MMORPG: Rebirth as an Alchemist

"Here, take this," Joker handed Ren a gun identical to Angelica's. "Just press the trigger like you would with a normal gun. But be careful not to accidentally shoot us, okay?"

Ren accepted the firearm. Having a weapon, even if he wasn't adept at combat, was far better than being defenseless. He had some experience with guns in the past, having visited a shooting range for recreational purposes.

As he held the gun, Ren wondered if he could aim properly. To his surprise, a targeting sight materialized before his eyes when he raised the firearm.

"It's a special kind of gun equipped with a targeting system," Joker explained. "However, the sniping function won't be much help against these fast mutants. It's better to shoot quickly. Don't worry, it doesn't use bullets but has the capacity for 1000 shots. The projectiles are larger than bullets, making it difficult to miss your target. However, its firing power is weak. Still, it's better than nothing, right?"

Ren didn't say anything. Without hesitation, he aimed at the approaching Stingfeeders. His first shot missed, but the subsequent two found their mark on the creature's body, while the last struck its head, causing it to explode upon impact.

Joker wasn't exaggerating about the size of the shots or their accuracy. Ren marveled at how it was indeed impossible to miss the target, except perhaps if they were moving too swiftly.

A sigh of relief escaped Ren as his body instinctively remembered how to handle and fire the gun.

However, the realization of taking a life, even that of a mutated human, was a first time on him, and would take a while to get used to.

[ACQUIRED! 1 CP!]

This was his very first credit point. Ren thought. So this was how it worked. It definitely felt like a game.

Come to think of it, COVENANT was designed to hasten the evolution of man, and Angelica and Joker said that the developers might come from the future.

If so, they had already planned for this eventuality. They made sure that the evolve humans would be accustomed to the apocalypse as soon as possible.

Ren had to thank the developers; and he thought that they were shrewd before.

Glancing over at Joker and Angelica, Ren was astonished to see that they had dispatched dozens of Stingfeeders while he had only managed to eliminate one.

"When did that happen?" Ren wondered, his mind struggling to grasp the speed and efficiency with which they fought.

As enemies lunged towards Joker, they inexplicably froze in their tracks, while Joker seemed to teleport with lightning speed. With a knife in hand, he dispatched the Stingfeeders effortlessly, wearing a carefree smile as he did.

Meanwhile, Angelica displayed a remarkable calmness as she skillfully wielded her firearm, effortlessly dodging the advances of the Stingfeeders. It was as if she possessed an extra sense, effortlessly anticipating her enemies' movements.

Observing his companions' abilities, Ren couldn't help but wonder what stage they were. They were very much used to fighting these creatures.

Ren's thoughts were interrupted when something caught his eye.

Despite its mutated appearance, with bulging fly-like eyes and a mosquito-like mouth, Ren recognized the figure immediately, from the tips of its toes to the strands of its golden hair.

"Leo . . ." Ren's throat went dry with apprehension.

Strangely, despite the shock of seeing his former friend transformed into a monstrous creature, Ren's heart remained steady, as though he had already anticipated this outcome.

As Leonel shrieked and charged towards them, Angelica readied her gun, and Joker prepared to intervene, but Ren held up a hand to stop them.

"Wait . . ." Ren stepped forward, his gaze locking with Leonel's twisted form. "I'll handle him."

If anyone was to end Leonel's suffering, it should be him.

Angelica and Joker exchanged a silent glance, both lowering their weapons in reluctant agreement.

Without hesitation, Leonel charged at Ren, closing the distance rapidly. Just inches away, Ren raised his gun.

"I'm sorry, Leo. Let's meet in the next world."

BaNngG!

With a deafening blast, Leonel's head exploded, and his lifeless body crumpled to the ground.

As Ren watched the life drain from his once-closest friend, he felt an emptiness consume him. Despite the finality of his actions, there was no sense of closure, only a hollow ache in his heart that couldn't be eased.

At that moment, the only solace Ren could grasp was the thought of reuniting with his friends in another world.

It was the sole beacon of hope that kept him pressing forward.

=======

Days passed and the rupture of the earth marked the end of tranquility and initiated a series of catastrophic events unprecedented in history, aptly dubbed the "Day of the Cataclysm" across the world.

The earth convulsed with violent tremors, as mountains crumbled and valleys underwent profound transformations amidst tumultuous oceans.

The chaos happened with such swiftness and intensity that humanity was caught off guard: only a scant few managed to survive, seeking refuge amidst the turmoil as the sun and moon united in an eternal eclipse.

A seismic upheaval of unfathomable proportions shook the very foundations of the earth. Once-thriving cities were reduced to rubble under the relentless onslaught of the quakes, their towering structures collapsing like fragile cards.

Roads buckled and twisted like turbulent waves upon a stormy sea. Bridges, bastions, and barriers alike succumbed to the merciless force of the tremors, shattered and strewn across the desolate landscape.

Few pockets of civilization remained intact amidst the devastation, with only a handful of souls clinging to life in the remnants of once bustling metropolises and bustling ports.

For the dwindling survivors, the world transformed into a harrowing nightmare. The once-glorious sun, now a dim, fading orb, seemed to wane and wither under an unknown force, casting eerie shadows across the land.

A deep crimson hue painted the skies, as a blood-red moon eclipsed the faltering sun in a sinister embrace. Darkness descended like a heavy veil, engulfing everything in its suffocating embrace, shrouding the world in a realm of perpetual twilight.