The Last User Standing
A bulletin board no one used anymore. Regrettably, the Earth server has shut down. Humanity's day of dominating the world will never come. We'll just scrape by, dodging zombies, calamities, or our fellow humans.
......But screw that—what do you all think about pretty girls? Me? I used to have zero interest. In an apocalypse, the guys who fall for women die first. That's common sense. I've seen plenty bite it thanks to honey traps.
But the world has its inevitabilities. Like when a girl you bonded with on an internet gallery suddenly wants to meet up at night because she's home alone.
Up to that point, it was fine. Our personalities clicked. Hell, she was the most beautiful woman I'd ever laid eyes on.
But when her hand suddenly morphs into tentacles like some cosmic horror? That's a whole different story.
"Do you think you and I could mate?"
Hmm, tough call. Depends on the angle—biologically speaking, or anthropologically?
"Nothing boring like that. It's about possibility. Like Schrödinger's cat in the box."
Ah, pulling out Schrödinger, huh? I'm more of a Little Prince guy. Should I say I'm not tamed yet and bolt?
Then the tentacles slithered out, softly coiling around my neck.
Oh crap, scary. No, really—these things were sticky and soft, but the core pulsed with raw power. Definitely not from Earth.
"If I got pregnant, would the kid be human? Or a monster? Would conception even work? Isn't it fascinating?"
The woman calling herself a monster gazed at me with adoring eyes. I'd always thought she was stunningly pretty. That is, if those tentacles didn't burst and spray slime everywhere.
Oh, fuck this world.
"What if you don't mind? Leaving seed behind is instinct for any lifeform. Chances like this don't come often in a world like this."
She flashed an irresistibly seductive smile. Was I imagining it sounding like "I'm gonna eat you alive"?
With those sticky tentacles obsessively wrapping tighter around me, it sure felt spot on.
Ah, I wanna reset.
Of course, begging now wouldn't help. No one knows better than me that this game... no, this world has no restarts.
Right—survival game Last Day. That goddamn game that's devoured reality itself.
Seeing these end-of-the-world posts, if you're thinking "This is Hell Joseon...?", rest easy. It's all from the game.
Zombie apocalypse survival game. Nicknamed Last Day.
Most folks have never heard of it. This legendary flop supported global languages but had barely any players. Famous for that.
At this point, it's beyond a flop—the devs just had zero will to run it.
Minimal promo. Polarizing vibes and clunky controls. No updates, like they didn't care about profit. And above all, the insane difficulty.
Not just hard—the prologue alone was a Great Wall keeping newbies out.
-What? No choosing traits or stats? All random every time?
-Die and it's game over? No saves? Start from scratch?
-Saved an NPC, they betray you and shank you in your sleep!! What kinda crazy shit is this game?!
Most users dropped before clearing the tutorial. No newbies left, obviously.
A few hardcore vets stuck around for the community... but even that faded.
Current online players: 1
And even that vanished over time.
Anyone still playing a game they just released and abandoned is an idiot.
And the king of idiots? That was me.
Server ranking #1! Wow, sole survivor across the whole server—I'm unbeatable!
......Damn.
No posts on the community anymore.
Quitting the game didn't mean ghosting the board entirely. People popped in rarely, like beans in a drought.
But even those dark days are ancient history now. The dying board turned into a full ghost site.
Last post: 3 months ago. Views: 1.
Writer and viewer? Me, obviously.
A few more of my posts below... same story, zero eyes.
Meaning, for 3 months, I was the only one here.
Stopped posting after seeing views stall for a month—shocking.
I got why even the last user like me bailed. Couldn't call this a good game with a straight face. No merits at all.
So why did I keep playing?
Why play a game? 'Cause it's fun.
Obviously, I found this flop fun. The controls and difficulty others hated? Fine by me. Perfect for forgetting reality.
A world crumbling, everyone dying. No need to mind others. Pure focus-or-die challenge.
For a shut-in loser like me, no better game existed.
Earned me "hardcore vet" status—object of fear.
And most of all... I related to the protagonist.
No real goals here. Just survive as long as possible with your character. That hit close to home.
I'm your classic gaming addict. Can't remember the last time I met someone. Glued to the PC all day. Ramen for meals. No hope, no dreams. Just dragging out a numb existence.
That pathetic life mirrored the character clawing through a hopeless world.
So what if I'm the only player? I enjoy it, that's enough.
Then a new post hit the board. An official notice from the admin!
Crazy? Posting now, with one user left?
Too late anyway. I calmed my pounding heart, clicked with shaky fingers.
My face hardened at the content.
'Last Day' service ends today.
"Haha... hahaha...."
First post ever: shutdown notice. Lame as hell. No thanks, no apologies. No prior warning—just poof, today.
"Whoa."
Title? Just "Notice." Not even "regrettable" or "sorry."
I didn't sink millions into it as a vet... but time and memories? Plenty.
Waking up excited for the day's play—felt like yesterday. Years loving this game, and this dismissive notice?
...Knew it'd end someday.
Running this flop this long was a miracle. Lucky a user stuck around to see the shutdown.
Or maybe they waited till zero players. Obvious mass exodus game.
But I stubbornly stayed, playing. Forced their hand for this notice?
Sole user, so they wrote it for me. My obsession outlasted their pride. Kinda uplifting.
I smirked bitterly, typing.
No, feeling this way means I'm already too deep. Like a fave novel finally ending.
Emptiness filled my chest.
"Haa."
I sighed at the board. Farewell time.
"......It was fun, though."
Guess I'll adapt to another game. Tough hunt ahead.
Then a cheerful ping—reply to my comment.
Special gift? For a shutting-down game?
Commemorative poster maybe?
"Could be beta access for a new game...."
Whatever, can't hurt. That's all I thought, then forgot.
Time passed. The world changed.
Or maybe the shift started earlier.
[Earth Server Service Terminated]