I Only Wanted A Class In The Apocalypse Chapter 5 - The Apocalypse

"Holy sh*t! This tastes like heaven!!" The sandwich I devoured left me utterly stunned. No flavor in my entire life had ever compared to this one.

"Don't be silly," Isabella chuckled at my outburst, "don't tell me there's no burger where you're from."

"There is… But it never tastes like this," I blurted out the first thought that crossed my mind.

"Then where are you from? You haven't told me anything about it yet!" She circled back to probing about my origins.

"I came from far, far away," I mumbled between bites of my sandwich, "shouldn't we head back and snag a couple more?"

We were already making our way toward the vast lawn.

"Don't be ridiculous, burgers are always available anytime," she found my suggestion amusing and brushed it off. Yet she had no clue this would be her final burger ever.

"C'mon, just one more, please!" I begged, even willing to grovel. But she relished my desperation and giggled while replying:

"Stop it! I'll get you another sandwich, so relax," she paused, then emphasized, "don't forget I'm the one paying!"

After grabbing those two sandwiches, I had no choice but to let her cover the cost. I'd arrived here empty-handed, and any coins from my era wouldn't pass muster in this world anyway.

Folks here still relied on those pointless paper bills as money. I couldn't fathom how people back then fell for such a scam! Paper held zero value, plain and simple. Gold, gems, and rare metals mattered. Even art like paintings and sculptures gained worth post-apocalypse.

But cash? It became nothing but fuel for fires on chilly nights or wiping in the loo!

While strolling along, we spotted another burger cart. These incredible sandwiches just couldn't satisfy my hunger fully! Now I had even more cause to despise the apocalypse and this poorly timed arrival. Why hadn't that old guy dropped me off days—or even a year—earlier?

"What time is it now?" I inquired, spotting the expansive great lawn ahead.

It appeared utterly serene, filled with families basking in the warm sunshine. I observed children dashing about, flying kites—a sight utterly foreign to my past.

In my era, kids shouldered the same survival struggles as grown-ups. The apocalypse spared no one, regardless of age, size, gender, or strength. It forged a savage, unforgiving realm, the polar opposite of the carefree existence these folks savored.

"Why do you keep asking about the time?" This wasn't my first query on it. I refused to get lost in these divine burger delights while doom loomed overhead.

Arriving at the great lawn right as the apocalypse kicked off suited me perfectly. I couldn't afford to miss that window.

"It's four P.M.," she answered.

"Let's hurry up," I crammed the remains of my treasured burger into my mouth and quickened my stride. She hesitated at first, lagging behind for a bit before catching up.

"What's the big hurry?" she wondered, but I held back the truth for now.

'It's about to hit any second,' I stepped onto the great lawn at last. I scanned the area like someone bidding the world goodbye.

"It looks too perfect to be real," I had to confess.

"Why are you behaving so oddly?" she questioned, but before more words escaped her, the entire world shifted.

The once-bright sky darkened as the earth trembled. Everyone nearby froze, tilting heads skyward in confusion.

"What's happening?" Isabella's face drained of color, "is it an earthquake?"

Quakes didn't darken the heavens. I recognized the signs. At least, both tales in my head aligned on this event.

A massive star was set to eclipse our sun, appearing from the void. Ancient tales and logs claimed the sun vanished within days, sparking total chaos.

Gravity intensified, warping day and night cycles as everyone knew them.

Days stretched twice as long, unleashing catastrophes while our world fused with others.

"Rumble!"

As darkness deepened overhead, an enormous, eerie shadow emerged. 'Here it comes,' I drew a sharp breath, mesmerized by this indescribable spectacle.

"Is that… a spaceship?" Isabella guessed at the bizarre silhouette above. I let her assumption stand. After all, wild theories like aliens, doomsday, divine fury, global war, or Ragnarok circulated widely then—each grasping fragments of reality without grasping the full truth.

"Flash!"

"Flash!"

"Flash!"

'It's here already!' A golden panel blinked before my eyes. Though I couldn't spot it on others, I knew every human witnessed it.

This marked the dawn of it all—the debut of our soul-linked systems.

[Congratulations! As a human being you now have a chance to exceed the mortal boundaries and become a mighty figure of your own race. The time of your civilization is over, and now a new experience is waiting for you]

That iconic system greeting—I'd committed it to memory from countless readings.

Yet recalling the old man's words, contrasting this vague proclamation with later events furrowed my brow.

It sounded epic but offered zero useful details. No word on merging with alien races, no hint of the epic war for survival, not even a nod to the apocalypse's onset—leaving humanity in utter disarray at the pivotal hour.

Omitting those key facts amid such turmoil wasn't trivial. I'd overlooked it once, but the terrified, bewildered expressions around proved otherwise.

Per the old man's account, this kicked off a string of withheld critical intel that humans desperately needed.

Knowledge equaled power, and right then its timeless wisdom hit home.

"Did you… see that?" Isabella gestured at thin air, her complexion ashen.

"I think something huge is unfolding," I played it cool to avoid suspicion, mimicking a local's bewilderment, "got your phone? Check the news."

"Yeah," she snapped to, pulling out her device. She glanced skyward, then scanned about, inhaled deeply, and began browsing.

I knew it'd yield zilch. The apocalypse's opening move crippled all tech instantly.

"What the hell… it's not working!!" Shock and fear gripped her as the phone went inert.

"Let me check," I feigned surprise while inspecting the lifeless gadget. I'd anticipated this; the apocalypse unleashed a global EMP-like blast.

That spelled doom for all current tech. "Battery dead?"

"No way, it was at half just moments ago," she remained dazed. I chose silence for the moment.

Frustration etched her features—a typical response. Glancing around, most faces mirrored hers.

The sun's glow faded, shrouding the park's distant edges in gloom. But I knew crowds would soon flock here, courtesy of the apocalypse's next phase.

[Quest 1 has been issued to you]

[Part 1 of quest 1: Survive for the next hour.

Reward: You'll get acknowledged and will have the system bound to you.

Penalty: Death]

"What the f*ck?!!" The curse nearly escaped my lips upon reading that prompt.