Chapter 7

Lin Feng moved toward the stairwell again, spotting a sports bag some student had left lying around.

A baseball bat was tucked into it.

He remembered from the anime's early episodes that this bat was the only one around. In the original story, Takashi had used it to bash zombie skulls.

Lin Feng picked up the bat, glancing at Takashi—who was still holding a mop. Heh, since the bat's in my hands now, good luck fighting zombies with that mop, Takashi.

A smirk tugged at Lin Feng's lips, nearly breaking into a laugh.

Just then, the school's teachers finally noticed something was wrong. The intercom crackled to life:

"Attention all students! Attention all students!

A serious violent incident is occurring on campus.

Please follow your teachers' instructions to take shelter.

I repeat, a serious violent incident is occurring on campus.

Please follow your teachers' instructions—arghhh… no… no…"

The teacher's voice cut off mid-sentence, replaced by the sounds of biting and tearing.

The terrifying noise hit the school like a bomb. Teachers and students alike panicked, rushing for the exits. In the chaos, some were trampled underfoot!

"Quick, this way! To the rooftop!" Takashi barked, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"Why the rooftop? We should be running outside and getting out of the school!" Rei shot back, challenging him. Or rather, she'd oppose anything Takashi suggested after he'd tried to hit her.

"I agree with Takashi. Everyone's trying to escape right now, and the gates are too crowded. We won't make it through. The rooftop's our best bet for waiting out rescue," Hisashi chimed in, siding with Takashi.

"But, but…"

Rei tried to argue, but hearing Hisashi back Takashi left her at a loss for words.

"Waiting for rescue on the rooftop? Pointless. This disaster might be nationwide. Even the police and Self-Defense Forces won't have time to save us." Lin Feng glanced at Takashi, catching the defiance in his eyes, but he pressed on, unbothered. "Instead of sitting around, we should break for the gates. I can drive. We'll head to the staff room, grab the school bus keys, and escape in that."

"Lin Feng's got a point. We can't just wait to die!" Rei jumped on his plan, partly to spite Takashi.

She started following Lin Feng toward the staff room, then looked back at Hisashi, still standing dumbly next to Takashi. "Hisashi, Lin Feng's idea beats relying on Takashi. Come on!"

With that, she hurried after Lin Feng. Hisashi glanced at Rei, then at Takashi, hesitation flickering in his eyes. Finally, he grit his teeth and followed Rei.

"Lin Feng!"

Takashi watched Rei and Hisashi leave with Lin Feng. He slammed his fist into the wall, fury boiling over.

This Lin Feng kept ruining his chances to shine in front of Rei, over and over.

He'd held back his anger earlier, but now? Takashi couldn't take it anymore.

Damn it! He'd been the first to rush back to save Rei. He should've been the one earning her admiration! But now… she was walking off with some guy she'd barely known for two days!

That bastard Lin Feng—he was infuriating!

Takashi wanted nothing more than to beat him senseless.

In the end, he followed them, but his eyes burned with rage.

Ding!

[Takashi's personality collapse +20]

According to the system's explanation, the original protagonist would be influenced by a corrective force. If the story followed the original plot, he'd reclaim his spot as the group's core. But if the plot shifted and affected his personality—like now—things would change. Takashi's mindset had twisted, growing jealous and volatile.

If his collapse continued, he'd lose his qualifications as the protagonist. And if his collapse reached 100%, triggering a critical breakdown, the Chosen One—Lin Feng—would take over as this world's main character!

Knowing this, Lin Feng kept his expression neutral as he led Rei and the others toward the staff room at a brisk pace. But inside, he was already scheming about how to mess with Takashi even more.

Groan… groan…

From a side corner, two students in black uniforms stumbled out.

With every step, blood gushed from the bite wounds on their faces. It wouldn't stop.

"Aren't those Sasaki and Moriqu from the next class?" Rei covered her mouth, shocked.

Groan… groan…

Now zombies, Sasaki and Moriqu didn't recognize their former classmates. Mouths gaping with blood, they lunged at the group while everyone was still processing the sight.

As the two zombie corpses lunged forward—

"Ah!" Rei, being the kind-hearted girl she was, couldn't bring herself to stab them with her iron rod. It was her first time facing something like this, and her instincts screamed at her to back away.

But she wasn't fast enough.

Sasaki had already pounced, aiming for her neck.

Rei thrust her rod up, jamming it against his mouth to push him back. But Sasaki, now a zombie, had unnatural strength. He clamped down on the rod with his teeth, overpowering her.

"No way! How does scrawny Sasaki have this much strength?!"

At such close range, Rei could see his entire face had turned black. Through his gaping mouth, she glimpsed blood-red teeth with bits of human flesh still clinging to them…

Then Moriqu lunged too, snapping at her soft, pale thighs.

It was the perfect moment for a hero to save the day.

But Takashi, stripped of his baseball bat, was just an ordinary high schooler. He didn't know karate, so he could only stand there, frozen in panic.

Hisashi, on the other hand, reacted quickly this time, rushing forward to save Rei.

He wrapped his arms around Moriqu's neck and locked in a cross choke.

Using a cross choke on a zombie? Wasn't he afraid of getting bitten?

Lin Feng almost laughed at the absurdity—it was like something straight out of an anime.

Sure enough, Moriqu twisted his head a full 360 degrees in Hisashi's grip and sank his teeth into his arm.

"Agh! This guy's strong!"

Amid Hisashi's pained cries, Lin Feng—who'd been watching from the sidelines—finally made his move. He swung his baseball bat, smashing the zombie's head next to Rei.

Blood sprayed from the cracked skull, splattering all over her.

Takashi flinched, his reaction barely better than Rei's despite being a guy. Sure, he'd seen horrors on the stairs earlier, but facing such gore up close still left him rattled.

Meanwhile, Hisashi was still wrestling with Moriqu in his arms.

Lin Feng yanked the lifeless zombie off Rei.

Still reeling from the terror of its snarling face, Rei didn't even think—she threw herself into the nearest person's arms: Lin Feng's. Her ample chest pressed right against him.

She sobbed uncontrollably.

She hadn't noticed Hisashi getting bitten, nor did she know that a bite meant turning into a zombie.

She was just too freaked out—these crazed students were horrifying!

Lin Feng's lips curved into a faint, barely noticeable smirk. From the original story, he knew Rei was terrified of dying. That's why, in the anime, she'd thrown herself into Takashi's arms mere minutes after Hisashi's death, clinging to the only guy left.

Lin Feng had had plenty of time to save Hisashi just now. But he'd deliberately held back, letting him get bitten.

Groan… groan…

Hisashi was bitten.

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