Training Island
“Keep up!” Instructor Jiang Shan shouted as he led the group of 23 people up the stairs of the dormitory building.
Holding a rifle, he turned around and fired relentlessly at the zombies chasing after them. The man running at the very back kicked away a zombie that was about to pounce on him, then raised his pistol and shot it straight in the head.
Everyone hurried up the stairs in a panic. On every floor they passed, several zombies would suddenly rush out at them.
Already exhausted, the group pushed themselves to fight with the last of their strength. Those who had run out of bullets immediately drew their daggers and stabbed the zombies through the head.
“Mu Ya, watch out!” Zhou Tingfeng spotted a zombie lunging toward her from the stairwell and shouted. His heart nearly stopped in fear.
Hearing him, Mu Ya quickly stepped backward, but the zombie’s fingernails still managed to scratch her arm. She let out a muffled groan, then grabbed her dagger and plunged it into the zombie’s head.
“Tingfeng, I’m fine. Hurry and catch up with them!” Mu Ya reassured him before quickly making her way up the stairs.
Jiang Shan was the first to reach the rooftop. Standing in front of the entrance, he urged everyone on. “Hurry up!”
Zhou Tingfeng was the last to arrive. Looking back, he saw a massive horde of zombies surging up the stairs, relentlessly chasing their prey.
Mu Ya, who had already reached the rooftop, anxiously watched Zhou Tingfeng. She stretched out a hand toward him and called weakly, “Tingfeng, hurry up!”
As soon as he made it onto the rooftop, Jiang Shan swiftly shut and locked the rooftop door.
The moment the door was locked, loud banging sounds came from the other side, accompanied by the zombies’ horrifying growls. Fortunately, it was an iron door, so they couldn’t see the zombies’ familiar yet grotesque faces.
Ever since the apocalypse began, more than a hundred people had taken shelter in the cafeteria on the first floor. After the zombies breached the first floor, they had been forced to flee all the way to the rooftop.
Now, fewer than thirty people remained.
With their nerves stretched to the breaking point, everyone finally relaxed a little. One by one, they sat down on the floor, gasping for breath.
“Instructor, will someone come to rescue us?” a young man asked dejectedly, his eyes dim with despair.
Along the way, he had watched familiar comrades turn into zombies one after another. He was nearly at the end of his rope, barely holding on with the last bit of strength he had left.
“They will,” Jiang Shan replied firmly.
He had always believed that the Yan family would never abandon them. No matter what happened, they had to hold on until their very last breath.
He picked up a bottle of water and took a sip before handing it to the person sitting beside him.
That person took a drink and passed it to someone else. In the end, everyone shared the bottle until not a drop of water remained.
After drinking, Mu Ya walked to a distant corner, far away from the others. If she noticed any signs of turning into a zombie, she would immediately jump off the building.
The reason she hadn’t jumped right away was that a small glimmer of hope remained in her heart.
The man she loved was still alive. So were the teammates who had fought alongside her, as well as the girl who had grown up with her. She wondered how that girl was doing now.
Mu Ya gently touched the scratch on her arm left by the zombie’s fingernails. Her expression was filled with sorrow.
Her entire body was beginning to burn with fever, and she felt terribly uncomfortable.
As she stared down at the countless zombies gathered below, thinking that she would soon become one of them, someone suddenly pulled her into a warm embrace.
“Don’t be afraid. I’m here,” Zhou Tingfeng whispered, holding her tightly as he comforted her. He knew exactly what she was afraid of.
Mu Ya couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down her face. Her beautiful face had turned pale as she choked out, “I… I’m going to turn into a zombie.”
“Trust me. You won’t turn. Don’t do anything foolish.” He gently patted her back.
Although he was deeply worried, he didn’t want her to lose hope. If she really did turn into a zombie, he was willing to hold her and jump off the building with her.
“Tingfeng, I love you.”
Breathing in his familiar scent, Mu Ya found herself even more reluctant to die.
What was she supposed to do?
Hearing her words, Zhou Tingfeng tightened his embrace.
In fact, he could have left the island long ago, but for her sake, he had been willing to stay and wait.
“I love you too. You have to hold on for me.”
The two continued embracing each other tightly, paying no attention to what the others might think.
Seeing them from a distance, the group began teasing them.
“Brother Feng really knows how to enjoy himself. Even at a time like this, he hasn’t forgotten to show off his affection!”
“Ah, how pitiful! I haven’t even held a girl’s hand before, and now I’m going to die here with a bunch of men like you!”
“The only girl here has already been swept away by Brother Feng. I’m really not willing to accept this!”
“This door won’t hold out much longer, will it?”
Jiang Shan remained silent as he gazed at the two distant figures. A glimmer of hope began to rise in his heart.
Could it be them?