Last Ruler Of The Empty Throne-Chapter 61: Back

As they stood before the camp’s entrance, a certain feeling overwhelmed them. Maybe it was because they had fought indirectly to protect this place, but there was something more to it now, a sense of attachment and pride that felt strangely like home.

"Ah, you’re back. Welcome," a familiar voice called out.

Turning their heads at the voice, they saw Julius Polik, the middle-aged man who manned the gate, offering a small smile.

Julius wasn’t just a gatekeeper, though his job at the moment might have reduced him to such a title. However, he carried it out with a sense of duty and pride that made him more than what his role suggested.

"Good work," Jon said, nodding appreciatively.

Julius had already known Jon was the new leader, but that didn’t seem to faze him. He wasn’t the type to care about who led them; so long as the weak had someone to protect them, he was content.

And Jon was doing more than that. He wasn’t just leading; he was fighting alongside them, helping them push back against the forces that had nearly broken them.

Julius offered a stiff salute, a gesture that seemed to ripple through the policemen standing behind him. With newfound respect, they stepped aside to let Jon and his group pass.

Just beyond the gate, the first person Jon saw was Nancy. She stood poised, waiting for them."Welcome back," she said softly, bowing her head slightly. The others followed behind Jon, their exhaustion evident, but her gaze remained focused on him, as though she had known they were coming.

"How did you know we were back?" Cynthia’s voice cut through the air, sharp with suspicion.

Nancy remained calm, as if expecting the question, and answered, "I asked the policemen at the gate to notify me when they spotted you in the distance." There was no edge in her voice, only a quiet confidence.

But that didn’t stop the look she was receiving from Cynthia.

"Thanks," Jon nodded and thanked her. Nancy had been working tirelessly in their absence, and now she was here again, ready to assist him.

"I’m sorry, but I’m going to need your help with something."

"Yes?" she replied, raising her head, her eyes steady, waiting for instructions.

"Let’s talk inside. But first, please collect the cores." Jon glanced over his shoulder at the evolvers behind him, each one holding out the fruits of their efforts.

Nancy’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of so many cores and orbs, but she quickly regained her composure.

"Alright," she nodded. With a brief motion of her hand, three figures who had been standing behind her stepped forward, moving efficiently to collect the cores from the evolvers.

And to not delay any longer, as the orbs and cores were collected, they went to talk.

...

The conference room was the same as ever, with cracked walls and windows and an air of ruin that had become familiar, though it looked a bit neater than they remembered.

Jon, Jenny, Cynthia, Laura, Nancy, Norman, Ronald, Gar’al, Alexa, and Robin sat around the table with exhausted faces. It was natural considering the energy they wasted in battle, but it had to be done.

Nancy stood first and began, "During your absence, we completed the camp’s census. There are 2,952 people in the camp. Of those, 1,034 volunteered to become evolvers, including 136 policemen. 998 survivors have either chosen support roles or possess knowledge we currently need..."

"Gasp..." Ronald gasped at what he was hearing. He was visibly shaking as Nancy’s calm voice delivered the numbers with unnerving precision. Oddly, he could feel her efficiency just from her words.

"Almost half..." Jon murmured in surprise, nodding his approval. And he didn’t even need to be told—most of that number were among the survivors who were treated as scum of the camp.

Nancy’s report didn’t end there. "And 784 survivors decided against doing anything..."

The girls and the remaining members showed shocked expressions at the number; however, Jon wasn’t surprised because Nancy’s next words were,

"In which they were all former middle and high-level survivors." Then she looked at Jon, waiting for what he was going to say.

"What did they say?" Jon was asking what they said about not being among the plans.

"They couldn’t allow students to boss them around, and since they wouldn’t be starved, they could do whatever they wanted, that was what they claimed," Nancy said with a face full of disgust. Minus the fact they were just students, the stress, time, and resources that were put into this plan were a lot, to the point most of them weren’t currently available; they were banking on future resources.

"Well, nothing we can do about that."

That was Jon’s input on the matter, and it honestly shocked everyone present. However, it wasn’t so shocking.

’They shouldn’t act up then.’ It was that simple for Jon. If they didn’t want to do anything, they could do whatever they wanted—they could even leave the camp. However, if they dared to cause any trouble or complain, well, they would face his anger.

Forgetting it, he started, "Now, there’s been a significant increase in the level of our evolvers. Tomorrow, we conclude with the second group for the camp’s level-up, and that marks the end of the first plan. Any other things?" He looked to the sides at the girls in case they had anything to input.

With nothing left to say, everyone left to prepare for the next day, leaving Jon and the girls behind. It was to talk about the next stage of their plan. Though it had been made, ideas and changes still had to be discussed.

"I was thinking, for the second stage when we send the groups out to search for food, provisions, and survivors, we can give them a percentage of whatever they find as a reward, you know, for their loyalty and all," Jenny suggested, and it was accepted, with Nancy noting it down.

"So, how do we differentiate between camp property and personal property?" Laura asked, leaning forward and asking again, "How do we know when the cores and orbs belong to the camp?"

"Simple," Jon said with a firm tone, "Anything gathered during a camp-organized mission belongs to the camp, and any discoveries during work will be rewarded accordingly. Now, if you hunt on your own time, whatever you find is yours. Also, we will designate specific days as workdays, and everything collected on those days belongs to the camp."

"Wow," Cynthia whispered more to herself than anyone else. She stared at Jon with a face of disbelief. ’He’s just coming up with this stuff on the spot?’ Even Laura shook her head, it was as if the whole world apocalypse was too easy for him.

Nancy was still scribbling furiously, her eyes bright with focus, which was strange considering she had dim eyes during the report.

After a few minutes of talking, "Any more suggestions?" Jon asked, scanning the room. When no one spoke, he nodded.

"Alright, we’re done here." Maybe because of the stressful day they had just had, there weren’t a lot of contributions from the girls.

Nancy then rose from her seat, bowing slightly. "I’ll review everything that has been brought up, adjust, and bring up a final review." She left the room, the others following suit, their exhaustion obvious.

However, Jon remained seated, letting out a long sigh. Leaning back in his chair, he closed his eyes. ’I should rest too.’

And as the thought came up—

"Jon, are you okay?"

The soft voice startled him awake. It was a voice he hadn’t heard in a while—Alexa.

"Oh, Alexa, how are you feeling now?" He greeted and asked about her. "I’m sorry I haven’t had time to talk. Things just come up after each other, and I haven’t had the time. But just know one thing, if you need anything, anything at all, let me know." He finally let out one of those rare smiles that released all the tension in his body, and without realizing it, he drifted into sleep.

Alexa watched him for a moment, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She wiped them away quickly, glancing around to make sure no one noticed.

"I’m sorry," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I’m the reason you’re on this path. Thank you for everything." She bowed her head, even though Jon was already lost in slumber. It didn’t matter. The gesture was for her peace.

...

Jon’s eyes opened, and the sunlight hit him like a slap. He squinted and raised his hand to shield his face from the harsh rays. ’Where am I?’ He frowned. The room was unfamiliar, luxurious, and entirely out of place compared to the wreckage of the world outside.

Springing out of bed, his instincts kicked in, and he immediately scanned the room for threats. But there were none. Only a grand chandelier hung from the ceiling, casting a warm red glow across the curtains, which were also red. Looking around the room, the bed he was in was also red, and so was the floor, giving the whole room a unique color.

’Why red, though?’ he thought. He would’ve preferred blue or white—colors that had begun to feel comforting to him lately.

Seeing no threats, he relaxed, sinking back into the plush bed. His clothes were still the same as the night before, not forgetting his black rod and watch still on him. ’Whoever brought me here had done so without ill intentions.’ And recalling what happened before he slept, ’It might be Alexa.’

For some reason, the sun seemed to be shining on him more than normal. As he raised his hand again, he glanced at his watch and saw it still ticking.

"8:45." He suddenly raised his body. "Wait, this thing still works?" He stared at it in disbelief. Even amid everything, the watch, against all odds, had still survived. Well, it was obvious—for an ancient one.

’Wow, not bad,’ he mused. A working watch could be useful, helping him keep track of time in this chaotic world.

After being shocked and amused by the watch for a while, he glanced at his body. "Well, I might as well take a shower." It had been nearly two weeks since he’d had a proper bath. He had been relying on mana to keep himself clean. And not that it wasn’t effective, but it wasn’t proper to suddenly forget about the things that still made them human.

With a quick sweep of his senses, he stepped into the bathroom, another luxurious space unfolding before him. Towels, bathrobes, and even a jacuzzi greeted him. But his eyes were immediately drawn to the large bath, steam rising lazily from the water. He didn’t waste a second.

In the blink of an eye, his clothes vanished, and he slipped into the warm bath, letting out a long and contented sigh.