Chapter 14: Escaping the Campus

After hearing Zhao Zhen's words, the five of them felt a spark of motivation. However, the thought of engaging in close combat with the zombies silenced them all. Close combat was far too dangerous; even a single scratch from a zombie could lead to infection and death. This wasn't a video game—human lives were finite, and there were no second chances here. Once you died, it was over.

"Let's go back," Zhao Zhen hesitated for a long time before finally speaking to the other four, slowly walking back into the finance office. Even though he knew the method to become stronger, it was a gamble with their lives, and Zhao Zhen wasn't mentally prepared for that yet.

The other four hesitated but eventually followed him into the finance office. Unless pushed to the brink, few would willingly risk their lives to pursue the path of becoming stronger.

As soon as Yue Zhong left the finance office, he sprinted at full speed toward the girls' dormitory.

Hordes of zombies shambled toward him.

Yue Zhong, wielding the replica Tang blade, charged into the zombie horde. Although he hadn't formally trained in martial arts, the enhancements to his agility and strength gave him speed and power far beyond that of an ordinary person. No zombie could hold him back for even a moment.

With Bone's assistance, Yue Zhong cut down seven zombies and broke through the horde, reaching the back of the girls' dormitory.

Yue Zhong quickly climbed up the rope and entered the dormitory.

"Yue Zhong, you're back!" Seeing Yue Zhong return, the baby-faced girl Zhang Xuan immediately stood up, a joyful smile on her face.

Except for Ji Qingwu, the other girls also breathed a sigh of relief. Although Yue Zhong hadn't been gone for long, the constant threat of zombies had left them feeling completely unsafe. Seeing Yue Zhong's return, they finally felt a bit more at ease.

Ji Qingwu also stood up and walked over to Yue Zhong, her beautiful, clear eyes fixed on him as she asked, "Did you get the keys?"

"Got them," Yue Zhong replied, sitting down on one of the girls' beds and taking a large gulp from a water bottle.

Although Yue Zhong hadn't been gone for long, the intense combat and almost non-stop running had taken a toll on his stamina.

"Let's go," Yue Zhong said, standing up as soon as his stamina recovered to 9 points. He addressed the five girls in the dormitory.

Yue Zhong glanced at the other four girls and instructed, "Once we're downstairs, stay close behind me and Ji Qingwu. Don't run off or push and shove. I'll make this clear now—if you get separated, I won't be able to save you."

Outside, the hordes of zombies were numerous, and if any of the girls strayed into the crowd, Yue Zhong wouldn't be able to rescue them.

"Got it," the four girls nodded obediently. At this point, disobedience meant certain death.

After giving his instructions, Yue Zhong quickly climbed down the rope, reaching the ground in no time.

Zhang Xuan approached the rope, looked down, and hesitated. She wasn't a sporty girl, and even with the rope, she wasn't sure she could make it down from the third floor.

"If you're not going down, let me. Don't waste time, Zhang Xuan!" Seeing her hesitation, Wang Fang pushed Zhang Xuan aside and swiftly climbed down the rope.

Though she swayed a bit, Wang Fang gritted her teeth and made it down.

Next, Chen Yao climbed down the rope with ease, even more smoothly than Wang Fang.

"Not bad," Yue Zhong praised. It was rare to see a girl climb down so effortlessly. Chen Yao gave off the impression of being delicate and fragile, so it was surprising to see her manage it so well.

Chen Yao smiled confidently at Yue Zhong. "Don't let my appearance fool you. I'm actually a fitness enthusiast, though I'm not as good as Qingwu, of course."

Yue Zhong smiled but didn't say more.

The short-haired, efficient girl, Cai Xiao, also quickly climbed down the rope.

Finally, it was Zhang Xuan's turn again. She gritted her teeth, grabbed the rope, and started shakily making her way down.

"Faster, Zhang Xuan! You're the only one left," Wang Fang urged from below.

Although there weren't many zombies behind the girls' dormitory, once they left the building, they would be exposed to the horde. One misstep and they could be surrounded and devoured.

Spurred by Wang Fang's urging, Zhang Xuan panicked and quickened her pace. Suddenly, her hand slipped, and she began to fall from the building.

"It's over," Zhang Xuan thought despairingly as she felt the wind rushing around her. In this world, even a broken bone would drastically reduce her chances of survival.

At that moment, Yue Zhong dashed forward, swiftly catching Zhang Xuan as she fell from the sky.

Even though Yue Zhong had been enhanced, the impact of a nearly hundred-pound person falling from the second floor left his chest feeling slightly winded.

Zhang Xuan disentangled herself from Yue Zhong's arms, her face slightly flushed as she thanked him. "Thank you for saving me, Yue Zhong!"

Wang Fang watched the scene with a hint of jealousy. "That little girl sure knows how to play her cards."

After all four girls had made it down, Ji Qingwu quickly climbed down the rope.

Just as Yue Zhong and the others were about to leave, a girl's head popped out from a fourth-floor window. She held up a white piece of paper with dark black ink that read: [SOS, please save us!]

"What do we do? Should we save them?" Zhang Xuan asked Yue Zhong.

The other girls also turned their gazes to Yue Zhong. Their hearts were conflicted—choosing not to save them would weigh on their consciences, but attempting to rescue the survivors now would put their own lives at risk.

Yue Zhong shook his head firmly. "No. Right now, protecting ourselves is already a struggle. We need to find a safe place to settle down first. Only then can we spare the effort to save them."

Yue Zhong and Ji Qingwu were already stretched thin trying to protect Chen Yao and the other three girls while making it to the school bus. Adding more girls would make it impossible.

"Stay there for now. When I have the strength, I'll come back to save you. Until then, you'll have to protect yourselves," Yue Zhong called out to the girls above before turning to Ji Qingwu and the others. "Let's go! Ji Qingwu, Bone and I will take the lead. You handle any stragglers."

With that, Yue Zhong and Bone charged forward, leading the way toward the school bus.

"Move, quickly!" Ji Qingwu urged the four girls.

Everyone knew this was a critical moment. The four girls tightly followed Yue Zhong, sprinting forward.

Ji Qingwu stayed close to the girls, protecting them as they moved.