Boys' Dormitory.
Xian Moumou descended the stairs, only to be confronted by a shocking sight: about thirty zombies now roamed the first floor.
Liang Fu, braving the situation, followed Xian downstairs. He had initially thought only the fat boy had turned into a zombie, and that it would take some time for the others to fully mutate after being bitten. But he never expected the transformation to happen so quickly.
Realizing the danger, Xian Moumou shouted back, "Get back upstairs, now!"
At the corner of the stairs, Cai Cheng and the others from Dormitory 220 hesitated, fear paralyzing them. Cai had assumed they were dealing with just a simple zombie and had wanted to show off in front of his dormmates. But with so many zombies lurking below, his confidence vanished.
We need to get out of here. Staying means it's over for us, he thought.
Xian Moumou looked at Liang Fu and said urgently, "You too, head back up."
Liang Fu, clearly concerned, responded, "Brother, you should retreat as well. The stairs are narrow, perfect for using your mind power. If you go down there, you'll be surrounded in no time."
Without saying a word, Xian Moumou summoned his mind power.
He hadn't found a proper weapon yet, so he improvised by grabbing a ballpoint pen, a pair of scissors, and a fruit knife from the dormitory—having been inspired by Yuto Saito's flying knife technique. Under the control of his mind power, these makeshift weapons flew toward the zombies.
The fruit knife embedded itself in a zombie's forehead, but the ballpoint pen and scissors were easily destroyed by the others. Surprised, Xian Moumou realized that these zombies were different—much stronger and more resilient than expected.
One zombie even pulled the knife from its head, roaring as all the other zombies charged toward him.
"Sh*t!" Xian panicked and turned to run.
Liang Fu, seeing the horde chasing after Xian, gave a wry smile. "Brother, why did you go and attract them all?"
Xian, still fleeing, shouted, "Call Brother Su, now!"
Meanwhile, Yuto Saito, Yun Yunjue, Ni Shuang, and Natto were enjoying a relaxing hot pot meal.
Yuto asked, "How's the food?"
Yun Yunjue smiled, her delicate face glowing. "It's delicious."
Ni Shuang grinned. "If my sister says it's good, it must be."
Natto chimed in, her face full of satisfaction. "This is amazing! If anyone knew how lavishly we were eating, they'd be so envious."
Yun Yunjue glanced at Yuto. "Xiaotutu, when will Mina and the others arrive?"
Yuto replied, "Mina said they'd be here by noon tomorrow."
Yun Yunjue asked again, "Will they be staying here as well?"
Yuto nodded. "Yes, they'll stay here, but they won't get to eat for free."
Ni Shuang blinked curiously. "What do you mean, 'accept them'?"
Yuto smiled. "I mean they'll have to contribute. Whether it's hunting zombies or exchanging materials, each person must hand in at least one spar every day."
Yun Yunjue nodded. "I think that's fair."
Ni Shuang agreed. "Absolutely. We're not running a charity."
Natto added, "No complaints from me. I can already kill first-order monsters, so getting one white crystal a day shouldn't be too hard. You two are even stronger than me, so it'll be a breeze."
Ni Shuang teased, looking at Yuto. "But no matter how strong we are, he's still stronger, isn't he?"
Natto laughed. "Brother Su isn't just strong—he's a god."
Ni Shuang rolled her eyes. "Natto, you're such a sycophant."
Natto winked at her. "You could be one too, Xiao Shuang."
Ni Shuang's face flushed. "Not happening."
Yuto and Yun Yunjue continued to eat their hot pot leisurely, watching the playful banter between the two girls.
Yun Yunjue asked, her curiosity piqued, "Xiaotutu, how many girlfriends have you had?"
At this, Ni Shuang and Natto immediately fell silent, turning their attention to Yuto, eager to hear his answer.
Yuto's handsome face showed a hint of embarrassment. "I haven't had any."
"Pfft," Ni Shuang choked on her orange juice, laughing.
Natto was equally surprised. "Brother Su, really? Not even one?"
Yuto nodded, his expression sincere. "Nope."
Yun Yunjue's eyes twinkled with amusement. "I never would have guessed. Our Xiaotutu is still inexperienced in love."
Ni Shuang agreed. "Yeah, I thought you were some kind of player, but you're just a newbie."
Natto added cheerfully, "Don't worry, Brother Su. You'll definitely have a girlfriend soon."
Yuto smiled at the girls. "Alright, enough teasing! You won't be able to escape me now."
Yun Yunjue, playfully propping up a pillow, leaned forward, her graceful curves catching his eye. She looked at Yuto and said softly, "Who said I'm trying to escape? Come here."
Yuto's heart skipped a beat—this was a good feeling.
Ni Shuang laughed. "Sister, you're amazing!"
Natto clapped. "Sister Yun is the best."
Just then, Yuto's phone rang.
He glanced at the caller ID—Liang Fu. Turning on the speakerphone, Yuto answered, "A-Fu, what's going on?"
Liang Fu's voice came through, filled with urgency. "Brother Su, help! The boys' dorm is overrun with zombies. Brother Xian said these aren't normal zombies—they're mutants, first-order strength!"
Yuto's interest piqued. More zombies? More experience. He asked, "How many are there?"
"About thirty," Liang Fu replied.
Yuto nodded. "Alright, I'll be there soon. Find a place to hold out until I arrive."
"Thank you, Brother Su!" Liang Fu exclaimed before the call ended.
Yun Yunjue smiled slyly. "More experience opportunities?"
Ni Shuang immediately raised her hand. "I'm going!"
Natto joined in. "Me too."
Yuto stood up, grinning. "Let's go. We'll get some more practical experience. Once the new members join, I'll be counting on you all to lead the team."
Ni Shuang laughed, her face beaming. "Xiaotutu, are you making us into team managers?"
Yuto, adopting a more serious tone, replied, "You're not just managers."
Ni Shuang stared at him, intrigued.
Yuto, smirking, bypassed her and walked over to Yun Yunjue, pulling her gently off the sofa. Ni Shuang puffed her cheeks in frustration, realizing Yuto was teasing her on purpose.
Yuto simply smiled and wrapped his arm around Yun Yunjue's slender waist, feeling satisfied. He knew that Ni Shuang's pride needed some taming.