The city didn't sleep.
It only watched.
From the rooftop of the plaza stronghold, Arjun Kim observed the streets below as dawn struggled to exist behind the ash-filled sky. Smoke drifted like fog, and distant screams echoed faintly—constant reminders that civilization was dead.
The system hovered silently before him.
[Command Authority: Active]
[Controlled Survivors: 0]
[New Objective: Establish Dominance]
[Condition: Recruit or Subjugate Survivors]
Mina stepped beside him, handing over a bottle of water.
"So," she said, "the system wants you to be a leader now."
Arjun took a sip, eyes never leaving the streets.
"No. It wants me to be in control."
There was a difference.
By noon, they noticed movement near the outskirts of their territory. Not scavengers this time.
Survivors.
A small group—five people—exhausted, injured, and barely armed. They moved cautiously, clearly aware they had entered someone else's domain.
"They're desperate," Mina said quietly. "Not hostile."
Arjun watched them for a moment.
[Threat Level: Low]
[Survivor Value: Moderate]
"Bring them in," he said. "Carefully."
Mina raised an eyebrow.
"You're not killing them?"
"Not yet."
The survivors were searched, disarmed, and brought inside the plaza. Fear was written on their faces—fear of monsters, of starvation… and of Arjun.
A middle-aged man stepped forward nervously.
"We—we're not here to steal," he said. "We just need shelter. Food. Anything."
Arjun crouched in front of him, calm and emotionless.
"You'll get shelter," Arjun said.
"Food too."
Relief flashed across their faces—until he continued.
"But you'll follow my rules. Break them, and you're dead."
Silence fell.
[Command Authority Activated: Minor Influence Successful]
The survivors nodded almost instantly.
"Yes," the man said quickly. "We understand."
Mina glanced at Arjun.
"They didn't even argue."
"Fear is efficient," Arjun replied.
[Survivors Recruited: 5]
[Faction Established: Level 1]
[Bonus: Resource Efficiency +10%]
The plaza transformed by evening.
Survivors cleaned, reinforced barricades, and sorted supplies under Mina's supervision. Arjun watched it all from above, the system feeding him data—movement efficiency, morale levels, loyalty probability.
[Faction Stability: 72%]
Not perfect.
But good enough.
Then the alarms went off.
Noise traps detonated one after another.
"Something big," Mina said instantly, grabbing her rifle.
The ground shook.
A massive shadow emerged from between two collapsed buildings—a creature unlike anything they'd faced before. Nearly three meters tall, muscles layered like armor, eyes burning with intelligence.
The system screamed warnings.
[BOSS ENTITY DETECTED]
[Threat Level: EXTREME]
[Designation: Devourer-Type Mutant]
The survivors panicked.
"It's coming straight for us!" someone screamed.
Arjun didn't move.
[Emergency Protocol Available]
[Skill Unlock: Authority Suppression | Combat Command]
"Everyone," Arjun said, voice calm but sharp,
"get behind cover. Now."
They obeyed instantly.
[Command Authority: Enhanced Compliance Achieved]
Mina took position beside Arjun.
"You sure about this?" she asked.
"No," he replied.
"But I'm ready."
The Devourer charged.
Arjun moved first.
[Combat Command Activated: Squad Buff +15%]
Mina fired repeatedly, drawing its attention. Arjun sprinted forward, enhanced reflexes pushing his body beyond normal limits. He struck its leg, shattering bone—but it didn't fall.
The creature roared, swinging wildly.
Arjun was thrown into a wall.
Pain flared—then vanished.
[Passive Skill Triggered: Pain Suppression]
He stood again.
"This ends now," he muttered.
[Critical Strike: Authority-Driven Execution Available]
Mina emptied her magazine into its eyes.
Arjun leapt—higher than any human should—bringing the metal rod down with everything the system had given him.
The impact cracked the creature's skull.
The Devourer collapsed.
Dead.
Silence followed.
Then—
[BOSS KILL CONFIRMED]
[Conversion Points +200]
[Skill Points +120]
[New Skill Unlocked: Faction Control Level 1]
[Title Earned: Pioneer of the New Order]
The survivors stared at Arjun in awe—and fear.
Mina exhaled slowly.
"You're not just surviving anymore," she said.
Arjun looked at the system, glowing brighter than ever.
"I know."
Below them, the city trembled.
Above it, a faction had been born.
In the apocalypse, lone wolves die.
Those who control others… rule.
And Arjun Kim had just taken his first step toward ruling the ruins.