A flash of white light, and Jeremy reappeared in the room.
[Alert: Since you have angered the Transcendent Goddess Gana, she plans to throw you into the Pantheon Prison during your second class change. That place is where the gods imprison criminals, so please be cautious.]
Jeremy was momentarily stunned.
He hadn't expected the seemingly foolish Transcendent Goddess to actually contemplate revenge against him.
Jeremy furrowed his brows. Even though he didn't hold much reverence for these deities, he had to acknowledge their immense power.
A prison used by them to detain criminals was undoubtedly a dreadful place, without needing further thought.
Soon after, Jeremy's brows relaxed.
Since things had already come to this, dwelling on it was pointless... Besides, the second class change was an event after level 30, which was still quite a ways off for him now.
Jeremy didn't regret offending Gana.
To gain power, one naturally had to pay a price. There was no such thing as a free lunch in the world. Just like how he possessed an SSS-class ability ' The Eye of Omniscience', to obtain rewards, one had to trigger hidden mechanisms.
Moreover, the main reason for this situation was his own lack of strength.
If he were powerful enough, not to mention slapping Gana's statue, even if he had slept with Gana, she wouldn't have been able to do much against him.
This further solidified Jeremy's determination to secure the first place in the event.
After all, strength was the essence!
Jeremy calmed his emotions and opened the level leaderboard.
With the launch of the "Race Against Time" event, the Endgame also introduced other game functionalities.
The level leaderboard was just one of them. In addition to this, there were also a trading marketplace, world channel, dungeons, and secret realms, all of which Jeremy had already learned about from the beginner's guide.
A lavish golden window appeared before Jeremy, filled with the densely packed rankings of levels.
[First Place]: Jeremy, Level 10
[Second Place]: Howard, Level 8
[Third Place]: Kean, Level 8
...
Jeremy was somewhat surprised. He hadn't expected to still be in first place after all this time, especially with a two-level lead over the second place.
However, Jeremy understood that his advantage was largely due to The Eye of Omniscience, which allowed him to prepare in advance and level up quickly. But this didn't mean the others were weak.
Moreover, the "Race Against Time" event was set to last seven days, and anything could happen in that time. Someone might even catch up to him by killing a boss, so he couldn't afford to be complacent.
Then Jeremy checked the world channel, only to find it filled with trivial messages, either calls for help or players looking to team up for grinding.
The information was similar to what was available online. So he didn't waste his time there.
After a moment's thought, Jeremy called Claire.
She was the female psychologist Jeremy had met after his transmigration, and he hadn't forgotten about her safety.
"Jeremy?" The call was quickly answered, Claire's voice was still clear but sounded tired.
Jeremy sighed in relief internally.
At least this confirmed Claire was still alive.
"It's me. How are things on your end?" he asked.
"Fairly stable for now." Claire replied calmly. "I've awakened my ability and have reached level 5... Thanks to your warning, I managed to avoid the first wave of the apocalypse. Otherwise, I might have been eaten by monsters by now."
Jeremy had expected Claire to awaken her abilities. If someone as talented as Claire couldn't awaken, that would have been the real surprise.
Hesitating for a moment, Jeremy said, "There might be some issues with my condition. Take care of yourself. I'll come to find you as soon as I can."
After the onset of the apocalypse, Jeremy noticed signs that his nearly cured condition was relapsing, and the symptoms became more pronounced after his class change.
Jeremy suspected it was the influence of his Blasphemer class.
Many classes could affect a person's mind.
This wasn't good news. Jeremy didn't want to end up a madman.
He needed Claire, especially her psychological therapy.
"Try to control your emotions. If your condition relapses, it could be more severe than before." Claire said seriously.
She was well aware of Jeremy's situation.
Arguably, Jeremy was the most severe case of post-war psychological syndrome she had encountered. When his condition flared up, he couldn't control himself, and this relapse could potentially turn him into a madman solely focused on killing.
Just then, Emma's voice came from outside.
"Jeremy, time to eat," she called.
"Coming." Jeremy replied. He spoke a few more words with Claire, and then hung up the phone.
...
The sky had already darkened.
Jeremy stepped out of his room to find a barbecue grill and a long table set up in the hallway, adorned with not only barbecued items and salads but also a variety of snacks like chips and cookies.
"It's quite lively." Jeremy observed, noticing that not only were Bonnie, Ritchie, and Eric there, but John and a few others had also joined, armed with beer and soft drinks.
Seeing Jeremy emerge, they waved and greeted him.
John gestured with his beer and laughed, "You don't mind if we crash your dinner, do you?"
Hedy and the others looked at Jeremy expectantly.
Though they phrased it as crashing, Jeremy understood that John and the others were actually looking to stay in the teachers' building. After all, Jeremy had cleared the building of monsters, and with him around, it was far safer than being outside.
Jeremy didn't mind lending a hand.
He stepped forward, grabbed a beer, and chuckled, "For the sake of the beer, I suppose I can make the tough decision to take you in."
At that, Hedy and the rest showed evident relief, while John couldn't help but give a wry smile, "You could have just said it's for the sake of being classmates."
Jeremy opened his beer and downed it in one go, looking refreshed, "Nope, it's definitely for the beer. You guys are just a bonus."
John was resigned, and the others couldn't help but laugh, lightening the heavy, apocalyptic atmosphere significantly.
Jut then, Ritchie rushed over excitedly, "Jeremy, and you say Bonnie isn't your girlfriend? Your rooms are right next to each other. Don't try to fool me. I've seen it! Hurry up and have her introduce me to a girlfriend. I want one with a big chest and a nice butt!"
Ritchie's voice was loud, making it difficult for anyone present to ignore.
The atmosphere instantly turned silent.
Everyone exchanged looks, their gazes filled with sympathy towards Ritchie.
"Who told you I was his girlfriend?!" Bonnie stood up abruptly.
She blushed and glared angrily at Jeremy, as if she had been greatly insulted.
"Yeah, who told you that?" Emma's tone was calm, but her tranquility made the situation even more unnerving.
Sharp-eyed observers noticed that the knife and fork in Emma's hands had been twisted out of shape.
Both women seemed to be questioning Ritchie, yet their gazes were fixed on Jeremy.
"It wasn't me. He guessed it himself." Jeremy said without hesitation, throwing Ritchie under the bus.
The women's unfriendly stares turned towards Ritchie.
"Could it be that I guessed wrong?" Ritchie asked, puzzled.
No one spoke.
Emma set down her broken cutlery, She said expressionlessly, "Ritchie, I think it's necessary to assess your recent learning." she stated.
Ritchie was flabbergasted. What did this have to do with studying?
After failing to answer several of Emma's questions, Ritchie found himself subjected to a stern half-hour lecture.
He was scolded like an ostrich, only daring to nod his head in agreement, not understanding what had just happened.
It wasn't until the party was over and he saw Jeremy and Emma enter the same room that Ritchie finally realized.
"Holy shit, Jeremy, your girlfriend is the class monitor?!" Ritchie's shocked yell could be heard outside the room.
Emma, just about to turn around, darkened in expression at once, ready to go out and give Ritchie a proper lesson.
"Hold on, don't go yet. I have something for you." Jeremy quickly held Emma back, buying Ritchie a sliver of reprieve.
"What is it?" Emma stopped, looking puzzled.
Jeremy took out the agility potion, constitution potion, ancient wood staff, and a beginner's player manual he had, and placed them all on the table.
He was supposed to give these items to Emma the day before, but had forgotten in his agitated state.
"Where did you get all these from?" Emma asked in surprise upon seeing the equipment and items.
"They were all from grinding monsters and opening treasure chests." Jeremy replied, telling the truth for once.
There was no need to hide anything since it was all obtained through legitimate means.
Given their relationship, there was no need for formalities, and Emma accepted the items.
"Thank you, hubby. Let me change into something more sexy and then I'll properly reward you!" Emma said, pecking Jeremy on the cheek with a coquettish voice that sent shivers down his spine.
Jeremy wrapped his arms around Emma and chuckled, "No need to change. I have to go out later. Let's start now."
Before Emma could reply, Jeremy's other hand had already slipped under her clothes.
Soon, the room filled with sounds that could make one's cheeks flush with embarrassment.
In the next room, Bonnie, who was moving her belongings, turned beet red upon hearing the familiar noises.
"That bastard. Is he an animal!" Bonnie gritted her teeth in anger.
She had moved early to avoid a repeat of last night's incident, only to find the couple next door starting so early in the morning.
What a miscalculation!