Afternoon.
The small, open-air plaza between the dormitory buildings.
Dean Wu stood on a platform, managing the distribution of supplies.
"On this latest expedition, we gathered a total of about 10 tons of supplies—400 crates in all. That includes 100 crates of canned meat, 50 crates of assorted self-heating meal boxes, 20 crates of white sugar, 10 crates of chocolate…"
The large haul of supplies seized that morning was enough to feed the three hundred-plus survivors for at least a month.
For the time being, no one would have to risk their lives foraging for food at the Ninth Cafeteria anymore.
As the one who had explored and found the supplies, Han Ning received a larger share than anyone else, plus a rifle, a pistol, and several thousand rounds of ammunition.
In total, they had collected 17 rifles, 5 pistols, and a dozen or so scattered grenades from the train.
Even in their current circumstances, firearms were still controlled items. They had to be issued to those who explored most frequently and contributed the most.
There were so many supplies that the distribution took nearly the entire afternoon to complete.
"Xiuning, Han Ning, Zhiran… Come over here for a moment."
After the distribution was finished, Dean Wu called over a dozen or so teachers and students who had been helping nearby.
Han Ning glanced around and realized that the people Dean Wu had named were all frequent explorers—they were considered the strongest combatants in the academy.
Their Silver Lotus Wood had all mutated at least twice, equivalent to Yin Yi's second enhancement.
The group went to a temporary conference room in Building A, which had been converted from a dorm room.
Their power reserves were relatively full now, so the conference room was brightly lit for once, dispelling the oppressive darkness.
"I've called you all here today to talk about the future."
Dean Wu looked at the people seated in their chairs and began to speak slowly.
"Right now, we have seized enough supplies to last everyone for over a month, along with over a dozen rifles. The Silver Lotus Wood of two hundred and sixty-three people has mutated, giving them a certain degree of combat ability…"
"The Soul Beasts roaming within a 300-meter radius of the dorms no longer pose a major threat to us. It's time to start thinking about our future."
"I currently have two plans." Dean Wu held up two fingers.
"The first plan: Our understanding of the area surrounding the dorms is still vague and unknown. This omnipresent white fog also affects our daily lives. I was thinking, should we try exploring farther out? What if we could walk out of this region of poisonous mist… Wouldn't it be better to find a relatively safe place to live?"
Staying in dimly lit places for too long inevitably made people depressed.
"The second plan is to gradually clear out the Soul Beasts within the academy. We would use the dormitories as a central base and turn the campus into a relatively safe zone, developing slowly. Once the time is right, we can explore the outside world."
As he spoke, Dean Wu scanned everyone's faces and asked, "Which plan do you all think is better?"
"Can't we do both at the same time?" someone asked.
Dean Wu shook his head. "We don't have enough people. Trying to do both at once would stretch the timeline too long and increase the risk of accidents. It's best to have a clear focus."
Teacher Liu Yueming raised his hand slightly.
"Dean, I think it's better to develop slowly first. Have you forgotten the giant monsters that killed other teachers and students right after we crossed over? The giant python at the Ninth Cafeteria was just one of them. I remember there was also a huge Demon Eye Frog that we still haven't seen."
After Teacher Liu finished speaking, another student raised their hand.
"I think sending a team out to explore is a good idea. What if a safe place is only a kilometer or two away, and we never know it? Isn't that like being blind to what's right under our noses?"
"We also have drones. If we're worried about danger, we can send a drone to fly ahead a certain distance and film the area. Once we confirm a region is safe, our people can advance, and then we can use the drone to scout again. We can repeat that process…"
Dean Wu nodded, then looked at Han Ning with an expectant gaze and smiled. "Han Ning, you're the strongest among us right now. What are your thoughts?"
"Uh… I think Teacher Liu's suggestion is better. The outside world is too dangerous. We don't have enough people and can't afford major losses. It's better to get stronger first and explore later when we have sufficient power."
Han Ning thought of the bloodthirsty, frenzied swarm of rats, the worms that could cause dizziness, the massive Demon Eye Frog, and the giant python whose body was thicker than two people combined. If an exploration team ran into any one of them, casualties would be a minor concern; total annihilation was the most likely outcome.
'We should wait. Wait for Yin Yi to evolve. Wait for most people's Silver Lotus Wood to mutate a few more times. Wait until I've figured out how to use my Spiritual Power. It won't be too late to explore then.'
His Yin Yi was just one step away from evolving.
Dean Wu pondered for a few seconds before saying, "It seems everyone has different opinions. How about this… we'll discuss it for another two days. In the meantime, I'll go ask the other students and teachers to get everyone's thoughts and opinions."
Hearing this, the others nodded in agreement. No one objected.
Teacher Liu suddenly thought of something and spoke up. "By the way, Dean Wu, what are your plans for those five women from Shan State?"
"They're pitiful people. Let's have them stay for now. They can help everyone with cleaning, cooking, and things like that."
Just as he finished speaking, a series of urgent knocks suddenly came from the door.
Before Dean Wu could respond, a male student with a panicked expression pushed the door open and rushed in.
Ignoring whether his actions were rude or not, the student said breathlessly, "Dean Wu, a team hasn't returned yet! I'm worried something might have happened to them."
"What time did they leave this morning?" Dean Wu's brows furrowed slightly.
"They left around 8 a.m. It's already past 5 p.m., and they're still not back. Didn't you rule that everyone must return to the dorms before 5 p.m.? Most teams come back half an hour early, and they usually return to rest at noon, but this team didn't."
Dean Wu realized something was wrong and stood up. "Who went out? Which direction did they go?"
"Zhao Wei, Zheng Zhibin, and Chen Ningchuan… those three. They went east, toward the Mechanical Engineering building."
"It's almost dark…" Dean Wu looked at the sky outside the window, hesitating.
The wastelands at night were on a completely different level of danger than during the day.
Under the cover of darkness, many more predators came out to hunt.
Dean Wu didn't agonize for long. "It's not a good idea to send too many people out this late. How about this: we'll send a party of 20. Take the firearms, drones, and flashlights. Bring plenty of batteries. Go search in the direction they left. If you encounter danger, retreat immediately."
"Then… leave it to us!"
Several of the dozen or so strongest people in the room immediately stood up.
With a few taking the lead, the rest didn't hesitate, getting to their feet one after another.
Han Ning thought for a moment. For everyone's safety, he stood up as well.