Chapter 12: Replica Tang Blade

"Can you handle driving the school bus?" Yue Zhong continued to probe, as he needed someone capable of operating the school bus.

Chen Yao confidently replied, "No problem!"

"Do you know where the keys to the school bus are?" Yue Zhong pressed further. Without the keys, even finding the bus would be useless.

Chen Yao quickly responded, "The school bus driver, Zhang Xiao, is usually at the academic affairs office or the general affairs office during this time. If nothing's out of the ordinary, we should be able to find him there."

Chen Yao, as the head of the student union's organizational department, frequently interacted with school administrators and often rode the school bus for various trips. Through casual conversations, she had learned about Zhang Xiao's usual whereabouts.

Yue Zhong rummaged through his bag and pulled out the white treasure box. When he opened it, a flash of light revealed a sharp Tang blade.

"Level 1 Replica Tang Blade. Attack Power: 5–8. This is an exceptionally sharp blade capable of easily severing bones. A formidable weapon against the infected."

"What a great blade. With this, dealing with zombies will be much easier," Yue Zhong mused as he caressed the sharp Tang blade, feeling the cold metallic surface.

Using the beginner's wooden stick to fight zombies often resulted in significant recoil. With this sharp replica Tang blade in hand, Yue Zhong could dispatch zombies more efficiently.

Yue Zhong then pulled out the skill book for Minor Fireball from his bag and addressed Chen Yao solemnly. "You must have heard that voice by now. I'll share another piece of information with you: by killing a certain number of zombies, you can level up and gain enhancements. This skeleton, Bone, is my ability. This is a level 1 skill book, Minor Fireball, which contains details about the skill. Chen Yao, I can give this skill book to you, but I hope you'll agree to help me rescue a close friend of mine once we're safe."

To Yue Zhong, the Minor Fireball skill was currently of little use to him. If it could bolster the strength of his team, he wouldn't hesitate to part with it. His sole wish was to escape this place and find his close friend.

Although Chen Yao was physically frail and not particularly strong in combat, she was resourceful and well-informed. Yue Zhong hoped to have such a companion by his side.

Chen Yao made her decision quickly. Amid the envious and jealous glances of the other three girls, she accepted the skill book. "Alright! I promise to help you find your friend once we're safe."

A flash of light followed as the skill book dissolved into a stream of energy, merging into Chen Yao's body.

"How amazing!" Zhang Xuan, standing nearby, looked on with envy. It was the first time she had seen someone receive the inheritance of a skill book.

"Seriously! Why does she always get the good stuff? The heavens favor her too much!" Wang Fang's eyes were filled with jealousy and resentment as she watched Chen Yao absorb the skill book.

Chen Yao was not only exceptionally beautiful but also came from a good family, making her the object of admiration for many male students. Wang Fang, though also an outstanding girl, paled in comparison to Chen Yao. She had always been envious of Chen Yao's good fortune. Now that the world as they knew it was collapsing, Chen Yao had received a skill book from Yue Zhong, significantly boosting her chances of survival, which only heightened Wang Fang's jealousy.

"So, Chen Yao! Can you cast a spell for us to see?" Zhang Xuan eagerly pestered Chen Yao, curious about her new ability.

Chen Yao also seemed eager to try, as she had just acquired the ability and wanted to test its strength.

Yue Zhong stepped in to stop her. "No! In your current state, you can only cast one fireball per day. Save it for a critical moment."

That single fireball could save their lives, and Yue Zhong wouldn't allow Chen Yao to use it carelessly.

Chen Yao quickly regained her composure and nodded. "I understand."

Yue Zhong turned to Ji Qingwu. "Qingwu, how's your stamina recovery?"

Ji Qingwu didn't hold back. "6 points. My current stamina cap is 12 points, but it's hard to recover now. It seems my body is exhausted."

"Then stay here and guard them. I'll rest for a bit and then go out to find the keys. Ji Qingwu, wake me up in five minutes." After saying this, Yue Zhong took out a vitality apple, ate it quickly, and lay down on the bed, closing his eyes to better recover his stamina.

Seeing Yue Zhong lying on her bed, Zhang Xuan, the baby-faced girl, blushed slightly and murmured, "That's my bed."

Yue Zhong was so exhausted that the moment his head hit the pillow, he fell into a deep sleep.

Outside, the zombies continued to pound on the dormitory door. Aside from Ji Qingwu, the other girls huddled close to Yue Zhong, fearful that the door would give way at any moment.

Five minutes later, Ji Qingwu gently shook Yue Zhong. "Wake up. It's been five minutes."

"Five minutes already? Time flies." Yue Zhong opened his eyes, glanced at Ji Qingwu, and smiled wryly. After nearly an entire afternoon of intense fighting, even with the vitality apple's nourishment, his stamina had only recovered to 11 points.

Yue Zhong quickly got out of bed, took a climbing rope from his backpack, tied it securely, and dropped it out the window.

"If things get dire, you can escape from here," Yue Zhong told the girls before swiftly descending the rope.

Bone followed Yue Zhong, climbing down the rope just as nimbly.

As soon as Yue Zhong touched the ground, four nearby zombies began shambling toward him.

Yue Zhong, wielding the Tang blade, rushed forward and delivered a powerful slash to the head of one zombie. The zombie's head flew off, and dark blood splattered everywhere.

"What a great blade!" Yue Zhong thought to himself after effortlessly killing a zombie.

The replica Tang blade was incredibly sharp, allowing Yue Zhong to dispatch a zombie with 50% less effort than before. This meant he could conserve more energy while killing more zombies.

With the replica Tang blade in hand and Bone by his side, Yue Zhong swiftly dispatched the four zombies and immediately sprinted toward the academic affairs and general affairs offices.

As soon as Yue Zhong appeared, the surrounding horde of zombies shifted their attention and began chasing after him.