Chapter 38: The Darkness of the Gymnasium

Guo Hanxue shook her head. "This is what you're owed; there's no need to thank us."

As she spoke, she glanced back at Jiang Yi, who was lying on the ground not far away, and suddenly smiled. "I should be the one thanking you for helping me find this guy."

After a moment of thought, Guo Hanxue added in a low voice, "Han Ya, if you need anything, just let me know. I will do my best to provide for you."

Han Ya hurriedly shook her head, looked up, and smiled. "There is nothing. I am very content now, President. Please, don't worry about me."

Guo Hanxue nodded. Looking at the delicate-featured Han Ya, she felt a pang of guilt. "I am truly sorry. When you all needed me most as your president, I wasn't by your side."

Han Ya looked somewhat anxious. "President, it's not your fault. I know you didn't want to leave." She hesitated, then asked tentatively, "President, where are you planning to go next? Please don't misunderstand, I was just asking..."

Observing Han Ya’s nervousness, Guo Hanxue seemed to understand something and said dejectedly, "I know. I also want to go home and find my parents, but right now, all we can do is survive. As long as everyone stays alive, there will be a day for us to reunite."

Han Ya’s eyes reddened, and she nodded gently.

Guo Hanxue offered a few more words of comfort and chatted for a while longer before watching Han Ya slowly walk away with a relaxed smile.

After leaving the large training hall, Han Ya walked out step by step. When she reached the stairs, she did not head down. Instead, she took a turn, approached a separate room, and knocked lightly on the door.

The door opened from within. Han Ya hesitated for a moment before stepping inside, standing nervously as she looked at the man in the room. "She said they are looking for those zombies with stones in their heads these days!"

The man, facing the window, tapped his fingers on the sill. Upon hearing Han Ya's words, he paused slightly, then let out a soft laugh. "Interesting. It seems I underestimated them."

Han Ya looked at a loss. "Should we stop them? It's too dangerous. If anything goes wrong, she could die!"

The man suddenly turned around. "No, no. This might be an opportunity!" The face that turned toward her belonged to none other than the Martial Arts Club President, Dongfang Tian.

Han Ya looked visibly strained and took a step back. "My task is complete. Can I leave now?"

Dongfang Tian tilted his head, watching Han Ya, who was as nervous as a rabbit. Suddenly, he strolled over to her and gently lifted her chin with his finger. Han Ya looked up nervously, her large, watery eyes fixed on Dongfang Tian.

Dongfang Tian offered a charming smile. "No need to be in such a hurry. Perhaps we can do something more interesting!" After saying this, he stepped back and, right in front of Han Ya, unbuckled his belt...

The night passed without incident, save for a faint commotion in the middle of the night. The next day, Jiang Yi heard people whispering nearby that none of the injured from the previous night had survived; they had all turned into zombies and had been decapitated.

Qingdou and Guo Hanxue were in low spirits, but Jiang Yi felt nothing. As he ate the food from Guo Hanxue’s bag, he discussed with the two of them, "Does either of you know where there are any evolved zombies?"

Jiang Yi was anxious. Not only did he want to get the medicine quickly to heal Qingdou, but more importantly, he wanted to return to the cafeteria to find out why he had been betrayed.

Both shook their heads. Guo Hanxue had been in the dormitory the whole time, and Qingdou had only encountered two evolved zombies before.

Jiang Yi frowned and finished the water in his bottle in one gulp. "Then let's head toward the dormitory. Hanxue, when we were trapped there a few days ago, there was an evolved zombie outside. I’m not sure where it went, but let’s look in that direction!"

Neither of them had any objections. Jiang Yi thought for a moment and said to Qingdou, "Qingdou, why don't you stay behind today? As soon as we get the medicine, we will return immediately."

Qingdou shook his head. "Let me come along. I only hurt my left hand; I can still hold a sword with my right. I can be of help!"

Guo Hanxue understood that, as a martial artist, no one wants to be treated like a patient. She added, "Let him come. Qingdou’s strength isn't any less than yours! You might even end up needing him to save you."

Jiang Yi rolled his eyes at her. "Can’t you hope for something better for me?"

Guo Hanxue gave him a disdainful look, grabbed her weapon, and turned to walk away, leaving only a "Tch..." behind.

Jiang Yi bristled and roared at her back to Qingdou, "See that? Is that how she treats her captain? I’m the captain, you know!"

Qingdou wanted to laugh but felt embarrassed to do so, so he nudged Jiang Yi’s arm, urging him to hurry. "Yes, yes... Captain, let’s go, or your team member will run off!"

Jiang Yi felt a sudden warmth wash over him. He frowned and looked at the arm Qingdou had touched. "You? Did you feel anything?"

Qingdou blinked. "What?"

Jiang Yi smiled and shook his head. "Nothing!" He deliberately walked a few steps slower. Looking at Qingdou ahead, he pressed his hand against the wall. A light screen flickered; seeing two names flashing on his team member list, Jiang Yi couldn't help but smile.

His intuition was right. Just moments ago, Qingdou had unknowingly joined his team! The trust level was even as high as 70%.

Qingdou turned back and shouted at Jiang Yi, who was still standing there, "Jiang Yi, hurry up! President Guo has already left!"

Jiang Yi immediately pulled his hand back, smiled, and hurried after them. "Coming!"

Standing at the window, Dongfang Tian watched the trio leave with a dark expression. After giving an order to someone behind him, he turned and walked away.

Jiang Yi decapitated a zombie with a single strike and looked at the two chatting behind him, full of resentment. "What are you two doing? Why aren't you fighting?"

Guo Hanxue looked at him with disdain. "It’s just a few zombies. Do you really have the nerve to make a girl like me do the work?"

Qingdou raised his left arm, which was hanging in a sling, and looked innocent. "I’m a wounded patient. Fighting will only worsen my injury."

Jiang Yi rolled his eyes. If it weren't for Guo Hanxue’s overwhelming combat power yesterday and Qingdou’s fearless fighting, he might have actually believed their nonsense!

After spending several days together, Qingdou had started joking with him.

Though he complained, Jiang Yi wasn't truly dissatisfied. After all, even if these two contributed experience to him, it wasn't as much as he would get by doing it himself!

With just one or two zombies, it was indeed more efficient for him to handle it! He gained experience and food, and Jiang Yi found himself enjoying it. However, the three of them soon went from joy to sorrow...

They had encountered a horde of over a hundred gathered zombies!

Jiang Yi wasn't paying attention and ran right into them. Once they realized the terrifying number of zombies gathered there, the three turned and fled!

As Guo Hanxue fired sharp arrows from her bow, she glanced at Jiang Yi, who was "rolling" through the zombie horde not far away, and cursed, "Are you a pig? Couldn't you have taken a better look at the situation before running out there?"

Jiang Yi kept dodging the zombies attacking him while trying to protect the injured Qingdou. For a moment, he couldn't break through the horde and could only keep evading.

Fortunately, his speed had reached 15 points, far exceeding that of an ordinary person, which kept him relatively safe amidst the slow-moving horde!

Qingdou wanted to charge in, but he was blocked by a thick layer of zombies between him and Jiang Yi! Growing increasingly desperate, the sword in his hand became a reaper’s scythe; every attack pierced a zombie's skull! He kept Jiang Yi’s warning in mind, refusing to let a single zombie injure him...

Hearing Guo Hanxue scold him, Jiang Yi gave a bitter smile. "Save me, oh heroine, I’m going to die!" With that, he swung his black blade horizontally, cleanly slicing off the heads of two zombies.

Qingdou, while attacking, scanned his surroundings and finally spotted an old, abandoned Western-style villa on campus.

He shouted urgently, "Run to that house! Let’s hide there first!"

The other two saw the house as well. Their expressions changed, and a moment of hesitation flashed in their eyes. But the sound of their combat was attracting more and more zombies, and Jiang Yi was struggling to hold his ground.

Guo Hanxue knew they couldn't wait any longer. She pulled her bow, activated her wind ability, and with a sharp whistle, a violent wind arrow instantly sliced through the horde. Nothing in its path could withstand it.

The pressure on Jiang Yi eased significantly. After cutting down a zombie whose head had been pierced by the arrow, he picked up Guo Hanxue's arrow and ran frantically before the horde could regroup!

Seeing Jiang Yi safe, Qingdou and Guo Hanxue didn't hesitate and ran toward the villa. The building looked like an old structure from the sixties. It had two stories, its original windows were long since shattered, and the plaster had peeled away to reveal gray bricks covered in creeping ivy. The desolate garden made the place look even more bleak.

Just looking at it made one feel incredibly depressed. Jiang Yi and Guo Hanxue were both hesitant; the place was too famous!

It was the prototype for "The Female Ghost's Villa," the number one ghost story among the ten at the Institute of Technology!

This villa had existed before the institute was even built. Over the years, countless stories had been born from it, and every one of them was the kind of thing that made timid people cover their ears and have nightmares.

"Awoo!" However, the zombie horde behind them wouldn't hesitate. Seeing their prey fleeing, they charged madly toward the villa! With no other choice, the three gritted their teeth and followed Qingdou, crashing through the villa's doors!

Once inside, Jiang Yi slammed the wooden door shut and locked the bolt, while Guo Hanxue dragged a solid wooden table over to barricade it firmly.

However, this didn't mean they were safe, as there were windows on both sides of the main entrance, and the glass had long since vanished. The frenzied zombies, unable to push the door open, began climbing through the windows!

Fortunately, the villa's windows were generally quite high; the zombies could barely get their upper bodies onto the sill, but they couldn't climb in at all!

The eyes of the three lit up. They immediately rushed over, each showing their skills, and began to frantically harvest the zombies outside...