episode_0001

Unfortunately, the Earth server has shut down.

The day when humanity will dominate the world will never come.

We will simply continue to survive, avoiding zombies, disasters, or even fellow humans.

…Well, more importantly, do people like pretty women?

If I were to speak for myself, I had “no interest” in that.

It’s a well-known fact that those who fall for women during an apocalypse are the first to die. It’s common sense, right?

I’ve actually seen several people die because of their obsession with beauty.

But there are things in this world that cannot be helped.

For example, when a woman you became acquainted with on an internet gallery suddenly suggests meeting at her house alone in the middle of the night.

Up until that point, it was still okay.

She and I got along quite well, and she was even the most beautiful woman I had ever seen.

But if her hand suddenly transformed into tentacles resembling extraterrestrial life forms, the story would be different, wouldn’t it?

“Is it possible for you and me to have intercourse?”

Hmm, well. The answer may vary depending on how you look at it.

Shall I explain it from a biological perspective, or perhaps from an anthropological perspective?

“It’s not such a boring story. It’s a story about possibilities. Should we compare it to a cat in a box?”

Ah, so you’re referring to Schrödinger’s cat.

This is leaning towards The Little Prince, but what should I do?

Should I say that I haven’t been tamed yet and run away?

Then the extended tentacle gently wrapped around my neck.

How terrifying.

No, seriously, this tentacle felt sticky and soft, but it was filled with strength.

It’s certain that this is a life form that doesn’t exist on Earth.

“If I were to become pregnant, would the child be human? Or a monster? Would it even be possible in the first place? It’s quite intriguing, isn’t it?”

The woman who referred to herself as a monster looked at me with lovely eyes.

I’ve always thought so, but her face is undeniably pretty.

If the tentacle hadn’t burst and sprayed mucus just now, I might have genuinely thought that way.

Oh, for fuck’s sake.

“What about you? If you’re fine with it, how about leaving offspring? It’s the instinct of a living being. Opportunities to leave your own child in this kind of world are rare, aren’t they?”

The woman smiled with a captivating smile.

Is it just my imagination that her words sound like she’s going to physically devour me?

When I see the sticky tentacles persistently wrapping around my body, it feels like it might be right. “Ah, I feel like restarting.” Of course, it’s useless to wish for a restart at this point. This game… no, I know better than anyone that there is no restart in this world. Yes, it’s the survival game “Last Day.” It’s that damn game that has consumed reality before I knew it.

****

[Is it normal to want to impregnate my older sister?]

[How to increase income comfortably while receiving monthly rent]

[Reasons for not treating my wife]

[My wife and adopted son are having an affair]

[Tooth broken? Let me handle it, I have a solution]

[Want to see the collection of heads I’ve gathered?]

[I found a pretty girl, is it okay if I kidnap her?]

If you thought “Is this hell on Earth…?” after reading these end-of-century forum posts, I hope you can rest assured. It’s all just game talk. A zombie apocalypse survival game, commonly known as “Last Day.” Most people probably haven’t heard of it. This notorious bad game was famous for supporting global services and languages but having almost no players. “By now, it’s not just a bad game, it’s a lack of commitment from the developers.” The developers’ promotion efforts were minimal, making one wonder what they were doing. The game had a highly divisive atmosphere and controls. It seemed like they had no intention of doing business. Above all, it was because of its extremely difficult difficulty level. It’s not just difficult; it’s like crossing the Great Wall of China beyond the introductory hurdle. -What? You can’t even set attributes and abilities, and they’re random every time? -If you die, is that it? No saves? Start from scratch again? -The NPC who saved you betrays you and stabs you while you’re sleeping!! Is this the kind of crazy game it is? Most users couldn’t even get through the tutorial and dropped out. Of course, who would expect there to be newbies? Only a few hardcore players continued playing the game and maintained camaraderie… Current number of active users: 1 And that disappeared as time went on. “Only an idiot would keep playing a game that was released and abandoned.” And that idiot’s pinnacle was none other than me. I was ranked 1st in the server! Wow, I’m the only survivor in the entire server. Truly remarkable!

Am I the strongest one to have survived?

…Damn it.

“Now, even the community doesn’t have any new posts.”

It’s not like I completely stopped playing the game. People still appear like a drop of water in a drought.

But even that gloomy period is now just a distant memory.

The once declining forum has transformed into a ghost site.

The last post was made three months ago.

And it only has one view.

By the way, both the author and the viewer were me.

I have a few more posts below, but… no one has seen them either.

In other words, I’m the only one who has been here for three months.

“After seeing the views that didn’t increase even after a month, I was shocked and stopped posting.”

But even I, the last user, understood why others left.

I can’t even say this game is good, not even a single advantage can be found.

No, I couldn’t find any merits.

Yet, why am I still playing this game?

“Why do I have a reason to play games? Because they’re fun.”

Of course, it was because this crappy game was fun for me.

Others didn’t mind the terrible controls and difficulty.

Instead, it was perfect for making me forget about reality.

A world where everything is collapsing and everyone is dying.

A world where I don’t have to care about anyone else.

A difficulty level that requires full concentration or else you can’t survive.

For someone like me, a recluse in my room, there was no better game than this.

Thanks to that, I became known as an addict and a source of fear.

“Above all… I could empathize with the protagonist.”

This game doesn’t have any specific goals.

All you need to do is keep the protagonist alive for as long as possible.

That image seemed somewhat familiar to me.

I’m what people commonly call a gaming recluse.

I don’t even remember when I last met someone.

I spend all day locked in my room, in front of the computer.

I barely sustain myself with instant noodles for meals.

No hope, no grand ambitions in life.

Just dragging along a vacant existence.

Perhaps my pitiful self resonated with the character who perseveres in a world devoid of hope.

“Yeah, what does it matter if I’m the only user? I can enjoy the game by myself.”

A new post was uploaded on the bulletin board at that time.

Moreover, it was a notice posted by the administrator!

“Crazy? They only post an announcement after there’s only one user left?”

Of course, whether it’s already too late or not doesn’t matter.

I tried to calm my pounding heart.

With trembling fingers, I clicked on the post.

However, my face turned cold as I checked the content.

[Title] (Author: Administrator)

Notice

[Body]

“Last Day” will end its service today.

“Haha, hahaha….”

The first post is a termination notice.

Even the content was shabby.

No common expressions of gratitude or apology.

There wasn’t even a prior notification, they just ended it today.

“Wow, this is something.”

There’s only one title, “Notice.”

They didn’t even express regret or offer an apology.

Of course, even for someone like me who spent countless hours here…

But still, there is time and memories invested in it.

Every morning, I would wake up excited about what kind of play I would have today, as if it were just yesterday.

Isn’t this an announcement that completely disregards the users who loved this game for years?

Couldn’t they have written a few more lines?

“…I thought they would eventually end the service, though.”

In the first place, it was a miracle that they were running such a crappy game until now.

It’s fortunate that at least one user remained to witness the termination.

No, perhaps the game company was waiting until there were no users left.

A game where everyone leaving is natural.

But I stubbornly stayed and played the game.

So, isn’t it inevitable that they posted this kind of notice?

I am the only user of this game.

Doesn’t that mean the game company, which used to be so proud, left a final post for me?

I must have driven them crazy with my persistence.

Thinking that way, I felt slightly better.

I let out a bitter laugh and pounded the keyboard.

[Comment]

Thank you for operating it all this time.

If I say I’m not disappointed…that would be a lie, but there’s nothing I can do.

If I say anything more, it would be over-attachment.

No, maybe I’m already over-attached at this point.

It feels like finishing a beloved novel.

The unfillable emptiness and sense of hollowness filled my heart.

“Sigh.”

I looked at the bulletin board with a sigh.

Well, now this is also a farewell.

“…But it was fun, nonetheless.”

I should try to adapt to another game somehow.

Of course, it won’t be easy to find one.

Then, with a cheerful sound, a reply appeared in the comments.

┕”Thank you for loving ‘Last Day.’ As a reward, special benefits will be given soon.”

“Special benefits?”

What kind of benefits can they give for a game that’s ending?

Maybe they’ll make some posters as a final commemoration?

“Perhaps it’s a beta test ticket for a newly released game….”

Whatever it is, receiving it can’t be bad.

At that moment, I only thought about that much and forgot about it.

And after some time had passed,

the world underwent a drastic change.

No, perhaps the change had already begun.

[Earth server will be shutting down its services]