Apocalypse: I Conquer the World with Beauty and a System[1]

The sun, a pale, sickly orb, struggled to pierce the omnipresent purple haze that now choked the air above New York City. Below the 20th floor of James Lone's apartment building, the world was an indistinct, shimmering purple, a silent, malevolent ocean of mist that crept ever higher. Above it, the skeletal remains of skyscrapers poked through like drowned titans.

James, a survivor by instinct, scrolled through the chaotic neighborhood group chat on his phone, a sardonic smirk playing on his lips. His provocative message – an open call for "female slaves" in exchange for food – had predictably ignited a firestorm of outrage. Threats, pleas, and moral condemnations flooded his screen, each a testament to the rapid decay of civility.

He ignored them all, his gaze drifting to the two strange, black, rambutan-like fruits growing on a succulent by his windowsill. They pulsed with an unsettling vitality, a stark reminder of the world's grotesque transformation. Just yesterday, a scream had echoed from across the way, a chilling punctuation mark to the ever-present hum of the Purple Mist. The world was ending, and James Lone, with his newfound system, was ready to capitalize on its demise.