chances

No student paid attention to the pop-up system message; their eyes were fixated on Nabi's lifeless body. Fear gripped the room, causing most to recoil, while a few women sank to the floor, overwhelmed.

Kenji's expression remained cold and unreadable as he stared at the notification. The shock of Nabi's lifeless body barely registered with him; his thoughts were already racing ahead to the implications of the mana stones.

He glanced at the frightened students around him, their eyes filled with fear and uncertainty.

"he was going to die either way," he said flatly, his voice devoid of emotion."

Some students exchanged glances, confusion mingling with fear. Kenji's gaze hardened, and he closed the system screen. Kenji closed the distance to Kato with deliberate strides, his presence imposing. Kato barely noticed, lost in his thoughts.

"Am I scared?" he wondered, realising he was standing before a person capable of such brutality and seemingly untouched by guilt.

"Why aren't you doing something about him?" Kenji's voice cut through the tension as he gestured toward the poisoned student struggling on the floor. Kato remained silent, frozen by fear and helplessness.

Kenji's gaze shifted to the dying student, frustration bubbling beneath his cold exterior. Without waiting for a response, he reached into his inventory and pulled out a small bag filled with antidotes—loot from the goblins he had slain. He tossed it to a nearby student, who caught it awkwardly.

"The antidote is right there inside. Use it!" Kenji said.

Kato's eyes widened as he watched the student bring him the bag. The weight of Kenji's words pressed down on him. Despite his fear, he knew he had to act. He moved closer, his heart racing, and began rummaging through the bag, desperate to find the antidote before it was too late.

Kenji stepped back, observing the scene with a calculating gaze, his demeanour as cold as ever. Survival was the only thing that mattered now.

The antidote was a yellow powdery substance, glimmering faintly in the dim light. Kato fed the poisoned student the antidote; Kenji was able to know after the long experimentation he had been doing over the past few days.

As the antidote took effect, the poisoned student's breathing steadied, and the green marks around his wound began to fade. A sense of relief washed over the group, but tension hung thick.

Kato stood firm, his eyes locked onto Kenji, a newfound determination radiating from him.

"Kenji, drop your weapon!" he commanded, bringing out a blade and raising a goblin blade in defiance.

Jin, Akio, and several others stepped up beside Kato, their expressions a mix of fear and resolve. They were ready to confront the cold-hearted figure who had caused so much chaos.

Kenji regarded them with a detached expression, his grip tightening on his weapon.

"Do you think this will solve anything?" he replied, his voice flat. You were delaying the inevitable."

Kato took a step closer, the blade glinting in the dim light.

"You will put us all in danger, Kenji. We can't trust you with a weapon in your hand. You need to answer for what you've done."

A tense silence enveloped the room as the standoff escalated. Kenji's eyes narrowed, calculating his next move. He was surrounded, but he didn't seem fazed.

"If you want to fight me, then do it," he said coolly.

"You'll only be getting my weapons on my dead body," Kenji shot back, his voice icy and unwavering. The room seemed to hold its breath, tension spiralling as both sides stood their ground.

Kato's eyes narrowed, determination hardening his features.

"We're not afraid of you, Kenji. You've already shown what you're capable of, and we won't let you put anyone else in danger."

Jin and Akio exchanged glances, gauging the tension as they positioned themselves closer to Kato, ready for whatever might unfold.

Kenji regarded them all with a cold calculation, the smirk fading from his face.

"You're playing a dangerous game. I'm not the enemy here. The real threats are out there."

"Maybe you are the enemy," Kato retorted, his grip tightening on the blade.

"You've chosen your path, and now you'll face the consequences."

With those words, the atmosphere became electric, each side poised for action, and the stakes higher than ever.

Kenji shifted into a fighting stance, ready to strike, but Amaya dashed between him and Kato before he could move.

"Stop!" she shouted, her voice cutting through the tension like a knife.

The room fell silent, all eyes on her as she stood firm, arms raised to defuse the situation.

"This isn't the way! We can't let ourselves be consumed by fear and anger. We need to think clearly!"

Kato hesitated, lowering his blade slightly as he processed her words.

"Amaya, he—"

"I know what he did!" she interrupted, her gaze fierce but pleading. "But fighting among ourselves won't solve anything. We're in this together, whether we like it or not. We need to focus on surviving, not tearing each other apart."

Kenji's posture relaxed just a fraction, intrigued by Amaya's intervention.

Kato's blade hung lower, but his intentions remained unchanged.

"I don't think anything you say will change the murderous looks they're giving," Kenji said, his voice steady.

"I'm leaving the bunker," he declared.

Some students visibly relaxed as he spoke, relief washing over their faces. Ryu wasn't surprised, as if he had already calculated Kenji leaving.

"Don't you think you're making a rash decision?" Amaya asked, concern lacing her words.

"It's stupid to sleep in the same room as your enemies," Kenji replied, turning his back on her.

He walked toward the heavy door leading out of the sanctum. A group of students guarded it, their faces pale as he approached. Fear flickered in their eyes, and one by one, they stepped aside, creating a path for him.

Kaga stood among them, watching Kenji with an unreadable expression. He felt no fear; instead, he felt a strange sense of respect for Kenji's courage.

As Kenji stepped outside, a thick silence filled the room. No one spoke; they were all left in stunned silence, the weight of his decision hanging heavily in the air.

Kenji stepped through the first sanctum door, the heavy silence following him like a shadow. Outside, the air felt charged, as if the world held its breath. He paused, glancing back at the sanctuary he was leaving behind.

It reminded him of the old world when survival felt just as precarious. The chances of making it long-term in the sanctum were slim; the walls felt like they were closing in. He thought,

"I'd rather take my chances out here than remain trapped down there." The uncertainty of the outside world was daunting, but at least it offered a glimmer of hope.

As Kenji stepped out of the sanctum, he took a left turn and walked cautiously down the narrow hallway. His footsteps were quiet, and he scanned his surroundings intently.

Suddenly, he paused at a bloodstained tray on the floor.

"The goblins killed someone here," he thought, noting the drag marks that suggested the goblin had pulled away bodies. His expression remained cold as if this was a routine sight for him.

Looking around, he spotted several other bloodstains marking the walls and floor.

The thought of goblins feasting on humans flickered in Kenji's mind, but he brushed it aside, unfazed. He tightened his grip on the bloodied blade, its weight a familiar comfort in his hand.

With a measured step, he pressed on, ready for whatever lay ahead. The surroundings were tattered and worn, the remnants of violence echoing around him. To Kenji, this was just another dark chapter in a world he had long since accepted.

As Kenji approached, he soon encountered two paths: one leading straight ahead and the other to the right. With enhanced hearing, he picked up the faint sounds of two goblins from the right—a nimble archer and a brute wielding a heavy club.

They seemed lost in their conversation, giggling and exchanging glances, utterly unaware of the danger lurking ahead. Their guards were down, giving Kenji the perfect opportunity to act.

It was so sudden when an arrow hit the archer right on his head; the brute was shocked, not expecting any sudden attack; before he could react, Kenji struck his neck cleanly, leading to his head falling off.

["You have defeated an archer goblin; you have gained one mana stone."] The system alert echoed in Kenji's mind.

["You have defeated a brute goblin."] Another notification followed, confirming his swift victory.

Kenji quickly searched the bodies for anything useful, his fingers deftly probing for weapons, supplies, or clues.

He found a few arrows and a club, which he pocketed in his inventory without a second thought.

Once satisfied, he resumed his path, moving like a predator searching for prey. Each step was deliberate; his senses heightened as he navigated the dimly lit corridor, ever alert for the next threat that might emerge from the shadows.