28: Chapter 28 The Cage

"In this world, whenever something new emerges, there are always some who walk at the forefront. In fact, while most people are still dazed and ignorant, these individuals have already reached heights that ordinary people find difficult to attain."

Xu Zhiyou's voice became high-pitched and excited: "Chu Xuan, I believe you are such a person, and I am someone who can help you! This dormitory building has terrifying monsters, but what about the world outside? Are there still monsters that can parasitize humans out there, or perhaps even more terrifying monsters than those in this dormitory?"

"If that's the case, among the billions of people globally, who is human and who is a monster? I believe that in the near future, this world will inevitably undergo earth-shattering changes!"

"No one can predict what the future holds, but I believe that no matter the time, a clever mind is extremely important! Throughout history, those who achieve great things, whether facing crisis or opportunity, know that fighting alone can never compare to teamwork!"

"Chu Xuan, you need a group of reliable teammates, and I can be one of them!"

"Of course, the prerequisite for all of this is that we can leave here alive. Therefore, I hope that if we encounter danger later, you won't treat me as a dispensable pawn."

"At least for now, I can indeed help you. And earlier, when you and Tang Zheng first left the dorm, although I voiced a few doubts, I never deliberately targeted you, nor did I participate in the group assault against you."

Xu Zhiyou adjusted his glasses, looking forward to Chu Xuan's reply with great anticipation.

Chu Xuan sensed the other party's true intention; in reality, Xu Zhiyou was worried that the plan to jump from the roof was a lie meant to trap them, which was why he insisted on following along.

Chu Xuan didn't expose him, only saying indifferently: "The two minutes are up. As for your proposal, let's talk about it after we make it out alive."

"I..."

Xu Zhiyou's face flushed red. Just as he wanted to say more, Tang Zheng's voice suddenly rang out from outside the door.

"Don't you just want Chu Xuan to look out for you! Fine, stop your whining. Your Brother Zheng will make the call for you. As long as you don't pull any stunts, Brother Xuan definitely won't screw you over!"

Tang Zheng suddenly walked in. Seeing the blades in Chu Xuan's hands, his eyes instantly lit up: "Holy crap, so much good gear! Here, give me this saber."

Tang Zheng took the Tang saber. With a *clang*, he drew it from its scabbard, gave it a flourish, and his face was filled with joy.

Xu Zhiyou was startled by Tang Zheng's sudden intrusion, feeling as if the grand ambitions he had just mustered were suddenly extinguished by a bucket of ice water.

Chu Xuan handed the flashlight he had just obtained to Tang Zheng, then turned his head toward Xu Zhiyou, the corners of his mouth curling slightly: "As you can see, Brother Zheng is the boss. You've pledged your loyalty to the wrong mountain."

"Don't, you're the 'big brother' now. Wait until I've awakened my potential."

Tang Zheng sheathed the saber. Seeing Xu Zhiyou stutteringly call him "Brother Zheng," he waved his hand and said:

"What era is it that we're still doing this? Let's get moving. I've already finished a search of the area while you guys were still dawdling here..."

Before he could finish, a blood-curdling scream suddenly came from outside.

"Aaaah!!"

Chu Xuan's expression changed drastically, and he immediately rushed out, with Tang Zheng right behind him. Xu Zhiyou's expression flickered between light and dark; he stood in place for two or three seconds before quickly running out.

"What happened?"

Running into the hall, he saw that Yang Huancheng, He Ruhai, and Chen Yinghao were all safe and sound. The three makeshift fluorescent lights had also been completed. Chu Xuan asked urgently: "Who was screaming just now?"

"It wasn't us, it was him!"

Chen Yinghao pointed toward the fire exit. A blood-soaked figure lay prone on the ground, his back a bloody mess—one could even see the white bone beneath. The back of his head seemed to have been struck by some immense force and had collapsed inward.

"This person just ran out of the stairwell; there's likely a monster chasing him." He Ruhai's face was pale: "I saw a giant claw grab this person's back, and a huge chunk of flesh was just gone."

Yang Huancheng's face was also pale at this moment, looking somewhat frightened.

"As expected, there are still survivors. Let's go!" Chu Xuan tossed the Xiuchun saber to Chen Yinghao. With the powerful flashlight illuminating the way ahead and the eight-sided han sword in his right hand, he headed straight for the stairwell.

Tang Zheng followed closely behind.

"Hey, there are monsters in there..."

Chen Yinghao wanted to say something more after catching the saber.

Xu Zhiyou patted his shoulder. "If you kill a monster, your body can be strengthened, just like Chu Xuan's."

Chen Yinghao gritted his teeth and followed.

Next was Yang Huancheng.

Xu Zhiyou went to the other stairwell and shouted "Qin Qing's" name a few times. Seeing no response, he then shouldered the long-handled fluorescent light and hurried upstairs after them.

There were no monsters in the stairwell; perhaps they had already left.

Upon reaching the second floor, Chu Xuan and Chen Yinghao split off to the left and right to begin searching rooms. Yang Huancheng went to the other stairwell to shout for Qin Qing.

Tang Zheng, Xu Zhiyou, and He Ruhai took a moment to regroup.

The situation on the second floor was much the same as the first. A few scattered corpses lay in the hallway, all the doors had been broken open, and the rooms were filled with bodies.

Chen Yinghao found something.

A student had been hiding in a wardrobe. When he heard Chen Yinghao run past Dorm 209 shouting "Qin Qing's" name, he rushed out in a panic.

Chen Yinghao, holding the Xiuchun saber and mimicking Chu Xuan, conducted a light-off test right there in Dorm 209. Upon finding that the person wasn't a monster, he breathed a sigh of relief and led him back to the hallway.

Without much conversation, the group continued toward the third floor. The total time elapsed was only a little over a minute.

"My name is Cao Yun. I was sleeping when I suddenly heard a loud bang at the door, like something crashed through from outside. Then I heard my roommates screaming, but I couldn't see anything. I thought I'd encountered a ghost, so I hid in the wardrobe following the method from Uncle Ying's movies—holding my breath when meeting a zombie. I didn't expect to actually survive; I almost thought I was going to die."

Arriving at the third floor, Cao Yun was still recounting his story through snot and tears. Xu Zhiyou gave him some brief comfort, explained what they were about to do, and emphasized that they could only escape by following Chu Xuan.

Meanwhile, Chu Xuan and Tang Zheng searched in opposite directions. He Ruhai went to the other stairwell to call out, while Yang Huancheng and Chen Yinghao took a short break.

Chu Xuan ran a distance and found that the door to Dorm 308 was closed. He kicked it twice, but the door remained motionless. He immediately understood that this was a dormitory affected by the rules.

These were the killing rules of Day and Night. Only after a life-and-death struggle between humans and monsters could this dormitory be opened normally.

In this sealed state, the people inside couldn't hear a sound from outside. Perhaps while they were still fast asleep, they were being eaten one by one by monsters.

And even if someone woke up midway and, by some extreme stroke of luck, managed to turn on the light...

The moment the light came on, the monster would revert to human form and return to its original position. Who could confirm the monster's true identity?

What was particularly terrifying was that monsters were extremely difficult to kill and even possessed extraordinary skills like "Mind Reading" and "Berserk."

For ordinary people, this was an unsolvable death trap. Trapped within this cage, they could only wait for death.

And this entire dormitory building was equivalent to a much larger cage.

With over a thousand people trapped inside, a bloody feast had long since begun. The time left for Chu Xuan was only twenty minutes.

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