Chapter 2

The moment Lucas opened his status window, another blue box appeared before him.

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Quest - Basics of Survival 2

In the Nexus, battles are inescapable. Every living being must battle to survive and grow stronger. Only through combat can you prove your worth and claim the rewards that come with it.

Task: Survive the monster waves.

Failure: Death.

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Lucas stared at the text, his heart skipping a beat. His mind raced for a second, the implications of the words settling in, but something about it felt oddly familiar. He had expected this.

It wasn't fear that gripped him, but a strange acceptance. After all, he had read about this scenario a thousand times in the novels he devoured.

Monsters, battles, survival. It was the inevitable next step.

Everything he saw in the quest was something he had anticipated as if the world was now mirroring the stories he had always escaped onto.

He had imagined these moments, these situations.

If he were to die in the monster waves, he would just die. It was simple, and in some strange way, it felt natural.

On the other hand, Chloe had heard Lucas's soft mumble, the words barely escaping his lips.

She turned to him, curiosity flickering in her eyes, only to find him staring intently at the space in front of him, his expression unreadable.

Gently, she nudged his shoulder. It was enough to draw Lucas's attention.

Surprised by the sudden touch, Lucas turned to face Chloe, snapping out of his thoughts. He looked at her, only to find her gaze locked onto his face, confusion evident in her eyes.

Instantly, he understood what was going through her mind.

"Say the word 'Status', and you'll see it," Lucas said, his voice quiet.

"Lucas! What is this?!" Chloe yelped in surprise, her voice rising in alarm as her blue screen appeared before her.

"That's your status. It has your level, stats, and skills," Lucas replied with an unnerving calmness. "And the second notification you're seeing right now, it's the second mission."

Looking at Chloe, Lucas could see the confusion, even a tinge of fear, clouding her eyes. Samantha, having heard Lucas's words, also seemed to have activated her status window, mirroring Chloe's reaction.

To be honest, Lucas had always imagined scenarios like this when he was showering or just daydreaming in general. He had thought about what he would do if he were suddenly transmigrated, what he would do if he were granted the system, what he would do differently if he were the protagonist of a novel, and what he would do if the world suddenly shifted into a game-like state.

But even as the situation unfolded, Lucas felt a surprising sense of calm. His years of fantasy novels and stories had prepared him for this moment, or at least, for a version of it.

He didn't know how much time he had left so Lucas grabbed his phone and quickly accessed his browser.

If there was any chance he could prepare himself, it was now, while the Internet was still accessible. Who knew how long it would last in a world that had suddenly turned into a game-like world?

In the search bar, he typed "wilderness survival pdf" and hit enter.

Thankfully, the results still appeared almost immediately.

Without a second thought, he clicked on the first couple PDFs result he found.

Next, he typed "improvise ammunition pdf" and scrolled through the results. He selected several PDFs that looked promising.

Finally, he typed "martial arts techniques pdf" into the search bar and repeated the process.

Within moments, Lucas's phone was loaded with a handful of PDF files which he considered essential. Why had he done this? Well, the answers were simple.

Firstly, he was just a university student with little practical experience. A guide on wilderness survival would be invaluable, offering insights from first aid to camping, navigation, botany, wild game hunting, and basic crafting recipes. All things that could keep him alive in an environment he knew nothing about.

Secondly, being on a university campus could give him access to labs full of chemicals and materials. A guide on basic ammunition production would be useful if he needed to improvise weapons and supplies.

Lastly, fighting was inevitable in a fantasy game world like this one. The sooner he could understand basic combat techniques, the better his chances would be in during the monster waves and anything else that came his way.

But Lucas knew this wasn't enough.

Even with the PDFs he had downloaded, it felt like he was only scratching the surface. If possible, he needed as much knowledge as he could get. A sudden thought struck him. He could download the entire Wikipedia. Or better yet, he could focus on downloading specific topics that could help him survive.

Just as he was about to access Wikipedia, the browser suddenly failed him. The page refused to load, the connection cut off entirely. At that exact moment, he began hearing commotion echoing across the lecture hall.

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"Why is there no Internet?!"

"Are we going to die?!"

"What's happening?!"

Lucas could see the panic reflected in the eyes and movements of the students. Some were shouting in distress, and others were frantically trying to check their own devices, but it was clear. The situation was rapidly spiraling out of control.

His mind raced. Time was running out. He had to take action. Instinctively, he began scanning the room for any way out, any plan that could keep them alive.

Then, the situation escalated.

With a deafening crash, the doors of the lecture hall were blown open. Lucas jerked his head toward the sound, his pulse quickening.

Several creatures, each a sickly green in hue, waddled into the hall. They were physically disproportionate, their bodies draped in rough animal skins, crude and unevenly stitched. At most, they stood half the height of an average adult male, their movements jerky and unnatural.

Each of them carried a club of something similarly primitive, their intent clear.

Staring at the creatures, Lucas blurted out, "Goblins."

The other students, stunned by the creatures' appearance, were stunned for a split second before chaos erupted.

"Run! Get out of here!" someone screamed, and panic spread like wildfire.

But their attempts to flee were futile. The exit, the only escape from the lecture hall, was blocked by the goblins. Desperate, the students scrambled for cover, but there was nowhere to go.

In a frantic rush, they bolted toward the lecture podium, where Dr. Hamathir, their professor, stood frozen, staring at the goblins in wide-eyed disbelief.

"Sir, do something!" one of the students cried out, grabbing onto his coat.

"Aren't you a school staff? Call the security!" another voice shouted.

When the goblins saw their prey were panicking, they let out a cacophony of cackles, grating, high-pitched, and unnervingly sharp. The sound echoed through the lecture hall, sending shivers down the sound of the students who were still trying to make sense of the situation.

The students, now fully aware of the grim situation, hounded Dr. Hamathir, but the professor appeared too paralyzed with shock to respond.

Chloe, as well, still in shock from the sudden appearance of the system, was now paralyzed by the presence of the grotesque creatures. Her hands trembled, her breath shallow, and her gaze fixed on the goblins.

Without thinking, she reached out and grabbed the sleeve of Lucas's shirt. Her grip was tight, her knuckles pale with fear.

Sensing the tug, Lucas turned to her, his eyes softening as he met her gaze. He patted her hand and grasped them, offering a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, everything will be alright. Your reliable boyfriend is here."

Feeling the warmth of her boyfriend's hand on hers, Chloe's body tensed for a moment before she visibly relaxed. Her breath came easier, but the fear still lingered in her eyes. She nodded, her gaze flickering back to the goblins, but this time, there was a glimmer of trust in her expression. She wasn't alone.

Samantha, too, seemed to calm a little, seeing the silent exchange between the couple. The confidence in Lucas's eyes was undeniable, a look that spoke volumes more than any words could.

However, unfortunately, Lucas, Chloe, and Samantha were seated in the last row of the lecture hall, right next to the exits.

And as fate would have it, they were instantly the first targets of the goblins' attention. The goblins' piercing eyes locked onto them as they waddled closer, their growls echoing in the tense air.

One of the goblins trudged towards Lucas, Chloe, and Samantha while grinning wide with its unhealthy-looking teeth. Its yellowed eyes gleamed with malice as its guttural voice gurgled something unintelligible as if speaking in a language foreign.

Lucas could feel his heartbeat quicken, the sound of blood rushing through his ears almost drowning out the panic around him. His body was alive with adrenaline, but strangely enough, it wasn't fear that gripped him. It was something else, something primal and exhilarating.

It wasn't just survival. It was more than that.

He steadied himself, planting his feet on the ground. The stance he adopted was familiar, yet out of place in the context of this lecture hall. Curling up his fists, and lowering his body, he faced the goblin. It was a martial arts stance, one he had seen countless times in the reels and shorts he used to doom-scroll through while passing time online.

Lucas had once gotten hooked on a channel that analyzed fight scenes from various movies. It was just a passing interest back then, something to watch in the background. But now, as the goblin's eyes locked onto him, everything he had seen in those shorts, all the fight scenes, either they were from martial arts films, action blockbusters, or even anime, came flooding back.

For him, right at the moment, those short clips weren't just entertainment anymore. They were the key to his survival.

The space between each row of seats was fortunately narrow enough for an adult to walk through, and just enough for a goblin to charge in.

The goblin, with a shrill battle cry, charged forward, brandishing its crude wooden club high above its head.

Time seemed to stretch as Lucas felt his senses sharpen. His vision slowed, and he saw the goblin's figure in perfect clarity, each movement amplified.

As the club came crashing down in a wide arc, Lucas's eyes widened, instinctively reading the goblin's intent. He took a quick step back, narrowly avoiding the club's path as it swung downward, the air parting with a rush of wind.

Goblins, Lucas knew, weren't physically impressive, not strong enough to overpower an adult in sheer strength. But they were fast, vicious, and relentless.

As the club descended past him, Lucas reacted hastily. His foot slammed down hard onto the goblin's club, pinning it to the ground. The goblin struggled, trying to pull its weapon back up, but Lucas's weight kept it locked in place.

The goblin froze for a split second, stunned by the unexpected resistance from the human. Its eyes flicked with confusion.

Without hesitation, Lucas closed the distance. He shifted his weight, leaning in, and threw a swift right jab straight for the goblin's nose.

The punch landed with a sickening crunch, sending the goblin stumbling back, but it didn't fall. It stubbornly gripped its club, desperately trying to keep hold of its weapon.

Locking his eyes onto the goblin's heinous face, he grabbed its pointy nose and yanked its head forward. In one fluid motion, he followed up with a left cross, his fist slamming into the creature's right eye. The goblin shrieked in agony, its body flailing, trying to break free from Lucas's iron grip.

It managed to tear its head back, pulling away from Lucas's grasp, but the goblin's momentum betrayed it. With the force of its strength pulling on the club, the goblin tripped backward, falling onto its back with a heavy thud.

However, Lucas wasn't going to give the monster in front of it a moment to recover. He moved in, his foot lifting high, and he stepped down hard onto the goblin's crouch.

The stomp slammed with a gruesome crack, sending a shockwave of pain through the goblin's body. It squealed, its voice faltering as it crumpled beneath the weight of the blow.

But Lucas wasn't done. He knew the goblin was a threat that needed to be eliminated. He was going to kill. Without mercy, he raised his foot again, this time aiming for the creature's throat.

His foot came down with brutal finality, crashing into the goblin's windpipe and spine in one swift motion. The abhorrent crunch of bone and cartilage echoed through the hall.

The goblin lay still, motionless, its body twitching faintly as Lucas stood over it.

Just as the fight came to a close, a blue notification popped up in Lucas's vision.