Lords I

"Let's continue."

Jon's sudden statement left the group staring in surprise. Jenny wanted to ask him about the recent tragedy, but Cynthia gently shook her head, signaling her to let it go. It was just like before with Alexa, Jon would have to come out of it on his own.

And he seemed to be handling it better this time, if they ignored the massacres that followed his grief.

The surrounding air was thick with tension as everyone silently processed the changes in Jon.

He really wasn't the same as before. First, his voice was cracked, as if a broken radio was trying to play. He looked different, definitely sharper, more mature, and undeniably stronger. His aura had shifted, and the group could feel it. And looking at the bodies, corpses and pool of blood behind him, they couldn't help but tremble.

So once Jon gave his opinion, the survivors didn't know what to say. Most had awakened from fainting, but their eyes were still filled with fear and reluctance when Jon looked at them.

Jon then sighed and said, "You can leave if you would rather not continue,"

His words were directed at everyone and not just those who had passed out. So, while still trying to process the whole situation, one young man walked up.

He was round, with black hair, brown eyes, and a light complexion. If there was one thing about him that was so noticeable, it was his visible trembling body as he walked up.

"M-my name is R-Ronald," he stammered, bowing his head as if he were confessing something shameful-still shaking.

Everyone watched him, baffled. If he wanted to leave, he could've just said so. However, he shocked them by saying, "I-I am scared, but I want to continue!" His voice grew louder with each word, catching everyone off guard.

"Why?" Cynthia asked, her tone puzzled. "You're terrified. You could die. Why push yourself like this?"

"I-I know it's dangerous," Ronald said, his voice quivering but steady. "But I have to become strong. I have to survive."

His declaration hung in the air, surprising everyone. Cynthia, after a brief pause, smiled and nodded. However, Jon just nodded. He didn't think he was brave or anything like that.

'Tunde would have here if it was about being brave.' he muttered internally.

And true to his thoughts, as if Ronald's words broke a dam, the atmosphere changed. Many frowned, unimpressed about his speech.

Their chance to leave this dangerous place was going about to be cut off by the speech of someone who was even more scared than them.

In this situation, who would even want to be the first to request to return. However, as always, a brave soul broke the silence, "I will go back."

Gulp...

The rest collectively sucked their breaths, trying to imagine Jon's reaction. However, he simply nodded, understanding their fear. He didn't judge them for wanting to leave as they thought.

Losing someone close was devastating, and he wouldn't begrudge anyone the chance to avoid that pain. And coming from him that had just lost another friend, he wouldn't force anyone to risk their lives.

Though Jon could have used his newly gotten abilities to discern who wanted to go, he chose not to.

Following the brave soul, more of the hesitant group followed suit and decided to return.

While the people staying behind began giving the people leaving a strange look, a look as if looking down on them for their weak resolves.

Weren't they also risking their lives to make their stay safer, and now they were scared to just risk their lives for it. It really showed weak resolves.

Bidding them goodbye, the fighters set to depart left. And now, only thirty people remained, including the twenty who went on the first scout. Most of which were students.

The staffs, who had once been in charge, had gradually faded into the background. They all lacked the resolve to confront the dangers outside directly, but still tried to maintain control on them. Maybe they allowed it before the fall, however now it was completely unacceptable.

Sadly, it was also among the things Tunde was trying to tell Jon about, and he wasn't listening.

Now, after watching the leaving group for a while and with their numbers settled, Jon and the others resumed their journey.

…

"Hah… Hah…"

"Jump… jump… run!" Two young men sprinted through a maze of shattered obstacles, broken metals, fences and broken vehicles breathing heavily as they fled.

"W-What the hell was that!?" one of them shouted, his voice cracking with fear.

"Just keep running! We need to report this to him," the other responded through gritted teeth, his eyes wide with terror.

And after about two minutes of frantic dodging and running, they finally reached a towering building.

Standing ten stories tall and fifty meters wide, it was the largest structure on campus.

Despite the destruction that had ravaged the school, the building appeared untouched, almost pristine. It was still as perfect as how Jon's dormitory was.

It was the school's administrative building.

As the pair entered the building, they didn't waste any time in the lobby and sprinted up the stairs at the far end of the first floor.

Upon seeing the stairs at the end of floor, he didn't stop until they reached the top floor. There, a long corridor stretched out before them, leading to a single door, and the scouts exchanged nervous glances, gathering their courage before approaching.

However, before they could reach the door, two young men stepped in their path.

"What do you want here?" one guard asked, his eyes cold.

"You're not supposed to be here. Go back," the other said, raising his hand, which then turned into a sharp blade.

"W-wait!" one of the scouts shouted, his voice trembling. "We need to see the 'Lords.' We have to tell them what we saw!"

The guards exchanged skeptical looks, as if mocking the idea that these terrified scouts had encountered something worth reporting.

"What made you so scared this much, a zombie?" one guard teased, laughing with the other.

"N-no! It wasn't a zombie!" the scout cried, his voice rising in panic.

"Shut up," the second guard warned. "You don't want to disturb the Lords."

But it was too late.

"YOU OUTSIDE! COME IN HERE OR I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF!" a booming voice thundered from within the room, freezing the guards and scouts alike.

Then nervously they opened the door, and they stepped inside.

The scouts kept trying to regain their composure, because their fear of what they had witnessed outside eclipsed even the terror of their 'Lords.'

The room they entered was spacious and luxurious, almost like a private apartment. It was filled with all the comforts one could imagine, plush chairs, beds, and anything else to make life comfortable in the apocalypse.

But the grandeur of the room couldn't be appreciated enough as a hulking figure approached them.

Standing at 6'8", the shirtless man exuded raw power, his body covered in thick hair. He looked between the age of 23-25, but his size made him more like a beast.

His skill, Beast Transformation, had earned him the nickname "Beast Lord." His eyes burned with anger as he stalked toward the group.

One scout, the more composed of the two, dropped to his knees. "Beast Lord, please forgive us for disturbing you, but we've seen something important."

But the Beast Lord didn't care for their excuses. "I DON'T GIVE A DAMN. YOU DIE NOW!" he roared, raising his fist to strike.

"STOP."

Another voice, commanding and calm, cut through the tension.