Last Ruler Of The Empty Throne

As Jon stepped out of the hall, the crowd instinctively moved back, eyes wide with a mix of emotions he couldn't yet decipher.

He wasn't great at reading faces, but one expression that was present among their expressions was awe. To them, he wasn't just some savior in theory or in books anymore; he was real, standing in front of them.

Still, there was a flicker of fear. Seeing him in action and the bloodshed he had left in his wake, it still haunted their thoughts. So, they would surely give him the space he needed.

Jon had already cleaned himself up with mana, so the gore no longer clung to him. So, he looked better than what they saw from the distance.

After a little moment of silence, two young men approached him cautiously. They didn't want to, but they had to. Besides, they actually just got saved by him, so saying thank you was the least they could do.

So they bowed their heads and said, "Thank you"

Nodding his head to their thanks, Jon spoke, "The rest of the survivors are gathered in the cafeteria,"

"Haa..."

"Phew..."

"Thank God..."

His voice brought a collective sigh of relief, including the two young men, one lanky with a sword, the other armed with a bow, after sighing in relief they nodded.

"But we need to gather everyone here first," Jon added and pointed to the building he just came out of. After explaining that he had cleared the building, all that was left was to bring out the survivors.

Then without hesitation, they went in to bring out the survivors.

…

Nearly an hour later, more survivors trickled out, adding to the crowd, swelling the number to nearly 300 people.

"That's everyone," Carl, the lanky swordsman confirmed, looking to Jon for direction.

Jon nodded and looked around the survivors. As he was about to talk again,

"Thank you for saving us." this time all of them, including the ones from Jon's dorm and from the others. They bowed and thanked him, after all it was the least they could do.

Nodding his head to their thanks, he said, "Then let's go."

And though, they all knew the way to the cafeteria, Jon took the lead.

The darkness was setting in, and the surrounding areas were still largely unknown. Silence became their unspoken agreement as they moved through the night like shadows.

Now, as they neared the cafeteria, the security personnel and a few student leaders came out of the cafeteria, curious about the source of the large number of approaching students.

They were shocked when they saw Jon leading the crowd. Wasn't he with them all this time. However, they couldn't do anything about it except receive them.

Surprisingly, Jenny and Cynthia weren't among the faces, he saw. Jon wondered if they were inside, however upon not seeing them inside, he pushed the thought aside and headed to his usual spot.

Just as he was about to enter, a young woman approached him. She was striking, standing about 5'9", with light brown skin color, and long plaited brown dreadlocks that reached down her back.

Her glasses sat low on her nose, and her figure, dressed in a black shirt and jeans, made her stand out in a way that wasn't meant to be ignored. She was more beautiful than Jenny and almost rivaling Cynthia. And her presence drew attention for another reason, her confidence. She carried herself with the same quiet arrogance Jon had noticed in Cynthia when they first met.

But unlike Cynthia, she had no strength to back it up. She hadn't even earned the right to call out her status window, yet she approached Jon without hesitation, showing no fear,

"Hi, Cynthia and Jenny asked me to tell you that they went back to the place you all explored together."

However, Jon didn't reply and stood dazed.

His mind was elsewhere, not focused on her words but on something else entirely. This girl who had just approached him was actually someone he had always wanted to talk to, however she was of a socially higher class than him. 

Though his 'Composure' could make him forget that and act normally, he wanted to revel in that feeling for a while. 'She spoke to me.' So that was all that was in Jon's mind.

And as for the girl, she mistook his silence for indifference and left quickly. She hadn't actually been told to tell Jon about where they were going. She just wanted him to know her and to be familiar with her, so it could be easier to join their ranks and level up with them.

But she misread the situation, and Jon missed his long-awaited dream.

Ten seconds passed before Jon finally shook off the trance and went to his spot.

This time, he didn't want to check his watch or examine his orbs he got. He just wanted to sleep.

No, he needed to sleep.

Throughout the days he waited for the storm to stop, he had been either reading or in his mind world, and now they had scouted, he had gotten his belongings, and he had gotten a bit stronger.

He craved his dreams, it was something he hadn't experienced since the world had fallen apart.

So, he prepared his space and used mana to make the place more comfortable. Then he tried to clear his mind, locking his thoughts away in his mind world.

This time he didn't care if he slept for two days. He just wanted to sleep and dream unknown to him, it was a terrible wish.

And for the first time since everything went to hell, he did.

…

Jon's eyes fluttered open and the harsh light of the room stabbing at his vision. He grimaced and covered his face, his body aching and his head pounding.

"I just slept... what the hell?" He rubbed his temples, confused and frustrated as dark bags hung under his eyes with his face looking like someone who hadn't rested at all.

"You're finally awake," a voice called then called out to him.

Jon then looked up to see Cynthia close to him, with her expression unreadable. Jenny sat also nearby, offering a faint smile. And his attention shifted to a third figure in the room, it was the same girl who had approached him earlier.

"What happened?" His voice was rough, devoid of its usual calm as touched the aching side of his head.

Cynthia sighed, exchanging a glance with Jenny. They could sense his irritation, and the fact he left the cafeteria without telling them showed, he was drifting away from them.

"We've decided to head toward the administrative building. We need to check if we can get the cars and buses," the third girl said, breaking the silence.

Maybe she was expecting him to ask for her name, maybe under normal circumstances, he would have. But today, his mood was foul, and it showed in the deep frown etched across his face.

"Alright, let's go," he said, standing with a bit of difficulty, though he hid it well. He really felt bad and it wasn't anyone's fault but,

The dream.

The sleep he had anticipated it for so long, the dream he craved to escape his current reality. But when he slept...

Nothing.

'NOTHING!' He roared inside of him, his frustration boiling over as he left the room.