In front of Victor, three different shiny images were floating.
-Area 38298 Map [E-Rank Item]
-Low-Tier Skill Book [E-Rank Item.]
-Awakening Scroll [B-Rank Item.]
'Alright…'
[Your Items can be found inside your Inventory.]
And with that message, the shiny images disappeared.
"Open Inventory."
A semi-transparent window appeared in the air, slightly glowing with a bluish light. It was divided into several sections, each outlined by thin lines that pulsed faintly.
Three of those were filled by the images that were floating in front of Victor seconds earlier.
"Fuck…" Victor cursed as he rubbed his face.
His moral instincts were telling him to turn around, push the doors open, and shout.
"Hey!"
"What's up?"
"Can you see this thing?"
"The book? Yeah, what about it?"
"Keep looking at it." Victor gulped. "Store."
Suddenly, the book disappeared.
His eyes slowly rose towards the random student he had stopped.
"Neat trick, dude." He tapped Victor's shoulder. "I usually love magic tricks, but I'm running late for class."
"Y-Yeah… I get it." Victor nodded. "Good luck."
"Thanks, man. You too."
Seconds passed.
The clicking of the student's boots couldn't be heard anymore.
Victor remained standing in the middle of the hallway, a dumbfounded expression on his face.
"Good luck… Huh?"
He slowly felt his twitching hands calm down, his shaking knees gain back some of their strength, and the hairs all over his body stand.
Victor took a slow breath in, and turned towards the lecture hall's doors.
"Luck…" He whispered.
A minute later, he was out of the building.
"The football field, the administrative office, the zoological garden, the center of the campus, the library…"
The Map wasn't easy to read, but Victor could figure out some of the areas.
"They're all covered by interrogation marks… Except for the lecture hall building I just exited. The other lecture hall buildings are also covered by interrogation marks…"
The words inscribed on the area he had exited were rather ominous.
"Countdown."
[Advent of the Apocalypse Countdown: 53 minutes and 57 seconds.]
Victor nodded, and started running.
It took a little over thirty minutes for the whole campus to be covered.
[You have gained 1 Endurance Stat Point!]
'Seriously…?' Victor was breathing heavily.
[Advent of the Apocalypse Countdown: 20 minutes and 33 seconds.]
The number of interrogation marks on the Map had decreased by about 80%.
'No matter how long I searched in the other areas, nothing changed. The interrogation marks remained…'
The areas that remained covered with question marks were the administrative office, the cafeterias(Four of them on campus), the library, the open area that was the center of campus, and areas around parking spots.
'Just some parking spots too… Not all of them. I can't figure out what that's about. There must be something in common.'
Victor shook his head.
He was back to where he had started.
"Inventory."
-1x "Area 38298 Map [E-Rank Item]"
-1x "Low-Tier Skill Book [E-Rank Item.]"
-1x "Awakening Scroll [B-Rank Item.]"
-4x "Healing Pill [F-Rank Item.]"
'Since I found Healing Pills in the cafeterias, that must mean they're meant to be… Some kind of safe area later. Nothing is certain, but it is possible.'
Ever since having heard the word "Luck", Victor had almost completely stopped thinking about the rest of the people on campus.
'I would just look like a madman to them. However, there is a possibility that…'
Indeed, there was only one thing that could convince everyone.
If making something appear and disappear was seen as nothing more than a magic trick…
"I just have to show them real magic." Victor nodded to himself. "System, tell me about the Awakening Scroll Item that I got."
During his run around campus, Victor had learned how valuable the System could be.
[The Awakening Scroll allows the User to awaken and obtain a Class suited to the User's capabilities and temperament.]
[1 minute before the Advent of the Apocalypse, all will get the opportunity to pick between 5 different Classes.]
[The Awakening Scroll guarantees the obtention of Classes better suited for you, and, usually, better Ranked as well.]
"So while they will get to choose between 5 F-Rank Classes, I get to choose between 5… Since the Item is B-Rank, then 5 B-Rank Classes?"
[Not quite.]
[The Awakening Scroll will assign you a Class.]
"So I don't get to choose?"
[In exchange for the lack of choice, the Class obtained will have a Rank between D and A.]
"I see…"
Victor scratched his chin for a moment.
"The others will get one minute to choose their Class, right? One minute before the Apocalypse starts."
[Correct.]
"So then… What happens if I only use my Awakening Scroll after I get my five choices?"
[Congratulations!]
[You have been awarded 1 Perception Stat Point.]
[Using the Awakening Scroll during the minute before the Advent of the Apocalypse will give you the opportunity to choose between 6 choices, one being brought on by the Awakening Scroll.]
'I'm being awarded for finding a small loophole? Hm… Well, I guess anyone would want to get their Class as soon as possible. It likely comes with Skills, and getting used to those is valuable.' Victor stretched his arms. 'Still, the right Class is more important than getting used to whatever I'm getting. In any case, it's likely that I'll choose whatever the Awakening Scroll gives me anyways.'
There was only one other thing left to do.
"System, tell me about the Skill Book."
[The Low-Tier Skill Book will allow you to gain 1 random Skill.]
[It is highly probable that the Skill gained will be F-Ranked.]
[It is likely for the Skill gained to be E-Ranked.]
[It is unlikely but possible for the Skill gained to be D-Ranked.]
"I see." Victor nodded. "Does having a Class or not have an impact on it? Would I get Skills suited for my Class if I only use the Book once I've chosen a Class?"
[Congratulations!]
[You have been awarded 1 Perception Stat Point.]
'Lucky me.' Victor chuckled internally. 'So that's a yes. I wouldn't want to get something useless after all. I'll have to wait…'
He frowned for a moment.
'On one hand, a more suitable Skill that will help me more in the long run… On the other, the possibility of getting something like Fireball, that would force everyone to believe me right away…'
His frown got deeper and deeper.
'This is tough… Which do I choose…'
[Advent of the Apocalypse Countdown: 10 minutes.]
…
[Advent of the Apocalypse Countdown: 2 minutes and 10 seconds.]
It was just enough time to get some words out.
Victor started walking towards the lecture hall's doors.
'I'll tell them to say the words Status Window first, then I'll…'
His thoughts trailed off as his hand came into contact with the door.
'They…'
No matter what, it was obvious that -Something- was bringing on this Apocalypse. It couldn't just happen, just like it just happened to rain the day before. Something is making it happen.
And that something is linked to the System.
'Even if I use the System, it's clear that it and the Apocalypse came together. Despite the fact that the System is helpful…' Victor rubbed his eyes. 'Despite the fact that it gave me useful information.'
Yes, Victor was convinced by it.
Sharing knowledge he had no business having, since no one did, could bring nothing other than a ton of trouble for himself. The off chance that he would be seen as a savior or some kind of prophet wasn't likely enough for him to risk it.
'It's more likely that they'll shout… You're with them! Whatever them is…'
Victor let out a heavy sigh.
'Might as well have some around.' He thought to himself, and pushed the doors open.
It had taken close to an hour, but Victor was back in his seat.
[Advent of the Apocalypse Countdown: 1 minute and 33 seconds.]
The captain of the basketball team scoffed seeing him back.
"Hey." Victor poked the tiger's jaws. "Say Status WIndow."
"Fuck off, retard."
"Ha…" Victor chuckled, and turned to look through the window. "That's what I wanted to hear."
[Advent of the Apocalypse Countdown: 1 minute and 5 seconds.]
'Good luck, mister Captain of the basketball team.'