Chapter 25 – Ambush

“Phew…” Wang Cheng let out a sigh of relief, a flash of ruthlessness gleaming in his eyes.

Looking at the boy with a gaping hole in his abdomen, his eyes wide open but devoid of life, Wang Cheng felt a deep sense of satisfaction from revenge. But just then, he felt a sudden prickling sensation on his scalp.

He looked up to see Xia Na staring at him coldly. The moment their eyes met, Wang Cheng’s heart skipped a beat. “I…”

“Don’t say anything,” Xia Na interrupted, waving her hand dismissively. Although she had been forced back just now, she had seen clearly that the boy had not charged voluntarily. However, without him, the remaining three of them might have died there.

Wang Cheng’s actions were selfish and ruthless, but Xia Na no longer wanted to dwell on it. From a certain perspective, perhaps he wasn’t entirely wrong. If Ling Mo were here, he might even have praised such actions. But if Ling Mo were here, even with two Mutation Zombies, he would have certainly handled it.

Xia Na’s thoughts were a chaotic mess. She led Liu Yuhao and Wang Cheng slowly towards the dormitory, but in her slightly distracted state, she failed to notice a figure in the shadows staring intently at her.

“Ling Mo isn’t here. Where has he gone?”

“Never mind, I’ll take care of you lot first…”

Just as Xia Na stepped down the stairs, the figure lunged forward. Xia Na felt a tremendous force hit her back, sending her flying down to the stairwell landing below.

Her entire body felt as if it had fallen apart, but her rich combat experience allowed her to try to get up despite the pain. Before she could stand, a blood-covered figure appeared before her.

“Xia Na, didn’t expect to see me so soon, did you?”

Lu Xin sneered through gritted teeth. As Xia Na struggled to rise, he delivered a punch to her hindbrain, then swiftly grabbed the unconscious Xia Na, slinging her over his shoulder.

“Lu… Lu Xin…”

Liu Yuhao, still standing at the top of the stairs, was completely stunned by what he had just witnessed. However, the moment Xia Na was knocked unconscious, he snapped back to reality and charged forward like a madman.

But even with someone slung over his shoulder, Lu Xin moved much faster than the utterly exhausted Liu Yuhao. As he completely outpaced Liu Yuhao, Lu Xin disdainfully flipped him the middle finger and shouted, “I’m in the boys’ dormitory. Bring Ling Mo to me, or I’ll kill Xia Na!”

“Lu Xin, you bastard!”

Furious, Liu Yuhao cursed loudly, but at his speed, he could only watch helplessly as Lu Xin carried Xia Na into the boys’ dormitory. Just as he was about to give chase, Wang Cheng came panting and grabbed his arm. “Don’t go! Are you trying to get yourself killed? Didn’t you see what Lu Xin looked like? He’s definitely mutated; he’s not human anymore!”

“Damn it…” Liu Yuhao cursed several more times but didn’t pursue further. He knew Wang Cheng was right. From the strength and speed Lu Xin had just shown, he was definitely no longer human. Even if he wasn’t a full-fledged zombie, he was in the process of mutating into one. Lu Xin might not kill Xia Na immediately, but once he fully mutated and lost his mind, Xia Na would be as good as dead.

But how could he and Wang Cheng possibly defeat the current Lu Xin?

“Ling Mo, where are you?!”

Liu Yuhao anxiously scanned the surroundings. The empty campus showed no signs of life except for the zombie corpses Xia Na had slain. Instead, a few zombies, drawn by the scent of blood and the noise, suddenly appeared in the distance. The moment they saw Liu Yuhao and Wang Cheng, they began sprinting towards them.

“Shit!”

They had no choice but to run for their lives. As he fled, Liu Yuhao kept calling out for Ling Mo in his mind. When they had split up, Ling Mo had mentioned having some business at the school. Liu Yuhao could only hope he hadn’t left yet. If Ling Mo was truly gone, he might have to risk his life to save Xia Na.

At this moment, Liu Yuhao felt an overwhelming frustration, wishing he had killed Lu Xin earlier. How could he have let Xia Na fall into such danger? That traitorous bastard!

But no amount of cursing could change the reality. Liu Yuhao, with Wang Cheng in tow, dashed into the school building, finally managing to shake off the pursuing zombies.

Liu Yuhao and Wang Cheng hid in a classroom, barely daring to breathe, their bodies drenched in sweat.

Once the surroundings finally quieted down, Liu Yuhao cautiously peeked out. Seeing the empty corridor, he gestured for Wang Cheng to follow and crept out of the classroom.

“What do we do now?” Wang Cheng asked, his voice trembling with fear despite having followed Liu Yuhao through thick and thin.

“We have to find Ling Mo! We must rescue Xia Na!” Liu Yuhao replied through gritted teeth.

“But…” Wang Cheng was clearly reluctant to continue taking risks with Liu Yuhao, but, having no other options, he began to think of ways to persuade Liu Yuhao to reconsider.

However, to their surprise, as they cautiously approached the stairwell, they unexpectedly bumped into Ling Mo and Ye Lian coming down from the upper floor.

“Huh?”

Seeing two people suddenly appear, Ling Mo was initially startled but then relaxed, asking in surprise, “What are you doing here?”

Besides zombies, this building was deserted and not suitable as a refuge. The people Xia Na was looking for wouldn’t be here. So why were Liu Yuhao and Wang Cheng here?

Before Liu Yuhao could answer, Ling Mo sensed something was wrong. Their expressions made it clear they had been through a fierce battle, and they didn’t seem to be with anyone else. Otherwise, Xia Na should’ve been visible by now.

“Where’s Xia Na?” Ling Mo felt a sudden, uneasy premonition.

Liu Yuhao hadn’t expected to run into Ling Mo here, but upon hearing his question, he immediately responded anxiously, “Save Xia Na! She’s been taken by Lu Xin!” He rushed up to Ling Mo, grabbing his arm with a look of desperate hope and fear, staring intently at Ling Mo.

“Taken? By Lu Xin?”

This news came so abruptly that Ling Mo found it hard to process.

“Yes! Lu Xin has mutated but hasn’t fully turned into a zombie yet. He’s incredibly strong and very powerful. I couldn’t fight him off. Xia Na was ambushed by him! He said you have to go find him, or he’ll kill Xia Na! Ling Mo, please…” Liu Yuhao was frantic, his words tumbling out in a rush but managing to convey the urgency. Throughout, he clung tightly to Ling Mo’s arm, as if fearing Ling Mo might refuse to help.

As Ling Mo listened, his expression darkened. This Lu Xin, besides having his head full of twisted thoughts, turned out to be quite ruthless.