"Already?" Justin was startled by the message that rang in his ears the moment he woke up. It was only 8 a.m., and yet, the system seemed ready to start the apocalypse. Despite it being a weekday, many people were likely still asleep. Justin briefly considered the possibility that many might die in their beds, unaware of the impending disaster.
However, his fears were quickly alleviated by the system's follow-up.
"Ding!The apocalypse will begin at 10 a.m. today."
"Ding!Anyone not awake by 9 a.m. will be forcibly awakened."
"Ding!This notification is being sent to all inhabitants of Earth, including beta testers."
With the final message, Justin let out a small sigh of relief. At least no one would die completely unaware of what was happening. It seemed that even non-beta testers would be given a chance to survive. Of course, how well they used that opportunity would be up to them.
He thought to himself, "It's a good thing I prepared everything yesterday."
Justin had packed all the essentials, from a backpack filled with food to a baseball bat that could serve as a close-combat weapon. Now, all that remained was to keep a clear mind. After taking a final shower, he changed into comfortable, practical clothing. It was early August, so he was relieved that he didn't have to wear anything too heavy, which would only drain his stamina faster.
Once Justin had finished all his preparations and checked everything one last time, he glanced at the clock and realized it was already 10 a.m.
"Ding!The eradication of Earth's civilization will now begin."
"Ding!Prove your worth and survive the apocalypse."
"Ding!Everything depends solely on your choices."
Unlike the previous emotionless system messages, this one carried a subtle hint of emotion. The odd feeling caught Justin off guard for a moment, but he didn't have time to dwell on it.
Suddenly, a flash of light appeared before him.
"Keerk!" A goblin materialized right in front of Justin, catching him off guard.
He stared at the creature, mumbling, "A goblin? Really, that's it?"
"Kiiik! Kiiiig!" The goblin, as if understanding Justin's words, rushed toward him in anger.
Justin clicked his tongue in mild annoyance and extended his finger toward the creature. "Black Missile."
Boom!
"Kiiieeek!"
Even though Justin deliberately missed the target slightly, the goblin was left in critical condition with just one shot. Barely clinging to life, the goblin was finished off with Energy Drain to recharge Justin's magic. After completing the simple task, a quest window popped up before him.
"Ding!Find a Shelter."
Category: Main Quest
Details: You have successfully dealt with a monster. However, now that the apocalypse has begun, they will continue to spawn endlessly. To rest, you must find a safe zone where monsters cannot reach.
Reward: Small Inventory
"An inventory!" Justin's eyes lit up with excitement at the unexpected reward.
In the game, an inventory was a given, but this was reality. Up until now, he had to carry everything by hand. There had been no mention of an inventory in the tutorial dungeon, so Justin had assumed it didn't exist in the real world.
"I can't pass this up," he muttered to himself.
Without hesitation, Justin grabbed his backpack and baseball bat before heading for the front door. He planned to make his way down the stairs to the third floor, but before he could, a loud scream echoed through the entire building.
"Help! Somebody help!" A voice cried out in panic.
As Justin stepped out of his apartment building, screams echoed from all directions.
"Help me, please!"
"Die, die, die!"
"Honey! No!"
"What the hell is this?!"
Most of the noise seemed to be coming from within the building. Justin looked around in confusion and mumbled to himself, "Are people really getting taken out by goblins?"
Goblins were weak. He wasn't just saying this because he had easily defeated one—goblins were genuinely weak creatures. A high school girl could easily defeat one with her fists. Honestly, even without magic, Justin could've easily taken down the three goblins from the tutorial dungeon.
But judging from the chaos around him, it seemed like people were reacting as if they were being attacked by hordes of zombies.
"Please, save me! Mister, help me!" A voice from above called out.
Looking up, Justin saw a woman about his age, her face twisted with fear as she shouted down at him. He watched her silently for a moment, and when he didn't respond, she raised her voice even more.
"I'm asking for help! Help me, please!" she cried.
"Are you asking me to deal with a goblin?" Justin asked calmly.
The woman, still frantic, screamed, "What's a goblin?!"
"The little green dwarf-like monster," Justin clarified.
"Yes! That thing! Please, help me!" she yelled.
Whether it was due to her panic or her natural personality, the woman had now resorted to speaking to him informally. Justin didn't particularly appreciate the change in tone, but the woman seemed too panicked to notice.
"The door is locked, so it can't get in, but I need you to get rid of it! My door code is—" she started.
"Handle it yourself," Justin interrupted coldly.
"What?" she asked, shocked.
"That goblin is weak. You could beat it by kicking it repeatedly," Justin replied.
It was only one goblin. Even without magic, a healthy person like her could easily defeat it.
The woman's expression twisted in disbelief. "Are you crazy?! What if I get hurt? Will you take responsibility for that?!"
"...So it's okay if I get hurt?" Justin responded, raising an eyebrow.
"You're a man, aren't you?!" she shot back.
Justin let out a short, incredulous laugh. He hadn't expected praise for offering help, but this attitude was ridiculous.
Without another word, Justin ignored her and began walking away. Behind him, he could hear her shouting angrily.
"Where are you going?! If you leave, you're a murderer! A murderer, you hear me?!" she screamed.
Her insults didn't bother Justin. He simply found the situation absurd.
"I thought it was just a goblin, but I guess it was a balance patch," Justin muttered to himself.
Up until that moment, he hadn't considered the situation too seriously.