"Hey, classmate. Snatching crystals like that isn't cool."

A good-looking guy stepped forward, addressing Yang Bin and his two companions.

"Snatching?" Yang Bin's tone was flat. "I killed the zombie. I took the crystal. Where's the snatching?"

"Well..."

The man frowned, then turned to the muscular woman. "Did he actually kill this zombie?"

"Yeah."

"Then if he killed it, him taking the crystal doesn't really seem like a problem."

"It's a Tier-3 Zombie!" the muscular woman said under her breath.

"Holy shit-that changes things!"

The man snapped to attention and turned back to Yang Bin. "Look, regardless-without us holding off the rest of the horde, you couldn't have killed this thing. Plus Weiwei did a lot of the heavy lifting. So no matter how you slice it, you can't just pocket this crystal alone."

Yang Bin shook his head. "Honestly? Without you all here, we probably would've killed it faster."

"......"

"What kind of bullshit is that? Weiwei-jie, why are we being polite with these people? Just take it from them!" Another man in the group said, visibly irritated.

The muscular woman-Tang Weiwei-frowned and looked at Yang Bin. "That crystal is very important to us. How about this: all the ones on the ground are yours. I only want that one. What do you say?"

"Pass. I've got principles. I only take what I kill myself. The ones your people killed-keep them." Yang Bin's voice stayed level.

"Have your people step aside. Don't make me do this the hard way!"

"The fuck? Who do you think you are? Three people and you've got this much attitude?"

"Jianxiong, shut your mouth!"

Tang Weiwei snapped at him, then turned back to Yang Bin. "What would it take for you to hand over that crystal?"

"Forget it. This crystal isn't going to you. Period." Yang Bin's voice dropped cold. "Of course, you're welcome to have your people try and take it. Just make sure you can live with what happens next."

Tang Weiwei stared at him hard. A long moment passed before she exhaled and turned to the others. "Let them through."

"Weiwei-jie!"

"Let them through!!!"

Seeing the fury on her face, the others grudgingly parted to make a path.

Yang Bin smiled faintly, then walked out with Chen Hao and the others without looking back.

"Weiwei, why'd you let them go? That's a Tier-3 Crystal! If you could reach Tier 3, our survival odds would skyrocket!" The handsome man from before was frowning deeply.

"You think I don't want it?" Tang Weiwei said, frustration bleeding through. "But if it came to a real fight, all of us together might not be enough."

"How is that possible? They're three people. We've got seventy or eighty. How could we not win?" The man looked incredulous.

"Their leader is at least Tier 3. Even one-on-one, my odds against him are less than ten percent." Tang Weiwei's expression was grim.

"No way. You must've seen wrong-how could anyone reach Tier 3 this fast?" The man's eyes went wide.

"I didn't see wrong. He caved in a Tier-3 Zombie's skull with a single swing. I can't do that. And from what I could tell, he wasn't even going all out. So his real strength is at least Tier 3." Tang Weiwei's voice was low and certain.

"There's only three of them total. If he's already Tier 3, you think the other two are weak?"

"This..." The man struggled to process it.

Tang Weiwei was an Ability User with strength enhancement. Even before evolving, she could kill Tier-1 Zombies with ease. How could someone else be that far ahead of them?

Tang Weiwei watched the three figures recede into the distance, murmuring to herself. "We'll meet again. And next time, I'll make you understand-"

She didn't finish.

The figures in the distance suddenly wheeled around and came sprinting back toward them at full speed.

"???"

Everyone stared, baffled.

"Get the people inside the cafeteria to open the door-the zombies are coming back!" Yang Bin shouted as he ran.

"!!!"

The words hit like a slap. A second later, they saw it-a dense wall of zombies surging up behind the three runners, flooding toward them.

"Holy shit!"

Faces went white. The entire group scrambled to the cafeteria's side door, pounding on it with everything they had.

"Open up! Open the door! NOW!"

Inside the cafeteria-

A crowd of people who'd long since given up hope heard the banging and looked up. Surprise flickered across haggard faces. Someone moved toward the door.

"Nobody opens that door! Whoever fucking dares to open it, I'll hack them to pieces!" A man gripping a kitchen knife snarled the words.

The people who'd started toward the door immediately shrank back and crouched down.

The situation inside the cafeteria had changed completely.

The last food fight had spiraled into an all-out brawl involving over a thousand people. The zombies hadn't even gotten inside-the interior had already torn itself apart.

The aftermath was catastrophic. Dozens dead. Hundreds injured.

In the end, a pack of students-the ones who'd always been quick with their fists and eager for a fight-banded together and seized control.

Some had brought weapons in with them. Others raided the kitchen for cleavers and knives. After hacking down several dozen resisters, they'd cowed everyone else into submission.

They claimed the kitchen. Ate whatever they wanted, as much as they wanted.

At first they weren't going to share anything. But fearing the sheer numbers might turn against them, they let the kitchen staff keep serving watered-down porridge to the rest.

Anyone who complained got beaten. Some had their limbs hacked off.

Eventually, the others stopped complaining.

It was porridge before. It was porridge now. People accepted it.

But once compliance set in, the group grew bolder. They'd kick and punch anyone who so much as looked at them wrong.

Teachers who'd once scolded them or spoken against them were dragged out and beaten.

Then they started putting their hands on the female students.

The Principal stepped in to stop them. They beat him half to death. Then, right in front of his eyes, they dragged away the girl he'd been trying to protect-hauled her into the back kitchen. Everyone knew what that meant.

The Principal screamed for help. Begged the crowd to do something.

Every head in the room dropped. No one moved. No one spoke.

The Principal collapsed where he lay-rage and grief seizing his heart-and never got back up.

After that, the group became completely unhinged. Every dark impulse they'd ever suppressed came pouring out.

Girls were dragged into the back kitchen. Again and again. No one intervened anymore.

Those who'd tried were beaten to death or crippled. Eventually, no one tried. Everyone chose to protect themselves.

The survivors had resigned themselves to enduring this until outside rescue came. They never imagined someone would knock on that door today.

Knocking meant the zombies outside might be gone. Hearts raced with desperate hope.

But under the gang's vicious glares, not a single person dared move toward the door.