Investing in My Harem in the Apocalypse Makes Me Stronger
Chapter 8: Heading to the University Hospital

Chapter 8: Heading to the University Hospital

The four of them rushed toward the stage.

A male student stumbled through the curtain.

"A spider!"

He pointed behind him. "A huge spider caught him!"

Cain drew the Blacksteel Longsword.

"Where?"

"Above the backstage storage area!"

Cain looked toward one of the men carrying a javelin.

"Lend me that for a second."

The student immediately handed the javelin over.

Ron watched Cain take the weapon. A strange look appeared on his face.

The male student noticed it. "What?"

Ron shook his head.

"You’ll understand soon."

Cain moved behind the curtain.

The backstage area was much smaller than the main auditorium.

Wooden platforms, lighting equipment, folded banners, and old stage decorations filled the space.

A thick strand of white silk stretched between two metal beams.

A student hung several meters above the floor. Silk had wrapped around his chest and legs.

His body no longer moved.

A large spider clung to the ceiling above him.

Its body was nearly one meter long.

Black hair covered its swollen abdomen, while its hooked legs pressed against the ceiling without making a sound.

Several red eyes reflected the emergency lights. A pair of thick fangs protruded from its mouth.

[Mutated Spider | Level 10]

The spider released the student.

His body struck the floor with a bang.

The spider immediately turned toward Cain.

Its abdomen contracted.

Cain recognized the movement and jumped aside.

A strand of sticky web shot past his shoulder and struck the wall.

Cain planted his feet. Then, Ruin Dragon Force spread through his arm and entered the javelin.

The spider moved across the ceiling.

Cain followed it with his eyes.

The moment it stopped to fire another web, he threw the javelin in his hand.

The javelin struck the center of its head.

The Mutated Spider’s head burst apart, dark fluid splattered across the ceiling.

The javelin continued through the creature and penetrated the backstage wall.

It vanished somewhere outside the auditorium.

The student who had lent it to Cain stared at the hole.

Ron placed one hand on his shoulder.

"I warned you."

[Ding! You have killed a Level 10 Mutated Spider.]

[Ding! You have obtained Strength +1, Agility +4, and Physique +1.]

[Ding! You Have obtained 100 System Points.]

A familiar energy entered Cain’s body at the same time.

Cain smiled satisfiedly as his guess had been correct.

Stronger enemies could grant bonus stats.

Cain walked toward the student who had fallen from the ceiling.

Elara crouched beside the body.

Two puncture wounds were visible near his shoulder. The skin around them had already turned dark.

Elara pressed two fingers against his neck before shaking her head.

"He’s dead."

Cain remained silent for a moment.

He had arrived only seconds after the scream, but the spider had already killed him.

Cain drew the Blacksteel Longsword.

The other students looked at him.

"He was bitten by a mutated creature," Cain said. "We don’t know whether he can transform."

He raised the sword as he continued, "It’s safer not to leave the body intact."

The blade descended, severing the corpse’s head with one clean strike.

Clang!

Something fell beneath the spider’s corpse.

Cain approached and saw a gray orb.

His eyes lit up at the sight of an orb in front of him. He quickly picked up the orb.

[Gray Orb: Contains one random Common-rank item.]

He immediately crushed it as he couldn’t help but be curious of what kind of item he would get this time.

A pair of black combat gloves appeared in his hands.

Metal plates protected the knuckles, while the inner surface was reinforced with tough leather.

[Impact Gloves (Common-rank)]

[Reinforced combat gloves that protect the hands and slightly increase the force of unarmed strikes.]

Cain tossed them toward Jack.

Jack caught the gloves and inspected them.

"For me?"

"You’re the only one who fights with fists."

Jack put them on.

The gloves adjusted slightly around his hands.

He punched one palm, a dull impact echoed through the backstage area.

"These are good."

Cain nodded in satisfaction.

The group returned to the main auditorium.

The survivors had finished searching most of the building.

No additional zombies or mutated creatures had been found.

Cain gathered everyone near the stage.

"We’ll use this place as our temporary shelter."

Relief appeared on several faces.

Cain continued, "Some of us will head to the university hospital. The rest will remain here and secure the entrances."

He looked toward Ron, Jack, and Elara.

"One of you needs to stay."

Ron immediately raised his hand. "I’ll do it."

"That was fast." Cain sneered.

"Someone needs to protect these people."

"You mean you’re afraid to go to the hospital."

Ron’s face darkened and retorted, "I killed dozens of zombies because of your stupid shout."

"And now you want to hide."

"At least I still have some sense to stay away from any plan involving you throwing another weapon through a wall."

"Fine. You can stay this time." Cain chuckled.

Cain selected three additional survivors to join the team.

Two were young men carrying the remaining javelins.

Both had already killed several zombies and gained enough Levels. The final person was a woman from Elara’s fencing club.

She carried a fencing sword and had awakened a Skill that allowed her to reinforce the blade with Mana.

A normal fencing sword would struggle to pierce a human skull. However, with enough Mana or a proper skill, it could still become lethal.

Cain turned toward Ron.

"Block the entrances after we leave."

Ron nodded.

"If anyone approaches, check them for bites before allowing them inside."

"I know."

"Don’t fall asleep."

"Just get out."

Cain smiled and walked toward the auditorium entrance.

He rested one hand on the Blacksteel Longsword and said, "Let’s move."

The six of them left the auditorium and headed south toward the university hospital.

The university hospital was located several minutes south of the auditorium.

Cain’s group moved through a narrow path between the lecture buildings, keeping away from the wider roads where large numbers of zombies wandered without direction.

Several infected students appeared along the way and Cain dealt with them using the same method as before.

The Blacksteel Longsword swept through the first zombie’s legs, cutting through both knees and sending it crashing onto the ground.

Another zombie rushed from behind a parked car.

Cain turned his wrist and slashed across its waist.

The zombie’s upper body fell forward while its legs continued moving for another step before collapsing.

The two male students carrying javelins quickly approached the disabled zombies.

They aimed carefully before stabbing their weapons through the zombies’ heads.

The female fencer did the same.

She hesitated less than before.

The Mana surrounding her fencing sword made the thin blade far more durable, allowing it to pierce through an infected student’s eye and reach the brain.

Notifications appeared in front of the three students.

Their faces immediately brightened as they had already gained several Levels, and the changes to their bodies were becoming obvious.

Cain watched them for a moment before continuing forward.

Elara walked beside him.

Her wound had been wrapped using bandages taken from the fencing club, but Cain could still see a faint trace of blood beneath her white jacket.

"Does it still hurt?" Cain asked.

Elara touched her side and smiled helplessly. "A little."

"You should stay behind me when we enter the hospital."

"Are you worried about me?" Elara glanced at him.

Cain looked ahead.

"I just don’t want my investment to die before I get any benefits."

Elara frowned.

"What investment?"

"Nothing."

Cain continued walking before she could ask more.

Elara stared at his back suspiciously.

Jack walked a short distance behind them.

The black Impact Gloves fit tightly around his hands.

He had been opening and closing his fists since leaving the auditorium, clearly eager to test the equipment against something stronger than an ordinary zombie.

He soon received that chance as a bulky figure stood near the end of the road.

The zombie was much larger than the infected students wandering nearby.

Its shoulders had swollen until its neck was almost hidden between them. Dark veins covered both arms, while its chest stretched the remains of a university sports shirt.

The creature slowly turned toward them.

A line of red text appeared above its head.

[Zombie | Level 12]