Their eyebrows raised in surprise as John and Sylvie emerged from the building and headed in their direction.
"It looks like they want to come along." Job spoke up.
"Let's slow our pace and let them catch up," Kalsie suggested. He had a strong impression of the two from their earlier encounter.
John and Sylvie had shown their strength, and having fought together before, there was no issue with them joining the group.
After a brief moment, the two newcomers reached them, adding to their group of survivors and bringing their number to eleven.
"Ha, didn't expect you two to join us!" Job greeted Sylvie as they continued running.
"Who'd want to stick with those hypocrites?" Sylvie replied with a hint of annoyance.
"You made the right choice!" Fred complimented her as he wiped sweat from his eyes.
The group fell into a silence, focusing on their pace. They swiftly passed a fountain nestled amid the buildings and made their way towards the final building.
Their brief streak of luck was soon interrupted by the sight of a cluster of Dead Walkers blocking their path in front of the building entrance.
"Prepare yourselves!" Kalsie's voice carried a tone of determination as he gripped his sword, seeing around 40 Dead Walkers awaiting them.
"Damn it," Jack cursed.
No one among them wanted to fight anymore. The exhaustion was taking a toll on their bodies. However, they had no choice but to confront the creatures; their only shelter lay beyond the undead blockade.
Despite the weariness, this time, there was a distinct lack of nervousness. After several battles against the Dead Walkers, their fear had slowly given way to strength and confidence. They paired up, making it easier to dispatch the monsters efficiently.
"I'll lend you a hand," John offered, approaching Kalsie, who was contending with four Dead Walkers single-handedly.
Kalsie was initially surprised but welcomed the assistance. He swiftly severed one Dead Walker's neck before checking if John needed help.
To his astonishment, John didn't require assistance. He maneuvered skillfully among the Dead Walkers, employing his twin daggers to decapitate them with precision.
John's hands moved with such swiftness that it seemed as if he were slicing through paper instead of necks. Similarly, Sylvie wielded her two daggers with great skill, aiding her companions in battle.
"They're remarkably strong," Kalsie couldn't help but feel surprised.
During their previous encounters, John and Sylvie hadn't displayed this level of strength. But now their presence and skills had significantly bolstered the group's effectiveness, and within a minute or two, they had dispatched all of the monsters.
"They're all finally dead!" The collective exclamation of joy resonated in the air.
Without wasting a moment, they hurriedly made their way inside the building through the entrance. Kalsie promptly closed the door behind them, finding themselves in a spacious lobby.
"We need something to block the door!" The next challenge surfaced within minutes of their arrival.
"We can use those tables and couches!" Nicole pointed towards the furniture scattered throughout the lobby.
"Yes, that should work! Find whatever you can, and let's barricade the door quickly!" They hastily scoured the lobby, collecting any available furniture to fortify the entrance.
Exhausted and sweaty, they collapsed onto the floor after completing the task, their fatigue overwhelming them.
"I feel like... I'm dying," Fred gasped, panting heavily. Everyone was drenched in sweat, thoroughly drained.
"Don't say a word... just rest," Wendy advised.
The lobby was dimly lit, with moonlight filtering in through the windows as their sole source of illumination.
Fifteen minutes later.
"It stinks in here now," Wendy remarked, her nose wrinkling in disgust.
"And our dresses are ruined," Sylvie chimed in, pointing at the black stains on their clothing.
"Forget about that... at least we're safe," Bella replied.
"For now... we should be," Fred added, sprawled on the floor like a lifeless fish.
"No, it's not over yet. There's still much we need to do," Kalsie asserted, breaking the silence.
"Seriously?" Fred inquired, his voice heavy with fatigue.
"Yes, we need to search this building and find anything useful." Kalsie stood up after a short rest and addressed everyone.
"Listen up, everyone. I know you're tired, and we've just risked our lives to get here. I couldn't be more thankful that we made it safely, but our situation isn't secure. We still need to make plans and strategies to deal with the challenges that will come our way. Remember, this is a test, and it won't be simple or easy. Furthermore, we need to find water."
"Can we even find water here?" Job questioned doubtfully.
"I don't know, but since this is an academic building, there should be many useful things, including water," Kalsie replied.
He then turned his attention to the newcomers and asked for their assistance. "Will you guys help us, right?"
"Of course! After all, we did join your group, isn't that right, John?" Sylvie looked at John for agreement.
John nodded in agreement.
They all gathered in a circle and began brainstorming solutions to their problems, although they seemed to generate more challenges than answers.
To tackle their issues, they decided to split the group into three teams. Team A consisted of Fred, Wendy, Job, and Nick. Team B was composed of Kalsie, Jack, and Nicole. Team C included Noah, Bella, John, and Sylvie.
Team A would carefully search for valuable items such as water or any food items inside every room.
Team B would quickly search for possible exits on the ground floor and, if found, barricade them properly and after securing they would split up and join the other two teams to work more efficiently.
Lasty, Team C was tasked with inspection for any monsters inside the building and map out upper floor.
After blocking any possible exists and inspection of the upper floors, they all would join Team A in their search.
Since the lighting in the building was dim, they broke some chair legs and wrapped the cloth around the ends. Kalsie found two objects that could produce sparks when struck and used them to ignite the torches, distributing them to the teams.
The torches illuminated the surroundings, offering some relief to those who disliked the darkness within the building.
"Are you guys sure there won't be dead walkers upstairs?" Bella voiced her concern.
"Don't worry; we've got your back," Sylvie reassured her with a comforting pat on the back.
"No need to worry; you still have me," Noah added with warmth, causing Bella to blush.
Observing this exchange between the couples, Fred muttered, "Why am I feeling irritated all of a sudden?"
"You're not alone," Job replied as he placed a comforting hand on Fred's shoulder and shook his head.