Chapter 25: Encountering the Athletes

"I have things to do, so just follow right behind me. Do not make a sound, or you might attract the zombies. You don't want to be swarmed by them, do you?" Liu Yang warned the woman.

At the same time, Liu Yang took a look at her. He noticed that she was tall and curvaceous, with a graceful figure. Although her face looked pale and haggard, it could not hide the beauty of her exquisite features. She was an absolute stunner! In particular, her eye-catching legs were long, straight, and fair, with such perfect proportions that they were more beautiful than those of any other woman Liu Yang had encountered. They were a pair of legs with perfect proportions.

"Mm-hmm! I understand," the woman nodded. She had been hiding in the infirmary for days, and the zombies outside had been constantly ramming against the door, which had terrified her.

"Alright, let's head toward the dormitory building," Liu Yang said.

"What? The dormitory building? It must be full of zombies by now! We shouldn't go there," the woman said, startled. The zombie outbreak had happened over the weekend, when all the students and teachers were mostly in their dorms. Now, both the student and faculty dorms were hotbeds for the undead, harboring at least tens of thousands of them. Wasn't going there now just seeking death?

"I'm looking for the zombies! Don't worry, you won't be in danger as long as you follow me. Let's go," Liu Yang said confidently. Seeing the confidence on his face, the woman eventually nodded. Liu Yang had already taken down five zombies at the entrance, which proved his strength. Since he wasn't afraid and had the ability to kill five at once, she had no choice but to trust him.

"Okay," she nodded. She followed behind Liu Yang as they walked toward the dormitory building. On the way, she said, "Hello, I don't know your name yet. I'm Zhao Yuting."

"My name is Liu Yang. I'm a student at this school," he replied.

"Oh? A student?" The woman was surprised. "I'm Zhao Yuting, a teacher here. Teachers are supposed to protect students, yet I didn't expect you to be the one protecting me. I'm truly ashamed."

Liu Yang glanced at her again. She looked very young, and he had initially mistaken her for a student. Now, looking at her in her white blouse and professional skirt, paired with translucent black stockings—which had torn during her escape—it was clear she was dressed in typical office attire. Now that she mentioned she was a teacher, it all made sense.

"I didn't expect you to be a teacher. You're very young," Liu Yang said.

"Thank you..." Zhao Yuting blushed and lowered her head. At twenty-three, she hadn't been working long, and with her flawless, delicate skin, she was often mistaken for a student. Every time it happened, she felt happy, as it reminded her that she was still young.

As they chatted, several burly men suddenly appeared and blocked their path. They were armed with baseball bats, javelins, and makeshift spears. Liu Yang narrowed his eyes. They were dark-skinned, muscular, and looked like athletes from the school. When the outbreak began, these students had been training on the track field rather than staying in the dorms, which was why they had survived. Some other athletes had turned into zombies, but these men had managed to kill them. The track field was open and allowed for maneuvering, unlike the cramped dorms.

Seeing Liu Yang and the beautiful woman behind him, the athletes smirked. "Oh, isn't it what's-his-name? The guy who worked as a security guard while still in college... Liu Yang, right? I didn't think a pathetic guard like you would still be alive!"

"Hahaha! They say bad weeds grow long! I can't believe this poor loser is still breathing!" They mocked him.

In peaceful times, Liu Yang had become the laughingstock of the school because of his part-time security job. Almost everyone knew him, and some had even posted photos of him standing guard at the gate onto the school forum for others to ridicule. Liu Yang never understood it. Was there something wrong with working and being self-reliant while in school? Wasn't he better than those rich kids who only relied on their parents' money? Was there any shame in being a security guard? Did he not earn his money through his own hard work? Did a profession have to be judged by status?

Seeing the contemptuous smiles on their faces, Liu Yang's expression turned cold. "You idiots, are you tired of living?"

If they had appeared near his villa, he would have killed them without a second thought. But since they were at school and he didn't intend to stay, he hadn't wanted to bother with them. However, his words instantly incited their anger. They were four strong men with weapons, and this lowly security guard dared to speak so arrogantly? It was suicide!

"Kid, what did you just say? Did I hear that right? You want us dead? Hahaha! Did the zombies eat your brain?"

"Damn it! A loser dares to talk to us like that! You're asking for death!"

"This is the end of the world, and there are no laws! We could kill you right now and nothing would happen, you know that!"

"Get on your knees, kowtow to apologize, hand over all your food and that weapon, and give us this woman. Then, you can get lost," the leader threatened viciously.

"Heh. You're right. There are no laws now; it wouldn't matter if I killed you," Liu Yang said with a cold laugh. Since they were seeking death, he wouldn't hold back. He had only fought zombies since his attributes were enhanced, and now he could see how many seconds these athletes—who were stronger than ordinary people—could last against him.

"What... what do you want? We're all classmates, can't we talk this over? Why do you have to fight? Don't bully people just because there are more of you!" Zhao Yuting stood in front of Liu Yang, shielding him. In her eyes, these athletes were just bullies. Even though she was trembling with fear, she resolutely protected him. Liu Yang felt touched by her gesture.

The athletes sneered at her words. "Classmates? The world has ended; don't be so naive. Teacher Zhao, I've heard of you. You're the youngest and prettiest teacher in our school. We've played with plenty of female students these past few days, but never a teacher! Come on, follow us back to the equipment room! We'll have some fun with you, and don't worry, we won't play you to death like those students..."

"Ah!" The teacher was shocked by their lewd expressions, but she still didn't back down.

At that moment, Liu Yang had seen enough. He grabbed his fire axe and charged at them. The athletes' faces changed.

"So fast!"

"What's with this guy!"

"Ah!" A scream rang out. One of the athletes had his arm severed by Liu Yang's axe, and blood sprayed everywhere.

"My hand! My hand!" the man wailed, clutching his stump on the ground.

"Damn it! He's strong! Tiger, attack!" the leader yelled.

*Whoosh!* A sound of air being pierced rang out. It was a sneak attack! Liu Yang reacted with lightning speed, reaching out and catching an arrow mid-air! He turned to see another athlete hiding behind a large tree nearby, holding a bow. The athlete was in shock, trembling uncontrollably. "Holy crap, you caught an arrow with your bare hands? Are... are you even human?!"

Liu Yang chuckled coldly. "Whether I'm human or not doesn't matter, but you're all about to become ghosts."

He charged at them like a god of death, instantly dispatching the remaining athletes.