Chapter Six: The Frenzied Barking of the Moral Dog

"Why are they heading that way?"
"Isn't that the direction of the swimming pool?"
"Maybe if we follow them, we can escape this nightmarish school!"
"It seems like the monsters outside aren't as active right now. Let's go too!"
"..."

The group discussed in urgent whispers, quickly deciding to follow.

At this moment, a heavy stench of blood and decay hung over the entire campus. The red mist loomed like a monstrous maw, devouring every last vestige of life. Each passing second brought changes that pressed down on the heart, suffocating all hope.

"Chen Yi, what exactly is this red mist?" Chu Yunxi asked nervously.

Her voice trembled slightly, but she kept it low, careful not to attract the attention of the undead.

"Don't ask."

"If you won't follow, then leave."

Chen Yi tightened his grip on the fire axe, his gaze steely and cold.

His answer silenced Chu Yunxi; she dared not ask again.

They pressed onward, when suddenly several zombies burst out from a nearby classroom building, emitting guttural howls. Without hesitation, Chen Yi swung his axe, splitting open one zombie's skull in a spray of blood. Another lunged for Chu Yunxi, who shrank back, dodging swiftly. Chen Yi pivoted, bringing the axe down with all his might, and the creature collapsed.

"Behind you!" Chu Yunxi cried out in terror.

Chen Yi reacted instantly, spinning and cleaving off a zombie's head. He then cast her a sidelong glance. "Seems the campus beauty is good for something after all."

Chu Yunxi forced a faint smile. "I'll... I'll try not to hold you back."

The sports field was already deserted, yet from afar came faint, harrowing screams and the grisly sound of flesh being torn. The red mist's center of diffusion in the school was not far ahead—within the swimming pool complex.

Chen Yi recalled that at this hour, the pool was closed to the public. There shouldn't be many zombies inside.

"Stay close."

With only those two words, he strode forward again.

Chu Yunxi dared not lag behind and hurried to keep up.

Behind them, several figures shadowed their steps. The sight of mangled corpses on the ground left these followers both shocked and, more than anything, glad to have found someone so formidable.

Soon, Chen Yi and Chu Yunxi reached the pool building, only to find the main entrance locked from within.

Chen Yi frowned and murmured, "Looks like someone is inside."

Chu Yunxi glanced around anxiously. "What do we do? Should we knock?"

"Not yet."

"If we knock rashly, we might attract more zombies."

Shaking his head, Chen Yi dismissed the idea.

Just then, footsteps sounded behind them. Turning, they saw several figures approaching from the direction of the sports equipment storeroom; among them, a plump middle-aged man stood out.

"It's the dean!" Chu Yunxi whispered.

Chen Yi gave a cold snort—he held no fondness for the man. Before his rebirth, he had known the dean as a selfish, self-righteous figure who liked to wield moral authority. In his previous life, he might have been intimidated by the dean, but not this time.

The dean eyed the fire axe in Chen Yi's hands and immediately adopted the posture of a superior.

"I remember you—you're Chen Yi from Class Three, Grade Eleven, aren't you? That's not something a kid like you should be holding. Hand it over to an adult."

Chen Yi's face darkened, but he ignored the dean. He turned to Chu Yunxi. "Come with me."

He led her to the pool's equipment room, where a side door connected to the interior.

Seeing Chen Yi ignore him, the dean's expression soured. "What manners! I'm your elder! You should listen to me!"

Other students chimed in, some even berating Chen Yi for his insolence.

"That's right, the dean's right! How can you be trusted with something so dangerous!"

"Weren't you always fawning after Pei Yurou? Now you're playing the hero?"

"Chu Yunxi, did he force you to come along?"

"..."

Chen Yi merely sneered. The ugliness these people displayed in the face of the apocalypse only made them more pitiable.

Inside the storeroom, Chen Yi found the small door and attempted to force it open, but it seemed jammed. With a few pries of the fire axe, he managed to open a crack.

"Go in," he told Chu Yunxi.

She nodded, understanding that she needed to be useful now. Scouting ahead was her role, and despite the danger, it was safer than being left outside with these hypocrites.

Carefully, she pushed the door open wider and slipped inside.

Chen Yi followed at her heels.

The dean shouted from behind, "What are you doing? Why aren't you waiting for us?"

Chen Yi ignored him, focusing on the task at hand.

Inside the pool complex, there were indeed few zombies, but the air reeked of rot, enough to induce nausea.

Suddenly, a thin boy poked his head out from the locker room. Spotting Chen Yi and Chu Yunxi, hope flashed in his eyes.

"Who are you? What's it like outside?" he asked nervously.

Chen Yi gestured for Chu Yunxi to answer.

She nodded, approaching. "Are there others with you?"

The boy hesitated, then nodded. "Yes, the swimming club—there are more than ten of us hiding inside."

Now Chen Yi understood the situation.

Behind them, the dean and the students entered as well. Seeing more survivors, the dean immediately put on airs.

"Listen to me, everyone!"

His voice resounded, capturing all attention.

"In times like this, we must all stick together! That boy with the fire axe—he doesn't care about anyone but himself!"

Chen Yi only sneered, refusing to be drawn into the dean's theatrics.

The swimming club members, however, were swayed by the dean's words.

"Is that true, classmate? Did the dean say so?"

"I recognize him. Wasn't he always chasing after Pei Yurou?"

"So it's him—the famous lapdog? I doubt he's even worth mentioning."

"Can someone like that be trusted with a weapon? He should hand it over!"

"That's right. The weapon should be in the hands of someone strong and responsible!"

As the taunts and mockery mounted, Chu Yunxi stepped forward to defend Chen Yi. "You don't understand! If it weren't for Chen Yi, we'd be dead out there!"

Her words fell on deaf ears; instead, they drew further scorn.

"Hmph, what would a girl know?"

"Exactly—she must have been threatened!"

"Chu Yunxi, you must have been tricked!"

"His grades are mediocre, and his character's nothing to write home about. You shouldn't follow him!"

...