A New Order

Mr. Lim stormed out of the meeting room, his supporters trailing behind him, their faces grim. The heavy doors slammed shut behind them, leaving a tense silence in their wake.

Inside the room, Charvet leaned forward, his brown eyes scanning the remaining representatives. His voice was calm but firm. "Now that the interruptions are gone, let's get to business."

He glanced at Joanne. "Tell me, what's the current level distribution in this university?"

Joanne, already prepared, nodded. "We've compiled a list. Right now, there are about 4,000 people who have yet to level up."

Charvet's expression darkened. "Four thousand?"

She sighed. "Yes. Most of them refuse to leave the university. They're too afraid to go out and face the zombies, unwilling to take even the first step toward survival. Many come from influential families, people who were used to power and privilege before the apocalypse. They still expect to be served, believing their status should grant them special treatment. And then there are the troublemakers—those who demand food and protection but refuse to contribute, acting as if the old world's rules still apply."

Charvet's gaze grew colder. "I'll deal with them later," he said, his voice devoid of emotion.

Joanne continued, "Aside from them, we have 931 players—those who have managed to level up. They're spread across different factions, each with their own leaders, rules, and priorities. Some focus on hunting zombies and securing resources, while others act as enforcers, maintaining order within the university. A few factions, however, are more self-serving, hoarding supplies and only looking out for their own members."

Charvet frowned. "Not anymore." His voice carried an undeniable authority.

The room fell silent. Charvet let the weight of his words settle before speaking again. "From now on, there are no factions. No divisions. There will be only one leader—me. Joanne will serve as my deputy. Janry will be in charge of administration, ensuring everything runs smoothly. Joseph will handle organizing the players, structuring our forces for efficiency. His deputy will be Lyka."

There was no protest. No objections. The room, filled with warriors and survivors who had seen what Charvet was capable of, accepted his words without question.

A new order had begun.

***

The next morning, as the first light of dawn broke over the city, nine squads set out. Each squad consisted of ten members, led by experienced squad leaders. Their mission was clear—secure supplies and grind levels to grow stronger.

Meanwhile, Charvet, Joanne, Joseph, and Lyka boarded an armored vehicle, heading toward the hotel where the boss lurked. The atmosphere inside was tense yet focused; they all knew this battle would determine the future of the university's survivors.

Janry remained behind, tasked with managing the growing settlement. With thousands of people to organize, resources to distribute, and a new chain of command to establish, his role was just as crucial as those fighting outside.

The armored vehicle rumbled to a stop in front of the Central Grand Hotel, a towering structure that once symbolized wealth and luxury. Now, it stood as a haunting relic of the past, its once-pristine glass windows shattered, jagged edges reflecting the bright morning sun. The golden nameplate at the entrance was smeared with dried blood, its letters barely visible beneath the grime and dust.

The streets surrounding the hotel were eerily silent, bathed in daylight that did little to chase away the sense of dread. Abandoned cars blocked the road, their rusting frames and shattered windshields telling the story of those who had tried to escape. Some were burned-out husks, while others had dried blood splattered across the seats. Bullet casings and broken weapons littered the pavement, remnants of desperate last stands.

The smell of rot was overwhelming. The bodies of both humans and mutated creatures lay motionless in the open, torn apart by past battles. Flies buzzed over the corpses, their droning hum the only sound in the unnatural stillness.

Joanne stepped out first, her green eyes narrowing. "It's too quiet," she murmured, gripping her weapon tighter.

Lyka scanned the area, her sharp gaze darting across the scene. "Yeah… this place should be crawling with zombies by now. But there's nothing."

Joseph adjusted his shirt, a smirk playing on his lips. "That just means they're inside, waiting for us."

Charvet stepped forward, his black armor gleaming under the sunlight. His brown eyes fixated on the massive hotel entrance. "Good. Then let's not waste time."

A sudden gust of wind swept through the empty streets, kicking up dust and making the hotel's tattered banners flutter weakly. The silence was unnerving, as if the entire building was holding its breath—waiting.

Then, from deep within, a low, guttural growl echoed. It wasn't alone. More sounds followed—dozens, maybe hundreds.

Charvet smirked, tightening his grip on his sword. "Looks like they know we're here."

Joanne exhaled sharply and raised her weapon. "Then let's not keep them waiting."

With that, the group moved forward, stepping into the unknown danger of the Central Grand Hotel.

The hotel lobby was dim despite the daylight filtering through the shattered windows. The once-luxurious chandeliers hung broken, their crystals scattered across the marble floor like fallen stars. Tattered furniture and overturned tables lay strewn about, some smeared with blood, others clawed to shreds.

A rank stench filled the air—rotting flesh, mildew, and something even fouler, something unnatural.

Then, from the darkness beyond the reception desk, came the sound of movement. A scraping, dragging noise. Then another. And another.

A horde emerged from the shadows.

Their bodies were grotesquely twisted, their flesh a patchwork of decay and mutation. Some had elongated limbs with jagged claws, others bore grotesque tumors pulsating with a sickly green glow. Their eyes burned with mindless hunger as they locked onto the intruders.

One of them—a particularly large zombie, its mouth unnaturally stretched wide, revealing rows of jagged, yellowed teeth—let out an ear-piercing screech.

Then the horde charged.

Charvet didn't move.

Standing at the back with his arms crossed, he observed the battlefield with calm, calculating eyes. At level 18, there was no point in wasting time on these low-level zombies and mutated animals. The experience they gave was insignificant to him, but to his teammates, it was valuable.

He let Joanne, Joseph, and Lyka handle the fight, watching intently, ready to intervene the moment any of them were in danger.

Joanne moved first, her blade flashing as she stabbed a lunging zombie through the eye, yanking it free just in time to slice another across the throat. Blackened blood sprayed across the floor as she spun to dodge an incoming claw swipe.

Lyka was a blur, her speed unmatched. She darted between the creatures, twin daggers slicing tendons and throats with pinpoint accuracy. Zombies collapsed in heaps before they could even react.

Joseph took a step back, analyzing the battlefield before tossing a vial. It shattered upon impact, engulfing a cluster of zombies in flames. Their shrieks filled the air as they writhed on the ground, consumed by fire.

Charvet smirked slightly. Not bad.

A massive zombie, covered in bony armor-like growths, charged toward Joanne. She dodged but mistimed her footing, barely managing to block its heavy claw strike with her blade. The impact sent her skidding back, her arm trembling from the force.

Charvet's fingers twitched, ready to move—

But before he could act, Lyka appeared in a flash, slashing through the creature's exposed side, creating an opening.

Joseph hurled another explosive vial. Fire erupted, burning through the monster's exposed flesh.

Joanne, recovering quickly, leaped onto a table and drove her blade into the creature's skull, ending it instantly.

Charvet relaxed again, nodding slightly. They were improving.

More zombies poured in from the staircases and hallways, drawn by the scent of blood and battle.

Joanne exhaled, sweat dripping from her brow. "How many more of these things are there?"

Lyka smirked. "Does it matter? More kills, more experience."

"We should clear them out fast before stronger ones show up."

Charvet finally spoke, his voice steady. "Keep going. You handle this. I'll step in only if necessary."

He leaned casually against the broken reception desk, eyes scanning the battle. For now, this was their fight.

But if anything went wrong, he was ready.

As they stepped onto the second floor, the smell of rotting flesh and dried blood filled the air. The hallway was lined with shattered furniture and broken doors, the once-luxurious carpet now stained with gore.

Joseph, narrowed his eyes. "Something's off…"

Before he could finish, doors burst open, and a horde of zombies and mutated beasts surged forward.

"Here they come!" Lyka called, her daggers flashing.

Joanne raised her hand, fire gathering in her palm. "Flame Shot!"

A fireball streaked forward, slamming into the first zombie and exploding on impact.

Joseph dashed to the side, vanishing into the shadows. A moment later, he reappeared behind a mutated dog, driving his dagger into its skull.

Lyka leaped into the fray, her twin daggers slicing through flesh like a blur. She dodged a claw swipe, rolled beneath a lunging mutant, and retaliated with a deadly counterstrike to the throat.

Charvet stood at the back, arms crossed, his brown eyes watching calmly.

BOOM!

Joseph hurled an explosive vial, setting a cluster of zombies ablaze. Their screams filled the air as they burned.

The final zombie staggered toward Joanne, its rotting hands reaching out.

She clenched her fist, heat radiating from her palm. "Flame Inferno!"

A pillar of fire erupted, consuming the last of the enemies.

A notification flashed before Joseph.

[Level Up! Joseph – Level 16]

Lyka smirked, checking her own.

[Level Up! Lyka – Level 14]

She cracked her neck. "That was a warm-up."

Charvet chuckled. "Good. Keep going."

The moment they reached the third floor, the walls trembled as grotesque Crawler Mutants dropped from the ceiling.

Joanne barely had time to react as one lunged at her.

Instead of dodging, she raised her hand and punched forward, her palm erupting with flames. The mutant exploded mid-air, its flaming corpse crashing to the ground.

"Damn, you don't even need a staff?" Lyka whistled, stabbing two Crawlers at once.

Joanne smirked, her fingers glowing with embers. "Who needs one when I have these?"

Joseph darted through the chaos, using his daggers to sever tendons and cripple the monsters. When a particularly large Crawler lunged at him, he tossed a vial, causing it to shriek and convulse before collapsing.

Lyka vaulted off a railing, spinning mid-air as she plunged her daggers into a mutant's skull.

BOOM!

Joanne unleashed another Flame Inferno, wiping out the remaining creatures.

A system notification popped up.

[Level Up! Joanne – Level 16]

She exhaled, rolling her shoulders. "Much better."

Charvet simply nodded, his arms still crossed as he observed.

***

The air turned thick with the stench of blood. The walls were covered in deep claw marks, and severed limbs were scattered across the floor.

A deep guttural growl echoed.

A Mutant Butcher stepped forward—its bloated body covered in scars, a rusted cleaver dripping with blood in its meaty hands.

Joseph gritted his teeth. "That thing's huge."

Lyka tensed. "Fast too."

The Butcher lunged, swinging its cleaver with terrifying force.

Lyka barely dodged, feeling the wind pressure from the strike as it split the ground open.

Joanne sidestepped and thrust her palm forward. "Flame Shot!"

A fireball smashed into the Butcher's face, but instead of slowing down, it roared and vomited a stream of acid toward her.

Joseph threw an explosive vial, but the Butcher grabbed a hanging corpse and used it as a shield, negating most of the blast.

Lyka leaped onto its back, driving her dagger into the side of its neck.

The Butcher howled in rage, staggering as blood poured from the wound.

Joanne didn't hesitate. She slammed her palm against the ground.

"Flame Inferno!"

A wave of fire erupted beneath the Butcher, engulfing it in flames.

It thrashed and screamed, its massive body burning from the inside out.

A notification flashed before Lyka.

[Level Up! Lyka – Level 15]

She let out a breath. "That was annoying."

Charvet nodded in approval. "Let's move on."

They finally reached the top.

Unlike the bloodstained lower floors, this one was silent. The flickering lights cast long eerie shadows, and the temperature felt unnaturally cold.

At the end of the hallway stood a massive set of doors, untouched by the destruction below.

Joseph adjusted his grip on his daggers. "Whatever's inside… it's going to be a real fight."

Joanne rolled her shoulders, embers dancing around her fingertips. "I'm ready."

Lyka cracked her knuckles. "Let's kill it."

Charvet finally moved forward, his brown eyes glinting. "Then let's not waste time."

He pushed open the Boss Room doors.