far so good, but Los Angeles is a big city with a bunch of safe zones that need saving, and there are ton of innocent people who are gonna die if we can’t do it. Luckily, my party has the skills to get it done. Unfortunately, The System isn’t so simple. There is a power monster lurking beneath the Earth in SoCal, and it is planning to trigger a massive Earthquake that will destroy the entire west coast, safe zone or not.

For Fool and Jackal, the System Apocalypse was a chance to start again. A chance to rise, and be who they were meant to be. Now, they're trying to offer others the same opportunities as part of a secret organization helping humanity survive the System. Today's mission? Nothing big, just your typical save-the-princess quest. But when you're the Acolyte of a Trickster god, typical is the last thing you should expect. Just ask Fool's cat.