The spell formations failed to activate, but the mechanical systems appeared to function properly. Metal shutters sealed all entrances to the lecture hall, including the windows.

A song of cogs and machinery hummed throughout the hall.

The loudest noise came from the scraping of metal. In the center of the hall, several rows of seats withdrew to the sides of the room, allowing a large meta cube to emerge from the floor.

The cube was a teleportation device, but the energy that should have been pulsating through its magical circuits was absent.

There was no vibrant blue hue; it was merely a hunk of black metal.

Perhaps it was possible to wait out the three days until the system reactivated. Yet, there was no guarantee that the teleportation device’s functionality would be restored.

Stephen ignored the useless chatter of the students, most of whom were observing the outside through the metal shutters.

More creatures appeared in the hallway, chasing several students. Judging by their red uniforms, they were second years from the floor below.

Some tried to fight, but like Class A, the building was reserved for the magical students. They offered pitiful resistance, and the blood-curdling screams didn’t cease for several moments.

During emergency protocols, the soundproofing of the classrooms was lifted.

On that note, the soundproofing created by the State was quite advanced. For the classrooms, noises were typically blocked in one direction.

Sounds would exit the classroom but wouldn’t enter. It was important to be able to monitor the state of the classrooms from the outside in case students tried to kill, torture, mutilate each other, and the like.

A student kicked the metal shutter.

“Let me out! I’ll fuck them up,” he shouted, while he gripped a jagged metal stick that appeared to be pried from something in the room. He shoved it under a gap and tried to break it open, only to fail.

Stephen was listening to something else. He was tuned in to a communication device in his ear. Unlike the artifact on his wrist, this device was only connected to the Academy’s security network.

The communication device showcased the meticulous nature of the State. While there was room for oversight, redundancy was a core tenet the State followed.

Stephen couldn’t figure out what was happening off the island, but he could gather intel about the Academic District.

While the incoming transmissions were clear and free of interference, many voices overlapped:

“Emergency protocol activated.”

“Immediate assistance needed to secure a perimeter…”

“Unknown infection spreading…”

“Avoid the central plaza…”

“Help… ugh…”

“Building D has been compromised.”

“Evacuate only grade A targets; the rest are expendable.”

“Neutralize anyone with a bite.”

“Rendezvous at Point B or C.”

Stephen ignored any new orders because he had already received his orders that morning.

‘Proceed with the day as normal.’

‘Yes, Headmaster.’

‘You remember the backup protocols?’

‘Yes, Headmaster.’

‘Good. That will be all. Farewell, Stephen.’

Stephen pulled a badge from his pocket and made his way to the front of the lecture hall. He approached the professor's desk.

“What are you doing?” Philis asked, raising his eyebrows.

As soon as the emergency protocols were activated, Stephen’s permission status rose to the highest priority. His badge allowed him to tap into the Academic Island’s system at the top level, thanks to the Headmaster.

In an extreme situation, Stephen’s original mission would have been to escort the Headmaster’s son, Alex, to safety. Yet, something held even greater priority than that.

Knowing the Imperial Princess would soon approach him, Stephen sighed.

Naturally, Stephen would not reveal any of this confidential information. It was better to be seen as a simple servant.

Philis wasn’t dumb, so he would obviously notice something. But Stephen would let him come to his own conclusions. If needed, Stephen would simply eliminate any obstacles.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

Philis sighed and began discussing something with the class. He feigned disinterest, but the corner of his gaze never left Stephen.

Stephen hid a grimace as he continued searching the desk. Meanwhile, a blonde beauty sat in the professor's chair. She spun around for a bit before looking at Stephen. She hummed slightly but didn’t say anything.

“Second Princess.”

Stephen made a curt acknowledgment of the woman’s presence. Her smile widened, but she remained silent.

During this time, he snuck a quick glance across the entirety of her body. Her orange serpentine eyes, reptilian scales, and slick tail were all still present.

Her name was Mel Sol, and she was the Second Imperial Princess of the Radiant Dawn. She was a True Royal and Devotee of the First Sun. Based on the fact that her royal features remained, her blessings were likely still active despite the world’s system being offline.

Stephen assessed the condition of his body. Sure enough, the contract that bound him was still present. It was a Deathsworn Contract, meaning his death was guaranteed if he couldn’t protect the Princess.

As if reading Stephen’s thoughts, Mel’s smile grew. The smile reminded him of Sophia.

Nonetheless, no further words were spoken between them, and Stephen refocused on the interface. Most of the emergency systems were nonfunctional, but he managed to pull up surveillance footage. Simply put, it was hell.

There were countless scenes of students and faculty trying to fight back, but few such groups were successful. The ones with a higher rate of survival were those who ran.

Stephen gave them less than thirty minutes. After that point, the only ones left would be those in secure locations or those who hid.

As for the ones who hid, most probably had a couple to several hours, depending on luck and skill.

Ironically, those behind metal shutters in secure locations formed the most doomed group. While one might, on average, live longer in this final group, remaining stationary was not an option.

Stephen had caught a glimpse of a ‘monster’ in the footage. However, that term did not do it justice. It was the personification of death itself. He couldn’t even allow his mind to linger on the topic of the ‘monster’ for long.

Stephen blinked several times. He wondered how long he would live compared to the students and other faculty members. As if he still possessed ‘Oracle,’ he saw only death.

The incongruity of knowing death’s inevitability while resolving not to give up caused Stephen to clench his teeth. True futility went against his teachings.

Ultimately, Stephen had to suppress such negative thoughts — at least, this was something he was experienced at doing.

Stephen stopped blinking and sifted through the footage again. He selected a few scenes and projected them to the center of the room, grabbing everyone's attention except Sophia, who was staring daggers at the Princess for some reason.

“What are we seeing?” Philis once again tried to start a conversation with Stephen.

Stephen indulged him this time. “I believe the Hope of the White Tower or the Star of the Holy Order would best be able to describe this phenomenon.”

Mary Ann, the daughter of a high-ranking cardinal, scoffed at the term of address used. Meanwhile, Gawain, the son of a prestigious paladin, gave a laugh that sounded fake.

Under various gazes, Gawain ultimately spoke first. “I believe my peer would be able to offer greater insight into the matter, but the threat is of the undead variant. I think they are commonly referred to as zombies.”

Mary Ann clicked her tongue. “It’s a reanimation curse.”

“So, they are just zombies?” A spiky blue-haired student named JetStar shrugged his shoulders. He was an exceptionally violent battle maniac who had tried to help the other student break down the metal shutters.

“No, you idiot.” Mary Ann rolled her eyes.

“Whatever the case is, I'll just cut them down.”

“With what weapon?”

JetStar slashed downwards and shouted, “Magic sword!”

“Ah, you are a serious dumb fuck. Did you not see that the mutt had already failed to cast a basic fireball?”

“Bitch, you picking a fight?” Sophia, who was standing awfully close to Stephen, took a step towards Mary Ann.

“I was just stating a fact, but I have no problem kicking your ass again.”

“Oh, you…” Sophia mumbled some incoherent words, only to be interrupted by Philis’s coughing.

“What about the security force?” Philis asked, gesturing towards Stephen.

“Here,” Stephen threw his communication device towards Philis. “Be my guest.”

Philis furrowed his brows, clearly puzzled.

However, the answer was simple practicality. Stephen would have only used the device to gather data, but that data would thin out over time.

Meanwhile, Philis would take a more active approach, ultimately making him better bait.

Stephen had no intention of creating a commotion. A smaller, more elite group would be better optimized and easier to control than a larger one. The only problem was that the pool from which to form that group was entirely composed of crazy, ill-mannered brats.

Philis took a different approach. He tried to form a large group, focusing his efforts on first recruiting some of the combat-oriented students to his side.

“I suggest we make our way to the faculty office,” Philis could be overheard saying to the students.

Stephen continued to watch the conversation play out but did not take an active part in it. Over the course of a lengthy discussion, several dissenting opinions formed which resulted in multiple parties.

When the hallways quieted down after several minutes, Stephen activated a command, and the metal shutters retracted, allowing those who wanted to leave to do so. This applied not only to the current lecture hall but across the entire security network.

“About time.”

A student licked his lips and opened the door, followed by others. They all carried makeshift weapons constructed from materials found in the room.

Notably, there were two distinct groups, totaling fifteen people, that led the exodus.

One group was led by Philis, who had failed to prevent the class from splintering.

The other group was led by Ray, the Crown Prince of one of the Empire’s tributary states.

Stephen felt nauseous as he watched the group. He deactivated the shutters, intending to use the others as a distraction. The nausea wasn’t due to any sense of morality, though. Ultimately, he increased everyone’s odds of survival.

‘Why are we even coming up with plans?’

Stephen sighed, ignoring his own thoughts and emotional state. He looked towards the remaining students. He just needed to form a party out of some of the students who remained.

‘A party we will die with.’

Stephen sighed again.