Although the female zombie in the Sailor Moon pajamas was currently stuck in the balcony railing, my situation wasn't any better than before.
Her constant cries of "Ugh! Roar!" were practically a GPS signal for the headless flies downstairs.
I peeked over the balcony edge and, good heavens, the "corpse mountain" that had been stacking up at Room 3014 had now completely shifted its focus.
Several hands were already clutching the outdoor air conditioner unit below, making it creak under the strain.
"Damn, these beasts sure know how to switch targets fast."
I cursed, feeling a burning urgency inside.
This place was no longer safe. The balcony railing looked flimsy; if that female zombie broke free or if the zombies below climbed up, I'd be a sitting duck.
But before leaving, I had to do something useful.
I turned to look at the dorm room. Although the half-bodied female corpse nailed to the floor was creepy, she clearly had a good boyfriend, or she was a stockpiling expert.
Wasting no time, I ransacked the dorm like a burglar.
On the desk, in the cabinets—anything that could be eaten was fair game.
"Not bad luck!"
In a wardrobe near the door, I found a large supermarket shopping bag stuffed full.
Opening it, I couldn't help but marvel at the dorm's riches: Oreos, Lay's Potato Chips, Weilong Spicy Strips, and even a few packs of self-heating hotpot!
And under the desk, there was half a box of unopened AD Calcium Milk!
"This boyfriend is way more reliable than Li Wenli's weirdo roommates' boyfriends!"
I couldn't help but mentally applaud this unknown guy. In these times, a man who buys such a complete set of snacks for his girlfriend is rare. Sadly, the girl didn't live to enjoy them.
I tied the snack bag tightly, then with one hand holding the box of AD Calcium Milk and the other the snack bag, I crouched and returned to the balcony.
The female zombie stuck in the railing was still reaching for me. I sidestepped her black-blooded claws and eyed the balcony of the next dorm.
According to the dorm numbers, Li Wenli was in Room 3023, I was in Room 3016, and I needed to jump back. The next one should be Room 3018. The even and odd numbers should each occupy a row, but the other row had a laundry room, so Room 3023 was on this side.
I tested the weight, then swung my arm and hurled the large snack bag and the box of AD Calcium Milk like grenades onto the next dorm's balcony.
"Thud."
The items landed securely.
Next, it was my turn.
I took a deep breath, ran a couple of steps, and pushed off the concrete edge of the balcony with force.
"Take off!"
As I landed, I rolled forward to absorb the impact, then quickly crouched in the corner, warily observing my surroundings.
This time, I controlled the noise of my jump well. Plus, the female zombie stuck next door was still howling, drawing most of the attention, so the zombies stacking up below hadn't noticed my shift in position.
They were still foolishly clawing at the walls of Room 3016.
"Phew... safe landing."
I wiped the cold sweat from my forehead, just about to stand up and collect my spoils.
Suddenly, the sensation of something cold and hard pressing against my scalp made my blood freeze.
"Don't move."
A trembling yet fierce female voice came from above my head.
I stiffly raised my head.
In front of me was a chair leg with wooden splinters, pointed right at my forehead.
Following the chair leg upward, I saw a tall, thin girl with dark skin and short hair, her eyes filled with wariness and hostility.
The girl with the chair leg was clearly the "leader" here. Seeing me look up, she pushed the chair leg forward, ready to scold.
"Shh—!"
I quickly put a finger to my lips, making an exaggerated shushing gesture, my eyes wide, desperately signaling toward the balcony outside.
"Don't scream! Whatever you do, don't scream!" I whispered urgently, "The place is full of zombies! If you scream, we're all dead!"
The dark-skinned girl hesitated, clearly hearing the zombie's howls from the next balcony and the scratching sounds from below.
She gritted her teeth, swallowing back the curse words on the tip of her tongue, but kept the chair leg poised.
Seeing her calm down a bit, I slowly raised my hands in a gesture of surrender and stood up straight.
"I mean no harm, really." Though my face might still have some bloodstains.
"I'm just passing through... passing through. I'll leave right away."
As I spoke, I cautiously moved further into the room.
The dark-skinned girl watched me warily, retreating step by step, maintaining a safe distance.
Inside the dorm, I realized the situation was even more spectacular than I imagined.
This was a standard six-person dorm. Besides the three on the balcony, there were two more girls sitting on the upper bunks on either side!
The one on the left was clutching a large teddy bear, trembling with fear, while the one on the right, wearing glasses, was gripping a fruit knife, her hands shaking like she had Parkinson's, yet bravely pointing it at me.
This dorm had five survivors! And they all seemed uninfected and unharmed.
It seemed these girls either had a good relationship or were incredibly lucky, hiding in the dorm when the zombie outbreak happened.
But because there were so many of them, the atmosphere was even more tense. Five girls, ten eyes, all fixed on me, the strange man who had suddenly barged in.
Their eyes held fear, disgust, and a look reserved for perverts. After all, who in their right mind would climb balconies into a girls' dorm?
"Who... who are you? What do you want?" the girl with glasses asked shakily.
"I'm from next door... no, the building next to next door." I rambled, not wanting to reveal Li Wenli's location, "I'm escaping, just passing through, really just passing through."
I said, bending down to pick up the AD Calcium Milk and snack bag from the floor, indicating I was just taking supplies to flee.
The leading dark-skinned girl clearly didn't want to hear my nonsense. She glanced at the items in my hands, then at the balcony, a hint of disdain in her eyes.
She jerked her head, pointing the chair leg toward the other balcony, lowering her voice to hiss:
"Get lost! Don't bring the monsters here!"
"Got it, got it. Leaving right away."
A dorm full of girls might be paradise in normal times, but in the apocalypse, it was a spider's den. A single scream could spell my end here.
I wisely retreated to the other side of the balcony.
"Thanks, ladies, take care."
I bowed slightly, then with my precious supplies in hand, climbed over the balcony railing again.
Before leaving, I turned back once more, the leader girl still watching me warily.
"Anything else?"
I took out two boxes of Oreos from the bag and tossed them to her.
Then, without looking back, I left.
In that moment, I had a hunch that helping them survive might benefit me later.
"Just two more dorms to cross, and I'll be back to Li Wenli."
I repeated my previous tactic, first tossing the heavy box of AD Calcium Milk and snacks onto the opposite balcony.
"Bang!"
Landed securely.
This time, I was smarter. As soon as I landed, I didn't rush to pick up my things but quickly crouched against the wall, peering through the balcony's glass door to assess the dorm's situation.
If I jumped into another dorm full of people or zombies, my heart couldn't take it.
Holding my breath, I observed carefully.
The dorm was silent.
The beds were neatly made, the cosmetics on the desk were orderly, and there were no bloodstains or signs of struggle on the floor.
Most importantly, there were no people, no zombies.
"Phew..."
I exhaled deeply.
It seemed the dorm's occupants hadn't returned when the zombie outbreak happened, likely caught in classrooms or outside.
With no one around, it was a land without an owner!
The scavenger spirit within me ignited instantly.
I pushed open the balcony door and stepped inside, gently closing it behind me.
"Sorry for the intrusion."
I muttered, beginning to rummage through the room with practiced ease.
The girls in this dorm seemed to love snacks. I found a box of unopened pure milk in a cabinet. Though not a premium brand, in these water-scarce times, it was life-saving white blood!
Besides that, I scavenged a few packs of plain potato chips, two boxes of cookies, and even a bag of beef jerky!
"Jackpot, jackpot!"
I gleefully stuffed everything into the large plastic bag originally holding snacks, filling it to the brim. The box of milk was too big to fit, so I tucked it under my arm.
Loaded with supplies, I felt like a Santa Claus returning with gifts, though I probably looked more like a refugee fleeing disaster.
"Next stop!"
I returned to the balcony with confidence. Li Wenli's Room 3023 was close now.
Just one more balcony to cross, and I should be able to see Li Wenli's sour face.
I tossed the items over in batches.
Then, jumping, soaring, landing.
The moment my feet hit the ground, a stench so strong it made me gag hit my nose.
This smell was more intense than any dorm before, carrying a fermented, rotten odor.
My heart sank as I looked up at the dorm's interior.
Through the grime-covered glass door, I saw the scene inside.
I froze on the spot, nearly dropping the milk tucked under my arm.
The dorm was drenched in blood.
Not the splattered kind, but... painted on.
The walls, ceiling, floor, and beds were all soaked in a dark, blackish blood.
It was as if someone had taken buckets of red paint and gone on a wild spree in the room.