Apocalypse: Building And Hoarding My Way Through.
Chapter 32: What Purnishment Will You Receive, System?

Chapter 32: What Purnishment Will You Receive, System?

"We’re going to die!" Louise shouted, his voice trembling with terror. His eyes darted around as he struggled to stay on his feet, steadying himself amid the chaotic scene.

Suddenly, a monstrous maw burst from the ground nearby. Its body was serpent-like, coiling as it rose. Rows of jagged teeth lined its gaping mouth, eager to devour the survivors. But Scarlett acted quickly, summoning her earth element to teleport herself and the others to to the other side which can be considered temporary safety.

"Damn you, system! Why didn’t you warn me about this?" she murmured, her voice seething with frustration as flames flickered around her fingers. She unleashed her fire element in a furious assault on the monster. "If you’d told me sooner, I could have gotten everyone out of here!"

Ding!

{Is there any truly safe place in a monster apocalypse? You have yet to find the only true safe haven. Until then, every place remains a danger zone.}

"Damn you!" Scarlett spat in frustration, her anger evident in her voice. "Of course, why should I expect any better? You don’t want humans to survive this apocalypse. You want to see us all dead! Just what are you exactly?"

More monsters erupted from the bushes, cutting off their path. Beasts with razor-sharp claws and serrated fangs emerged from both sides, while monstrous, five-headed birds circled above, their many mouths lined with menacing teeth. The survivors huddled together, forming a defensive circle with the children and Mrs. Anderson at the center. Hope was in Mrs. Anderson’s arms, while Scarlett, Garvin, Rose, and Louise stood at the perimeter, fending off the relentless horde.

"Protect the center!" Scarlett commanded, her voice firm as she unleashed waves of fire against the advancing creatures.

Garvin, Louise, and Rose fired their guns at the monsters, each shot buying them precious seconds. But no matter how many fell, more took their place, rising as if from the very earth.

"These things only die when their heads are taken off!" Louise yelled, continuing to fire his gun even as he noted how his bullets barely slowed the monsters. "Scarlett, only your elements seem to be able to actually kill them. Nothing else seems to work!"

"I know!" Scarlett replied, her focus unwavering. "But your guns can still hurt them enough to keep them back. Just keep firing! I’ll finish them with my elements."

Above them, the monstrous bird swooped down, its five heads snapping hungrily. Scarlett raised her hand, summoning a wall of fire that rose between the creature and the group, protecting them from its attack.

"That was close!" Rose gasped, shifting her aim upwards and firing at the monstrous birds, even though Scarlett’s fire barrier shielded them.

"Stop wasting ammo on the sky and cover your side!" Louise snapped, catching a monster lunging toward Rose, its venomous, ten-centimeter tongue poised to strike. He fired a shot straight into its gut, causing it to howl in pain, giving Scarlett a chance to decapitate it with a fiery blade.

The creatures continued to surge from the shadows, their numbers seeming endless.

"Damn it!" Scarlett cursed, summoning her earth element. She conjured boulders to block the creatures’ path, but she knew it would only be a temporary respite.

She then incinerated the birds above, afterwhich she turned her fire toward the monsters on the ground, carving through them with a flaming blade that seared their flesh. The stench of burnt meat and scorched earth filled the air as the survivors fought with all their might. Bloodied and bruised, they bore scratches from claws, and their skin burned from contact with the monsters’ acidic drool.

Is there really nowhere safe for us, system? Scarlett called out in her mind, frustration building. Is there anywhere besides the stupid green dot on the map that I can’t even follow? Or do you want one of us, one of the "chosen"to die? If I die as well as other chosen, who will save the world?

{I’ve told you, the creator’s goal is to annihilate humanity. Whether humanity survives or not is beyond anyone’s concern. You’re all paying for your sins, after all, and the Creator has already shown mercy by choosing a few of you and granting elemental powers.}

"Damn you!" Scarlett growled aloud again, her voice laced with fury. She barely managed to avoid a creature’s tongue as it lashed out, aiming for Hope, who was asleep in Mrs. Anderson’s hand. Scarlett’s body tensed with fear, her heart pounding.

"Protect her!" she cried, her determination growing even fiercer.

Ding!

{A temporary safe haven has been detected, host. It’s a church near a train station.}

A map of the church materialized in Scarlett’s vision. Without hesitation or understanding exactly how, she and the other survivors found themselves suddenly standing before a weathered building bearing a cross on its facade.

"Where are we?" Louise asked, his eyes wide with shock and lingering terror. "Is this another monster trap?"

"We’re going to die at this rate," Rose muttered, wincing from her injuries. "Those things... they’re going to kill us all."

Garvin approached Scarlett, his gaze intense as he looked her in the eye. "Do you know where we are? Are we finally safe?"

Ding!

{I managed to save you, even though it’s against my protocol. You’re supposed to survive on your own, without my interference except when buying resources or requesting guidance. Now, I must face punishment for doing this.}

{As I explained before, humanity has been placed in this parallel world to complete a test, one that might grant you the chance to prevent the real apocalypse back on Earth. You were granted elemental powers to aid you, and I can assist, but not intervene. Transporting you here was a breach.}

’Punishment?’ Scarlett asked mentally, frowning in confusion. So, the Creator is going to punish you? For helping me?

{The path to the church was too dangerous for your current abilities. Given your low elemental strength, transporting yourself here would have been nearly impossible without facing lethal threats. That’s why I intervened.}

{But remember, no place in this world is truly safe. To secure a lasting refuge, you’ll need to start building one yourself.}

’Fine, fine,’ Scarlett replied in her mind, impatiently. But you still haven’t answered my question. What punishment will you receive, system?

Before she could receive a response, the holographic screen flickered and cracked, splintering into tiny shards of light visible only to Scarlett. She shielded her eyes as the screen exploded into fragments, and a gasp escaped her lips.