Yang Fan instinctively stepped back, narrowly avoiding the zombie's snapping jaws. Just as he was about to counter, a silver flash cut through the air.
Thud!
The zombie jerked as a knife embedded itself in its chest.
"Nice throw," Yang Fan muttered, glancing at Yue, who stood with her arm still outstretched.
"Ah… she's getting up again!" Mu Yi gasped, gripping the edges of her bath towel.
Yang Fan sighed. "Stabbing the heart is useless." Without hesitation, he swung his axe, splitting the zombie's skull. The creature dropped lifelessly, and a dull grey crystal emerged from its forehead. He crouched down, plucking it from the remains.
Watching this, Yue frowned. This guy is strong… but seriously? Digging into a female zombie's body? What kind of pervert is he?
Meanwhile, Yang Fan's mind was racing. 'In my past life, these two became the core of Bloody Rose. Yan Yue—the War Goddess, an eighth-tier sharpshooter. Deadly within range. And Mu Yi—the Biochemist, a sixth-tier scientist capable of controlling mutated creatures. Their base, stationed at No.3, was considered indestructible'
His fingers tightened around the crystal. 'I fought alongside them once. I even had a spar with them… To think we'd meet here, at the very beginning.'
A hand suddenly appeared in front of his face. Yue smirked. "Looking for this?"
Yang Fan's eyes flickered to the silver crystal in her palm. His expression sharpened. "Where did you find this?"
Mu Yi hesitated before shyly pushing her glasses up. "I-I was just studying it."
"Mu Yi's got an eye for weird stuff," Yue said, resting a hand on her hip. She then crossed her arms and tilted her head. "So, how about teaming up?"
Yang Fan's gaze lingered on her for a moment. 'I never thought the War Goddess would propose an alliance with me.'
Yue turned to Mu Yi. "What do you think?"
Mu Yi nodded. "I don't mind. He seems like a good person."
Yang Fan clenched his fist. 'Truthfully, I'll need allies if I want revenge. Killing Lian Tun Base's Captain, Xiao Wei, won't be easy. And these two… will be crucial.'
He exhaled through his nose. "Fine."
Yue smiled. "Good. Now, let's get dressed. That brat has been staring at us for too long."
Mu Yi turned red. "Can you wait outside?"
Yue smirked. "And no peeking."
Yang Fan smiled wryly. "I'll go find more zombies to kill."
Leaning against the wall, he heard Yue's voice from inside. "Do you know how Wang Xiong became a zombie? Are there more in the bathhouse?"
"I don't know," Yang Fan replied, arms crossed. "But I do know that there are a lot of them outside."
A few minutes later, the door opened.
Mu Yi now wore a blue jacket with gold buttons, a white blouse underneath, and a brown pleated skirt with a white trim. Her glasses sat perfectly on her delicate face, giving her an intelligent, gentle look.
Yue's outfit was the opposite. A striking red dress with a high slit revealed part of her thigh. Black straps lined the fabric, giving her a dangerous allure. A white, short-sleeved cape draped over her shoulder, and long golden earrings dangled from her ears.
"The outside world is full of zombies," Yue said. "Should we find a safe place and wait for rescue?"
Mu Yi hesitated. "Yeah, but…"
"There is no 'safe' place," Yang Fan interrupted. "Zombies are everywhere. And they're evolving all the time."
Yue brushed her hair behind her ear. "If they can evolve… does that mean we can too?"
Yang Fan looked at them. "Let's head out. We need to move fast."
He stopped at the door and turned. "One more thing. If you want to follow me, there are three conditions. One: listen to my orders. Two: I don't need trash. Give me every crystal you find. And three: betray me, and you die."
Yue raised an eyebrow. "Mu Yi, what do you think?"
Mu Yi adjusted her glasses. "From what I've seen, he's telling the truth. I think he's already evolved. Otherwise, how could he be this strong?"
Yue's lips curled into a grin. "Interesting… Fine. We agree to your terms."
Yang Fan nodded. "Good. Then follow me."
School No.1 - Campus Grounds
The moment they stepped outside, they were met with a horrifying sight.
"Ughhh…" "Grrrhh…"
Hundreds of zombies stumbled across the schoolyard, their lifeless eyes fixated on their next prey.
Yue's face darkened. "So many… Where do we even start?"
Yang Fan pulled out a crystal and held it up. "Don't ask questions. Just follow me and collect the crystals."
Without hesitation, he stepped forward.
Mu Yi gulped. "Is he… planning to fight them all alone?"
A zombie rushed toward him, its mouth gaping open.
"RAHHH!"
Yang Fan swung his axe.
SHING!
Blood sprayed as the zombie was split in half from head to toe. A crystal dropped from its forehead, rolling on the ground.
Mu Yi's eyes widened. "A crystal…!"
She quickly picked it up and examined it. "This… It looks like condensed vitamins and minerals from a human body. Could this be why they turned into zombies?"
Yue crossed her arms. "So you're saying these crystals could turn us into zombies?"
"Theoretically, yes," Mu Yi admitted. "But I need to study them more to be sure."
Yue glanced back at Yang Fan, who was already cutting through a horde of zombies without hesitation.
"Why does he need so many crystals?" she murmured.