The sun had already set, and the moon cast a dim glow over the towering buildings of Royal University, one of the largest and most well-known universities in Central City.
Before the apocalypse, the university was a place of knowledge and ambition, filled with thousands of students dreaming of their futures. Now, it had become a fortress—a refuge for survivors, both students and teachers, struggling to stay alive in the new world.
The main building, where the survivors had set up their headquarters, stood tall and imposing, its once-bright hallways now dimly lit by emergency lights. Makeshift barricades made of desks, chairs, and metal scraps blocked the entrances, ensuring that zombies couldn't get in.
The cafeteria, which once echoed with laughter and casual conversations, had been turned into a ration storage, filled with whatever food and water they had managed to collect.
The gymnasium and sports complex had become a training ground, where the fighters practiced their combat skills. Weak zombies were sometimes lured in, allowing newer players to gain experience in controlled fights.
The dormitories were now divided into seven factions, each claiming different sections of the university as their base.
The university gates, once open to welcome students, were now heavily barricaded, reinforced with spiked fences and barbed wire. Guard posts were set up, and patrols kept watch, ensuring their safety.
It was a fragile peace, but for now, CU stood strong.
Inside the Meeting Room…
The leaders of the seven factions sat around a large wooden table in the meeting room of the main building. The once-pristine conference hall had been transformed into a war room, filled with maps, scattered weapons, and tactical plans.
At the head of the table sat Joanne, the strongest in the university and ranked 11th in the national rankings, having just reached Level 11.
Joanne was breathtakingly beautiful, with long, silky brown hair, deep brown eyes, and an angelic aura that made her seem almost untouchable. Her curves were perfectly toned, striking the perfect balance between grace and strength. She wore a fitted white blouse and black tactical pants, giving her an air of both elegance and deadliness.
Despite the chaos of the apocalypse, Joanne remained composed, her calm and intelligent gaze watching over the room.
The other six faction leaders were present, each one a formidable player in their own right. They had all gathered to discuss their next steps when suddenly—
[Nation Announcement!]
[Player Stormbringer has acquired a class! First player in the Country to obtain a class!]
[New Feature Unlocked: Guild Creation!]
[Guild Creation Stones can now be obtained by defeating Level 20 or higher Boss Monsters!]
[The Apocalypse has Advanced!]
[New Threats Have Emerged: Boss Monsters Now Command Their Own Camps, Controlling Mutated Zombies and Beasts!]
[The World Has Become Even Deadlier!]
The room fell silent, everyone processing the announcement.
A muscular young man with a scar across his cheek, leader of the Madbears, slammed his fist on the table.
"Shit! Boss monsters already felt impossible, and now they have their own camps? This is insane!"
A girl with short black hair, leader of the Shadow Girls, smirked.
"It just means we'll have to be smarter. Guilds change everything. If we take down a Level 20 boss, we get a guaranteed Guild Creation Stone."
Another leader, a lanky guy with glasses from the Evil Geniuses, adjusted his glasses, his expression serious.
"We're barely holding this place together, and now the apocalypse is evolving? This isn't fair..."
But Joanne remained calm, her expression unreadable.
One of the leaders turned to her.
"Joanne, you're the strongest here. What do you think? Should we aim for a Guild Creation Stone?"
She took a deep breath before answering.
"If we want to survive long-term, we need a guild," Joanne said firmly. "But we're not ready to hunt a Level 20 boss yet. If we rush into it, we'll all die."
The room fell silent again.
"But we can prepare," she continued. "We train harder, level up, and gather better weapons. If we move carefully, we'll be able to take down a boss when the time is right."
Her words carried weight.
The faction leaders nodded in agreement, and the discussion continued.
Even as the meeting went on, Joanne couldn't help but think about Stormbringer—the player who had just shaken the entire country with his achievements.
"Who is this guy? How did he get so strong so fast? And how far ahead is he compared to us?"
For now, her focus remained on keeping the university safe.
A young man with short spiky hair and a confident smirk, the leader of the Steel Spike, leaned back in his chair.
"I still can't believe someone actually unlocked a class already. And not just anyone—Stormbringer. The same guy who's been dominating the rankings."
The muscular leader of the Madbears, Dario, crossed his arms.
"It's crazy. If he already has a class, his growth will only skyrocket from here. We'll be left in the dust."
The girl from the Shadow Girls, Lyka, tapped her fingers on the table.
"If we want to survive, we need to get stronger. We need to start thinking long-term. Guilds change everything."
The glasses-wearing leader of the Evil Genuises, Renzo, adjusted his glasses, his tone serious.
"The problem is getting a Guild Creation Stone. A Level 20 boss? Most of us are barely hitting Level 10. We'll get slaughtered."
Another faction leader, Jace of the Green Wings, frowned.
"We don't have a choice. If we don't start preparing now, others will get the advantage. Imagine if another faction outside the university gets a guild before us. They could take over everything."
Everyone turned to Joanne, the strongest player in Central University and the 11th-ranked player in the country.
She was deep in thought, her angelic features calm and unreadable.
Finally, she spoke.
"We can't afford to be reckless, but we also can't be passive. If we want to survive in this world, we have to get stronger."
The leaders nodded, listening intently.
"Our first goal," Joanne continued, "is to raise our levels. We need to train harder, hunt stronger zombies, and gather better weapons. The stronger we get, the better our chances of securing a Guild Creation Stone when the time comes."
The leaders exchanged glances, understanding the reality of the situation.
With the meeting reaching its conclusion, the factions started discussing immediate plans.
Dario spoke first.
"We should organize daily hunting parties outside the campus. We've been too passive, focusing on defense. It's time we start leveling up aggressively."
Lyka nodded.
"Agreed. My faction specializes in speed and stealth. We can scout for mutated zombies and find good hunting grounds."
Renzo adjusted his glasses again.
"I'll start researching effective strategies for taking down boss monsters. If we have any chance at securing a Guild Creation Stone, we need to be fully prepared."
Jace crossed his arms.
"The Green Wings will focus on gathering weapons and armor. We need to be properly equipped for the challenges ahead."
Joanne listened to their plans carefully before giving her final verdict.
"Good. Stick to your strengths and work together. We don't know when we'll get a chance at a Guild Creation Stone, but when the opportunity comes, we'll be ready."
The leaders nodded, their determination reignited.
The world was changing, and they had no choice but to keep up.
But deep down, as the meeting ended, Joanne's thoughts returned to Stormbringer.
"Just who are you?" she wondered.
Stormbringer was ahead of them all, and if they wanted to stand a chance in this world…
They would have to catch up—fast.
The next day, outside the university gates, the streets were a chaotic battlefield. Hordes of zombies roamed, scratching and clawing at the barricades, relentlessly trying to breach the safety of Central University. The low, guttural groans of the undead echoed in the distance, a constant reminder of the ever-present danger lurking just beyond the walls.
Every day, groups of players—some survivors, some simply out to make a name for themselves—defended the university. But despite their best efforts, there were casualties. The relentless waves of zombies and the occasional mutated beast seemed to outnumber them, and the price of survival grew heavier with each passing day.
Joanne stood at the university gates, her fingers brushing against the cold steel of the reinforced door. Today, she was leaving. The quest she had accepted was clear: kill 500 zombies to unlock her Battle Mage class, an S-Rank specialization that would combine her skills in magic and melee combat.
Joanne was Level 11 now, an accomplished player, and the daughter of a powerful family, but she never relied on that. Instead, she had always relied on her own skills and intellect. She had spent days perfecting her Flame Shot, a powerful fire-based skill she had acquired early in the apocalypse. But she knew she needed more.
The Battle Mage class was the perfect fit for her. It would allow her to combine magic and physical combat, pushing her beyond just being a mage. But to unlock that potential, she had to face the brutal challenge: Kill 500 zombies.
She could feel the weight of the task ahead, but it didn't faze her. With a final look back at the familiar safety of Central University, she took a deep breath and stepped outside, into the chaos.
The moment she left the gates, the world around her felt different. The air was thick with the stench of decay, and the ground was littered with debris from abandoned vehicles and buildings. The zombies were everywhere—shambling, snarling, and mindlessly advancing.
Joanne's hand instinctively gripped the hilt of her sword. She had learned to move quickly, always staying one step ahead of the enemy, and today would be no different.
With a swift motion, she summoned [Flame Shot], sending a stream of fire straight into the mass of zombies ahead. The flames consumed them instantly, their bodies crumbling into ash. The heat from the fire burned her face, but she was unfazed—this was the first wave of many.
The battle was fierce. Joanne fought with precision, using both her sword and her magic to take down each zombie that crossed her path. Her swordsmanship had improved significantly, and she now wielded it with greater skill, complementing her magical attacks seamlessly.
Each swing of her sword cleaved through the undead, and each fireball she cast scorched multiple enemies at once. The numbers were overwhelming, but Joanne was driven, each kill bringing her closer to completing her quest.
Hours passed. Sweat trickled down her face, but her focus never wavered. The 500 zombies felt like an impossible number, but with every fight, her movements became more fluid, her timing more precise. She wasn't just fighting to survive anymore—she was fighting to prove that she could unlock her true potential.
By dusk, Joanne had killed over 50 zombies, but she still had far more to go. Her body was exhausted, but her resolve remained unshaken.
She approached a large group of zombies, their grotesque figures stumbling toward her. With a deep breath, she prepared for the final stretch.
[Flame Shot] erupted from her hand, and she followed it up with a swift series of slashes with her sword. Her movements were almost instinctive, as if the combination of magic and melee had become second nature to her. The zombies fell, one after another, until finally, the last one was slain.
For three days, Joanne hunted tirelessly, her path growing longer and more dangerous with each passing day. Every night, she returned to the safety of Central University, exhausted but determined to continue. With each day, the distance between her and the university expanded, pushing her further into the heart of the chaos.
On the fourth day, while scouting a new area, she saw something that made her stop in her tracks. From a distance, on the rooftop of an abandoned building, a figure sat calmly, sipping from a cup as though nothing had changed in the world. He was reading a book, completely at ease amidst the horrors of the apocalypse.
Curious and cautious, Joanne made her way toward the building. As she drew closer, she noticed something even stranger—the area around the building was eerily quiet. There were no zombies lurking, no signs of danger. It seemed like the place had already been cleared. With a mixture of curiosity and caution, she approached the entrance, wondering who this mysterious person was and how they had managed to create such a safe haven in the middle of the chaos.