End of Days Game: I'm the Only One Who Can See the Hidden Cues - Chapter 216

Chapter 216: The Unforeseen Arrival of Many
With the update of the Apocalypse Game, a multitude of exceptionally challenging new instances and incredibly formidable monsters began to manifest across the globe.

Apart from a handful of individuals, including Jeremy, the vast majority of people were caught completely off guard.

Furthermore, due to a prior period during which the awakened individuals among humanity had cleared the lower-difficulty instances, humans had managed to ascertain that certain locations were exceedingly safe.

However, with the escalation of difficulty in the Apocalypse Game, areas once deemed secure were once again beset by monsters. This sudden upheaval plunged those who had grown accustomed to the previous rhythm of life into a state of profound panic.

Whether in the remote wilderness or the bustling cities, whether at coastal ports or inland towns, the likelihood of encountering high-difficulty instances had become alarmingly significant.

In Moonlight City, where Jeremy resided, more than eight new high-difficulty instances emerged all at once.

Even though Jeremy had already undergone his awakening, he harbored no confidence that he could swiftly clear these challenging instances.

Moreover, the other individuals, aside from Jeremy, were entirely unqualified to enter these instances.

Two instances materialized directly adjacent to the military base in Moonlight City, which posed an immense threat to the city’s armed forces.

At that moment, Howard was still in the capital and had not yet returned, leaving the command of the soldiers to his subordinates.

The ranks of Howard’s subordinates were not particularly high, and thus, they found themselves plunged into a state of utter panic when confronted with the sudden appearance of high-difficulty instances.

“We can no longer continue to defend this position! In order to ensure that our soldiers do not suffer excessive losses, we must abandon our main base. We must relocate to other military bases within Moonlight City as swiftly as possible.”

At this critical juncture, Howard’s aide stepped up to assume the responsibilities of commander at the military base.

He directly commanded numerous soldiers to commence their evacuation to the other military bases in Moonlight City.

Although the speed of Howard’s subordinates was sufficiently rapid, the sudden emergence of these high-difficulty instances and the monsters within them nonetheless resulted in significant casualties among the soldiers.

In addition to the threat posed by the unexpectedly appearing instances at the military base, another high-difficulty instance materialized not far from the city government’s building in the heart of Moonlight City.

At that moment, Benjamin, who was working within the city government building, felt his expression darken considerably upon witnessing the sudden arrival of the high-difficulty instance.

He urgently needed to prompt his secretary to ascertain what exactly was transpiring.

“Why has an instance suddenly appeared in the city center? Has the Apocalypse Game undergone a revolutionary change? You need to clarify the situation immediately and relay all the information you have gathered without delay.”

Benjamin’s secretary, without any hesitation, sprinted out of the office building at the fastest possible speed.

However, Benjamin did not need to urge his secretary to gather intelligence, as the planners of the Apocalypse Game would soon announce the updated content of the game.

[Attention to all players participating in the Apocalypse Game, the planners are about to release a new announcement.]

Everyone in the real world heard this voice simultaneously.

Upon hearing this announcement, Benjamin couldn’t help but mutter to himself.

“The sudden appearance of the new instance in the city center is indeed related to the update of the Apocalypse Game.”

This judgment was not solely made by Benjamin, in fact, nearly everyone who encountered the newly arrived high-difficulty instances and the exceptionally powerful monsters shared this suspicion.

Within less than half a minute, another message materialized directly in the minds of the crowd.

[Congratulations to all players participating in the Apocalypse Game for successfully unlocking a new game stage. In the upcoming game stage, you will be able to elevate your levels to 70.

You will also have the opportunity to awaken your unique talents, which will undoubtedly enhance your abilities significantly. Therefore, in order to ensure that the difficulty of the game aligns with your newfound strength…”

We have decided to increase the difficulty of the Apocalypse Game by raising the level cap for all challenging instances to seventy. Furthermore, the level cap for all standalone monsters will be elevated to sixty-five.

We hope that everyone can adapt to this new phase of the game, however, if you find yourselves struggling to adjust, there is no need for excessive concern—you merely need to be defeated by the monsters.]

Following this extensive announcement regarding the updates to the Apocalypse Game, the crowd learned of a new planner’s name: Empress.

It was Empress who had just delivered the announcement regarding the updates to the Apocalypse Game.

Many individuals were caught completely off guard by the sudden emergence of this update.

Moreover, even those who were somewhat prepared found themselves ensnared in a profound crisis due to the appearance of high-difficulty instances and the abrupt elevation of monster levels.

Meanwhile, Kean, who was still within an awakening instance, encountered a dilemma that seemed nearly insurmountable.

As Jeremy conducted his awakening ceremony, Kean was also making his moves within the awakening instance.

Almost simultaneously with Jeremy’s successful completion of the awakening ceremony, Kean finally obtained the awakening gemstone that was uniquely his within the instance.

However, just as he intended to depart with the awakening gemstone in hand, Jeremy completed his awakening ceremony. At that moment, the planners of the Apocalypse Game also increased the game’s difficulty.

This led to a rapid increase in the levels of the monsters within the awakening instance where Kean found himself.

Even though he had acquired the awakening gemstone and could receive assistance from The Person in the Mirror, he nonetheless found himself plunged into a near-desperate situation when confronted with the attacks of monsters whose levels had suddenly escalated.

Although the circumstances were exceedingly challenging, Kean was, after all, a person who had endured numerous trials and tribulations.

In the face of extreme danger, he managed to maintain a basic level of composure.

Kean placed the awakening gemstone into the pocket that had been specifically provided to him by The Person in the Mirror.

Then, while battling against the now-enhanced monsters, he hastened his advance toward the exit of the awakening instance.

In Kean’s recollection, the exit of the awakening instance was not particularly far away. If he could manage to escape from the instance, he should be able to ensure his safety.

Initially, Kean’s progress was relatively smooth.

Although the monsters’ levels had been raised, he had already eliminated most of them during his previous endeavors within the awakening instance.

The remaining monsters were not overly numerous, which meant that Kean still possessed the capability to fight.

However, as Kean drew closer to the entrance of the awakening instance, he sensed that the number of monsters surrounding him was increasing exponentially.

The rise in the difficulty level of the Apocalypse Game not only elevated the levels of the monsters within the awakening instance but also augmented their numbers significantly.

When Kean was less than fifty meters away from the exit of the awakening instance, a substantial number of monsters had already gathered around him.

Moreover, the levels of these monsters were generally above fifty.

Each monster was one that Kean could not easily defeat.

“I absolutely cannot die here! I still need to find an opportunity to take revenge on Jeremy!”

As Kean struggled to navigate through the horde of monsters toward the exit of the awakening instance, he repeatedly reaffirmed his objective.

The reason Kean engaged in this self-affirmation was to keep himself alert and focused.

The monsters surrounding Kean not only possessed formidable combat abilities but also generated significant psychological disturbances when clustered together.

If Kean could not maintain his clarity, he risked becoming completely lost within the awakening instance.

Through sheer determination, Kean managed to crawl to a point less than five meters from the entrance of the awakening instance.

However, he found himself unable to advance any further, as his earlier exertions had completely exhausted his stamina.

Gazing at the sunlight streaming in from the entrance of the awakening instance, Kean’s emotions were a tumultuous mix of despair and reluctance.

“Am I really going to die here?! Is there truly no way for me to move forward just a few more meters?!”

Driven by his unwillingness to accept his fate, Kean slowly began to crawl forward. However, with each inch he progressed, he could feel his strength waning rapidly.

Simultaneously, he sensed the monsters surrounding him feasting upon his very flesh.

Kean felt his body temperature plummeting as his blood flowed out through the wounds inflicted by the ravenous creatures.

His consciousness began to blur, and he could barely discern the sunlight filtering through the entrance of the instance.

Just as Kean was on the verge of losing consciousness, a hand composed entirely of golden light reached in from outside the entrance of the instance.

With clenched teeth, Kean summoned the last of his strength to grasp that golden arm.

In that instant, he felt a profound warmth surging back into his body, suddenly giving him the energy to continue moving.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Kean swiftly crawled out of the awakening instance.

The moment he escaped the awakening instance, it collapsed behind him.

Apart from the first awakening instance, all subsequent instances would rapidly disintegrate once a player successfully completed them.

This was because the awakening instances were specifically designed to test a player’s eligibility to obtain the awakening gemstone.

Once a player cleared the awakening instance, its purpose was fulfilled, and it no longer needed to exist.

After successfully completing the awakening instance, Kean looked up at the sun hanging high in the sky and let out a hearty laugh.