Elias carefully looked around, ensuring that he didn't get caught off guard by any monsters or zombies hiding within the gymnasium.
Fortunately, he didn't encounter any monsters. Upon arriving at the storage area, he sighed in relief, seeing that it was safely locked.
Without hesitation, Elias snapped the locks open with his bare hands.
The room was small, but it could accommodate ten to fifteen people walking around without feeling cramped.
There were cleaning supplies neatly organised in the first section, and in the second section were utensils and kitchenware. Elias walked past them, arriving at the area where the food was arranged.
Before him were shelves packed with fresh vegetables, fruits, and meats stored inside a fridge. He also spotted refrigerated beverages and other drinks. In the distance, he saw canned soups, beans, vegetables, dry grains, condiments, and sauces.
"Are you planning on ransacking the food supplies?" Queen Anna asked, her brow raised, her expression surprised. "Don't tell me you plan on starving those survivors you just saved."
"No. I just want to get something to eat. I'm really hungry," Elias shook his head in response, taking out a can of soup and heating it with his unique ability before grabbing a spoon, rinsing it clean with water, and using it to eat.
Elias grabbed three more, bringing the total to eight cans, then ate several apples and grabbed a beverage.
"It seems that you were really hungry," Queen Anna remarked.
After he was done, Elias took a bag from the cleaning tools and began stuffing several canned meals inside it. He didn't have much space, and he didn't plan to stay long, because he still needed to find his family.
However, Elias would rather carry the items during battle and make do with his circumstances than struggle with hunger every time he exhausted his Sunlight reserves.
Once Elias was done, he quickly made his way to the roof of the gymnasium. At this moment, Elias was sure there were no monsters or zombies inside the building.
It was only when he arrived at the roof that he became careful, aware that there could still be several flying monsters like the Black Claw Crow circling in the sky who might see him as a meal.
Once Elias reached the roof, he found the safest corner to hide in and used it to survey the chaos below.
As Elias looked around, he saw that there were still people trapped in the dormitories and various other buildings, judging from the movements of the zombies.
Given the vastness of Saint Magaldry University, he was unable to see the full scope of the destruction the apocalypse had unleashed on the campus. Still, it was enough to give him insight into where to move and what areas to avoid.
"Here is good enough."
Elias opened his bag and took out his smartphone. He switched it on and saw several missed calls from contacts such as Mom, little brother, little sister, and Dad. Instantly, a wave of anxiety and desperation slammed into being.
He swiftly called the first number.
Mom.
"The number you're trying to call is not available at the moment. Please try again later." Just as the call connected, causing a wave of elation to rise in his chest, the automated voice rang out, smashing his joy to bits and pieces.
Elias called again. He received the same response.
He had just gotten his family back and was about to lose them again without even getting the chance to speak with them.
He shook the thoughts of whatever unfortunate encounter they might have had out of his mind and held onto the faintest lingering hope that they were still alive and had simply encountered a situation where they couldn't call or receive one.
After the fifth try, Elias decided to dial the second number.
Little brother.
"The number you're trying to call is not available at the moment. Please try again later."
Unfortunately, he received a similar response.
Little sister.
Dad.
No matter which number he called, he received the same response every time.
"Are you okay?" Queen Anna asked, staring at Elias with furrowed brows.
She found it hard to believe that the man who had just been annihilating zombies and monsters effortlessly, rescuing survivors and leaving behind those infected without blinking, was now sitting on the ground, holding back his tears and wiping away the few that escaped.
Elias didn't respond. His emotions stifled his words.
"You should use their deaths as fuel to grow stronger. Otherwise, having any loved ones will only be a burden to you, restraining you and preventing you from becoming stronger. However, this is only advice; whatever decision you make is yours." Queen Anna's voice was solemn and far more rigid than before.
After listening to Queen Anna's words, Elias only grabbed onto her last few words and slowly made his decision. He wiped the tears from his eyes.
At this moment, he could only accept that Elias was unable to contact his family.
"You seem more familiar with the apocalypse. What do you suggest that I do?" Elias said.
He knew that the most obvious thing to do now was to level up as quickly as possible to get information about the current situation of his family and scour through the city to find them.
However, he didn't know what kind of changes the apocalypse might bring, and since Queen Anna seemed to be more knowledgeable, he decided to hear her observations first.
"There's nothing you can do now apart from levelling up and growing stronger as quickly as you can, completing your evolution," Queen Anna explained. Just as Elias was about to sigh in defeat, she continued, "However, there are other ways that could hasten your growth."
Elias's eyes instantly perked up in curiosity. "What are they?"
"You can conquer a dungeon," Queen Anna said with a smile. However, due to the radiance covering her face, it was difficult for Elias to see what kind of expression she currently wore.
"There are dungeons?" Elias's eyes lit up in understanding. He was beginning to get a clearer understanding of the world he had transmigrated into.
"You seem to accept these revelations quite easily," Queen Anna said, noticing the understanding expression on his face.
Elias shrugged his shoulders. "I've just obtained a magical ability that one could only dream of, slain zombies and terrifying beasts that are supposed to be fiction, and now I'm speaking with an unknown royalty, probably with unknown supernatural power, who appeared in my room out of nowhere."
"I think it makes much more sense that dungeons exist."
"Fufufu!!" Queen Anna chuckled as though she had just heard the most amusing statement in a while.
"You're right, it's understandable," she nodded with a smile. "You might have your imaginations about what dungeons are, but they aren't what you think. These dungeons are something else. Not only do they possess terrifying monsters several times more horrifying than monsters of the same level, but they are also filled with treasure troves that would empower you, keeping you safe from danger."
"However, due to the inherent dangers they possess, dungeons are very difficult to find. To prevent just anyone from entering them, those searching for one need to uncover or trigger certain clues before they are allowed to enter."
Elias nodded. He finally understood why they hadn't encountered any dungeons on their way to the gymnasium. It needed some sort of puzzle to be completed before the dungeon would reveal itself.
However, Elias couldn't help but feel that Queen Anna was hiding other information from him.
Sensing his scrutinising expression, Queen Anna snorted and said, "I have no reason to deceive you, so don't think too highly of yourself. The only reason I revealed the information about the dungeons to you is because of your strength."
"If you were like any of those survivors, or perhaps even slightly less talented, I wouldn't have made such a suggestion. However, there is some information I haven't shared that you will need to discover on your own. I've already taken a risk by revealing this information to you."
Elias nodded in understanding; she was right, no matter how he looked at it. She had pointed out that providing him with too much information could alert the Akashic Records, and he was unwilling to face the potential consequences of that.
Therefore, she had every reason to be cautious about how much she shared with him. From the time they had spent together, he could also conclude that she wasn't the type to provide false information. She would rather keep quiet if she didn't want to respond than lie.
Elias suspected it was related to her image, particularly how she referred to him as 'mortal.'
***
Happy New Year Everyone!