C8 Silence

Chu Yue's heart was filled with trepidation.

"Yao Yao!"

With his sister's name echoing in his mind, Chu Yue moved swiftly, darting into Room 1116. The door was ajar, sparing him the need to force his way in.

Upon entering, Chu Yue was taken aback by the sight that greeted him.

The room had been transformed into a cell, its walls fortified with steel bars. Shackled by an icy chain was a woman with unkempt hair.

More accurately, she was a female Zombie!

Yet, based on the Zombie's physiological changes, she appeared to be in an evolutionary phase, not yet fully matured.

Chu Yue referred to such creatures as Mutated Zombies. They were far superior to regular zombies in terms of attack power, strength, and speed.

But once a Mutated Zombie reached full maturity, it would evolve into a Zombie of the Devouring Period, endowed with formidable strength and swiftness, as well as the ability to hunt prey and cannibalize its kind.

Chu Yue had once encountered a Zombie of the Devouring Period; their immense power and agility were not something an average Sacrificer could handle.

"Hiss! Hiss! Wah! Wah!"

The Mutated Zombie became aware of Chu Yue and let out a series of howls, its eyes glowing a fierce red. The iron chain, however, prevented it from reaching him.

"Yao Yao, where are you?"

Looking at the restrained Mutated Zombie, Chu Yue sensed that something was terribly wrong. There were two severed heads in the room, belonging to a man and a woman—likely survivors, now devoured by the Mutated Zombie.

Not finding Chu Yao brought a fleeting comfort to Chu Yue, yet he was deeply perplexed.

"Ugh..."

Ho Lan stepped into Room 1116 and was immediately struck by the horrific sight.

Clutching her chest, she was overcome with nausea.

"Fei... How could this happen!"

Ho Lan's cheeks, once tinged with color, drained to a ghostly pallor at the sight of the wild, disheveled female Zombie.

"This... These are the siblings, Liu Qi and Liu Long..."

The once familiar and gentle faces now lay in a pool of blood, reduced to severed heads. My friends, who were once as tender as water, had become imprisoned zombies.

Ho Lan felt an intense pain deep within her heart, a pain beyond words.

"They must have been injected with the virus source. This zombie, fortunate enough to break free from its shackles, is evolving to a new level..."

"Did you know them well?"

Chu Yue sensed a shift in Ho Lan, although he wasn't quite certain of what he saw.

The two who had died were no longer human. Despite only their heads remaining, it was evident they had turned into zombies.

"Liu Long and Fei were both Yao's roommates!"

Ho Lan was well-acquainted with the three. They weren't just Chu Yao's roommates; they were her best friends.

"What!"

If Yao's roommates had ended up like this, what about Yao herself?

Chu Yue couldn't bear to continue the thought.

He was genuinely scared.

'Could my sister have also fallen victim?'

"Hehe, who would have thought Ho Lan was still alive! Have you come back to the academy to fall into my arms? Hehe..."

Just then, a bizarre laugh echoed from a communication device in the room.

As the laughter filled the air, Ho Lan felt a shiver run down her spine.

"Who's there?"

Chu Yue had always found it odd why Room No. 1116 had been transformed in such a way, complete with a communication device and surveillance cameras.

The voice's emergence clarified Chu Yue's suspicions, but his concern for his sister Chu Yao's whereabouts grew.

"Du Hemu!"

Fear flickered in Ho Lan's eyes, a fear that stemmed from her very core. Merely hearing that voice made her body begin to shake.

"Who is he?"

Chu Yue didn't recognize the name.

"He's a prodigy in the biology department, a highly specialized student," Ho Lan said, her hands trembling as she gripped them tightly.

"Are you responsible for all those survivors who were injected with the virus?"

Chu Yue, unclear on what exactly Du Hemu had done to Ho Lan, could see that the survivors' transformation into zombies was likely Du Hemu's doing.

Without hesitation, Chu Yue confronted him.

"Hehe... Isn't my masterpiece impressive?"

"None of you acknowledged my talent, looking down on me with disdain. But now, I've triumphed! A 'king' who can command the zombies is about to emerge. Hehe... And this 'king' is a zombie that obeys only my commands. Hehe..."

Du Hemu's voice brimmed with a mix of pride and self-satisfaction, his laughter unrestrained and audacious.

It was as though he was on the verge of conquering the world.

"Tell me, where is Chu Yao?"

Chu Yue had little patience for such trifles. When he embraced the role of a Sacrificer, he had shed many of his emotions. Yet, familial love was sacred to Chu Yue, and even as a Sacrificer, he would never abandon it.

"Chu Yao? The stunning campus queen? Hehe... Curious, are you?"

Du Hemu's voice was tinged with mockery as he chuckled oddly.

"You're digging your own grave!"

Chu Yao was Chu Yue's red line, and he would not forgive anyone who dared to cross it. His grip on the Half Moon Black Ring Blade tightened, his gaze sharp and icy as he focused on the camera tucked away in the corner.

"Hehe... Try defeating my masterpiece first. I'll be waiting for you on the rooftop. Hehe..." Du Hemu was unfazed by Chu Yue's threats, his laughter laced with scorn.

At Du Hemu's words, Chu Yue's mind reeled, his thoughts a whirlwind of chaos. All he wanted was to see his sister, Chu Yao, as soon as possible!

Meanwhile, the shackles restraining the Mutated Zombie named Fei were undone, and it lunged at Chu Yue!

With a thunderous crash, the Mutated Zombie tore through the steel netting. Despite its mutation, it remained a zombie, devoid of independent thought.

The impact snapped Chu Yue back to reality and sent Ho Lan leaping in fright!

And now, the zombie was upon Chu Yue!

In the blink of an eye, Chu Yue sidestepped the assault.

Clutching the Half Moon Black Ring Blade, he struck at the Mutated Zombie. Simultaneously, he glanced back, urging Ho Lan to find somewhere to take cover.

Seeing the chaos unfold, Ho Lan quickly found what she believed to be a safer spot and took cover there.

Though formidable, the Mutated Zombie hadn't reached full maturity; it was merely a work in progress. For Chu Yue, this should have posed little challenge.

Yet, he had underestimated the creature's capabilities. Even in its incomplete state, the Mutated Zombie was not to be taken lightly.

In the moment Chu Yue swung his blade at the zombie, it nimbly dodged and charged in a new direction—straight for Ho Lan!

"Why are you after me? I'm not your target. Can't you stick to the script? Go, go... go after Chu Yue!"

Terrified, she ran toward Chu Yue, yelling frantically.

Chu Yue's expression turned icy.

He thought to himself, "I need to ditch this dead weight fast, or she'll be the death of me!"

Chu Yue was also eager to test his own limits; he had witnessed the formidable skills of Zhao Loong and Zhang Zuosi. With that in mind, he turned and advanced on the Mutated Zombie.

The creature, seeing its prey escape, wanted to give chase, but Chu Yue now stood in its way. The prospect of catching the woman was slim, and it sensed that victory was unlikely, so it held back.

After all, the Mutated Zombie had developed a semblance of thought, unlike the freshly turned zombies!

Amidst its indecision, Du Hemu bellowed, "Hurry, hiss at him! It's time he witnessed the genius of my creation!"

Despite having some semblance of thought, the zombie was still driven by its instincts and couldn't resist the urge to devour and the allure of fresh human flesh.

After a moment's hesitation, it lunged at Chu Yue. He gripped his Half Moon Black Ring Blade tightly and charged at the zombie. This zombie might have been Yao Yao's roommate, but it was no longer human. Better a swift end than a miserable existence, neither living nor dead. With this resolve, Chu Yue's mercy faded, and he aimed a decisive blow at the zombie's neck!

But as a Mutated Zombie, it wasn't going to go down as easily as the mindless undead he'd encountered before. Nevertheless, after several exchanges, Chu Yue managed to sever the zombie's head and plunged his blade into its skull.

Witnessing the scene, Ho Lan, trailing behind, grumbled in dissatisfaction, "How can you treat a girl like this? It's just too cruel!"

Chu Yue turned to give her a brief look before heading toward the rooftop, his voice icy.

"I'm going to the rooftop to rescue Yao Yao. Whether you come along is your choice; I'm under no obligation to keep protecting you!"

"If you decide to follow, fine, but let me make this clear one last time: keep your mouth shut, or I won't give a second thought to your safety!"

Despite his harsh words, Chu Yue knew he couldn't just abandon her; she might end up another zombie. Yet her constant chatter irritated him, so he resorted to intimidation to keep her quiet.

Ho Lan paid no mind to his warnings. As Chu Yue set off, she quickly followed. She believed that aside from the biological aberration Du Hemu, there were likely no other survivors in the school, and she had no intention of becoming a zombie.

Chu Yue soon encountered a troubling pattern; each floor was guarded by a mutated zombie, accompanied by several severed heads.

Thankfully, the building had only fourteen floors. Had there been many more, Ho Lan might have lost her mind with worry, and Chu Yue could only imagine his own frustration.

The zombies on the twelfth floor were significantly more formidable than those below, evidenced by the increased number of heads. Upon reaching this level, Chu Yue's brow furrowed in concern. The mutated zombie before them was closer to the Devouring Period than the one named 'Fei', and this one was male. Ho Lan was visibly shocked to recognize the creature as their former instructor.

"Ah!"

Her scream of terror slipped out before she could stop it, revealing a face so decayed it was nearly unrecognizable.

Chu Yue moved to silence her, but it was too late. The mutated zombie fixed its blood-red gaze upon them.

In that moment, Chu Yue deeply regretted bringing Ho Lan along. Nonetheless, they had no choice but to confront the zombie if they were to reach the rooftop and find Yao.

Chu Yue clenched the Half Moon Black Ring Blade tightly in his hands.

With a resounding *snap*, he sliced through the steel net!

Ho Lan snapped out of her shock, glaring at Chu Yue with a murderous impulse surging within her.

At that moment, Chu Yue advised her, "If you don't want to die, find somewhere hidden to take cover this time, and don't repeat your last mistake!"

Upon hearing this, Ho Lan's glare softened, and she hurried to find a concealed spot to hide.

*Sigh*

The mutated zombie took a deep breath, glanced at Chu Yue, then at the girl behind him, and after a brief pause, it lunged at Chu Yue...

Chu Yue, meanwhile, was fully prepared for the confrontation.

*Thud, thud, thud...*

After a flurry of sounds, quietness settled in.