Apocalypse: Building And Hoarding My Way Through.
Chapter 156: I Choose The Five In One Death.

Chapter 156: I Choose The Five In One Death.

"Seems like I’ll have to die again."

Ding!

{Dying willingly won’t make you lose your system, but you won’t be able to unlock any additional systems beyond the third, which you’ve already acquired and is attached to me.}

Scarlett exhaled slowly, a deep, heavy sigh escaping her lips. I already know that, she thought, steeling herself. That’s exactly why I’m willing to take the risk.

She would die. Then, she would wake up again.

Her gaze flickered around the dimly lit room, wary of the ever-present danger. Whatever method I choose, it has to be discreet. Kato is watching.

Her fingers curled into tight fists as she turned her focus back to the holographic screen before her. System, she asked, her voice steady despite the turmoil within, can you kill me? Just strike me down and everything would be over.

{I cannot strike you down, Host. My function is to protect you from death if I want, not cause it. If I were to save you from a particular death, you would lose the second system, leaving you with only one remaining.}

"Fine then. I’ll just poison myself then. I want to purchase a poisonous drug I can swallow discreetly now." Scarlett replied as sfe heaved a heavy sigh, waiting patiently for the system to give her what she just asked for.

"..."

There was silence promting Scarlett eyebrows to raise up in confusion. "Hurry up. There’s no time on my side. "

{The situation is different now host. You want to die to earn skills but I as the system can’t kill you but I can suggest methods of death for you to choose from. You cannot select your own method as that would be pointless. You should already be aware that in order to awaken a new system, you must endure a painful death. Though you will not unlock another system this time, you still intend to gain new skills. Therefore, you must undergo an agonizing death to earn your rewards.}

Scarlett’s lips pressed into a thin line as she read the glowing words on the screen.

Suggest method of death which I’ll choose from. She thought as she let out a scoff.

She then let out a bitter chuckle. Other people get to choose luxury cars, sprawling mansions, or extravagant vacations... and here I am, picking my own demise.

{Host, you must decide quickly. Kato and his men will be here soon. The moment you are undergoing the type of death you choose, and the moment you’re dead, I will activate a time-freeze, halting everything until you resurrect. I will not allow Kato to find your lifeless body.}

Scarlett inhaled sharply, pushing away the lingering dread in her chest. She couldn’t afford hesitation. She had already made up her mind.

"Fine. List the available deaths. There’s no time to waste."

Her voice was calm, yet beneath the surface, a storm raged within her. Her eyes locked onto the holographic screen, unwavering, filled with steely determination.

Ding!

{Here is the list of available deaths, each with unique skills attached to it. The skills gained will aid in the successful search for Garvin and Jaden, as well as assist in escaping this organization all while ensuring the elimination of its leaders.}

Scarlett’s gaze hardened as she watched the holographic screen illuminate before her.

{Disembowelment: You will be sliced open, your intestines spilling out as you experience the searing agony of your internal organs being torn apart.}

{Impalement: A sharp stake will skewer your body, piercing through you as you endure the slow, unbearable agony of impalement.}

{Flaying: Your skin will be peeled away, layer by layer, exposing your raw flesh to the air while the pain consumes you.}

{Boiling Alive: You will be submerged in boiling water, your skin blistering, muscles cooking as the unbearable heat ravages your body.}

{The Iron Maiden: You will be locked inside a spiked metal coffin, your body impaled and crushed simultaneously in a slow, torturous demise.}

{Rack and Pinion: Your limbs will be stretched apart on a rack, each joint dislocating before your body is torn asunder.}

{Scaphism: You will be trapped inside a narrow, hollowed-out tree, your body left to be devoured by insects and vermin as you slowly rot alive.}

{Hanging, Drawing, and Quartering: You will first be hanged, then disemboweled while still conscious, before finally being quartered, your body torn into four pieces.}

Scarlett’s breath hitched, her fingers trembling as she scanned the horrifying list. Her stomach twisted in knots, nausea bubbling at the back of her throat.

"This... This is insane."

These were no ordinary deaths. They were beyond gruesome, each one promising unimaginable agony.

The system’s voice remained detached, yet she could sense a strange curiosity laced within it.

{Which one do you choose, Host?}

Scarlett swallowed hard. Which one do I choose? The very question felt absurd.

"None of these deaths are easy, System." Her voice wavered slightly, but she forced herself to remain steady. "I expected something like poisoning or being shot. But this? How am I supposed to pick from these? It’s not easy."

{This is the list of deaths available, Host. To gain something, you must sacrifice something or endure something. There is no easy path to success. You could choose to leave this organization without taking the risk, but you have chosen to save your friends instead. Because of that, you must endure pain.}

Scarlett clenched her fists, frustration and helplessness coiling in her chest.

"I know I need the skills... but why this kind of suffering?!" she bit out. "Just reading them makes me feel sick. How am I supposed to choose? I can’t even begin to imagine the pain of any of these."

A single tear slipped down her cheek, then another, until she was no longer pretending but truly crying.

This was too much.

"Are there really no other options, System?" she pleaded, desperation creeping into her voice. "Something simpler... something less painful?"

Ding!

{There is another option. While it is less painful than the first list, it consists of multiple deaths in one. Each death is not as gruesome on its own, but they will all happen in succession.}

Scarlett’s breath hitched.

{Would Host like to see the list? This is your only alternative. Either you choose this, or you select a death from the original list. The choice is yours.}

She inhaled deeply, her body already trembling as the weight of the decision pressed down on her.

"Show me the list."

Ding!

The screen shifted, displaying a new set of deaths.

{Death by Falling: You will plummet from a twenty-four-story building, the uncertainty of where you will land adding to the terror of your descent.}

{Eaten by Worms: These are no ordinary worms. They will feast on your flesh, consuming your muscles and organs until only bones remain. If Host is wondering, this will happen after you hit the ground from your fall.}

{Drowned in Acid: You will be submerged in a vat of corrosive acid, your skin dissolving as the liquid eats away at your body.}

{Crushed by Debris: A mountain of rubble will collapse on top of you, the immense weight crushing your bones and suffocating you beneath it.}

{Burned at the Stake: You will be bound to a stake and set ablaze, the fire devouring your body while you feel every agonizing second of it.}

Scarlett’s breath came in shallow gasps as she stared at the new list. Her fingers tightened into fists at her sides.

It’s still just as brutal... but at least it’s over quickly.

The first list was nothing but prolonged torture. This one, at least, was swift or as swift as death could be.

She inhaled deeply, forcing her shaking hands to steady.

"I’ve already experienced being drowned in acid before," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. She closed her eyes briefly, allowing herself a moment of composure before exhaling sharply.

"I’ll go with the second option."

Her decision felt final, resolute.

"Falling from the building will be quick. The worms will take over after that. Drowning in acid, being crushed, and then burning... It won’t last forever. And it’s not like I won’t come back to life anyway."

Her fingers flexed, determination settling in her gut.

"Besides, this option consists of five deaths in one. That means the skills I gain will be far greater than if I had chosen only one from the first list. Am I right?"

{Yes, Host. You are correct. The good news is that you will be given a list of skills afterward and will be able to choose any of them. Perhaps even all. Had you chosen from the first list, you would have been allowed only one skill.}

Scarlett nodded, inhaling deeply before exhaling through her nose.

"Then I choose the five-in-one death, System. There’s no point in wasting more time."

She pushed herself up from the bed, her legs steady beneath her despite the turmoil raging inside her chest.

{The death sequence begins now...}