-Author note: My bad for releasing this a bit late in the afternoon, I'm thinking about creating another series, which might effect the schedule for this one. You guys tell me your thoughts on that, anyways hopefully you like this chapter. -
It was a dreadful situation, but doable, Sanjin Hiroyoshi thought.
Most people in the initial supernatural attack -that was what the students had called it- had run to the gym or the neighboring library across the halfway. Grouping with students in the library was possible, but nobody was willing to take the barricades -which comprised of gym equipment, boards, and chairs- and make first contact.
So now about two hundred students with no adult supervision were left to their own devices.
"What are we going to do?"
"What do you mean what are we going to do? Wait for the police or for someone else, I'm not risking my life out there!"
"Well you two stop it," Sanjin said.
"Yes sir," Ded and Eb said.
[System Notification!]
You know two unspecified players, would you like to offer them to join your sect?
[Y/N]
What's this? Sects?
"Yo look! I got a bow like Hanzo!"
"Wait really? I got a staff like Yurin! Can I do spells or something?"
The gym erupted into boisterous talk as random students started acquiring items and clothing that looked like the students that first chose a role.
[System Notification!]
You have chosen players Ded and Eb as your sect members!
Your charisma has gone up by 2 points!
[New achievement unlocked: Better In Groups, rise of the sect master]
So this is the second choosing round the robot thing was talking about, Sanjin thought, as he watched his new sect members become overwhelmed with joy as they checked out their armor and swords.
//The final choosing round has begun, this is a second chance for all those without a designated role\\
The internet has been turned off, and some people were clearly eaten or bruised badly by those creatures, this isn't a joke, Sanjin thought.
The possibility that this might have been some sort of prank was still not out of the equation, but the longer time went, the more Sanjin realized that couldn't possibly be the case. The school internet was turned off, so using his data to muster up any information on what was happening on the web, he found out reports of monsters and such.
This wasn't only occurring in the high school, it was affecting the whole world, meaning there is no way the police or even the government would put any resources into helping a couple of high school students.
Considering the situation with the nature of high school, sects will cause a divide as people start to distinguish themselves with their new leaders. Realistically not everyone will be chosen into a sect, there will still be outsiders nobody wants to align.
There is strength in numbers, and I have to get as many people as possible to join me and put away my personal feelings about them. That is what father would have done, Sanjin thought. This is a game of chess, and so far, only I have noticed.
"You two, get as many people that don't have any sort of equipment and bring them to me, don't be rude or try to upset them in any way," Sanjin said. "If you don't do this correctly, your swords are mine."
"Yes, sir Sanjin!"
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The smell of blood filled the atmosphere like an invisible blanket.
She had red hair and wore leather armor that covered her entire body. She held an ax on her right hand and a dagger on the other. Blood was dripping from her dagger.
"Jinji, run as far as you can to the stairs, I will buy you time," I said.
Her ax was huge and it probably took a toll on her body to swing, but she appeared to be fit so that might compensate. I could swing my sword faster than she could with her ax, closing the space between me and her is my best option.
"Don't worry, I'm not here to fight," she announced.
"Is that why you have blood coming from your dagger?"
She let out a sigh.
"This is from me and my friend's fight with a group of goblins in the club room, which by the way, is really in need of medical assistance," she said, as she stepped to the side, revealing a guy barely standing afloat. "I'm here to talk." She dropped her weapons.
The dude looked like he was in pain, holding his arm tightly, blood all over his shirt. There was no way he could pull a sneak attack on us. They were disarmed.
"You haven't thought of stopping the blood?" I said, as I walked towards the guy, I was wearing a hoodie with a white shirt under it. "Move your hand, I can help you only if you do that."
As commanded, he did just that. I took off my hoodie and shirt and tried to wrap my shirt around the injured part of his arm. If only people could be as compliant as this guy, but then again when you're injured pretty badly you have no other option than to trust whoever is taking care of you.
"Aight there," I said, turning around to the girl to ask questions. "So what is your name?"
"H...Hera," she stuttered, as she looked away.
Oh yeah, she's a girl.
I put my hoodie back on as I walked back towards Jinji. As my second in command, I needed his opinion on the dilemma.
"So wh-"
"She's cute, you think I can get her?" Jinji said, with dreamy eyes as he started playing with his hair.
Then all of the sudden he looked depressed. I turned around, they were kissing. Yeah, he's definitely going to be down bad for a while.
"Me and him will look around the place for more people and mobs, you two stay here and do whatever," I tried to say that as loud as possible, just in case someone heard it and thought of going out of hiding. "There has to be a couple of other unsure students hiding, one of them could be a girl."
His face suddenly brightened up all of the sudden.
"So, what's your name? I told you mine but you haven't told me yours," Jinji said, breaking the silence as I bent down to look under a table.
"Zeno Hiyiwet"
He suddenly froze, what was the matter with him and being dramatic?
"Your... you that guy that beat up everybody alongside the dark ranger in middle school?"
Dark Ranger? Oh, is he talking about Emanuel? I thought the rumor broke down but is it still being talked about all these years after?
"Yeah," I replied.
"Ar...are you going to beat me up too?"
"I was off my medications when that happened," I said.
Wait, my medications, where were they?
I tried to search for them in my pockets but to no avail. I forget them in my backpack...which was in the cafeteria. I thought there was a chance that I could avoid going to the cafeteria but now the stakes were high.
5 days, I needed to get in the cafeteria in 5 days before I turn crazy.
"Let's change the subject, so you still feeling bad about that girl?"
"Let's change the subject again," Jinji said, as he walked over to a desk. "Uhh, hello?"
Someone threw a book at his face from under the table.
"AGHH! MY NOSE!"
I ran towards him to provide cover when he fell.
Looking towards where the book came from, I could see a girl armed with daggers and metal and leather armor that covered parts of her upper body, she wore a tracksuit under.
"I'm sorry for my rude entrance, but I rather not have people I know look at me weirdly," she said.
Then, across the spacious room, we heard books falling.
"If you guys got out of hiding then screw it, we might as well reveal ourselves."
A boy followed up with three others started walking towards us.
"I don't know what happened at the cafeteria, but it's better to stay in groups, the names Simon," he said, as he turned around towards his group. "These three are Zair, Ashier, and Daimon."
Five people, counting me Jinji and the couple, that would be nine people in total.
"So why is your friend on the floor?" Daimon said, in a deep voice. He was quite tall and had dark curly hair like Jinji.
"It's because this creep looked at me funny!"
"We were looking under tables and desks to find other students, that's the only reason he batted an eye at you," I tried to explain.
The guys behind me started laughing. Did I say something wrong?
"You the first person to talk to Maya that way," Simon said. "She usually hothea-"
"Can we not talk about people?" Maya said as she offered me a hand which I took. "Simon is right, it's best to stay in groups."
Nice knowing everybody thought the same.
"Wait a minute, aren't you the girl that just stood there as the monster ate the school assistant? How are you still alive?" Zair said, with a confused face.
There was an uncomfortable moment of silence.
"I ran alongside my friend who got me to my senses."
"Let's return back to where we came and regroup with the ax girl," Jinji said, trying to avoid a touchy subject.
Everybody nodded and we all started walking.