Chapter 5: THE DEAL

Chapter 5: THE DEAL

Sam knocked on the closed door to check for survivors.

KNOCK KNOCK

"Is someone there?" Sam asked in a low voice.

GRRRR GRRR

THUMP THUMP

Closing the door from the outside, Sam continued checking each room.

In one of the rooms, five students heard his voice. They quickly removed the temporary blockade and opened the door.

Seeing Sam, one of the students lit up with relief.

"Sam!"

"Blake? How are you here?"

"I was coming to meet you when suddenly this happened. When I saw people attacking each other, I followed these guys into their room."

Blake was Sam's junior in high school. He had also joined Von University. Though they weren't best friends, Sam still considered him an acquaintance and had helped him in the past.

They chatted for a moment before another door creaked open.

All the students turned toward the sound as another student stepped out, holding a sword in his hand. Seeing the familiar faces, the student relaxed, and his sword vanished.

Eight students had now gathered in one of the rooms. Sam sat on a chair, occupying one corner. They took turns introducing themselves. The boy with the sword was Ian, a second-year student.

"How did you make your sword disappear?" Garry asked Ian.

Ian didn't respond, but the other students kept staring, clearly eager to know the answer.

"What did you get from the card?" Ian asked back, avoiding the question.

Nobody wanted to reveal their trump cards, but to Ian's dismay, Garry spoke up.

"I got a bow from the card."

Everyone looked at Sam, expecting an explanation.

Sam understood Garry's scheme—he wanted to take back the bow with the others' help.

"He exchanged it for that long knife. He didn't even have arrows to use with the bow," Sam clarified.

Everyone turned to Garry.

"Why would I exchange my bow for this knife?" Garry protested. "I got this knife after killing zombies, and the bow can fire mana shots. Why would I need arrows?"

Sam thought for a few seconds. The increased intelligence from leveling up allowed him to analyze the situation quickly.

"How did you kill zombies using mana shots? Did you know how to use mana from the beginning? And do you even know how to shoot a normal bow?"

Everyone knew by now that the only weakness of zombies was their heads. According to Garry's statement, he not only knew archery but also how to use mana.

Analyzing this, they realized Garry was bluffing to get his bow back.

All the students had attempted to use their gifts from the card, but except for Ian and Sam, no one had succeeded.

"So, do you know how to use mana?" one of the boys, Ryan, asked Ian. He was particularly interested because his gift was a wand, and he had no idea how to use it.

"My sword is connected to me, so I learned how to control it. Try dripping some blood on your gifts—maybe it will work," Ian suggested.

Ryan tried it, but nothing happened.

Meanwhile, Blake called Sam outside. Sam knew Blake had something important to discuss.

They exited the room. Everyone was curious but refrained from asking because of Sam's presence.

"I know how to use mana," Blake said directly.

Sam was surprised but remained composed.

Seeing Sam's calm reaction, Blake continued, "When I crushed the card, I didn't receive any weapons, but I acquired knowledge of a manual."

"Why are you telling me this?" Sam asked.

"I want to make a deal. You protect me, and in return, I'll share some of my knowledge."

Sam considered the offer. Blake only had knowledge, not the actual manual. If someone tried to force the information out of him, he could just provide false or harmful details.

"How do I know you'll keep the deal and not cheat me?" Sam questioned.

"We have no choice but to trust each other right now. Besides, I know you're stronger than the rest of us because of your level-ups."

"How long would I have to protect you, and how much information would I get?" Sam asked.

Hearing this, Blake grinned. "Only until I reach Rank 2. After that, I'll be able to protect myself. In return, I'll provide you with a technique to build a strong mana core and a spell of your choice."

Sam had heard of Rank 1 but didn't know much about Rank 2.

"What is Rank 2?"

"It's achieved at level 10. After reaching it, you can unlock the panel. It follows the same principle as that game World of Chaos—at least, that's what I understand."

Sam immediately understood. World of Chaos was a popular game in their high school. Sam hadn't played it since his grandfather passed away.

"I want it written in a book, if you don't mind," Sam requested.

He had an idea to verify the information and didn't want to rely on Blake every time he had a question.