The two checked the classrooms in silence, not encountering anyone else. There most likely weren't any other survivors in the building.
Then, Lee Jihye stopped. With a worried voice, she turned back, "…Hey, are you okay? You look like you're dying."
Out of breath from trying to keep up with her pace, Lenoch was sweating and struggling to follow.
He put on a reassuring smile and nodded.
"Yes, don't worry."
Lee Jihye didn't seem to believe him.
At this moment, the dokkaebi reappeared, having finished its preparations.
[Tadah! Have you waited long, dear constellations? The second scenario is ready!]
Lee Jihye tensed up, staring at the creature.
[The second scenario has arrived!]
+
[Second Scenario – Escape]
Category: Sub
Difficulty: E
Clear Conditions: Leave the building and enter Chungmuro Station.
Time Limit: 20 minutes.
Compensation: 200 coins.
Failure: ???
+
The difficulty was harder than the previous scenario.
Then, a sound that shouldn't have been heard considering that they were the only ones in the building resounded.
[The evil thoughts of the dead have returned.]
[The surrounding earth is filled with black ether.]
[The demonic people have woken up!]
A body stood up. Then another. One by one, the corpses of all the students who died here were turned into zombies.
Then, their heads turned toward the two in unison, as if feeling the presence of the only living beings in this place.
The sound of the dokkaebi's laughter was heard.
"Run!" Lee Jihye exclaimed.
At this signal, the zombies all rushed toward them, displaying remarkable speed despite being dead corpses. However, instead of running, Lenoch stopped.
"Evan, what are you doing? They're going to catch us."
In the first place, Lenoch didn't have enough stamina to run. Thus, if he couldn't avoid them, it was better to face them head on.
"Go ahead first. I will follow."
"What are you saying-"
Ignoring the student's retorts, Lenoch calmly turned back toward the zombies.
Using fire should be suitable for this identity.
[The constellation, 'Monarch of Stars and Logic', is interested in your actions.]
"Kuweeeoooh!"
"You're crazy-"
Ignoring the chaos around him, Lenoch reached forward, and light left his hand.
A small flame was shot at the zombies.
It slowly flew in the air, resembling a dying ember about to be extinguished.
Then, the seemingly insignificant flame touched a corpse and spread, consuming entirely, before enveloping the other bodies around it. As if feeling the damage to their bodies, the zombies growled, their flesh melting in a few seconds before withering, their bones turned into powder.
[A few constellations enjoy the gruesome sight.]
Lenoch made the flames disappear. Only ashes and a cloud of smoke were now left of the corpses previously in the corridor, the ground testifying that it hadn't been a dream.
[Some constellations sponsor you 500 coins.]
Her eyes open wide, Lee Jihye witnessed the scene.
"…Wow."
Regaining her senses, she excitedly addressed Lenoch.
"That was so cool, how did you do that?!"
"…My mana reserves are limited, so I won't be able to do this too many times. Although I am unable to run, you can go ahead and I'll clear the path from-"
Lee Jihye shook her head, interrupting him.
"I'm not leaving you behind. Who knows if you're going to die when I leave." The student continued to make excuses, justifying herself, "And, out of the both of us, you're the one with the most combat power, so it's also safer for me to stay with you."
Lenoch made a bitter smile.
As zombies closed in on them once more, Lee Jihye entered a classroom and hit a desk, attempting to break it.
Lenoch advised her, "You can invest coins into stats."
Lee Jihye briefly glanced at him before increasing her strength.
"Then why didn't you do it earlier? You're so weak, you should increase your stamina."
"…"
Kicking the zombies coming left and right while Lenoch created a shield around himself, the student hit the desk once more and broke its leg, brandishing it as a makeshift weapon.
Then, she used it to hit the zombies. Having a longer range was safer and the blunt surface was more lethal.
However, the zombies always rose again. After taking a few seconds to create that weapon, Lee Jihye quickly pulled Lenoch away before the incoming hordes of new zombies could close in on them.
"How many students even are there…" As she complained, her gaze subtly avoided looking at their faces, afraid to recognize people she knew.
Lenoch fired another attack as Lee Jihye pulled him along the corridor, clearing the way forward.
With his current mana reserves, he could probably only use such a powerful attack one more time; probably more if he increased his magical power stats.
Lenoch stumbled, finding it hard to breathe due to being pulled far too quickly.
"Slow… down…"
"I can't! They're already catching up to us!"
Now wasn't the time to keep coins.
[1100 coins have been invested into 'magic power'.]
[Magic power Lv. 13 -> Magic power Lv. 16]
[Coins Possessed: 300 C]
It had also naturally increased to level 13 while they were running.
Firing another attack behind them, all the zombies chasing them disappeared. Lee Jihye fended off the ones around them that hadn't been in the range, leaving him a moment to breathe.
'I think I'm getting the hang of this.'
He could reduce the attack's power, lowering the mana consumption as he now knew how much magic power was necessary. Although increasing his magic power so quickly made his magic control a bit off, his talent in magic made up for it.
As a metaphor, breaking a desk with an '8' in strength required less energy than someone with '5' of strength. Thus, suddenly going from '5' to '8' in strength, if that person still put the same energy as when they had '5' in strength into their actions, they would accidentally break things, they thus had to be more careful. It was the same for magic power, as Lenoch had to get used to controlling mana again every time his magic power stat increased.
As they continued to head toward the exit, they reached a staircase leading to the lower floors.
Lenoch stopped.
"…"
"Evan?"
"…"
However, Lenoch didn't answer.
"Don't stop, let's go! More zombies are coming this way."
"…"
Lenoch calmly turned his head to the side.
"I have a better way. At this rate, leaving the building will take too long."
Curious, Lee Jihye followed after Lenoch as he stepped back and entered a classroom.
"?"
[A few constellations are questioning your actions.]
Then, he approached the window and opened it.
Satisfied, he nodded to himself.
"As expected, it wasn't locked like during the first scenario."
"No, what are you doing?"
"Let's jump."
"This is the second floor."
Lee Jihye looked at him as if he had grown a second head.
Ignoring her words, Lenoch continued, "I will use mana to make us land safely. The floors below should be full of zombies as well. With this way, we can complete the scenario faster and conserve energy."
[The constellation, 'Monarch of Stars and Logic', likes your strategy.]
[You have been sponsored 200 coins.]
"Then why didn't we do so from the beginning?"
"…"
Not answering, Lenoch jumped without hesitation. Using mana on his clothes to soften the fall, he reached the ground and looked up toward Lee Jihye, as if urging her to jump as well.
Grumbling to herself, the student jumped off the window.
Lenoch glanced toward the timer.
There was still 9 minutes before the end of the second scenario.
"Evan, hurry. The scenario will end soon!"
Lenoch shook his head.
This should be a good time to part ways.
"Go ahead, I don't have enough strength to follow."
The student's gaze shook. Before she could retort, Lenoch gestured toward the scenario's rules.
"The penalty for failing to clear the scenario isn't death this time. I won't die."
"But-"
"If you run, you can reach Chungmuro Station within the time limit."
Lenoch firmly sent her away.
"Go."
Sensing the clear will in his voice, Lee Jihye hesitated and finally nodded.
"…You definitely have to survive, okay?"
Lenoch nodded.
Having seen him obliterate the zombies firsthand, Lee Jihye knew he had enough power to defend himself. She took a deep breath and ran to the underground station, glancing behind her one last time.
In this apocalypse, people had to take care of their own lives.
As he sent her away, Lenoch calmly took a step forward, his steps slower than before.
While they were dealing with the zombies on the second floor, he was able to get used to his mana and test his current strength. The coins he received from the constellations along the way were a bonus.
Unhurriedly, Lenoch advanced among the ruined buildings, abnormally calm for a person experiencing an apocalypse.
'Should I search for a supermarket?'
Since he knew he wouldn't make it in time with his physical condition, he decided to give up on the scenario altogether. Who knows when he could go aboveground again after reaching the underground station. Maybe the dokkaebis would prevent them from leaving.
Blasting off the head of a monster coming toward him, Lenoch looked for stores.
[Some constellations sponsor you 200 coins.]
It was better to collect food and essentials first.
[The given time has run out.]