Last Ruler Of The Empty Throne

Jon had already noticed movements in the distance long before the group of strangers arrived and had already informed his team, preparing them for the encounter.

Still, the sight of other survivors, especially in such numbers, and wasn't in the cafeteria was a surprise.

How had they survived all this time.

From where they stood, Jon could see the scenery of the administrative building. Spreading his senses, he saw the building still intact and seemingly untouched. It was like the chaos that had swallowed the rest of the school stayed away from that building.

As Jon's eyes lingered on the building, a slight tremor ran through him. Looking at the cause, his watch began to vibrate, the treasure indicator subtly pointing toward the structure.

'It seems something is there.' and as if to confirm his suspicion Cynthia, beside him, reacted similarly with her gaze drawn to the building as if she, too, felt its significance.

Jon shook his head slightly, choosing to ignore it for now.

He already had more than enough treasure orbs waiting to be sorted, skills he hadn't finished sorting out and even the books he found in the storage space, so if giving Cynthia this would make her stronger, he could give it up.

But first, there was the matter of the strangers who had already approached them. At their head were five figures who were noticeably stronger than the rest.

However, his Moon gaze sensed a disparity. Though their levels suggested similar strength, they wouldn't last if they fought with any of the people behind Jon. His skill told him, something felt lacking in them. It was strange, but for now they had to talk. Then unexpectedly, Ronald stepped forward and asked with a shaky voice,

"J-Jon… if you don't mind, can I represent us,"

Jon glanced at him, then nodded after a while. Perhaps Ronald, despite his usual timidity, was finding his courage. So, he could give him the chance.

"Th-thank you. I won't disappoint," Ronald bowed and went closer to the newly arrived group.

"H-hello, we're—"

A loud, condescending voice cut him off, "Why isn't he the one speaking?"

"HIEE" Ronald jumped back startled.

The 'lords' have been looking at Jon since they approached, and now, he felt like he could use anyone to speak to them. It was unacceptable.

And unknown to Jon, he was in his thoughts already thinking of the next plan with this new group of people that had joined them. He hadn't even realized they were been hostile.

As for the fighters behind Jon, they immediately understood what they were doing. They were already playing boss after how many days of the fall.

And noticing the tension, Ronald tried to clarify, "Um, we are gathered in the cafeteria, you could join us..." He started explaining the whole plan they had.

The suddenly, as if they didn't hear him,

"Y-you're in the presence of the Lords! Show your respect" someone shouted from behind the front ranks of the lords, as if declaring this title was enough to command loyalty.

And the "Lords" straightened themselves, soaking in the attention.

But the air turned silent and still as Jon's group exchanged bewildered glances, processing the absurdity of what they'd just heard.

WHIRR

The silence that followed was palpable,

"Do you actually call yourselves… lords?" Ronald blurted, wide-eyed, his finger trembling as he pointed at them.

Laura shook her head, looking over at Jon, Jenny, and Cynthia. Ten days into this shattered world, and already some were deluded with titles of nobility.

The "Lords" faces flushed, humiliated by the dismissive reactions from Jon's group, but the atmosphere turned tense as one of them began to bristle with rage.

It was the Beast Lord, and he took a step forward with his eyes blazing with fury,

"I will kill you all," he roared, immediately unleashing his beast transformation.

His body grew larger, his form morphing into a massive, lion-like figure standing on two feet and his eyes glinted with a tinge of bestial madness, a side effect of the second-realm skill he'd unlocked.

"Guhh..."

"Ahh..."

The crowd behind the "Lords" backed away nervously. They knew that once transformed, the Beast Lord could hardly control himself.

But Jon's group didn't move; they merely watched, calmly awaiting Jon's reaction.

BANG...BANG...BANG

Each step the beast lord made, shook the ground until he walked up to Jon.

His figure loomed over Jon, casting a huge shadow over Jon as if he had captured his prey.

And then raised his claw and slashed down for the kill. The crowd held their breaths, anticipating what seemed like a certain outcome.

But Jon's gaze turned steely as his eyes glowed a faint blue for a split second.

And immediately the Beast Lord froze, his body locked in place.

He tried to shout his way out of his stasis, but no sound came out. His eyes widened in terror as Jon took a single step closer.

"What were you trying to do?" Jon asked in a low, chilling voice. As he spoke, his aura flared focused directly toward the crowd in front of him.

And his uncontrollable red flickers seeped from him into the air.

Wiieee...

It became an overwhelming force that immediately brought them to their knees.

Those closest to Jon began coughing out blood profusely. Some dropped immediately, collapsing in agony as if their bodies were being crushed under an invisible weight.

The "Lords" felt it the hardest, their earlier bravado shattered as they gasped for breath, their minds replaying the scout's warnings, now fully realized. One by one, they were forced down, blood seeping from their mouths, ears, and noses.

And what of the Beast Lord directly in his front. There was no chance, he directly rumbled entirely to the ground, reduced to a quivering heap under Jon's unyielding gaze. He was paralyzed with fear, his animalistic instincts recognizing a true predator when he saw one turned him like this.

The group Jon had brought with him watched the scene with a detached calm. They'd seen Jon do far worse, this situation was only natural.

"'Lords,' my ass," muttered a female from Jon's group, glancing at him with a wry smile. The rest of her sentence stayed in her mind, though her gaze lingered on Jon.