As Rael and his companions were whisked away into the unknown, they found themselves in a world vastly different from the post-apocalyptic one they had known. The environment around them was surreal, with a sky that seemed to be a swirling canvas of colors and a landscape that defied the laws of nature.
Rael's awakening was gradual as he slowly regained consciousness. He felt an inexplicable surge of power coursing through his veins, and his body had undergone a transformation. His physical attributes had increased significantly, and his new Lower Chaotic Bloodline seemed to have stabilized.
Looking around, Rael saw none of his companions emerging beside him.
'So, where am I? I remember the system mentioning that the Apocalypse Games began.'
Since it was impossible for him to think of an accurate answer, Rael simply decided to move from his spot and find some people to ask.
He was currently inside a lush forest that seemed to be extremely old, considering the giant trees around him.
But before Rael could take a single step, a system notification caught his eye.
(Ding! Congratulations for participating in the Apocalypse Games! Until mana completely fuses with your home planet, the system decided to move everyone to this wonderful world - Ceria!)
(Ding! New Main Quest received!)
(Ding! New Sub Quest received!)
Rael finally understood what happened. It turned out that he and everyone else were moved from Earth to this new world, Ceria, until mana could stabilize itself on Earth.
He thought it was probably an arduous process to do so, and their interference would make that process even harder.
But this wasn't all. In this world, Rael could feel something different flowing through his veins; it was probably mana, and his body was in the process of adapting to it.
'The real reason for moving us around should also be for this. The system is preparing our bodies for when we're going to return to Earth. Even though I'm so strong right now, I still feel a bit constrained by the pressure in the air. I'm sure other people would have it harder than me.'
Unknowingly, his thoughts were on the mark, but there was no one who could confirm it for Rael.
After thinking this far, Rael decided to finally check his System and see if his body had received some improvements from getting a new Bloodline.
[Character: Rael Hamartia]
[Bloodline]: Lower Chaotic
[Level]: F- Rank Lifeform
[Title]: Mad Slayer (+2 All attributes)
**Attributes**
- Strength: 43 (+14)
- Stamina: 43 (+14)
- Intelligence: 36 (+11)
- Agility: 49 (+14)
- Perception: 50 (+11)
- Attribute Points: 10
**Bloodline Abilities**
[Locked] - Host needs to become a D- Rank Lifeform.
[Locked] - Host needs to become a B- Rank Lifeform.
[Locked] - Host needs to become an SS Rank Lifeform.
**Skills**
[Common Skills]: Slash.
[Uncommon Skills]: Dash.
**Inventory**
[Weapons]: [Rare Black Spider Sword].
[Equipment]: [Rare Black Spider Armor], [Rare Black Spider Gloves], [Rare Black Spider Shoes], [Rare Black Spider Pendant], [Rare Black Spider Cloak].
**Quest Log**
- Main Quest: Apocalypse Games
- Objective: Survive for a month inside the Apocalypse Games World. Obtain a higher rank for higher rewards. (+)
- Reward: Calculated depending on the host's performance.
- Sub Quest: Top 1000 Ranking
- Objective: Make a name for yourself by being one of the strongest beings from your world! (+)
- Reward: Calculated depending on the host's performance.
*Skills Upgrade Menu*
- Slash (Common) - (100 XP) needed to level up.
- Dash (Uncommon) - (1000 XP) needed to level up.
[Unique Skill]:
- Corruption (Passive) - Grants the ability to corrode mana, given by an unknown source for Rael Hamartia.
[Class]: Chaos Adept
- Description: Chaos Adepts are individuals who have embraced the unpredictable forces of chaos and harnessed them in combat. They wield the power of disorder and can turn it to their advantage, making them formidable and unpredictable adversaries.
- Class Abilities:
- Chaotic Flux
- Random Strike
- Entropic Shield
- Equipment Proficiency:
- Unpredictable Weapons
A few things caught Rael's eye. First of all, his bloodline. The second one was his level, which showed as 'F-' instead of numbers.
But seeing the Locked Bloodline Abilities, Rael seemed to think of something.
'It mentioned that I would unlock the first bloodline ability after becoming a D- Lifeform. Could this be using the System's personal power system based on the universe standards?'
Thinking for a while, Rael thought it made sense. After all, if the experience needed to level up continued to double, then not to mention level 100, there would probably be problems arising from level 40, as it would require astronomical amounts of XP to level up.
Seeing that his attributes also made a significant leap of +10 each one, Rael knew it was surely because of his successful bloodline integration.
Another thing that interested him was his Chaos Adept Class; he wanted to check the class skills quickly.
1. Chaotic Flux:
- Description: Chaos Adepts can channel the chaotic energies of the universe, causing random effects in combat. These effects can range from unpredictable bursts of power to disorienting foes.
- Effects: Randomized bonus damage, chance to stun or confuse opponents, or alter the environment unpredictably.
2. Random Strike:
- Description: Chaos Adepts can deliver blows infused with chaos, making each attack unique. These unpredictable strikes can catch opponents off guard.
- Effects: Each strike has a chance to trigger random effects, such as extra damage, status effects, or debuffs.
3. Entropic Shield:
- Description: Chaos Adepts can create a protective shield of entropy that absorbs and redirects attacks, adding an element of unpredictability to defense.
- Effects: The shield can absorb incoming damage and occasionally reflect it back at the attacker. It may also grant temporary defensive bonuses.
Rael felt a surge of excitement coming from deep inside his soul, even though he barely understood the skills' descriptions; this didn't stop him from imagining their effects.
It seemed that Chaos Adept was a very versatile Class, one that was even more dangerous in combat.
Skipping through other things, he finally looked at the Quests he received.
Tapping on the '(+)' icon, another set of words appeared in front of his eyes.
(Every single action of the host is under surveillance by the System. At the end of the month, the host's battle sense, prowess, leadership, train of thoughts, decision-making process, action, etc., would be calculated into Achievement Points that could be used to exchange for Weapons, Equipment, Items, Resources, Bloodlines, Skills, Fluids, Potions, Information.)
Having read all that, Rael was surprised by the strict requirements that formed the Apocalypse Games. But even more so by the various rewards one could find while browsing the bine sections possible, especially the Information section. Rael was truly curious to see what he could find out from it. It was exactly what he needed.
'This is a very detailed screening process that would probably try to either force people to take the best course of action or make them feel pressured enough to fail and receive fewer Achievement Points.'
Now tapping on the other '(+)' from the Sub Quest, Rael quickly found out the truth about the Top 1000 Ranking.
(Top 1000 Ranking is a real-time ranking that calculates every participant's kill count. The best part of this ranking is that every place inside the ranking would offer the participant a bonus percentage at the end of the Apocalypse Games.)
Very quickly, Rael saw another list appear before his eyes.
He was shocked to see what the system omitted to tell them; if one killed an F- Rank Lifeform inside Ceria, they would directly receive an Achievement Point!
An F Rank Lifeform was worth two Achievement Points, and an F+ Rank Lifeform was worth three Achievement Points!
Five Achievement Points for an E- Rank, seven for an E Rank, and ten for an E+ Rank Lifeform. The list was going on and on, but Rael stopped since he thought it wouldn't be that simple to kill those monsters.
Since he considered himself to be pretty strong, he could imagine what an E Rank Lifeform was capable of.
Completely shattering trees shouldn't be an impossible task for them, since even Rael was confident in his ability to cut one in half.
The best part, though, Rael read a line saying that if he killed another participant, his Achievement Points would be transferred over.
'Alright, since there are supposed to be around 4.5 billion humans around Ceria, it should be a pretty big world, even bigger than Earth by a few times. I should see if there are other people around.'
Rael probably didn't know this yet, but that number held true when the Apocalypse began on Earth, not now. It was much lower, actually, since a lot of humans died in those twenty-four hours.
A lot of innocent lives were lost, many of them to their own kind, no matter if human or zombie. One way or another, blood was spilled.
'After all, if the beasts are too much to handle, I should kill whatever I can, including my own kind.'
Rael's eyes gleamed with determination; he was ready to do anything necessary to secure the best possible reward for himself.
This was probably the stage he needed to gain an edge over the other humans from Earth. And if he was lucky enough, maybe he could even see some familiar faces around.
Before he could begin his exploration, the sound of rustling leaves was heard, prompting Rael to turn in that direction; prepared for whatever was about to show itself...