For a split second, time seemed to freeze. Then the infected lunged at them.
Yun Qian shot forward with impossible speed, her body moving like flowing water. Her sword danced through the air before plunging straight into the first infected's throat. Black blood spurted like a dirty fountain, staining the floor and walls.
Without pause, Yun Qian spun gracefully, her hair billowing like a black banner as her blade sliced through the second infected's neck.
Huang Wei moved with deadly precision. For a moment, his body seemed too slow, too heavy—an illusion that shattered as he burst forward with startling speed. His steel pipe swung in a wide arc, smashing into two infected at once.
CRACK!
The sound of crushing skulls rang out clearly, followed by hissing and spurts of dark fluid. One infected was still twitching on the floor, half its face destroyed, before Huang Wei ended its suffering with a second blow.
Chen Feng and Liu Zihao faced the last infected—a large man in a security guard uniform who surprised them by swinging his arms with frightening speed. His razor-sharp fingernails nearly caught Chen Feng's head.
"Damn it!" Chen Feng cursed, stumbling backward.
Liu Zihao was momentarily stunned by the sight, but quickly seized the opportunity, attacking from the side and striking the infected's knee. The crack of breaking bone echoed through the room as the creature collapsed with a hoarse scream.
"Chen Feng, now!" Liu Zihao shouted, holding the infected down.
With one vengeful motion, Chen Feng brought his pipe down, crushing the infected's head beyond recognition.
The silence that followed felt suffocating. The air reeked of blood and rotting flesh. Heavy breathing was the only sound left in the room.
"Everyone okay?" Yun Qian asked, still looking fresh after killing both infected. The black blood splattered across her face and clothes didn't diminish her beauty—if anything, it added to her already captivating presence.
Huang Wei wiped blood from his cheek, his eyes scanning the scattered corpses. Something was odd about one of them—especially the infected in the security uniform. Its body was more muscular than the others, as if it had changed...
"Please continue your explanation," Huang Wei said, his gaze returning to Yun Qian.
Yun Qian took a deep breath, steadying herself. "The reason we lost two of our team members was..." Her voice trembled slightly, genuine fear flickering across her usually controlled expression. "Because we encountered a Level 2 infected."
"Level 2?" Huang Wei's eyes widened, his cold composure cracking for a moment. "That's..."
"Hard to believe, right?" Yun Qian laughed bitterly. "That's what we thought too. But after seven days, some of them started to... change."
Liu Zihao approached them, his face serious. "The one we met yesterday had strength and defense many times greater than ordinary infected. And its power..." He shook his head. "Its bare hands could punch through concrete walls, and its defense was hard as steel!"
Huang Wei was shocked by Liu Zihao's words. If what he said was true, then a Level 2 infected could crush him in a single attack—and that was terrifying.
Huang Wei found himself even more amazed by Yun Qian's strength and intelligence. With just herself and two others, she had managed to escape from that monster's clutches, and Huang Wei was certain that Yun Qian had played a major role in that escape.
Then Huang Wei recalled the kill count in his mind—93 infected. Nearly a hundred kills. He was quite sure that if he killed about six more, he would undergo a major transformation—or at least, that was his theory. But the infected had beaten him to it.
"We suspect," Yun Qian continued, her voice dropping to a sharp whisper, "that the status system we gained also affects them. Maybe through blood or bites... or maybe that's just how this virus works." She glanced toward the infected corpses. "They're evolving, Huang Wei. And who knows what else they'll become?"
Huang Wei digested this information in silence. If ordinary infected were already dangerous, these evolved creatures... He glanced toward the window, at the sun climbing higher in the sky.
"We need to leave. Now!" Huang Wei said with finality. "The sounds of this fight must have attracted more of them."
As if confirming his words, growls and shuffling footsteps began echoing from the distance, reverberating through the empty campus corridors.
"He's right," Yun Qian nodded quickly, gripping her sword tighter. "Take what you can carry. We leave in five minutes."
The women hurried to gather their bags and valuables. The man with glasses quickly scribbled something on a piece of paper—some notes or a map, perhaps—and handed it to Liu Zihao.
Huang Wei checked his steel pipe. The tip was slightly bent and dented from smashing hard skulls, but it was still usable. He looked up to catch Yun Qian watching him.
"Will we make it?" Yun Qian asked quietly, meant only for Huang Wei.
For the first time, Huang Wei saw a crack in Yun Qian's mask of confidence—a flash of very human fear and doubt. Behind her, this frightened group depended on her strength and leadership.
Huang Wei looked directly into Yun Qian's eyes. "We'll try," he answered honestly.
Yun Qian stared at him for a moment, then a thin smile appeared on her face. "I guess that's enough for now."
Outside, the growls of the infected grew closer, echoing under the blazing midday sun. Sweat poured down their foreheads, not just from fear but from the merciless heat of noon. The shadows of buildings sheltering them grew shorter, signaling that the day had reached its peak, and the long road home still stretched ahead of them.