Vol. 1 Chapter 2 – Fresh Flowers Scorched Earth Campus (2)

“Sh*t!”

Ding Pei’an spat out a swear word and immediately turned around to run back.

The others froze for a moment before they realized what was happening and quickly followed Ding Pei’an.

Just as they had barely fled from the doorway of the third senior year, Class 3, a horde of howling, fluid-leaking corpses surged madly from both the front and back doors of the classroom.

Their already rotting knees and ankles didn’t seem to affect their mobility at all, as they hoarsely howled while charging at the players.

With each breath, it seemed possible to smell the nauseating stench coming from these zombie students.

The ceiling lights above the corridor flickered with a crackle, and the lighting gradually shifted from the warm orange it had been when they came upstairs to a ghastly green. The eerie light coated the deathly figures in a layer of oily green, heightening the sense of dread.

Although Chi Xi was young, his physical strength wasn’t outstanding. After running up several stairs, his face turned pale and his movements slowed down.

Just as he was about to land on the first floor, he stumbled, fell onto the stairs, and tumbled all the way down.

By the time he struggled to get up, his head was spinning and throbbing. The zombies’ dry, yellowing fingers and rotting lips oozing yellow fluid were already right in front of him.

Everyone else rushed ahead, not caring about him at all.

Chi Xi’s mind went blank, and with a sense of hopelessness, he parted his lips, his pupils tightening as he awaited his death.

In the next second, the zombie student in front of him suddenly vanished. A strong force came from his shoulder, yanking him out of the zombies’ reach.

That brief moment determined the difference between life and death.

Chi Xi gasped for air, glanced at the person next to him, and opened his mouth, whispering, “Yin…”

“Run first.” Yin Liuming’s expression remained calm despite grabbing someone, and he hurried out of the school building without slowing down.

Gritting his teeth and forcing his weak legs to move, Chi Xi did his best to keep up with Yin Liuming’s pace.

The two finally rushed out of the school building.

The zombies chased them to the entrance of the school building but, to everyone’s surprise, halted on the steps, merely shrieking endlessly at the people below.

The players ran to an open area. Seeing that the zombies hadn’t followed them out, they stopped to rest for a while.

As soon as Yin Liuming released him, Chi Xi immediately collapsed to the ground, his face pale as he gasped for breath.

Apart from the experienced players Ding Pei’an and Ning Yuanyuan, the other two newcomers were also lying on the ground, looking deathly pale and exhausted. The middle-aged man called Wei Zilong was retching continuously, and the naive-looking youth Yang Jiao was breathing heavily with his head down.

The first time they witnessed a scene that only existed in horror films, it filled them with overwhelming fear.

Yin Liuming instantly became very conspicuous as he calmly stood to the side, observing the zombies in the school building.

Both Ding Pei’an and Ning Yuanyuan glanced at him several times.

One had a gaze full of displeasure, while the other showed a hint of approval.

After some time, Chi Xi managed to stabilize his emotions, and the color returned to his face. He struggled to rise from the ground and quietly thanked Yin Liuming, “Thank you, Brother Yin.”

Yin Liuming was completely indifferent. “It was just a small favor.”

Wei Zilong wiped his mouth and looked at the zombies with some fear. “Should we hide further away?”

Who knows when these zombies will come charging again?

Yin Liuming withdrew his gaze from the school building. “It appears that flowers are obstructing the students.”

The zombies stopped exactly at the flowerpots in front of the school building. Not a single zombie dared to cross the seemingly harmless flowerpots.

Wei Zilong hesitated for a moment and looked over again. Startled by the fierce zombies, he stepped back and couldn’t help but feel a bit of excitement. “Could these flowers control the zombies?”

His thoughts shifted, and his envious gaze immediately fell on Yin Liuming and Chi Xi.

If that was the case, then Yin Liuming and Chi Xi, who were favored by the flower, must have an extra layer of protection, right?

He was even considering whether it would be too late to pick the flower now.

Ding Pei’an spoke in a cold tone. “If the flower truly had the power to solve the zombie problem, they wouldn’t have faced attacks.”

Wei Zilong realized his mistake and said, “It’s still Brother Ding who thinks things through.”

Chi Xi asked timidly, “Then what should we do now?”

“Did that dreamer turn into a zombie in the dream? The mission says we have to help the students pass their final exam. Does that mean helping these zombies take the exam?” Wei Zilong’s face was pale. “Can they even understand what we’re saying?”

Ding Pei’an and Ning Yuanyuan exchanged a glance and frowned. Apparently, they didn’t have any ideas either.

Yin Liuming suddenly spoke up, “At seven o’clock, we still have a mission to teach the students.”

He shook the phone in his hand. “It’s six o’clock now.”

Since it was the main mission, it couldn’t be skipped.

Assigning a random subject for these zombies to attend a makeup lesson… could that be equated to sending them to their death?

The rest turned pale and subconsciously looked at Ding Pei’an and Ning Yuanyuan.

Since these two veteran players were their guides, they should have some solution, right?

Without changing his expression, Ding Pei’an pointed at the school building. “Isn’t the answer obvious? Just bring the flowerpot along.”

Wei Zilong’s eyes lit up. “That’s right!”

Chi Xi hesitated for a moment, then spoke up, “If we take the flowerpot, the zombies will rush out of the school building…”

Yin Liuming added, “The flower that’s blocking the students is hibiscus.”

Chi Xi instantly reacted. His expression shifted slightly. “Hibiscus?”

Someone inquired, “What’s wrong with the hibiscus?”

“The hibiscus petals close after sunset and won’t reopen until morning.” Chi Xi looked at the sky. “The sun is about to set.”

The season in the dream was unknown, but judging by the dim sky now, it was probably not long before night fell completely.

If it was the blooming flowers that were holding back the zombies, then after sunset, those zombies would probably be able to escape the school building…

Everyone’s face altered.

“Let’s hide further away for now.”

The few people who had been frightened earlier didn’t dare stay any longer and swiftly stood up.

The six people made a round and then went to the office building.

The office building was the only one without flowers.

According to the school schedule, the students should be preparing for dinner at this time, and it should be quite lively.

However, apart from the third school building, every other building in the school was serene and lifeless, as if there wasn’t a single living person. Only the flowers in the flowerbed gently swayed in the wind, tinged with the colors of the evening glow.

This eerie atmosphere made the players’ scalps tingle.

Stopping at the entrance of the office building, Wei Zilong looked at Ding Pei’an for help. “Brother Ding, we’ll have to attend class soon; do you have any ideas?”

Ding Pei’an was silent for a moment, then suddenly lifted his hand, and a small talisman appeared in his palm. “This is a protective talisman that will provide absolute safety for a while in front of low-level zombies.”

The others’ eyes brightened. “Brother Ding…”

“But I won’t give it to you for free.” Ding Pei’an unexpectedly took back the talisman and said with a cold tone, “I exchanged it using my points. What do I get out of giving it to you?”

They all looked at each other in silence.

“Brother Ding, if you give us orders, we’ll follow them without question!”

“Right, you can order us as you wish!”

Ding Pei’an paused for a moment, waited until the newcomers’ emotions were stirred enough with anxiety, and then sighed. “If you can agree to a condition of mine…”

“Please tell us!”

“We will definitely agree!”

“The system allows players to sign contracts with each other.” Ding Pei’an waved his hand, and an old, rustic parchment appeared in his grasp. “If you agree to sign a contract with me, I will give the protective talisman to you.”

Ding Pei’an gave a brief explanation of this contract.

The contract defined the relationship between Party A and Party B as ’employment,’ and from then on, 10% of the points earned by the players would be automatically transferred to Ding Pei’an.

Naturally, there were some benefits. The level of dream clearance unlocked exchange privileges for the system mall. At present, these newcomers haven’t cleared any dream and couldn’t even access the system mall. If they signed a contract with Ding Pei’an, they could use his privileges to redeem advantageous props ahead of time.

Furthermore, they could freely benefit from Ding Pei’an’s experience and knowledge.

The newcomers, apart from Yin Liuming, seemed somewhat reluctant.

They had just entered the game and didn’t know whether earning points in the future would be easy or not. 10% was no small amount. Even in the real world, getting a 10% return on investment was difficult!

“I’ll be honest with you. You newcomers don’t even know how many levels you’ll be able to clear in the future, and the points you can earn will fall far short of what I can get from clearing levels myself.” Ding Peian said frigidly. “The main reason I want to recruit people is to meet the required number of members for the guild registration.”

Yang Jiao, who had spoken very little, asked curiously, “Are there guilds in this game?”

“There are many things you’ll learn when your level is high enough.” Ding Pei’an didn’t discuss it further and nodded at Ning Yuanyuan. “If you don’t believe me, ask her. We simply paired up for this task in this dream; I didn’t know her before.”

Ning Yuanyuan looked into their eyes and nodded slowly. “He’s right.”

After giving it some thought, Yang Jiao asked, “Can we sign the contract more than once? Can we terminate it?”

“As party B, a player can only sign one contract. The employment contract has the lowest level of binding force. After clearing the first dream, the mall opens, where you can use points to buy props to end the contract.

Yin Liuming’s face suddenly showed a subtle change.

The ability to cancel it immediately relieved the new players of their worries.

If Ding Pei’an’s attitude had been more friendly, they might have wavered for a while. However, since Ding Pei’an had been indifferent from the start, they subconsciously felt that he didn’t plan to deceive them.

Wei Zilong was the first to agree.

Yang Jiao hesitated for a moment before silently standing beside Ding Pei’an.

Ding Pei’an’s gaze fell on Yin Liuming, raising his chin slightly, waiting for Yin Liuming to step forward on his own.

With a smile at the corner of his lips, Yin Liuming spoke unhurriedly, “I refuse.”

Ding Pei’an’s expression instantly darkened, his sharp eyes glaring at Yin Liuming icily.

Yin Liuming met his gaze fearlessly.

A silent eye confrontation brewed between Ding Pei’an and Yin Liuming.

Yin Liuming stroked his chin, observing the shocked looks of Wei Zilong and Yang Jiao and the curious expression of Ning Yuanyuan. He smiled gently, yet without a hint of retreat. “Personally, I dislike the restrictions of contracts. My apologies.”

Ding Pei’an looked at him coldly, then suddenly sneered. “Do as you please.”

He cast his eyes toward Chi Xi.

The boy, who had previously spoken very softly, lifted his head to glance at Yin Liuming and gathered his courage to say, “I… I don’t want to either…”

Ding Pei’an’s expression turned abruptly grim. “Are you sure?”

He had never liked Yin Liuming from the beginning, and whether he took him in or not didn’t matter much. However, Chi Xi, who seemed timid and easy to control, was the perfect follower and cannon fodder!

Chi Xi trembled as he lowered his head. “I’m sure.”

Ding Pei’an took a deep breath, forcing himself to suppress his anger.

It wasn’t worth getting frustrated now. The dream was full of dangers, and there was bound to be a chance for these two newcomers to learn their lesson.

He blamed this on Yin Liuming, then turned to Wei Zilong and Yang Jiao, saying, “There are still over forty minutes until seven. Let’s go to the office building and gather some information.”

After speaking, he gave Yin Liuming and Chi Xi a chilly glance.

The meaning was obvious. Since they weren’t willing to join him, they shouldn’t follow along.

Ning Yuanyuan walked at the back, gave Yin Liuming a profound look, and suddenly said, “Be careful.”

After saying that, she followed Ding Pei’an.

Yin Liuming stayed in place, shrugged nonchalantly, turned his head to look at Chi Xi, and raised an eyebrow lightly. “Why aren’t you following Ding Pei’an?”

Chi Xi hesitated shortly, then murmured, “I feel like he doesn’t have good intentions toward us.”

“Is this also something obtained from analyzing the expression?”

Chi Xi nodded and asked curiously, “Brother Yin, why didn’t you sign the contract with him? Do you also think he has evil intentions?”

Yin Liuming said with a smile, “It’s for another reason.”

— He had already signed a contract with someone else.

Chi Xi could tell that Yin Liuming didn’t want to say much, so he wisely changed the subject. “Where should we go now?”

Unknowingly, Chi Xi subconsciously regarded Yin Liuming as the leader.

Yin Liuming turned his gaze to the school building. “I plan to go back and take another look.”

When Chi Xi thought of those dreadful zombies, he immediately shuddered.

“If you’re scared, you can stay here.”

Chi Xi struggled for a couple of seconds before making up his mind. “I’ll go with you.”

Yin Liuming raised an eyebrow and stopped trying to persuade any further.

The two walked back along the road.

The school remained eerily quiet, with only the ‘rustling’ sound of the flowers swaying in the wind, which seemed unnervingly oppressive in the dim light.

As they approached the school building, Chi Xi screamed all of a sudden. “Brother Yin, it’s coming again!”

Yin Liuming turned around and saw that Chi Xi was holding a familiar red poppy.

The last time they passed by here, Chi Xi and Yin Liuming were both ‘tricked’ by the flowers, and Chi Xi didn’t dare to keep them, thus tossing them aside.

Chi Xi looked at Yin Liuming for help. “Brother Yin, what to do?”

Yin Liuming thought for a moment. “Keep it.”

These flowers appeared to be non-hostile toward them at this moment.

Chi Xi carefully placed the flower into his pocket.

By the time he looked up again, Yin Liuming had already reached the entrance of the school building, holding his phone and taking pictures of the zombies at the door.

As the sky darkened, the hibiscus flowers in the flowerpot began to close, and their deterrent force on the zombies weakened significantly.

Chi Xi witnessed some of the zombies cautiously touching the flowerpot in an attempt to break through its obstruction.

“Brother Yin, what are you doing?”

Yin Liuming put away his phone. “Confirming a guess.”

“What guess?”

“Although these zombies are terrifying, they might not be our threat. Ning Yuanyuan mentioned that the dream is based on the dreamer’s own imagination.” Yin Liuming gently stroked his chin. “If you were a student, what would be the thing you fear the most in school?”

Chi Xi pondered for a moment. “Teachers, lessons, and exams?”

Yin Liuming nodded. “These zombies are probably the same. When it charged at us before, the bell for the end of class had just rung. In other words, as students, they were actually trying to rush out of the classroom to enjoy their break.”

Chi Xi paused for a moment before realizing and was somewhat shocked. “So you’re saying we didn’t have to run earlier?”

“No. We need to run, of course.”

Yin Liuming shook his head, a half-smile on his face. “Don’t forget, the 6 o’clock bell not only signals the end of class but also dinner time… I’m not the least bit curious about the zombies’ student meal plan.”

Chi Xi shivered.

He abruptly understood. “You mean that when we give makeup lessons to the students later, we don’t have to worry about them eating us?”

“Perhaps.” Yin Liuming turned to check the time, plucked the yellow rose from his backpack, and gently sniffed it. “But since it’s the main mission, it probably won’t be that simple… we’ll need to prepare more.”