101 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

After another twenty minutes on the road, Chen Wan and her companions finally arrived at the gate of Bunan University. Well, calling it a gate was generous since only the pillars on either side remained; the main gate had long since been troubled away by the zombies. Just a glance into the campus gave Chen Wan goosebumps, as there were easily hundreds of densely packed zombies within view, creating a scene that was quite terrifying. Seizing the moment when the zombies were yet to ascend the camper van, Yi Yi floored the accelerator. The van shot forward like an arrow released from a bow. While this method consumed a lot of fuel, it was effective. The van’s sudden acceleration helped ram through the zombies. As Chen Wan expected, even though these Level 2 zombies had gained intelligence, they still couldn’t evade the abrupt collision. Yi Yi’s driving skills were excellent. With a series of left and right collisions, she had already taken down a significant number of zombies. However, there were still many zombies continually swarming toward the camper. Yi Yi maneuvered the vehicle to hit them, while Chen Wan manipulated the mechanical arm to pull off any zombies attempting to climb onto the van and toss them far away. After nearly another half an hour of this, they reached the base of Diligence Building, having dealt with at least one or two hundred zombies along the way. Once Yi Yi parked, she lowered all the steel plates of the van. The group quickly sorted out their gear in preparation to disembark. Ye Lan warned them cautiously, “You all must be very careful. It’s extremely dangerous out there.” Chen Wan smiled and reassured her, “Don’t worry, Mom. We’ll be careful.” Despite her words of reassurance, Chen Wan was the first to step out. As soon as she alighted, several zombies swarmed around her. Using her psychic abilities, Chen Wan controlled fifty zombies closest to her, ordering them to protect Jiang Yan Xin and the others. The control lasted only a brief ten seconds, but that proved sufficient for Yi Yi and the others to safely exit the vehicle. Chen Wan led the charge to the front, kicking and punching the zombies that approached. Behind her were Qin Ke and Jiang Yan Xin, both armed and taking out zombies with headshots. Qin Ke, in particular, had not missed a single shot since gaining her powers; every time she aimed, she hit her mark. Yi Yi held the rear, and with her strength and speed, which surpassed the newly Level 2 zombies, she was cutting through them as if they were nothing, even sending some flying with powerful kicks. The four of them boldly stormed into the building in this formation. However, the building was also teeming with zombies. Thirty of them immediately rushed toward Chen Wan and her group. By now, Chen Wan had holstered her handgun and was wielding a machete, easily hacking through the dozen or so zombies before her to keep them at bay. At that moment, a zombie sprang at Jiang Yan Xin by climbing over other zombies. Jiang Yan Xin kicked it back, but her strength was limited; the zombie fell yet clutched at her leg, ready to bite. Seeing their chance, other zombies lunged toward Jiang Yan Xin. In this critical moment, Chen Wan once again used her psychic powers to control the surrounding zombies, allowing Jiang Yan Xin to take the opportunity to shoot and dispatch the one grabbing at her leg. Chen Wan continued controlling fifty zombies, gritting her teeth against the encroaching exertion. However, this strategy was unsustainable. They were barely managing on the ground floor; moving was a struggle. With determination, she ordered those fifty zombies to fend off the surrounding attacks and simultaneously carve out a path to the stairs for them. Those fifty zombies were like Chen Wan's slaves, obediently following her commands. Thirty of them encircled her group, isolating them from the other zombies and ferociously tearing at their kind, while the remaining twenty led the way up front. Sweat poured from Chen Wan’s forehead and trickled down her face. Every extra second of controlling these zombies was a tremendous ordeal, a test her mental faculties had never before endured. The more she exerted her energy, the more it drained her psychic strength. Seeing Chen Wan’s pale face as they reached the stairs, Jiang Yan Xin hurriedly asked, “Chen Wan, are you alright?” Chen Wan shook her head with determination, but she had lost the strength to wield her blade or firearm, following the controlled zombies up to the second floor. Fearing she might collapse, Jiang Yan Xin and Qin Ke each took one of her arms, both shooting down approaching zombies as they supported her. Yi Yi helped fend off zombies, sometimes fighting just beyond the door. By the time Chen Wan had controlled the zombies to help clear a path to the second floor, she was utterly spent — her face stark white, drained of all color. She had maintained control for over a minute. When it faltered, the fifty zombies instantly turned against them. Bereft of energy and relying entirely on Jiang Yan Xin’s support to stand, Chen Wan leaned heavily on her. Seeing that Chen Wan was about to faint, Yi Yi quickly suggested, “We can’t keep up like this. Let’s find a room to rest.” “Alright, she can’t go on like this,” agreed Jiang Yan Xin, helping Chen Wan along while kicking away another zombie. The surrounding zombies were relentless, as if they hadn’t seen living prey for a long while. After much struggle, they managed to reach a classroom door. Yi Yi beheaded two more zombies before kicking the door open. Once inside, Jiang Yan Xin helped Chen Wan to sit and rushed to help barricade the door with tables and chairs. Yi Yi dragged over two metal cabinets to reinforce the blockage, keeping the zombies outside at bay. The constant thudding and banging against the door echoed through the room. Jiang Yan Xin cradled Chen Wan, wiping her sweat as she anxiously asked Yi Yi, “What’s wrong with her?” “Overexertion of psychic energy. She used it for a few seconds at a time before, but this time it was over a minute. She’ll be alright after some rest.” Yi Yi explained with a reassuring smile. “The more you use psychic energy, the more it expands your threshold. Initially, over a minute leaves her like this, but next time she might withstand two minutes. We still have plenty of time; it’s only seven.” “Good,” Jiang Yan Xin said while continuing to wipe Chen Wan’s brow. Her alpha now looked like a drenched, pitiful puppy gazing up at her. Jiang Yan Xin let Chen Wan rest against her for comfort, gently wiping away her perspiration. Chen Wan was indeed very docile now, too weak to do otherwise. She lay pale in Jiang Yan Xin’s arms, resting. Seeing Qin Ke frowning, Yi Yi reassured her, “There’s no need to worry so much. This is also a training opportunity for Chen Wan. The wider her threshold, the more beneficial it’ll be for her in the future. We’ll definitely make it to the sixth-floor laboratory.” “Yes, it just feels like everyone is working too hard for my sake,” Qin Ke murmured. Panting, Chen Wan softly chuckled, “What’s all this talk among friends? You helped us a lot when we went to the base to rescue people. Your problem is ours too.” “Exactly, Chen Wan is right. If we’re cautious, we’ll get what we need,” Jiang Yan Xin added. Qin Ke nodded at last. Yi Yi handed over her two pistols and ammunition to Qin Ke, saying, “You’re a good shot. You and Yan Xin handle long-range headshots. I’ll stick with my machete.” “Alright.” Qin Ke accepted without hesitation, loading up on bullets and filling her spare magazines. Yi Yi thought for a moment and asked, “Yan Xin, I noticed you were quite accurate with your shots. Does your ability relate to firearms? Though it doesn't seem like it. When I analyzed your tactics with my optical brain, you hit seven or eight out of ten shots, which is impressive, yet it doesn’t seem like an ability.” “I’m not sure either. Maybe it’s because I concentrate well. I’ve always had better focus when I work,” Jiang Yan Xin replied, not feeling any special powers, though the crystal cores did enhance her physicality, aiding her accuracy. “Then it’s probably not,” Yi Yi mused, but something still didn’t sit right with her. Chen Wan, having recovered slightly and blushing a little, chimed in, “I feel much better after resting, though using psychic power is really taxing. Just over a minute and I’m like this.” “Yes, that’s why regular practice is crucial. Once we’re back, I can help you train when we have downtime,” Yi Yi suggested with a smile. “Sure, so I won’t end up like this again.” After some more rest, by eight o’clock, Chen Wan had mostly regained her strength. Outside the hallway, all was silent, with not a sound to be heard. Chen Wan signaled to the group, conveying her skepticism. While she might believe that Level 1 zombies would retreat after hearing nothing, Level 2 zombies had a certain level of intelligence. Chen Wan was not convinced that they would disperse so easily. They began removing the tables and chairs blocking the classroom door. Chen Wan leaned against the door, peeking through a narrow gap into the corridor. She found herself face-to-face with a zombie pressing against the door. Beyond it, she glimpsed a mass of zombies filling the hallway, all eerily silent and fixated on the door. The sight alone was enough to send chills down one’s spine—they were clearly waiting for the group to let their guard down. Chen Wan kicked the classroom door open with force, sending several zombies flying into the corridor walls before they tumbled to the ground. Wielding her machete, Chen Wan slashed wildly, instantly causing the zombies in front of her to spew their foul blood. Jiang Yan Xin and the others followed Chen Wan out. The corridor was narrow, making it difficult for them to fight their way through. Zombies piled half a person high lay beneath Chen Wan's machete, yet more kept surging in, making it impossible for the group of four to force their way through. Qin Ke and Jiang Yan Xin kept firing their weapons, yet the commotion only attracted more zombies. The four women found themselves wedged in the middle of the hallway, surrounded by a relentless tide of zombies, rendering any advancement or retreat an arduous ordeal.