The heroic survivor of the end days who saved Sullivan's life was named Carter Druse. After a discourse broke out between the two to clear the situation up, it only resulted in deeper mutual confusion.

  "This is really Pheonix city?" Incredulously asked Sullivan.

  "You're really from the past?" Carter said half sincerely, half mockingly.

  "I don't know, probably. All I know is that I went to bed and suddenly found myself here. Look, I still have my pajamas on."

  "What year was it for you?"

  "2034."

  "It's, if I've kept my Calander correct, 2040."

  "SIX YEARS?!? You're telling me the world ends in six years?"

  "Well, you actually probably only have like three more years left."

  Sullivan was at a loss for words.

  "Forget that. Doesn't really matter, does it, cuz you're here now. Might as well wake up to the reality of your situation and start adapting or perishing."

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  "Well, it seems the reality is that all the combined combat forces of earth weren't able to fend off doomsday, so perishing seems more realistic."

  "I was just giving advice, jeez man, no need to be so cynical."

  "Hey, wait a minute. I'm Sullivan Guthrie; does that name sound familiar to you?"

  "Sullivan, Sullivan... Nope, why, you someone important?"

  A pensive mien possessed Sullivan's face, and he stared out at the tumbledown ruins around him.

  "Say, even if I did disappear sometime six years ago, it should've still made national news that a newly Awakened A+ aptitude, S aptitude depending on how informed the news stations are, just disappeared. I mean, that would make great headlines wouldn't it. 'S aptitude awakener mysteriously disappears.' Incidentally, can you vividly feel pain in dream?"

  "Course you can't. But I guess you could be from another earth's past, right. I mean the dimensional rifts are from all over. Who's to say it's not possible."

  As the two chatted, an approaching sound caught their attention. Running down the street towards them was a lone skeleton.

  "Welp, I guess it's perishing time." Carter said before weightlessly leaping away back to the top of a building. "But hey, if you really have an S aptitude, then it'll be a piece of cake."

  "Piece of cake? I've never seen such an unappetizing slice." Sullivan grumbled while balancing to an upright stance.

  As the skeleton headed straight for him, Sullivan defended himself in the only way he could think of: a kick right square on the sternum. However, due to the Skeleton's forward momentum, both the skeleton and Sullivan were sent flying backwards. Carter loudly guffawed, like it was the darnedest thing he had seen since the world ended.

  Receiving a few more bruises, Sullvan quickly scrambled to his feet. The Skeleton also stood up. Fearing that if he continued unarmed the situation would stay in an exhausting deadlock, Sullivan scanned his surroundings for a weapon to use. The only possible weapon handy was a large chunk of building that Sullivan grabbed and lifted over his head. As the Skeleton ran at him this time, Sullivan chucked the rock into the skeleton's chest, bowling it over. Not waiting for it to recover, Sullivan hied over and grabbed the rock again, using it to smash down on the skeleton's skull. When this failed to achieve his intended results, Sullivan grabbed the rock and sent it crashing down again, and again, until his enemy's skull was a pile of shards.

  As Sullivan caught his breath, he could feel those same warm pulses traveling through his body. His fatigue slowly faded, and he felt stronger and meaner.

  "Did killing that skeleton just cause me to level up?" Sullivan half-joked.