Dawn broke with reddish light piercing through thin clouds. Yu Hua University's campus, usually filled with laughter and the , gsound of students' footsteps, now lay silent. Only the distant chiming of wind-blown bells could be heard, and occasionally, the far-off growls of the infected.
Huang Wei stepped carefully out of the dormitory building. A large backpack hung from his shoulders, an iron club gripped tightly in his right hand, and a kitchen knife secured neatly to his belt. His eyes quickly swept the surrounding area—a habit that had become second nature over the past week.
The dormitory courtyard, once neatly maintained, was now littered with dry leaves and scattered trash. Several park benches lay overturned, and in the distance, a car had crashed into a large oak tree. Dark bloodstains had dried in various spots—evidence of battles that had already taken place.
'The campus I once knew is gone,' Huang Wei thought as he surveyed the empty, lifeless buildings.
Moving as quietly as possible, Huang Wei followed the walkway leading to the university's main building. He moved like a shadow, his footsteps nearly silent. His [Serenity] skill was invaluable for maintaining calm, allowing him to move without panic and avoid making sounds that might attract the infected.
Along the way, the devastation of the campus was clearly visible. Several windows were shattered, doors hung wide open as if abandoned in haste. Near the administrative faculty building, Huang Wei saw shoes and bags left behind—evidence of mass panic when the outbreak first struck.
'Are there still any survivors left in this university?' he wondered briefly. But his current priority was food. The supplies he'd gathered from the dormitory wouldn't last long, and the cafeteria was closer than the stadium.
---
The cafeteria building stood solid in the center of campus—a two-story structure with a glass facade that was mostly still intact. Huang Wei observed the building from a safe distance, hiding behind some bushes. From the outside, the building appeared empty, but his experience over the past week had taught him never to trust appearances.
For fifteen minutes, Huang Wei simply watched. No movement inside, no suspicious sounds. Once confident, he moved toward the side door—a small entrance typically used by kitchen staff that was somewhat hidden from view.
The door was locked. Huang Wei searched around and found a small window that was already broken nearby. Carefully, he cleared away the remaining glass shards from the frame and peered inside.
The cafeteria's interior was dark and silent. Tables and chairs were scattered about, some overturned and others pushed together to block the main entrance—a sign that someone had once tried to make a stand here.
Huang Wei sighed and climbed through the window. His feet landed soundlessly on the ceramic kitchen floor. The stench of food left to rot for a week assaulted his nostrils.
Moving cautiously, Huang Wei checked every corner of the kitchen. The storage room was his target. If he was lucky, there would still be canned food and bottled water stored there.
Just as he was about to open the storage room door, his ears caught the sound of low growling from behind the serving counter. Huang Wei froze. Slowly, he raised his iron club and crept toward the source of the sound.
Behind the counter, two infected figures crouched on the floor, chewing on something Huang Wei didn't want to identify. One infected wore a cafeteria staff uniform, the other looked like a student in a red hoodie now stained with blood.
The infected in the red hoodie looked up first, its nose sniffing the air like an animal. Its cloudy eyes found Huang Wei's figure, and a harsh growl immediately escaped its throat.
"Shit," Huang Wei hissed.
Both infected rose and lunged at him simultaneously. But Huang Wei was no longer the same person he'd been a week ago. He had killed dozens of infected, and his body was far stronger now.
With an almost casual movement, Huang Wei dodged the first infected's claws and swung his club into the second infected's head. A loud "CRACK" echoed as the infected's skull shattered, its body immediately collapsing lifeless.
The infected in the red hoodie was more agile. It growled angrily at seeing its companion fall and attacked more aggressively. Its claws nearly caught Huang Wei's face, but his enhanced reflexes thanks to [Agility] allowed him to dodge just in time.
Huang Wei spun and swung his club at the infected's knee, breaking it with a sickening crunch. The infected fell to its knees, and before it could react, Huang Wei brought his club down once more on its head, ending its existence.
The entire fight lasted less than twenty seconds.
Huang Wei checked his surroundings, making sure no other infected had been attracted by the sound of combat. Once certain the situation was secure, he returned to his task: searching for supplies.
The storage room was unlocked, and Huang Wei couldn't suppress his smile at what he found inside. Shelves packed with canned food, bottled water, and various dry goods like instant noodles and crackers. Whoever had last been here apparently left in a hurry, abandoning all the supplies.
"Jackpot," Huang Wei muttered.
Efficiently, he began filling his backpack with the most important and long-lasting items. Drinking water was top priority, followed by canned food and instant noodles. He also found several high-quality kitchen knives which he packed as backup weapons.
With secure supplies and a full backpack, Huang Wei prepared to explore more of the university. However, as he stepped from the kitchen into the main dining area, the sound of screaming echoed from the distance.
Human screaming.
---
Huang Wei rushed to the cafeteria's front window, peering carefully from behind tattered curtains. In the distance, right in the campus square, a group of people could be seen surrounded by infected—maybe fifteen or twenty of them.
Huang Wei's heart pounded. For a week, he'd thought he might be the only survivor left on campus. Seeing other people still alive, still fighting, stirred unexpected emotions—a mixture of relief, hope, and slight worry. Were they dangerous? Would they be allies or threats?
From his distance, Huang Wei could see the group consisted of nine people—three men and six women. Most of them looked terrified, with dirty clothes and exhausted faces. Two men appeared to be fighting on the front lines, protecting the others with wooden sticks and iron pipes. The third man stood near the women, his face pale with fear though he tried to act protective while holding a knife in his trembling hands.
From their movements, Huang Wei immediately knew they were Evolved like himself, as their strength exceeded that of ordinary humans.
However, there was one figure that caught Huang Wei's attention—a beautiful woman moving with grace that contrasted sharply with the chaos around her. Her long black hair was tied in a ponytail, flowing like a banner as she spun among the infected. In her hands, she gripped what appeared to be a thin sword—possibly a fencing sword from the fencing club—and she cut down infected one by one with movements that were almost like a deadly dance.
'She must have focused her stats on [Agility],' Huang Wei analyzed, observing how the woman could dodge attacks with precision that would be nearly impossible for an ordinary human.
However, despite the three fighters' best efforts, there were simply too many infected. For every infected that fell, two more appeared from behind buildings, drawn by the sounds of battle. Their situation was becoming increasingly desperate, and from their expressions and movements, Huang Wei could see their stamina was running low.
Huang Wei knew he had a choice. He could turn around and ignore the group. That would be the safest and most logical choice. For the past week, he had learned that survival was the top priority, and that sometimes meant ignoring others in trouble.
But...
'No,' Huang Wei shook his head, dismissing the thought. 'I've been alone too long. And if I ignore them now, I won't be able to sleep peacefully later.'
The decision made with a deep breath and sharp focus, Huang Wei left the cafeteria and ran toward the square, iron club gripped tightly. His steps were steady, without hesitation. The [Serenity] skill helped him stay calm even as his heart raced.
The first infected to spot him immediately turned and attacked, but Huang Wei was ready. With full force, he swung his club into the infected's head, crushing it in one blow. Black blood sprayed into the air, some hitting Huang Wei's face and clothes, but he was too accustomed to it to care.
Every infected that blocked his path was struck down mercilessly, their skulls cracking with sounds that had become familiar to him. Huang Wei's movements were no longer like those of an ordinary human—every swing, every step, every strike had been greatly enhanced over the past week.
"On your left!" Huang Wei shouted as he saw an infected approaching the sword-wielding woman from her blind spot.
The woman reacted with incredible speed, spinning and thrusting her sword directly into the infected's eye in a movement that was almost invisible. She then looked at Huang Wei with a mixture of surprise and curiosity.
The group of survivors looked shocked when Huang Wei appeared and began slaughtering infected from behind. Their faces, which had shown despair moments before, now displayed confusion and a glimmer of hope. They exchanged glances, as if asking whether this unexpected savior could be trusted.
"Fall back toward the administration building!" Huang Wei shouted while pointing to the large building near them whose front door was still intact and looked solid. "We can hold out there! The main door is made of steel and easy to barricade!"
The survivors didn't waste time asking questions. With the sword-wielding woman and the two male fighters protecting the right and left flanks, they began moving backward in the direction Huang Wei had indicated. Those who couldn't fight stayed in the center of the formation, protected from all sides.
Huang Wei himself protected the rear, striking down every infected that tried to approach. With his [Strength] and iron club, each swing could crush up to two infected at once. Movements that had once been awkward were now more efficient and deadly thanks to [Weapon Mastery].
After a brief but intense struggle, the group finally reached the administration building. One of the men immediately opened the door, and they all entered quickly. Huang Wei was the last to enter, making sure no infected had followed before locking the door with the chain and padlock available on the inside of the door.