Gods Game: Apocalypse Rewritten

As the Archfiend descended toward him, Zane felt a chill crawl down his spine. He knew that if he fought head-on, it wouldn't be a battle—it would be a massacre. Keeping his composure, he quickly asked his system to identify the Archfiend.

[System Response: Error. Error. Unable to identify. Huge power gap detected.]

Zane frowned. Even at level 463, I can't get a reading? He needed more information.

Thinking fast, he rephrased his question. If a level 500 fighter faced an Archfiend, what would be the survival rate?

[System Response: 0%.]

His eyes narrowed. That bad? He pushed further. What about level 1000?

[System Response: 0%.]

His mind raced. Then what about level 4000?

[System Response: Information restricted. Cannot answer.]

That was enough of a clue. If 1000 meant instant death and 4000 was still classified, then the odds weren't just low—they were nonexistent. He let out a slow breath, processing the situation. No matter how he calculated it, he was doomed.

And yet, instead of despair, he smiled.

As the Archfiend hovered in front of him, it studied Zane with an amused glint in its eyes.

"Why are you smiling, human? What's so funny about this situation?"

Zane let out a short chuckle. "Well, I'm sure a direct attack would kill me instantly. And yet, somehow, here we are, standing face-to-face. The absurdity of it all is hilarious."

The Archfiend tilted its head. "Have you lost your mind? Or were you betrayed by humans and decided to give up?"

"Neither," Zane said, his grin widening. "It's just… everything just got a lot more exciting."

The Archfiend stared at him for a moment before laughing—a deep, guttural sound that sent shivers through the air. "You're interesting. It's been a long time since a human made me laugh." It lowered itself slightly, meeting Zane's gaze. "I was going to let the monsters tear you apart, but now… I think it'd be an honor to kill you myself."

With a flick of its wrist, a massive sledgehammer materialized in its hand. It spun the weapon once, the weight of it shaking the ground beneath them. "Goodbye, Zane. You truly are the most entertaining human I've met since entering this world."

Zane's mind raced. This world runs on game mechanics. If there's one thing I know about games, it's that there are always hidden mechanics.

Then, a memory surfaced—his first breakthrough in the gaming industry. His company had added a dare-based challenge system that, while risky, could grant massive rewards to players willing to take the gamble.

Zane took a step forward, his voice steady. "Archfiend, I challenge you directly to a duel."

The Archfiend's eyes widened. The sledgehammer slipped from its grip, crashing into the ground with a heavy thud.

Zane frowned. Did it… accept?

The Archfiend raised a hand. "Wait."

Suddenly, a system notification echoed across the sky.

[System Alert: A challenger has appeared. This marks the first direct challenge in history.]

At that moment, massive holographic screens flickered to life across the world—inside Safe Zones, in the skies, even before other Archfiends. Countless humans gasped as they saw, for the first time, an Archfiend standing before a lone human.

Zane quickly pulled up his system interface. "What's happening?"

[System Response: You have unlocked a hidden mechanic—Direct Challenge. This mechanic allows a lone fighter to challenge an Archfiend. In response, the Archfiend's power will be reduced to create a slightly more balanced fight.]

Zane's mind clicked everything into place. So that's why it didn't attack right away. It knew about the mechanic.

[System: There will be a ten-minute preparation period. During this time, both parties will set battlefield conditions.]

A massive arena began to rise from the ground, its stone walls stretching high into the sky. Two interfaces appeared—one before Zane, allowing him to select the terrain, and another before the Archfiend, listing its power restrictions and setting its conditions.

The Archfiend glanced at Zane. "When I first saw you, I estimated your strength to be around level 40 or 50. Now you're between 450 and 500. Not bad. I hope you don't disappoint me."

Zane smirked. "I'll try to live up to expectations."

The Archfiend continued, "My condition is simple—survive for ten minutes, and I'll grant you safety from the monster spawns until morning, when they disappear and your Safe Zone barrier reopens."

Zane considered pressing for five minutes but knew better. If they didn't reach an agreement, the challenge would be canceled, and he'd be killed immediately. He nodded. "Deal."

He quickly selected a snow and forest terrain, ensuring there were plenty of shadows for him to use his assassin skills. He also activated the Face Block function, blurring his identity from the broadcast.

The Archfiend grinned. "I'll restrict everything except physical attacks."

Zane's stomach tightened. He's that confident?

As the final settings locked in, a transparent barrier formed between them. Zane took a deep breath and stepped forward. The moment he entered the arena, his interface updated—displaying the Archfiend's weakened stats.

[Archfiend HP: 5,000,000]

[Zane HP: 15,000]

His jaw clenched. Even in a weakened state, its HP is in the millions? The difference was staggering. One clean hit, and he'd be dead.

Yet, instead of fear, excitement surged through him. He rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck. "Alright then… let's get this show on the road."

Meanwhile, in every Safe Zone, people stood frozen, staring at the screens. For the first time, the world was witnessing what had only ever been described in the system messages—an Archfiend, real and in the flesh. And against all logic, a human was standing before it, ready to fight.