✰ Just before the Apocalypse. Shanghai. 9 am. ✰
Elsewhere, at Yingji University. The campus was famous: It boasted the most elite students in the entire region. The modern institution of China that was overflowing with life; in addition, the entire site of Yingji was crammed with students rushing to their course.
Tall infrastructures, grassy fields, large swimming pools, and the tinkling of blooming love. At an indoor basketball court, two teams were fiercely competing on the vast hardwood rectangular floor. On the sidelines, thousands of youthful university students were stridently cheering the players on.
Today, Liu Jun, the extremely handsome undergrad of Yingji, was currently battling with a neighboring campus. Previously, Yingji University had been insulted due to being 'pompous' elites who only read books. Of course, he would not take this insult lying down; therefore, he had sent an invitation of challenge to the basketball team of Lin University.
The familiar basketball court caused Liu Jun's heart to keenly beat in rivalry. Facing Lin's basketball team, he calmly bounced the ball. In the beginning, he had been nervous. But after the first half, he solely concentrated on winning!
Currently, the scoreboard was 78-80 to Lin University. Furthermore, it was nearing the end of the fourth quarter. Analyzing the position of his team, Liu Jun bit his lower lip. His entire team was exhausted; Yingji University lacked athletic students. On the court, there were no openings; therefore, he decided to act.
As the point guard, Liu Jun feinted moving into a passing stance. For the Yingji students enthusiastically watching the game, all of them grew restless. Standing up on their seats, the students observed the handsome, brown-haired undergrad suddenly twist his broad body to evade the defender.
Abruptly, Liu Jun swiftly backed into a fade-away shot, and two tall defenders turned sharply to block his shot. Jumping, the three figures seemed to be floating. Time seemed to freeze. But at the critical moment, he used his elbow to pass the ball to an open blonde teammate.
"Woosh."
Nearing the final moments, Huang Dong's one shot would decide everything! Liu Jun was willing to play the percentages. His teammate was completely free, and he was more likely to make the shot than him! At this moment, he nervously watched his good friend take a shot before the three-point line.
The blonde Huang Dong smiled at his friend's pass. As his longtime friend, he knew that Liu Jun did not desire glory; instead, he simply did not want to be looked down on. Therefore, as his friend, he should not disappoint his good intentions! Still panting, he instantly went to shoot a 3-pointer.
"Swish!"
The two of them anxiously observed the basketball soar through the air. The entire game had built up to this single moment! Eventually, the red ball reached the basketball hoop. Shakily, Huang Dong witnessed the ball swirl a few times atop the rim.
"Swirl." With the sound of the buzzer, for a brief moment, there was utter silence. In due course, the entire cohort of Yingji cheered and sprinted toward the blonde Huang Dong. 81-80, the shot had been made!
"Good job, Brother Dong." Liu Jun grinned, and he bumped fists with his best friend. The blonde muscular man smiled back with two rows of white teeth. Finally, the game was over. They had done it! The honor of Yingji had been successfully defended; furthermore, the opposing campus was a top sports institution!
While the two were joyfully conversing, a large crowd rushed toward them. Suddenly, the blonde Huang Dong was lifted into a celebratory dance. At the same time, Liu Jun smiled, and he did not feel envious.
Calming his drowsiness, Liu Jun quietly went to retrieve his water bottle. But when he went to reach for his stainless-steel water bottle, a soft white hand brushed his palm. Looking up, he saw a beautiful brunette. Chuckling, he laughed, "Ah Xue, we've done it."
"Well done, Jun." Qian Xue lovingly smiled. The two were childhood friends who had of late established their love for one another. While the beautiful couple embraced each other, a sudden thundering crash resonated.
"BOOM!"
Shocked, Liu Jun pulled his girlfriend into an even tighter embrace. Looking around, numerous white-colored portals had formed from nowhere. For good reason, he expected nothing decent to emerge. At the same time, his blonde friend, Huang Dong ran to his side.
"Brother Jun, what is this?" Huang Dong asked stunned. Leaving the crowd, the three observed the portals with uncertainty. A few seconds later, a few thick goblins arose from within. At another portal, a hoard of undead skeletons had walked out.
"I'm not sure." Liu Jun replied with hesitation. Lights flashed out everywhere as a cold message resounded inside his head. {Initialized, player Liu Jun's status.}
———————
{Liu Jun}
✧Human
✧Attribute Points
Power: 10 (White)
Speed: 10 (White)
Intelligence: 10 (White)
Stamina: 10 (White)
Endurance: 10 (White)
Recovery: 10 (White)
Charm: 10 (White)
✧Free Attribute Points: 0
———————
"What is this?" Liu Jun was shocked, and his mind was in disarray. Above them, a cascade of night clouds had covered the sky. Furthermore, the darkness contained portals of numerous colors which discharged bright lights onto the campus of Yingji University. To be honest, Liu Jun thought the sight was beautiful. Compared to the foggy skies of China, it was an astonishing view to behold.
When the monsters arose from the portals, a couple more brazen students decided to walk toward the green goblins. Holding their cellphones, the students happily took pictures and videos of the monsters. Liu Jun tried to tell them to stop, but the eager crowd ignored him.
"I'm going to be famous! This is amazing!" A chubby man in his late-twenties exclaimed, and his small eyes displayed complete bewilderment. While he was filming his soon-to-be viral video, he noticed the monsters walking closer to him on the screen. He fearlessly added, "Wow, this is so cool!"
Abruptly, a green goblin lifted his stubby hand. Using his sharp nails, he murderously scratched the chubby man. The attack was ruthless, and the chubby man had a bloody claw mark from the top to bottom of his face. Feeling the pain, the chubby man screamed; furthermore, he could not see anything. The scratch had shattered his eyeballs, and he had become blind.
The crowd was shaking, while Liu Jun asked, "Did you hear that notification, Brother Dong? I think… it's similar to a game. Remember that famous MMORPG, the one we played in our childhood?"
"Yes, of course, I do. But, instead, this is real life… if we die here, it's over." Huang Dong replied with some hesitation in his voice. In the modern era, novels and movies commonly depicted such realities; therefore, the three friends analyzed the situation realistically. From childhood, the trio had been exposed to these possibilities, so they had an easier time accepting the situation.
"Weapons. We need weapons." Liu Jun intuitively stated. By instinct, he knew that calling for help would be useless in this situation. Judging from the sky, this deadly phenomenon should be occurring everywhere. So, at this point, obtaining weapons to defend themselves would be the next best thing!
Grabbing a nearby broom used for cleaning, Liu Jun broke the metal broom into a long stick. Holding the newly-formed weapon in one hand, he automatically handed it to his first love, "Ah Xue, take this… don't hesitate to defend yourself."
"Okay… Jun." Qian Xue nodded. As his childhood lover, she had complete trust in him. But, even so, there was still some reluctance in her voice.
"Good." Seeing this, Liu Jun tried to show a soothing smile, but it was not the slightest bit convincing. Although she had hesitation in her voice, he knew that she would defend herself if needed. The two would never lie to each other.
Finally, Liu Jun turned to his friend. Smiling, he spoke, "Hey, what's with the indecision? You couldn't be waiting for me to babysit you, right? Huang Dong, who was the one who would always carry me in games?"
"Of course not." Huang Dong grinned in response, and he lifted his tennis bat. As a top tennis player, he would constantly tow his bat along with him. Usually, Liu Jun would jokingly make fun of him about it. Claiming that he did it to impress the ladies, but it had excellent use now and came in handy.
"Heh." Chuckling, Liu Jun observed the monsters. First, he would study the goblin's attack pattern. Before engaging in combat, this process was crucial: It was essential to understand one's enemy!