Chapter 13: The Mystery of the System

Guo Hanxue nodded, her expression hidden beneath the mask, leaving only a resolute gleam in her deep black eyes. The third-floor corridor had already been cleared by Jiang Yi the day before, so all that remained were the zombies trapped inside the rooms. Following his previous method, Jiang Yi smashed the glass on the door with a single strike. Instantly, the zombies inside wildly reached out with their hands.

Jiang Yi swung his black blade with excitement. As a surge of powerful energy swept through his body, the fatigue from before seemed to vanish entirely!

He knew he had leveled up again!

Even without looking at the luminous screen, he could sense the changes in his attributes. With the thrust of his second strike, he clearly felt his swordsmanship speed accelerate dramatically!

His strength had increased noticeably as well. One slash of his dark blade split a zombie’s entire head cleanly in two!

“Awesome!” Jiang Yi laughed joyfully. Having reached level five, his current state finally surpassed his pre-awakening self.

His newly awakened body made him want to shout out loud, but with Guo Hanxue right behind him, Jiang Yi managed to restrain the surge of excitement within his heart.

He hurriedly stepped toward the next room, his eyes glowing faintly blue—these were all valuable experience points! Only Heaven knew how much his ability drained experience...

Jiang Yi moved at incredible speed. Guo Hanxue was still astonished at how he had found such a simple and safe way to kill zombies. Lost in thought, she suddenly realized Jiang Yi had already appeared outside the next dormitory door.

“Wait for me!” she called out, rushing to catch up, only to see Jiang Yi had already finished his latest battle...

Staring dumbfounded at his busy figure in the corridor, she felt a faint shock: “Why does his speed seem faster?”

If his speed at 9 o’clock had been subtle, by 11 o’clock it clearly surpassed that of an ordinary person, making Jiang Yi look unusually exceptional.

“Watch out!” Suddenly, Guo Hanxue saw the door Jiang Yi was about to break down burst open. Two zombies rushed out, startling her. Instinctively, she reached behind her waist, nocked an arrow, and drew her bow. But when she released the string, she was shocked to see her target’s head was already severed by a single blow.

Jiang Yi was pulling his black blade from the zombie opposite when a sudden whoosh of wind behind him made his heart leap. He ducked just in time as a speeding arrow whistled past his ear and thudded into the face of the other zombie!

“Wow, you almost killed me!” Jiang Yi broke out in cold sweat, grateful for his quick reflexes—otherwise, that arrow might have pierced his skull!

Guo Hanxue hadn’t expected this. Earlier, she had boasted of her perfect accuracy, but now she was quickly proven wrong, blushing slightly. “I was just trying to save you! Who knew you’d be so fast at striking!”

Only then did she realize Jiang Yi’s combat ability had noticeably improved compared to yesterday.

Perhaps it was just an illusion? Tilting her head, Guo Hanxue studied Jiang Yi’s busy figure with newfound curiosity.

There weren’t many zombies on the third floor. Within half an hour, after decapitating the last one, both of them breathed a sigh of relief. Jiang Yi shook his aching arm. Though he had reached level five, he felt little different from an ordinary person.

That was normal, as his attributes had not yet exceeded human limits.

Guo Hanxue helplessly realized she was just a little sidekick. Aside from the arrow she accidentally fired earlier, she hadn’t found a chance to strike once during the entire fight.

In the eleven days since the apocalypse began, she was for the first time foolishly hoping for more zombies.

With the battle over, it was time to gather spoils!

Neither of them held back, each claiming a side and scavenging wildly. Besides essential food, Jiang Yi collected some necessities for Chen Jiazi, including unused underwear and even sanitary products.

Yet, they found that the women’s dormitory held few truly useful items, which made Jiang Yi even more eager to leave and return to the cafeteria...

Unfortunately, standing by the fifth-floor window, they could still clearly see the zombies gathered outside the dormitory’s main gate. Though the crowd had thinned after a day, it was far from enough for the two to confidently break through!

Sighing, they realized they’d have to wait another day. Night fell again, and Jiang Yi’s plan to fight monsters for experience was dashed.

Looking over the day’s food haul, he discussed with Guo Hanxue and then split a table into wooden strips with his black blade. Using an iron bed frame as a stand, he fashioned a simple stove and lit a fire.

Guo Hanxue found Jiang Yi’s idea novel. She dutifully cleaned a dusty frying pan with bottled water and placed it over the flames, fitting perfectly.

They hurriedly poured in clean water, tore open several packs of instant noodles, and Jiang Yi chopped two sausages. Soon, a large pot of fragrant noodles simmered, making both of them involuntarily swallow.

Guo Hanxue, who rarely ate instant noodles, was amazed at how delicious they could be—the rich meat broth, the swirling golden noodles, and the sausages releasing an inviting aroma after boiling.

Before the noodles were fully cooked, both were already eagerly scooping them into their bowls...

For a while, neither spoke, heads bowed over their bowls, quietly slurping noodles. The dorm was filled only with the crackling of firewood and the tantalizing sounds of chewing.

After about twenty minutes, Jiang Yi collapsed comfortably onto a bed, accepting a cup of fragrant instant coffee from Guo Hanxue and downing a gulp.

“Refreshing!”

Guo Hanxue held her cup, somewhat dazed. Just a day ago, she had been hiding here without even a drop of water. Who would have thought that a mere day later, she could enjoy hot food and even relax enough to brew a cup of coffee after the meal?

All these changes had come since she met this guy...

Thinking this, she looked up at Jiang Yi.

Jiang Yi was savoring his sweet coffee when he noticed her gaze and smiled. “What’s up? Is there some noodle on my face?” He playfully wiped his face.

Guo Hanxue rolled her eyes. “Can’t you be a little more serious? This is the apocalypse, you know!”

Jiang Yi shrugged innocently. “I’ve been serious all along! These past ten days, I haven’t let my guard down once. It’s rare to have such a full, hot meal. Don’t you want me to relax a little? A nerve stretched too tight snaps easily!” He made a bursting gesture with his fingers.

Guo Hanxue hesitated. “Can you tell me what’s happening outside? Thinking about the world falling into chaos chills me to the bone.”

Jiang Yi paused, expression softening. “What else can happen? In the apocalypse, some die, some flee. I was lucky to stay in the cafeteria at first. Though surrounded by zombies initially, the people who came later quickly dealt with them. When I left yesterday, there were probably over a thousand people still there. I don’t know how long their food will last.”

He wasn’t worried about others, only about whether Chen Jiazi might go hungry or cold. But thinking of her abilities, she probably wouldn’t suffer much.

Guo Hanxue listened quietly as Jiang Yi recounted the changes at the school over the past ten days. Even holding the hot cup, she felt a chill radiating from deep within.

When Jiang Yi finally stopped talking, Guo Hanxue looked at him sadly. “Jiang Yi, if the whole world is full of these monsters, do you really think we can survive?”

Jiang Yi was silent for a moment, then lifted his head, eyes shining with determination. “We will. You have to believe in the country, in the infinite strength of humanity. Rescue will come soon. Then, China will surely be able to restore peace...”

After waiting a long while for a response, Jiang Yi glanced at Guo Hanxue in the firelight. She had curled into a ball against the bed frame, eyes half-closed, murmuring softly. A crystal tear trickled down her cheek in the flickering glow.

Seeing her like this, Jiang Yi’s heart tightened. No matter how strong she was, she was still just a girl. Before meeting him, the past ten days must have been so terrifying that she never once slept peacefully.

He quietly approached, took the cup slipping from her hand, and wrapped a blanket around her. Feeling no safety, Guo Hanxue clung to herself, but the warm fire soon lulled her into deep sleep.

Sighing, Jiang Yi returned to his bed and opened his attribute screen.

Level: 5 (17/32)
Speed: 11
Defense: 6
Strength: 4.75
Spirit: 4.75
Physique: 3.5

As he had guessed, Jiang Yi didn’t pay too much attention. He clicked to check the trust level between himself and Guo Hanxue. To his surprise, after a day together, their trust had reached 60%.

He could receive 30% of the experience share from her kills.

This was no small amount. It meant that when Guo Hanxue killed three zombies, he gained one experience point. It might not seem important now, but as his level increased and experience became more critical, sharing experience with teammates would become vital.

It seemed he needed to find strong allies going forward! Jiang Yi didn’t think his plan was mercenary—after all, the other person also gained experience. It was a win-win, sharing part of his awakened power with them.

While Guo Hanxue slept, Jiang Yi reapplied medicine to his wounds. A day of exertion had caused many of his injuries to reopen! There was no avoiding this, as his recovery ability was still too weak.

He wondered whether, as his power grew, he might one day gain the ability to heal instantly...