Chapter 214: The Mutated Creature
The girl’s outburst left everyone with chills. It was true; the monster always picked a few people to kill each time it appeared, never slaughtering too many at once. It was as if it were raising chickens and ducks, selecting a few to eat when it was hungry.
“We have no hope left!” the girl screamed in despair. “There will be no rescue! This world is already doomed!”
Class president Wu Chengyu, however, bit his lip and retorted, “There will be hope! There has to be!”
“We are the elite of this society, destined for greatness. We won’t die here!” He gazed at the sky, sealed off by thick layers of ice and snow. “Once we get out of here and contact the outside world, my father will come and rescue me!”
But escaping to the surface was a monumental challenge. Despite her formidable abilities and martial arts background, Liang Yue couldn’t fend off the mutated monster while protecting a large group of students.
After an hour-long drive, Zhang Yi, Fatty Xu, and Uncle You arrived at the former site of Tianqing Academy. The landscape was a vast, white expanse, but a small hill near the academy provided a reference point to confirm their location.
The three got out of the car, Zhang Yi holding his handgun and instructing the others, “Stay alert. There could be danger.”
Fatty Xu gulped and instinctively stepped back. Uncle You, however, stood resolutely at the front, his military training and sense of duty compelling him to protect the others.
Zhang Yi pulled out his phone to contact Yang Xinxin, but the call wouldn’t go through. “The signal is poor here.”
“Let’s search around. This school is huge, and some tall buildings must be sticking out,” Zhang Yi suggested. “The map shows the school’s layout. Once we find a building, we can figure out where Yang Xinxin might be.”
Fatty Xu looked disheartened. “This elite school is massive. I heard it even has a golf course.”
Zhang Yi nodded. “The campus covers 3,000 acres. We’ll drive around and look. There’s no rush.”
Without a car, searching would take forever. Uncle You suggested, “Let’s split up to search faster.”
Zhang Yi shook his head. “No, we stick together for safety. Slow and steady.”
Uncle You agreed, and they resumed their search. Soon, they spotted the top of a building.
“There’s a tower up ahead! Let’s check it out,” Zhang Yi said.
Zhang Yi and Fatty Xu approached the structure. Using the map, Zhang Yi identified it as the astronomy center. “The astronomy center is in the southeast. The dorms and cafeteria are in the north, quite far apart.”
Fatty Xu suggested, “Could they hide in classrooms or the gym? They’d need a large space to move around and enough oxygen.”
Zhang Yi considered this. “Maybe. The dorms and cafeteria are the best bets because of the food and shelter. But we should also check places like the gym and classrooms.”
As Zhang Yi analyzed the possible locations, Fatty Xu and Uncle You entered the astronomy center’s tower. Fatty Xu used his ability to manipulate the ice and snow, clearing a path to a window.
“We can get in here!” Fatty Xu exclaimed.
Zhang Yi dismissed the idea. “We’re not here to collect telescopes.”
Fatty Xu’s face fell, but Zhang Yi softened his tone. “Those telescopes might be useful later for scouting. We might as well grab them while we’re here.”
Fatty Xu’s confidence surged, and he and Uncle You prepared to enter the building. Suddenly, Zhang Yi felt a chilling presence, the sensation of being watched by a predator.
He turned, guns ready, and his eyes widened. A massive black creature lay silently in the snow, its eyes fixed on him. The beast’s head was as large as a Tyrannosaurus rex’s, its black fur bristling like steel needles, and its amber eyes gleamed with an unsettling intelligence.
“A mutated creature!” Zhang Yi thought, recognizing it from Yang Xinxin’s descriptions.
The creature’s gaze remained locked on Zhang Yi, but it didn’t attack. Zhang Yi noted the absence of the usual bloodthirsty intent. The beast seemed more curious than hostile.
“What’s going on?” Zhang Yi wondered, puzzled by the creature’s behavior.