Dan shook his head slightly, finding it impossible to believe that any of this was real.
Yet the glowing notifications remained in front of him, refusing to disappear.
The floating notifications remained suspended before Dan, their pale blue light illuminating the quiet room as he stared at them in disbelief. He was still trying to understand everything that had happened when another notification suddenly appeared.
<Ding!>
[Congratulations, Daniel Reynolds!]
[You’ve gained the title: The Head of Earth’s Ultimate Family.]
Dan’s eyebrows twitched. ’The head of Earth’s... Ultimate Family?’
Before he could make sense of the ridiculous title, another panel appeared beneath it.
[Add your first wife to start your family.]
[Note: The Host must like or love a woman in order to add her to the family.]
[Who do you want to add to the family?]
Dan stared at the final question.
For some reason, only one person immediately came to mind: Sophie.
The answer appeared in his mind so naturally that he almost accepted it without thinking. However, the moment he realized what he had just considered, his expression changed.
He hesitated.
Sophie was the obvious choice, but that didn’t mean the decision was simple.
Their relationship had always been complicated.
Even though they had known each other for years and he had never been completely indifferent toward her, there had always been a certain distance between them.
Their lives had gone in different directions, and whatever feelings remained between them had never been properly acknowledged.
Tonight had only made those feelings more noticeable.
The way she had taken care of him, the familiar ease between them, the way she had looked at him while treating his injuries... Dan couldn’t deny that he still liked her.
But liking someone and deciding to make her his wife were two completely different things.
Especially when the decision was being forced upon him by a bizarre system that had appeared out of nowhere.
Dan rubbed his forehead. ’This is insane.’
He wasn’t ready to make a decision like that yet.
He had barely accepted the existence of the system itself. He still hadn’t fully processed the goddess’s voice, the apocalypse warning, or the fact that transparent panels were floating in his living room.
And now the system expected him to choose a wife?
It was simply too much. Yet another notification appeared.
[Without starting up your family, the Host will be unable to obtain the resources required to survive the Apocalypse.]
Dan’s expression became serious.
Another line appeared.
[Based on current circumstances, the Host has a 75% probability of death.]
His eyes narrowed. ’Seventy-five percent? It’s that high?!’
The number immediately caught his attention. If the apocalypse really was coming, then this wasn’t some harmless game. It was a matter of survival.
Dan stared at the notification for several seconds.
He had always considered himself an ordinary person. He wasn’t a soldier, a martial artist, a billionaire, or some genius scientist. He was simply a construction worker trying to get through life.
If an actual apocalypse really was approaching, what exactly was he supposed to do?
His gaze shifted back toward the system. "If this is real..."
He didn’t finish the thought cause another notification suddenly appeared.
[Is the Host having doubts about the Apocalypse and the legitimacy of the Ultimate Family System?]
Dan frowned. Before he could respond, another notification appeared almost immediately.
[Crafting Solution...]
[The Ultimate Family System has developed a solution to prove that the Apocalypse is real and rapidly approaching.]
Dan’s eyes narrowed and a moment later, a new panel appeared.
[The First Sign of the Apocalypse: Harmless Blood Rain.]
Dan stared at the notification for several seconds, his expression becoming increasingly complicated.
"Blood rain...?" He repeated the words quietly, almost as though saying them aloud might somehow make them sound less absurd.
Rain was supposed to be water. It could be heavy, light, warm, cold, accompanied by thunder, or driven by powerful winds, but it was still supposed to be water.
Blood was something completely different.
Dan slowly turned his head toward the window.
The night outside remained perfectly normal. The streetlights illuminated the quiet road, and the houses around him were peaceful. There was no strange phenomenon in the sky, no sign that anything unusual was about to happen.
He looked back at the system. ’Does this mean it’s actually going to rain blood soon?’
A strange feeling settled in his stomach.
He still couldn’t fully accept the existence of the system itself, yet everything he had witnessed since its appearance had been impossible to explain away.
The mysterious woman’s voice had appeared inside his mind. The system had somehow known his name. It had given him a title and even revealed information about the supposed apocalypse.
And now it was promising to give him proof.
Dan remained silent for a while.
If the blood rain really happened, then he would have no reason to doubt the system anymore.
And if it didn’t... He would have to seriously consider whether the entire thing was some elaborate hallucination.
His gaze returned to the notification asking him to choose his first wife.
If an apocalypse was truly coming, Dan wasn’t stupid enough to ignore a potential means of survival.
He had Lily to think about. The little girl had become someone precious to him over the years, even though he had never really understood why his attachment to her was so strong. The thought of her being caught in some kind of apocalyptic disaster made him instinctively uncomfortable.
If the system could truly provide resources capable of helping them survive, then Dan would take advantage of it.
And if that meant choosing Sophie... He would do it.
Perhaps not immediately. Perhaps not with the same feelings he would have if he were given the time to approach her naturally. But he would do it.
Dan exhaled slowly. "Fine."
His eyes narrowed as he looked at the system.
"Show me the blood rain first."
He wasn’t sure whether the system could even hear him. But the moment the words left his mouth, another notification appeared.
[The Host has chosen to verify the System’s warning.]
Dan blinked. Then another line appeared.
[Verification in progress.]
He stared at the notification. "That’s it?"
There was no answer as the system remained silent, apparently following the restriction placed on it.
Dan shook his head. ’Whatever.’
He turned away from the floating panels and walked toward the sofa. He needed time to think.
Everything had happened far too quickly.
Dan sank onto the sofa and rubbed his face. "What a fucking day..."
He leaned back and stared at the ceiling.
Perhaps the blood rain wouldn’t happen. Perhaps nothing would happen at all. But if it did...
His expression gradually became serious. Then he would have to start preparing.
He had no idea how long he had before this supposed apocalypse arrived, but he wasn’t willing to gamble his life on the possibility that the system was wrong.