The moment Lin Ye stepped out of the library, the atmosphere shifted again.
Inside, the danger had been contained. Predictable in a way. Enclosed space, limited movement, controlled threats.
Outside, everything was different.
The campus had fallen further into chaos.
Smoke rose from somewhere in the distance, thin at first but steadily thickening. The courtyard that had once been filled with students was now scattered with bodies, abandoned bags, and dark stains that had not yet dried.
More zombies wandered than before.
And they were no longer as slow.
Lin Ye paused at the entrance, his gaze sweeping across the open space.
"They've started adapting already," he said quietly.
Su Qing stood just behind him, her eyes moving quickly from one direction to another. Now that she had awakened, her awareness had improved, but the scene still overwhelmed her.
"There's more of them…"
"There will be," Lin Ye replied.
He stepped forward without hesitation.
Standing still in the open was the worst choice.
Su Qing followed immediately.
This time, her steps were still careful, but no longer frozen. She kept her distance from the wandering zombies, moving when Lin Ye moved, stopping when he stopped.
Ahead, a small group of zombies clustered near the central walkway.
Five of them.
Two normal.
Three slightly faster.
Lin Ye adjusted his grip on the axe.
"Watch how they move," he said.
Before Su Qing could respond, he stepped forward.
The first zombie noticed him and let out a low sound.
The others followed.
They began moving toward him.
Lin Ye did not rush.
He controlled the distance, letting them spread slightly instead of grouping together.
The first reached him.
He stepped in and struck.
Clean.
The body fell.
[You have killed a Level 1 Zombie][EXP +2]
The second lunged.
Lin Ye sidestepped and countered.
[You have killed a Level 1 Zombie][EXP +2]
The remaining three approached together.
These were faster.
Enhanced types.
Lin Ye shifted his position, drawing them slightly apart before engaging.
One moved ahead of the others.
He struck first.
[You have killed an Enhanced Zombie][EXP +5]
The second followed.
Lin Ye activated Accelerated Strike.
The axe came down faster, ending the fight quickly.
[You have killed an Enhanced Zombie][EXP +5]
The last one hesitated for a fraction of a second.
Then attacked.
Lin Ye stepped forward and finished it.
[You have killed an Enhanced Zombie][EXP +5]
The area fell quiet again.
Su Qing stared at the scene.
Her grip tightened slightly.
She could see the difference now.
Not just strength.
Control.
Every movement Lin Ye made had purpose.
No panic.
No wasted effort.
Lin Ye opened his status briefly.
[EXP: 109 / 200]
Still not enough.
But steady.
He closed the interface.
"Stay alert," he said.
Su Qing nodded.
They continued forward.
As they moved deeper into the campus, the environment grew more unstable.
More bodies.
More broken windows.
Signs of struggle everywhere.
Then—
A voice.
"Hey! Over here!"
Lin Ye stopped instantly.
Su Qing froze behind him.
The voice came from the right.
Near one of the smaller academic buildings.
Lin Ye turned his head slightly.
Three figures stood near the entrance.
Two men.
One woman.
All holding makeshift weapons.
They looked tense.
But alive.
One of the men stepped forward slightly.
"Don't come any closer!" he said quickly, raising a metal rod.
Lin Ye stopped where he was.
He did not lower his weapon.
But he did not advance either.
Both sides observed each other.
Carefully.
Silence stretched between them.
Then the man spoke again.
"You… you're not bitten, right?"
Lin Ye looked at him calmly.
"No."
The man hesitated.
His eyes moved toward Su Qing, then back to Lin Ye.
"You two came from the library?"
"Yes."
A flicker of surprise crossed the man's face.
"You cleared that place?"
Lin Ye did not answer.
There was no need.
The silence was enough.
The woman in the group spoke next.
"We're heading to the main gate," she said. "More people are gathering there. It might be safer."
Lin Ye's eyes shifted slightly.
"Safer."
He had heard that before.
In his previous life.
Gathering points formed quickly in the early stage.
People believed numbers meant safety.
But they also attracted attention.
From zombies.
From stronger creatures.
And from other people.
Lin Ye looked toward the direction of the main gate.
Then back at the group.
"How many people are there?" he asked.
"Maybe thirty… maybe more," the man replied. "We're trying to get out together."
Lin Ye nodded slightly.
That confirmed it.
A temporary gathering point.
Unstable.
Dangerous.
But useful.
He turned slightly.
"We're going that way."
Su Qing looked at him in surprise.
She had expected him to avoid them.
But she said nothing.
The group hesitated.
Then the man lowered his weapon slightly.
"Then… we move together?"
Lin Ye looked at him.
A brief pause.
Then he said,
"For now."
That was enough.
The tension eased slightly.
But it did not disappear.
Because everyone there understood something.
Trust did not exist anymore.
Only temporary alignment.
They began moving together.
Six people.
Across a campus that was no longer safe.
As they walked, Lin Ye remained slightly ahead.
His gaze is constantly scanning.
His mind is already calculating.
"The main gate…"
It would not be what they expected.
It never was.
And this time…
He would not make the same mistake twice.