Suddenly, hundreds or thousands of rapid footsteps and roars echoed in Mark's ears, causing his expression to shift drastically.
He looked toward the side corridor and his eyes widened in shock at the sight of a massive horde of Common Zombies surging toward him and the others.
Iris and the rest turned deathly pale at the sight of the enormous swarm and began pounding on the Auditorium door frantically. Mark's expression became incredibly grim; there was no way to run, and the only option was to fight for survival.
The argument inside the Auditorium intensified, and Mark heard everything from the outside with a cold gaze. He gripped his Steel Baseball Bat tightly and prepared for a desperate struggle.
Iris and the others watched the approaching zombies in despair, with tears of fear and expressions of extreme terror.
Just as the zombies were closing in, the Auditorium door swung open. Iris and the others didn't hesitate and rushed inside; Mark followed and slammed the door shut as quickly as possible.
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Loud sounds of collisions echoed, followed by the roars of the zombies outside.
Mark leaned against the heavy steel door and sighed in relief. He had absolute confidence in his strength, but what would happen if his stamina or his Spiritual Energy ran out mid-fight?
'I was so stupid! This university is huge, with tens of thousands of people living here—professors, students, and staff!' Mark scolded himself, his expression darkening.
He shook his head and scanned the massive Auditorium, where dozens of students, teachers, and university employees were scattered.
'37... that's it?' Mark was shocked by the low number of survivors.
One had to remember that Galewth University was massive, home to tens of thousands of students!
Shaking his head, Mark decided to stop worrying about that and looked at everyone with a cold stare.
"Who? Who was it that refused to open the door?" His cold voice echoed through the room, making everyone tremble with fear.
His clothes were soaked in blood, and the blood dripping from his Steel Baseball Bat left many terrified. But not everyone was afraid; the five Awakened in the group looked at Mark with either defiance or calm.
"Calm down, Mark..." Iris approached him and gently held his arm.
"Better listen to your little girlfriend. Just because you became an Awakened doesn't mean you've become a better Mark." One of the Awakened, a tall and handsome young man, stepped forward and mocked him.
He looked Mark up and down and continued, "You're still the same old Mark—so ugly that no sane woman would ever give you a second look."
Everyone froze in absolute silence. Iris's expression changed drastically; she looked at the young man with pity.
"You are such an idiot!"
"I—" The young man was confused by Iris's look of pity and was about to sneer, but Mark's voice cut through.
"Jason... your voice is still annoying as fuck," Mark said with cold, indifferent calm before vanishing.
Jason's eyes widened in shock as Mark suddenly appeared in front of him. He tried to take a step back, but a powerful punch to the stomach doubled him over, his face contorting in pain.
Mark stopped him from falling to his knees by grabbing his hair tightly, forcing him to look into his eyes. "I used to be afraid of you and your family's influence, but now, I only feel contempt."
He didn't give Jason a chance to react and began to beat him, taking care not to kill him accidentally.
The others watched with shocked and incredulous expressions. Among the Awakened present, excluding Iris and Mark, Jason was the second strongest.
Seeing him beaten like a child by Mark made everyone's expressions, including those of the other Awakened, twist in shock.
After venting some of his rage and resentment on Jason, Mark forced him to look into his eyes and said in a chilling tone, "I'm only leaving you alive because you're useful. So don't mess up, understand?"
"Mm..." Jason let out a low murmur, his body aching and his face completely swollen.
"Humph!" Mark tossed him aside like a piece of trash and looked at the others coldly.
"I don't care if you think I'm ugly or not, but don't you dare say it to my face, or you'll see a side of me even I'm afraid of!"
His warning made many shudder. Others lowered their heads, not daring to meet his eyes.
The other four Awakened looked at Mark with fear and caution. No one dared to step forward in Jason's defense—not after watching Mark beat him like a chicken.
What if he turned his anger on them?
"Now... back to the original topic..." Mark turned his attention back to the others with a cold smile: Who was the one who suggested keeping the door closed?"
Everyone grew extremely tense, and some even began to sweat, their faces turning pale.
Mark scanned the crowd and focused on a tall, balding man in his forties and smiled coldly.
"So it was you, Professor Winter..."
The balding man trembled and took several steps back. "I... I... it wasn't me!"
"Humph! I heard everything, you racist piece of shit! It's time to die!" Mark mocked coldly and raised his Steel Baseball Bat with clear murderous intent.
Everyone recoiled in horror; no one expected Mark to actually try to kill him.
"No! Stay away from me! Please don't kill me!" Professor Winter shrieked like a desperate pig, retreating frantically.
"Hehehe~ begging for your life? Did you care about our lives when we were out there? No! You're selfish, you only care about your own skin and will do anything to survive!" Mark laughed coldly, his gaze icy.
He was about to crush Professor Winter's head with the bat, but Iris stepped in and gripped his arm firmly.
"No! You can't kill him, not here..." she whispered the last part into his ear.
Mark stared at Iris's beautiful face for a long moment, his narrow eyes exerting heavy pressure on her. But Iris didn't flinch, meeting his gaze with eyes shining with determination.
"Humph! Piece of trash!" Mark snorted, pulling his arm away from Iris's small hands and kicking Professor Winter in the chest.
"Thank you, thank you so much!" Professor Winter thanked Iris while sobbing, but she ignored him and hurried after Mark, her eyes sparkling.
'You damn son of a bitch! You freak! How dare you humiliate me like this!' A flash of fury flared in Professor Winter's eyes, vanishing an instant later.
As a professor at a major university, he had always been respected and feared by those beneath him. But now, Mark—the ugliest and poorest student in the school—had dared to humiliate him. It left him beyond furious.
Professor Winter looked down and huddled in a corner of the Auditorium, but his mind was already spinning with dozens of ways to get revenge, each more cruel than the last.
In times of chaos, people's true nature emerges, revealing their darkest and most wicked sides.