Their brief encounter went unnoticed as the first wave of zombies swarmed in upon opening the door.
In the narrow corridor, zombies were blocked by clubs, struggling as they stepped on each other's bodies, forming a wall of flesh.
Zombies kept flipping over from above, dropping to the ground and lunging forward with their mouths open. With no room to retreat, they had no choice but to engage in close combat.
Tan Xinger grabbed a zombie's hand, pressed against the wall, and could only kick with her feet. Sensing the zombie's intention, she suddenly released her hands and squatted down.
The long tongue struck the wall, and Tan Xinger took advantage of the zombie's hesitation, elbowing it down. Before she could catch her breath, the zombie stood up as if nothing had happened.
Tan Xinger looked at the endless stream of zombies, despair unable to take hold. She just focused on attacking the zombies fiercely, finally forcing them back a few steps with the help of others.
Jiang Nan opened the corridor door and pushed Tan Xinger and Jiang Qiqi inside, then followed in, leaving the rest to guard the rear.
After clearing a zombie, Gu Jingyong closed the door, only to be faced with the teeth of another zombie.
Gu Jingyong swiftly dodged aside, and before he could act, the zombie was knocked down with a club. Seizing the moment while the zombie paused, Gu Jingyong grabbed its neck and threw it out.
Then he saw Tan Xinger holding a club, her hand aching from exertion, but she smiled at him through gritted teeth.
"Don't delay, let's go as soon as we can."
Gu Jingyong looked at the others entangled with zombies and pulled Tan Xinger towards another exit.
Seeing this, the others followed suit. Although the zombies were highly aggressive, their twisted bodies slowed them down, and they couldn't catch up with the group.
When the last person emerged, Gu Jingyong closed the door, leaving the zombies trapped inside.
This method was decided after the group's discussion. With a large number of zombies gathered in the corridor, there was no way to break through, so they could only linger between floors. Although it wasted time, there were fewer zombies in the floors.
At this rate, they would reach the car in about twenty more floors.
Thinking of this, Tan Xinger felt both tired and excited. Just the thought of experiencing such scenes more than twenty times made her feel hopeless.
"If I can leave this instance, I'm definitely going to have a luxurious meal!"
Jiang Qiqi, leaning against the wall, gritted her teeth. Catching Tan Xinger's gaze, she said, "A luxurious meal costs 200 circulation coins, which I can't afford."
Tan Xinger suddenly laughed at her, realizing that even in this survival game, pursuing a good meal had become a luxury.
Tan Xinger looked at the peeling wall and felt a sense of emotion. She didn't want to become a player.
Since Gu Jingyong promised to send her to other instances, she could live the life she wanted.
Just thinking about it, she suddenly understood why Jiang Qiqi was so fixated on that luxurious meal, because what she was thinking about now was the watercolor outfit she had always dreamed of.
All the money she had saved up had gone to waste, and all her previous efforts had been in vain. It would be better to have a good meal.
"Let's go."
Seeing Tan Xinger sinking into deeper thoughts, Gu Jingyong reminded her that nothing was certain yet, and thinking too much was futile.
Tan Xinger adjusted her mood, watching Gu Jingyong open the corridor door, her heartbeat inevitably accelerating, and then she wielded her club and went forward again.
The zombies on this floor were particularly numerous, and Tan Xinger gradually found it overwhelming. The others were also struggling, leaving their backs exposed to each other and forcing the zombies back into the corridor together.
As the door to the next floor was opened again, they rushed in together, only to find it filled with zombies.
"Damn it."
After hearing Xiao Wu curse softly, he closed the door first. Compared to the zombies in the corridor, staying here was clearly not a wise choice.
As they retreated in embarrassment, they collided with the zombies in the corridor, almost causing a breakdown.
Jiang Qiqi was grabbed by a zombie and fell to the ground. Tan Xinger tried to pull her away but missed.
Seeing Jiang Qiqi about to be dragged into the horde of zombies, Tan Xinger gritted her teeth and rushed forward.
Just as she touched Jiang Qiqi, Tan Xinger slipped and rolled down the corridor.
Fortunately, she had pulled Jiang Qiqi out before she fell. Seeing the prey escaping, the zombie lunged forward, but was stabbed through the throat by Gao Xin with a club.
Even though the zombie's throat was almost pierced, it still lunged towards him. Under the blessing of immortality, Gao Xin was knocked down by the zombie and rolled down several steps.
Tan Xinger was pulled up by Gu Jingyong before rolling into the horde of zombies, standing beside him in a sorry state.
Staring at the endless horde of zombies, Tan Xinger suddenly felt a surge of despair. How could anyone possibly leave alive?
In a daze, Gu Jingyong continued to pull her downward. Feeling the strength in his grip on her wrist, Tan Xinger slowly breathed out.
Dispelling the thoughts from her mind, she gently pulled her hand away from his and swung her club at a nearby zombie.
Gu Jingyong glanced back at the others behind him. Gao Xin and Jiang Qiqi were both fighting fiercely, while Si Qiao stayed close to him at all times.
If it weren't for them, he could have used his skills to take Tan Xinger away.
Gu Jingyong no longer hesitated. He stepped forward and grabbed Tan Xinger's wrist, and she looked at him in surprise. In an instant, Tan Xinger understood what Gu Jingyong wanted to do.
Tan Xinger hesitated for a moment, not only because Gu Jingyong's use of skills would cause significant backlash, but also because of her interactions with Jiang Qiqi over the past few days.
Glancing back at Jiang Qiqi, she saw her fighting beside Gao Xin, her face flushed as she pushed away a zombie.
She was trying very hard to survive, even though the outcome might not be as beautiful as she had imagined.
"Gu Jingyong."
Tan Xinger called out softly, her voice slightly hoarse.
Gu Jingyong understood the request in her eyes, but he was no saint. He couldn't guarantee that he could protect Tan Xinger after taking those people with him.
If it weren't for Tan Xinger, he wouldn't have any involvement with those people at all, let alone several times stepping in to help them escape.
Gu Jingyong knew that Tan Xinger was conflicted right now, but he was more certain of what choice she would make.
Sure enough, Tan Xinger looked at the zombie blocked by Gu Jingyong, its terrifying appearance almost biting her. The mixed sounds around slowly brought Tan Xinger back to her senses.
Finally, she glanced at Jiang Qiqi, then firmly grasped Gu Jingyong's wrist, making her decision.
Gu Jingyong tightened his grip on her hand, kicked a zombie in front of him, and created a gap in the barrier ahead. But it wasn't enough for the two of them to pass through.
In the midst of the fight, Gu Jingyong's palm slowly tightened, and familiar energy began to swirl around him. Tan Xinger felt that power directed towards him.
Seeing Gu Jingyong's somewhat pale face, she couldn't help but worry. He had just suffered backlash from using his skills, and now he was using them on a large scale again. She didn't know how much pain he would endure.
Tan Xinger's attention was quickly drawn away by something else. Jiang Nan, who had been standing next to her all along, suddenly fell forward towards the zombies.
Tan Xinger subconsciously shouted, "Jiang Nan!"
Despite being within arm's reach, she couldn't grab him in time. Tan Xinger thought she would see a bloody scene, but she didn't expect the person who was about to fall down to reach out and grab a zombie in front of him at the last moment, then use the momentum to pull himself back.
Tan Xinger was amazed by his agility, but when she met Jiang Nan's eyes in the next moment, she felt a shiver down her spine. Subconsciously, she tightened her grip on Gu Jingyong's hand.
Jiang Nan looked at her, then at Gu Jingyong. After their eyes met, Gu Jingyong's expression became cold, as if he was mocking something.
Jiang Nan looked contemptuously at the zombies in front of him. Tan Xinger didn't know what he had done, but she felt that something was quietly changing.
Sure enough, those fierce zombies suddenly stopped moving strangely.
The eyes of the few people turned to Jiang Nan one after another, only to see him saying in a flat tone, "30 seconds."
As soon as the words fell, everyone reacted almost instantaneously. Gu Jingyong pulled her hand and rushed downstairs.
As they descended, Tan Xinger felt a sense of fear. Jiang Nan's power was unexpectedly strong. The zombies stood motionless like they had been possessed, maintaining the same posture as statues.
Thirty seconds was enough time for many things to happen in an escape, such as when the countdown was about to end, the group had already reached the 17th floor.
Almost at the end of the countdown, those zombies recovered from their stillness, as if they didn't know what had just happened, and the scent of the few people followed them, crashing against the door from the outside.
The 17th floor was unusually spacious, with not a single zombie inside, probably because neither of the two doors had been opened.
By now, it was almost 9 o'clock, and Tan Xinger felt a chill in her heart as she felt around in the dark and looked at the hands of her watch.
Suddenly, a beam of light fell on her, and Tan Xinger looked up to see Gu Jingyong handing her a flashlight.
"Help me tie the bandage on my wrist."
Gu Jingyong crouched down, holding out his hand to her.
Tan Xinger thought Gu Jingyong wanted her to help him tie a bandage, but when she looked at the neatly tied bandage on his wrist, it didn't look like he wanted it loosened.
"?"
Tan Xinger looked at Gu Jingyong with confusion, and he gestured for her to look in a certain direction. She saw Jiang Nan sitting against the wall with his eyes closed, apparently resting.
The flashlight's beam wasn't very bright, so Tan Xinger could only see Jiang Nan's silhouette. She was curious about what Gu Jingyong wanted her to see. Before she could ask, she noticed Jiang Nan suddenly clenching his hand tightly.
His hand, which had been resting on his knee, seemed to be stimulated by something, and he gripped it tightly against his knee, his knuckles turning white as if he were enduring some pain.
Tan Xinger carefully adjusted the angle of the flashlight and saw Jiang Nan's face in the dim light. There were several faint blue lines on his originally fair complexion.
Tan Xinger recognized those marks all too well. She instinctively grabbed Gu Jingyong's hand, her gaze burning with questions.
"His ability is mental control, but this skill has a significant backlash. It means that the mental state of the controlled person will affect the user."
Gu Jingyong leaned close to Tan Xinger's ear and whispered softly. Tan Xinger felt a bit uncomfortable and shifted slightly, feeling as if his breath in her ear was like when her previously owned Golden Retriever rubbed against her.
After Gu Jingyong finished speaking, he sat back and noticed Tan Xinger's discomfort. Before she could say anything, he suddenly saw her expression change.
Gu Jingyong thought something had happened with Jiang Nan, but when he looked over, he saw Jiang Nan still sitting there, even looking at them because of Tan Xinger's sudden movement.
Their eyes met, and a smile appeared that only the two of them understood. Gu Jingyong glanced meaningfully at Tan Xinger, as if saying something.
Supporting Tan Xinger, Gu Jingyong heard her say in shock, "I suddenly had a fragment of a dog's memory in my mind, but I'm sure I never had a Golden Retriever while playing as an NPC."
Tan Xinger looked meaningfully at Gu Jingyong. His expression froze for a moment upon hearing her words, then he grabbed her hand and asked, "Are you sure it was a Golden Retriever?"
Tan Xinger recalled the fleeting memory just now and nodded affirmatively.
"Was that Golden Retriever named Lingling?" Gu Jingyong asked.
Tan Xinger shook her head. She couldn't know the name of the dog from the brief flash of memory, but as she looked at Gu Jingyong, she began to wonder why he could accurately say the name of a Golden Retriever.
Why could he accurately say the name of a Golden Retriever?
Tan Xinger's mind was in turmoil, while Gu Jingyong felt that everything was beginning to develop according to his calculations.
He looked at Tan Xinger, thinking back to the scene when he first saw her in this instance.
Originally, he had been teleported to Qinghe High School by the instance and planned to leave through the south gate. Unexpectedly, he caught a glimpse of a shadow on the rooftop.
Even across six floors, he immediately recognized the blurry figure as the person he had been searching for. However, when he went up, he found out that she was just an NPC. He left the instance on the last day, but after returning to Si Fang City, he entered the instance again.
Exactly the same as last time, he even remembered everything she did. The system forcibly sent him back to Si Fang City after the time was up.
He waited ten days before entering the instance again because he had made a deal with the system.
Originally, he only intended to send her to an instance without zombies, but Tan Xinger broke the game's evasion rules directly and gained autonomy.
This was an unexpected joy, but it also provided evidence for his previous speculation.
"I am the person you know, so why did I become an NPC?"
Tan Xinger had a suspicion but dared not confirm it. Looking at Gu Jingyong, she felt that everything was somewhat unbelievable.
"The game background of the instance is not unique. There may be other instances happening in Qinghe High School. You should be a player who failed in the role-playing instance and was recognized as an NPC," Gu Jingyong voiced his thoughts, which coincided with Tan Xinger's speculation.
With her identity clarified, Tan Xinger surprisingly felt a sense of relief, as if everything had finally fallen into place.
"Then, what about my previous—"
Before Tan Xinger could finish her sentence, she was interrupted by a noise. When she turned her head, she saw Jiang Nan's knife falling to the ground.
His actions brought Tan Xinger's thoughts back, reminding her of the initial discovery.
Tan Xinger leaned towards Gu Jingyong and whispered, keeping an eye on Jiang Nan, "If he can't withstand the backlash, will he turn into a zombie?"
"He should become something stronger than a zombie because zombies can inherit his skills," Gu Jingyong assessed Jiang Nan and added as Tan Xinger seemed surprised, "The zombies won't likely cause him backlash, but you should stay away from him later to prevent sudden aggression."
"Okay!" Tan Xinger nodded repeatedly, deciding to keep her distance from Jiang Nan until the end of the instance.