'Already?'
I jolted awake at the message ringing in my ears the moment I opened my eyes.
It was only 8 a.m. now. Was it really starting this early?
Sure, it was a weekday, but plenty of people were probably still asleep.
At this rate, a ton of them might just die in bed without a clue.
Thankfully, my worries veered toward the optimistic side.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The apocalypse begins at 10 a.m. today. Forced awakening will occur if you do not wake up one hour prior. This alert is being sent to all Earthlings, including Beta Testers.
I let out a small sigh of relief at the final message.
At least no one would die completely unaware.
It seemed everyone got a shot, Beta Tester or not.
Of course, making the most of it was up to the individual.
'Good thing I prepped everything yesterday.'
From the backpack stuffed with food to the baseball bat for close quarters.
I'd packed it all, so all that was left was clearing my head.
I took one last shower and changed into comfortable clothes for moving.
Early August meant no need for heavy layers—thank goodness.
Cold weather or bulky outfits just drained stamina faster.
With all preparations checked and done, the clock hands had already hit 10 a.m.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Erasing Earth's civilization now. Prove your worth and survive the apocalypse. Everything depends on your choices alone.
The messages carried a subtle emotion, unlike the previous dry tone.
I blinked at the odd contrast, but there was no time for calm reflection.
Fwaaash!
"Keruk!"
A monster appeared before me in a flash of light.
I stared blankly at the sudden intruder and muttered.
"A goblin? That's it?"
"Kik! Kiggeek!"
As if understanding my words, the goblin charged with an angry glare.
I clicked my tongue lightly and pointed a finger at it.
"Black Missile."
Thwack!
"Kieeeek!"
I'd deliberately aimed off-target, yet the goblin was left on the brink of death from one hit.
I finished it off with Energy Drain while recharging my magic.
It was so effortless I nearly yawned. Then, a quest window popped up before my eyes.
📜 NEW QUEST 📜
Find the Sanctuary
📍 Classification: Main Quest
⏰ Description: You've handled the monster admirably. But with the apocalypse underway, more will keep spawning endlessly. Head to a safe zone where monsters cannot approach to rest.
🎁 Reward: Small Inventory
'Inventory!'
My eyes lit up at the unexpected reward.
In games, inventories were a given, but this was reality.
I'd resigned myself to lugging everything around by hand.
The tutorial dungeon hadn't mentioned one, so I'd assumed they were gone.
"Can't pass this up."
I grabbed my baseball bat and bag, then opened the front door.
I was hurrying down to the stairs on the third floor below when—
-Aaaahhh!
A massive scream echoed through the entire building.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
-Help! Somebody help!
-Die, die, die!
-Honey! Nooo!
-Fuck, what the hell is this!
Stepping out of my one-room villa where I'd lived until now, shouts assaulted me from all directions.
Most came from inside the building.
I muttered blankly as I scanned the surroundings.
"No way they're getting taken out by goblins?"
Goblins were weak.
Not just because I'd beaten it easily—they really were.
Even a high school girl could punch one to death.
Hell, I could've handled the tutorial's three without magic.
Yet the reactions made it seem like they'd run into a zombie horde.
"H-Help me! Mister, save me!"
"...?"
I looked up at the voice from above and spotted a woman about my age.
As I stared silently, she twisted her face and screamed.
"I said help! Can't you just help me out!?"
"You mean kill the goblin for you?"
"What's a goblin!?"
"A green dwarf-like monster."
"That thing! That one!"
Whether from panic or her nature, she switched to casual speech outright.
Blind to my discomfort, she babbled on.
"I locked the door so it can't get in—clear it away! My home password is...!"
"Handle it yourself."
"What?"
"It's weak. Just keep kicking it and you'll win."
Plus, it was just one—not two or more.
She wasn't elderly or frail; a healthy body like hers could manage.
But her face contorted at my words.
"Are you insane!? What if I get hurt? You gonna take responsibility!?"
"...What if I get hurt?"
"You're a guy!"
Her out-of-left-field logic drew a hollow laugh from me.
I wasn't asking for flattery, but that attitude?
I ignored her and started walking. From behind came a furious yell.
"H-Hey, where you going!? If you leave like this, you're a murderer! Murderer! Yaaah!"
Her curses from behind didn't anger me.
They just left me dumbfounded.
"I thought it was just goblins, but nope. Balance patch."
Honestly, up until a moment ago, I hadn't taken the situation seriously.
I'd figured anyone not old or infirm could handle a goblin easily.
But reality was turning out far worse than I'd imagined.
'Everyone's too terrified of the monsters.'
They could win by snapping out of it and fighting, but they couldn't even try.
Locking doors and holing up like that woman was at least decent.
Mixed in with the screams were sobs and dying groans—plenty must've died already.
It nagged at me a bit, but I had no intention of checking on them.
Anyone who couldn't beat a goblin would die again soon, even if saved now.
I pushed past the screams and followed the quest window's directional marker.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
-Quest! We gotta do the quest!
-Shut up with that nonsense and stay put!
-Uwaaaah! Euheung!
-Quiet down already!
-You shut up! You think this is a joke!?
Shouts everywhere, yet not a soul emerged.
Everyone hunkered down in their homes, waiting it out.
Thanks to that, I crossed the empty streets alone toward the safe zone.
Goblins ambushed now and then, but they posed no threat.
"Black Missile."
"Kieeeek!"
"Energy Drain."
"Kik...!"
Black Missile to half-kill any goblins that popped up, then Energy Drain to finish.
I recharged my magic to max whenever possible.
A repetitive task so simple it bordered on boring.
But feeling bored in this mess highlighted a black mage's true value.
'No warrior—or even other mages—could farm goblins this casually.'
Warriors, no matter how strong, had to close in for melee.
They could handle goblins easily but always worried about ambushes and flanks.
Plus, constant movement drained stamina over prolonged fights.
They had to avoid drawn-out battles regardless of foe strength.
Mages could fight safely from range, sure.
But they'd panic as spell counts dwindled, forced into vulnerable meditation.
Only a black mage could chain combat and recharges seamlessly like this.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Your level has increased. +1 Ability Point added. You have reached Level 5.
"Nice."
Without the tutorial dungeon's EXP penalty, levels came quicker.
I invested the point in Magic Power and closed the Status Window.
Clatter.
"Ah, mister."
"Hm?"
I turned at the voice nearby and saw a woman slumped a short distance away.
Two goblins lay nearby, their heads smashed.
A young woman who looked like a college student spoke to me on shaky legs.
"Sorry, but could you help me up? My legs gave out after the fight."
"...."
Her legs might be weak, but those goblin skulls were pulverized.
She'd handled them cleanly with the mace in her hand.
Model-worthy face, yet gripping a bloodied mace—it was a bizarre sight.
I suppressed the urge to comment and offered my hand.
She grabbed it and stood unsteadily, exhaling in relief.
"Thanks. I was fine fighting, but relaxing made it hit."
"Happens after your first real scrap. I get it."
"You helped, but I didn't introduce myself. I'm Yoo Ha-eun."
"Kim Jong-min."
I gave my name naturally, without resistance.
It was instinct.
In a world overflowing with people clueless about fighting.
Meeting someone proactively battling felt refreshing.
Yoo Ha-eun seemed to feel the same, eyeing me curiously.
"Jong-min, you only have a baseball bat? Didn't get a warrior weapon in job selection?"
"I'm a mage. Just grabbed it as backup, but I usually fight with magic."
"M-Mage!? You can really use magic!?"
Her eyes sparkled at "mage."
She'd picked warrior for survival but yearned for magic deep down.
I chuckled and pointed at a corner of the wall.
"Black Missile."
Thwack!
"...!"
The brick crumbled to dust from one spell, leaving Yoo Ha-eun agape.
No surprise—a solid hit could be fatal.
Like rapid-firing a crossbow while others risked close combat.
Excited, she grabbed my hands and shouted.
"Th-There! Wanna party up with me?"
"Party?"
"Ah, wrong word. I mean team! Let's team up!"
Party, huh. Clearly a gamer who'd tried every RPG except World Rebuild.
As I stayed silent, she took it as rejection and rambled.
"Don't judge—I picked warrior! I can tank, or shield, no problem!"
"Not DPS, but tank...?"
Even I was surprised.
DPS I could've seen, but tank?
She was volunteering as a meat shield to block while I attacked.
Theoretically ideal, but embracing the riskiest role willingly.
Her quick recovery from battle shock showed unusual mental fortitude.
She beamed at my mutter.
"You know tanking! Perfect! What do you think of my offer!?"
"It's tempting, for sure, but..."
Skill-wise, mentality-wise—top-tier.
For a chance encounter, she was ideal teammate material.
Harder to find reasons to refuse than accept.
I gave a wry smile, meeting her expectant gaze.
"Think it's gonna be tough."
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