"Oooooh!!!"
The boy screamed in agony as his skin began to dissolve rapidly under the horrified gaze of the onlookers, soon revealing the flesh beneath. His originally handsome features twisted grotesquely.
It wasn't just the boy. Under the glow of the blood-red light, many others began to transform. Some sprouted fangs and claws, while others, like the boy, suffered skin deterioration. They writhed in pain on the ground, some passing out from the sheer agony.
But in just a few breaths of time, these individuals twisted their bodies and rose from the ground.
Inhuman roars erupted from their mouths. Upon rising, they immediately locked their sights on the living around them and pounced.
These beings, no longer human, moved with an eerie agility. Once a person was knocked down, they would open their grotesque mouths wide, frenziedly tearing and devouring their flesh in a scene of extreme brutality.
"Monsters... Monsters!"
Cries and screams echoed across the campus as people ran in all directions, but they were like lambs to the slaughter under the pursuit of these monsters, turning the entire campus into a living hell in moments.
"What... What is all this?!" Emma, pale and frightened, huddled in Jeremy's arms.
She could never have imagined that the world, once so normal, could turn into hell in the blink of an eye.
Jeremy didn't answer Emma's question.
Because just then, a series of blood-red pop-ups appeared before him.
[The Apocalypse Game Begins!]
[You have awakened an SSS-tier ability—"The All-Seeing Eye!"]
[Introduction: You can see hidden information and hints.]
[Congratulations on becoming the first player to awaken an SSS-tier ability in this game!]
[You have received a beginner's gift pack!]
[Hint: Opening the beginner's gift pack while performing a handstand will yield double rewards!]
Jeremy read the final hint and fell into a long silence.
Double rewards for opening the beginner's gift pack while doing a handstand?
At that moment, Jeremy didn't know whether to scoff at the absurdity of this ability or marvel at its strength.
After hesitating, he placed his hands on the ground and, under Emma's astonished gaze, performed a handstand.
Jeremy said emotionlessly, "Open the beginner's gift pack!"
[Ding! The beginner's gift pack has been opened!]
[Rewards received: Storage space*10m³, Basic Physique Enhancer*1, Awakening Gem*1, Beginner's Player Manual...]
[Ding! Hidden mechanism triggered, you have received double rewards!]
One by one, the notifications appeared before Jeremy, just as the All-Seeing Eye had hinted. Opening the beginner's gift pack while in a handstand indeed triggered a hidden mechanism, granting him double the rewards!
Jeremy clenched his fist, feeling a rare surge of excitement, for he knew well what this meant.
With the powerful ability of the All-Seeing Eye, he could rapidly increase his strength and secure a foothold in the apocalypse game as swiftly as possible.
Although Jeremy didn't know the creator's purpose behind this game, those were concerns for if he survived until the end. There was no need to delve into them now; lacking strength, knowing too much could only lead to an earlier death.
[Ding! You have obtained a supernatural item, personal panel activated!]
Just then, a transparent panel suddenly appeared in front of Jeremy.
[Name: Jeremy]
[Level: Lv1]
[Profession: None]
[Ability: All-Seeing Eye (SSS)]
[Attributes: Strength 9, Spirit 9, Stamina 9, Agility 9]
[Skills: None]
[Experience: 0/25 points]
[Items: Storage Space*20m³, Basic Constitution Enhancer*2, Awakening Stone*2, Beginner Player's Guide*2]
…
Seeing the personal panel that resembled something out of a game did not surprise Jeremy too much. After all, the apocalypse game had already begun, so a game panel was hardly shocking.
He proceeded to check the items he had just received.
[Item]: Storage Space 20m³
[Quality]: Purple (Rare)
[Description]: Provides 20 cubic meters of storage space for non-living items that can be accessed at any time.
...
[Item]: Basic Evolution Enhancer
[Quality]: Purple (Rare)
[Description]: Increases all attributes by 10 points upon use, can only be used once per person.
...
[Item]: Awakening Gem
[Quality]: Orange (Precious)
[Description]: Awakens supernatural abilities upon use.
...
[Item]: Beginner's Player Manual
[Quality]: Common (Blue)
[Description]: Provides basic knowledge about the apocalypse game upon use.
...
The rewards provided by the beginner's gift pack were all incredibly useful. The storage space allowed for carrying items, the Basic Evolution Enhancer offered a significant boost to attributes, and the Awakening Gem could awaken supernatural abilities.
The seemingly unremarkable Beginner's Player Manual was something Jeremy valued highly, even considering it the most precious item among them.
Although it was only a common blue-quality item, it could quickly acquaint Jeremy with the basic rules of the apocalypse game, which was crucial for him at this stage.
Just then, Jeremy heard Emma's voice, tinged with urgency.
"Jeremy, don't scare me, say something!" Emma, seeing Jeremy still in a handstand and not moving, was on the verge of tears, calling out to him, fearing something had happened to him.
It was only then that Jeremy remembered he was still in a handstand.
"Don't worry, I'm fine," he quickly reassured her as he got back on his feet.
Seeing Jeremy return to normal, Emma let out a sigh of relief, wiping away her tears. "What were you doing suddenly standing on your hands without saying a word? You really scared me."
Jeremy coughed awkwardly, forcing an explanation. "I was just thinking about something. I heard standing on your head could speed up blood circulation in the brain, so I gave it a try. It worked pretty well."
Hearing his explanation, Emma looked confused. "Is that so?"
Changing the subject, Jeremy said, "Let's not talk about that. I have something for you."
With a thought, a stone the size of an egg, covered in mysterious patterns, appeared in Jeremy's hand.
This stone, emanating an orange glow, was the Awakening Gem Jeremy had just received.
He had noticed a change in the information displayed above Emma's head.
[Notice: Name: Emma, Grade A supernatural ability awakening in progress.]
Jeremy had initially thought Emma would awaken her abilities as the apocalypse unfolded, just like he did.
It seemed he had oversimplified matters; awakening abilities was a process after all.
Fortunately, the beginner's gift pack included two Awakening Gems.
While these gems were of little use to Jeremy, they were invaluable to others.
Upon seeing the Awakening Gem, an information introduction appeared in front of Emma as well. She couldn't help but cover her mouth in surprise, exclaiming, "This... how did you get this?"
Jeremy had his explanation ready, a mix of truth and fiction. "The game notified me that I was the first player to awaken my abilities, so it gave me a beginner's pack. This Awakening Gem was in it. Try it, see if you can awaken your abilities."
Jeremy did not reveal all his secrets to Emma.
Having been a mercenary for many years in his past life, he had seen too many betrayals and had grown accustomed to keeping things to himself, even from those closest to him.
Emma, having no reason to doubt him, was thrilled to hear that Jeremy had awakened his abilities. Under Jeremy's watchful eye, she used the Awakening Gem.
The gem turned into a stream of light that entered her body, and as Emma closed her eyes, green glows appeared around her, signaling a vast life force awakening within.
The awakening seemed to take some time, its duration uncertain.
Taking advantage of this, Jeremy decided to enhance his own strength as well.
He took out the Beginner's Player Manual from his storage and used it.
A flash of white light passed, and Jeremy's mind was immediately filled with a wealth of information - all the basic knowledge about the apocalypse game such as the levels of monsters, the quality of equipment, how to acquire skills, and how to change classes after reaching lv10.
Jeremy quickly assimilated this information, gaining a rough understanding of the apocalypse game. In essence, it was a virtual online game with an apocalyptic theme that had now become reality.
No wonder that the person hanging upside down had referred to himself as a game designer.