Last Ruler Of The Empty Throne

He slung his bag over his shoulder, ignoring the curious glances that followed him and turned to Jenny, Tunde, and Cynthia.

"Aren't we going?" he asked, puzzled.

After a brief pause, they all nodded and began following Cynthia toward the last standing hostel out of the five. It was the one in the center, most likely where the remaining female survivors were taking refuge.

The other hostels had collapsed in strange circumstances. When that blinding light flashed, some people exploded, shaking the foundation of the buildings they were in. Then, as if to finalize the destruction, cars crashed into the structures, toppling them completely.

Currently, as they slowly made their way towards the intact building, everyone remained cautious, anticipating that zombies might emerge from the dormitory at any moment.

But not everyone was on the edge,

"Um, thank you." a female who left the stadium bowed to Jon and Jenny.

"It's okay." Jon nodded to the girl.

"You're welcome." but Jenny smiled as if the world wasn't on fire. Then as if a dam had broken, the thanks and tears poured out like water.

At that moment, the hostel doors creaked open.

The group froze again with wide eyes, expecting to see zombies shambling out.

Instead, a group of people in purple tops, black trousers wearing caps emerged, some carrying walkie-talkies, others with pistols hanging from their belts rushed out.

It was the university's contracted security team, the very people they had been looking for. But these guards didn't look as polished as usual; some bore cuts and burns on their clothes and bodies, evidence of recent battles. But now, they rushed towards the students as if they mattered the most.

But an unspoken question hung in the air: Where had they been all this time, while the students were fighting for their lives? Yet no one voiced it. The relief of seeing the security team overshadowed any resentment.

About 15 security personnel stepped out, followed by 12 hostel staff members. Among them was a middle-aged woman standing at the back, her body slightly trembling as she tried to remain composed.

She was Martha Port, the head of the surviving hostel. It was no wonder she was shaken, after all her friends had perished in the burned dormitories. She knew she was lucky to be alive and couldn't let it be for granted. So she would save as many people.

"Are you all aright?"

"Please, I hope no one got scratched"

"..."

The security team immediately began checking the students for any injuries or zombie bites while consoling them. While the dormitory officials starting treating the minor injuries and offering comfort to the frightened.

Only after a while, did they started guiding everyone into the hostel.

Then, two particular security members approached Cynthia, exchanged a few words with her before sticking close by. She nodded to them but glanced at Jon, her gaze lingering, curious.

No one had approached Jon.

It wasn't as though they hadn't seen him fight; rather, they all seemed unsure of how to approach him.

Until the head official, Martha Ports approached him and thanked him, bowing her head.

Afterwards, the rest followed and bowed and thanked him and Jenny.

It felt a bit embarrassing to them, but they had practically saved every student here. Thanks was the least they could say.

Tunde and Cynthia then moved to speak with Mrs. Port and the head of security, while Jon lagged behind, talking quietly with Jenny.

"Do you have any idea what is happening?" Even though Jenny to seemed to calm, she was still curious about what was occurring.

"I don't know, but I feel like it doesn't matter." Jon said.

"Why do you say that?"

"Do you think things can ever go back to normal?" That was all Jon asked but Jenny frowned. She too didn't think it was possible for things to go back to normal. Even if they lost all their powers now, the damage was just too much for things to just go back to normal,

Then she looked at him again and asked, "So what do you plan to do?"

After considering it for a while, he told her. "Maybe our only answer right now is to get stronger, or we might find the answer along the way"

"So I think I would come out later at night." He then pointed up at the darkening sky. While others might have felt danger under the darkness, he was feeling stronger.

'Is it because of 'Moon'?' he squeezed his palm tightly. It seemed the skill had more benefits that he thought.

"So you're planning to level up too? I don't know if it's because of the traits I've got, but I'm not feeling the fear like others do," she admitted and looking at her fingers.

'So I was right, she also got a trait,' he mused.

"Yeah, Since the situation isn't going to change anytime soon, might as well get used to it."

"Alright then, let's meet at the entrance in one, no, make it two hours," Jenny smiled after coming out with her decision, and Jon nodded in agreement.

She then walked forward, then as if unsure about something, she turned her head back, "Are you going to join the meeting when we get inside?"

Jon shook his head. "I can guess what the outcome will be. Besides, they are also clueless about the situation."

"Fair enough. See you then." Jenny nodded and left ahead.

Entering the female dorm, they reached the lobby. It was normally used for welcoming guests and handling student check-ins and check-outs during the semester, but now, it was a blockage in case of zombies.

***

All around the world, people were scrambling to understand the phenomenon that had suddenly and instantaneously upended their lives. Scientists were dispatched in droves to investigate the strange force, but a lot of them had turned into zombies they were sent to investigate.

While the remaining could only confirm that the energy signatures they were detecting had the potential to revolutionize technology, if only the right equipment existed to harness it.

With little concrete information, theories began to swirl. Some claimed it was the apocalypse, others saw it as divine judgment, while a few said this world was abandoned.

A lot were already plotting on how to use this chaos to their advantage, thinking of how to seize power, form new governments, or simply exploit the situation for personal gain.

But one thing was clear: the world had been reset.

Everyone now stood at the same starting line. Everyone was scrambling around, trying to find their place in this new order. For those who could seize the opportunity, the future held the promise of unimaginable power. This generation would determine who would rise to the top, using others as stepping stones and who would be left behind, trampled in the race. And the winners of this ordeal would become the legends of a new era.

But no one wanted to be at the bottom, except perhaps those who refused to accept the new reality. Even so, the majority were already adapting, and quickly.

And this was a testament to the resilience and adaptive nature of humanity.

***

Entering the dormitory, Jon realized his instincts were correct. There were still many survivors in the hostel, and far more than one might expect.

It seemed the security team had timed their emergence well, saving a significant number of students from the other burned dormitories while simultaneously managing the zombie threat within the building.

And that might have been the reason for the delayed approach in coming out to help.

Hundreds of female students had survived in the dorms, a surprisingly large number considering the circumstances.

Palflic University was always known for its talented student body across various fields, and while they didn't know, that talent extended to handling mana. It seemed that many of the survivors had natural talents for it.

However, among the survivors currently present, only a few were male, just eleven, including Jon, who had come from the stadium.

He couldn't help but wonder how the men and boys in other areas were coping. While at it, his thoughts drifted to his roommates, Alex and Joe. 'I hope they're safe.' he muttered to himself.

He sighed as the staff directed him to his room. He found it odd that he'd be staying alone, but he didn't dwell on it. In fact, he preferred it.

He had things to take care of on his own. He suspected he knew who might have arranged the room for him and decided he would thank them later.

For now, it was time to focus on one thing: getting stronger to survive this whole ordeal. With that resolve, Jon entered his room, ready to tackle the next challenge.