I leaned over the balcony railing of Room 3014, looking at Li Wenli's pale face, feeling as if a thousand wild horses were galloping through my mind.
This woman is usually so smart, how could she mess up at such a critical moment? Damn it, is this something you can just shout about?
"Roar—!"
The deep growls quickly merged into a chilling wave of sound.
The zombies at the front reached the base of the wall, while those behind continued to push forward, climbing over the shoulders, heads, and even bodies of those in front, forcing their way upwards.
In no time, a "mountain of corpses" formed directly below Li Wenli's dorm, made up of decaying flesh, severed limbs, and tattered clothing.
These creatures, using both hands and feet, scratched at the wall with their nails, producing a grating sound as they climbed over their companions' heads, rapidly approaching the second and third floors!
Meanwhile, loud banging noises came from outside Dorm Room 3023.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Clearly, the zombies in the hallway had also heard Li Wenli's scream and were frantically battering the already fragile wooden door.
A mountain of corpses climbing from the front, zombies breaking through from behind.
Li Wenli was completely panicked. She stood on the balcony, clutching a compound bow she couldn't even draw, watching the rotting hands getting closer, curling up in fear as tears welled up in her eyes.
"It's over... it's over..."
I was sweating profusely with anxiety. Although I was temporarily safe in Room 3014, if Li Wenli died, I'd lose my only "living" connection.
I had to think of a way! I had to divert these beasts' attention!
I looked around, searching for something to make noise with.
Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in my head, and I slapped my thigh hard.
Draw them over? Why not just stand on the balcony and shout?
With that thought, I took a deep breath, steadied my voice, and roared in Li Wenli's direction:
"Hey!!! You over there, the stupid woman! Get inside! Don't come out! Lock the door!"
Then, I shouted down at the zombies below:
"Hey! You bastards! Look over here! Your grandpa's here! What's so tasty about that bag of bones? Come eat me! I've got more meat!"
My voice echoed between the buildings.
Li Wenli was stunned by my shout, then realized I was trying to save her.
She bit her lip, obediently retreated into the room, quickly closed the balcony's glass door, and drew the curtains.
My voice instantly caught the attention of all the monsters.
"Roar..."
The pile of corpses suddenly paused, and then the shaky "mountain" collapsed as the zombies at the bottom turned around.
Countless zombies fell from mid-air like dumplings, making dull thuds and the sound of bones breaking as they hit the ground.
But these creatures, oblivious to pain, continued to crawl on the ground, turning and frantically gathering below the balcony of Room 3014.
"Damn, they really listen."
I peered over the railing and felt my scalp tingle.
There were more of them than I imagined! I was so focused on Li Wenli's side that now, seeing them all coming my way, I realized it was a massive, dark mass.
Moreover, because Room 3014 was located towards the west end of the corridor, it was very close to the school's outer iron fence.
My shout not only attracted the zombies inside the school but also those wandering outside the fence, on the commercial street.
"Ugh—!"
Through the gaps in the iron fence, I saw those incomplete creatures on the commercial street frantically clawing at the school's fence. The spikes meant to deter thieves were now rattling under countless rotting hands.
Some zombies even squeezed their faces through the gaps, their flesh tearing but still pushing forward, just wanting a piece of the action.
I wiped the cold sweat from my face, watching the new "mountain of corpses" rapidly forming below.
These creatures might be brainless, but their execution is impressive.
In seconds, the first batch of zombies had already climbed onto the air conditioning unit below Room 3014's balcony.
This place is no longer safe!
If I stayed any longer, I'd be a sitting duck.
I glanced back at the door of Room 3014. Although it was bolted, the doorframe was already loosening under the constant battering from the Basketball Zombie outside and could give way at any moment.
Blocked in front, pursued from behind.
The only way out was... to fly across.
I looked towards the balcony of Room 3016.
Jingyang University's old dormitory building had a vintage design, with connected balconies, though separated by solid concrete walls, the balcony railings protruded outward.
The gap between the two balconies was about one and a half meters.
One and a half meters.
On flat ground, it would just be a big step.
But now, on the third floor, seven or eight meters above the ground, if I slipped, the zombies below with their gaping mouths and clawing hands would tear me to shreds in an instant.
"Huff... huff..."
I adjusted my breathing, feeling adrenaline burning through my veins.
Thanks to years of working on construction sites, carrying bricks and cement, my physique was well-trained. Though I didn't have much of a six-pack, my arms and legs had explosive power that rivaled those gym rats.
"Screw it!"
I grabbed the rusty iron railing of the balcony with both hands, pushed off with my feet, and leapt up like a monkey, crouching on the narrow railing top.
I didn't dare look down, focusing my gaze on the railing of Room 3016's balcony.
"One, two... go!"
I pushed off with my legs, launching myself into the air.
The momentary weightlessness almost stopped my heart.
But I made it across.
"Bang!"
My hands caught the railing of Room 3016's balcony, and due to inertia, my body slammed into the iron bars, sending a jolt of pain through my chest, nearly knocking the wind out of me.
But I couldn't worry about the pain, I pushed myself up with all my might, flipping over the balcony into Room 3016, landing on my butt, gasping for air.
"Ha... ha... I'm alive..."
I looked back.
The zombies below were still piling up and roaring beneath Room 3014's balcony, seemingly unaware that I had leapt to the next room. They continued their relentless climb, scratching at the bottom of Room 3014's balcony.
"Looks like these things really have poor eyesight, relying more on sound."
I wiped the sweat from my brow, a smirk forming on my lips, "Bunch of idiots."
However, I didn't have three seconds to celebrate.
"Roar—!!!"
Every hair on my body stood on end as I whipped around.
From behind the half-drawn curtains of Room 3016, a shadowy figure in pink cartoon pajamas, with disheveled hair, lunged at me!
There's a zombie in this dorm!
I had just landed, my old strength spent and new strength not yet born, unable to stand up in time.
"Damn!"
Instinctively, I rolled to the side, awkwardly dodging.
The pajama-clad female zombie missed, and due to her excessive force and the narrow balcony space, she slammed into the iron railing with a loud "clang."
"Crack!"
The sound was painful to hear, likely breaking her nose.
The old-style railing had wide gaps, and the female zombie was thin. Her head went right through the bars, sticking out over the balcony!
When she tried to pull back, her chin and ears got stuck, preventing her from withdrawing.
"Ugh! Roar! Roar!"
Her neck was trapped in the railing, her body thrashing wildly on the balcony, limbs flailing, her gray eyes fixed on me just out of reach, her mouth opening and closing, teeth clacking as she tried to bite me, but falling short by mere inches.
I sat on the ground, watching this dramatic scene, cold sweat trickling down my spine.
If I had been a second slower, she'd have pinned me down and started gnawing.
"Damn... scared the hell out of me."
I panted heavily, looking at the trapped female zombie. She wore a cute onesie with a Sailor Moon pattern, now stained with dark red blood. Her face was scraped by the railing, hanging grotesquely.
Seeing she wouldn't be getting free anytime soon, I relaxed a bit, using the wall to stand up.
Since I'm here, I can't leave empty-handed.
I turned my attention to the interior of Room 3016.
The dorm door was closed, the lock intact, but the inside of the door was covered in splattered blood and claw marks, evidence of a brutal struggle.
In the center of the dorm floor lay a gruesome female corpse.
It was an incomplete body.
Her body had been "broken" or torn in two at the waist by some great force or sharp weapon.
The upper half lay by the desk, the lower half twisted in front of the wardrobe, connected by a mess of intestines and organs, the blood on the floor turned dark and sticky.
Most shocking was the broken mop handle protruding from her back.
A stainless steel pipe, its sharp end had pierced her back, through her chest, pinning her to the floor.
"Damn..."
I sucked in a breath.
Looking at this murder scene-like tableau, then at the pajama zombie still clawing madly on the balcony, I quickly pieced together the events in my mind.
This must have been a life-or-death struggle between roommates.
The girl in pajamas either mutated first or went insane, and the girl pinned to the floor, in self-defense, broke the mop handle and stabbed it into her mutated roommate.
But clearly, she failed.
The mutated zombie felt no pain, even with a pierced body. The pajama zombie retaliated viciously, breaking or tearing her opponent's spine.
"Too tragic."
I shook my head, suppressing my nausea, carefully avoiding the trapped pajama zombie, her claws nearly snagging my pant leg.
Summoning my courage, I ventured into the room.
I needed to search for anything useful.