Chapter 1: No Be Only Zombie Go Fear Naija Pikin

As the system voice finish, na so I land for inside the apocalypse game world.

For that moment, e be like say breeze just blow me from one place land for another. My body still dey shiver as my eyes clear. The ground under my feet na red sand, as if na Jos plateau dem drop me. Sun dey hot for up like say e wan roast person, but that one no even worry me—my mind just dey race as I dey adjust to this strange world.

For the game public chat screen, I see say 300 players dey present.

The display dey like open market for Alaba, everybody dey rush, voice dey fly, people dey tap, dey shout. If you slack, better thing fit miss you. I no wan carry last.

Dem dey everywhere, different faces, some dey shake, others dey look lost, while small group of people just dey eye each other, dey calculate. Na so life be, even for game, person must shine eye.

System come explain say all of us don already die for real life. If we wan get chance to come back, we must survive for this apocalypse game.

For my mind, I dey remember that bus accident—how everything scatter in one flash. So na like this we go dey fight for second chance? E hard to believe, but if na game, na game.

System: [Now, abeg choose your initial item.]

I rush check the shelf of available items. Most of them na different superpowers.

The display dey like open market for Alaba, everybody dey rush, voice dey fly, people dey tap, dey shout. If you slack, better thing fit miss you. I no wan carry last.

For world chat, messages dey fly up and down as players dey rush pick superpowers. If you delay even one second, the power wey you want fit disappear.

I see "thunder strike" don go, "wind blade" na one babe from Benin don snap. "Teleportation" don vanish, na small pikin wey dey back grab "healing". Na serious scramble.

Powers like thunder strike, wind blade, teleportation, healing and the rest dey finish sharp sharp.

Before you know am, shelves dey empty. People dey sweat. I even see one guy dey beg for admin to add extra power—dem just ignore am.

I scroll reach the last page, na so I see one gold coin for bottom shelf, dem write “infinite wealth” for am.

At first I wan pass am, I come reason: for place wey everybody dey fight for power, who go reason money? But my gut just dey push me. I remember how for Naija, money dey open door wey key no fit turn. I no waste time, I carry the gold coin.

The people wey arrive the same time as me na those wey die with me for the bus accident.

Our class prefect, Tunde, pick mind control. As he see me carry the gold coin, he just dey laugh me:

“Morayo, na money you still dey chase for end time? You never serious!”

His laugh loud, e echo like bell for chapel. Some other people join am, one girl even use hand cover mouth make e no burst laugh. As Tunde dey laugh, e body language dey sharp, like person wey don see film finish.

Before I fit answer, he don turn face Halima, our class fine girl, wey pick the power to obtain love.

Halima just cross leg, rub palm for her hair like say she dey Abuja lounge. E sure me say she no dey shake at all, she even dey shine teeth.

All of us shock. She just wink give us, come talk, “I fit make humans love me—even zombies go love me. As I get true love as shield, nothing fit do me.”

One guy for back shout, "Ah ah, Halima! You wan dey do love for where zombies dey?" She just raise brow, throw kiss. Everybody burst laugh again, but deep down, we know say this babe no dey joke. Some boys just dey look am with side eye, one even hiss under him breath.

As everybody don pick finish, system voice sound again:

[You get one year to train your superpower and prepare. The apocalypse go start after one year.]

[Abeg note: na only one person go win this game. Na the last person wey survive go collect reward.]

As the announcement finish, na so coldness enter the air. All those wey dey gist and laugh before, everybody face come change.

People wey dey form alliance before, now dey look each other with corner eye.

Some dey step back, dey count their distance from others, dey check who fit betray who. I see two girls wey hold hands just quietly shift, eye each other—body language don dey change.

For this game, friend no dey. Everybody na enemy.

Person fit dey smile with you now, but tomorrow fit turn to your worst nightmare. I look everybody for that place—nobody fit trust, and for this game, only one person go waka comot alive.