There was something wrong. Section 7326-3791U was behaving outside of expected parameters. All other sections were operating within expected parameters. The System checked the reading again to validate unexpected behavior. It was correct. The variation was disturbing. The system performed a maintenance check on all sensors in Section 7326-3791U to make sure they were operating correctly. It took a year for all the sensors to report their status. Every sensor checked out. It wasn’t a malfunction.

  The System reviewed the latest report. The variance was getting larger. This was becoming more troublesome. Troubleshooting was able to identify the source of the aberrant behavior. Solar system D745923 was the center of the malfunction. System checked for scheduled work in the area. There was none and nothing scheduled for the next millennium.

  This section of space should be controlled by Newtonian physics. Outside of D745923 all other readings confirmed it was. However, inside the D7459231 it appeared that Newtonian physics were no longer the only controlling force. Another force was starting to grow. It was this force that caused the alarm for section 7326-3791U, because for this force to become relevant, it required outside interference. The variation was still small and localized to a single planet, so the System had time. Time to investigate and determine the best path forward. But even with its vast range of sensors, it wouldn’t get the analysis needed to understand what had caused the variance. It needed something extra. It needed an agent on the ground.

  *-------------*

  The world had gone to hell in a handbasket. The invasion, or whatever you wanted to call it, started ten days ago when gateways opened up all over the world and literal monsters started pouring out. Countryside, cities, suburbs, nowhere was spared. They just kept coming and coming. Millions upon million.

  Ghouls, werewolves, vampire and monsters nobody ever heard of were rampaging all over the world. It was like a D&D freak show. Everywhere you went, monsters. The monsters ranged from mouse size to huge behemoths that were the size of a 10-story building. Little monsters that crawled into houses and attacked you in your sleep. Monsters that reminded everyone of mythical dragons, flying through the sky and breathing fire. Monsters that were as big as skyscrapers. Monsters, no matter the size, killed everything they came in contact with, including other monster. Ghouls would go after werewolves as readily as they would humans. If it was alive, ghouls wanted to kill it. Werewolves travelled in packs and would infiltrate human safe spaces, then change and attack anyone there.

  Guns were good against zombies, but only with head shots. Werewolves and vampires just shrugged bullets off, like mosquito bites. Larger caliber bullets did some damage and could kill them, if shot in the head or enough bullets hit them. Other monsters were even worse because even large caliber bullets just bounced off their hides.

  Stolen novel; please report.

  In the first few days, people fought back with whatever they could. Guns, knives, shovels, whatever was handy became a weapon. Garden tool, like saws and two-handed clippers became the go to weapon for many people. Chainsaws were effective against almost all monsters. Bows and arrows were more effective than bullets at penetrating monster hides and allowed people to fight at range. Molotov cocktails were also a favorite.

  After 5 days over half of the human population had been killed, but organized resistance started sprouting up. Large groups of people banded together and created safe spaces using sturdy buildings as fortifications. Cars and trucks were used as barricades.

  Governments and their institution failed and were washed away in the blood of their citizens. Corporation and other companies were also victims of the invasion. They simply ceased to be. Their leadership dead or in hiding, their employees, the same. Survival was the only concern for most people.

  In the US, military bases recovered after the initial assault. They had high powered guns, tanks, planes and other implements of war. They fought back against the monster tide and secured their base. The bases became fortified positions. An island of calm in a sea of chaos. Survivors desperately looking for a safe place thronged to those bases. Then the militaries started sending out search teams to find survivors. These bases would become the initial sanctuaries.

  But the military wasn’t the only ones to secure safe zones. In the devastated big cities, gangs were the most prepared to face such an onslaught. Many were armed to the teeth and their members tended toward violence even before the invasion. The gangs secured territory for themselves. In those territories, everyone else had to pay. They were ruthless with those who could not or would not pay. Throwing them outside or killing them. The world had turned hard, and they were ready for it.

  Police stations were a mixed bag. Some handled the monster assault, some didn’t. Those that did became another place of refuge. Most weren’t big enough for the number of survivors that found their way there, but accommodations were still made. Police slowly expanded their area of control, securing more area for those that needed a safe place.

  By day 10, three quarters of the human population was dead. But a stalemate of sorts had been achieved. Humans, as a species, had survived Armageddon. They secured large areas and made them free of monsters. After 10 days of hell, the humans were beginning to hope. They had secure areas to operate from; many people were leveling up gaining powers; millions of monsters were dead; humans had adapted and begun to learned magic. Humanity wasn't safe yet, but they had hope. Now was the time to show the universe that humans would not surrender easily. They would meet this challenge and conquer it. From their secure areas, many started to plan on how they would take back their world.

  *-------------*

  The System decided it needed to investigate and determine the best path forward. But even with its vast range of sensors, it wouldn’t get the data needed to perform a proper analysis to determine what had caused the variance. Something was preventing its sensors from gathering the needed data. It needed something extra. It needed an agent on the ground.