"Now, we need to discuss the route back to the dormitory," Yun Qian said, her slender fingers nervously playing with the tip of her sword. "The main road we took earlier is no longer safe."
Huang Wei glanced toward the dust-covered window, where sunlight was beginning to climb higher. "Behind the government studies faculty," he said in a heavy voice. "It's longer, but at least we won't have to face the crowds."
"Wait." Yun Qian gripped Huang Wei's arm, her gaze hardening. "There's something you need to know about this campus now. About what we've discovered and suspected."
Using the tip of her sword, Yun Qian began scratching the dusty floor, creating a rough map. Sharp lines marked various areas, while her keen eyes occasionally shifted to Huang Wei's face, making sure he was paying attention.
"The campus is now divided into dangerous zones," she said, pointing to the eastern section of the map. "Here, the eastern zone—the location of the girls' dormitory and the public policy faculty—we estimate will be one of the safest places, if we can reach it. Almost all the female students have left and returned to their homes." Her sword tip then moved to the western section, pressing deeper into the floor surface. "This western zone, where we are now, is dangerous territory. The boys' dormitory, public administration faculty, cafeteria—they're all crawling with infected."
Huang Wei crouched down, studying the map carefully. "The northern zone? The constitutional law faculty and Main Security Post?"
Liu Zihao approached, his face darkening. "We tried to hold out there for a week, and it was extremely dangerous. Today is the day all students return home, making that area busier than before and creating complete chaos there."
The atmosphere in the room turned cold. One of the women hugged herself, her eyes darting wildly around, remembering the horrific scenes from that story.
Yun Qian took a deep breath. "And there's one more thing we need to—"
CRASH!
A loud impact from the floor above cut off her words. All heads snapped toward the ceiling. Fine dust fell, dancing in the tense air.
"What was that?" whispered one of the women, her voice barely audible. Her face was deathly pale, fingers clutching tightly at the arm of the bespectacled man beside her.
CRASH! CRASH!
The sound was getting closer now—a low growl that rattled their bones and sent waves of cold down their spines. The door leading to the stairs shook violently, its hinges screaming in protest under pressure from the other side, as if the creature behind it could sense the presence of living humans.
Chen Feng gripped his iron pipe until his knuckles turned white. His eyes widened with unmistakable fear as he stared at Huang Wei with unconcealed accusation.
"You said this building was supposed to be empty!!" he screamed with a trembling voice, cold sweat streaming down his pale temples. "Did you deliberately lie to us all?! Lead us into a trap?!"
"Chen Feng! Control yourself!" Yun Qian immediately cut in, her voice sharp but controlled. Her eyes flashed with an undeniable warning. "This isn't the time for accusations."
Yun Qian's shout startled him—throughout her leadership, she had never raised her voice, and being scolded caught him completely off guard.
Yun Qian turned to Huang Wei. With a calm demeanor showing her maturity, she bowed her head slightly in a gesture of sincere apology.
"Please forgive his words," Yun Qian said in a low tone filled with sincerity. "Fear sometimes makes us speak without thinking."
"I'm not..." Before Chen Feng could finish his sentence, he found Yun Qian staring at him sharply, telling him to stay quiet, and Chen Feng immediately fell silent.
Chen Feng had wanted to say he wasn't afraid of some infected, but he was immediately stopped by Yun Qian's sharp gaze, making him too scared to continue because he feared his standing in her eyes would plummet further.
He had shouted purely out of jealousy. For some reason, he disliked Huang Wei, and his dislike grew stronger after seeing how Yun Qian treated him. Her attitude toward Chen Feng was ordinary, despite him being rich and fairly handsome—popular even among seniors. Yet he still couldn't move Yun Qian's heart.
Then suddenly, out of nowhere, came this unremarkable man whose only advantage was his strength, immediately capturing the attention of Yun Qian, whom he'd been pursuing. How could he not be angry?
He felt Huang Wei was deliberately targeting Yun Qian, since he'd shown no expression when dealing with him or the group.
So when the infected arrived, he immediately had the idea to trap Huang Wei and undermine Yun Qian's trust in him. But instead of losing her trust, Yun Qian scolded him and implied he was being cowardly.
He was furious now—so angry that veins bulged in his neck—but he couldn't say anything because he didn't want to be looked down upon by Yun Qian again.
Huang Wei merely glanced at Chen Feng and immediately understood what was driving his accusations, but he ignored this idiot and looked at Yun Qian with slight surprise hidden behind his flat expression. He hadn't expected Yun Qian to apologize for her subordinate's mistake. This attitude made him secretly admire the young woman's leadership.
"It's fine," Huang Wei said calmly, patting the iron bat slung over his shoulder. "Fear is a natural response in our world now."
His words once again provoked Chen Feng's anger, but he remained silent, only glaring at Huang Wei.
Yun Qian slowly raised her head, and her eyes met Huang Wei's gaze. She looked deeply, making sure he truly didn't mind.
The pounding at the door grew louder, echoing through the stuffy room. Liu Zihao, who had been quiet, tightened his grip on the hunting knife in his hand.
"The sounds from our earlier fight," Huang Wei continued with a calmness that contrasted sharply with the tension in the air. He swung his iron bat with light movements, though the weapon clearly had considerable weight. "They're attracted to noise, like sharks smelling blood in water. The louder it gets, the farther they can hear."
His eyes shifted to Chen Feng, who was still glaring at him angrily.
"And you should know, a place that looks empty doesn't mean it's truly free of infected," he added with a sharper tone. "If you think like that, then you're too naive. And congratulations—your screaming just now might have invited even more of them."
Chen Feng clenched his fists with visible rage, neck veins protruding as he held back his emotions. He opened his mouth to retort, but Liu Zihao moved quickly, gripping his arm firmly and shaking his head with a clear warning.
"Not the time," Liu Zihao whispered, his voice calm but carrying firmness. "Save your energy for fighting."
Suddenly, as if answering their tension, the stairway door burst open with a deafening crash—broken iron hinges clattering to the concrete floor with a heavy thud. Six figures stumbled in with unnatural movements. Their skin was pale blue with prominent black veins, and their eyes—once human—were now empty and filled with primitive hunger that could never be satisfied.
A putrid stench flooded the room, a mixture of rotting flesh and something more horrifying, so thick that several group members couldn't help but cough and cover their noses with their sleeves.
Huang Wei raised his iron bat in a ready stance, his gaze remaining sharp and calm as he slowly stepped forward toward the infected to face the threat before them.