[The First Chapter of The Apocalypse' Briefing Would begin in 5 seconds]
In the world that had plunged into darkness and silence, this notification appeared before everyone's eyes.
Inside the classroom, the students' reactions were anything but calm.
Some screamed in panic, their chairs scraping against the floor as they tried to back away from the glowing texts only they could see.
Others frantically waved their hands as if they could swat the holograms away.
But this did not stop the hell that would soon reveal itself.
First, a lengthy mission briefing appeared in the vision of the panicked students, and every other human across the planet.
[First chapter of apocalypse]
[Title] Easy Survival
[Duration] 7 days
[Scenario] The world you know has ended, chaos has descended, your fate has changed from simple to extraordinary, and you must strive for survival.
[Main Mission]
-Survive
-Reach level 10 before the chapter ends.
[Rules]
-Failing to reach the designated level is death.
-Earthly food and water has been contaminated; every twenty-four hours, those who manage to level up will receive rations based on how many levels they have gained.
-Stay away from the corrupted mist.
-Those who do not level up within a forty-eight-hours period lose 50% of their HP permanently.
[Rewards]
-Your life
-100 apocalypse coins
[Countdown to the first chapter] 10 Seconds.
[Prepare]
As the students read the details, their expressions twisted in confusion, fear, and frustration.
"What are all these?"
"It looks like something copied out of the zombie video game I was playing last night. Am I really dreaming?"
"Can someone please explain this?"
"Oh God. This can't be real!"
[9 seconds]
They reacted.
A few even attempting to swat the notification away once again.
In the midst of the confusion, Desmond studied the briefing with an expression that was a mix of sadness and relief.
And then he heaved a sigh.
He observed his friend behind him.
Just as he recalled, Rowan was in a dazed state, staring at what seemed like empty air, as no one could see another person's notification.
The reality of the new world had begun to dawn on him.
[4 Seconds remaining.]
As the countdown struck three seconds, the classroom abruptly became quiet.
It was as though the reality of the situation was being processed by the students.
[2 seconds remaining.]
The classroom remained silent and stagnant; the students observed the dark world outside with a horrified expression on their faces.
[1 seconds remaining.]
Desmond stood up from his seat and heaved a long sigh.
[0 seconds remaining]
[Welcome to the first chapter of apocalypse]
And it began.
Terrified screams broke out from outside, from nearby classrooms.
Desmond's eyes darted to the front of the classroom where Mr. Maxwell could be seen, struggling.
Just as he remembered, Mr. Maxwell's body began to twist in agony.
His cries thundered across the classroom, echoing the pain of transformation.
Many other similar cries soon erupted from others.
Those who had failed to pick a fate snapped into different nightmarish forms. Their transformation was rapid.
Where Mr. Maxwell once stood, a bloodthirsty goblin now stood, with red eyes that shone with a killing intent.
Its crazed eyes darted from one student to another, and suddenly, it moved toward its first target—a front-row student who stared at it in a daze.
In a split second, its fingers-turned-claws swept through the air and attacked the defenseless student before he could react. Blood splattered on the desk.
The neck of the student had been torn open.
The goblin immediately grabbed the lifeless head of the student and dug its teeth into his neck.
It began feasting on its flesh; a necessity for the survival and evolution of its kind.
"W-what!"
Standing directly behind the ordeal, a student collapsed on the ground with eyes wide with fear.
The goblin's eyes shifted from its current meal to its new prey, and a deadly glint flashed as it moved towards him.
Nearby, a student was being eaten alive by two of his classmates—or rather, former classmates.
What currently fed on him were soulless beings.
They shared the same resemblance as humans, even maintaining their previous facial features before the transformation.
Nevertheless, their skin was pale green, and their eyes had turned mindless and murderous—they were zombies.
In the classroom, more than five zombies appeared, preying on the students.
In front of Desmond, a zombie stood.
Its hollow eyes were facing him.
An unnatural glint sparked within them as it marked him as its prey.
In a horrifying manner, it twisted its body in his direction, gradually lifting its rotten fingers.
A low, guttural growl was released from its mouth as it began moving toward him, attempting to crawl over the chair and desk that currently divided them.
Nonetheless, Desmond remained unfazed, nonchalantly observing the zombie as it crawled further.
Everything was happening as it had in his previous life, and in the next two seconds, it would happen again.
Before the zombie reached him, a large bird with shiny white feathers about the size of an eagle appeared out of thin air and attacked it with its razor-sharp beak.
The zombie's attention sluggishly shifted to the strange white bird that appeared.
It let out a low growl of annoyance. But it was too sluggish.
The bird attacked again, this time with a fiercer force and a snappier speed.
It tore through the weak flesh of the zombie's neck.
Rotten black blood splattered as the zombie's head landed on the ground with a low thud.
"Desmond, are you okay?"
Rowan's panicked voice broke through Desmond's speculation of the concluded battle. The former tried to pull him from the chaos.
But Desmond only turned, his gaze falling not on Rowan—but on the zombie staggering up behind him.
The zombie's hollow eyes were locked onto Desmond's back, its rotten fingers stretching forward.
Rowan noticed it too and his eyes widened in fear.
But he did not flee.
He lifted his trembling hands.
Words he didn't understand spilled from his lips.
And then a burst of white light flared.
From it emerged another shiny white bird with radiant feathers and sharp features.
It let out a cold shriek, its wings beating against the stale air as it dove toward the zombie.
Its beak drove straight into the side of the monster's skull.
Rotten blood sprayed as the soulless creature landed on the ground, uttering its last guttural growl.