As Zeke followed Professor Hank into the library he started to look around and try to count how many people were inside.
His eyes widened in surprise. There were over 500 students and teachers inside the building. It seemed as most of the campus survivors were located here.
Zeke continued to follow Prof. Hank up the stairs as he still observed his soundings and began having many questions.
'No wonder, we didn't see that many survivors on our way to the cafeteria.' He thought as they were now making their way up to the third floor.
As they arrived on the third floor, Zeke noticed the drastic change in how things were. The floor was more guarded and Prof. Hank was stopped and has to go through a checkpoint to continue.
Prof. Hank finally stopped in front of a double door and turned around. "President Williams would like to see you. Please step in." Prof. Hank informed Zeke and gestured for him to head inside.
Once Zeke stepped into the room from the extremely large double doors he saw another middle-aged man sitting down on the couch with another man standing behind him.
The middle-aged man stood up and introduced himself while holding his hand toward Zeke. "Hello, I'm President Williams, nice to meet you. Please have a seat." After shaking Zeke's hand he gestured toward the couch on the other side from him.
Zeke shook his hand and sat on the couch. After he sat down he introduced himself as well. "Nice to meet you, President Williams. My name is Zeke."
After getting comfortable, there was a brief silence as Zeke took a moment to look around. His gaze first landed on the person standing behind Mr. Williams, then shifted to Mr. Williams himself.
'Inspect'
[President Williams]
Rank: Novice
Level: 26
Skills: [Inspect]
"Cough cough," President Williams fake coughed. "Young man, It is rude to spy on others without their permission," President Williams said with a slight smile on his face.
Zeke's eyes widened when he heard what the President said and then with an awkward smile, he apologized but also had a million questions going through his head.
After he gathered him Zeke looked around he started to ask what was on his mind. "I didn't expect so many students to be here. I was worrying because I haven't seen that many survivors while I was exploring outside. How do you manage so many people?"
While conversing further, Zeke discovered that the library building was also a small outpost that also required a mini-game to be completed in order to claim it.
'We got extremely lucky. We must have finished our mini-game extremely fast and we got the bonus rewards for being the first clear.' He thought to himself as they continued to talk.
Curious about how President Williams had managed to establish his faction in the university building, Zeke asked him directly. Williams chuckled and replied.
"Well, it's not easy, but we have a system in place. Since we just took over the building it is still a work in progress. It also helped that already being the dean sped up the progress due to being in a leadership position before this happened. And as a leader and president of this university, it is my job to make sure everyone is safe and taken care of."
Zeke believed that his top priority was to inform Williams about the students and teachers who were still in the cafeteria. He decided to let the President know about them instead.
After a brief moment of silence, President Williams spoke up. "Zeke, I couldn't help but notice your impressive fighting skills during the skirmish outside. I believe you could be a valuable asset to our faction. We're planning to take over all the buildings on the campus and establish our presence here. Would you be interested in joining us?"
Zeke politely declined the offer. "I appreciate the invitation, but I already have a faction of my own. And I will be leaving campus today," he said, standing up and extending his hand to shake Mr. Williams's hand.
Zeke was surprised as the man behind the President unleashed his aura and tried to pressure him. However, he remained composed and unfazed, refusing to be intimidated or coerced into changing his decision.
Zeke turned around and looked at the man with a calm expression. "I've already made up my mind. I have my own goals and my own people to take care of."
Zeke's response seemed to catch the man off-guard, but President Williams quickly intervened. "I'm sorry about that, Zeke. My colleague can be a bit intense. But I understand and respect your decision. If you ever need assistance or wish to collaborate, our faction is always open to it."
Zeke nodded in acknowledgment and walked away, feeling a sense of relief mixed with frustration. He knew that declining the invitation was the right choice, but couldn't help but ponder over what could have been if he had joined President Williams' faction. However, Zeke remained determined to focus on his own goals and missions for the time being.
While making his way out, Zeke suddenly recalled the outpost he had taken control of and how it would be of no use to him once he left the campus. His thoughts drifted towards President Williams' plan of taking over all the buildings on the campus.
"President Williams, I have actually taken control of an outpost situated at the western edge of the campus. However, since I am planning to leave campus today, I won't be needing it anymore. I am willing to transfer its ownership to your faction in exchange for some supplies or treasures that you may be willing to trade," Zeke proposed to President Williams.
After completing the trade, Zeke was able to acquire a generous amount of food and other vital supplies. Additionally, he was given three more small storage rings to aid in his travels. As he prepared to leave, Zeke bid farewell to Professor Hank and made sure to remind him of the group of students and teachers seeking currently living in the cafeteria.