Once they were inside, a wave of relief washed over them immediately. Their chests heaved with ragged breaths and cold sweat clinging to their skin.
The other survivors scattered across the dim hall stirred awake. Their eyes widening at the sight of the four covered in sweat with pale face.
"Did the monster break through?" a woman asked, her voice trembling.
"No," Myles answered between heavy breaths.
The group moved toward the classroom that had become their usual resting place. One by one, they slumped into their spots and staring blankly at the cracked ceiling. The reality of surviving that encounter still felt unreal.
"That was crazy," Victor muttered, rubbing a hand over his face. He left it at that and silence stretched between them.
"Yeah," Myles said quietly. "That monster was so strong. But what’s worse is he still had his human mind. I didn’t know that was even possible."
"I thought you were dead," Nadine whispered, her eyes glistening with tears as she looked at him.
Myles offered a tired smile and reached out to gently pat her head. "I’m fine. And I’m glad you’re all alive too. That means we get another chance tomorrow."
Victor’s gaze lingered on him, his chest heavy with unspoken thoughts.
"How does he keep thinking of fighting after nearly dying like that?"
For the first time, Victor felt certain that joining in with Myles had been the right choice.
"So... what’s our plan now?" Kade asked cautiously, breaking the silence.
Myles leaned back, thinking for a moment before answering. "First, let’s pray that the monster doesn’t find us here. After that, we need to hunt harder tomorrow. Push ourselves and get stronger until we are strong enough to kill that thing."
Victor gave a short laugh, nodding. "I like your thinking. I thought we’d just be hiding day after day and just scraping by. But you actually want to face this head-on. Ha... I respect that."
Myles grinned, despite the exhaustion in his eyes. "Like we have any other choice? We keep fighting despite the odds. That’s the only way."
The others nodded, the weight of his words settling over them.
Deep down, they all understood that even if death came for them, better to die fighting than live too long in fear.
"By the way," Myles said after a pause, glancing at each of them. "Did anyone else get a skill?"
Nadine hesitated before raising her hand slightly.
"I... I did. When I killed that thing outside the campus, I didn’t have time to check. But now it looks like I got a skill."
She opened her stat window, eyes widening. "It’s called [Windstride]. A B-Rank skill that increases my Agility quite high for a short time."
"That’s... amazing," Victor said, impressed.
Victor sighed when it was his turn. "My skill is nothing like that. It’s a C-Rank skill called [Stonehide]. Basically, it boosts my defense for a while and makes me tougher to kill but I cannot move. It is still useful, I guess. If I got a friend that attack with me. Before when I was alone this skill is useless."
Kade looked down, shame creeping into his voice. "I... still don’t have any skill yet."
Myles shook his head firmly. "Don’t worry about that. Skills will come in time. What matters now is that we keep pushing forward. Every monster we fight will raise our level therefore raise our stats, and that is important."
The room fell quiet again. They decided to rest for the night.
The next day after a quick breakfast the four rose to their feet with determined expression. None of them hesitated as they stepped out of the classroom.
Just as they were about to head toward the exit, the creak of a door caught their attention.
Ryan emerged slowly. His skin had lost much of its color, leaving him pale and sickly. His eyes now looked hollow—dark pits that barely reflected the light.
Myles glanced at him, a thought forming immediately. "Nia’s death broke him. He’s not the same anymore."
"You have more food?" Ryan asked, his voice low and rough. "I’m kinda hungry."
Myles’s jaw tightened. They had already rationed food for Ryan and Marcus the night before but it was of course still not enough.
"We’re not wasting food on people who don’t go outside and fight," Myles said firmly.
Ryan’s lips curled into something like a smile, though it never reached his eyes. He gave a short nod.
"Then I’ll fight."
Myles studied him for a moment before responding.
"Fine. Go eat what you need in the classroom. Enough to fill your strength. We’ll wait here for you."
Ryan disappeared back inside without another word.
Three minutes later, he returned. A faint trace of color had returned to his face but his hollow eyes remained unchanged.
In his hand, he carried his single-edged short dagger.
"I’m ready," Ryan said flatly.
Myles nodded once, accepting his resolve without question. "Good. Let’s move."
Together, the five of them walked through the halls.
Suddenly, a group of five stepped out from a side hallway, blocking their path.
Two grown men, one younger boy around seventeen, and two women who looked just barely into adulthood stood together, their faces tense but determined.
The oldest among them, a broad-shouldered man around Victor’s age, raised his hand.
"Wait. We... We want to fight too. But... we’re still weak. We can’t handle the monsters on our own. I’m asking you to help us. Let us join you."
Myles studied the group in silence. Their eyes carried resolve not like the others still in the corner.
"The more people willing to fight, the stronger we become. Numbers first... I don’t know who to trust for now but it can wait for later."
He exhaled slowly, then gave a curt nod. "Fine. Grab any weapon you can find, and we move now."
The relief on their faces was immediate. The women clutched improvised spears made from broken mop handles with kitchen knives lashed at the ends.
The teenage boy carried a cracked baseball bat. The younger man gripped a crowbar.
The older one held a rusted machete, clearly salvaged from somewhere outside.
Victor crossed his arms, muttering, "Good to see some still have guts."
"Yeah. More hands to fight," Myles said. "That’s what matters."
The five new recruits exchanged uncertain glances but stood behind them.
Without another word, Myles turned and pushed forward, leading them all toward the heavy doors of the campus.