When the group reached the landing, Raiden immediately spotted the problem.The armory door stood at the end of the hall. It was a thick reinforced steel with a digital keypad lock mounted on the side. This was not a simple wooden door that they could kick in. It was serious security."Of course it's locked," Kade muttered. "Nothing can be easy."Raiden approached the door and examined it closely. The steel was at least three inches thick, designed to withstand both physical force and basic magic attacks. The keypad blinked with a steady red light."Any chance someone knows the code?" Raiden asked, glancing back at the survivors.They all shook their heads. No one knew what the passcode was."We could try to guess it," Jace offered, scratching his head."Four-digit code means ten thousand possible combinations," Mira said flatly. "We don't have that kind of time."Raiden ran his hand along the door's edge, feeling the heat-resistant coating. "I think we can burn through it."Mira step

The moment they stepped outside the training complex, the full extent of the devastation hit them.The campus looked like a war zone from the movies.Buildings that had stood proud yesterday were now crumbling ruins. Smoke rose from at least a dozen fires scattered across the grounds. The beautiful flower gardens were trampled and destroyed. Bodies lay everywhere — some torn apart, others still twitching as they slowly turned.The air smelled like death. Burnt flesh, rotting meat, and chemicals.Raiden tightened his grip on the Silvermoon Sword. "Stay close and move quietly. We should avoid fights unless we have no choice."Mira and Kade nodded. They'd instinctively taken him as the leader of their group.They moved along the eastern pathway, using buildings and landscaping as cover. The girls' dormitory was roughly two kilometers away, and that was normally a fifteen-minute walk. Today, it would take much longer.Every shadow could hide a zombie and every corner was a potential ambus

[Mortal-Rank Skill Book (Lvl 1) – Small Fireball][Description: Releases a small fireball to attack enemies. A basic offensive spell commonly practiced by mage-class professions. Before upgrading to Level 2, it can only be used once every 3 days.][Sell Value: 100 System Coins]Raiden studied the book, turning it over in his hands. The skill was fire-based, which didn't suit his combat style. He relied on close-quarters swordsmanship, not magic."This skill is not suited for me," Raiden muttered.Mira and Kade approached, curiosity on their faces."What is that?" Kade asked.Raiden raised the skill book. "It's a Level 1 Mortal-Rank Skill Book. Small Fireball. Which one of you wants it?"Mira looked at the book, then shook her head. "Let Kade have it. I don't need it. I'm better with the sword."Kade's eyes widened. "Are you sure? This seems valuable.""Take it," Raiden said, holding it out. "You'll make better use of it than me."Kade accepted the book carefully, like it might explode

The female zombie was right in his face now, close enough that he could smell the rancid odor coming from its rotting body. Its face was tattered, chunks of flesh missing, and teeth exposed in a permanent grimace.Raiden wanted to vomit. But more than that, he wanted to live.He kicked out brutally, slamming his boot into the zombie's abdomen. His enhanced strength, boosted by multiple level-ups, erupted through the blow.The zombie flew backward two meters, crashing into the wall with a sickening thud.Raiden didn't give it a chance to recover. He stepped forward and brought his sword down in a clean overhead chop, splitting the zombie's skull open.[You have killed a Level 6 Spirit Circle S1 Zombie and acquired its mana]The moment the zombie died, something appeared beside its corpse.The familiar black treasure box, about the size of a shoebox, materialized out of thin air. It glowed faintly with energy.Raiden stared at it for a second, then quickly grabbed it and shoved it into

Raiden walked back to the group, his mind already working through the logistics. Getting out of the dorm was one thing. Getting vehicles and making it to the Golden District was another."Driving a school bus, that's not a problem, right?" Raiden asked, looking at Talia specifically. What he needed was someone who could handle a large vehicle whilst he, Mira, and Kade focused on protecting the vehicle.Talia confidently replied, "There's no problem at all!""Do you know where the keys to the school bus are?" Raiden continued. Without the keys, even if they found the bus in the garage, it would be useless.Talia thought for a moment, then quickly said, "The school bus driver's room is between the General Office and the Academic Affairs office. His name is George. If nothing else has happened to him, we should be able to find the keys in one of those two places."Talia had been the president of the second-year student council, so she regularly dealt with the academy's administration. Sh