Everyone wasn't dumb; with a quick reaction, they realized it was just an ordinary earthworm.
If it were a snake, it would probably be as huge as anything!
But even after knowing it was just an earthworm, nobody felt at ease. After all, an earthworm as thick as a person was still pretty scary.
Wei Dalei leaned against Chen Mu's shoulder and said, "Boss, I'll take care of it."
Chen Mu was puzzled, "Is it necessary? We could just go around it."
Wei Dalei explained, "Those two ants from earlier weren't satisfying enough to battle. Besides, even though we've gained superpowers, I still think we need some real combat practice."
Tang Jing added from the side, "Dalei's idea is pretty good. After all, earthworms don't eat people. Just make sure not to get squashed."
"This earthworm is kinda big, but it shouldn't be able to crush a person," Wei Dalei said confidently.
Chen Mu thought about his own experiences and agreed with Wei Dalei's reasoning. To survive in this disaster, their superpowers were their greatest reliance. If they didn't train enough during peaceful times, they might not be able to count on them in real emergencies.
"Alright, I'll help you," Chen Mu decided quickly.
Killing an earthworm wasn't easy; even if you cut it in half, it could still live for a long time.
After observing for a moment, Chen Mu and Wei Dalei circled around to the earthworm's head.
Near its head, there was a more brightly colored ring. Chen Mu used to catch earthworms for fishing when he was younger and could recognize it. Earthworms don't have eyes, only a slightly luminescent organ, so they didn't react to Chen Mu and Wei Dalei's approach.
That was a good sign.
Chen Mu focused his mind, and the warrior's blade in his hand "melted" into a metal ball, then split into two pieces. One half transformed into a long sword shape, which he handed to Wei Dalei. The other half became a thick, sharp-edged cleaver for himself, both slightly smaller than the previous warrior's blade.
Since he had recovered from crawling on the desk, his ability usage had become much more skilled. Creating simple things like knives and swords was now as easy as turning his hand. However, they looked quite rough and weren't very sharp.
Wei Dalei shook his head, "Boss, get me a spiked club instead."
Clearly, this guy preferred the more brutal approach.
"Sure, I'll go for its neck, and you smash its head," Chen Mu said, transforming the long sword into a spiked club with thorns and handing it to his friend.
"Got it!" Wei Dalei grinned.
With Chen Mu leading the way, they charged toward the earthworm.
Wei Dalei followed closely, holding the spiked club that Chen Mu had given him.
Though the earthworm seemed calm most of the time, when harmed, it could thrash around violently, so they needed to act swiftly.
Chen Mu sprinted forward, lifted the cleaver, and using the momentum of his body, swung it down fiercely.
This swing of the knife unleashed all of their strength, and the blade pierced through the worm's body, causing a harsh scraping sound as it rubbed against the cement floor.
Only a thin layer of flesh remained between the worm's head and body.
Wei Dalei followed closely, lifting the spiked club and fiercely smashing it down.
Splat!
Not only was the worm's head smashed to pieces, but a large pit also appeared on the ground.
The worm's body writhed violently, and the two of them quickly stepped aside.
It was true that earthworms could survive even when cut into two pieces, but it wasn't as easy as people thought. The worm's self-healing process required very strict conditions. In this situation, with its head smashed and exposed to the scorching cement, it was impossible for it to survive.
Chen Mu and Wei Dalei efficiently took care of the worm, prompting cheers from their classmates behind them.
In times of disaster, having strong companions was undoubtedly a good thing.
The group regrouped and circled around the still squirming worm, continuing on their way.
On both sides of the cement road were lawns.
The tall grass, raised above the road level, looked like a forest of giant trees stretching endlessly outward, with real trees in the distance reaching for the sky.
Occasionally, swallows flew across the sky, and their chirping sounded like calls of ancient giants.
Honestly, if they weren't worried about their own safety, the world before their eyes would be quite spectacular and exhilarating.
"We're almost there, just ahead."
Tang Jing's idea was correct; despite all the fear they experienced on the journey, they hadn't encountered any more attacks.
After about two hours, the group of about a dozen people arrived at their destination.
The storage room wasn't far from the cafeteria, and in reality, it was quite small, just a few square meters. But for Chen Mu and the others, it felt larger than a giant palace.
As one of the kitchen's storage rooms, it usually held some spare pots, bowls, utensils, and tools.
One after another, the group squeezed through the crack of the door and found that the place was well cleaned. Although the room was filled with things, there was still enough space for people to stay.
"It doesn't seem that great either."
After seeing the room's environment, some people started complaining. After all, just like the classroom, there were no essential supplies here. For those who slept on the floor overnight, the most urgent need now was a soft bed.
Tang Jing looked around and pointed to a corner, saying, "Let's head over there."
People were puzzled but followed along.
As they approached the corner, everyone suddenly realized something.
In a corner, there was a bundle of brand new towels, probably used as kitchen rags, clean and soft.
Even the slowest of people could tell that they wouldn't need to sleep on the floor tonight. Finally, their hard journey had paid off.
Dong Junwei was curious and asked, "Tang Jing, how did you know there were towels here?"
Tang Jing smiled, "My uncle works in the school's cafeteria and manages this storage room. I occasionally visit him, so I know where things are kept."
Everyone suddenly understood.
"Everyone, step back a bit."
Chen Mu lifted his knife and half-cut, half-saw the rope that tied the towels together.
The towels scattered, and one of them lay flat in front of everyone. They were stunned for a moment, then immediately rushed forward with shouts of excitement.
The half-person thick towel was as luxurious as a high-end mattress, soft and comfortable, and big enough to accommodate dozens of people.
Everyone was ecstatic, rolling around on the towel. Even composed individuals like Dong Junwei and Tang Jing couldn't help but touch the soft 'mattress' with a smile.
After more than a day of exhaustion, psychological torment, and dehydration, everyone was mentally and physically drained. Several people directly lay down on the towel and fell asleep.
Dong Junwei found Chen Mu and Tang Jing, saying, "Several people are showing signs of dehydration. We must solve the water problem."
Chen Mu asked, "Where's the nearest water source?"
Dong Junwei said, "There's a tap for watering plants near the cafeteria, but it won't stop dripping. The problem is, how do we transport the water? We can't have everyone go every time we need to drink."
Tang Jing shook her head, "Tap water won't do."
"Why?"
"It's not sanitary," Tang Jing explained.
"Given the current situation, we shouldn't be so particular," Chen Mu was a little exasperated.
Tang Jing was usually a quiet and refined girl, and it was understandable that she had some cleanliness habits. But at this point, holding onto the idea of not drinking tap water seemed a bit excessive.
However, Tang Jing said, "If it were before, it might not be a problem, but after we shrank, all harmful bacteria have become much larger relative to us. I can't be sure if the risks have increased, but if we have a choice, it's better to be safe."
"Do we have any other options?"
"I know where there's bottled water, and it's not too far away."
Since there was a better option, no one objected.
The problem was still how to get the water.
Dong Junwei said, "I have an idea. Chen Mu, can you make a water container?"
"That depends on how big," Chen Mu replied.
"Just big enough so that Dalei can carry it when it's full."
Chen Mu immediately understood what the class leader meant.
He would make a large water container, find the water source, and then have Wei Dalei bring it back.
To be honest, although this method was a bit cumbersome, it was simple and straightforward. At a time when everyone was dying of thirst, they didn't have time to consider a stable water supply system.
Dong Junwei said, "It means more work for you and Dalei again."
Chen Mu nodded without saying anything.