Just as the zombie’s gaping jaws were about to snap Li Ming’s neck
“Whoosh !”
A fine ice needle, formed from a shard of ice and as thin as a hair, silently shot out from the direction of the hotel. At an incredible speed and with pinpoint accuracy, it pierced straight into the zombie’s eye socket!
“Pft.”
A faint sound.
The zombie froze instantly.
The murderous glint in its eyes quickly dimmed, and its massive body crashed to the ground.
Everyone was stunned by the sudden scene.
Li Ming collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath, staring blankly at the zombie that could no longer be any more dead.
What just happened?
Who… saved me?
Zhao Feng and the others also looked toward the hotel in confusion.
But it was empty. Only the massive glass doors stood silently, as if nothing had happened.
In the monitoring room.
Jiang Lingyue turned to look at Gu Han.
He retracted his finger with a neutral expression, as if he hadn’t done anything at all.
“Did you do that?” Jiang Lingyue asked.
“Slipped,” Gu Han said lightly, his gaze still fixed on the surveillance screens.
Beside him, Lu Xiao smirked and snorted disdainfully.
“Pfft, so theatrical.”
Though he said that, a flicker of complexity passed through his eyes.
This icy-faced guy, saying he didn’t care, but his body told the truth.
Jiang Lingyue watched Gu Han’s cold “I know nothing” demeanor and found it somewhat amusing.
This man was truly the classic “cold outside, warm inside.”
She didn’t expose him.
She had anticipated Gu Han’s actions.
Li Ming had shown courage and responsibility earlier, which earned her some admiration.
She didn’t mind giving him a little “help,” within the bounds of the rules.
Outside the hotel.
Though they didn’t know what had happened, Li Ming being saved gave the rest of the team a huge boost in morale.
“Everyone, push harder! We’re almost there!” Zhao Feng roared, swinging his fire axe even more fiercely.
The fight became significantly smoother.
Whenever they faced mortal danger, a mysterious ice needle or a barely noticeable electric arc would fly from the hotel, perfectly neutralizing their most threatening problems.
Though Gu Han and Lu Xiao’s interventions were extremely subtle, Zhao Feng, as an abilities user, sensed that something was off.
He began to suspect: The people inside the hotel are helping us!
This realization made him ecstatic.
It meant they had passed the test! They had earned the hotel owner’s approval!
With that thought fueling him, Zhao Feng felt invincible.
One hour later.
When Zhao Feng swung his axe and felled the last zombie, the battle finally ended.
The street in front of the hotel, within 100 meters, had been completely cleared.
Li Ming and the other four were injured, exhausted, and collapsed to the ground, unable to lift even a finger.
Yet, their faces shone with the radiant smiles of those who had survived a disaster.
They had succeeded!
They had completed an impossible mission!
At that moment, the words on the light screen at the hotel entrance changed.
Entry mission completed.
Congratulations! You have earned the right to stay at the “Apocalypse Safehouse Hotel.”
The doors will now open for you.
Li Ming could no longer hold back. The man in his forties broke down and cried like a child.
The others also shed tears of excitement.
“Creak ”
The massive revolving glass door, like the gates of heaven in their eyes, slowly and automatically opened a passage.
A warm, clean air, faintly scented, drifted out.
It was a world apart from the bloodstained, foul-smelling air outside.
“Come in.”
A cool, slightly lazy female voice called from inside the lobby.
Li Ming and Zhao Feng helped each other and led the others, step by step, with the reverence of pilgrims, into the legendary hotel.
As soon as they stepped into the lobby, everyone froze in amazement.
Mirror-like marble floors, dazzling crystal chandeliers, soft leather sofas, and an air filled with the nostalgic scent of civilization…
It all felt like a dream.
A girl in a white T-shirt and jeans, clean as if she had walked out of a painting, sat on a sofa, holding a steaming cup of… milk tea?
Behind her stood two men whose auras were so strong that they dared not meet their gaze.
One as cold as ice, one wild as lightning.
There was no doubt this girl was the hotel’s owner.
“Welcome, my first guests.”
Jiang Lingyue looked at the ragged, bloodstained but bright-eyed survivors before her and smiled.
Her voice seemed to carry a magic that instantly eased all their fear and unease.
“Thud!”
Li Ming could no longer hold himself and sank to his knees.
Not out of fear, but out of overwhelming emotion and gratitude.
He kowtowed deeply to Jiang Lingyue.
“Thank you… thank you for giving us a chance to live!”
His voice choked with emotion.
“Thank you, Your Majesty!”
Zhao Feng also knelt on one knee, lowering his proud head.
Only those who have experienced true despair can understand how precious hope truly is.
Xiao Ya’s large curious eyes gazed at Jiang Lingyue, timidly saying: “Fairy… sister?”
That single “fairy sister” even made Jiang Lingyue pause.
Looking at this group, she felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction and… responsibility.
Perhaps building a new order wasn’t as boring as she had imagined.
“Everyone, stand up.”
Jiang Lingyue rose and approached them.
“From today on, this will be your home.”
“But let me make one thing clear,” her eyes sharpened. “Here, my rules apply. Anyone who dares break them…”
She didn’t finish, but her icy gaze said it all.
Gu Han and Lu Xiao simultaneously released a hint of S-class pressure.
Li Ming, Zhao Feng, and the others felt as if two mountains had pressed down on them, making it hard to breathe.
They had no doubt: any treachery would see them shredded instantly.
“We understand! We will follow the rules!” Li Ming quickly affirmed.
“Good.”
Jiang Lingyue nodded, satisfied, and relaxed her aura.
She snapped her fingers and said to Gu Han: “Take them to clean up, change clothes, treat their wounds, and then bring them to the restaurant.”
“Tonight… it’s on me.”