Clayne quietly looked down toward the disciples of the Silent Sword Sect while they anxiously waited for his answer regarding Zi Yue. Some of them still looked emotional after surviving the massacre earlier, while others continuously glanced toward the skies as though hoping their Senior Sister would suddenly appear at any moment.

After a few moments, Clayne finally answered calmly.

"I honestly have no idea where she is exactly right now."

The disciples immediately became nervous again after hearing those words, but before their expressions could completely fall apart, Clayne casually continued speaking.

"Although I know she’s on her way here already. I just happened to beat her to it."

The moment those words entered their ears, the atmosphere instantly changed.

Several disciples widened their eyes while others nearly cried from relief all over again.

"Senior Sister is really alive..."

"She’s truly coming back..."

"I knew it..."

One younger disciple lowered his head while trembling emotionally, and another disciple beside him suddenly started laughing from relief despite the blood still staining his robes.

"Our Silent Sword Sect still has hope."

Meanwhile, Clayne no longer focused much on their emotional reactions because his thoughts had already drifted elsewhere. Right now, survival mattered more than anything else. He already understood clearly that cultivation alone was not enough for him to survive this terrifying world. Strength without combat skill would only turn him into a stronger target.

He had already experienced that truth earlier against the zombies.

His body became stronger.

His senses sharpened.

His reactions improved.

But without proper combat techniques, he still would have died if things truly became dangerous enough.

That realization remained deeply inside his mind.

Eventually, Clayne looked downward again toward the disciples and spoke.

"I want to ask something about your sect techniques."

Immediately, the disciples became attentive again.

"What kind of technique does Senior Deity wish to learn?"

Clayne thought briefly before answering honestly.

"The Silent Dagger Spell."

Several disciples blinked slightly in surprise.

"Dagger techniques?"

Clayne nodded slowly while explaining his reasoning.

"Close combat seems like the most important thing for me to learn right now. If something suddenly gets near me, I can’t just stand there like an idiot while panicking."

The disciples quickly understood after hearing that explanation. Although they still viewed Clayne as some mysterious deity, they interpreted his words differently from how he intended them. To them, it sounded like a supreme existence intentionally lowering himself to experience cultivation methods for amusement.

One disciple immediately stepped forward respectfully.

"Senior Deity, the Silent Dagger Spell is considered one of the practical combat arts within our Silent Sword Sect. It specializes in killing efficiency rather than appearance."

Another disciple quickly continued the explanation.

"Many disciples who lacked suitable spiritual swords in the past often practiced dagger techniques first because they are easier to carry and far more practical during close encounters."

A female disciple added thoughtfully,

"Although the Silent Dagger Spell is not considered one of our sect’s prestigious arts, its killing ability is extremely effective once mastered properly. Most importantly, it emphasizes precision, silence, and fatal strikes rather than reckless fighting."

Clayne nodded slowly.

"That’s exactly what I need."

Soon afterward, the disciples began explaining the details carefully. They spoke about breathing rhythms during combat, body positioning, footwork control, hidden attack angles, wrist movements, and how spiritual Qi should flow during each strike.

At first, many parts genuinely confused Clayne.

The explanations sounded overly technical sometimes, and several movement descriptions seemed difficult to understand properly just through words alone.

But strangely...

The moment he actually started practicing physically, something unbelievable happened.

His body somehow understood naturally.

The combat instincts inherited from the soul cultivator he crushed earlier slowly surfaced inside him again. Movements that should have felt unfamiliar somehow became easier little by little. The more he practiced, the more natural it all became.

Meanwhile, inside the floating Silent Sword Sect islands, the disciples gradually started recovering from the earlier chaos. Several disciples began cleaning blood from the arena while others carefully removed the flattened remains of the demonic cultivators. Some supported injured companions while others gathered scattered resources left behind after the battle.

Yet despite their activities, their attention repeatedly drifted upward toward Clayne.

Because honestly, watching a gigantic deity seriously practice a low level dagger technique looked surreal beyond belief.

After some time passed, Clayne returned again toward the disciples and spoke honestly.

"I still can’t completely understand some parts. Can you show me directly?"

Immediately, several disciples who specialized in the technique became excited.

"Yes, Senior Deity!"

"It would be our honor!"

Without hesitation, the disciples began demonstrating the Silent Dagger Spell one after another.

One disciple stepped forward first while holding a dagger tightly. He slowly lowered his breathing until his entire presence became quieter. Then suddenly, his body lunged forward sharply.

Slash.

The movement looked extremely simple at first glance, but it carried terrifying efficiency. There were no wasted motions at all.

Another disciple demonstrated next. His focus centered more around silent movement and hidden attacks. Every step avoided unnecessary sound while his body twisted through strange angles designed specifically for close range killing.

Then another disciple showed defensive redirections, while another demonstrated rapid consecutive strikes capable of overwhelming enemies instantly.

Clayne watched everything extremely carefully.

The more he watched, the more the inherited instincts inside him reacted naturally. His mind gradually understood how momentum transferred between movements, how balance affected attacks, and how tiny adjustments completely changed combat efficiency.

Eventually, Clayne began practicing seriously again.

Again.

And again.

And again.

Hours slowly passed.

Inside the restroom, Clayne continuously practiced dagger movements using reinforced metal fragments as makeshift weapons. His body moved repeatedly through stabbing motions, slashes, turns, counters, and hidden attack angles.

At first, several movements remained awkward.

But eventually, the inherited instincts inside him began correcting mistakes subconsciously.

His attacks gradually became faster.

Cleaner.

More efficient.

The disciples of the Silent Sword Sect slowly became stunned while watching his improvement.

"This learning speed..."

One disciple widened his eyes slightly.

"It’s absurd..."

Another disciple looked equally shocked.

"Senior Deity only started learning several hours ago, yet his movements already resemble someone who practiced for years."

The disciples continued staring upward in disbelief while Clayne himself barely noticed time passing anymore. His concentration completely immersed itself within practice.

Then finally, almost five hours later, Clayne completed a perfect sequence naturally.

Slash.

Step.

Turn.

Counter.

Everything flowed smoothly without hesitation.

Clayne slowly stopped afterward before breathing deeply.

Finally.

He mastered it.

Not perfectly.

But enough for survival.

And honestly, for the first time since the apocalypse began, he genuinely started feeling dangerous.

Afterward, Clayne immediately looked downward toward the disciples again.

"What about throwing weapons?"

The disciples blinked briefly.

Clayne continued explaining calmly.

"To me, dagger combat is the last resort. I’d rather kill things before they even get close to me."

Several disciples immediately nodded in understanding.

One disciple quickly stepped forward.

"In that case, Senior Deity should learn the Silent Blade Throw technique. It specializes entirely in hidden weapon throwing."

Another disciple added afterward,

"The technique focuses on precision, silence, trajectory control, and hidden release methods. Within our sect, many disciples use it together with movement arts during combat."

Clayne immediately became interested.

"Good."

Without wasting time, the disciples started teaching him again.

The Silent Blade Throw technique turned out far more difficult than expected. Finger positioning, release timing, wrist control, Qi reinforcement, and trajectory prediction all required extreme precision.

At first, Clayne struggled badly.

Several throws completely missed their targets.

Others spun incorrectly.

Some lacked sufficient force.

Yet every time confusion appeared, the disciples patiently demonstrated again.

One disciple showed hidden angle throwing methods.

Another demonstrated simultaneous multiple blade throws.

Another explained how spiritual Qi should reinforce projectiles without destabilizing them.

Meanwhile, Clayne continuously watched carefully.

And again, the inherited instincts inside him awakened continuously.

The more demonstrations he observed, the more natural understanding appeared inside him.

Eventually, his throws gradually improved.

Faster.

Sharper.

More accurate.

Hours continued passing endlessly while Clayne repeatedly practiced throwing reinforced metal fragments throughout the restroom.

Sweat completely soaked his body now.

His breathing gradually became heavier and heavier.

Still...

He continued practicing.

Again.

And again.

And again.

The Silent Sword Sect disciples eventually became completely stunned watching him train nonstop for so many hours without resting.

"This speed is terrifying..."

One disciple muttered blankly.

"Even Senior Sister Zi Yue never learned techniques this quickly."

Eventually, six more hours passed.

Finally—

Thunk.

A reinforced metal fragment pierced directly into a tiny crack along the restroom wall with terrifying accuracy.

Clayne slowly lowered his hand afterward before deeply exhaling.

His entire body dripped with sweat now.

But finally...

He succeeded.

The Silent Blade Throw technique.

Mastered.

Not perfectly.

But enough.

Reliable enough.

Deadly enough.

Clayne slowly breathed out afterward while a smirk appeared across his face.

Then his eyes drifted toward the restroom door.

"...Time to test it."

...

Meanwhile, far away from the restroom, the familiar girl continuously moved closer toward the school. She leaped from building to building while breathing increasingly harder with every passing minute.

Sweat covered her forehead while exhaustion gradually accumulated throughout her body.

She already fought nonstop earlier.

Against ordinary zombies.

Against evolved ones.

Against overwhelming hordes.

Against exhaustion itself.

Yet she still forced herself forward because something inside the school continuously attracted her attention. Something important existed there. Something valuable enough for her to risk returning despite knowing how dangerous the area had already become.

Eventually, she finally stopped briefly atop a damaged rooftop.

Her chest rose and fell heavily while she tried recovering stamina.

"I need a short rest..."

But before she could properly relax, growls suddenly echoed nearby.

Her expression immediately changed.

Zombies.

Again.

Several undead immediately rushed toward her from different directions after noticing movement.

Without hesitation, she grabbed her weapon again.

Then she fought.

Again.

And again.

She killed continuously while retreating through corridors and rooftops repeatedly, but the longer the battle continued, the more exhausted she became.

Then suddenly—

She froze.

Because ahead of her stood a fully mutated zombie.

Its body looked horribly distorted while elongated limbs dragged unnaturally across the ground. Sharp claws scraped endlessly against concrete while its nose twitched repeatedly like some horrifying hunting animal.

The girl’s expression instantly darkened.

"Oh no..."

Without hesitation, she immediately hid herself silently behind collapsed debris nearby.

The mutated zombie slowly sniffed the air continuously afterward.

Closer.

Closer.

Closer.

The girl tightly controlled her breathing completely because one mistake meant death.

The mutated creature gradually turned toward her hiding place.

Then suddenly—

It froze.

The girl immediately sensed something changed.

Even the mutated zombie’s attention suddenly redirected elsewhere.

Toward the school building.

The creature slowly raised its head afterward.

Then without hesitation...

It immediately left.