[Congratulations for clearing the tutorials.]
It was not only Alex who got that notification from the system.
All over the world, everyone who was able to clear the third tutorial did.
The sound they heard in their heads was different from the voice of the system they were used to, but it was still somewhat similar.
The only thing that had changed was the way of speaking.
This new voice was the same as the one they heard at the start.
Monotonous and emotionless.
[The rewards will be distributed now.]
The system went on and distributed the reward. It was not like something very tempting, but it was a reward nonetheless.
Even if they got nothing, just the moment of relief they all felt was enough of a reward for them.
The world had gone to hell; no one knew if they would survive or not. In a situation like that, people were just fighting for survival.
Every single being just ran with the hope that they could live a little bit longer.
..................…
[You have been granted 40 coins.]
Garvit, who was sitting on Shera, stared at the status screen with a solemn expression; worry about the future gripping his heart.
Yes, he was an easy-going and chill dude, but that didn't mean he didn't fear death.
"Grrr…"
Shera, as if feeling Garvit's concern, let out a low yet comforting growl.
Shera was a tiger, so he couldn't speak, but he could still express his feelings, and to the tiger's luck, Garvit had just the skill needed to understand Shera.
"I know, man.
All we can do is try harder."
Garvit sighed as he spoke those words.
But as he felt two soft hands holding his waist from behind, he smiled before patting Shera's fur
"And we have a new team member to protect; we can't show her our pathetic side, can we?"
Garvit puffed his chest and pumped his fist up, trying to show positivity.
"Roar!"
Shera roared with newfound energy before he started rushing forward faster.
"Woah, woah! Calm down, champ!
We ain't in a hurry!"
But that sudden increase in speed almost caused Garvit to fall off, along with the girl—a small girl with black hair and blue eyes—sitting behind him.
"Growl…."
Shera growled apologetically, realizing his mistake, and slowed down.
"Hahaha, it's fine.
Just be careful not to do that again, and not gonna lie, that sudden rush felt good!"
Garvit, however, just patted Shera's soft fur with a laugh, waving off the apology from Shera.
"Roar!"
Shera, who heard Garvit's voice, roared happily before he stopped on his track.
"Oh? You're gonna do it again?"
Garvit raised a brow, tightening his hold on Shera's fur while also clutching the small arms that were holding his waist from behind with his other hand.
"Raaarrr!"
Shera roared in acknowledgment before he bent down a bit, taking a stance.
*Woosh*
With a woosh, he shot forward at the fastest speed he could.
"Hahahahahahahah!"
"ROAR!"
They slowly vanished from the area, leaving behind only the sound of a man's hearty laughter and a tiger's roar.
The world was going to shit, sure.
But that didn't mean that people wouldn't even smile or laugh from time to time.
Too much tension could kill someone.
So, eventual laughter and enjoyment were a good thing. Who knows when they will be able to laugh next, or if they will even have that luxury next time?
Not everyone was happy and free of tension, though.
...............
[You are now eligible to participate in the upcoming scenarios, where you can gain so much power that you can not even imagine or reunite your dead family and friends.]
In a run-down building that looked like some kind of old factory.
"Growl…."
A low growl of frustration was heard as an orc, holding his club on his shoulder, came out with a frown on his ugly face.
It was the last orc in the area who thought that there were still some humans alive inside the factory, others had already gone out.
[The locked functions of the system are now open for your use.]
It didn't know how right it was, as deep inside the factory, there was a tank that was filled with all the waste products from the time it was still functioning.
*Sob**Sob*....
Inside that tank, there were two pairs of blue eyes staring at the system notification shown in front of them.
Their features couldn't be made out since they were covered in dark, gooey, black waste, but one of them was sobbing, and it was a girl; it was clear from her long hair and thin voice.
"It's fine; we are safe... for now."
The other person inside the tank was a boy, and he seemed to be older than the girl.
They did survive the orc onslaught by entering this garbage dump that smelled so disgusting that the orcs—who had an acute sense of smell—didn't even come close to this area.
But the thing was that they were the only ones who survived in the whole factory.
The scene in the hall of the factory didn't look gory or bloodied, but if one noted the details, they would see some blood patches left on the ground.
It was as if someone had tried to lick that out as well, but they couldn't.
Yes, it was the orcs.
They didn't even leave a piece of bone remaining.
The only things left were their last screams of help and anguish that no one other than the two people trembling inside the waste-filled tank had heard.
They were no older than 16 years old; it was clear from their voice alone, so it wouldn't be surprising if they developed a trauma related to this event.
[The gods can now access the system, and they can select their players.
You can look at the information tab to learn more about the rules related to the gods.]
But that was not all, since there were some people who survived by relying on their group.
................
"Gods?"
A lady who was standing between a group of women frowned as she uttered that particular word.
She seemed to be in a metropolitan city, as there were large buildings everywhere, and as said before, she was surrounded by a group of females, all of them beautiful in their own rights.
"They are a group of extraterrestrial beings with immense power, something we can only dream of achieving, or so the system describes them."
One lady, who seemed to be in her late 20s, spoke with a shake of her head.
She had pink hair and a busty body; her looks were good enough to cause any perfectly functioning male to pop a boner.
She was not alone, though; every woman in the group had a certain type of charm that would attract men without a doubt.
"I see."
The lady at the center spoke with an unreadable expression as she looked toward the sky, hoping to find something.
Every lady in the group had something that would tempt a man, but this particular woman, the one that stood at the center, as if she were the leader of this group of 10 or 11 women.
Unlike the rest of the ladies in the group, who had a certain something in them that would charm a man, this woman seemed like a definition of seductiveness.
Her every move, her every word, and even her breath were something that could entice a feeling of possessiveness from even the most timid man on earth.
She was tantalizing as her black hair flowed down to her soft and plump hips, complementing the black, loose gown.
Her eyes, however, were a shade of red that would pull in anyone who looked into them, yet at the same time they seemed dangerous.
"Let's not keep standing and move."
The woman, after staring at the sky for a while, spoke.
Her expression was unreadable yet serene at the same time; it was as if she were an empress who had stepped into the world of commoners.
But things didn't end here…