"Those guys tinkering with ore radios are idiots, afraid we'll eat too much?"
"Yeah, if it weren't for their strong leadership, we would've smashed their broadcast a long time ago."
"Alright, let's go down and see. Don't let them in. Last time, an infected person almost got in, and it was almost a disaster!"
The tall, skinny man stopped the complaints and the two of them leaped from the earthen wall.
"Those people up ahead!"
"Hold it!"
They shouted loudly.
The college gate opened a side door, and six young men holding homemade spears warily watched the approaching group. The leader was the tall, skinny man, and a fire-element awakened individual stood beside him.
Dirk was responsible for this communication, and when he saw the people coming out of the college, he furrowed his brows.
It seemed that the other party wasn't very welcoming to outsiders.
"Hello, I..."
Before he could explain their intentions, he was interrupted by the tall, skinny man.
"We don't welcome you here, so go back where you came from."
"Take one more step."
"Hmph!" The tall, skinny man suddenly kicked the ground with his right foot, creating a small hole. Gravel flew up. It didn't have much power, but it was quite intimidating.
The elderly, weak, and sick survivors with Clark were startled by the sight. Another awakened individual? They weren't sure who was stronger, Clark or Arnold.
The survivors rescued by Arnold hadn't seen him in a while, and in their minds, Arnold's strength was still frozen at the moment when his arm was torn off by The Licker.
The tall, skinny man looked satisfied as he watched the intimidated elderly, weak, and sick survivors. He enjoyed showing his power in front of ordinary people and relished the fearful expressions on their faces. After displaying his superhuman strength, he spoke loudly, "If you want to come in, everyone will be searched, and you must hand over all your supplies. If they're useful, we'll naturally keep you."
He glanced at the elderly, weak, and sick survivors behind Dirk with some impatience. There were old, young, sick, and even disabled people among them, and he couldn't figure out how this group had made their way here. If it weren't for Arnold looking a bit taller and more robust, he would've skipped the last sentence.
Unlike him, the man who appeared to be a fire-element awakened individual let his gaze pass through the crowd of people, finally locking onto Lynn and Marlene. A young girl and a little girl? What an exquisite combination. He cleared his throat to remind his companion and forced a smile on his face.
"Don't blame us for being straightforward. As long as the inspection confirms no infections, we'll naturally let you in later."
The fire-element awakened individual stepped forward, looking at Lynn with a smile. He was infatuated. The ice-cold beauty had a perfect figure and temperament, even surpassing their college's campus belle. Lynn, especially, exuded waves of captivating charm.
"The inspection is simple. Later, in the isolation room, take off your clothes and we'll check for any wounds."
His words were laced with a flirtatious tone as he continued to size up Lynn. His companion also realized this under his prompting.
Inspection? Arnold was furious. It took less than ten minutes for an ordinary person to turn into a zombie after infection, so how could there be infected individuals among them when they had clearly traveled all the way here?
This little punk didn't seem to be a good character!
After finishing speaking, the red-haired man with fire abilities suddenly conjured a ball of flames in his hand, showing off with a fiery display half a person's height.
"Beautiful lady, there are special privileges for you. I can personally assist with the inspection," he said, completely ignoring the angry expressions on Arnold and Dirk's faces.
A big idiot and an ordinary man β he could incinerate them with a flick of his finger, assuming they weren't awakened individuals. Information about awakened individuals was no longer a secret, and most players had heard about them. He believed that the seemingly ice-cold beauty before him, an awakened individual, represented safety in the apocalypse.
Everything happened too quickly. Arnold was taken aback when he heard the man's words. This guy was toying with Lynn! Startled and enraged, Arnold quickly glanced at Clark's expression, fearing that Clark might explode and take direct action.
If Clark started, none of these people would survive.
Fortunately, Arnold breathed a sigh of relief as it seemed that Clark had not noticed this situation. He appeared to be lost in thought.
"Boom!"
The ground collapsed, and Dirk instantly vanished.
"Shadow Strike!"
With an ice-cold expression, Dirk activated his skill and appeared behind the fire-element awakened individual, his dagger in a reverse grip, ready to strike. His intent to kill was locked onto the red-haired man.
Dirk's gaze was cold, and he had come to realize that the college's awakened individuals were not the type to be resolved through peaceful communication. After awakening to their powers, these people seemed to have developed a sense of superiority over ordinary individuals. Without demonstrating their strength, they couldn't even enter the college, let alone negotiate with their leaders.
Arnold also recognized this and decided to confront the college's tall, skinny awakened individual, drawing his sword in an instant.
The red-haired man was taken aback by the sudden revelation that the unassuming man from earlier was also an awakened individual. He quickly leaped to the side to avoid being locked onto by Dirk, fearing the murderous intent that emanated from him.
The tall, skinny man also reacted swiftly and rushed to Dirk's side with a low shout.
"Beastly Arms!"
His arms suddenly swelled, bulging with muscles, and his fists extended razor-sharp claws.
"An awakened individual?"
"No wonder you brought this bunch of trash with you."
The tall, skinny man sneered, now that he had activated his skill, he was unafraid of Dirk, another awakened individual.
"You think awakened individuals are so impressive?"
"Let me tell you! We have over thirty awakened individuals here! A mere 0th rank, no wonder I didn't sense that you were an awakened individual."
He wore a look of disdain, believing that Dirk, who had recently advanced to the 1st rank, was beneath his notice. He had reached the 1st rank by joining forces with other awakened individuals to kill some mutants a while ago, and now he looked down on Dirk.
However, the tall, skinny man had overestimated himself. Dirk had become an Abyss class professional and had the inherent effect of concealing his presence. Even if Dirk had been at the 2nd rank, it was far from certain that he would be able to detect Dirk's aura.
As for Arnold, as a transformation-class awakened individual, as long as he didn't transform, only someone whose psychic power overpowered his own would be able to sense the concealed beastly power within his body.
After the fire-element awakened individual broke free from Dirk's lock, he also regained his senses, feeling a surge of anger. As a magic-class professional, he had always been an offensive force in the rear, never facing a real threat of death.
"Flames surge!"