Last Ruler Of The Empty Throne

What would come next?

Were their families safe?

What was the world like outside?

When they leave here, what would they do next?

It wasn't like before the fall, when everyone just wanted to do anything. Now, if they weren't careful, they would die before they even realize it.

These questions hung heavy in the minds of the smarter ones, and none of them dared to voice their thoughts aloud, especially those who already suspected grim answers. So, one could say, the survivors who hadn't thought far ahead were truly the happiest at the moment.

Then, immediately after the words from Jenny, they all moved over to the meeting areas. This was one of those meetings that was very crucial, so lots of people gathered.

Including staffs who were previously evicted from being among the leaders, the previous high ranking professor before the fall, all of them had gathered regardless of what the students thought and said.

And true to the reactions, the student leaders began to give them a particular eye. The rule was, each person with a skill was automatically considered a leader, this was also a rule that was established when Jon was asleep.

So, been a rule, people found loops in it. They just killed one or two zombies with help to gain their skills and gather with the rest, and even with that, they still felt like they were risking their lives, so there was a high tension between them and the staffs.

While many of the strongest fighters couldn't be bothered to deal with this issue. The staffs and professors thought the student leaders couldn't hit or fight them in front of Jon, so they tried to show a domineering side.

'I wonder what abilities these people have,' And Jon who, they thought was focusing on the situation was just looking around the people gathered. Turning his head slightly to his back, he saw Alexa just standing behind him, and he was seriously resisting the urge to ask; it really felt invasive to ask.

Skills were often revealed in action, but asking someone outright was like prying into the person's secret. And especially considering Alexa's condition and asking could cause a situation he wasn't ready for.

Pushing his mind of that, he then focused his attention on the meeting that was occurring. Then one of the student leaders spoke up, "Some of us have family in the Overberg District!"

"Mine is in Durban district..." And without further delay, everyone started mentioning the area or country they lived. They probably thought, their sides should get special treatments since they were among the leaders.

And strangely, as people kept mentioning where their families lived, a sort of order began to take shape. People from the same areas began noticing each other and grouping together, even recognizing others from their neighborhoods.

"Then, we can organize the locations and assign fighters from the same districts to same buses," suggested one voice, and the room murmured in agreement. And the meeting continued,

This pointed to the fact that, though the meeting was a bit chaotic, sensible ideas and decisions were being made. And they were decisions that would have taken days to think of with fewer people.

As this conversations were going on, Jenny walked up to Jon and asked, "Where do you live?" Her tone was light, but everyone became silent as they heard the question, they didn't turn their heads to look, however they sharpened their ear, who wouldn't want to know where the strongest lived?

And Jon didn't hesitate to say it, "Capricorn district."

A few gasps rippled through the room, and noticing some faces light up with relief and excitement, it seemed he too was recognizing his fellow South Africans.

But what they didn't know was that he didn't actually plan to go there. He suspected his parents had foreseen this catastrophe and were safe, hidden far from the chaos.

'So… where will I go?' was his next thoughts. The realization hit him with a strange hollowness, he had no destination, no immediate goal, and no worries.

Oddly enough, in this apocalyptic world, he might be the freest person alive. Still, there was one thing he wanted, to survive, and to protect Alexa.

And as if an idea flickered in his mind like a spark, a sense of purpose began to guide him forward.

His attention snapped back as he asked Jenny, "What about you?"

"Florida," she replied, smiling. It wasn't too surprising, her name and features hinted at her American roots.

Jenny then turned to Cynthia and asked, who answered, "Waterberg." She exchanged a small smile with Jon, catching him off guard.

'Hmm?', he reacted a bit with his eyes wide open at her revelation. In South Africa, Capricorn and Waterberg districts were actually in the same province. So that made them a bit closer to neighbors if they wanted to call it like that.

"And the allocation of food by their destinations...."

"Oh, there is that too..."

"Then we should..."

After hours of discussions, arguments and voting, the main plans were settled. The survivors would be grouped by region they lived, the remaining food would be allocated accordingly, and they agreed on clearing the road to the gate together.

Smaller details could wait for now. With zombies evolving by the day and new monsters appearing frequently, they needed to secure their path, fast.

Later that day, on the road leading to the gate,

Shing!

A sword sliced clean through a zombie, its body dropping to the ground along with the blood from the blade. And the girl wielding the sword exhaled a bit and bent down to retrieve its core. After that, she scanned her surroundings.

It was still day, and they'd decided to start clearing the path to the gate since they'd found the buses earlier and faster than expected. Though there was still a long way to go with the increased land size and the sheer volume of zombies, it was bound to be no small task.

The school's only entrance and exit had been a hub of activity before the fall, the road used to be a very busy one with cars and visitors constantly going and coming in, however it was now clogged with abandoned cars, trucks, and clusters of zombies and dead bodies.

She was among the people who had decided to clear the road with the fighters, because of her decision, she had gotten her skill and the sword she was currently using.

And honestly, now looking back, she didn't understand why she hadn't come outside before, because the feeling of getting stronger with each kill was so intoxicating that she never wanted to stop.

And she wasn't the only one with the feeling, it kept happening to others who decided to join the road clearing.

In another area, Lightning crackled across the sky as Laura, who had been itching to try her new abilities, unleashed a controlled storm upon a horde of zombies.

After forcefully evolving her skill, she could now summon lightning bolts three centimeters wide, which was just large enough to be deadly to the zombies, and she could cast five at once. All these was just while conserving her mana.

She had leveled up and was already close to the first realm threshold, and she was really eager for the change that will come with it. Small tornadoes spun at her feet, helping her move swiftly across the battlefield to her next foe.

In other areas, the first group that went to scout with Jon were also here, all on the verge of passing the level 20 and were also eager to get stronger.

Even the former "lords" had joined, like it or not, they were still craving the power they once held even after practically losing everything.

They'd tasted the top and were determined to reach it again, striving to level up against the growing threat.

The drop rate for cores and orbs had always been low and still was, except for a person's first kill, but that didn't deter the group.

They cleared the cars, trucks, and clusters of zombies with methodical precision, aiming to finish the job quickly. The highest levels in the unranked appeared occasionally, still tough for most of them but manageable for a few.

As they worked, the sky began to darken, the day slipping away. The road to the gate was finally looking clear, though a bit more effort would be needed tomorrow.

For now, they decided to leave the final cleanup for morning.

It was the tenth day since the fall, and this was the best day they'd had since the world changed. So, with smiles and relieved minds they went back to the cafeteria.

…

On a distant path, along the road they were clearing.

RUMBLE...

The ground close to the schools' gate began to shake. It was faint at first, then it became almost like an earthquake.

And in that rumbling, under the dark sky, a hand clawed its way up through the earth.