Night had finally fallen, and to Liam's surprise, everything had become calm.
He looked at the distant zombies who, since they had first appeared, always seemed agitated—but now, they stood still with their heads lowered, as if they were sleeping upright.
He even saw Zombie Paul doing the same, along with Zombie Alice beside him—though she chose to sit instead of stand.
This was unexpected, but it didn't make Liam believe it was safe to wander around.
Zombies couldn't be used as indicators of safety either, since there were still monsters roaming about. Some monsters might even become more active during the night.
Inside the warehouse surrounded by the fortress walls, the atmosphere was equally quiet. The students sat silently, lost in thought or deep in contemplation.
Even though food and drinks were now available, they still looked uncomfortable.
Fortunately, the warehouse was right next to a toilet, and both were within the safety of the fort.
And as night progressed, Liam experienced something inevitable.
His eyes grew heavy with sleep.
He hadn't stopped moving for hours, and even with his increased stamina, he hadn't lost the need to sleep.
Others looked the same.
Liam thought about where he should sleep. Seeing that the warehouse was lacking fresh air, he decided to stay up on the fortress wall.
Without blankets or a mattress, he lay on the stone floor of the fortress.
It was very cold at night, but thanks to his enhanced physique, he felt comfortable even in the chill.
There were only a few people on the wall, so Liam didn't feel bothered.
Besides, Alice was sitting next to him like a silent guard.
Even with his eyes closed, Liam knew she had the instinct to protect him. If danger came, she'd sense it right away.
But just as he shut his eyes, a girl suddenly approached, forcing him to open them again.
"Melly?" Liam was slightly surprised to see the girl with wavy reddish hair and soft pink lips.
They had been classmates back in their second year, so Liam was somewhat familiar with her.
Although her intelligence was average, she was considered one of the most beautiful girls—even among all the female students.
The problem was, she was one of the few surviving female students, which made her stand out even more.
Her outfit was a bit revealing—a skirt shorter than average, a glamorous style with long earrings and a luxurious gold necklace.
Liam had heard that she had recently started working as a model.
Of course, it wasn't surprising that Anthony, with his burning desire, couldn't resist trying to harass her after getting the chance to be near her—especially after giving her some bread when she was starving.
"Is there something you need?" Liam asked, seeing her stand there silently with a hesitant expression.
Her arrival made Alice open her eyes, but since she sensed no threat, she remained still.
"Mm, can I join you in battle later? I'm not used to things like this, but my skills aren't bad. I can soften the ground and release water," the girl said.
Hearing her two skills, Liam was a little surprised. She had never fought or shown her abilities before. Releasing water didn't sound very useful, but softening the ground might not be a bad power.
If hard soil suddenly turned soft, it could hinder enemy movement.
"Are you serious about fighting?" Liam asked.
He didn't mind if someone wanted to join him, but he didn't want a burden that would make things harder.
"Yes, I don't feel safe with people if I don't have strength," Melly replied softly.
The worry on her face was obvious.
What happened earlier that afternoon clearly disturbed her, making her afraid she wouldn't survive the next encounter with lustful men.
"Alright, we'll see tomorrow how serious you are. For now, get some sleep so you can fight well," Liam said.
"Can I sleep here instead?" Melly asked.
"It's cold here. Go to the warehouse. If you get a fever tomorrow, you won't be able to fight," Liam replied, rolling his eyes.
"Anthony's in the warehouse. He just tried to approach me again," Melly said.
Hearing that, Liam finally understood why she wanted to sleep outside in the cold.
With her short skirt, Liam doubted she'd even be able to fall asleep.
He, who had just sat up, couldn't help but stand up when he heard that, looking toward the warehouse only to find Anthony standing in front of the entrance, staring upward with an expression as if he were very angry but holding back.
Of course, when he met Liam's eyes, Anthony quickly looked away, pretending nothing had happened before heading back into the warehouse.
"Go find Lisa. He won't dare bother you if you're with her," Liam said.
Lisa was on his team, along with Alex. With them backing her up, no one would dare mess with her. As long as Melly was under Lisa's watch, Liam was confident Anthony wouldn't try anything stupid.
This time, Melly nodded right away.
She realized she couldn't handle staying outside, so she didn't argue about going in—so long as it was safe.
Liam shook his head. Melly was usually a proud girl, acting like a swan among ducks, but now she had become a scared little girl.
He lay back down and shut his eyes.
Since he wasn't the type to have trouble sleeping, he drifted off quickly.
And he slept soundly.
He dreamed—but in the dream, life was still normal.
He didn't know how long he had been asleep when he suddenly woke up. Not because he wanted to, but because of the heavy rain that had started pouring down.
In an instant, his clothes were completely soaked.
The sky had lightened a bit, indicating it was morning, but thunder roared nonstop overhead.
"Damn it!" Some students sleeping on the wall cursed as they rushed for the stairs to head down—including Alex.
Clearly, none of them had expected it to rain in the morning.
Unlike Liam, who slept early, most of them had stayed up late, unable to fall asleep.
Of course, Liam also headed to the warehouse quickly, finding everyone inside still sleeping peacefully.
L