The Creatures that We Are

Gray Bear’s shout attracted a few more rune corpses into slamming the door, but it also jerked everyone out of the gloom. The reality was that they were like mud figurines crossing the river, in too much danger themselves to dwell on the death of two wanderers.

Gao Yang collected himself and explained, “I forgot to ask Miss Li how long the second session of the evening self-study is, but usually, it should be 45 to 60 minutes. We have to wait for a while.”

“Each of you, do your preparation and pick something you’re able to wield proficiently as weapons.” Nine Frost went up to the metal cabinet storing medical supplies and opened it. “Grab some medicine too just in case.”

“Got it.” Gray Bear clapped. “What are you waiting for? Move it.”

“There’s something else we have to do.” Gao Yang paused, his eyes darkening. “Check each other’s body to make sure there’s no bite left by rune corpses. Be thorough.”

After a second of silence, the others nodded.

In pairs of two, the men took turns examining each other, particularly the limbs, head, and neck. When a blood stain was found, the clothes were lifted to check the body part underneath, making sure that the blood belonged to others.

The three women, Yellow Butterfly, Can, and Black Sparrow, went up to a bed and drew the curtain before checking among themselves.

Soon, the examination was done. Everyone was free of bites.

They sat down to rest; for a while, no one said anything. Some stared up at the clock on the wall. Some took out their signaless phone and typed with their heads lowered; they were probably writing a note.

Gao Yang had considered leaving a few final words for his family and friends too, but he thought better of it. It felt like bad luck.

He closed his eyes to rest.

Usually, he would enter his system to check his Luck points and allocate them, but this time, he didn’t even bother accessing the system. In this special subspace, his Talents were sealed, and the system lost its functions. It wouldn’t be of help.

Then they started fleshing out their plan.

Xiran suggested that they send a few more agile members to the broadcast room, leaving the others behind in the infirmary. His reason was that eleven people were too many to stay stealthy, and there would likely be casualties.

Gao Yang put it to a vote. The majority insisted they moved together.

They argued that they would have to meet up later even if they split up, and risks were inevitable. Moreover, as portrayed by countless horror films, total party kill was usually the result of dividing the team.

Time snuck by. It was nine o’clock in the evening.

The school bell rang.

Now!

Gao Yang shot to his feet. The others followed and each grabbed their items and weapons.

Judging by the sounds from the outside, the few rune corpses on the other side of the door had been drawn away to the speakers.

Gray Bear counted to five before opening the door and taking the lead to rush out. He said in a lowered voice, “Hurry, hurry.”

The rest of the team exited the infirmary in an orderly manner. While Gray Bear and Dark Li took the lead, Gao Yang and Nine Frost stayed in the back.

The long line of people rushed to the corner where the stairway was and ran up.

Some ran faster, and some slower, resulting in a lower overall speed. The bell already ended when they reached the fifth floor, and the rune corpses lost interest in the speakers.

Their heads kept jerking around, their keen ears catching the series of faint, hurried footsteps.

The rune corpse in the classrooms came out to the corridor and headed toward the stairway. They started out slow and hesitant, but then they grew certain that there was prey ahead as they got closer, and they growled with twisted faces, speeding up suddenly to make a mad dash toward the incoming humans, their speed impressive despite their unnatural forms.

The eleven people had gotten out of the stairway and turned left into the corridor, leading to the offices.

“Come on!”

“To the broadcast room!”

Dark Li took the lead and rushed to the door, taking out the keys.

“They’re coming!” Gao Yang and Nine Frost yelled from the very back.

“Open the door!” Gray Bear growled at Dark Li before joining the two captains in the back to hold the line.

Dark Li took out one of the two keys and inserted it into the lock. He tried to turn it clockwise and then counterclockwise, but neither worked.

He didn’t immediately try the other key because there was the possibility that he had inserted the key with the wrong side up. He rotated the key and tried again.

Again, neither direction worked.

Fuck!

A fifty-fifty chance, and he picked the wrong key!

That wasted them ten seconds, which was a hellish ten seconds for Gao Yang, Nine Frost, and Gray Bear as they defended the group in the back.

More than ten rune corpses rushed toward them one after another. Thankfully, the corridor was less than two meters in width, and the three of them together could block the way.

With a yell, Gray Bear kicked the rune corpse leading the charge. It flew back into the two rune corpses behind it, knocking them down to the floor.

Then more rune corpses leapt over them to lunge at the three men.

Thud!

Nine Frost hit one in the temple with his golf club. It flew to the left and shattered a window of the office on the side, its head getting stuck.

Then Gao Yang slammed his wrench into another rune corpse’s head. It fell without making a sound, but the hit didn’t kill it. It continued to crawl forward, only at a much slower speed.

Gray Bear stared as the rune corpses approached. The three of them wouldn’t be enough to stop the swarm.

He took the wrench from Gao Yang and shoved it into the mouth of a rune corpse, stopping it from biting people. Then he picked the rune corpse up and held it horizontally.

“Ahhh!”

Gray Bear rushed forward with the rune corpse in hand like he was holding a riot shield horizontally, charging against the incoming swarm. After a second, he collided with a group of more than ten rune corpses. It took him even less time to be pushed back.

“Endure it!”

Gao Yang and Nine Frost rushed up to support Gray Bear from the back.

“Come on!” Gao Yang called out. “Help us!”

Black Sparrow, Xiran, Ronnie, Xiuyi, and Old Joe rushed up one after another and piled on as they pushed, finally stopping the swarm.

“Open the door already!” Gray Bear clenched his teeth and steadied his footing while shouting at Dark Li.

Although he was using the rune corpse like a riot shield, it wasn’t actually one, and countless undead hands were already grabbing onto his clothes, craning their necks and opening their bloodied mouths to bite him.

“Go away!”

Can and Yellow Butterfly each held a baseball bat in their hands and knocked away the mouths trying to bite Gray Bear.

“It’s open!”

Dark Li opened the door.

“I can’t move! Come help us knock them down!” Gray Bear shouted, his already hoarse voice cracking.

Dark Li rushed up to join the team.

“On the count of three, we push together!” Gao Yang instructed amid the chaos.

“Three!”

“Two!”

“One!”

“Ahhhh!”

Everyone put their full force into the push. Pressed in between companions, Gao Yang could feel their collective power moving toward the rune corpses, and his body followed along.

“Again!” he shouted.

“Three!”

“Two!”

“One!”

“Ahhhh!”

Finally, the balance was tipped, and the swarm of rune corpses toppled like pins.

“Fuck off!”

At the very front, Gray Bear threw away the rune corpse he had been holding onto. The inertia brought him forward, and he almost fell into the swarm, but Nine Frost and Gao Yang grabbed him and pulled him back.

The three of them steadied themselves and turned to run.

Dark Li was holding the door open. “Come on! Get in!”

They made a mad dash into the broadcast room. Nine Frost, Gao Yang, and Gray Bear were the last to enter, and they slammed the door shut.

They didn’t dare stop for even a second. They pushed their backs against the wall, not giving an inch.

Bam, bam, bam!

Bam, bam…

The noises of bodies slamming into the door continued for a good while before things settled down.

Gray Bear was exhausted. He collapsed to the floor with his back against the door, panting heavily. “God, goddamnit… It was too close… Way too close…”

Yellow Butterfly felt around for the switch and turned on the light.

The broadcast room wasn’t big. On the work table by the window was a full set of broadcast equipment.

Xiran and Old Joe went up to it.

Growl!

Then suddenly, a shadow rushed out of a dim corner.

Houseau3's Thoughts

That's an...interesting way of using a zombie/rune corpse.

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