Will I receive a meal for each zombie I eliminate? This would alleviate my concerns about food! After eating and drinking, Bai Yi prepared his backpack, picked up his knife, and carefully opened the door. A terrible odor enveloped him as he stepped over a pile of emaciated corpses...
He was eager to return and inform Li Mei that he had gained special abilities, which would enable her to lead a more stable life without the burden of daily labor just to provide necessities!
Bai Yi holds a deep admiration for Chen Li Mei, not solely due to her beauty, but because she has been a dedicated and recognized student since high school. Despite her average academic performance, she is well-liked for her positive and cheerful disposition.
As someone who was somewhat introverted during that time, Bai Yi was pleasantly surprised when Chen Li Mei confessed her feelings during their second year of high school. To be honest, he felt quite apprehensive at that moment!
Although he was handsome, Bai Yi was often overlooked in school, commonly identified merely as "the top student in class XX."
Bai Yi was genuinely touched by her confession. After spending some time together, they developed a meaningful friendship. However, as they were at a pivotal stage in their lives, they chose to express their feelings without pursuing a romantic relationship.
Despite her average grades, Bai Yi kindly offered to tutor her, and by the time of the college entrance examination, she had significantly improved her performance, securing admission to Long Province University of Technology!
Bai Yi had sufficient grades to attend universities in major cities, but out of a desire to remain close to Chen Li Mei, he applied to Long Province University of Technology as well.
Their relationship remained strong, and Bai Yi intuitively felt that if things continued in this manner, they would likely marry after graduation. Unfortunately, their plans were disrupted by the onset of the apocalypse...
Chen Li Mei's dormitory was on the third floor. Bai Yi, armed with his knife, cautiously navigated the corners of the stairs. He recognized the gravity of the situation; he could not assume he was invincible simply because of his newfound abilities. Currently, nearly four-fifths of the students at the university had transformed into zombies, roaming the campus. Each day brought new survivors who succumbed to infection and joined the ranks of the undead.
If the campus were not expansive enough, the overwhelming number of zombies would have led to catastrophic outcomes. Fortunately, it was observed that the high summer temperatures seemed to impede the zombies' activity during the day; they were markedly less responsive in sunlight. Only at night did they become particularly aggressive and emerge from shadowy corners to hunt.
Therefore, as long as one maintained quiet during daylight hours, encounters with large groups of zombies were avoidable. This explained why Bai Yi had attracted only seven zombies despite making considerable noise within the dormitory.
However, it is important to note that safety during the day was not assured; zombies harbored no fear of sunlight when drawn to living humans in proximity.
At level two, Bai Yi felt inadequate to confront the zombies, as his low attributes made even a single zombie a significant challenge. "I hope I can avoid any encounters!" Bai Yi silently descended the stairs, feeling relieved that he had not faced any zombies as he reached the dormitory door when, unexpectedly, a shadow fell from above and crashed onto the door!
Bai Yi looked despondently at the cement floor on the other side of the door, where a young woman lay, bloodied and exposed, her limbs twisted erratically... Her gaze was distant and filled with despair.
"Oops!" Bai Yi muttered, turning on his heel and scrambling into the vacant guard room. Outside the dormitory building, he could hear frantic footsteps and anguished cries. He crouched beneath the window sill, peering out at a horrifying scene...
Fresh flesh had drawn all the zombies that had previously remained hidden. A throng of them converged at the dormitory entrance, ravenously attacking the body of the suicide victim.
Bai Yi took in the sight and quickly realized that at least a dozen zombies were gathered by the door, consuming their prey. "Why did this have to happen? Timing is everything!" Bai Yi grumbled in frustration. He had been merely steps away from escaping the dormitory.
To his surprise, there were other survivors in the dormitory building. Thinking it through, he understood that for many girls, seeking refuge in the dormitory was safer during this tumultuous time rather than risking exposure.
However, the challenges of food and water shortages, along with the isolation that can lead to psychological distress, had tragically driven some individuals to undertake drastic measures. Bai Yi had become accustomed to such instances and had seen individuals, overtaken by fear, run headlong into the horde of zombies.
A sudden, powerful roar startled Bai Yi from his thoughts. He glanced up to witness chaos erupting among the zombies feasting outside. A massive figure surged forward, throwing two zombies aside with ease, even tearing one in half while howling in triumph. The grotesque sight only seemed to invigorate the creature, causing the other zombies to retreat in terror. The formidable zombie then approached the corpse, dug out the girl's heart, and devoured it voraciously.
Bai Yi's eyes widened in disbelief as he took in the flickering red glow in the powerful zombie's forehead.
"This is bad! An advanced zombie!" Bai Yi instinctively dropped to the ground, ceasing to breathe. The presence of ordinary zombies had already instilled a sense of hopelessness in him, and now the emergence of an advanced zombie left him with no inclination to fight.
He recognized the zombie all too well; its core came from the same body as this monstrous creature!
Previously, this zombie had stormed through the cafeteria with a pack of survivors, wreaking havoc among ordinary people. It was only due to its immense strength which caused it to become trapped in the floor, that power users were ultimately able to take it down after suffering significant casualties.
Despite this victory, the zombie had already claimed the lives of seven individuals with special abilities and was responsible for nearly 40 fatalities in total throughout the cafeteria.
Because nobody had dared to dispose of the corpse, Bai Yi, who had been tasked with the recovery, had been granted a rare opportunity. Fully aware of the danger, Bai Yi had no intention of confronting this formidable foe.
Though he had been bestowed with extraordinary capabilities, it had not offered him any tangible advantages from the onset! Rather, it left him in a precarious state compared to before. Facing such swarms of zombies was not something Bai Yi felt equipped to handle.
Contemplating his situation, Bai Yi understood that remaining in the guard room was unwise; he needed to wait for the throngs of zombies outside to thin out. However, in such a violent and bloody scenario, he knew that would take some time.
Bai Yi hesitantly raised his head for another glance outside. As he did, he found himself locking eyes with a pair of milky-white orbs. Panic overcame him as he fell to the ground!
Unbeknownst to him, a zombie had appeared outside the window of the guard room. It seemed to have picked up on the commotion within and began banging against the window, shattering the fragile glass.
Fortunately, the reinforced plastic layer remained intact, leaving only shards and a dark bloodstain behind. Bai Yi's complexion paled, and he quickly scrambled out of the guard room!
We cannot remain on the first floor any longer. With such noise, it wouldn't be long before the zombies breached the door—remaining here equated to certain death! As Bai Yi burst from the guard room, he spotted a collection of spare keys hanging on the wall and snatched them up.
The disappearance of the food heightened the zombies' agitation, and the clamoring attracted even more to their position. Amid the crashing roars of breaking glass below, Bai Yi fled upwards without a glance back. Thankfully, the zombies were currently unable to traverse stairs, allowing for a brief respite from the imminent threat.
After ascending to the fourth floor, Bai Yi found himself gasping for breath, his skin ashen from his exertions...
His physical condition remained inadequate, even inferior to that of a regular individual! Just as he sought to regain his composure, a feeble zombie unexpectedly lunged at him from the corridor on the fourth floor!
"Roar!" Female zombies are typically smaller and less robust than their male counterparts, yet their sudden appearance startled Bai Yi. By the time he responded, the creature was too close; he couldn't draw his weapon in time, only managing to raise his blade defensively in a desperate bid to block its attacking arm!
The powerful impact of the attack forced Bai Yi backwards, nearly sending him tumbling down the stairs. He leaned against the railing to steady himself, but the strength of the zombie was overwhelming, inducing panic as Bai Yi felt it exert its force upon him.
As the struggle unfolded between them, the chaos drew more zombies from the fourth floor. Thankfully, most remained trapped in locked rooms and could not rush out in that moment.
Bai Yi fought to hold onto the zombie's arm, taking two deep breaths before launching a swift kick and using his knife to shift the creature's weight to the side. The unsuspecting zombie did not anticipate the loss of its grip, tumbled down the stairs with a terrified scream.
Bai Yi, panting heavily, observed the zombie struggling on the stairs, unable to regain its footing. His mind cleared in a moment of resolve as he gripped the knife firmly in his left hand, prepared to finish the job. Just then, a loud crash echoed from the dormitory door, forming a troubling crack in the already weakened barrier!
Bai Yi momentarily lost focus and relinquished his opportunity to eliminate the zombie. Instead, he turned and ascended to the fifth floor. Now, alone, he could not afford to engage further with zombies roaming the building...