Lothe made his way to the lower floor of the library.
By now, most of the students and teachers were already awake, doing their best to comfort those who were still emotionally shaken by everything that had happened.
A heavy silence lingered throughout the hall, broken only by quiet conversations and the occasional sob from someone who had lost a friend.
Every now and then, a distant roar echoed from somewhere outside, reminding everyone that the nightmare was far from over.
Not far away, Nyren, Adrain, Daniel, and a few others had gathered in one corner of the hall.
The moment Lothe walked downstairs, every pair of eyes instinctively shifted toward him.
Standing beside his sister, Oren recognized Lothe immediately. Diego, who stood quietly behind him, also fixed his gaze on the young man without saying a word.
Oren instinctively looked behind Lothe, hoping to see Seana as well. When he realized she wasn’t there, a hint of disappointment flashed across his face before disappearing just as quickly.
Nyren, who had been observing him, caught the subtle change in his expression. "You know him?" she asked, her voice carrying its usual coldness.
"Yeah," Oren replied with a nod. "He’s strong... and so is the girl who uses the sword."
His answer stunned Nyren, Adrain, and Daniel. Having grown up with Oren, they knew he wasn’t someone who praised others so easily.
Their gazes unconsciously returned to Lothe, silently reevaluating him.
Even Diego narrowed his eyes slightly, as though trying to understand what made the quiet librarian worthy of such praise.
Nyren folded her arms as she stared at Lothe. She had to admit he was handsome, but remembering how he had ignored them yesterday immediately soured her mood.
Then the image of Seana pointing a sword at her flashed across her mind. Her expression grew noticeably colder.
"Nyren."
Adrain’s voice pulled her back to reality. He glanced around the hall before speaking in a calm tone.
"We need to head out today and gather more necessities. Food, clothes, medicine... especially medicine."
He paused for a moment before continuing. "Since that blood rain fell yesterday, I believe more people with poor adaptability will start falling sick, and they’ll also need clean clothes if we want to prevent infections."
Almost as if responding to his words, a student several meters away suddenly doubled over and began coughing violently.
Everyone instinctively looked over before another teacher hurried forward to help him sit down.
The atmosphere became noticeably heavier.
Nyren nodded thoughtfully. "So we’ll head out in teams?"
"Exactly," Adrain replied. "Fortunately, the cafeteria isn’t far from the library, so gathering food shouldn’t be too difficult."
He slowly looked around everyone gathered there. "So... who’ll volunteer?"
"There’s no need to ask."
A calm voice suddenly sounded from behind them. Everyone turned at the same time.
Dressed in a blue suit that had been torn in several places, Professor Sy slowly walked toward them with his sword resting in one hand. Lucan followed quietly behind him.
"Instead of thinking about providing for everyone," Professor Sy said calmly, "have any of you considered whether you’ll be feeding them forever?"
His words immediately silenced the group. Even the students listening from nearby subconsciously stopped what they were doing.
"At some point, they’ll have to fend for themselves. If that’s the case, they might as well start learning now."
He took a seat before continuing. "And in case you haven’t noticed... the blood rain that fell yesterday seems to have strengthened the monsters."
The students exchanged uneasy glances. Some of them still remembered the terrifying mutated zombies they had barely escaped from.
"So, School President," Professor Sy said as he looked toward Nyren, "instead of simply giving them food, teach them how to survive."
"Teach them how to fish instead."
He leaned back slightly before adding one final sentence. "And if we’re discussing the survival of everyone..."
"...then he should be included too." Professor Sy pointed toward Lothe, who was quietly sitting on a nearby bench while staring through one of the shattered windows.
He didn’t appear interested in the discussion at all.
Daniel frowned immediately. "And why should we include him?"
"Because," Professor Sy answered without hesitation, "he’s human just like the rest of you. Right now, we need every capable person we can get."
His gaze shifted toward Lothe once more. "Besides... he’s the academy’s librarian."
Adrain’s eyes widened slightly. "The young librarian who’s managed this place for the past three years?"
He suddenly remembered the rumors that had circulated around the academy. Professor Sy simply nodded.
"The very same."
"What about the girl?" Oren suddenly asked, clearly more interested in Seana than anyone else.
Remembering the way she had cut through the zombie horde yesterday, his heart couldn’t help but skip a beat.
Professor Sy shook his head.
"I have no idea who she really is. As far as I know, she’s simply another student of this academy."
Oren nodded slowly, though the answer did little to satisfy his curiosity. No matter how he thought about it, Seana’s swordsmanship was far beyond that of an ordinary student.
Professor Sy shifted his gaze toward the surrounding students. "Even if some of them haven’t awakened a System or a superpower, Qi is already flowing through their bodies."
He placed a hand on Lucan’s shoulder before continuing. "Just like Lucan, they can still learn to guide Qi and strengthen themselves. We simply need someone willing to teach them."
Before the apocalypse, Professor Sy had taught History and Culture at the academy.
Fortunately, he had awakened a superpower after the world changed, but thoughts of his wife and child still weighed heavily on his mind.
"So, what do you suggest we do, Professor?" Adrain asked respectfully.
Professor Sy didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he beckoned to a nearby student and quietly instructed him to invite Lothe over.
The student hurried across the hall before stopping in front of Lothe. "They’re asking if you’d join the discussion."
Lothe had already heard every word. Ever since his attributes increased, his hearing had become much sharper, allowing every conversation across the hall to reach him clearly.
Honestly...
None of it interested him.
He rested his chin against one hand while quietly watching the broken streets outside.
Several zombies wandered aimlessly between buildings, and in the distance, one of them suddenly lunged at another before devouring it whole.
"So it’s already begun..." he muttered under his breath.
The student blinked. "Huh?"
Lothe stood up. "Nothing."
He slowly walked toward the group, stopping a few steps away without making any effort to sit down.
"You see?" Daniel scoffed. "He’s acting as if we’ll collapse without him."
Daniel was about to stand, but Adrain reached out and pressed him back into his seat.
Before either of them could speak again, Oren stepped forward instead.
"We’re discussing how everyone here can survive and rebuild this place," Oren said calmly. "We’d appreciate it if you shared your thoughts."
Lothe looked at him for a brief moment before answering. "I don’t really have any ideas."
Oren frowned slightly. "We’re not asking you to solve everything, just come over and sit with us."
Lothe leaned lightly against a nearby bookshelf. "Thanks for including me."
"But I’ll pass."
The calmness in his voice only made Oren’s frustration grow stronger.
"Just what is your problem?" he asked, struggling to keep his temper under control.
"Humanity is on the verge of extinction, and everyone is trying to do their part. As another survivor, shouldn’t you at least help?"
Lothe finally met Oren’s eyes. His expression remained as calm as ever.
"I already told you."
"I simply don’t have any ideas. If that’s all you wanted, then there’s nothing more for me to say."
Bang!
Oren’s fist slammed into the nearby table, reducing it to splintered pieces. The deafening crash echoed throughout the library, causing every conversation to come to an abrupt stop.
Dozens of eyes turned toward them. Some looked nervous, while others looked at Lothe with quiet sympathy.
After all...
The man standing before him was Oren Ashford, one of the academy’s strongest awakened.
Nyren, Adrain, Daniel, Professor Sy, and the others quickly walked over. Lothe glanced at the gathering crowd before letting out a quiet sigh.
The entire cast is finally here.
Adrain stepped forward first. "I don’t believe we’ve properly introduced ourselves."
"My name is Lothe," he replied calmly.
Adrain nodded politely. "Lothe, we’d genuinely like you to join us."
Lothe simply shook his head. "If you’re here to invite me into your group, then there’s no need."
"I prefer acting alone." He paused briefly before adding one final sentence.
"Besides... I already have a partner."
There wasn’t the slightest hint of fear on his face despite everyone surrounding him. His calmness only made the atmosphere feel even heavier.
Professor Sy stepped forward. "And where is your partner now?"
"She’s resting," Lothe answered simply.
Nothing more.
Nothing less.
The two men looked at one another in silence. Professor Sy was quietly assessing the young librarian standing before him, while Lothe calmly returned the gaze without the slightest intention of backing down.
Neither of them spoke.
Yet somehow, the atmosphere between them grew increasingly heavy.