It is now exactly two hours since the apocalypse began, and the world has undergone a quick, drastic change!
The once peaceful streets are now overrun with zombies staggering around, searching for their next living prey.
Humans fled for their lives, and those with newfound strength utilized their abilities and relics to fight for their survival and that of their loved ones.
There were no more government or security agencies to rescue them in this drastic moment, their fate now lay in their own hands. Those who refused to accept this new reality were devoured, while those who accepted it prevailed.
Soon, the morals and laws that once guided the behaviors of people became a thing of the past, and those with hidden malice unleashed their true selves.
The world we once knew is now an unwritten history!
---
In the cafeteria, the fight with the waves of zombies continued.
Under Dorian's leadership, the students were able to fight back successfully, slaying more zombies than they could have ever imagined.
The melee class and relic users played major roles in the fight, as their abilities became the only way out of the current situation.
The entire cafeteria was filled with students fighting as hard as they could against the overwhelming number of zombies. Bladed weapons slashed through the air, arrows darted, and punches flew toward the zombies.
The cafeteria echoed with the sounds of their resilient battle.
They had managed to defeat the first wave of zombies, but more kept pouring in every minute, as if they were respawning from somewhere nearby.
While the melee class and relic users played major roles, the magic class users weren't left out. They assisted from the sidelines, casting spells to attack the zombies and helping to secure a faster victory for their schoolmates.
Although their spells weren't as efficient as the melee users, who could shatter zombie heads with a few moves and obliterate them with one slash, they still dealt enough damage to contribute.
Soon, the magic class users noticed that each time a zombie they attacked finally died at the hands of a melee user, they would receive a certain percentage of experience points depending on how much damage they had inflicted.
The small amounts of experience points they received soon boosted their confidence as they realized they weren't entirely useless. They continued casting spells as fast as they could, though they were still at low levels, and their spells had frustratingly long cooldown times.
With the combination of magic and melee attacks, the rate of zombie deaths increased by 25%.
At this moment, Dorian and Brandon could be seen standing just a short distance from the entrance where the zombies entered the cafeteria. Both of them were responsible for reducing the number of zombies as they came in.
Three zombies stormed through the door, and both of them acted at once. Brandon lunged at the one closest to him and delivered a swift kick to its neck. His kick was so powerful that it sent a breeze through the air as it landed on the zombie's neck. The zombie's head rolled on the ground.
[Slayed x1 zombie, EXP +10]
DING [You've leveled up]
[Level 1 -----> Level 2]
[10 Points have been added to all physical stats, 5 Extra points have been added to STRENGTH due to class]
Immediately after this notification, Brandon felt a surge of strange energy coursing through his body, energizing him. Instantly, he felt twice as strong as before.
A smile quickly crept onto his face as he exclaimed happily, drawing everyone's attention, "I have leveled up again! I feel so much stronger, Hahaha!"
His exclamation sparked different reactions ranging from envy to merriment. A few were happy with his achievement, while others were envious of his leveling speed.
As for Dorian, he was disappointed.
'This damn idiot, how many times do I have to tell you not to lose your composure over a simple level up?!' He cursed inwardly as he charged toward the other two zombies.
With a swift flick of his wrist, the two heads of the zombies rolled onto the ground, their bodies collapsing.
[Slayed x2 Zombies, EXP +20]
"Do you have any idea how many times I've had to save your sorry ass because of your carelessness?" Dorian immediately reprimanded Brandon openly.
There wasn't any zombie in sight approaching the cafeteria, giving Dorian the time he needed to reprimand Brandon.
The smile on Brandon's face immediately disappeared as he looked at Dorian's infuriated expression—the same face that always cowered in fear before the apocalypse.
'The apocalypse changed everything in such a short time. I, the bully, have become nothing but a soldier who has to obey his commander in a bloody war to survive,' Brandon pondered as he stared at Dorian, lost for words.
The battle of the other students in the room washed over the silence that shrouded them at that moment.
"The next time you make such a mistake, I will leave you to face your fate alone," Dorian scoffed.
"And don't forget, a simple scratch from these creatures will turn you into one of them in just a few hours," he reminded Brandon.
Brandon could only nod and return to his position in defeat.
The students standing at the far end of the room, who witnessed their exchange, couldn't help but realize how much things had changed. They used to be dominant due to their parents' wealth, but now the world has changed, and their parents' wealth no longer paved the way for them—they had become nothing but useless and helpless, relying on the one person they loathes the most.
Dorian could only scoff at Brandon. To be frank, he could have left Brandon to die after his first mistake, but he had already bonded with his character and wouldn't be able to activate [CHARACTER BIND] again for the next 24 hours.
Also, Dorian decided to help him because of his impressive leveling-up prowess.
With such a fast leveling speed, Dorian would gain a lot of experience points each time he activated [Extraction] on him. It was a win-win situation.
---
Another two hours passed in the cafeteria. All the zombies had been defeated, and the students who fought were now relaxing after such a long and exhausting battle.
As they rested, Dorian inspected their growth and noticed significant improvements. Among everyone, the magic class users had the slowest growth, with the strongest being only level 2.
Brandon was the strongest among the others, reaching a whopping level 4. He was followed by Muller and Craig, who were both level 3.
There were many who hadn't leveled up at all, and Dorian felt a sudden urge to kick them out for being useless. They would only waste resources, time, and space if they continued like this in the future.
'It's not like I'm keeping you all forever,' he muttered.
"Craig, do a headcount before we leave," he commanded.
Hearing the command, Craig had a sudden urge to refuse, but then he recalled the beating he had received earlier and quickly complied.