Janet led Axel, Mia, and Kai to a slightly more private corner of the bustling sub-basement sanctuary, near the humming generator.
Professor Armitage and Dr. Hanson remained with the other students, offering quiet reassurance, though their eyes were fixed on the unfolding discussion.
The air was thick with unspoken questions and the faint smell of ozone from Kai's earlier exertions.
"Chancellor," Janet began, her arms crossed, her gaze direct and appraising. The poker she'd carried earlier now leaned against a nearby crate, but her stance was no less guarded. "I appreciate you helping to… redecorate our entrance. And for the timely noise complaint against that… thing outside.
But as you can imagine, unexpected guests, especially a group as… dynamically noticeable as yours, put a strain on resources."
Axel offered a disarming smile, though he felt anything but disarmed. "Completely understandable, Janet. We're not looking for a permanent timeshare, just a chance to regroup, get our bearings, and figure out our next move.
Specifically, finding Mia's friends." He gestured vaguely upwards. "They were heading for this observatory."
"Many were," Janet said, her expression unreadable. "This place became a beacon after the first wave hit."
"First wave?" Axel latched onto that. "You said you've been here a few weeks. For me, for Mia, Kai, the professors… this all went catastrophically sideways maybe… a day or two ago? The Blighted, the… System activating for me, Mia's abilities flaring up…"
Janet's eyes widened slightly, then narrowed in thought. "A day or two?" She shook her head. "No. The initial breakdowns, the first infected appearing on the city outskirts, the university going into lockdown… that started nearly three weeks back.
It was slower then, more confusion than outright apocalypse. We fortified this place during that first chaotic week. But what you're describing… this 'System,' widespread powers… that sounds like the 'Grand Awakening' event the emergency broadcasts were screaming about just before everything went dead two days ago."
Axel exchanged a look with Mia. Three weeks. So, the world had been crumbling, and they'd been blissfully unaware students until this "Grand Awakening" had kicked things into hyperdrive and apparently handed Axel his unwanted Chancellorship.
It made a horrifying kind of sense. The Juggernaut, the sheer number of Blighted… it wasn't the start of an outbreak; it was a horrifying crescendo.
[SYSTEM UPDATE: World Chronology Discrepancy Registered. Initial societal degradation commenced approx. 23 days prior to User Axel's 'Sovereign System' activation and 'Grand Awakening' event. User's immediate localized experience represents a catastrophic escalation point. Hypothesis: The 'Grand Awakening' may have significantly amplified latent Blighted aggression and triggered/enhanced widespread human Awakenings.]
So, I'm not just late to the party, I'm late to the apocalypse itself, Axel thought, a fresh wave of sarcastic despair washing over him. No wonder the System is already at 'Tier 2' monsters.
We missed the tutorial levels.
"Alright," Axel said, absorbing the new, grim timeline. "That explains a few things. So, about our 'continued residency'?"
Janet nodded.
"We operate on a system of contribution here. Everyone pulls their weight. We have shelter, some power thanks to Arthur's… touch with the generator and some scavenged solar panels on the roof, limited food, and purified water. What we don't have is a standing army or an answer to… that."
She jerked her head towards the direction of the Juggernaut's last known tantrum. "You brought it here. Or at least, it followed you."
"Technically, it was following me," Axel corrected mildly. "It seems to have taken a personal dislike to my leadership style."
"Your group has… abilities," Janet stated, her eyes flicking between Axel, Mia, and Kai. "Mia's… brick-throwing was impressive.
Kai's… shield thing held off that monster for a bit. And you, Chancellor? What's your party trick, besides talking to yourself and attracting oversized stalkers?"
Axel leaned back slightly. "My 'System,' as I mentioned, gives me… insights. Strategic analysis. It helps me understand and potentially enhance Awakened abilities, like Mia's and Kai's. And it's telling me this observatory is the most defensible position in a five-mile radius, which you clearly already figured out."
He offered a thin smile. "I'm also surprisingly good with improvised demolitions, as you saw."
Dr. Hanson chose that moment to approach, Professor Armitage at her side. "If I may, Janet," Dr. Hanson said, her voice calm and reasonable. "Our group also brings knowledge.
Professor Armitage has extensive historical knowledge of this university's original structures, which proved useful in finding a safer route here. I have some experience in crisis counseling and group organization.
And Axel, despite his… unconventional methods, has demonstrated a remarkable ability to adapt and lead under extreme pressure."
Janet considered this. "We need skilled hands. We need defenders. We need anyone who isn't a liability." She looked directly at Axel. "You want to stay? You and your people contribute. Help secure the perimeter – the Juggernaut won't be the last thing that comes knocking. Help with resource runs – if you know tunnels, that's valuable. Share any information your 'System' provides that's relevant to our survival."
"Fair terms," Axel agreed. This was a negotiation, the first act of diplomacy for his fledgling… whatever he was building. "We can provide defense, scouting, and strategic support. My System can also help identify and understand any other… talents… your group might have." He deliberately used the word 'talents.'
Janet raised an eyebrow. "We have a few. Arthur's green thumb is a lifesaver. Maria, our radio tech, can make dead electronics sing. Young Timothee over there," she nodded to the quiet young man Axel had noticed earlier, "seems to just… calm things down. Animals, agitated people. It's subtle, but useful."
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: Confirmed Awakened: Arthur (Flora Vitae – Tier 1), Maria (Techno-Resonance – Tier 0), Timothee (Empathic Dampener – Tier 1 – Passive). Chancellor's Cohort interface can provide detailed analysis if granted observational proximity and consent.]
Consent, huh? The System's getting polite, Axel thought.
"We're low on certain medical supplies,"
Janet continued, her voice dropping slightly. "And our scouts reported a large Blighted horde moving in from the west campus a day ago, before the Grand Awakening hit. If that's been amplified… And then there's Mia's missing friends." She looked at Mia with a hint of sympathy. "The observatory is big.
We've secured this sub-basement and the main telescope level, but there are other sections, older wings, we haven't cleared or couldn't access. If they made it here, they might be trapped elsewhere on the grounds."
"Finding them is our top priority once we're sure this immediate area is secure from our Juggernaut admirer," Axel stated.
"Then it's settled," Janet said, extending a hand. It was rough, calloused. "Welcome to the Atheria Observatory Cooperative, Chancellor. Don't make me regret this."
Axel shook it. Her grip was firm. "Wouldn't dream of it. Now, about that Juggernaut… what's the plan if it decides to come back for an encore?"
Just as he spoke, a deep, resonant BOOM echoed from somewhere above them, shaking the entire sub-basement. Not from the tunnels they'd just escaped, but from the direction of the observatory proper, overhead.
This wasn't the Juggernaut they knew.
This was something new.
Every head in the room snapped upwards.