Distress.

They clapped their hands just to motivate the young soldiers, to show them that they appreciated what they were about to do. Captain Wayne glanced at everyone and said,

"So, you've heard them, they want our continuous prayers so they'll go and come back safely", He then glanced at the four students and said, "That's assured, we'll do that for you guys".

They received words of encouragement from lots of people on the compound. They talked with their fellow F class students, and they were encouraged and inspired once more. What they were about to do was very dangerous, so the words of encouragement were bountifully needed.

Then everyone watched as the four of them walked to the gate, then one of the S class students opened it, and they stepped outside. Would they be able to go and come back safely with the scroll? No one knows.

*******

It's been hours since the F class students departed from the academy, and lots of people kept on talking about it. They kept on wishing that they'll go and come back safely. Some people were distressed, but Captain Wayne was the more distressed one among them. He never wishes for any student in this academy to die in the hands of those zombies.

As those students had stepped out of this academy, their lives were based on fifty-fifty, they could die or they could live. Today was gonna be a day of three square meals, everyone in the academy would eat breakfast, lunch, and supper. Thanks to the S class students that do go outside to get foodstuff.

One of the S class students even got injured recently 'cause of it, thank goodness he didn't die. They had eaten breakfast already, and right now, everyone was in the cafeteria eating lunch. What they were eating for lunch was something they hadn't eaten in a long time...noodles.

The students were able to get packs of noodles from a grocery store. And the cooks were able to prepare and spice the noodles well giving them a delicious taste. This was something new to Hugo, a new food, a new taste. There wasn't anything like noodles in ancient times, so he had never tasted one before.

The people that were done eating began strolling out of the cafeteria one by one, they were about to go engage in different activities. Most of the students that were done eating were to go back to training. Like, after eating, instead of you resting for the food to mellow down in your body, you go back to training? That's just the way it is.

After eating, Captain Wayne and Hugo began training, they weren't resuming today's training, they just started. Captain Wayne was too distressed that he told Hugo they wouldn't be able to train that morning after the F class students left to go get Monk Talon's scroll. The evacuation of the F class students from the academy was the reason for his distressed state.

He didn't want them to die, he wanted them to go and come back safely. If they get bitten by zombies, then it would just be another wasted effort. Another group of young soldiers died for nothing. But though he was distressed, he still made sure to train, Hugo, well. But Hugo still noticed it, he noticed that something was wrong.

After the swordfight training, Captain Wayne urged both of them to sit on the floor and discuss. Hugo was the only one that sat down, Captain Wayne would come join him later, he wanted to go get something. Hugo had been trying his best not to check his stats for some days now, and he's been successful with it. But right now, he must have to check it.

He's been training, he wanted to see if it had any effect on his stats points, most likely, it will. So since Captain Wayne wasn't with him right now, he called out on the system,

"System".

[ Yes, host]

"I want to see my stats".

[ Your stats would be displayed in front of you right now]

That interface appeared in front of Hugo, and this is what he saw there,

[ Name: Hugo Tuffin]

[ Age: 18]

[ Level: 1]

Agility: 17

Endurance: 18

Physical DMG: 11

Strength: 20

Speed: 15

Exp: 120/300

After Hugo was done glancing at his stats, the interface disappeared. Yeah, there was an increase in his stats points, all these training weren't for nothing. As he was training, he was feeling a surge of energy grow in him, his speed was increasing, he was learning different skills, and all that.

Now, after feeling those surges of energy, it would be really bad if it doesn't reflect in his stats. His Exp was still the same, after completing push-ups tasks and earning 20 Exp from it, he hadn't gotten any other quest from the system...but more quests would come up in the future.

After some more minutes of him sitting on the floor, Captain Wayne arrived and joined him, the wooden swords were beside them. Hugo noticed that something was wrong with Captain Wayne while they were training though he tried to conceal it. And seems like he knew what the problem was though he wasn't sure.

Those F class students that left in the morning to go get Monk Talon's scroll, would they go and return safely? That might be what was troubling Captain Wayne, that was Hugo's thinking. Though he wasn't sure yet, he decided to ask him,

"Captain Wayne, is something troubling you?".

"Do you think something is troubling me?". Captain Wayne threw a question also.

"Yeah, while we were training, I noticed that something was wrong. And now, it's still evident in your face...a little". Hugo expressed.

"Hmm, even though I tried to conceal it, it still showed. Yeah, something is troubling me, do you have a clue of what is troubling me?".

"Umm..is it because of the students that left in the morning to go get Monk Talon's scroll? You're worried about their safety, if they'll bring back the scroll alive?".

"Exactly, you hit the nail on the head. This isn't the first time I'm sending skilled students to go get the scroll. As known, I've sent some in the past, and none was successful, almost all of them died. Are you worried about their safety too?".

"Yes, everyone in this academy is worried about their safety. They agreed to go on the mission for everyone in this academy, it would be wickedness on my part for me not to be worried about their safety".

"So, what do you think? Would they come back safely?". Captain Wayne inquired of, Hugo.

"That I can't say, it isn't a guarantee. As known, the rest in the past weren't able to make it back to this academy, only one or two came back". Hugo responded.

Captain Wayne nodded his head in understanding, then Hugo threw the same question at him,

"What of you, what do you think? Would they come back safely?".

"We share the same thought". That's all Captain Wayne said, and Hugo understood what he meant.

Hugo wanted to change the topic, so he uttered,

"I really enjoyed what we ate for lunch".

"Oh, noodles, they are great food, fast food, not hard to prepare. The cooks are great cooks, so. And it's been a long time since we last ate them in this academy". Captain Wayne said.

"Oh! didn't know that".

"And eating all these wouldn't be possible without the students that do go out everyday to get foodstuff. Risking their lives, taking foods from grocery stores, and so on, they are doing a great job".

"Yeah".

After making that statement, Hugo remembered something, something that had skipped his mind for some time now. While he was journeying to this academy, he saw lots of grocery stores broken down, one was even on fire. He felt those weren't coincidences, those were the doings of people. Now was the time to confirm that.

He was gonna ask Captain Wayne, he'll most likely give him the answers he needed, the right answers, so he said,

"Captain Wayne, I have something to ask of you".

Captain Wayne who was glancing straight glanced at him and voiced out, "What is it?".

"While I was journeying to this academy, I came across broken down grocery stores, one was even on fire...grocery stores with foods in them. That can't just be coincidences, why weren't other smaller buildings broken down? Why was it only grocery stores that were damaged? I feel those are the doings of people. Or tell me, am I wrong?".

Captain Wayne sighed, didn't say anything for some seconds, then he uttered,

"You aren't wrong, Hugo".