I was jolted awake by the trumpet's blaring sound, a reminder that the horrifying game was about to begin once more.
Every time that trumpet played, a sense of dread washed over me because I knew what it meant.
The screen appeared before me, and the chilling voice echoed in my head.
[Good morning everyone! Today is indeed a beautiful day to start our second game!]
[Are you already familiar with the system?]
The question caught me off guard. Yesterday, in exhaustion, I had forgotten about the gifts in the mailbox and hadn't explored how the system worked.
I am so fucked up!
[Because today is the hunting day!]
[Game requirement: the barrier around the colony will disappear! Kill as many monsters as you can to gather killing points.]
[Time remaining: 5 hours.]
[The reward will have 3 tiers]
[10000 killing points gathered: 1500 EXP, 50 skill points, 2 skill pass, SSR-tier weapon, 100,000 gold coins]
[5000 killing points gathered: 1000 EXP, 25 skill points, 1 skill pass, weapon pass, 50,000 gold coins]
[1000 killing points gathered: 500 EXP, 10 skill points, weapon pass, 20,000 gold coins.]
[Fail to gather less than 1000 killing points, and you won't receive any prizes.]
[Game started!]
Shit!
I moved like lightning, rushing to my mailbox to collect the gifts.
[Choose your class wisely! You can't change it after you make your choice.]
There were various options: Warrior, Ranger, Martial Artist, Mage, and Assasin.
Knowing my limitations, I realized that close combat was a no-go due to my lack of skill. Archery required a level of expertise I didn't possess.
Being a mage seemed intriguing, but I wasn't at that level yet. Most spells demanded too much MP and were impractical for someone of my low level to take on hordes of monsters.
Given the substantial rewards, I was determined to claim the highest tier. That meant I had to take down as many monsters as possible.
I heard the sound of a nearby monster, and panic surged. I needed to move fast. As I scanned the surroundings, I spotted a large building nearby. Without hesitation, I sprinted toward that building.
Mid-dash, I noticed numerous players brandishing their weapons, launching into the fray with an air of newfound power and confidence. They were far from the pathetic survivors they'd been before.
The distant roars of monstrous creatures reverberated through the chaos, echoing alongside explosions that lit up both my rear and my path ahead.
I sprinted towards a partially intact building, leaving a shattered one behind.
Before venturing inside, I cautiously surveyed the chaotic interior. Despite the disorder, there was something about this place that seemed oddly resilient, so I made my move.
Bounding through the lobby and ascending a flight of stairs, I halted on the third floor and entered a room that resembled an office.
Sunlight filtered through a large window, casting a soft glow on a table ahead of me. A sofa and coffee table sat opposite.
Having secured what appeared to be a safe haven, I settled onto the sofa and let my heavy bag fall to the floor. It was time to check the system once more.
This time, I was curious about the prizes, particularly the skill pass and weapon pass.
But what did it do?
The system promptly responded.
[You can use a skill pass to draw a skill and a weapon pass to draw a weapon. The skill's and weapon's rarity depends on your luck.]
[Do you want to use a skill pass to draw a skill?]
I said "Yes."
[Are you sure? You haven't chosen your class yet.]
What did that mean? Did I need to select a class first? I was uncertain, struggling to make a decision.
Fuck it! let the system choose, maybe the skill that I get would guide me into the right class.
"Yes."
I watched as a card animation played out on the screen, making it feel like a game. The card shifted colors to a vibrant purple. Did that mean I had something good?
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[Skill: Enhanced Perception SR]
[MP cost: 15]
[Skill cooldown: 5 minutes.]
[Description: Grants the user an expanded field of view and a deep understanding of their surroundings, enabling the user to detect hidden threats.]
[Passive Skill: Sharpens the user's vision.]
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SR (Super Rare), huh? not bad. But at my current level, it only extended to a 50-meter radius. For now, I needed to find a class that suited this skill.
Ranger seemed like the best choice, but I struggled to concentrate enough to even draw a bow. I sighed, cursing myself.
Shit! I should have opened this damned system yesterday!
I wasted no time and decided to put my new skills to the test, eager to see how they'd perform.
"Enhanced Perception."
But I couldn't see that much because I was inside the building and the skill couldn't penetrate the wall. So I approached the window and opened it, popped my head out the window.
Suddenly, I could see everything in my surroundings, as if I had a game map in my head. Of course, not like the map that the game provided, but the 3d map where I could see everything clearly.
I could see anything, from humans to monsters and then, I found something interesting, the goblins entering the building I was in.
Now, I had to make a quick choice for the class. I hesitated to choose Ranger, but I noticed there was another sub-weapon – a firearm in the Ranger section.
I gulped. This might be the one!
[Are you sure you want to choose the "firearm" as your weapon?]
"Yes."
[The system will automatically choose the weapon and rarity based on your luck. Do you want to draw a weapon?]
Another animation appeared. This animation was too long! Could I just skip it? After waiting for the animation done, finally, I spotted another purple card.
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[Weapon: Blaze Revolver SR]
[Normal attack cost 2 MP]
[ATK: 170]
[MP: 60]
[Skills:]
[ Inferno Blast: Infuses fire element into the bullet, causing the enemy to explode when the bullet penetrates its body.]
[MP cost: 15 MP]
[Skill cooldown: 30 seconds]
[Triple Bullet: Splits the bullet into three, engulfing the enemy in flames.]
[MP cost: 10 MP]
[Skill Cooldown: 15 seconds]
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As I selected the weapon, a revolver materialized in my hand, and I couldn't help but smile. The weapon I'd received seemed promising, especially with those skills.
Although I needed to manage my MP to constantly use the normal attack and skill.
Inferno for larger monsters and Triple Bullet for crowds. It was time to put this Blaze Revolver to good use.
I decided to see my status for the last time, before went to battle.
[Player's Status]
[Player name: Seth]
[LvL: 5]
[HP: 580]
[MP: 100 + 60]
[ATK: 75 + 170]
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[Class: Ranger]
[Attribut]
[Strength: 30, Agility: 38, Defense: 20, Stamina: 35 Intelligence: 50]
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[Skill:]
[Enhanced Perception SR]
[Passive Skill:]
[Sharpens the user's vision]
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[Weapon:Blaze Revolver SR]
[Skill:]
[Inferno Blast]
[Triple Bullets]
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[Killing Points: -]
[Title: -]
After that, I yanked the sofa in front of me, using it as an improvised shield, I kneeled in front of it and fired the revolver toward the door.
The sound of the gunshot drew the goblins closer, and soon the door creaked open. They had found me.
Now let the hunt begin!
The room quickly descended into chaos as the goblins pushed and shoved, knocking over furniture and creating a loud commotion. It was clear that unless I acted fast, the goblins would reach me.
I managed to shoot down two goblins before they could attack me. Their companions screamed as they were forced into the cramped space simultaneously.
Three goblins then attacked, swinging spiked bolas, but I unleashed the Triple Bullet skill. Bullets struck true, and the goblins ignited, running in a frenzy.
In their panic, they collided with more goblins, creating chaos in the room. With five goblins and three of them on fire, the situation grew increasingly chaotic.
Damn! I could barely breathe, and using that skill in such a small space was a terrible idea.
I made a run for the door as two goblins attempted to ambush me from the sides. Swiftly, I shot them down before slamming the door shut.
Inside, I could hear the goblins screaming in agony as the room turned into an inferno. I stood in front of the door, trying to hold it closed as the goblins inside struggled to get out.
The chaos suddenly gave way to silence, and my killing points climbed to 200. A goblin was worth 20 points – not a bad haul.
But just as I was catching my breath, a thunderous voice echoed beside me, and I crumpled to the floor, shaking in pain.
It was a goblin shaman, casting bolt magic that surged through me, causing my body to ache and go numb.
I couldn't move, but I could see something larger behind the goblin shaman – a goblin champion, ready to attack at any moment.