The wind howled, a mournful dirge echoing through the skeletal remains of towering, collapsed buildings.
Tham instinctively clutched his tattered shirt tighter, the biting chill of the post-apocalyptic world gnawing him to the bone.
The year was 2050, a stark reminder that humanity's imagined prosperity had crumbled.
Bioweapons had consumed everything, rendering most people into forgotten statistics or repulsive, mutated creatures that now prowled, ever-hungry for prey.
Tham was one of the scattered few who had endured.
His existence was a solitary battle against despair and a hunger that gnawed at him no less fiercely than the zombies roaming outside.
Then, on a particularly hopeless day, as he scrounged for scraps of food in the ruins of an old library, his fingers brushed against something unexpected.
"What is this…?"
He unearthed a strange device – a circuit board made of unknown materials, pulsating with a faint, ethereal glow.
Though half-broken, his survival instinct urged him on. The moment his fingertips made contact, a flash of blue light erupted.
The circuit board lifted from his palm, dissolving into a myriad of shimmering specks that shot into his body.
A sharp, electrocuting pain coursed through him, and then, darkness.
When his eyes fluttered open again, the first thing Tham saw was a translucent screen hovering before him. White text materialized:
[Time-travel system awakened]
[The world was destroyed by bioweapons]
[Mission: Establish the last stronghold for humanity]
"What happened to me…?
And what is this window…?"
Tham frowned, convinced he was delirious. He tried to touch the screen, but his hand passed straight through it.
A synthesized, computer-like voice resonated in his mind.
[Welcome to the system. You are the last chosen one.]
The system then unveiled its astonishing capabilities:
Tham could traverse between the pre-apocalyptic past and the ruined future.
His objective was clear – gather resources, knowledge, and people to forge a safe "last stronghold" for the remnants of humanity.
Initial instructions and missions appeared, but
Tham, still reeling, was skeptical.
Yet, despair was a powerful motivator, pushing him to try.
The system whisked him away to the "ruined future."
This was a world darker than anything he had ever known, even more horrifying than his own desolate reality.
An oppressive silence choked him, a silence that spoke of hope utterly swallowed.
This was where he had to find a way to rekindle it.
Tham stood amidst the profound darkness, the scent of death and despair seeping into his very bones.
He had once believed his world was the cruelest, but this… this was hell itself.
[Mission: Explore the area to find basic resources]
The system's synthesized voice echoed in his head, a chilling reminder of the crushing responsibility now resting on his shoulders – not just for himself, but for what little remained of humanity.
He began to explore the ruins of what was once a bustling city.
Skyscrapers were now just twisted steel skeletons, roads were choked with rusted car wrecks, and an eerie silence hung heavy in the air. In the distance, mutated creatures shuffled, seemingly oblivious to his presence, or perhaps unable to detect him.
Tham moved with the honed precision of a true survivor, silent and cautious.
His sharp eyes scanned for anything out of place. Amidst the pervasive gloom, he caught a faint reflection from the wreckage of a store.
He moved closer. Inside what was once a pharmacy, everything was ruined, but in one corner, a dusty shelf miraculously held a few bottles of medicine and medical equipment.
Though old and thickly caked in grime, it was a priceless treasure in this hopeless world.
[You have discovered: Basic first aid kits (5 sets), antibiotics (10 bottles), small surgical kit (1 set)]
A message from the system confirmed his find.
Tham carefully stowed everything into his tattered backpack, feeling a small, unfamiliar spark of hope ignite within him.
With these initial resources secured, Tham decided it was time to use the system's other ability – to return to the past.
[Confirm time travel? Please specify the time period.]
Tham paused.
"Before the biowarfare... the year 2025," he replied, a yearning for a vibrant, pre-apocalyptic world in his voice.
The blue light flashed again, this time with a blinding intensity.
Tham felt as if his body was stretched and pulled in every direction, the intense pain lasting only a moment before normalcy returned.
He opened his eyes to the soft morning sun streaming down on a public park.
People strolled and laughed, children played on the grass, and colorful flowers bloomed, their sweet scent filling the air.
"This is…"
Tham looked around in utter astonishment. This was the world of his dreams, a vibrant tapestry of life and color, utterly unlike the familiar ruins and whistling winds he had known.
He noticed an old bulletin board on a tree.
The numbers "2025" confirmed his improbable journey.
His ragged clothes starkly contrasted with the well-dressed passersby, drawing curious glances.
Tham knew he couldn't remain like this; he had to adapt and begin his mission.
Though thin from prolonged starvation, Tham's muscles were strong and resilient from years of brutal survival.
His movements were swift and silent, his eyes gleaming with the sharp, watchful intensity of a wild animal ready to face any danger.
He was a survivor, a stark anomaly in this peaceful world.
[Main Mission: Establish the last stronghold for humanity]
[Sub-mission: Gather information about biowarfare to find a way to prevent it]
[Sub-mission: Build relationships with skilled individuals to join the mission]
The system's voice resonated in his head once more.
The missions seemed daunting, but Tham knew he had no alternative.
Humanity's future depended on his success.
He clutched his backpack, a silent promise to himself, and began to walk forward, into a new world brimming with both hope and unforeseen dangers.
Tham was ready to embark on the most important journey of his life.