Water droplets from the cavernous ceiling of "The Tomb" fell, startling Kenneth awake as they landed coolly on his face. A sudden realization dawned on him: this was no time for lethargy. He sprang to his feet, urgently seeking to understand the commotion around him.
The ceiling of "The Tomb" had collapsed, creating a chaotic landscape of debris. By some stroke of fortune, a colossal stone had shielded him, sparing Kenneth from the crushing weight of the fallen ruins.
"Ste.. Steven..!" he called out, his voice echoing in the hollow expanse.
Silence followed, then...
"Kenneth! Are you alright?" Steven's voice, tinged with concern, reverberated from beyond the wreckage.
"I'll get you out of there!"
"Please, do!"
In an unexpected turn, like a scene from a battle-worn epic, the rubble before Kenneth disintegrated instantaneously, as if obliterated by an unseen force. A punch-shaped hole emerged, revealing Steven on the other side, his left hand raised as the instrument of this unexpected salvation.
"Wa.. what did you just do?"
"I'm not sure. When I awoke, this... power was coursing through my left arm."
Kenneth observed the peculiar symbol etched along Steven's arm — a pattern resembling unhealing skin cracks, stretching from his shoulder down to the palm.
"It appears you could have escaped on your own."
"Hee..? ..!!" Kenneth's astonishment grew as he noticed a similar mark, but on his right arm. The pain he had felt earlier had vanished, replaced by an unfamiliar strength.
"A.. amazing strength is flowing from my arm!"
"We should endeavor to understand this newfound power later. The world outside is in disarray."
Steven assisted Kenneth out of the debris. Outside, a menacing assembly of skeletons and goblins confronted them.
"Damn.. what are these creatures?"
"While searching for you, I encountered these monsters spread all over."
"... I'm actually frightened."
"Stay calm. We're not alone in this. We seem to possess greater strength than these creatures."
"... If I can strike like you, we can certainly defeat them!"
"Let's do this!"
With a battle cry, "Hyaaa!!", they advanced towards the monstrous horde. Steven's blows landed with devastating force, pulverizing the creatures into dust.
"Now, my turn!"
Kenneth felt an explosive power emanating from his right hand, invigorating him with a godlike vigor. His punch, however, did not yield the destruction he anticipated. The skeleton crumbled under his blow but remained largely intact.
Compared to Steven's might, Kenneth's effort seemed insignificant, barely a fraction of that power.
"Eh.. isn't this too weak?"
When Kenneth glanced back at Steven, he had already vanquished their foes. A subtle, ominous black smoke curled around Steven's left arm.
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"You're not hurt, are you?"
"Yeah, I feel revitalized, lighter somehow since gaining this strange power."
"I share that sentiment, though my body feels unusually heavy."
"Steven, we can't linger here for long. I dread these creatures might be widespread."
"We should return to the school. There are likely others there, and we could use a moment to recuperate."
"Agreed."
As they navigated their way, dragons circled in the sky above the area where they had been summoned. Among them, an extraordinarily large dragon descended slowly from the heavens.
The torrential rain made their ascent difficult, compounded by skeletons and goblins blocking their path.
Reaching the surface, they were met with a gruesome sight. Several bodies lay strewn, bathed in blood, with scattered limbs being devoured by goblins as if they were mere snacks.
"This is madness."
"Stay focused, Kenneth! They are gone. If these monsters have reached here, I assume they're everywhere, at least throughout this city!"
"I think it's worldwide. Look at the sky!"
Steven realized the scale of the chaos was far beyond what he had imagined. While in "The Tomb," their view of the sky had been obscured by the dense foliage.
"This can't end well."
"..."
"Kenneth, we should head into the school first, see if anyone survived."
"I think we should go home now!"
"No, we need a vehicle for that, and given the situation outside, what if we encounter something too strong to handle?"
Kenneth fell silent, considering the distance from the school to their home was not short, a 40-minute drive under normal circumstances. It was an impossible choice.
Resigning to the most rational option, Kenneth nodded in agreement. Quickly dispatching the monsters at the school's entrance, they made their way inside.
Inside, an eerie silence and the pungent smell of blood greeted them. The sports and music clubs had been practicing and just returned to the building, leaving many victims in their wake.
"Damn.. That's Barry, isn't it?"
"... Let's clear out these monsters first, then we can mourn properly."
"We're too late.."
"This isn't the time for sorrow! There might still be survivors; let's look for them!"
"... you're right, let's go."
With heavy steps, Kenneth followed Steven, searching the classrooms for any hidden survivors. They found many skeletons and goblins relentlessly butchering the fallen victims.
With their newfound strength, Kenneth and Steven swiftly annihilated the monsters.
The school building, comprising four floors, each designated for different class years, was methodically searched. The first floor, home to the first-year classes, revealed no survivors.
"Damn it! Isn't anyone alive?"
"We haven't finished searching yet; there are still many rooms to check."
"I'm starting to doubt that.. this is all my fault.. It must be because we touched that cursed stone!"
"Hey, don't blame yourself. We didn't know what it was. Let's focus on what's in front of us, saving as many people as we can."
"Sob.. I.. I should just stay here."
"Suit yourself. I'll continue searching upstairs. I'll wait for you on the rooftop once I'm done."
Steven began ascending the stairs to the second floor.
The scene there was no different from the first – chaotic and tragic.
Ahead, Steven spotted a group of goblins feasting on fallen students.
He ran to attack, but...
From behind them emerged a silhouette, with terrifying eyes and a killing aura so intense that even the goblins paused their feast, momentarily frozen before rushing towards Steven.
"GRAAYA UGREYAA!!"
Steven swung his arm to obliterate the goblins.
But before his punch could land, a lightning-fast slash came, bisecting them all.
"!!!"
"WHO ARE YOU!"
The silhouette smiled grotesquely, wider than any normal person could. Was its mouth torn?
"My lord has awoken. KHEKHEKHE"
The figure wielded a katana, wiping the blood from the blade with the sleeve of his left arm and sheathing it.
"I've waited long enough~ for you to break that seal."
Emerging from the darkness was a person with both eyes damaged, white in color. A long face with tied-up yellow hair, but most terrifying was his smile, stretching beyond the ears, a horrifyingly wide grin.
But more shocking, he wore the necklace Kenneth had been searching for.
"So, you're the one living in 'The Tomb'?"
"Indeed, my lord~ Allow me to introduce myself, my name is Zha-"
Steven launched a mighty punch towards his face.
With supernatural speed, the man moved close to Steven, smiling widely in his face.
"Wow wow, I never expected my lord to be so handsome~ Serving you with my disfigured face is an honor~"
Caught off guard by this terrifying situation, Steven was taken aback. Someone moving almost invisibly fast was now his opponent.
"Calm down, my lord, I am not here to fight you, but rather to ally with you."
"An ally?"
"Indeed, it would be better to talk. I know you have many questions, and I am the one who can answer them all."
"I should call my friend first-"
"It's better not to, my lord, because what I have to say is not for the weak-minded."
Shocked that he knew Kenneth's temperament, Steven considered following him to gather information, possibly an ally, and then returning to Kenneth later.
"Alright, let's go."
In an instant, the two vanished into the darkness.