Vol. 1 Chapter 8 – Fresh Flowers Scorched Earth Campus. (8)

Yin Liuming subconsciously took a few steps back.

Right then, he suddenly felt something yanking him hard by the back of his neck, pulling him back about five or six meters and putting more space between him and the zombie, Wei Zilong.

Yin Liuming gently touched his neck.

There still seemed to be a lingering sensation of the chilling cold, like the touch of liquid nitrogen.

Shen Lou pulled his hand back and lightly teased, “Don’t you know you should be more careful?”

Yin Liuming pushed away the strange coldness from his mind, saying, “Thank you, Mr. Shen.”

Shen Lou raised his chin slightly, waiting for Yin Liuming’s next words.

However, Yin Liuming had turned to observe Wei Zilong across from him.

Wei Zilong had completely turned into a zombie.

His cloudy, empty eyes showed no emotion. His right arm, which had been broken during class, was missing after he became a zombie. Blood and pus were dripping from the severed end.

Yin Liuming confirmed that Wei Zilong had entirely lost his mind and pulled out his illustration book, aiming it at Wei Zilong.

The illustration book trembled slightly but did not include Wei Zilong.

Wei Zilong, driven by just a bit of zombie instinct, staggered forward, howling and lunging at him.

Yin Liuming dodged a few times and frowned.

The illustration book reacted to Wei Zilong, indicating that he had indeed transformed from a player into a monster.

However, he could not be included in the illustration book.

“The illustration book only allows one collection for the same type of monster,”

For some reason, Shen Lou’s expression grew darker, and his whole face shifted from a bright light blue to a deeper shade.

He looked down at Yin Liuming and the zombie as they darted around each other, then explained coldly, “Only the first monster you encounter can be added to the illustration book.”

Yin Liuming wasn’t too disappointed; he had always suspected that letting the illustration book capture and summon monsters unlimitedly would throw off the balance of the game.

He tapped the illustration book, summoning the ivy.

Shen Lou immediately understood Yin Liuming’s intention and lightly scoffed, “You can’t save him.”

“Why not?”

“The death of a player is also a part of the Nightmare Game.”

Shen Lou lightly tapped Wei Zilong with his long, translucent fingers. “This player’s soul is already separated from the dream. If you want to save him, you’ll need to make a wish to the Nightmare Game.”

Yin Liuming knit his brows but still tried to activate the ivy’s ability.

The ivy twisted and crawled forward, its lush green leaves wrapping around Wei Zilong, then sending tendrils deep into his decaying flesh.

A pitiful howl escaped Wei Zilong’s decayed throat.

As the ivy absorbed his flesh, it grew stronger, wrapping more tightly around him, using the entwined deathly tissues as nourishment and sprouting a vibrant green.

In just a few minutes, the zombie Wei Zilong was completely absorbed by the ivy, leaving behind only a small amount of black residue.

Yin Liuming’s face clouded over.

This was nothing like when he had used the ivy to revive Ye Qingqing earlier.

They were both zombies, so why was Ye Qingqing able to come back to life?

Was it because of the illustration book’s influence, or were the zombies created from students in the dream fundamentally different from the player zombies?

These questions could not be answered for now.

His gaze landed on the pile of black ash; he knit his brows, crouched down, and sifted through the remains of Wei Zilong before retrieving a round object.

—A seed?

Was it a seed from the ivy after it had parasitized, or…

Other players were waiting below; Yin Liuming didn’t waste much time, confirming once more that there were no other zombies in the dormitory before preparing to go down and inform the others to bring up the ivy.

Shen Lou floated before him, his gaze as deep as water. He crossed his arms and looked down at him.

The dormitory corridor was narrow, and Yin Liuming had to stop. “Is there something you need, Mr. Shen?”

Shen Lou’s gaze darkened slightly. “I just saved you.”

Yin Liuming initially wanted to say that he could have dodged Wei Zilong’s attack himself, but seeing Shen Lou’s expression, he tactfully replied, “Thank you, Mr. Shen.”

Shen Lou’s face grew even darker, resembling the depths of the ocean. “Is that all?”

Yin Liuming blinked in confusion. “What else do you want?”

Shen Lou’s expression hardened as deep blue spread from his face over his whole body, turning him from a pale blue jellyfish into something like a glowing blue plastic bag.

Before he could say anything, Yin Liuming added, “Mr. Shen, you should go back now.”

“What?”

“In a bit, the other players will be coming up.” As Yin Liuming went down, he urged, “You wouldn’t want to be seen by them, would you, Mr. Shen?”

It was true that Shen Lou didn’t want to show himself to those foolish players, yet when the words came from Yin Liuming, they were laced with unmistakable disdain.

Shen Lou’s lips slowly pressed into a straight line.

He immediately transformed into a beam of light and dove back into the illustration book.

Yin Liuming gently rubbed his chin, perplexed about Shen Lou and then pushed the thought aside.

Having taken care of the zombie alone, Ding Pei’an’s gaze grew more apprehensive as he looked at him.

For a newcomer who hadn’t even unlocked the mall’s exchange feature, turning a monster into ashes could only mean he either possessed extraordinary powers or was a veteran pretending to be a novice.

Ding Pei’an shot a look at the pile on the floor that used to be his most obedient follower, Wei Zilong, before turning to Yang Jiao, who was keeping well away, his jaw clenched tight.

Yet now that even Ning Yuanyuan was following Yin Liuming’s lead, making problems for him might only result in facing everyone’s disapproval.

Ding Pei’an had no choice but to swallow his frustration and begin moving the flowerpots.

During class, the zombie students stayed motionless. The five players worked together and swiftly moved the ivy outside the third-year senior students’ classroom.

They managed to leave the school building before the afternoon bell rang to end class.

As Yin Liuming had expected.

When the bell signaled the end of class, those who rushed out of the school building were no longer zombies slowed by hibiscus flowers but lively, living students just as they had been that morning.

Several players displayed expressions of joy simultaneously.

Chi Xi looked at Yin Liuming in admiration, saying, “Brother Yin, you’re wonderful.”

Yin Liuming smiled and lightly patted him on the shoulder. “How did the things I asked you to check go?”

Chi Xi’s smile faded, and his brows knitted together. “I didn’t find anything.”

“Are you sure there’s nothing?”

“Really nothing.”

Previously, Yin Liuming had asked Chi Xi to search the school building and nearby areas to see if any zombies had bandages on their hands.

In other words, Yin Liuming wanted to know if Qi Xiaobei was among these zombie students.

The result was… he was not there.

Yin Liuming absently played with the yellow rose that had brushed against him when he first entered the dream, a faint smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

—Honestly, this was… to be expected.

…….

Since the students they faced were alive, communication was possible.

When the system’s speakers, silent for so long, abruptly came alive, everyone felt a jolt of unease.

[Today’s makeup subject: Chemistry.]

A subtle change flickered across Ding Pei’an’s face; his eyes grew more intense as he entered the classroom.

Yin Liuming let out a sigh of regret.

Chi Xi quietly asked, “Brother Yin?”

“Nothing. If it randomly involves the two of us, we might be able to verify something.”

Ning Yuanyuan looked at him with a sharp gaze.

Yin Liuming shook the yellow rose in his hand and smiled back.

Ning Yuanyuan lowered her head, seemingly deep in thought.

Only Yang Jiao stared at the classroom door, concerning himself with Ding Pei’an’s class situation.

Several emotions crossed his face before he nervously straightened his back.

Chi Xi leaned over to take a look, covered her mouth, and backed away. “Ding Pei’an is drinking and throwing up again. It’s so disgusting!”

“Drinking?”

“Mhm, he’s drinking the potion in the test tube.”

Yin Liuming raised his eyebrows.

It appeared that this was the challenge encountered for the chemistry makeup class.

Ding Pei’an likely swapped the real drink for a prop or took an emetic; as soon as he drank it, he vomited immediately.

Although it might look disgusting, it at least ensured his physical safety.

Time passed little by little amid Ding Pei’an’s retching.

Those retching sounds were gross at first, but after a while, they became oddly amusing.

Yin Liuming even started to feel a bit sorry for the students in the classroom.

Looking through the window, the living students appeared pale, each wearing expressions of wanting to vomit but being unable to. They looked even scarier than in a death-like state.

—Anyone who saw someone throwing up in front of them for an hour wouldn’t feel happy.

After a long hour, the bell finally rang, marking the end of class.

The students probably rushed out of the classroom more enthusiastically than ever before, even quicker than when they were zombies yesterday.

The four players outside also stepped aside in unison, and none of them entered the classroom to check on what was happening.

Because it really was… way too foul.

After some time, Ding Pei’an finally emerged from the classroom, leaning wearily on the wall.

His face was pale and his cheeks sunken. He held his stomach, unable to say a word, but his eyes burned with anger like a spirit seeking revenge.

“Didn’t complete the mission?”

Chi Xi frowned.

Ding Pei’an had spent a whole hour in the classroom; didn’t that count as completing the mission?

Yin Liuming replied flatly, “If this were a PE class, he would have made it.”

After all, he managed to make so many students fly out of the classroom.

Chi Xi couldn’t help but laugh aloud.

The laughter made Ding Pei’an look at Yin Liuming with even more resentment.

However, he lacked the strength to argue with Yin Liuming; giving up props was harder for him to accept than his physical weakness.

—This dream is truly filled with misfortune!

Ding Pei’an was boiling inside but had no way to vent in front of Yin Liuming. Gritting his teeth, he supported himself on the wall and walked to the next classroom to rest.

Yang Jiao looked around but stayed in place, clearly determined to follow Yin Liuming’s lead.

Ning Yuanyuan lightly tossed her hair, stepped over, and directly asked, “What did you find?”

She stood nearly 1.8 meters tall, taller than Chi Xi. Her eyes were calm and firm, and she moved with clear confidence, way stronger than the boastful Ding Pei’an.

Noticing Yin Liuming’s hesitation, Ning Yuanyuan added, “The best thing is to clear the dream fast. If you drag it out, the dream might swallow you up, and you’ll end up a permanent NPC.”

Yin Liuming examined Ning Yuanyuan’s expression for a moment before saying, “I found someone who seems to be the dreamer.”

Chi Xi was taken aback.

—How did Brother Yin say that so easily?

It was fine to say it only to Ning Yuanyuan, but there was also Yang Jiao over there!

Though Yang Jiao and Ding Pei’an seemed to have a fallout, it was better to keep that kind of important information hidden.

Ning Yuanyuan was a bit surprised but quickly gathered herself, saying, “Tell me the details? I’ll trade you with the clues I’ve found.”

Yin Liuming recounted the incident of their encounter with Qi Xiaobei.

Ning Yuanyuan nodded thoughtfully. “According to your description, Qi Xiaobei is very likely the dreamer.”

Qi Xiaobei’s feelings of fear and hate toward the bullies twisted the dream campus into a zombie apocalypse, and it kind of made sense.

“I’ve investigated the flowers appearing in the school.”

Ning Yuanyuan didn’t hold back and described her findings to Yin Liuming. “Besides the third senior year, Class 3, all the windows of other classes had empty flowerpots, and the number of pots was basically consistent with the number of desks in the classrooms; hibiscus flowers were only on the stairs of the school building; the flowerbeds on both sides of the school paths contained peonies, chrysanthemums, roses, poppies, hyacinths, lilacs, forsythias, pansies, and silver lotus flowers—nine types in total; there were also many ivies in the flowerbeds that we encountered last night; however, inside the office building…”

Ning Yuanyuan paused briefly. “Not a single flower was there.”

Yin Liuming gently furrowed his brow before relaxing it.

Chi Xi didn’t understand. “What does this mean?”

Ning Yuanyuan pulled out a slim cigarette, lit it, and held it between her lips, chuckling softly. “Once I entered the dream, I started wondering… Why is it only the third senior year, Class 3 here? Even if the dreamer focuses on them, why ignore all the other students and teachers?”

Yin Liuming recalled the opened exercise books and uncapped pens he had seen in other classrooms.

He stretched lazily, a hint of contemplation passing through his beautiful eyes. “So you suspect…”

Ning Yuanyuan took a puff, then stubbed out the cigarette and tossed it into a nearby trash bin.

“I suspect… that the other students have all turned into flowers.”