Chapter 27 - A Restless Night
The journey back wasn't entirely smooth, but thanks to their earlier efforts in clearing zombies, it wasn't overly difficult either.
Sam and his group managed to return to Hostel B4 before nightfall.
Shangguan Bing'er's group had already arrived. Their mission had been to collect the remaining food from the girls' hostels and protect any remaining survivors in case of an emergency.
Upon arrival, Sam instructed the mess staff to prepare more food and told the new survivors to settle down in the B3 building. While Sam's group had been out securing more survivors, the students who had stayed behind were tasked with cleaning out the remaining buildings of the boys' hostel.
Once everyone had settled in, they occupied the vacant rooms in B3.
While food was being prepared, Sam and Emmy returned to their room, removing their gear. Sam set his equipment aside and walked towards the bathroom. After washing himself, he stepped out, only to find Emmy heading in next.
While she bathed, Sam checked his status panel and was surprised by what he saw:
Player Name: Sam
Level: 25
Strength: 58 (+)
Agility: 58 (+)
Mana: 58 (+)
Vitality: 58 (+)
Intelligence: 57 (+)
Free Points Available: 18
Mana Core: 90% Complete
Contracts: Metal Slime (Pet)
He frowned, realizing he was still stuck at level 25. Despite all his kills, he wasn't leveling up.
Checking his notifications, he pondered for a while but couldn't figure out the reason.
When Emmy exited the bathroom, she saw Sam staring into the air, lost in thought. She immediately understood he was checking his status panel.
Sam glanced at Emmy and shared his panel with her for advice.
"Why don't we check online?" Emmy suggested.
Sam agreed and searched through social media and government posts, but after continuous scrolling, he found nothing relevant.
He then thought about Blake's gift and decided to contact him. However, after calling a few times, there was no response.
"Let's leave it for now. When everyone returns, we'll discuss it together."
"Alright," Emmy nodded.
They then headed to the mess hall for dinner.
The mess hall was packed, so Sam and Emmy decided to take their food back to their room.
On their way, they saw Max and Beth walking toward the hall, engaged in quiet conversation. Exchanging brief greetings, Sam and Emmy continued on their way.
Tonight's dinner consisted of noodles with egg soup, some greens, and an omelet on the side. After finishing their meal and returning their plates. They looked through the internet so before calling it a night.
Sam woke up in the middle of the night, a lingering sense of unease settling in his chest. He turned his head slightly, seeing Emmy sleeping peacefully beside him. The rhythmic rise and fall of her breathing should have been comforting, but it only made his own restlessness feel more pronounced.
With a quiet sigh, he reached for his phone, squinting at the screen. 2:43 AM.
The thought of being stuck at level 25 haunted him. No matter how much he fought, trained, or pushed himself, he hadn't moved forward. Was there a flaw somewhere ? Was he missing something?
He rubbed his temples, frustration gnawing at the back of his mind. Lying there, staring at the ceiling, wasn't going to help. Slowly, he slipped out of bed, careful not to wake Emmy. The floor was cold against his bare feet as he made his way to the small bathroom.
Turning on the faucet, he splashed water on his face, gripping the edges of the sink as he stared at his reflection. His own eyes looked tired, filled with an unspoken worry. What am I doing wrong?
He clenched his fists. He needed to do something. Anything.
Returning to the main room, he sat on the floor and crossed his legs, exhaling sharply. Focus. He started a breathing exercise, trying to push out the frustration and doubts. His mana circulated through his body, slow and controlled at first, but the more he focused, the more he felt something off—like a blockage preventing him from progressing.
He then continued focusing on forming his mana core.
The Dragon's mana core had significant differences compared to the High Human mana core. The biggest distinction was its position.
Instead of forming in the Lower Dantian (located in the lower abdomen), the Dragon's mana core formed in the Middle Dantian (roughly at the center of the torso, above the lower Dantian but below the heart).
As he concentrated and slipped into a trance, a ringing sound echoed in his mind.
DING! Mana core complete
DING! Leveling up
DING! Leveling up
DING! Leveling up
A sigh of relief escaped his lips as he heard the notifications.
Opening his eyes, he found Emmy watching him with a soft smile.
"Sorry for waking you—" Sam started, but Emmy cut him off.
"It's fine," she said. "So, is the problem solved?"
"Yeah. How long have you been awake?"
She didn't answer, simply smiling at him.
Sam stretched, intending to stand up, but as soon as he took his second step, a sharp, stinging pain shot through his entire body.
His mouth opened in a silent scream, unable to let out a sound. The pain was excruciating. He lost control of his body and collapsed onto the floor.
Emmy rushed to his side, supporting him.
"Sam?! What's happening? Sam! Sam!"
Both their pets woke up, fully alert and worried, as they hurried over.
The pain lasted for almost ten seconds. When it finally subsided, Sam exhaled deeply, regaining control over his body.
He panted heavily. "Hahaha…"
His body felt sore but strangely refreshed. However, his sweat was mixed with blood, giving off a strong, unpleasant odor.
Knock, knock.
"Emmy, is everything alright?" a voice called from outside. The commotion had attracted attention, and people had come to check.
By now, Sam had regained his composure. Emmy, still supporting him, called out, "It's fine!"
Hearing her assurance, the others returned to their rooms.
Sam, trying to get up, accidentally used too much force and ended up headbutting Emmy.
"Ouch!" Emmy winced.
"Sorry," Sam muttered, trying to steady himself.
Thump! Crash! Ting!
After some time, he adjusted to his newfound strength. Emmy sat on the bed with both pets beside her while Sam remained on the floor, next to a broken, now useless, foldable chair. The stench from his body was unbearable.
"You should wash up first," Emmy advised.
Sam knowing he was smelling very bad immediately agreed.