Chapter 4 - Quest Complete

Advancing toward the chaos, Lucas took a glance at the system notifications that were hovering at the edge of his vision.

He immediately summoned his status window, putting his Free Points just as before, one to VIT, two to POW, and two to AGI.

The rush hit him instantly, a jolt of energy surging through his body like an electric current. Every cell of his body was rejuvenated as if his body had been fine-tuned. His lips curled into a faint smirk. "Now that's addictive," he muttered under his breath.

His gaze locked onto a goblin hunched over its victim, reveling in its cruelty. Without a moment's hesitation, Lucas sprang into action, his legs propelling him forward with newfound speed.

The goblin barely had time to register the shadow bearing down on it before Lucas's sticks came crashing down. Its skull cracked with a wet, gory scene.

Its companion turned, eyes wide with surprise at the sudden assault. But that hesitation was all Lucas needed. He shifted his weight slamming one stick into the goblin's shin. It tumbled to the ground with a screech only for Lucas to follow up with a downward strike to its head, silencing it in an instant.

Breathing heavily, Lucas looked at the gory aftermath. The goblins lay sprawled in unnatural positions, their bodies lifeless. A glance to the side revealed the mangled form of their victim, a classmate he vaguely recognized from across the lecture hall.

For a heartbeat, he lingered, staring at the broken body. Yet, no wave of sorrow or pith washed over him. 'I don't have the luxury for that,' he thought grimly.

This wasn't a tragedy. It was the new reality, and sentimentality would only get him killed.

Flicking his wrist, he wiped the blood from his face and turned his focus back to the chaos.

His attention shifted to a lone goblin tormenting a group of terrified female students.

Closing in the distance, his sticks came down hard, crushing the goblin's skull in a single blow. The monster collapsed lifelessly at its feet, body twitching before going still.

The girls froze, their wide eyes darting from the slain creature to the blood-streaked figure of their savior.

One of them, seemingly snapping out of her stupor, gasped and stammered, "Lucas? Is that you?"

Lucas glanced at her, lifting a brow at the unexpected recognition. "Hey there," he replied tersely, his voice calm but distant.

Wasting no time on further conversation, he turned his gaze toward his next target, a cluster of three goblins locked in a chaotic skirmish against five panicked students.

The group swung their makeshift weapons with little coordination, doing whatever they could trying to keep the creatures at bay.

Dashing toward the trio of goblins, Lucas swung his stick, a swift low sweep. He struck one goblin's leg, sending it falling to the floor. Before it could even react, he brought his weapons down in a brutal strike, cracking its skull open.

The remaining two goblins froze for a heartbeat, stunned by the gruesome sight. Then, snarling in rage, they let out furious howls and charged at him.

Lucas stared at the goblins’ movements without a single blink. They were closing the gap quickly, but it was just enough time for him to make his move.

His right stick carved through the air in a wide arc, colliding with the first goblin's head. The combined force of its reckless sprint and Lucas's swing resulted in a shattered skull with a gory crack.

Bits of bone and flesh sprayed outward as the creature collapsed mid-stride, lifeless.

The final one hesitated, its aggression faltering in the face of Lucas's brutality. However, the man himself wasn't. He lunged forward, his left stick whipping across the goblin's neck in a sharp, accurate strike.

It gagged, stumbling backward as it clutched at its throat. Lucas didn't let it recover. He stepped in, his right stick coming down like a hammer on its skull, the creature caving in instantly under the savage blow.

Steadying his breath, Lucas wiped the sweat and blood from his brow, his gaze sweeping over the hall for his next target. However, a sudden system notification materialized before his eyes, interrupting his search.

Moments later, another screen followed, listing names and numbers that made Lucas blink.

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Contribution Ranking

1) Lucas Kun - 16 Kills

2) Jin Marvin - 3 Kills

3) Kang Karlot - 3 Kills

4) Eryne Lockster - 2 Kills

5) Susanne Norman - 1 Kill

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Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.

You have received:

1) Uncommon Skill Book Selection x1

2) Uncommon Equipment Selection x1

3) Stamina and Mana Potion x10

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Forerunner

Rank: Epic

Your ability to adapt and boldness in forging new paths is truly admirable.

Grants accelerated growth in experience and proficiency acquisition.

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Before Lucas could fully examine the rewards he had just received, another notification abruptly materialized before him, pulling his attention immediately.

A small, glowing timer appeared in the corner of his vision, the numbers ticking down with an unrelenting rhythm.

Around him, the remaining survivors were still reeling from the chaos, and began murmuring amongst themselves. The atmosphere was thick with confusion, fear, and exhaustion.

"There's more?" someone cried out, their voice trembling with fear and disbelief.

"What is happening?!" another voice wailed, cracking with desperation.

Around them, others were cracking under the pressure. Some dropped to their knees in tears, sobbing uncontrollably, while others overcome by the blood and carnage around them, began vomiting. The aftermath of the battle was far more than many could bear.

But amidst the chaos and despair, Lucas's mind remained focused. His breath evened out, and his gaze hardened. Six hours. Six precious hours. He knew it wasn't a lot of time, but it was enough if he made every moment count.

He scanned the room, taking in the survivors, their fear, and the aftermath of the bloody battle. 'I’ll need to gather supplies, strategize, and figure out how to make it through the next round. There's no time to waste.'

Lucas hurried toward the corner of the room where Chloe and Samantha had huddled together, their faces pale and their bodies trembling.

As he approached, the acidic stench of vomit reached his nose, mixing with the metallic tang of blood that already hung in the air. The floor near them was stained, and their faces were streaked with tears.

'Not everyone can just accept it like I did,' Lucas thought, glancing at them with a pang of guilt. 'This chaos, it's overwhelming for most people.'

Chloe looked up, her red, swollen eyes meeting his. The moment recognition dawned, she broke into a sob. "Lucas!" she cried, her voice raw with relief and fear.

He reached out to pat her shoulder, his touch firm but comforting. "Come on," he said gently but with urgency. "We've got six hours to get ready. Let's move."

Samantha, though visibly shaken, managed to steady herself enough to ask with a trembling voice, "Six hours? Ready for what?"

Lucas didn't hesitate, his tone was confident. "To grow stronger," he said, his eyes were burning with determination. "We don't have time to sit here. Grab your bags and follow me."

While they scrambled to collect their belongings, Lucas scanned the battlefield, spotting discarded goblin clubs nearby. Picking up several of them, he gave them a simple swing before handing one to each of the girls.

"Here," he instructed. "It's ugly and crude, but it's a weapon. Hold onto it."

Hesitation was visible in their eyes. Their hands trembled as they stared at the weapons Lucas offered. For a moment, the weight of reality seemed too much to bear.

But then their eyes shifted to the gruesome carnage surrounding them. The broken bodies of classmates, the blood-splattered walls, and the goblin remains scattered across the hall. With shaky breaths, they reluctantly accepted the club's, gripping them tightly despite the fear.

Observing their resolve quietly, Lucas gave them a mental nod of affirmation. 'They are stronger than they think,' he thought.

Turning to lead the way, he gestured for them to follow. The trio made their way toward the exit of the lecture hall. Just before steeling out, Lucas paused and glanced back. The hall once a place of monotonous lessons and idle chatter, was now a battlefield.

His eyes swept over the grotesque scene, the mangled corpses of classmates and their professor’s body lying in unnatural poses, some barely recognizable.

Groups of surviving students clustered together, their faces pale and eyes hollow. Some clung to each other for solace, their muffled sobs echoing the blood-soaked silence. Others whispered words of comfort, trying to hold on to a semblance of humanity amidst the horror.

As Lucas reached for the door handle, a voice interrupted him.

"H-hey! Where are you going?!" a male student called out, his shaky voice cutting through the uneasy silence.

The outburst drew the attention of everyone left in the hall. Heads turned toward the source of the voice, their expressions were a mix of curiosity, fear, and desperation.

Lucas and the girls followed the gaze to see the speaker. A male classmate of his, standing among the huddled survivors.

He was dressed in the typical university student's fashion, a black casual shirt, and beige skinny-cut pants. But the once-pristine outfit was now marred with dark, smeared stains.

The stains weren't hard to identify. Blood. Lucas quickly assessed that it could have come from the goblins, or worse, from their fallen classmates.

The student's face was pale, his eyes wide with a mixture of panic and a tinge of out-of-place determination. When Lucas didn't immediately reply, the student stepped forward, speaking again.

"Where are you going, Lucas? We should stay here and wait for help," he insisted, his tone carrying a desperate plea, as though clinging to the hope of rescue.

Lucas studied him for a moment, his expression unreadable. Inwardly he thought to himself, 'Who even is this guy?'

Still, he maintained his composure, letting none of his thoughts surface.

"Let's go. Don't mind him," Lucas said, addressing the girls without sparing the student another glance.

Chloe and Samantha exchanged brief looks before nodding in agreement. They followed him silently, their trust evident in their compliance.

"Hey! Stop, man! Where are you going?! Stay here, please!" the student shouted, his voice filled with desperation as he lunged forward to grab Lucas's shoulder.

But Lucas took a subtle sidestep, avoiding the grasp, and casually caught the man's wrist. His grip was firm but controlled. "Staying here won't help you deal with those monsters," he stated.

Then, with a gentle push, he nudged the student backward.

Despite Lucas's restrained movements, the student's wrist throbbed with discomfort, as though it had been caught in a vice. The seemingly gentle shove also left him stumbling a step back, his balance momentarily disrupted.

Wide-eyed, the student clutched his wrist and stared at Lucas, speechless, as the trio continued toward the exit.

Exiting the lecture hall, Chloe instinctively glanced back, her eyes clouded with worry. " Is this really okay?" she asked softly, her voice tinged with hesitation.

Lucas didn't break stride. "Yeah, it'll be fine. Trust me, I'm here," he said firmly offering her a reassuring nod.

Samantha, keeping pace with them, looked at Lucas with a raised brow. "Alright, so what's next? I assume you've got some grand plan when you talk about 'getting stronger'."

Hearing Samantha's familiar sarcastic tone creep back, Lucas couldn't help but smirk. It was a sign that her spirit hadn't completely crumbled. "Well, yeah," he replied lightly. "But first, we need to grab some supplies."

"Supplies?" Chloe asked curiously, glancing around. "Where are we going to find those?"

"The cafeteria, of course," Lucas answered confidently, his haze shifting toward its direction.