Chapter Eighty-Five: Contact Information

At the very edge of throwing up, the stench of zombie saliva turned his stomach so violently that he nearly lost control.

I am a tree... I am a tree... I am a tree...

He kept chanting inwardly, like self-hypnosis.

Fortunately, he held on. The zombie above him failed to notice anything unusual and continued crawling away into the distance like a spider.

He let out a long breath.

But at that very moment, a sharp scream suddenly tore through the darkness of the factory building.

Immediately after came the howls of zombies, and the elite undead all around surged toward the sound.

Damn it. Another teammate has been found.

Li Xuan’s heart tightened.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a girl running desperately for the exit, her delicate face full of panic, with a pack of zombies close behind her.

Little sister!

Li Xuan’s mind jolted in horror, because that girl was his own younger sister, Li Yun.

Ahead of Li Yun, more zombies were blocking the way. In the dim factory, there was nowhere to run.

In her panic, cold air surged from her body, and the water vapor in the air condensed rapidly, forming an ice wall that shielded her in the center.

But there were more than twenty elite zombies attacking from every side.

They roared incessantly, their claws especially sharp, raking frantically at the ice wall until splinters of frost flew everywhere.

Nearby zombies, startled by the noise, kept rushing this way.

Li Yun’s heart sank into despair.

Once exposed, she would surely die. There would be no chance of survival.

From the corner, Li Xuan watched all this and felt even more anguish.

He had already been tormented by the sight of several teammates dying, and now his sister was about to be torn apart by zombies. His heart was locked in struggle.

He remembered once saying he would protect her.

The ice wall grew thinner under the relentless clawing, and Li Yun’s energy was nearly exhausted. Her life was about to reach its end.

Using her last bit of strength, Li Yun condensed an ice spike in her palm. Her eyes turned resolute as she raised it toward her own throat.

Don’t!

A roar suddenly exploded from the corner, and countless roots, like long serpents, swept out and coiled around the zombies’ waists and legs, or pierced directly into their bodies.

The roots lashed wildly, flinging those zombies in every direction.

Li Xuan’s figure appeared as he rushed at high speed toward his sister.

Brother!

Seeing that figure running toward her, as though time itself had frozen, Li Yun went completely still.

But the elite zombies were incredibly tenacious; unless their heads were completely destroyed, they would not die.

They hauled themselves up from the ground and lunged after Li Xuan.

Brother, watch out!

Li Yun cried out.

Li Xuan’s gaze was firm. Reaching his sister, he turned and spread his arms wide, as if intending to block the zombies with his own body.

In an instant, his body turned woodlike again. Countless roots extended outward and wove themselves into a wall, shielding Li Yun behind it.

The zombies paid no heed and pounced onto Li Xuan, biting and tearing.

A sting of pain shot through him. Though his barklike skin had not been bitten through, his energy was being drained continuously.

It felt as though every muscle in his body had to remain taut, not daring even the slightest relaxation.

Even Li Xuan’s sphincter had clenched tight at this point.

Brother, why do this to yourself?

Li Yun burst into tears. She knew her brother could not hold out much longer.

Li Xuan clenched his teeth and said, “How could I just watch my own little sister be bitten to death by zombies? I can’t do it. I really can’t!”

Her tears broke loose all at once.

As a wood-element awakener, her brother was best at concealment. He could have waited safely for the rescue team, but he had exposed himself for her sake.

Li Xuan was in so much pain from the biting that it felt like countless needles stabbing into him. He was clearly reaching his limit, yet he still forced out words of comfort.

“It’s all right. Hold on. We’ll make it together until the rescue team arrives.”

“R-really...?”

Li Yun’s lips trembled.

Then, just as the words left her mouth, she heard Li Xuan let out a scream. A zombie had bitten into his forearm, and it had already gone deep into the wood. He had reached the absolute limit of his body.

He was holding on purely by willpower now, his consciousness growing hazy.

The pain kept mounting.

Yet he still endured.

Even if he died, he would keep this stance.

Li Xuan’s vision darkened, and he was about to lose consciousness.

But suddenly, a change erupted. A long saber sliced through the air, sweeping across a zombie’s neck and cutting it clean in two. Blood gushed violently into the air.

The zombies collapsed at once, and through the spray of blood, the siblings saw a handsome face, sharp of line and three-dimensional in its features, like a flawless work of art. A hint of indifference in his eyes carried a colder, more ruthless air.

Not bad. Still alive.

Lin Dong muttered under his breath. The long saber in his hand was precisely Cheng Luoyi’s toll. After the slaughter, the blade was stained with filthy blood, dripping continuously.

Lin Dong immediately infused it with energy, driving the fire-element crystal core in the hilt. Scorching flames surged up and covered the entire blade.

The fierce fire burned the filthy blood to black ash, scattering it into the air.

He gave the saber a casual flick. The flames died out, and the sharp blade once again gleamed with icy brilliance, bright and spotless, without a trace of grime.

Lin Dong’s movements flowed smoothly from one to the next, effortless and elegant, making him look exceptionally graceful and unrestrained.

Li Xuan and his sister stared blankly at him, already somewhat dazed.

So handsome.

At the same time, joy surged through them as they realized rescue had arrived.

Li Xuan, already at his limit, collapsed weakly into his sister’s arms.

He had been torn and bitten by the horde of corpses before, yet he had never shed a single tear. Now, however, he burst into loud sobs.

At the entrance of the factory, Cheng Luoyi and Sun Xiaoqiang were locked in battle, holding back the swarm of zombies.

It was Lin Dong who had first sensed the awakened aura and rushed over to provide aid.

Though the zombies were fierce, they were no match for Cheng Luoyi and Sun Xiaoqiang, especially with the support of two ice-element awakeners.

Dozens of zombies were quickly wiped out.

They walked over toward this side.

Of course Li Yun recognized Cheng Luoyi, and gratitude flooded her heart. But when her gaze drifted to Lin Dong, she became a little curious.

Seeing how handsome he was, and how his white shirt remained spotless even after killing so many zombies, it was clear his strength was extraordinary.

Yet she had never heard of this person in the shelter.

“Sister Cheng, this is...?”

“Oh, his name is Lin Dong. He’s my friend,” Cheng Luoyi said casually.

“Oh, oh...”

Li Yun nodded repeatedly, her face heating up. She turned to Lin Dong and said, “Thank you. Thank you for saving my brother and me.”

“You’re welcome.”

Lin Dong’s tone was calm. Then he asked, “You’re an ice-element awakener too?”

“Yes.”

Li Yun answered honestly.

Lin Dong had saved her, naturally expecting something in return, so he took out his phone.

“Let’s exchange contact information.”

“Ah?”

Li Yun froze, her pretty face flushing even more as she lowered her head shyly, not daring to meet his eyes.

A hero saving a beauty was one thing, but wasn’t this a little too direct? They were still in danger, and he was already asking for her number. It felt so sudden. She wasn’t prepared for this at all. Maybe... if she ever had a child in the future, she’d call him Lin Xi.

...