Chapter 35: Quite Moment before the storm

"Are all of you alright?"

Seana turned toward Melody, Ruth, and the remaining girls, her dark eyes carefully scanning each of them for injuries.

Seeing that none had suffered critical wounds during the push from the upper floor, the tension in her shoulders eased.

"We’re fine, Senior Seana," Melody said, offering a small, exhausted smile.

She reached back, fingering the quiver slung across her shoulder. Only two yellow-feathered arrows remained inside.

During the battle, she had discovered that as long as her internal Qi wasn’t dry, the quiver would slowly manifest new arrows over time.

Unfortunately, the prolonged fight had left her Core nearly empty.

Lothe walked over, his dark gaze lingering on Seana from head to toe, checking for fresh cuts.

"I’m fine," Seana said softly before he could even voice the question.

"I know," Lothe replied, his voice calm and even.

Without further delay, the survivors regrouped and marched down the wide central boulevard toward the academy’s main gates.

The path ahead was unnaturally still.

Shattered glass from administrative offices blanketed the asphalt like frost, while abandoned vehicles lay crushed beneath fallen concrete arches.

Yet, despite the gore, not a single zombie or mutated beast roamed the road.

Lothe’s brow furrowed.

Something was wrong.

Earlier, his [Spatial Perception] had clearly mapped hundreds of life signatures surging out of the research forest behind the campus. He hadn’t misread the spatial vectors.

Had their battle in the plaza drawn every beast in the district? Or were the remaining hordes concentrating somewhere else?

Keeping his spear held low, Lothe remained alert. As they walked, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the one glowing silver orbs dropped by the pale mutated zombie.

He held it out toward Seana. "Here."

Seana blinked, looking at his open palm. "You keep them."

"You used more Qi than anyone back there," Lothe said, pressing them into her hand. "You need them more than I do."

Knowing it was useless to argue with him, Seana let out a quiet, helpless sigh and accepted the silver orbs. "Thank you."

Her fingers brushed lightly against his palm.

For a brief, quiet second, neither spoke. Seana lowered her gaze, stepping half a pace ahead.

Truthfully, she still struggled to categorize what she felt toward Lothe.

Since the blackout, they had stood back-to-back, survived slaughterhouses, and saved each other’s lives more times than she could count.

Her mind drifted back to the medical building—to the moment she had broken down over her broken phone, facing the brutal reality of the apocalypse alone.

He hadn’t offered empty pity or hollow promises. He had simply sat beside her on the dirty floor and reminded her who she was.

For years, living independently after running from her family, she had forced herself to rely on no one.

If she wanted something done, she carried the weight herself.

Yet Lothe, without ever making grand speeches, had quietly shown her that she didn’t have to carry everything alone.

A faint warmth bloomed on her cheeks.

Embarrassed by her own thoughts, she turned her head away, letting her dark hair fall over her cheek to hide the flush.

Unfortunately for her, Lothe caught every detail.

With his stats upgraded, his vision easily pierced the twilight. Seeing the faint flush across her face made his pulse give a sudden, unpredictable jump.

He quickly looked toward the distant gates, clearing his throat.

Focus. Not the time.

To distract his mind, he called up his System interface.

System. Show status.

——————————

[SYSTEM STATUS]

• Name: Lothe

• Race: Human (Latent Bloodline: Dormant)

• Class: Unassigned (Unlocks at Level 5)

• Rank: Level 2, Tier 2

• EXP: 20 / 600

• HP: 120 / 120

• Qi: 40 / 40

[ATTRIBUTES]

• Strength: 5, • Agility: 10, • Constitution: 15, • Qi Control: 15, • Unallocated Attribute Points (AP): 40

[CORE SUPERPOWER]

• Spatial Perception – Level 2, Tier 2: Senses physical dimensions, movement vectors, and hidden spatial distortions within a 20-meter radius with enhanced clarity and reduced Qi friction.

[PASSIVE SKILLS]

• Battlefield Veteran – Level 2: Sharpens tactical instincts under extreme pressure, improves physical reaction speed, and accelerates weapon mastery through active combat.

• Weak Point Analysis – Level 2: Maps enemy movement vectors and Qi circulation, identifying structural vulnerabilities faster as a battle continues.

[TECHNIQUES]

• Spatial Blades – Level 2, Tier 2: Condenses spatial energy into invisible, razor-sharp blades capable of bypassing physical armor and defensive Qi.

• Blazing Horizon Spear – Level 2, Tier 2:

• First Form (Blazing Pierce): A high-velocity linear thrust that compresses thermal Qi at the spearhead.

• Second Form (Flowing Horizon): A seamless combination of continuous thrusts and redirects that overwhelms enemy parries.

• Third Form (Horizon Rift): Fuses spear intent with Spatial Blade mechanics, extending an invisible spatial edge beyond the physical tip.

[EQUIPMENT]

• Inferno Dragon Spear (Common)

• Gale Boots (Advanced)

——————————

Lothe’s eyes narrowed slightly as he read through the screen.

His spatial domain felt far cleaner, allowing him to track micro-vibrations in the air without burning unnecessary Qi.

Remembering the fight with the gold-striped alpha, he realized his passive skills had been guiding his footwork without him consciously thinking about it.

Then his gaze landed on the line that mattered most: Unallocated AP: 40.

A faint smile touched his lips. So every breakthrough grants twenty Attribute Points...

Without hesitation, he focused his thoughts on the interface.

Allocate twenty points to Strength.

Instantly, a heavy, dense warmth surged through his chest and arms. His muscle fibers tightened, his skeletal density increasing under the sudden influx of System energy.

Ten points to Agility.

The heavy sensation shifted. His body felt noticeably lighter, his joints moving with fluid, frictionless ease.

Five points to Constitution. Five points to Qi Control.

The remaining warmth settled deep into his lower abdomen. The purple Qi pool inside his Dantian condensed, turning purer and far more stable than before.

Lothe exhaled softly, feeling the massive surge in his base capability.

[UPDATED ATTRIBUTES]

• Strength: 25 (+20), • Agility: 20 (+10), • Constitution: 20 (+5), • Qi Control: 20 (+5), • Unallocated AP: 0

He felt significantly stronger, faster, and more durable.

His gaze drifted back to Seana, who was walking half a step beside him.

Once they broke past the academy gates and reached the city proper, she would likely focus on finding a way back to her family in the capital.

An unexpected, tight sensation flared in his chest at the thought.

Lothe’s brow furrowed. Since when did I start caring so much?

He shook his head slightly, pushing the thought down. Survival came first.

Beside him, Seana slowed her pace, noticing the subtle shift in his aura. "Are you alright?"

Without waiting for his answer, she reached out, her cool fingers resting gently over the pulse point on his right wrist.

A small strand of her Blood Qi entered his arm, checking his internal circulation for torn meridians or hidden internal bleeding.

Finding his blood flowing smoothly and with far more power than before, confusion flickered in her eyes.

Lothe looked down at her. She only reached his chest.

Behind them, Oren, Nyren, Adrian, and the others watched the interaction in silence.

To the rest of the survivors, the casual familiarity between the two didn’t look like two teammates simply checking for injuries—it looked like two people completely locked in their own world.

Oren tightened his grip around his bow until the wood groaned.

A sharp, uncomfortable pang of envy twisted in his stomach. Since joining up at the library, Seana had barely acknowledged his presence beyond tactical nods.

Yet with Lothe, her posture softened completely. She checked on him without hesitation, touching his wrist as if it were second nature.

Why him? The thought lingered bitterly in Oren’s mind.

Beside him, Nyren noticed her brother’s tense jawline but kept quiet. Her eyes remained locked on Lothe’s back, analyzing the sudden rise in his physical presence.

"...I’m fine," Lothe said softly, pulling his wrist back gently. "I was only thinking about you. You pushed your Qi pool to the red back there."

Seana smiled, a real, gentle expression that softened her dirty face. "I’ll rest... once we get past those gates."

Lothe couldn’t stop the small grin that touched his lips. "Fair enough."

Side by side, they led the column toward the massive iron gates of Crowns Academy, entirely aware that the quiet outside was merely the calm before a massive storm.​