Will of Vienna

Michael looked over the twenty-five survivors from the defense group. They were all hovering at Level 1 or 2, their growth stalled because they had been sharing experience points too widely and letting panic dictate their actions. There was no real leadership among them, just a desperate silence. Seeing another group of students actively fighting against the monsters they were eager to join them.

„We aren’t going back the way we came,“ Michael said, keeping his voice calm but firm so everyone could hear. „The path we cleared is empty. We are taking a parallel route back toward the Audimax. It’s longer, but it cuts through the offices and lecture halls. If there are more people left alive, that’s where they could be hiding.“

He turned to Sophie. „Sophie, keep your **[Environmental Radar]** active. Look for any signs of movement or muffled sounds behind the doors.“

„I’m on it,“ she nodded, pressing a hand to her ear as her mana hummed to life.

Instead of moving as one massive block that would easily get bottlenecked in the narrow hallways, Michael decided to split the force into two balanced teams. He didn’t want a rigid chain of command, but rather a functional partnership. He divided his original Vanguard of twelve into two experienced cores to guide the others.

Rashid took six of the seasoned fighters and twelve of the new Level 1 and 2 arrivals to cover the left side of the corridor splits. Michael took the remaining five veterans and thirteen recruits to clear the right. They stayed within earshot, moving parallel to each other and using Sophie’s radar as their shared guide.

Their priorities were from the first to the last to save more people, let the injured ones make the finishing strikes so that they could level up and heal, to hone their fighting skills and level up themselves.

Whenever the radar picked up multiple signals, the two groups would temporarily branch off to launch simultaneous attacks at two different locations at once. This let them clear twice as much ground without leaving anyone isolated.

The strategy paid off as they neared the faculty wings.

Sophie raised her hand, signaling both teams to halt. „There is movement on both sides! There are monsters sniffing at the doors, and I can hear frantic rustling inside.“

„Move in together! Don’t give them time to turn around!“ Michael called out softly.

Rashid’s team moved toward the restrooms. Working side-by-side, they formed a tight semi-circle. Jakob moved first, his **[Explosion]** cracking against a hound-fox’s spine with a small pop.

At the exact same moment, Michael led his half of the squad to the other side. With his newly acquired Level 4 agility, his iron-tipped spear flicked out, wounding two hound-foxes before they could position.

The students right beside him surged forward, and drove their spears through the beasts.

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The other students of his team focused on the remaining monster. They were in numerical advantage. The strikes were over in seconds. When they opened the doors, the tension in the corridor finally broke.

From the stalls of the restroom, a group of three terrified freshman girls crawled out, sobbing with relief but seemingly traumatised. They had no visible wounds but it was obvious that they would be of no great help in upcomming battles because of their mental status. From the other room, two male students squeezed past the brooms. They had been hiding in silence, listening to the claws scratching at the wood for over an hour. They fared far better than the girls.

„Are you hurt?“ Michael asked, stepping forward and helping one of the shaken students to his feet. „Come into the middle of the group. We’re heading to the Audimax.“ After Michael told them how to use the inventar, they were grateful and immediately retrieved their spears.

As they pushed further down the parallel route, the same tactic worked again and again: split, strike at the same time, clear the threat, then pull the survivors into the group.

They found students barricaded behind vending machines in tiny break rooms, a couple of professors locked inside electrical faculty cabinets, and small groups of classmates huddled under desks in the dark corners of seminar offices.

While most of the survivors were not wounded, there were also unlucky ones who needed help to walk.

Michaels core group knew that most of the rescued people would not be of help in their fight, that’s why they guided them into the center of the formation, always sharing the information how to utilize the inventar before getting the group moving again. The group had grown significantly, making advancement through the narrow faculty corridors noticeably more difficult. Yet, confidence and hope within the team were visibly rising; the cooperation between the leading students proved to everyone that they were no longer helpless prey.

The return journey to the Audimax led them through the wide connecting corridor of the economics department. The space here was more open, which also meant they could be spotted more easily.

It wasn’t long before Sophie raised her hand again. „Movement up ahead! Three… no, four different spots with movement. They’re in the passage to the main cafeteria.“

Michael gave Rashid a quick nod. No long speeches were needed. Michael’s group took the left flank, while Rashid led his people along the right. They didn’t wait for the hound-foxes to catch their scent; instead, they struck simultaneously. Michael used his speed to slip beneath the lunging leap of the lead beast, driving his spear tip deep into its chest cavity. To his right, three of the new students formed a tight wall with their spears and shields, absorbing the impact of the remaining creatures and countering immediately. It was a short clash that was over in barely two minutes.

**[You have slain a Hound-Fox (Level 1). +10 XP]**

A fleeting glance at the blue glow in the corner of Michael’s vision confirmed that his experience bar was already climbing again after his level-up. But there was no time to track stats now.

Just before the grand staircase leading directly to the heavy double doors of the Audimax, they were caught off guard. Two stray hound-foxes crashed violently through the glass front of a nearby dean’s office. This time, however, the Level 2 students reacted entirely without Michael’s command. With a determined shout, they formed a dense wall of spears and impaled the creatures mid-air before they could even properly touch the ground.

The path to their safe place was finally clear. The relief in the group was almost palpable; most of them leveled up and their wounds healerd. Some of the rescued students began to weep quietly from sheer exhaustion and relieve. Just one more corner, and the monumental entrance of the Audimax would lie directly before them. Julian and the remaining three hundred survivors had to be waiting inside.

Michael rounded the corner first, his spear held loosely at the ready, prepared to call out to the guards at the entrance.

But the words died in his throat. He stopped so abruptly that Rashid nearly collided into his back.

„Michael, what’s wrong? Why—“ Rashid started, his voice cutting off sharply as he followed Michael’s frozen gaze toward whatever was waiting at the top of the stairs.

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