After they returned from their supply trip, things in the gym had changed. It was almost as if a new caste system had formed.
First were the veteran evolvers. Although they had only been evolvers for a few days longer than the others, apparently, that was enough to earn them the title. Liang Peng, Shangguan Bing Xue, Chen He, Bai Zemin, Wei Jun, Ying Jue, and Zaid could be seen lounging around or taking charge of reinforcing the shelter to make it safer for the survivors. Every now and then, they would also head outside to hunt zombies and mutated beasts, increasing their Soul Power in the process.
Then there were the newbie evolvers: Zhong De, Fu Xuefeng, Cai Jingyi, and Kang Lan. Funny enough, all four had begun following Zemin around like little ducklings, much to the man's chagrin and Zaid's amusement.
Next came the survivors who were willing to work and help out. They could usually be found sitting on one side of the gym, either assisting whenever they were called upon or chatting among themselves. With their stomachs full and the successful supply trip serving as proof that they were relatively safe, they had become noticeably more confident and were no longer as frightened as before. There were now around 150 of them, with another 50 having joined after the successful expedition.
Finally, there was the last group, and by far the largest: those who were simply too frightened to do anything. Unlike the others, they hadn't found the courage to step outside or even take part in the shelter's daily activities. Most spent their time huddled together, quietly talking among themselves or anxiously watching the evolvers from a distance. The thought of facing a zombie or mutated beast was enough to send them into a panic, and even the idea of leaving the relative safety of the gym seemed unbearable. They weren't necessarily unwilling to help; they were simply terrified of what awaited them beyond those doors.
Over the course of the day, Zaid had headed outside several times to hunt more enemies. Having gotten the hang of using a single skeleton to fight, he had managed to rack up another 20 kills, bringing his progress toward the first requirement to 30.
Now that he was becoming more comfortable with the first condition, he figured it was time to turn his attention to the others.
Of course, Zaid couldn't really blame the frightened survivors. Not everyone could adapt to a world where the dead walked and ordinary animals had become monsters. Some people needed more time than others, and forcing them to fight before they were ready would only make things worse.
Still, he couldn't help but wonder how long this fragile sense of security would last.
'At least things are relatively peaceful for now.'
Zaid leaned back against his chair, watching as Wei Jun and Liang Peng argued over how best to reinforce one of the gym's entrances. Nearby, Ying Jue was helping a few survivors organize the supplies they had brought back, while Chen He and Shangguan Bing Xue discussed their next move.
Meanwhile, Bai Zemin was having a considerably harder time.
"Could you stop following me for five minutes?" he asked, looking down at the four newbies gathered around him.
"But we still have so much to learn from you!" Zhong De replied.
"Exactly!" Cai Jingyi added enthusiastically.
Fu Xuefeng nodded quietly, while Kang Lan simply watched him with an expectant expression.
'It seems that after returning from the trip and facing danger themselves, they no longer fear Zemin. Instead, they've started to admire him. I guess that's a good thing in the long run.'
Bai Zemin closed his eyes for a moment.
Zaid couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.
'Poor Zemin. Who would've thought he, of all people, would end up as a parent to four teenagers?'
Taking his mind off the happenings in the shelter, Zaid turned his attention back to his class advancement requirements.
'The first one is progressing nicely, but the other two are going to be a pain.'
He glanced at the notifications again.
[Kill Unranked enemies using 1 Skeleton Summon without interfering. 30/100.]
[Kill First Order enemies using Skeleton Summons without taking part yourself. 0/3.]
[Kill Unranked enemies from a distance using only the Skeleton Summon skill. 0/50.]
Zaid's expression remained relaxed as he looked over the different requirements.
He decided to ignore the second one for now, lest he give himself an aneurysm thinking about it. Instead, he turned his attention to the last requirement and began considering how he might go about completing it.
'What if I have them throw their swords at the enemies? Nah, that's not a good idea. Not only would it leave them defenseless, but it wouldn't guarantee that the enemy would die either. Hmm...'
Suddenly, a thought occurred to him.
He stood up and started walking toward Chen He and Shangguan Bing Xue, who were standing nearby. Seeing him approach, both turned their heads toward him.
"Hey, guys. How are you doing?" Zaid asked casually.
"So far, so good. We figure that tomorrow we can head to the girls' dorms and the boys' dorms to grab some fresh clothes for everyone. After that, we can start trying to clear a path out of this place," Chen He replied.
"That's good. By the way, I want to try something. Do you mind if I borrow your bow for a minute? I want to see if I can get my skeletons to shoot it."
"I don't see why not. It's not like I'm using it right now. But I'm pretty interested to see if you can pull it off. Let's head out together later," Chen He answered with a smile.
Everyone seemed to be warming up to Zaid after the trip, as shown by Chen He's reaction. Even Bing Xue, despite her usual coldness, seemed to have become somewhat neutral toward him. Especially since neither he nor Bai Zemin seemed to look at her the same way the other men did.