Vol. 1 CH. 3 - Others....

 

Mark stayed until later night inside the university. After coming back from his own expedition that lead him to the ruined city, where there he later found the other university that was in the same state as theirs. However, the situation there was different. Unlike what they currently have here, the ones there were already gone.

 

That's right, what Mark found in that university wasn't students or even professors. Not the guards or the utility staffs that should have kept the cleanliness of the school a top priority, but the horrendous sight of mangled bodies and half eaten corpses.

 

Earlier this afternoon after setting the ruined city ablaze, Mark discovered the other university that came with them from their world.

 

National Christian University. It is an all level state university that uses the escalator system where one from the lowest level of grade schools would be able to move into high school in the university. It is also one of the largest state universities in the country.

 

Because most of the students here were from prominent and rich families, hardly anyone from the lowest class houses would even step inside it. The college levels were only about 9000 students which was merely a third of the entire student body.

 

The kindergartens, the grade schoolers and high schoolers here were many and most of the K-12 program students were having their 11th and 12th grade here.

 

However, unlike the noisy and uplifting bustling everyday classes in this university before, now it was just a dead wasteland filled with corpses and bloodied halls.

 

Mark quickly investigated the inside of the university in order to see if there were still some survivors. He looked into the place where there should be many people inside it, the grade school building, but only silence and the smell of decay were roaming around the empty halls.

 

The playground where kids were supposed to be filled with kids playing with joy while wearing smile on their faces was empty. Only clattered and broken seesaws, bent swings and monkey bars. Dirt and trees were dug out as though something came from underground, the ground was dug up from underneath.

 

The high school building was the same. It was empty and desolate. The walls were broken and wooden desks and armed chairs were sprawled over the ground.

 

Mark moved to the cafeteria and collected most of what he can bring and kept in his backpack. He went to the field where there was a soccer ring there but no one was playing however corpses of children were there with half of their bodies eaten and spat out flies were flying around everywhere but Mark stilled continued.

 

But, as he went to the college building, something changed. The quiet halls were replaced with womanly moans and cries of little girls. The stench of death as well as the foul odor of unhygienic liquid from a man's lower half covered the halls.

 

And unlike the other buildings the college building was intact and barricaded.

 

Mark continued. He didn't call out anyone as he was suspicious with the smell that was entering his nose. He felt that something was wrong so Mark used his passive skill [Presence Isolation] in order to sneak pass the classrooms where he could hear the moans of women and the cries of little girls.

 

But what he found made him rethink coming here.

 

What was inside on classroom were a group of young men and women. They were relishing the sense of life as they bore each other with aggressive waist movements. What's more, they weren't just young men and women, there were kids included as well.

 

But, the ones younger were being penetrated while crying. The ones that have fainted or died were thrown to the while the guys were smoking cigarettes after.

 

Mark was infuriated and at the same time, disgusted. Watching poor kids turn into play things made Mark's stomach churn. The guys were just laughing as if they didn't do anything wrong.

 

Instantly, Mark's mind turned blank. As though erasing the things that he had seen, his mind went blank. Only a white sheet covered his entire memory of what he did in that place.

 

Slowly, Mark became something he was not.

 

-

 

*Pssh....* the sound of water running in the faucet echoed inside an empty garage. Mark, who was remembering the time he spent inside that horrid university, washed his face in the sink, trying to calm his beating heart down.

 

What Mark did in that place was inexplicable. He can't tell anyone what he did or things would just turn for the worst. However, this information should be shared to the adults in order for nothing like that would happen in their university as well.

 

Mark took a clean cloth and wiped his face. Mark then closed the faucet and left the sink.

 

After Mark met Cornelia this afternoon, Mark went back to his base in order to sort out the items he got. Swords, shields, hammers, armies, spears, clothes and many more; thanks to his level increasing, his inventory space was growing as well.

 

After Mark wiped his drenched face with a clean white cloth, he left the garage and immediately packed up his stuff. The time was night and it was intensely dark since there was neither moon nor stars around to light the whole place.

 

For Mark, such problem can be easily overcome if he were use to his mind. Of course, as an engineer himself, he can make a device that could make electricity forever. But the scale would only be small.

 

Mark also has started restoring the large ship engine that was in the Power plant Course building and improving it to make it generate electricity. Though that said, Mark still lack the material so he was turning his metal based drop items such as weapons and armor into usable materials for the engine.

Nevertheless, the work he progressed was still zero since he still lacks the materials.

 

"It’s late but I'm sure the dean will be in her office now"

 

Mark left his base and went to the Administration building located at the west part of the field. It was that place that most of the teachers and staffs were using as dorms. Mark headed there in order to meet the dean however, just as Mark was about reach the field, the student body President, Clara McLaren appeared before him.

 

Clara, whose hair kept nicely with a hairband blocked Mark's path. Her glossy dark colored eyes exude the seriousness and sincerity she feels for he work and her slim body made he look like an adult office worker. Clara too was a beauty but it wasn't something Mark minded. After all, Mark himself knows that such women would always go to the guys with horrible attitude.

Mark's eyes narrowed as he stopped his steps.

 

"Mr. Mark, can I have a bit of your time?"

 

With her arms crossed over her modest chest, Clara greeted Mark. The whole ground was dark so nobody can perceive the two talking. If anything, no one would come out at this time after yesterday's incident.

 

"What do you want?"

 

"I heard you brought back a large amount of food supplies earlier, I thank you for that"

 

"They were just drop items. What's more, it’s better to eat them before they get spoiled"

 

"Humph, is that so...." Clara nudge her chin up as she smiles confidently before Mark's answer.

 

"Say, all our maps are connected together right?"

 

Clara asked after taking out her phone from her pocket, showing it to Mark as proof... Mark became more vigilant with Clara's action.

 

"If so, then were you the one that found another university besides ours?"

 

"....."

 

Mark couldn't say anything. It was information not worth keeping but he was planning to only tell the adults about it. Mark was hesitating in making such information public but just to make sure that there would no factions growing here and there, Mark decided to only tell such information to the head of the university.

Telling it to someone who only governs the student body itself would end up into a dangerous conflict.

 

"Yeah, I did. And? So what?"

 

"My, I thought you would deny it.... But I guess I haven't asked what you found there right?"

 

'I hate women like this....' Mark complained in his mind as he felt he was unable to dodge a bullet and was hit grandiosely.

 

"Say, what did you see?"

 

"Nothing. Even if I were to say anything, I won't tell you anything related to things I found myself"

 

"But this would benefit everyone right?"

 

"If it does, I get to decide whether it can be used or not"

 

Mark walked away briskly from Clara would speedy footsteps. Ignoring the glance Clara just sent him as he passed by, Mark left in order to meet with the university dean.

 

-

 

"I'm sorry for letting you experience that and thank you for sharing what you discovered"

 

Mark, along with the Dean and the professors, had a meeting in the accounting building just next to the Administration building. After the meeting with Clara McLaren, the Student body president, Mark went to meet with the university dean in order to share the information he have gathered this morning.

 

Coincidentally, the professors from all courses were in the same room as the university dean and were all having their own private meeting with her.

 

Of course, this concerns the well-being of the students so they were having a secret meeting in order to decide what was needed to do around until rescue comes. Mark's information before have gave the professors some leeway to execute order around the whole campus.

Fortunately, the professors here were also raising their levels by hunting small groups of miniature size monsters. Monsters like slugs and slimes that crept on the walls of the university were their targets so the professors have a decent amount of experience dealing with monsters. Nevertheless, they still have their job as adults in controlling the students from turning against each other.

What Mark shared was truly helpful in any ways possible.

 

"No. It was on the way so I took a look into it"

 

"But still, we're thankful that you still shared this to us. Even though we owe you an apology for not believing you yesterday"

 

The dean smiled sincerely and thanked Mark for the things he have done for everyone. In the eyes of the dean, Mark was an exemplary student. If it were not for his help, the monsters that attacked yesterday might have eaten everyone else.

The other professors were in synch as they acknowledged Mark's good deed. Mark finally gave his last thanks before he bid farewell. After this, he would just sleep until morning comes and continue his solo expedition.

 

However, as Mark was about to leave through the door, the sound of everyone's phones chimed and vibrated in their pockets. All the eyes gathered to Mark. As he pulled out his phone from his front pants pocket and opened the phone screensaver.

 

"Looks like.... we got our first event...."

 

Mark's voice felt heavily vexed and fearful, because the message that was blinking on his phone screen indicated the new change that was going to change everything from now on....

 

========================

[New Event★★!!]

 

-In three months, the first floor would be flooded with monsters. Once that happens there is no surviving. Find the doorway leading to the next floor of the labyrinth before the monster flood happens!!.

 

[Rank: 3]

[Required level in order to complete: 20+]

[Prize: Legendary Sword Excalibur]

=========================

 

Mark shut off his phone and turned around once more. Obviously, after what happened yesterday, everyone was now able to use their phones. Checking the messages they received, became a regular action. But this time, everyone was frozen while looking at Mark.

It seems that even they read the contents of the message....

 

"Our time limit is three months..... Tell everyone to search for an entrance or a staircase leading down or upwards.... Also, prepare as much as transportation we can use after three months...."

 

Mark was not the leader of the whole university however he had the obligation to lend his help for everyone. The survival of everyone was essential. If this three months were the time limit they could stay safe in one floor, then they must work together in order to help each other.

 

Slowly everyone's heads nodded and turned back to their phones. The level everyone had been jumbled up and hardly anyone had active skills meant for survival unlike Mark, who was increasing his skill tree.

Furthermore, the skill tree would only be active once they hit level 10. Mark was already past that after burning the plant and tree type monster and also the incident in the National Christian University.

With how things are right now, Mark was currently the strongest fighter they have.  Everyone needs to level up, and fast...

 

"Please tell everyone else about the new message by tomorrow. I'll do what I can start from tomorrow onwards.... please don't let everyone lean on the wrong path...."

 

Mark left after leaving such words with a pained face.

 

As the glass door shut closed, the professors were gritting their teeth's and clenching their fists as they felt so useless in their current situation. They don't have the power to protect their students and especially themselves. All of them were slowly getting eaten by their own despair......