"As Ryan gazed at the barren wasteland before him, he couldn't help but feel a deep sense of melancholy wash over him. The tears that welled up in his eyes made his vision blurry, but he couldn't bring himself to wipe them away. Suddenly, he chuckled softly to himself, almost in disbelief at the irony of his situation. With a heavy heart, he lifted his gaze to the sky above, watching as a bright, rainbow-colored light began to descend towards him. In that moment, he knew that it was the end.

[Title gained: Endling of Humanity]

'Heh...' He let out a low chuckle as he stared up at the descending sky. Summoning his final reserves of strength, Ryan activated the last perk of his system. As the universe hurtled towards him, he forced himself to smile grimly, knowing that he was the only one who could save humanity.

[Summoning Support...]"

"Mark, get over here!" Mark's mom's voice cut through his world of words.

He snapped his phone shut, tucking it away in his pocket, suppressing a tinge of disappointment at leaving the novel he'd been immersed in. To be honest, it wasn't high-quality literature; more like the same badly-written junk he'd devoured a hundred times before.

But this was different. "Bastion of Humanity" promised a final showdown he'd been eagerly awaiting. For Mark, getting anywhere near the end of a novel was as rare as a shooting star. Typically, he'd read online rants about a terrible ending and pivot to a more engaging story.

Trudging downstairs, he found his mom hauling an old, rusted grill outdoors. "Mark," she began, her tone carrying an exasperated urgency, "Take the propane tank outside; your father's friends are coming over later today."

Mark grumbled internally, "Why did you never mention this earlier?" Complaining out loud wouldn't do any good. His relationship with his parents wasn't strained, but their social gatherings weren't his favorite. Sometimes, when he ventured out for a glass of water, their friends would eye him curiously, like a peculiar zoo exhibit.

With a resigned sigh, he lifted the propane tank and headed outside.

"Put it over here!" Mark's mom's voice pierced the air as she retreated into the house.

With a final huff, he lowered the propane tank onto the soft grass and breathed a sigh of relief. "Thunk!" But a strange sound emanated from inside the tank. "Thump! Thunk!" It shouldn't be making those noises. Could a rat have somehow gotten in there?

Mark regarded the tank suspiciously, the deep thudding growing louder. Suddenly, the tank began to expand.

"Uhhhh... I should probably run, right?" Without second thoughts, he turned and bolted away from the tank. And then, with a final, deafening thud, it burst into a dazzling, multicolored light.

"UAHHHHHHHH!!!"

[Designating Character: Mark Linrad --> Duncan Linrad]

[Appointing Privileges: Inventory (1)]

[Calculating Optimal Time-Frame..]

[Calculations Complete! Time-Frame: Beginning of Academy]