Chapter 15 – Old Conflicts
"Hm." Jack squinted before he knocked again. "We are not infected. We are not here to stay either. We simply want to confirm if there are any survivors inside and how many there are."
As much as Jack didn't really need to go out of his way to check the gymnasium, an idea had been simmering in his head for the past hour or so: should he collect people he deemed capable and make them part of his team?
'As much as I like to work on my own, I will need some extra hands sooner or later for other matters,' he mused. After all, survival wasn't just about fighting and leveling up — he needed food, shelter, and many other things to sustain himself.
Doing all of that on his own wasn't easy and was a waste of precious time he could spend hunting monsters and getting stronger. So, in a sense, having people around him made his evolution a lot faster and more efficient.
"I said we aren't opening the doors! Go away!" the voice yelled from inside in an agitated tone. Jack could hear the terror in their voice.
"..."
'Sigh, this is annoying. I guess everyone inside is just a bunch of cowards,' Jack mused as he was about to turn around to leave. If they didn't open, there was no point in forcing his way through, even if he could.
But, at that very moment, out of nowhere, the doors to the gymnasium parted open rapidly, and before Jack could even turn around, a silhouette rushed outside in a hurry.
"Luna!"
The silhouette lunged at Luna and hugged her tightly.
"Oh my god! I can't believe it! You're alive!"
"..." Jack squinted his eyes, realizing who it was — a familiar girl he knew from the past and whom he saw often at school. She had short brown hair and hazel eyes. She was on the taller side with a perfect athletic body.
"You're really alive!"
"Emi…" Luna pushed her friend slowly away. "I'm fine, yeah."
Her friend, Emi, with tears rolling from her eyes, smiled widely before hugging her again. "I thought you died! I really thought you died! I was going to go look for you…"
"Luna…"
Then Jack heard another voice and looked to the side, seeing a young man emerge. He was tall, uniquely good-looking, and had a rather soothing yet sharp aura — something contradictory, yet somehow mixed within his eyes.
He had slightly longer hair and blue eyes.
"Here we go…" Jack sighed as he turned away. The young man didn't look at him at first as he rushed toward Luna, his face filled with deep worry and care.
"Are you okay, Luna? Did you get hurt anywhere?" he asked as he examined her.
"I'm fine…" she replied. "I wasn't harmed. Thanks to Jack, we were able to arrive here unharmed."
"Jack?"
"Hm?"
The two finally looked to the side where Jack was standing, and their expressions changed. Emi's face brightened while the boy's face darkened, as if he saw something horrible.
"Oh my god! Jack, is that you?! It's been a while!" Emi approached him and tapped his shoulder. "Man, you didn't talk to us in a long time! How've you been?"
"..." Jack stared at her silently before he sighed. "Yeah, I'm doing fine."
His voice was completely uninterested and bored. "Hey, Alex. Go check inside how many people there are."
"Got it." Alex replied in a weirdly quiet tone.
"Hm?" Liliana hummed curiously, noticing the tension in the air. It was as if some weight had fallen on the scene, making everyone uncomfortable and on edge.
"He brought you here?" the boy asked.
"Yeah, he helped me greatly. I would've stayed stuck on that rooftop if he didn't come around," Luna said. "Now I can fight the Undead on my own with ease."
"Wait, you also received that weird system, Luna?" Emi asked. "We also got it when we killed one of them."
"Yeah, it seems killing these things grants us this mysterious power. Jack was the first one to discover this, and he told me about it and taught me how to use it."
"..."
"Woah! Jack, that's amazing! I didn't know you had that in you," Emi exclaimed.
'Can I just die? It would probably feel more bearable than whatever the hell this is,' Jack almost facepalmed.
"Hehe, why are you so annoyed?" Liliana asked.
"Nothing."
"Aww, such a cute, pouty baby. Tell me what's wrong~"
"Leave me alone."
At that moment, Alex came outside again. "There are fifteen people inside, Jack. Mostly students and two teachers."
"I see…" Jack replied. "Did any of them have the system?"
"No… I didn't notice anyone who stood out," Alex shook his head. "They're all normal people as far as I know."
"I see…" Jack muttered. "Well, our business here is over then. We will look for other survivors outside the school. Our chances of finding good companions are higher the farther we move."
After all, the city was infested with far more monsters and people, so the chances of finding people who had awakened were naturally higher.
"Let's go," Jack said.
"Hm?" Alex frowned. "What about—"
"Let's go." Jack cut him off as he turned to walk away. Alex seemed completely lost, staring between his friend and Luna.
The girl noticed that and her eyes widened slightly. "Hey, Jack! Where are you going?"
"I'm leaving."
"What… Wait." She called after him.
"I don't have time to wait. You found your group; we can now cut off this partnership."
"Huh? No! I still want to tag along."
"Luna… Don't worry about him. We are here now; we will work together," the boy said. "Let him be. He is worthless."
Those words made Jack stop and look over his shoulder. "Use your words carefully, or I will cut your head off, got it?"
"Hah? Cut my head off? Pfffft, who do you think you are? Did killing a few monsters get to your head, and now you think you're the hot shit? Wake up, bastard. This is reality."
"I see…"
Jack sighed before he turned and faced the boy. "Punch yourself in the face three times."
"Hu—" Before he could react, the boy's entire body froze as he watched his fist rise and then swiftly deliver a strong blow to his face. He swayed to the side, only for his other fist to punch him back.
A third blow made him stagger as he spat a mouthful of saliva mixed with blood. After that, he snapped out of his dazed state, holding his face in shock.
Jack walked toward him and grabbed his collar, yanking him forward. "Reality? You should be the one to wake up to reality. Try to insult me again and watch how I will deliver on my words."
Then Jack pushed the boy away, making him fall to the ground with a loud thud.
"This is my last warning."