Chapter 12: Fight your way out and trigger a bond preview!

He gripped the long spear tightly, his entire being seemingly transforming into a sharp arrow as he attempted to charge against the flow of the crowd.

However, the tide of people was surging; everyone was running desperately for their lives, and the immense inertia made it impossible for him to move upstream.

His body was shoved and squeezed by the crowd, leaving him only able to barely stand by the side to avoid being swept out of the Dormitory building.

He opened his mouth and shouted with all his might, attempting to stop the crowd's frantic behavior so they wouldn't block him: "There are more zombies outside! Don't run out!"

But his voice was completely drowned out amidst the deafening screams and chaos; not a single person could hear him.

However, this frantic flight did not last long.

When the people at the very front rushed out of the Dormitory building, their screams instantly became even more shrill, filled with unbelievable despair.

"Oh my God! Outside... it's full of zombies!"

"There are even more than in the hallway!"

"Quick! Get back into the building!"

The crowd let out even more terrified screams.

Those who were originally rushing outward seemed to hit an invisible wall, coming to a sudden halt,

and then, with even greater speed and a more frantic posture, they turned around and rushed back into the Dormitory building.

The flow of the crowd reversed instantly, and Su Ze was once again pushed by this force, surging uncontrollably toward the upper floors.

"Damn it!" he cursed under his breath, gripping the long spear tightly as he struggled to steady himself.

"Stop pushing!"

"Help... don't step on me!"

"The second floor! There are zombies on the second floor too!"

"They're coming down from the stairwell!"

Screams, cries, and sounds of impact—all sorts of chaotic noises intertwined.

Although the number of zombies inside the Dormitory building wasn't as high as outside, at this moment, they and the zombies outside formed a pincer attack on the crowd.

Su Ze knew he could no longer wait passively.

Finding the right moment, he gripped the long spear, suddenly dropped his waist, and exerted force with both arms, heavily pushing the few people blocking him to the side.

"Move!" he growled, his voice carrying an unquestionable authority.

The people were startled by his sudden Burst and subconsciously moved aside, allowing him to forcibly tear open a path.

In front of him, a zombie pounced with bared fangs and brandished claws.

Its withered arm reached toward Su Ze, and a ghostly green light flickered in its hollow eye sockets.

Without any fancy movements, Su Ze leaned forward and thrust the long spear straight out!

The first zombie blocking his way didn't even have time to react before its head was pierced by the sharp long spear - edge.

The zombie let out a short hiss, its body jerked violently, and then it dissipated into a streak of gray light, leaving only two copper coins on the ground.

Su Ze had no time to pick them up, not even time to look.

He knew that every second was crucial right now.

"Move!"

He roared again, sweeping the long spear to force back the panicked crowd, carving out a narrow passage for himself.

He thrust out repeatedly.

Puchi! Puchi! Puchi!

One zombie after another fell, dissipating into gray light and leaving behind copper coins.

Though he hadn't studied spear techniques, his strength—which exceeded that of ordinary people—and his excellent, refined weapon allowed him to kill them with ease.

The hem of Su Ze's clothes was stained with splattered blood, but he did not pause for a moment.

Just like that, between the chaotic crowd and the surging zombies, he forcibly carved out a path of blood.

His goal was clear: return to Dormitory 404 on the fourth floor as quickly as possible.

...

Meanwhile, at the corner of Stairwell No. 2 between the second and third floors.

Liu Qiaofei was curled up in a corner, her body trembling violently.

Earlier, she had been swept up by the crowd and pushed to the third floor, only to find zombies pouring out from the end of the third-floor hallway.

The crowd turned around again, trying to rush down to the first floor.

But they were surrounded by a horde of zombies on the second floor.

"There are zombies on every floor!"

"The stairwell is blocked too!"

"It's over, it's over, everything is over!"

“Waaaah, someone please save me...”

Desperate cries and wails rose one after another, causing Liu Qiaofei's heart to sink completely to the bottom.

Her delicate body simply couldn't withstand the chaos for long, and she was soon squeezed into the corner of the stairs between the second and third floors by the crowd.

Looking at those hideous zombies and seeing her classmates fall one after another around her,

smelling the bloody stench permeating the air, her legs went weak, and she could no longer run.

"It's over... I'm dead for sure..."

Liu Qiaofei curled into a ball in despair, her hands tightly hugging her knees and her head buried deep in the crook of her arms.

As if by doing this, she could shut out all the despair and terror of this world.

Tears soaked her collar, and her body wouldn't stop shaking.

At this moment, Su Ze fought his way to the stairwell of the second and third floors.

He was covered in zombie blood, and the long spear in his hand was still dripping with foul-smelling liquid.

His breathing was somewhat ragged, but his gaze remained resolute.

As he instinctively charged toward the upper floors, he didn't notice Liu Qiaofei, who was curled up in the corner of the stairs, burying herself completely.

After all, in such chaos, who would have the mind to pay attention to others?

However, just as he brushed past her,

a crisp notification sound suddenly exploded in his mind.

【Ding! Goddess meeting the binding conditions detected!】

Su Ze's body suddenly stiffened, and his footsteps halted accordingly.

“【Goddess Name: Liu Qiaofei】”

“【Bond Effect Preview: If successfully bound and a Bond is established, you will obtain the exclusive Bond effect—【Strange Language: Allows perfect use of foreign races' languages. When used, low-intelligence races might even think you are one of their own!】”

Su Ze's heart skipped a beat.

This Bond effect was simply a stroke of genius!

In this post-apocalyptic world, being able to perfectly use the languages of foreign races, and even making low-intelligence races think he was one of them—

setting everything else aside, zombies were low-intelligence enough, weren't they?!

The strategic value this represented was simply immeasurable!

He immediately scanned his surroundings with his gaze.

The surroundings were chaotic with flickering shadows; he couldn't distinguish which one was Liu Qiaofei in a short amount of time.

"Liu Qiaofei!" Ignoring everything else, he shouted the name loudly, trying to identify her figure in the chaos.

His voice seemed faint in the chaos, but the name he shouted was like a bolt of lightning, suddenly striking Liu Qiaofei as she curled in the corner.

Her body jerked, and she suddenly lifted her head, a flicker of disbelief crossing her despairing eyes.

Someone was calling her?

Was it Su Ze? Or someone else?

She instinctively looked toward the source of the sound, only to see a withered zombie with its bloody mouth wide open, pouncing toward her!

"Roar!"

The zombie's sharp claws were already extended, and a foul stench wafted toward her.

Liu Qiaofei's pupils dilated instantly; a desperate scream was stuck in her throat, unable to make a sound.

In this moment between life and death, a flash of silver light streaked past.

Puchi!

A long spear, carrying a piercing chill, pierced through the back of the zombie's head!

The spear tip emerged from the zombie's forehead, bringing with it foul-smelling flesh.

The zombie's body suddenly went stiff, then fell powerlessly in front of Liu Qiaofei, dissipating into a streak of gray light.

Liu Qiaofei stared blankly at the fallen zombie, then followed the trajectory of the long spear, slowly lifting her head.

A figure that wasn't particularly tall appeared in her line of sight.

That blood-stained face appeared somewhat blurry in the dim light, but she still recognized him at a glance.

"Su Ze?!"

Liu Qiaofei's voice carried an unbelievable tremor.

She never expected that after she had desperately contacted him in the final minute before midnight,

and after seeing that he hadn't even replied—originally having given up hope—

that at this very moment, he would actually appear, actually come to save her!

Her originally silent and despairing heart, at this moment, was like being struck by a bolt of lightning, throbbing violently!