In the final half-hour of the game, chaos reigned supreme within the virtual world. The death of the Nazi Major had thrown the enemy forces into disarray, and the fall of their base had only exacerbated their desperation. Players, emboldened by their recent victories, scoured the digital landscape for any remaining Nazi soldiers.

The virtual town, once a bastion of enemy forces, became a battleground for the final showdown. Players, both individually and in groups, embarked on this last mission. Some formed tactical squads, their movements coordinated with military precision. Others chose the path of lone wolves, hunting down stragglers with fierce determination.

Some aimed to take down any remaining outposts for more rewards, others saw an opportunity to amass more loot, seizing the chance to fill their virtual bags with valuable items and resources that would be useful for the next round.

With seconds to spare, victory was declared. The remaining players, both individually and collectively, celebrated their hard-fought triumph. The game had been challenging, but they had emerged victorious.

[Game concluded]

[Survivors Detected; 2,322]

Alan’s eyes slowly opened, and he found himself back in the familiar 4by4 Virtual Waiting room. The transition from the intense virtual reality to this tranquil environment was almost jarring. He took a precious few seconds to collect his thoughts, basking in the sense of accomplishment and relief. A moment later, a series of notifications and messages began flooding his Gamelink, demanding his attention.

[Processing player data…]

[Round Two: Human versus Human]

[Main Quest: Stop the invading Nazi]

[Quest Completed: 100% (Rating E)]

[Secondary Quest: Took over the town]

[Quest Completed: 85% (Rating E>D-)]

[Bonus Quest: Locate and stop WMD]

[Quest Completed: 100% (Rating D->D+)]

[Battle Performance: Very Active (Rating D+> C+)]

[Exploration Performance: High]

[Special Rating: Kill a high number of elite monsters (Rating C+> B-)]

[Final Player Rating: B-]

Alan meticulously reviewed each message and notification that flooded his Gamelink. His eyes scanned each line, absorbing the information presented to him. With each message, his sense of accomplishment and satisfaction grew, and a triumphant smile gradually spread across his face.

The highlight of it all was the final evaluation: a B rating. It was a remarkable achievement, one of the highest rankings attainable in the first round of the game. The stark contrast with his previous life couldn’t be more evident. In that earlier iteration, Alan had struggled to survive, barely completing the first objective and earning a dismal E+ rank.

This time, however, the players had not only completed all three objectives but had done so with distinction. The two completed objectives had boosted all player’s final ratings significantly. The game’s evaluation system weighed a player’s contribution to quests, the number of enemies defeated, and exploration, all of which contributed to Alan’s outstanding performance.

Alan understood that he hadn’t received a perfect rank for capturing the town due to his other critical responsibilities: stopping the Dirty Bomb and entering the supersoldier tube. But in hindsight, he considered it a worthwhile trade-off. His efforts had undoubtedly paid off in the end.

The moment he had eagerly awaited arrived—a notification that read:

[Calculating player rewards…]

[Rank: B-]

[You received Survival Points 8,000 and 8,000 XP]

[You received: C rank reward 2x]

[You received: Attribute Enhancement Bonus 1x]

[Acquired Title: Sword Instructors]

[Sword instructors: You have a knack for teaching sword skills, increasing the chance to inherit sword skills to other players, 10% more damage and speed for sword fighting]

Upon seeing this bonus, Alan couldn’t help but smile. The “Sword Instructors” title had been earned during his second year in the game when he had become a veteran and started teaching new players. It was one of the reasons he had dedicated himself to instructing the sword skill to the group of players he had taken under his wing in this round.

After absorbing all the rewards and titles, Alan’s gaze finally shifted to the display of his Status.

[Alan D Angello, Male, 27 years]

[Level 31:109550/120000]

[HP: 310/310]

[Stamina: 100%]

[Spirit points: 70]

[Stamina: 100%]

[Strength: E+]

[Agility: C]

[Endurance: D+]

[Perception: D-]

[Intelligence: C]

[Spirit: E]

[Survival Points: 55750]

[four attribute points to distribute]

[You have 2x C rank reward 1x D rank reward 9x E rank reward. 4 x F rank reward]

[Jobclass: Scholar]

[Title: Pyromaniac, Beast Hunter, Sword Instructor]

####

[Equipment]

[Night Cloak (Superior), Padded Armor (Common), Bearskin Bag (Uncommon), Luger PO8 (Uncommon), Third Reich Sword, (Uncommon)]

####

[Inventory]

[Arming Sword (Common), Sawed-off Shotgun (Uncommon), Lighter, Painkiller x 2, Antibiotic, Cigarettes, Money $1000, etc]

####

[Common Skill]

[Unarmed Combat (Novice)]

[Dagger Weapon (Novice)]

[Small Firearm (Expert)]

[Sword Weapon (Master)]

####

[Uncommon Skill]

[First Aid (Basic)]

[Repair (Basic)]

[Sneak (Expert)]

####

[Unique Skill]

[Science (Expert)]

Alan took immense pride in the results he had achieved during the second round of the game. The substantial number of Experience Points, Survival Points, and rank rewards he had garnered was a testament to his efficient and successful grinding efforts. It was clear to him that he had made the most of the 14 days allocated for this round.

As the final moments of the round approached, Alan received a notification informing him of his imminent departure:

[You will be teleported to the Transit Area in one minute]

[5..4..3..2..1]

A blinding light engulfed him momentarily, giving him the sensation of being lifted off the ground. When the light finally dimmed, he found himself in a new location. This time, it was a room with a balcony overlooking a vast expanse of blue ocean, dotted with enormous vessels. Alan had arrived at the second round’s transit area, specifically in a private room on a luxury cruise ship.

[You have arrived at Cruiser 017]

[Player Population: 3,352]

Alan noticed a fluctuation of over 1,000 players. These were individuals who had died in the game but had accumulated enough points to revive themselves for the next round. Given the successful completion of mission objectives and the lucrative rewards earned during the raid, most of these players could afford the 2,500-point penalty for revival.

Despite the high number of survivors, Alan knew that there were still over 1,500 players who hadn’t made it through the second round. However, this round should have yielded the highest number of survivors across the 100 servers.

Just as the last remnants of the teleportation light faded away, an announcement echoed through the room:

[Next apocalypse game will start in 72 hours, prepare yourself accordingly]

[Time Left – 72:00]

While all players were granted a well-deserved three-day break, Alan had no intention of resting. It was time for him to set his next plan into motion, as he knew that the next round was fast approaching, and he needed every advantage he could muster.

#####

After 14 intense days of watching numerous clips of the apocalypse game rounds, the world’s attention was firmly fixed on the New York server. Unlike most servers, which typically had only a thousand or so survivors left for the next round, the New York server stood out as an exceptional case. Not only did so many manage to survive the grueling round, but they also achieved the remarkable feat of completing all three objectives.

The New York server quickly became a symbol of hope and resilience for people not just in America but all around the world. The heroic leadership of Captain Carter, the formidable Black Sand Mercenary Group, the intimidating Blood Patriots, and the unexpected rise of an underdog militia unit known as the Wolverines, led by just a teacher had captured the hearts and imaginations of many.

Colonel Weber emerged from a meeting with the president, where he received multiple commendations for successfully managing the New York server. While it was an honor to be recognized for their accomplishments, he couldn’t help but feel a sense of unease. He couldn’t accept the credit, not until he found out who the mysterious man who gave him all the information about the round was.

The growing fame of this unexpected militia leader called Alan only fueled Weber’s curiosity further. Determined to uncover the truth and gather more information, Colonel Weber called upon his assistant and said,

“I need all available information about this teacher, Alan d’Angelo, and arrange a meeting with Captain Carter immediately!”

####

Author’s Note,

This marks the end of the Arch and Volume Two. I hope you have enjoyed this chapter as much as I have. Please feel free to leave me some feedback to help improve the story further.