Chapter 2

After daybreak, mutant beasts rarely come out. The most dangerous time is at night when groups of mutant rats and cats roam the campus.

The entire campus was dead silent, with gnawed bones and tattered clothes scattered everywhere. Places where food and water could be found had been searched countless times.

Of the more than 30 survivors, many became food for the mutant beasts while searching for supplies. Outside the campus, the situation was even worse. Many who tried to escape never returned.

Communication had been completely cut off again, and no one knew what was happening outside. At its peak, Haihe University had thousands of teachers and students, but now only about 30 remained.

Dongfang Bai led a team to the office building of the Academic Affairs Office, allocating manpower for a search. She paired herself with Xu Youran, worried about his condition and wanting to keep an eye on him.

As they turned a corner near the Academic Affairs Office, a dozen mutant wild cats looking for food discovered them. The sight of live prey made the cats pounce quickly.

Encountering a group of wild cats in broad daylight was unfortunate. Dongfang Bai, agile from years of martial arts training, protected Xu Youran behind her and fought off several wild cats. These cats, infected with the virus, had grown to the size of normal Alaskan dogs.

Although she had fought mutant wild cats before, this was the first time she encountered so many. Initially, she held her own, beating the cats back with punches and kicks. But soon, the wild cats, their bloodlust aroused, became more aggressive, with sharp claws and fangs almost catching her several times.

Balancing between fending off the wild cats and protecting Xu Youran, she became flustered. However, her sharp strikes left scars on several wild cats. The smell of blood further agitated the cats, attracting even more to the scene. As the cats began to besiege them, Dongfang Bai glanced anxiously at Xu Youran, who remained safely behind her.

Despite her annoyance at his passivity, she couldn't abandon him. Resolutely, she stomped her feet and raised her hands. With a loud "bang," a wild cat pouncing in mid-air seemed to hit an invisible grenade, exploding into pieces. Blood and flesh splattered in the air, startling Xu Youran and frightening the remaining cats.

For a moment, the dozen wild cats circled warily. Xu Youran, confused but aware that now was not the time for questions, stayed alert. Dongfang Bai, seeing the need to act decisively, used her ability again. Another wild cat was hit in the abdomen, its internal organs spilling out.

The bloody scent drove the remaining wild cats into a frenzy, and they all pounced. Some attacked with bites, others with claws, displaying extreme ferocity. Despite Dongfang Bai's strong close combat skills and invisible grenades, the sheer number of wild cats overwhelmed her, especially while she was also protecting Xu Youran.

A wild cat finally pounced on Dongfang Bai's back from behind. With no time to dodge or parry, she felt a chill—was she going to die under this wild cat's claws? Bitterly, she thought about how she had taken Xu Youran under her wing, only for him to watch her die.

In the critical moment, she suddenly heard a light "swish" followed by a "bang." She didn't feel the wild cat's claws. Quickly, she kicked away several wild cats. Turning around, she saw Xu Youran holding a black iron shield, smiling leisurely. The ancient European medieval knight shield, engraved with exquisite patterns, had saved her.

Before she could ask about the shield, two wild cats lunged at her. Xu Youran pulled her into his arms, the shield protecting them both. With his right hand, he unleashed two sharp black iron spikes from the ground, killing the cats in mid-air.

Xu Youran then turned around, sweeping the wild cats away with the shield before gently releasing Dongfang Bai. Seeing the shield and spikes, Dongfang Bai realized Xu Youran had also mastered an awakening skill, just like her.

"Is your explosion an air-type awakening skill?" Xu Youran asked, holding the shield protectively.

"I named it air grenade," Dongfang Bai replied.

"Not a bad skill. Why haven't I seen you use it before?"

"If it's not to protect you, do I need to use it?"

With both of them revealing their skills, fighting became easier. They worked seamlessly together: Xu Youran's shield defended and his ground spikes killed, while Dongfang Bai's close combat skills and air grenades wreaked havoc. The wild cats, though stimulated by the blood, couldn't withstand their combined assault.

After a few minutes, the ground was littered with the corpses of the wild cats. The nauseating smell of blood attracted more mutant beasts. The two quickly moved away, finding a clean office to do a simple cleanup.

Dongfang Bai wiped the blood off her face and asked, "When did you awaken?"

"A few days ago. I was bitten and might have been infected with rabies virus," Xu Youran said casually.

"Rabies virus? That's deadly!" Dongfang Bai stopped, surprised.

"Indeed. I thought I would die. It was extremely painful," Xu Youran recalled, still shaken by the memory.

"You're amazing. I was infected with pneumonia and got better after coughing up blood for a few days," Dongfang Bai said as she continued to clean.

Secretly, Xu Youran glanced at Dongfang Bai. This beautiful woman had mastered awakening skills. Could she be the heroine? She had good looks and strength.

"How about leaving the school and trying to go out?" Dongfang Bai suggested.

Xu Youran's eyes lit up. With their awakening skills, they no longer had to fear the mutant beasts. At least, they could escape if needed.

"Let's go out of the campus and see what's happening outside," Xu Youran agreed, washing his hands while contemplating the feasibility.

"Yes. If we stay here and run out of supplies, we'll still die. It's better to go out and find an opportunity," Dongfang Bai reasoned.

"Okay, let's not hesitate. We'll split up and call everyone to gather," Xu Youran decided, heading for the door.

"What if someone disagrees?" Dongfang Bai asked.

"Then we leave them behind. They don't want to live, what can we do?" Xu Youran replied firmly.

"Let's try to take everyone. They are our teachers and classmates, after all," Dongfang Bai urged.

Xu Youran didn't comment. Many of these so-called teachers and classmates had mocked him. They had assigned him to keep watch for over a year.

Realizing Dongfang Bai had awakening skills gave Xu Youran new ideas. He had awakened earth shield and ground spikes from rabies. Dongfang Bai had awakened sharp nails and air grenades from pneumonia. Two viruses, four different awakening skills.

What if they were infected with other viruses? The system indicated the number of awakening skills depended on the number of viruses one could infect. This idea intrigued Xu Youran. Was it encouraging him to infect more viruses, or was it a path to suicide?

The group of over 30 quickly gathered in front of the dormitory. With homemade weapons in hand, they set their sights on Yurun Supermarket, about a kilometer away. They walked out of the school gate, where the streets were desolate, covered in bones, debris, and dust. The once bustling university town had turned into a dead city.

As they walked, everyone remained vigilant. Suddenly, someone shouted in fear, "On the roof!"

Several wild cats, the size of large Alaskan dogs, looked down at them. Without human management, wild animals reproduced quickly.

Everyone gathered around Dongfang Bai, seeking her protection. Xu Youran was speechless. He and Dongfang Bai had just killed a large group of these cats. If they knew, they'd be terrified.

"Spread out a little, retreat slowly, and stay alert," Dongfang Bai instructed, gripping an iron rod.

The cats, pacing lightly, searched for an opportunity to attack. With renewed confidence from their awakening skills, Dongfang Bai and Xu Youran prepared for battle.

Iron rods flew, and cat claws scratched. The sounds of fighting echoed as Dongfang Bai's martial arts skills and air grenades, combined with Xu Youran's shield and ground spikes, decimated the wild cats. The team fought bravely, with everyone showing improved physical fitness and experience from past encounters.

After a short but intense battle, the group managed to fend off the wild cats. They checked each other for injuries, finding none except for blood splatters from the cats. Heavily armed and wearing canvas gloves to prevent scratches, they felt a sense of fragile triumph.

Finally arriving at the supermarket door, they pushed open the heavy glass door, ready to search for supplies.

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