When Ling Chen appeared at the back door of Classroom 3-3, the suppressed and heavy breathing inside instantly ceased.
Everyone's gaze focused on him.
He was soaked, his dark gray hoodie clinging to his body, outlining a thin and disheveled silhouette. The shadow of his hood covered most of his face, revealing only pale, bloodless lips, and the deflated backpack on his back made everyone's heart sink to the bottom.
"Ling Chen!"
Chen Xue was the first to rush over, her voice choked with tears and unbelievable surprise, but seeing his pale face and empty backpack, her surprise instantly turned into deeper worry, "How...how are you? Are your injuries serious? The food..."
"I'm...fine..."
Ling Chen's voice was hoarse like sandpaper rubbing, and he waved his hand with difficulty, as if even the strength to speak was almost exhausted.
He took off his backpack and handed it to Li Mingyu, who came forward.
"I...only...found...these..."
Li Mingyu took the backpack; it felt light, and his heart sank with it. He unzipped it, and inside were only three somewhat deformed packs of compressed biscuits and four bottles of mineral water. This meager amount was a drop in the ocean for the over forty hungry faces in the classroom.
The atmosphere in the classroom instantly became heavier, and several girls couldn't help but sob softly.
"Damn it!" Sun Qiang punched the wall, his metallic fist making a dull thud, leaving a shallow dent in the wall. "What...what's going on outside?"
"Many...monsters..."
Ling Chen leaned against the doorframe, panting heavily, speaking intermittently. Each pause was accompanied by a suppressed cough. "I...almost didn't make it back...They...are getting stronger...Their speed...and strength...are even more terrifying than yesterday..."
He deliberately described the situation outside as more perilous, exaggerating the difficulty of his "lucky escape" to the extreme. He scanned everyone with his gaze, lingering for a moment on Lin Wei's face.
Lin Wei was looking at him, and deep within her amber pupils, the hint of doubt seemed to deepen. Her nostrils flared slightly, as if distinguishing the faint, cold scent of Zheng Xiyun's corpse, mixed with formaldehyde and blood, in the air? But the faint smell of blood on Ling Chen's body covered most of it.
"We...can't...wait any longer..."
Ling Chen's voice carried an undeniable sense of urgency. He laboriously raised his uninjured right hand, pointing to the school ruins shrouded in darkness outside the window.
"Food is getting scarcer...monsters are getting stronger...being trapped here is a dead end...We must clear the entire building! Turn other classrooms...into safe zones! Gather all the food and water...we can find!"
"Clear the entire building?!"
Wu Tao cried out, his face pale. "It's full of those things outside! How can we..."
"Floor by floor...clear it out!"
Li Mingyu straightened up abruptly, his eyes burning with a desperate fire. His newly acquired power filled him with confidence.
"What's there to be afraid of! We have abilities! We have weapons! If Ling Chen can come back alive, we can also fight our way out!"
"Right! Fight our way out!" Sun Qiang also growled, his metalized fists creaking.
"But...in the other classrooms...there might be..." Chen Xue's voice was filled with fear. She thought of Wang Lei, and of Xu Hong.
"There might be what?!"
Li Mingyu suddenly turned his head, his gaze sharp as a knife.
"There might be classmates like Wang Lei and Xu Hong...who turned into monsters?! Is that right?!"
His words were like a cold dagger, piercing through the last shred of hope in everyone's hearts. The classroom was dead silent, with only heavy breathing.
"So what?!"
Li Mingyu's voice suddenly rose, carrying a nearly cruel determination. "They are no longer human! They are monsters! Monsters that want to eat us! Have you forgotten how Zhao Feng died?! Forgotten how Xiao Hui lost his leg?! Forgotten our brothers who were charred by the poisonous mist?!"
With each question, he advanced a step, his powerful aura pressing down on everyone, making them gasp for breath.
"If we don't kill them! They will rush in! And eat all of us!"
He suddenly pointed to Wang Lei's corpse, tied up in the corner, long since lifeless.
"Just like him! Turning into that kind of abomination! And then being killed by those who come later! This is the apocalypse! Either kill! Or be killed! There is no third way!"
The cruel reality was like a heavy hammer, striking everyone's hearts. Fear, struggle, and the last shred of human hesitation were crushed into dust before the instinct for survival.
"I...I'll go with you!" A boy named Zhang Hai trembled as he raised his hand, his eyes bloodshot.
"I'll go too!"
"Count me in!"
More and more people stood up, their initial fear replaced by a numb, desperate ferocity.
Ling Chen leaned against the doorframe, the shadow from his hood concealing his cold gaze. He looked at these students, forced to reveal their last bit of fighting spirit by hunger and fear, as if looking at a group of trapped beasts driven into a gladiatorial arena.
Good. The time was ripe.
Ling Chen "weakly" directed, "Wu Tao...Chen Xue...Lin Wei...you...take a few people...to stay behind..."
Since there would be casualties, healers certainly couldn't be taken, and Lin Wei's observational skills were too sharp, so she definitely couldn't be taken either.
"Li Mingyu, Sun Qiang, Zhou Yunguang, Zhang Hai, Li Qiang, Wang Meng...follow me to clear the fourth floor."
He chose the fourth floor not by chance. In his past life's memory, several classrooms near the staircase on the fourth floor were occupied by newly mutated ghouls, not strong but numerous. More importantly, there was a student council president named Zhang Hao, a boy who was usually very popular and had considerable prestige among his classmates. Ling Chen "remembered" he had mutated.
That would be the perfect...tempering blade.
The team assembled in silence. Li Mingyu gripped the bent and deformed steel rod, Sun Qiang's metalized arms were crossed over his chest, and Zhou Yunguang's face was still pale, but he gripped the flashlight tightly.
Zhang Hai, Li Qiang, Wang Meng, and more than twenty other boys and girls who were called out held their crude homemade weapons—sharpened table legs, mop handles with broken glass tied to them—their faces showing a desperate resolve as if going to their deaths.
Ling Chen "laboriously" walked in the middle of the team, as if needing protection.
But as they stepped onto the blood-stained, glass-strewn staircase leading to the fourth floor, his shoulder moved slightly, and three dark purple bats silently flew out, like the most loyal scouts, merging into the darkness ahead.
The bats' perception, like invisible radar waves, relayed the situation in the fourth-floor corridor. A cold arc formed on Ling Chen's lips, hidden in the shadow of his hood.
The prey...was just ahead.
The moment the team turned the staircase corner and stepped onto the fourth-floor corridor, a strong smell of blood and decay assailed them! It was like the stench of rotting meat mixed with the foul odor of a sewer, slamming violently into everyone's nostrils!
In the depths of the corridor, several swaying figures were startled by the footsteps and spun around suddenly! Their pale skin glowed a deathly gray in the dim light, and their crimson eyeballs, like drops of blood, locked onto the scent of living people!
Dark red bloodstains and bits of flesh still clung to their mouths, and a low, guttural "ho-ho" sound emanated from their throats, like the gasping of a broken bellows! Their originally stiff and stumbling steps instantly became swift, and they lunged towards the team!
"Ah! It's...it's Li Wen!" A girl named Liu Qian screamed, her voice distorted by extreme terror! She pointed at the figure in a pink dress charging at the front—it was her best friend from the same dorm room!
But at that moment, a large chunk of Li Wen's neck was bitten off, exposing her stark white cervical vertebrae and severed trachea. Her head was tilted at a grotesque angle, her pink dress soaked with large patches of dark brown bloodstains, and one leg beneath her skirt was unnaturally twisted, dragging on the ground with a "shush-shush" friction sound!
"And Teacher Liu!"
Another boy named Zhao Zhigang looked in horror at a figure in a suit behind them—it was Liu Ming, the homeroom teacher of Class 4!
But half of Liu Ming's face was gnawed away, revealing his stark white cheekbones and teeth, and one eyeball dangled out of its socket, swaying with his stumbling steps! His once neat suit was torn and tattered, covered in filth and dried bloodstains!
Fear instantly seized the hearts of several boys!
Facing the monsters that their familiar classmates and teachers had become, their hands gripping their weapons trembled violently, knuckles white from effort, but their feet seemed to be nailed to the spot, instinctively backing away!
"Kill!" Li Mingyu's roar was like thunder! His speed ability instantly erupted, and he transformed into a blurry afterimage, the steel rod in his hand whistling fiercely through the air, tearing it apart, and smashing violently towards "Li Wen's" tilted head!
Bang!!!
Like a ripe watermelon being smashed by a sledgehammer! A dull explosion accompanied the crisp sound of shattering bone! Splintered bone and brain tissue exploded like fireworks, splattering the nearby walls and ceiling! The headless corpse swayed for a moment, then crashed to the ground, scarlet blood gushing from its severed neck!
"Roar!"
Sun Qiang charged out like a human tank! His metalized heavy fist, with a dull whoosh, slammed like a battering ram into "Teacher Liu's" chest!
Crack! A teeth-grating sound of bone breaking clearly rang out!
"Teacher Liu's" chest instantly caved in! He was like someone hit by a high-speed truck, flying backward, crashing violently into the wall behind him! The wall groaned dully, and plaster dust fell down!
His body slid to the ground like a broken sack, and from the collapsed area of his chest, broken ribs pierced through the skin, stark white and exposed to the air. He twitched a few times, then stopped moving, his dangling eyeball completely losing its luster.
The bloody slaughter instantly ignited! But it also completely shattered the psychological defenses of some people!
"No...no..." A boy named Wang Tao looked at "Teacher Liu," who had been smashed by Sun Qiang. He had been in Class 4 for a while before, and that was his most respected homeroom teacher!
He collapsed, throwing down the wooden stick with glass shards tied to it, clutching his head and squatting on the ground, letting out a heart-wrenching wail, "I can't do it...I can't do it...That's Teacher Liu..."
"Useless!" Li Mingyu kicked away a pouncing ghoul and roared at Wang Tao, "Do you want to die?! Look at them! They only want to eat you!"
Just then, a tightly closed classroom door at the end of the corridor was suddenly slammed open! A tall figure in a blue and white school uniform stumbled out!
His movements were much more agile than other ghouls, and although his eyes were bloodshot and chaotic, there was still a trace of struggling pain! His school uniform was relatively clean, with only large patches of already blackened bloodstains on his chest.
"Zhang Hao?!" Several students in the team gasped in surprise! Zhang Hao, the student council president! The sunny, cheerful, helpful senior who dominated the basketball court!
"Brother Hao! It's me! Xiao Fei!" A boy named Zhao Fei excitedly rushed forward two steps, his voice choked with tears and a last glimmer of hope.
"Do you still remember me? Last week's basketball game, the winning shot you passed to me! Brother Hao! Wake up!"
His words abruptly stopped!
"Zhang Hao's" crimson eyes suddenly locked onto him!
That remaining trace of struggle was instantly devoured by pure bloodlust!
A non-human, violently enraged roar burst from his throat! He slammed his legs against the ground, his speed suddenly erupting, far surpassing ordinary ghouls! If one looked closely, they would notice three prominent blood-red lines at the corners of his eyes.
He charged straight at Zhao Fei with a piercing shriek that tore through the air! His sharp, black-nailed claws, like five poisoned daggers, aimed directly for Zhao Fei's throat! His speed was so fast that Li Mingyu couldn't even rescue him in time!
Pfft!
The sharp claws plunged unimpeded into Zhao Fei's fragile throat! Warm blood spurted out like a fountain, splattering "Zhang Hao's" face and body!
Zhao Fei's eyes instantly widened, filled with unbelievable shock and extreme pain! He opened his mouth, as if wanting to call out "Brother Hao," but could only emit a "ho-ho" sound, like a broken bellows leaking air! Blood gushed madly from the corners of his mouth and the wound in his neck, staining his clothes.
"Zhang Hao" violently withdrew his claws, pulling out a large gush of warm blood and shattered tracheal tissue! He greedily shoved his blood-soaked claws into his mouth, sucking on them as if savoring a delicacy, making a spine-chilling "tsk-tsk" sound! Scarlet blood flowed down his twisted mouth, dripping onto the floor.
"Ah—!!!" The students who witnessed this bloody and terrifying scene let out shrill, distorted screams! Several girls immediately collapsed to the ground, vomiting!
"I'll kill you!!!" Li Mingyu's eyes were bloodshot, and he roared as he charged forward like a mad tiger! The steel rod carried all his rage and strength, tearing through the air, and smashing violently towards "Zhang Hao's" head!
But Zhang Hao was incredibly agile, seemingly retaining some of his basketball footwork from before. He suddenly dodged to the side!
The steel rod grazed his scalp with a whistling sound and struck his shoulder! Crack! A dull sound of bone breaking rang out! "Zhang Hao's" shoulder instantly caved in! But he seemed to feel no pain, letting out an even more ferocious roar as if enraged, and backhanded with a claw, carrying a fishy wind, grabbing at Li Mingyu's abdomen!
Rip!
Li Mingyu's school uniform was torn, leaving three deep, bone-revealing gashes on his abdomen! His flesh was ripped open, and blood instantly gushed out!
If he hadn't reacted quickly and stepped back half a step, he would probably have been disemboweled! The intense pain made him groan, and his movements faltered!
"Help!" Sun Qiang roared as he joined the fray! His metallic heavy fist, with the force to shatter stone, slammed violently into "Zhang Hao's" back!
Bang!
"Zhang Hao" was knocked off balance and lunged forward, but he surprisingly didn't fall! He spun around abruptly, his crimson eyes fixed on Sun Qiang, a menacing growl rumbling in his throat! His strength and defense were clearly superior to ordinary ghouls!
The chaotic battle completely erupted! Other ghouls also took the opportunity to pounce!
Students screamed and cried, driven by fear and the instinct for survival, wielding their crude weapons, fighting against their former classmates and teachers!
Each time a weapon struck a familiar body, it was accompanied by the dull thud of shattering bone and the tearing sound of flesh.
Each time a familiar face shattered and deformed before their eyes, it was accompanied by a broken cry and the tearing of their soul.
A girl trembled as she used a sharpened table leg to stab Xiao Ling, her best friend, who was pouncing on her.
Watching Xiao Ling's once delicate face twist and shatter before her eyes, she let out an inhuman shriek, collapsed to the ground, her mind completely broken, and was then instantly bitten by several pouncing ghouls, unable to even let out a scream, and was torn into pieces.
Another boy closed his eyes, frantically swinging a mop handle, smashing at Teacher Chen, who had once tutored him...When Teacher Chen's rotting head exploded in front of him, he suddenly knelt to the ground, vomiting violently, tears mixed with snot and stomach acid smearing his face.
Ling Chen's gaze calmly swept across the entire battlefield.
He watched Li Mingyu and Sun Qiang become more fierce and sharp in the bloody battle, watched Zhou Yunguang's Guangren (Light Blade) precisely sever the ghouls' joints in the chaos, and watched as ordinary students, after personally killing "acquaintances," their eyes shifted from initial collapse and resistance to numb striking, finally solidifying into a cold, bloodshot ferocity.
Very good. The tempering of blood and fire had begun.
The ice of fear was being broken, the sharp blade named "survival" was being honed, and at the same time, there were casualties.
He tilted his head slightly, his gaze falling on the smashed-open classroom at the end of the corridor.
The bats' perception told him there was something else inside...a more "interesting" presence. But for now, this tempering had just reached its hottest temperature.