Crisis averted

Michael sat down and looked at his sister not too far from him, who was chatting with two other girls. He thought she seemed better now, seeing her smile once again.

[Strength: 4.1 | Agility: 2.8 | Vitality: 3.1 | Intelligence: 4* | Potential: 2.3* | Energy: 47%]

'I think I have found another method to extract energy' Michael muttered to himself. 'Now, all I have to do is get close to as many mutant corpses as possible, there should be countless of them outside after the battle ends' Michael smiled before a tinge of worry appeared in his eyes. 'They'll be able to defend and kill those things right?' He worried not about the city, but about his parents. 'Luckily, our parents work in the eastern district, which is in the complete opposite direction of where the ants climbed the wall from.' He still remembered the scene he saw from his classroom window, which sent shivers down his spine.

"Zero, is it possible to increase stats by a small amount?" Michael asked.

[The Energy control function is currently unavailable. Please update the system to unlock this function.]

Michael nodded. He wasn't sure what the Energy Function could do, but he thought it might help to increase his stats by 0.2 or 0.5 in urgent situations.

"Hey there, how are you doing, kid?" John asked as he approached Michael and took a seat next to him.

"Doing well, but I am eager to leave this place," Michael replied.

"You and me both, kid," John sighed. "Some kids have been approaching me and asking me to punish you. They talked about how dangerous your actions were and the consequences they might have brought." He suddenly smiled. "But other kids kept defending you as they saw what you did for your sister as brave and so on, especially the kids we brought back with us."

"So, what's your decision? Will you reward or punish me?" Michael chuckled.

"It will probably be a punishment," John said with a shrug. "Don't look at me like that. It won't be my decision anyway, but I think that might be the conclusion."

Michael shrugged as well. "Doesn't matter, I would still do it again"

"I know you would, so I thought I would let you pick your punishment," John smiled. "Given the current situation, your punishment will either be a suspension from the academy or manual labor," John chuckled.

"Could you clarify what you mean by 'manual labor'?" Michael inquired.

John looked at Michael and said, "For a couple of months, you'll have to do manual labor around the Academy. This would include helping the theater set up whenever it's needed, cleaning up around the Academy at the end of the day, and so on. Alternatively, you could volunteer to assist with the city maintenance after we leave. This could be considered punishment, but it could also earn you some money."

'He's helping me,' Michael thought before he replied. "Helping with the city's maintenance means construction?" he asked.

"No, your job will mostly involve cleaning up debris or moving mutant corpses to the butchery for parts harvesting."

John observed Michael's eyes light up with concealed excitement. "I'll do that then" he said.

John smiled and nodded before patting Michael's shoulder and leaving. 'He's hiding something' John thought. He wanted to test something and it appears as if he confirmed his suspicion.

***

"Please move in an orderly manner and avoid pushing," John instructed the students as he stood by the shelter door. Another teacher named Toby joined him, along with military personnel, to ensure the safety of the students and the Academy as a whole.

They walked out of the Academy and into the vast garden. They were divided into five lines, each facing a tent with the logo of the local clinic on its sides.

All of the students were cleared and directed toward the cafeteria to grab some food, except for Michael and John, who were summoned to a separate tent.

"We've found the corpse of the Blood Ant, and the injuries it has matches your description of the incident," said a tall, burly man to Michael and John. "You both did well taking it down with just a revolver, that's impressive. However, your actions, while well-intentioned, could have ended very badly. Not only could you have died, but you might have put your teacher and your sister in danger as well. What do you have to say for yourself?" Looking at Michael, the man spoke not like a soldier, but more like a father scolding his son.

"I would like to offer my sincere apologies, sir. My actions were driven by my concern for my sister's safety. She was trapped in the building with a dangerous mutant, and I had to act fast. However, I acknowledge that my actions were not well thought out and put everyone in danger. I am grateful for Teacher John's bravery in rescuing me before any harm could be done. I would like to make amends for my mistake by volunteering to join the clean-up team. I understand the importance of this task and I am willing to work hard to ensure I make up for my mistake." Michael spoke, hiding a sly grin. 'This should earn me more than just forgiveness' He thought

The lieutenant appeared to be taken aback for a moment before he spoke. "Well, you seem like a smart individual, and offering to help with the cleanup might help alleviate some of the people's anger," he said. "Which team would you like to volunteer for?" he asked while taking a paper from his temporary desk.

Michael glanced at the piece of paper and stifled a chuckle. He realized that the military had not only come to save and sweep the area for any stray ants, but they were also looking for volunteers to help with the cleanup. After reading through the available positions, Michael responded, "Sir, I'd like to join the team that collects mutant corpses." He breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that the recruitment process had not yet begun and he had the freedom to choose the position he wanted.

"Okay, good." The man nodded and wrote Michael's name down before continuing. "Before we move to the battlefield, you should go and have something to eat and drink with the other students first. However, keep in mind that what you will witness there might make you lose your appetite for the next week!"

"I can handle it," Michael said before leaving the tent and walking towards his sister who was still waiting for him.

"Are you in trouble?" she asked.

"No, not at all," Michael replied confidently. "Let's go grab a bite to eat."

"Sure thing," Lisa said but turned towards her brother with a hint of worry in her voice. "Do you think Mom and Dad are okay?"

"I'm sure they're just worried sick about us. We're in the middle of the city, right between them and the lower district where it all went down, so they should be perfectly safe and sound," Michael said reassuringly.