"Roar—!!!"
"Howl—!!!"
"Hiss—!!!"
Countless roars and growls, filled with brutality, madness, and bloodlust, erupted like ignited powder kegs from every corner of the campus, every building, and every shadow!
They converged into a terrifying sound wave that could tear eardrums!
The hordes of ghouls, stimulated by the bright light and startled by the immense sound, went completely berserk!
Their crimson eyes, illuminated by the red light, glowed like burning ghost fires, densely packed!
Like a breached black torrent, they surged frantically from the dilapidated dormitories, from the dark Sports Hall, from the overgrown flowerbeds, from the sewer entrances… Their target was directly the center of the sports field where the flare had exploded!
At the same time, inside the teaching building, ghoul roars and frantic banging sounds echoed on every floor!
They had been startled and began to frantically assault the doors and windows of every classroom!
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
"Clang! Clang!"
"Roar—!!!"
The tables and chairs barricading the doors shook violently!
The windowpanes groaned under the strain!
The entire teaching building seemed to tremble under the ghouls' frenzied assault!
"Quick! Hold the doors and windows! Reinforce the defenses!" Li Mingyu roared, forcing himself to stand despite the intense pain!
Fear was instantly replaced by the instinct for survival!
He rushed to the back door, using his body to desperately brace the pile of debris that was being slammed with bangs!
Sun Qiang, Wu Tao, and the other boys also reacted, rushing to the doors and windows, using their bodies and every heavy object they could find to hold them firmly!
In the chaos, no one noticed Ling Chen, who was leaning against the wall, a faint curve on his lips under the shadow of his hood.
The timing was perfect.
The Blood Moon was obscured, which was when the ghouls were most agitated; he didn't even need to expend spiritual power to control the low-level ghouls.
...
Linghui Academy, West Wall
The moment the flare exploded, the dazzling red light swept over the vicinity of the wall like a searchlight!
"Damn it!" Wang Lei cursed under his breath, instantly raising his anti-materiel sniper rifle, the muzzle pointing at several ghouls outside the wall that had been startled and were now roaring and lunging!
An almost imperceptible red dot from the infrared laser appeared on the forehead of the leading ghoul!
"Don't shoot!" Li Zhenguo sharply stopped him, his voice extremely low, "Our mission is only a covert infiltration, Dove, interference!"
Zhao Xiaowen reacted extremely quickly, her fingers sliding rapidly across the tactical terminal!
The two Night Bat drones circling in the air immediately lowered their altitude, emitting an extremely sharp, high-frequency sound wave that was almost inaudible to humans but had a strong stimulating effect on the ghouls' auditory system!
"Screech—!" The lunging ghouls suddenly paused, as if pricked in the brain by invisible needles, clutching their heads in pain, emitting chaotic roars, and their movements became stumbling and sluggish.
"Go! Climb over the wall! Target the main teaching building!"
Li Zhenguo seized the opportunity and barked out the command!
He suddenly took two steps, pushing off a protruding brick at the base of the wall with his left foot, his body shooting up like an arrow released from a bow!
His right hand accurately grasped a broken rebar stub at the top of the wall, engaging his core, and with a clean and swift flip, he landed silently in the shadows on the inner side of the wall!
Zhao Xiaowen, Wang Lei, and Zhou Xiaoyu followed closely, also scaling the wall with professional tactical movements.
Inside the wall was the back garden area of Linghui Academy.
The meticulously maintained flowerbeds had long been overgrown by wildly growing, strangely shaped vines and bushes.
The red light of the flare was slowly fading, but the chaos within the campus had just begun.
The ghouls' roars surged like a tsunami from all directions, their footsteps chaotic and heavy, as they frantically poured towards the sports field.
"Heat signatures are concentrated in that building! There's a high-intensity energy reaction on the third floor! Suspected ability user!"
Zhao Xiaowen pointed in the direction of the main teaching building and quickly reported.
On her goggles, an area representing the fourth floor of the teaching building was flashing with a striking orange-red light spot!
The energy fluctuation… was domineering and wild!
Li Zhenguo nodded slightly; an unknown ability user, he had personally witnessed the power of abilities, so he needed to be even more careful and cautious.
"Maintain formation! Anvil, guard the rear! White Dove, watch for environmental toxins! Dove, continuously monitor energy sources and ghoul movements!" Li Zhenguo quickly issued commands, and the squad formed a diamond tactical formation, like leopards blending into the shadows, moving rapidly through the complex terrain of the abandoned garden.
They avoided the surging torrent of ghouls, using rockeries, pavilions, and overgrown bushes as cover, stealthily heading towards the back door of the main teaching building.
As they rounded a wisteria trellis that clawed like a ghost's hand, Zhao Xiaowen suddenly whispered, "Captain! Eleven o'clock ahead! Low bushes! Heat signatures… two! They're human! Moving!"
Li Zhenguo immediately signaled, and the squad instantly stopped, hiding like statues behind a dense cluster of mutated roses emitting a strange, sweet scent.
He carefully parted the thorny branches and leaves, peering through the gaps.
Not far ahead, by an abandoned fountain pool, two boys in Linghui Academy uniforms were crouching, stealthily emerging from the bushes, each clutching several bottles of mineral water and a few packs of biscuits, their faces filled with terror, quickly stuffing the items into their backpacks while nervously glancing around.
One of the scrawny boys was also holding a sharpened table leg.
"They're surviving students," Zhou Xiaoyu whispered, a hint of barely perceptible excitement in her voice.
"Don't alarm them," Li Zhenguo said in a deep voice.
His gaze sharply swept over the two; Li Mingyu wasn't among them.
He needed information.
Just then, an unexpected change occurred!
"Roar—!"
A low growl came from behind the rockery on the other side of the fountain pool!
A burly ghoul in a security guard uniform suddenly lunged out!
It moved swiftly, heading straight for the scrawny boy holding the biscuits!
"Ah!" The two boys were scared out of their wits!
The scrawny boy instinctively threw the biscuits in his hand at the ghoul!
The biscuits scattered everywhere!
The ghoul didn't stop, its rotting claws, carrying a fishy wind, clawed towards his face!
"Xiaofei!" The slightly taller boy cried out in alarm, actually mustering the courage to swing the sharpened table leg and stab it into the ghoul's ribs!
"Pfft!"
The table leg pierced the ghoul's flesh, but it didn't cause a fatal injury!
The ghoul cried out in pain and backhanded the boy hard in the chest!
"Pfft!" The boy spat out a mouthful of blood, flying backward like a broken kite, landing heavily on the ground!
The ghoul's attention was drawn, it abandoned the scrawny boy, roaring as it lunged at the fallen boy!
Its gaping maw opened, fangs glinting with cold light!
In the nick of time!
"Pfft!"
An extremely faint sound, like a balloon popping!
A bloody hole suddenly burst open in the ghoul's temple!
Red and white splattered out!
Its massive body swayed, then crashed to the ground!
It was Wang Lei!
The muzzle of his anti-materiel sniper rifle emitted a barely visible wisp of blue smoke!
With an efficient suppressor attached, the gun sound was suppressed to the lowest level!
The scrawny boy, still shaken, collapsed to the ground, looking at the ghoul that had suddenly died, then blankly at the direction from which the gunshot had come.
Li Zhenguo no longer hid, leading the squad out from behind the flower bushes.
He walked to the fallen boy's side, and Zhou Xiaoyu immediately went forward to examine him.
"Rib fracture, slight internal organ concussion, no life-threatening danger," Zhou Xiaoyu quickly assessed, taking out a spray and bandages for emergency treatment.
Li Zhenguo walked to the scrawny boy, squatted down, and said in a low, firm voice, "Don't be afraid, we are soldiers."
The boy looked at Li Zhenguo's neat combat uniform (though stained), at the military rank on his shoulder, at the rifle in his hand that exuded cold killing intent, and then at Wang Lei, who was like an iron tower beside him, and Zhou Xiaoyu, who was treating his companion.
The terror in his eyes was instantly replaced by immense joy and grievance!
"Soldiers… Uncle Soldier! You… you finally came!" The boy burst into tears.
"What's your name? Which class are you in?" Li Zhenguo asked in a deep voice.
"I… I'm Liu Xiaofei… Senior year… Class Five of Senior Three…" The boy sobbed, pointing to his companion being treated by Zhou Xiaoyu, "He… his name is Chen Hao… from our class…"
"Where are the people from Class Three of Senior Three? Where are they? What's their situation?" Li Zhenguo's heart was in his throat as he asked the most crucial question.
"Class Three… they… they're on the third floor of the main teaching building! They… they're very strong!"
Liu Xiaofei wiped his tears, speaking incoherently, "Li Mingyu… Sun Qiang… they… they can kill monsters! And… and that Ling Chen… he… he seems to be able to control monsters… but… but he's badly hurt…"
Li Mingyu! Ling Chen! Li Zhenguo's heart trembled!
His younger brother was indeed still alive! And... he seemed to truly possess special abilities!
That Ling Chen... controlled monsters?
"How many people do they have? Is there enough food and water? Has anyone been injured?" Li Zhenguo continued to press, trying to keep his voice steady.
"About... over forty people... Food... seems to be running low... Water is almost gone too..." Liu Xiaofei recalled, "Many are injured... Li Mingyu seems to be injured too... And Zhou Yunguang... He's unconscious... Chen Xue is taking care of them..."
Li Zhenguo's heart sank. Over forty people, scarce supplies, many injured... The situation was not optimistic.
"Why are you here?" Zhao Xiaowen asked.
"We... we were so hungry we couldn't stand it anymore... Everything in the classroom was eaten... We heard there might be some left in the mini-supermarket... so... we secretly snuck out..." Liu Xiaofei lowered his head in shame.
"Nonsense!" Li Zhenguo reprimanded in a low voice, "Don't you know how dangerous it is outside? Come with us quickly! Let's go back to the main teaching building first!"
"Yes... yes!" Liu Xiaofei and Chen Hao, who had just recovered, nodded repeatedly.
The team, with the two terrified students, continued to sneak towards the main teaching building. Guided by Liu Xiaofei, they avoided several areas dense with ghouls and soon arrived near the back door on the third floor of the main teaching building.
The back door was blocked by tables, chairs, and miscellaneous items, leaving only a narrow gap. Faint thumping sounds of ghouls hitting the door and suppressed gasps from students could be heard from inside.
"Listen up, inside! We are the reconnaissance team of the 77th Group Army! Please open the door!" Li Zhenguo lowered his voice and shouted through the gap.
There was a commotion inside. Soon, the clutter blocking the door was moved, creating a gap, and a cautious yet tired face appeared. It was Wu Tao.
"Army? Are you... are you really the army?" Wu Tao's voice carried disbelief, pleasant surprise, and a hint of caution.
"ID!" Li Zhenguo slipped his officer's ID through the gap.
Wu Tao examined it carefully, then used the faint light to look at Li Zhenguo's military rank on his shoulder and the equipment of the teammates behind him, finally letting out a sigh of relief: "Quick! Come in!"
The team quickly slipped through the back door, and the clutter was immediately blocked again.
In the corridor, students who had received the news gathered around, looking at the four fully armed soldiers, exuding a fierce aura, as if they had seen saviors, their eyes filled with excitement and hope.
"Uncle soldiers! You've finally arrived!"
"We're saved!"
"Take us out of here quickly!"
A cacophony of voices filled with the joy of surviving a disaster.
Li Zhenguo's sharp gaze swept over the crowd, but he didn't see that familiar figure. "Where's Li Mingyu?" he asked in a deep voice.
The crowd quieted for a moment, automatically parting to create a path.
Li Mingyu limped out from the corner, leaning on a steel rod. His face was stained with blood, his clothes were tattered, and his left arm and right leg were wrapped in bleeding bandages, but his eyes were still sharp, carrying a hint of fatigue and... an imperceptible scrutiny.
When his gaze fell on Li Zhenguo's face, his entire being froze as if struck by lightning!
That face... that resolute and familiar face that had appeared countless times in his dreams! Although covered in gunpowder and grime, and much more weathered than he remembered, Li Mingyu would never mistake it!
"Brother...?" Li Mingyu's voice trembled, filled with incredible ecstasy and immense shock! The steel rod in his hand clattered to the ground! He lunged forward two steps, but then stumbled due to his leg injury!
Li Zhenguo looked at the young man before him, covered in blood, scarred, yet with stubborn eyes, watching the expression on his face, a mixture of surprise, grievance, and disbelief, seeing those eyes almost identical to his own when he was young... His heart, as hard as The Boulder, instantly shattered! A huge wave of sorrow and ecstasy surged in his heart! His younger brother! It really was his younger brother! He was still alive!
"Xiaoyu!" Li Zhenguo could no longer control himself, his voice choked with a hint of a sob, he strode forward, opening his arms, wanting to embrace this younger brother who had been separated for many days and whom he worried about day and night!
However, just as Li Zhenguo's hand was about to touch Li Mingyu's shoulder!
The immense surprise and excitement in Li Mingyu's eyes receded like a tide! It was replaced by a cold, wary look like a wounded beast, and... anger!
He remembered that red flare that had torn through the night sky like a death knell!
He remembered the instant explosion of the ghoul horde!
At this moment, the terrifying sounds of ghouls frantically smashing against the doors and windows in the corridor! Even more, they reminded him of the terrified and desperate eyes of his classmates!
It was this flare! It was these suddenly appearing soldiers! They had brought the disaster! They had made the already precarious defense line even worse! It could be breached at any moment!
And now, this brother whom he had missed day and night, was actually one of these soldiers?!
"Don't touch me!" Li Mingyu suddenly took a step back, avoiding Li Zhenguo's embrace! His voice was like ice, filled with anger and accusation, "That flare... was it fired by you?!"
Li Zhenguo's arm froze in mid-air, the excitement on his face instantly solidified. He saw the cold anger and estrangement in his younger brother's eyes, and his heart felt as if it had been brutally stabbed. "Xiaoyu... that was for..."
"For what?!" Li Mingyu suddenly interrupted him, his voice abruptly rising, filled with uncontrollable rage,
"To lure all those monsters over?! To kill us?! Look outside!!" He pointed to the violently shaking back door and windows, the ghouls' roars and thumping sounds outside the door like thunder!
"They've all been lured here! It's all because of you!!"
He pointed at Li Zhenguo, his finger trembling violently with anger: "Aren't you here to save people?! Why?! Why would you do this?!"
The atmosphere in the classroom instantly dropped to freezing point! The joy on the students' faces disappeared, replaced by astonishment, confusion, and... a hint of deceived anger. Their gazes towards Li Zhenguo and the others also became complex.
Li Zhenguo looked at the tangible rage and sorrow in his younger brother's eyes, at the suspicious gazes of the surrounding students, his heart filled with bitterness and helplessness.
He opened his mouth, wanting to explain that the flare was for positioning, for subsequent actions, for saving more people... But in the face of his younger brother's anger threatened by death, these explanations seemed so pale and powerless.
Ling Chen, mixed in the crowd, watched this scene with a strange expression.
How sensible, he didn't even need to sow discord.
"Li Mingyu! Calm down!" Wu Tao tried to dissuade him.
"Calm down?! How can I calm down?!" Li Mingyu suddenly turned his head, his bloodshot eyes glaring at Wu Tao, then sweeping over the other classmates, "As soon as they arrived! They almost killed all of us! Have you forgotten?!"
"Xiaoyu..." Li Zhenguo's voice was hoarse, trying to approach.
"Don't come closer!" Li Mingyu, like an enraged lion, suddenly bent down and picked up the steel rod on the ground! His Buli (Brute Force) ability instantly activated! Muscles bulged! Veins popped! He gripped the steel rod tightly with both hands, the tip pointing directly at Li Zhenguo! His eyes were filled with the anger of betrayal and desperate madness!
"Tell me! Why?! Why did you lure the monsters over?! Why are you only coming now?!" He roared, his voice sounding particularly shrill and desperate against the background of the ghouls' roars!
The steel rod, in the dim light, gleamed with a cold and resolute chill. The 'LZG' engraving on it now seemed so dazzling.
Li Zhenguo looked at the weapon his younger brother pointed at him, at his eyes filled with hatred, his heart twisting as if cut by a knife. He slowly raised his hands, signaling he had no ill intent, his voice low and heavy: "Xiaoyu... things are not as you think... Brother... is here to save you..."
"Save me?!" Li Mingyu let out a desolate, tragic laugh, tears mixed with bloodstains sliding from the corners of his eyes, "Are you going to save me with our lives?! Answer me! Why did you fire the flare?!"
He suddenly took a step forward! The momentum driven by Buli (Brute Force) was like a raging beast! The steel rod, with a piercing whistle that tore through the air, pointed defiantly at Li Zhenguo's face! The distance, less than half a meter!
Brother against brother! Bloodshed imminent!
PS: If you think it's good, please give it a five-star rating. This new book has just started, and without these, it's easy to lose momentum. (;˃̣̣̥᷄⌓˂̣̣̥᷅)