Desmond watched his wristwatch with a settled expression as the timer struck noon.
Then he shifted his gaze to the world outside.
He noticed it.
The gradual change in temperature, the first sign of the beginning of the apocalypse.
As he watched, the sun vanished, plunging the entire world into eerie darkness and quiet.
The once noisy classroom mimicked the silence as students and teacher alike shifted their gaze to the window.
Only muffled whispers broke the stillness, as students questioned each other about the abrupt and eerie change.
The world did not give them a chance to come to a conclusion.
A thunderous trumpet sound blasted across, sending shivers down their spines.
Those who were standing fell to the ground, horrified.
The ones sitting shivered uncontrollably.
Only Desmond remained calm.
Having experienced this before, he knew the worst had yet to come.
What they were experiencing was only the introduction to the hell that was about to descend.
And then the second phase began.
"Huh, am I dreaming?" a student shivering in his seat whispered.
"There are glowing texts floating in front of me. I think I am indeed dreaming," another commented.
"What is happening? Is this some kind of prank?"
The students expressed their worried and shaken thoughts.
Of course, just like him in his previous life, they thought it was unreal, a well-planned prank.
Now that he thought of it, he felt embarrassed that he had even shared these thoughts in his previous life.
A prank?
One that could make the sun vanish and cause a loud trumpet sound to blast around every corner of the world?
What human being or organization could pull off such a feat?
It was indeed foolish of him to even consider it as such.
But enough of those thoughts.
The most important part of the apocalypse had begun.
The part he liked to call THE FIRST AWAKENING.
[Player please choose your fate]
These texts floated in front of his eyes in a glowing, blue holographic window, resembling something out of a video game.
Beneath the texts were three glowing cards labeled with red question marks.
These were the fates they had to choose from, the first gamble for survival.
Everyone in the classroom and the entire world was greeted with them at this moment.
Unfortunately, more than sixty percent of them would disregard this important phase, becoming the first victims of the apocalypse.
'Which one should I go for?' came the difficult part.
Each card held countless wonders, divided into three major categories.
The first was talents—ranging from combat skills that boosted attack power, speed, and stamina, to magical abilities that controlled the elements, or even unique gifts like summoning and beast taming.
The second was relics—ancient weapons of legend, more effective against monsters than even nuclear arms.
The last was blessings—rare and unpredictable powers granted directly by the gods themselves.
The blessed ones received divine favor from the god who picked them.
For example, one picked by the God of Life might be granted a quick recovery blessing or the ability to heal others or an item that could resurrect others from the dead.
Desmond heaved a sigh.
While he knew about the categories of wonders held behind these mysterious cards, he could not tell which held which.
It was a major disadvantage.
In his previous life, he had chosen the middle card and awakened the talent Spear Master, which granted him great combat ability—but only when wielding a spear.
He nearly died in the first chapter of the apocalypse due to the unavailability of a spare.
He might have actually become an early victim if it weren't for Rowan rescuing him many times.
Now faced with the same decision, he was hesitant.
Around him, the confused chattering of the other students trying to figure out the game-like display in their vision could be heard.
Some of them had even begun to blindly pick their fates.
Desmond placed his attention on the three cards.
The one in the middle was out of the question.
He did not want to own such a limited talent as the Spear Master class all over again.
His only options were the two on either side.
He lifted his finger gently, conflicted.
His eyes darted from the first and the last.
They looked perfectly identical, but the power they held was vastly different—one could be a blessing that made him useless, and another could be a relic or a talent that made him overpowered.
'First is always the best,' he thought.
He picked the first card. Immediately, the other cards dimmed and disappeared.
[You have picked your fate]
Desmond's heart beat faster.
[Revealing fate.....]
[Talent: Blood Monarch, has been awakened]
His eyes widened. Blood Monarch? He had never heard of such a talent.
[Blood Monarch]
[Description] A ruler born in blood, you are granted the ability to control and manipulate blood—both yours and that of others. The more blood spilled around you, the stronger your body becomes, granting you enhanced healing, strength, and stamina. You can mold blood into weapons and comrades, bending them to your will.
[Unlocked Skills]:
[Blood Bond, Lv 1]
Bond with a single target for twenty-four hours. Once bonded, you receive 2x of every experience point they gain in that period.
[Other Effects]
-After binding with the same target for 3 consecutive times, you get a 10% chance to steal their Fate for a short while.
-Targets are loyal under the skill's influence.
[Activation] 50 MP and a drop of blood of the target.
[Crimson Recovery, Lv 1]
Passively absorb 10% of a slain enemy's health to restore your own. Drinking blood directly restores even more health, scaling with vitality.
[Blood Storage, Lv.1]
Absorbs the blood of slain foes and transfers it into your personal Blood Bank for later use. Current Capacity: 10 L.
[Blood Swipe, Lv 1]
Release a sharp arc of condensed blood energy to slash enemies within three meters. Damage scales with user's strength and vitality.
[Activation] 10 MP and 0.1 L of blood.
[Cooldown] 20 Seconds.
[Crimson Fist, Lv.1]
Concentrates stored blood into your fists for ten minutes, enhancing their destructive power. For every 5 consecutive punches dealt, a critical attack is triggered, multiplying attack power by 5x.
[Activation] 100 MP and 0.5 L of blood.
[Cooldown] 30 Seconds.
He became speechless as he studied the details of his talent.
A total of five skills had been unlocked, each one lethal and potent.
An overpowering contrast to the simple three skills he had unlocked in his previous life.
[Your Fate has been recorded]
The same message that marked the release of hell flashed in his vision.
[The First Chapter of The Apocalypse' Briefing Would begin in 5 seconds]