The yard behind the laboratory building was not large, but it gave them enough space to breathe. After everything that had happened inside the academy, the silence here almost felt strange. The buildings around them blocked most of the distant sounds coming from the campus. No infected had appeared yet, but nobody believed the quiet would last long.
Silar gathered the remaining students and staff together and began organizing them again. The security personnel who were still alive checked the nearby entrances and windows. They moved cautiously, keeping their voices low as they spoke to each other.
Josh stood near the back of the group.
Mira had not moved far from him since they escaped the lab.
Some of the students sat down on the concrete ground, trying to calm their nerves. Others leaned against the walls, exhausted and silent. The events of the day had drained everyone. Their uniforms were dirty, some torn, and many still had dried blood on them.
Even though the group had survived this far, the tension had not faded.
If anything, it had grown heavier.
Josh did not notice most of the looks directed toward him.
But others noticed him very clearly.
Three of the students who had followed him earlier during the escape from the building were standing a short distance away. They were speaking quietly among themselves, but their eyes kept drifting back toward Josh.
Not everyone was looking at him with gratitude.
Some were looking at him with suspicion.
The students who had followed him earlier during the escape were whispering among themselves.
"I saw it clearly," one of them said quietly. "That sword just appeared in his hand during the fight."
Another student nodded slowly. "Yeah. And he fought that thing like he had been doing it for years. That wasn't normal student movement."
"Do you think he was hiding military training or something?"
"No idea. But something about him feels… different."
The fear of the situation had slowly started turning into curiosity.
And curiosity was slowly turning into suspicion and greed.
Humans in crisis always began wondering about power when they saw someone survive where others failed.
Josh did not hear their conversation.
But he felt the uneasy atmosphere around him.
He simply assumed it was because of everything that had happened that day.
Inside his mind, he activated Aegis activated again.
A small transparent interface appeared in his vision.
System Status
Tier: One
Points: 4.8
Total Kills Recorded: Normal Infected — 14 (0.2 points each)
Enhanced Variant — 1 (2 points)
Josh checked the system shop.
The items inside the shop were not cheap at all.
Basic Combat Supplies: Medical Patch Kit — 3 points
Energy Recovery Pack — 4 points
Intermediate Equipment: High Density Tactical Gloves — 10 points
Compact Defensive Shield Module — 15 points
Josh almost spat out blood and wanted to scream out Fuck you!!
But he couldn't he had to be rational. But what does this system take him for.
How is he supposed to survive with this, and there wasn't any begginer package stuff that this memory had thought.
This system is so stingy.
The system wanted him to survive, but not grow too fast. But how was he supposed to do that when it's so expensive. He had only 4.8points, 4.8.
it could only used on medkit.
He also opened his inventory, to check since this system wanted to kill him.
"Open inventory."
The moment he gave the command, the view around him seemed to shift slightly.
In his mind, a vast dark space appeared.
It did not feel like a small storage container.
It looked more like an endless plain.
The ground stretched far into the distance, fading into darkness at the horizon. The space felt enormous, far larger than anything that should logically exist.
Josh focused deeper.
Even though the area looked massive, he noticed something important.
He could not see the end.
No matter how far he looked, the space continued into darkness.
"So This is the system inventory huh?" he asked.
"It looks… enormous."
"Current capacity has not reached maximum limit."
Josh frowned slightly.
"So it isn't infinite."
"Correct."
He tested it quickly.
In his hand, he was still holding the sword from his previous life.
He focused on the weapon and gave a simple command.
"Store."
The sword vanished from his hand instantly.
Josh looked down at his empty palm for a second before opening the inventory again.
The sword was now resting on the dark ground inside the vast space.
He focused on it again.
"Retrieve."
The sword appeared in his hand immediately.
Josh slowly exhaled.
This ability alone could change how he approached many situations.
He would no longer need to carry equipment in plain sight.
He could store supplies, weapons or anything useful.
But he also understood something else.
If anyone noticed items appearing or disappearing, it would raise serious questions.
Josh closed the system interface.
He did not want to draw attention by looking distracted.
Around him, the group was beginning to settle emotionally. Some students were talking about survival plans. Others were still in shock from the massacre they had seen earlier.
But something else was slowly growing inside the group.
Greed.
Fear made people think about survival first.
And survival sometimes meant thinking about power, resources, or protection.
Several of the stronger students kept watching Josh.
They weren't doing it blantly, But carefully.
Because they were beginning to understand something.
Josh was not just a normal student who happened to survive.
He was someone who could fight things they could not even react to.
And in crisis situations, people usually wanted two things, Protection and control.
Mira stayed close to Josh, almost like she was afraid that if she moved too far away, she would be left behind in whatever was coming next.
Mira walked past the students and returned to Josh's side.
She stayed close to him, almost without thinking about it.
After everything they had gone through together, standing near him made her feel safer. She could not explain why, but the difference between Josh and the others had become clear to her.
He did not panic.
He observed.
He moved only when necessary.
And when things turned dangerous, he acted without hesitation.
Mira glanced at him again.
He looked calm, but she knew he was thinking about something.
Josh did not notice the deeper meaning behind her behavior.
He was still thinking about escape routes.
Because somewhere far away, more danger was still growing inside the city.