PART 1
Meet Officer Ethan Walker, 31 years old, on the force for 5 years.
Divorced for 3 years, no children.
Tall, 1.83 meters tall, white skin, brown eyes, black hair, and a strong, well-trained physique—the minimum expected of a police officer.
[Image] →
Ethan is a fairly average police officer, despite being intelligent and emotionally controlled.
One of his greatest tests of control occurred 3 years ago, when he was returning home after his overtime was suddenly canceled.
Arriving at his residence, he found the car of his best friend and fellow officer, Mark, parked in the driveway.
There were no messages, no mention, nothing of the sort.
Then, with a tightness in his chest and full of doubt, he entered his own house like a burglar.
Gun in hand, he advanced to the bedroom and coldly stared at what he witnessed: his wife’s intimacy with his best friend.
He could have killed them.
Even if they humiliated him in the process, what would they do to him besides arrest him?
But he thought logically: “Am I going to destroy my life because of this?”
Ethan simply turned around and left, but not before taking a picture as proof, even with trembling hands.
All his love and affection for those people had turned into pure hatred.
He even understood that he and his wife weren’t on good terms.
Since becoming a police officer, he hadn’t been as present at home; ironically, the idea of pursuing this career had been hers, and he accepted the challenge because it was one of his childhood dreams.
Before that, Ethan was a handyman, and his wife was a shop assistant.
But after joining the force, passing the Police Academy with good grades—not the best, but good and full of praise from the instructors—his salary became high compared to the past, bringing incredible benefits and stability.
In the midst of all this, his wife wanted a child.
They planned and worked hard; Ethan worked tirelessly overtime to save money for the child.
Finally, after months of unsuccessful attempts, tests revealed he had a low sperm count.
If they wanted a real chance of getting her pregnant, they would have to resort to artificial insemination, a very expensive procedure.
Ethan was willing to save up to pay for it, refusing to take out loans to avoid unnecessary debt, and his wife agreed.
They thought they could get lucky naturally while they saved up the money.
Then his wife lost her job.
The situation at home deteriorated, and then… it happened.
But Ethan didn’t let it destroy him.
On the contrary, he was happy that all the money saved for artificial insemination wouldn’t be wasted.
He hired the best lawyers to ensure his ex-wife wouldn’t get a penny.
At work, even though Ethan wasn’t the best cop—and many even hated him or were jealous of his good looks and the attention he attracted from female officers—his colleagues chose his side over that of a traitor.
Ethan could be a jerk at times, but he was still a cop, an ally who would provide support in the field.
Everyone knew he was brave and decisive; even if he was average, he was reliable.
On the other hand, a cop who sleeps with the wife of a fellow officer—worse, the wife of his own best friend and partner—it goes without saying what happened to Mark’s reputation.
In the two years that followed, Mark had to be transferred to another department.
Ethan made sure everyone knew who the guy was and what he had done, sabotaging any professional relationships the traitor might have with other male officers.
Mark could only get female officers as partners, which wasn’t a problem until he started secretly dating a superior.
When the affair came to light, in order to avoid being harmed because of his history, she chose to kick him.
In the end, Mark ended up quitting, and that was the end of what Ethan knew about the bastard.
As for his ex-wife, she was devastated in court.
Her parents, who adored Ethan, apologized, tried to see if reconciliation was possible, but he stood firm.
They naturally chose to support their daughter in the end to try to minimize the damage, but Ethan only wanted what was his.
He managed to keep the house, the car, and a good portion of the savings.
She left the house almost the same way she entered: with nothing but the clothes on her back.
…
In the present day, in 2023, Ethan is smoking while looking at a spreadsheet of his expenses, thinking about how he will treat himself this month.
Since the divorce, his life has improved in some aspects, but worsened in others.
He started drinking and smoking more than usual, and also going out with many women.
But if he didn’t destroy his own life when faced with a gun in his hand after that betrayal, it wouldn’t be drinks, cigarettes, or nights out that would drown him.
After 3 years, adding up the money saved for the insemination, Ethan had an incredible amount saved and invested.
For retirement, it would be the perfect scenario to live comfortably and travel the world until he died.
But he’s still young, 31 years old.
He has his whole life ahead of him and the goal of becoming a Sergeant next year.
He has 5 years of service, excellent results on the streets, and a good head on his shoulders; he could even try to become a detective if the opportunity arises.
While he was thinking and planning his future, puffing on his cigarette, a mysterious light manifested around him.
It completely enveloped him and, amidst his confusion, his mind simply went blank.
PART 2
Bang!
“What the—” Ethan groaned as he found himself in a chair.
He looked around confused, finding himself in a rather fancy office.
“Was I drugged?
Kidnapped?”
He was completely disoriented.
He only remembered checking his finances, thinking about buying himself a present, and then, the next moment, everything went dark.
He felt nothing, not even sleepiness; everything just went black and now he was waking up there.
“Hello, darling.” A sweet voice echoed through the room.
Ethan frowned.
He was sure he was alone and now…
[Image] →
A beautiful woman, with milky white skin, violet hair and eyes.
She possessed an extraordinary beauty and… she wasn’t wearing a bra, revealing a huge cleavage.
Ethan opened and closed his mouth, unable to put words together.
She was probably the most beautiful woman he had ever seen in his life.
“The drug you gave me is good stuff,” Ethan said, rubbing his eyes and taking a deep breath as he leaned back in his chair.
“You’re not under the influence of drugs,” the beautiful woman said, laughing, as if she knew exactly what he was thinking.
“And I’m the kind of person who believes what others say.
What do you want?
Money?” Ethan growled.
“That doesn’t interest us.
But you do.” She laughed and pointed in his direction.
“Me?
I think you’re mistaken.
I’m mediocre at work, but if you want someone reliable to sleep with… I don’t see a problem.” Ethan smiled and crossed his legs.
He’s very pleased with what he’s seeing, oblivious to the fact that the woman in front of him looks like a caricature, as if she’d just stepped out of an anime.
More precisely, Fern from Frieren.
But, not being a nerd and having literally only watched One Piece up to the Dressrosa saga before stopping—and later only seeing that Dragon Ball movie where Broly returns—he’s completely out of touch with the world of Japanese animation.
“Ethan, you’re dead.” – The woman blurts out.
“…Okay.” – Ethan nods slightly.
– “And you’re the absurdly beautiful and seductive angel, or demon, who’s going to turn my transition into some kind of afterlife bureaucracy before throwing me into hell?”
“…I must admit you’re quite creative.” – The woman, whom we’ll now call Fern, laughs sweetly.
“I’m also good in bed.” – Ethan winks, and Fern rolls her eyes.
“You’re not going to heaven, nor to hell.
You’re the lucky mortal of the 21st century, chosen to have a new life in a special world.
Congratulations.
You won a lottery involving all humans of the 21st century; we’re talking about those born and deceased between the years 2000 and 2099.
That’s tens of billions of people, but you were the winner.”
Ethan raises an eyebrow.
– “Wait… how did I die?”
“…Sudden death.
Something unfortunate.” – She sighs.
“Sudden death?
You want me to believe that?
After saying I mysteriously won some damn… cosmic lottery?
You want me to just swallow that I, a 31-year-old man, with a healthy body, even being a smoker and moderate alcoholic, died suddenly without feeling anything?” – He laughs while staring at her.
“Well, that’s how things are.” – Fern sighs.
– “I’m just handing over your prizes to you.
In your world, this phenomenon is called Isekai.”
“…Fuck off.” – Ethan snorts.
– “I don’t know what the hell is going on here, but give me back my life.
I’m not going to accept this, not after I finally restructured my routine and got off to a good start in my retirement.”
“Mr.
Ethan, I understand you’re frustrated with the circumstances, but death is like that.
You just don’t remember the details now, but you’ll gradually recover the memories of what happened.” – Fern says hurriedly, and Ethan senses an obvious sign of panic in her.
“Oh, really?
So I had a damn sudden death and it was so traumatizing that I just erased it from my mind?
Seriously, do you think I’m retarded or what?” – Ethan laughs.
– “I don’t know what kind of game this is, but I don’t want to participate.
Fuck you, whoever runs this place and all this shit.”
“Mr.
Ethan, I regret to inform you, but this is your only choice.” Fern sighs.
“You’re dead, and we’re giving you a second life, full of perks.”
“Shove those perks up your ass, you bitch!” Ethan roars, raising his middle finger.
“I’ve spent the last three damn years slaving away like a condemned man to pay off debts, sell my house, restructure my life, and accumulate money to live comfortably.
Then, suddenly, I have a sudden death and, conveniently, I’m the winner of a centuries-old lottery?”
“So don’t give me that ‘it’s my only choice’ nonsense.
Give me back my life or send me to fucking hell.
I refuse to play your damn games while you lie to my face.” Ethan huffs and throws himself back into his chair.
Fern frowns and touches her own ear, closing her eyes and grunting.
Immediately afterward, she opens her eyes and stares intently at him, her gentle and respectful facade completely vanishing.
– “Ethan, it’s not a lie that you were chosen by an age-old lottery.
But, in fact, upon being chosen, you were automatically killed.”
Ethan frowns at the revelation.
“Now, see the options of worlds you can choose to live in.” – Fern says calmly.
Three blank sheets of paper slide forward and float in the air.
[Terror Movie (Classic)]
A world that blends various horror films into a shared and macabre universe.
You can find Jason, Freddy Krueger, Jigsaw, Silent Hill, Alan Wake…
Bonus: Survival Horror System.
[Cosmic Horror]
A world that blends some of the darkest and most powerful creatures from the books of H.P.
Lovecraft and Stephen King.
Bonus: Paranormal Investigator System.
[The Walking Dead]
The world of the TV series as a base, but with the insertion of spin-off series, games, and comic books.
Bonus: Project Zomboid System.
Ethan read each of the descriptions.
Even though he wasn’t a nerd, he was someone aligned with pop culture, having seen many horror movies, which had always been his favorites.
He knew who H.P.
Lovecraft was and also who Stephen King was; he knew they were two great writers and that, even though he had never read any of their books, their works dealt with cosmic horrors.
Finally, the last option showed a series from his time.
He watched it more than five years ago, but didn’t even get halfway through; he remembered the cannibal community and, after that, stopped watching.
The most he knew about the rest of the story came from short videos on YouTube Shorts or TikTok.
As for the bonuses, he focused on the word: – “What the hell is a System?
Is it a computer thing?”
“…It will be a program inserted into your soul that will turn you into a kind of game character, allowing you to level up and things like that.”
Ethan looked at the options.
“Is this going to turn me into a damn game program?
You know what?
Fuck off.
Give me back my life.
I’m not going to be part of this damn experiment or whatever you’re creating here.”
Fern grumbled internally.
“What a jerk!”
“Ethan, you’re dead, period!” She yelled to shut him up.
“Now choose the world you want to go to.
I recommend the horror movies, since you’re more used to that.
The system there is powerful too, it’ll help you with missions and give you superhuman power.” She smiled, trying to bargain.
“Really?
Then why don’t you go in my place?” Ethan waved his hand dismissively.
“And while you’re at it, you can visit a fucking universe with all sorts of cosmic aberrations.
Is that even a legitimate choice?
Obviously you want to throw me into a fucking zombie apocalypse.”
“Actually, no.” – Fern nods, ignoring his insults, understanding that this discussion would be long.
– “The available worlds were randomly selected.
It’s quite rare for small universes, like The Walking Dead, to appear without being merged with games or other films.
So, finding an independent universe like that is absurdly difficult.
Besides, this third choice that appeared is quite interesting; it’s the first time I’ve seen it available.”
Ethan snorts.
– “My answer is still no.
Am I going to leave a position as a mediocre police officer, but one that could have a decent career, to become a damn survivor of a zombie apocalypse having to fight every day?
No, thank you!”
Fern grunts in frustration.
– “And what do you think about becoming a survivor in a world with paranormal killers?
Or an investigator who will save entire worlds?
Why go straight for the cliché?”
“Cliché?
Fuck the fucking cliché!” – Ethan shows him the middle finger again.
“Between facing a damn immortal killer, another one who kills me in my own dreams, a damn ghost town full of monsters and who knows what else… or even a universe with the craziest and most twisted creatures that the pinnacle of cosmic horror has ever created… is that even an option worth considering?
Spare me.” Ethan laughs mockingly, and Fern bites her lip.
“So you choose The Walking Dead?”
“I choose you to go fuck yourself!” Ethan spits on the table.
“If you haven’t killed me or sent me straight to hell yet, it means you can’t do it.
You need my confirmation and you want to manipulate me.
Go fuck yourself, okay?”
Fern clenches her fists, taking a deep breath to avoid losing control.
“What do you want, you filthy, pathetic mortal?!”
Ethan smirks.
– “Now we’re talking my language.”
“What do I want?
I want all the information from the Walking Dead universe in my world.
I want Captain America’s physique, Iron Man’s intellect, and, as a bonus, Wolverine’s healing factor.
With that, I’ll accept this crap.”
“No fucking way!” – Fern says without hesitation, laughing in his face.
– “You want to go beyond all human limits in terms of biology and technology, ignoring the rules of the universe?
Do you think that’s an acceptable request?”
“You ruined my life because of a damn game or whatever this place is.
If you can’t give me that, then let it end here.
I won’t be part of anyone’s little game.”
Fern stares at him, growling with anger, until she gives in.
“What I can do is this, I just received authorization from above.
First, you will start on August 10, 2010, two weeks before the apocalypse begins.
And, since you are so attached to the $69,388.33 you saved over the last three years, I’m going to round that amount up to $70,000 in your account.”
Ethan remains with his arms crossed, not saying a single word.
Fern snorts.
– “And I can give you a Special Ability Lottery Ticket.
It’s the only perk allowed besides the guaranteed world bonus.
I can’t give you anything else.”
Ethan stares at her and asks: – “What can I win with this ticket?”
“Everything.
From illogical powers that make you a god to the useless ability to urinate through your fingers.
It’s a lottery, I don’t know what’s going to come.”
“So I’ll have the ticket, start two weeks before the apocalypse and with $70,000 in 2010?” – Ethan scratches his chin.
Fern growls and nods.
– “And what is this Project Zomboid?”
“…Damn it.
It’s a fucking zombie apocalypse game with the same theme as The Walking Dead.
It’s a realistic survival game that has spent many years being updated and lovingly cared for by the community.
Its system will help you survive and there will be all sorts of convenient functions; the longer you survive, the greater the conveniences.
So, do you understand now?”
Ethan nods.
He’s genuinely enjoying seeing her angry.
“I might accept, but on one condition.”
“What do you want now?!” Fern growls, glaring at him.
“You went to all the trouble of dressing like this for me…
how about letting me see those beautiful things that won’t stop jiggling in there?” He stares shamelessly at her cleavage.
“I can’t kill you, but I swear I can make you feel excruciating pain.” Fern smiles coldly.
“I just want to see a nice pair of breasts.
With that, I accept my gifts.” – Ethan smiles, unyielding.
“Go fuck yourself!” – Fern growls.
But, with a glow emanating around her and this being considered the final confirmation of the pact, she gives in.
Opening her neckline with an expression of extreme irritation and disdain, she exposes her full and beautiful breasts.
Moments later, a smiling Ethan is sent to a room with a large roulette wheel.
He has the ticket in his hands, in front of a lever and a compartment to insert it.
He deposits the paper, the lever glows, and he pulls it.
The roulette wheel begins to spin rapidly while cheerful music plays.
Slowly, the arrow slows down until it stops at a purple color, situated exactly between red and orange.
[Radar Sense – Epic]
• By closing their eyes, the user can perfectly perceive their surroundings through sound, vibration, and movement.
The image associated with the power is that of a bat.
– ‘It’s echolocation, right?’ “Isn’t that the same power Daredevil has?
I think this is going to be quite interesting.” – He smiles, only to then be sent to:
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[ ATTRIBUTES ]
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
• Strength: 0 / 10
• Constitution: 0 / 10
• Dexterity: 0 / 10
• Agility: 0 / 10
• Perception: 0 / 10
• Intelligence: 0 / 10
• Willpower: 0 / 10
• Charisma: 0 / 10
20 Free Points
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Ethan blinks, 8 attributes, 20 points… then a measurement appears:
0 = Incapable
1 = Very Bad
2 = Below Average
3 = Average Adult
4 = Above Average
5 = Talented
6 = Amateur Athlete
7 = Professional Athlete
8 = National Elite
9 = World Elite
10 = Human Pinnacle
Ethan even wanted to put everything into just one attribute, to become the strongest.
But having 0 in anything would be a gigantic penalty.
In fact, even without recommendations, he understands that either you have at least 2 in the attributes, or you die in a zombie apocalypse.
He looked a little, 20 points, but there’s another option.
If he’s confident, he can use his body parameters.
He doesn’t know what they are, but if he decides on them, it will be the automatic choice.
– “I have confidence in myself, let’s go!”
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[ ATTRIBUTES ]
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• Strength: 3 / 10
• Constitution: 4 / 10
• Dexterity: 3 / 10
• Agility: 3 / 10
• Perception: 5 / 10
• Intelligence: 4 / 10
• Willpower: 6 / 10
• Charisma: 2 / 10
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Ethan laughs.
30 points, 10 points more than they were giving him.
“Either those sons of bitches tried to trick me, or this is some kind of prank.
Whatever the case, good thing it’s me.” – Ethan laughs proudly.
He was a police officer, even if he was a smoker and almost an alcoholic, he was still a trained police officer who kept himself strong and healthy.
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[ ETHAN WALKER ]
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Survival Level: 0 (0 / 1)
EXP: 0
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[ ATTRIBUTES ]
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• Strength: 3 / 10
• Constitution: 4 / 10
• Dexterity: 3 / 10
• Agility: 3 / 10
• Perception: 5 / 10
• Intelligence: 4 / 10
• Willpower: 6 / 10
• Charisma: 2 / 10
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[ CONDITION ]
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Health: 100%
Hunger: 0%
Thirst: 0%
Fatigue: 0%
Stress: 0%
Fear: 0%
Pain: 0%
Status Effects: None
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[ TRAITS ]
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Positive
• Police Officer – Bonus for: Aiming, Reloading, and First Aid
• Street Veteran – Recognizes social dangers: Gangs, scams, ambushes…
• Desensitized – Less psychological impact when: Seeing blood, corpses, and gruesome scenes.
Negative
• Cynical – Difficulty in forming relationships.
• Distrustful – Difficulty trusting.
• Smoker – It reduces your breath and harms your health.
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[ SKILLS ]
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Combat
• Aiming – Lv.3 [0 / 750]
• Reloading – Lv.2 [0 / 300]
• Bow – Lv.0
• Axe – Lv.0
• Spear – Lv.0
• Blade – Lv.1 [0 / 150]
• Blunt – Lv.1 [0 / 150]
• Long Weapon – Lv.0
• Short Weapon – Lv.2 [0 / 300]
Physical
• Fitness – Lv.3 [0 / 750]
• Lightfooted – Lv.1 [0 / 150]
• Sprint – Lv.2 [0 / 300]
• Nimble – Lv.1 [0 / 150]
• Sneaking – Lv.1 [0 / 150]
Survival
• First Aid – Lv.2 [0 / 300]
• Foraging – Lv.0
• Fishing – Lv.2 [0 / 300]
• Trapping – Lv.0
• Farming – Lv.0
Crafting
• Blacksmithing – Lv.0
• Carpentry – Lv.2 [0 / 300]
• Carving – Lv.0
• Cooking – Lv.1 [0 / 150]
• Electrical – Lv.1 [0 / 150]
• Glassmaking – Lv.0
• Knapping – Lv.0
• Masonry – Lv.1 [0 / 150]
• Mechanics – Lv.1 [0 / 150]
• Pottery – Lv.0
• Tailoring – Lv.0
• Welding – Lv.0
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[ SPECIAL ABILITY ]
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Radar Sense [Epic] – Proficiency Level: 1
• By closing his eyes, the user can perceive the surrounding environment through sound, vibration and movement.
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[ MISSIONS ]
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Eradicate the Plague
• Progress: 0 / 1,000,000
• Reward: [Unknown]
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[Image] → (If it’s not there, it means the image has received a ShadowBAN or something similar.)
A lot of things.
But right after reading that, he blinks and with a thud, finds himself lying on a large bed.
He blinks as a digital alarm rings, showing that it’s August 10th…
“Okay… let’s see what you have for me.” – He smiles coldly.
Just letting you know that if this is being posted on the Webnovel, the status will always be incomplete.
I will omit [Missions], [Special Ability], and [Traits].
Similarly, any [Skills] at Level 0 will be omitted.
I will use an image that, besides being visually more appealing and always complete, will have relevant information for [Inventory], [World (Date/Days Survived)], and [Record (Kills)].
Why the difference?
Webnovel tends to shadowban images; I know this well, as I’ve seen that more than half of the images I posted there are inaccessible.
And why don’t I use a standardized status?
Simple.
I like things to look nice.