When I was halfway up the staircase, I spotted two people - a middle-aged police officer and a female student - standing at the top. They saw me as well, and both jumped slightly at my sudden appearance.

The police officer and student were standing at the top of the staircase, and a large metal divider was interposed between us. The metal barrier had a slight blue sheen, and I knew what it was before the System even told me.

[NEW MATERIAL DISCOVERED: MITHRIL]

The two people standing at the top of the staircase walked toward the barrier, and the weapons they were holding in their hands were revealed. The student held a shortbow in her hands, and an arrow was notched on the string. On the other hand, the police officer held a warhammer that he brandished like a baton.

[NEW MATERIAL DISCOVERED: SPIRITWOOD]

Seeing two people wield such archaic weapons in the Carolina Union made me want to laugh. The clashing aesthetic of the modern student union and the medieval weaponry made it seem like they were holding a renaissance faire.

It was somewhat heartening, I thought, that the officer wasn’t wielding his sidearm. He must have figured out that conventional firearms did not work on the Diluvians.

“Stop!” In a voice replete with oft-brandished authority, the officer commanded me to halt. The tone caused me to freeze in place before I fully comprehended the word. “Identify yourself!”

I cleared my throat to conceal the unease created by the officer’s shout. It would be improper for me to stutter and shake in front of a normal police officer when bat demons roamed the street and continent-sized starships crashed into the ocean. I calmed myself with the knowledge that I could probably beat both of them in a fight, if necessary. The two of them were wielding weapons they were clearly not familiar with, and my shield would be able to handle any punishment they could dish out.

“I’m Vincent Blackwell, a student here,” I said, raising my palms in a show of peace.

“You’re a bit old to be a student,” the police officer said suspiciously.

“Old?” I grit my teeth and bit off a sarcastic retort. “I’m twenty-five, sir. I’m a student at the law school.”

“Mm hmm,” the police officer grunted. “I see that you’re carrying a firearm. Those don’t work on the Diluvians, you know.”

“This one does. I took the Alchemist class, and a class skill let me upgrade it. Now, do you mind if I walk up the stairs?”

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

“Fine, but keep that weapon in its holster.”

I ascended the steps and found myself in the Carolina Union. A few dozen people had accumulated in the lobby of the Carolina Union. Many of them were huddled together in small, frightened groups, and others were pacing around while looking at their phones in slowly-dawning terror.

They must have been checking the state of the rest of the world, looking for a place they could run that was safe. Some, perhaps, were checking on family and friends, though I could tell that their efforts were fruitless. It was slowly dawning upon them that this was not a localized event. No, the System Apocalypse was happening everywhere. On every one of the Earth’s countries, invaders from the Outer Realms were landing, and no one was safe.

Looking around, I scanned the union, but I could not find Liz or Carlos. After a few seconds, however, I spotted a man I recognized. Sitting at a table in the center of the lobby, a man in a business casual suit with a muted blue tie and patches on the shoulders stared at the space a foot in front of his face. The man gestured frantically with his hand, and I knew he must have been navigating through his [Menu].

“Professor Carlyle!” I shouted to the man as I walked toward him.

I recognized Professor Carlyle from the few times he had come to meet Liz after an RPG session. He was Elizabeth’s father, and he was a Professor of Philosophy who taught in one of the nearby academic buildings. I took a class of his as an undergraduate, though it was only an introductory class.

Edward Carlyle looked up from his [Menu], which was invisible to me, and raised a hand in greeting. A sad smile creased his mouth as he said, “Ah, Vincent. It’s good to see that you made it here safely. Elizabeth told me you were on your way.”

“Thank you. How’s the situation here?”

“In the absence of any real authority, I’m directing things at the moment,” Professor Carlyle said. “If you don’t mind me asking, where did you get that weapon?” He pointed to my laser pistol.

“I crafted it,” I said quickly. “Do you know where Carlos and Liz are?”

“Oh, I see. You must have set up your Workshop elsewhere.” Seeing my confusion, Professor Carlyle continued. “I took the Alchemist class like I assume you did. Carlos and my daughter are standing guard at the northern entrance. They’re the only ones who seem confident enough with the System to actually fight the monsters attacking us.” Carlyle sighed deeply and looked around at the situation around him. “You should go talk to them. Though, once you’re done, you can come back here, and you can set up a Workshop in the union. I have most of the other Alchemists here crafting weapons for us all to use. If you can make more of these guns, that would be very helpful. As you can imagine, most of us are more comfortable with guns than swords.”

Professor Carlyle gestured down to a longsword that was sheathed at his hip. Based on the way he carried the weapon, it was clear that he was not used to it, but it was better than anything else. With that sword, at least he had a chance to harm the monsters we faced.

“I’ll see what I can do,” I said, lying through my teeth. Building the Sarcophagus Ship was at the forefront of my mind, and I had no intention of returning. “Thank you for pointing me in their direction.”

I swiftly jogged toward the northern gate, and I soon ran into Carlos and Liz standing out in the open. Half a dozen Diluvians lay dead on the ground, and both of them seemed completely unharmed. Though Liz was unarmed, Carlos wielded a sword, and he shook the blood off its blade as I approached.

It made sense that they would thrive in such an environment, considering the similarity between the Revelation System and Dungeon King. I felt slightly foolish for worrying as I walked toward them with a smile.