Kenji first noticed the bracketed points on his system display, but then he recalled the benefits of his Adapt skill. He retained all the points given to him by the adaptive skill, steadily earning points and enhancing his abilities.
As he continued to explore his progress, his stomach grumbled in protest.
"I need food," Kenji thought as he moved slowly toward the door. Opening the door, it was dark.
Kenji began to explore the goblin corpses, hoping to salvage some equipment. But, as he inspected them, he saw that someone had looted them all, even the goblin crushed under the shelf.
He found a battered shield, but the blade was nowhere to be seen. The shield was in poor condition, showing signs of significant damage from the recent battle. Disappointed, he realized there was nothing of value left to gain.
"Someone was watching me during the battle, a student," Kenji thought, a frown crossing his face.
He wasn't entirely pleased about someone stealing his loot, but he couldn't deny that he had benefited from the encounter. He gained experience points that helped level his stats and acquired a sturdy sickle blade. Though it was a standard, low-level weapon, it was far better than what he had before.
More importantly, he had gained insight into the awareness of the surviving students around him.
"In this world, where foolish rules don't bind people, one can never be too careful. A human's instinct to survive is unpredictable," Kenji reflected, his mind racing with the implications of his situation.
Kenji's stomach rumbled again, a frustrating reminder of his hunger. Determined, he set his sights on the cafeteria. He navigated through the lonely halls, his senses heightened and ready for any threats that might emerge.
Despite his hunger, one thing was certain: anything that came his way, he would kill without hesitation, and as brutally as necessary. There's a saying: a starving man fights harder than the one who's just eaten.
As he approached the storage area, he stumbled upon the lifeless body of an employee, her crucial card still clutched tightly in her cold hand. Oddly, he felt no remorse; the presence of corpses had become a grim part of his reality. Without hesitation, he pried the key card from her grasp and moved toward the storage room, driven by the need for food.
As Kenji reached the storage door, he inserted the key card. A green light flashed, indicating the card worked. He was surprised that the lights were still operational.
Pushing against the door, he quickly realized it was blocked. However, Kenji's strength had increased significantly, and he summoned all his energy to force it open. With a determined shove, the door creaked and finally yielded.
Inside, a grim sight met him: piles of frozen meat blocked the entrance. As he moved deeper into the room, he discovered the body of another worker who appeared to have frozen to death.
"This was a very wrong place to hide," Kenji thought, glancing at the cold corpse with a mixture of sadness and practicality. He began to loot the frozen meat around him, carefully stowing away enough provisions for about a month in his inventory.
Kenji didn't hesitate to take it all, take everything. Survival was everything to him.
Kenji moved cautiously down the hallway, inspecting the trail of blood that painted the floor. After a while, he discovered it led to a barricaded exit reinforced with piles of wooden debris. It wasn't just the exit; the goblins blocked every corner and potential escape route.
"Looks like the goblins come in through here to hunt," he thought grimly.
"Humans have become their sources of food."
As he walked around, the grim reality of his situation settled in.
He needed to understand what was happening to grasp the full extent of the danger surrounding him. Finally, he decided to head up.
"The rooftop view will be great," Kenji thought, registering it as his new destination.
The journey to the rooftop didn't take long at all; Kenji was already there in no time. He spotted a few goblins on the way and, with stealth and ease, swiftly ended their lives.
Kenji's heightened senses detected the presence of students nearby, but he paid them no mind as long as they didn't attack him or try to take what was his. They posed no threat to him, but he remained cautious, aware of the possibility of a surprise attack.
As Kenji moved closer to the rooftop's edge, he was greeted by the breathtaking view of Tokyo's destruction. The city sprawled out before him, towering skyscrapers glinting in the sunlight, but it had now been halved, smoke and fire everywhere. The street where people moved about happily is now empty, like a ghost town. Buildings were crumbling, and smoke billowed from various spots. A haunting silence had replaced the vibrant life of Tokyo.
Kenji's gaze swept over the remnants of a city he once knew, now marred by violence and despair.
Then Kenji turned his gaze toward the field.
Kenji observed the scene with a cold gaze. Camps were scattered everywhere, with the largest one dominating the centre, surrounded by several smaller encampments. Goblins moved about, laughing and playing, carrying human remains as trophies of war.
He noted the living humans nearby, captives who appeared to be potential food for their captors. One male student was dragged away, tears streaming down his face as he pleaded for mercy, but Kenji felt no warmth for his suffering. The man's cries echoed through the air, a desperate sound that barely registered with him.
As Kenji surveyed the scene, his gaze fell upon a group of women separated from the rest. Evidently, they faced a different fate, one far more sinister than mere captivity. Their clothing hung in tatters, the fabric torn and frayed, each shreds a reminder of their lost dignity.
A normal human couldn't see that far, but Kenji wasn't normal anymore. His eyes were unnaturally sharp, one of the major effects of his body constantly adapting to stress, poison, and battle.
He noted the lifelessness in their eyes, a haunting emptiness that spoke of violation and despair. They stood together, their bodies tense and vulnerable, as if bracing for the worst. Kenji's eyes remained steely as he took in the sight of the huddled captives, consumed by despair. His logical mind recognized the grim reality of their situation.
Even if there were humans, Kenji didn't feel a thing.
"Why should I feel pity now? When the world was normal, no one spared a thought for me. Not my classmates, not society, no one. People cry when it is their friend dying, but they step on a cockroach without hesitation. They mourn a pretty girl, yet butcher animals daily to taste their flesh. Hypocrites."
"Death only matters when it inconveniences them."
"So why should I pretend to care? I was nothing to them then. They are nothing to me now," Kenji gave the captive student a last look before turning away and leaving.