Chapter 5 - Evolving Threats

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Adaptation...

The class shifted uncomfortably. The word hung in the air like a storm cloud. Sang-pil sitting beside Hee-sung leaned in and whispered to him "Great, as if they weren't terrifying enough"

Professor Eun pressed a button of the remote. The screen changed, a clear enough to see surveillance video played. The safe zone barrier simmered. It's usual blue glow almost invisible against the sky. Beyond it a dungeon break can be seen. About a dozen monsters poured out.

"At first the barrier breaches appeared to be random" she began " a few monsters slipping through were nothing more than anomalies, the barriers aren't perfect as we are, I'm sure, all aware but they shouldn't know that".

Tapping the button on the remote zoomed in on what could be seen as orcs forming a line. They weren't charging blindly like usual. Orcs act primarily on instincts, driven by a desire for survival, domination, or destruction. Yes, the boss monsters are the leaders, demonstrating leadership, shouting orders from the back until they themselves are defeated but this... this was something different.

The orcs were organised. They stood shoulder to shoulder, their rough, brutish forms forming a tight, cohesive unit. They didn't rush headlong into battle as they typically did. Instead, they were moving with purpose, eyes scanning the horizon as though they were waiting for a signal. Their formation was more than just a brute force charge, it looked like they were strategising. They were watching. Waiting for a weakness in the barriers to present itself.

"Something's changing," Hee-sung muttered under his breath.

Professor Eun paused the footage. Her voice was calm, but the underlying tension was undeniable. "Notice how they're spacing themselves," she said, pointing to the screen. "It's not random. They're adapting."

"Adapting? Orcs don't adapt," Sang-pil protested, glancing nervously at the screen. "They're supposed to be mindless beasts."

"They were," Professor Eun replied, her gaze sharp. "But this... this is something new. The orcs are learning. They're not just following instinct anymore, they're beginning to understand how to coordinate."

We're beyond speculation," she said, her voice calm but unyielding. "Survivors from the Gwangju breach reported something disturbing. Some creatures ignored weaker prey. Instead, they targeted infrastructure, force field generators, key energy sources."

The orcs shifted again, and the screen zoomed in further, revealing the eerie precision with which they moved, as though communicating without words, following a pattern. A plan.

"Is it possible?" Hee-sung asked quietly. "That they're… evolving?"

Professor Eun didn't answer immediately, her eyes fixed on the screen, as if trying to make sense of what she was witnessing. "We've never seen anything like this before. But if they're evolving, it means we may be facing a much greater threat than we anticipated."

The classroom fell into a heavy silence as the implications of her words sank in.

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The bell rang, its deep chime echoing through the silence. The sound was clear and resonant, vibrating in the air as it cut through the stillness of the room.

"Alright, class dismissed. Remember to study the materials," Professor Eun said, her voice calm but her eyes still distant, as if the implications of what they'd just discussed were still weighing heavily on her mind.

The bell rang again, louder this time, signaling the end of the lesson. The students shuffled out, murmuring amongst themselves, their minds buzzing with uncertainty. The atmosphere was thick with unspoken questions, and as Hee-sung packed up his things, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was deeply wrong.

That lesson left everyone with much to think about and questions left unanswered. The orcs were no longer just creatures to be repelled; they were becoming something more, and that shift wasn't just unsettling, it was terrifying.

Sang-pil fell into step beside him, his usual casual demeanour replaced with a frown. "Do you think the orcs are evolving?" he asked, his voice low, as if afraid the answer would somehow make the situation worse.

"I don't know," Hee-sung replied, adjusting his bag. "But if they are... then everything we've been relying on to keep us safe, our force fields, our strategies, could become useless."

The thought lingered between them, heavy and unspoken. The Safe Zones had always felt like the final line of defence, a bastion against the chaos outside. But what if that line was no longer enough?

Professor Eun's words echoed in Hee-sung's mind: "History shows us that things are always changing. What we rely on, what we've built, can shift in an instant."

Sang-pil broke the silence. "So, what now? Do we just wait and see? Hope it's a fluke?"

"I don't know," Hee-sung said, his thoughts still racing. "But I feel like we're all missing something. If the orcs are changing, maybe it's not just them. Maybe... maybe everything is changing."

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It was now 12:00. By the time they realised it, two hours had already passed, the weight of the morning's lesson still lingering in their minds.

Hee-sung stretched his arms with a sigh, shaking off the tension. "Finally. I didn't realise how hungry I was."

Sang-pil patted his stomach. "Same. Let's hope the food's actually decent today."

Hee-sung grabbed a tray and slid it along the counter, eyeing the day's lunch options. The usual—steamed rice, kimchi, stir-fried pork, and a bowl of seaweed soup. Nothing fancy, but enough to fill an empty stomach.

Sang-pil, however, groaned as he poked at his tray. "Again? I swear they've served this exact meal three times this week."

Hee-sung smirked. "You could just not eat."

"And starve? No thanks." Sang-pil sighed dramatically before loading his tray with extra side dishes.

They found a spot near the window, the midday sun streaming in as students chattered around them. The cafeteria was noisy as usual—friends swapping notes, laughter echoing from different tables, the occasional clatter of a dropped spoon. It was a strange contrast to the serious discussion they'd just left behind, but Hee-sung welcomed the normality.

Sang-pil took a bite of his pork and chewed thoughtfully. "So, weekend plans? Please tell me you're not spending all of Saturday reading old dungeon reports again."

Hee-sung shrugged. "Depends. What else would I do?"

"I don't know, live a little? Play some games? Go outside? There's a festival downtown this weekend."

Hee-sung raised a brow. "You hate crowds."

"Yeah, but I like street food more." Sang-pil grinned, taking a large bite of rice. "Come on, it's been ages since we did something fun."

Hee-sung hesitated, stirring his soup. His mind was still lingering on the lesson, on the orcs, on everything that felt like it was shifting beneath their feet. But as he looked around at the cafeteria—the warmth, the noise, the familiar routine—he realised that for now, at least, they were still just students.

Maybe a break wouldn't be such a bad idea.

"Alright," he said finally. "But if it's packed, I'm blaming you."

Sang-pil grinned. "Deal."

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After lunch, Hee-sung and Sang-pil proceeded to their combat class, where they were introduced to the newly installed Stat Analyser. This advanced machine, powered by energy cores, was designed to measure and quantify a student's physical capabilities. However, unlike traditional devices that provided absolute scores, the Stat Analyser focused solely on improvements, displaying only the gains made since the previous assessment.

As the session commenced, each student took turns stepping into the machine. When it was Hee-sung's turn, he approached with a mix of anticipation and apprehension. The machine hummed softly as it activated, scanning and processing his physical data. Moments later, his results appeared on the display:

Strength: 18 [+2]

Agility: 19 [+2]

Hee-sung noted his progress, feeling a sense of accomplishment at the improvements.

Next up was Sang-pil. With his characteristic confidence, he stepped into the machine. After a brief assessment, his results were displayed:

Strength: 20 [+2]

Agility: 15 [+1]

Sang-pil frowned slightly at the modest gain in agility but shrugged it off, determined to focus on enhancing his performance in future sessions.

Instructor Gi Cheol reviewed the class's results, providing feedback and emphasising the importance of continuous improvement. With their progress noted, Hee-sung and Sang-pil left the training facility, motivated to further enhance their abilities.