Perhaps drawn by the deafening music from upstairs, the first-floor hallway was relatively empty. Just as Lin Jing and Mo Fei were about to reach the side door, two zombies darted out from the corridor. Lin Jing's body reacted almost instantly, ducking to the left to the bathroom sink. At the same time, he grabbed Mo Fei, who had just said he'd leave him alone, and pressed her into his arms.
Mo Fei's heart raced. She'd assumed Lin Jing would truly leave her alone. Sh raised his eyes and glanced up at Lin Jing, a wave of inexplicable emotion welling up within him.
Lin Jing wasn't interested in knowing what Mo Fei was thinking. He kept his ears open to the sounds outside. The two zombies, seemingly drawn to the music, had already made their way to the stairwell.
Only when he was sure they were gone did he breathe a sigh of relief and release his grip on Mo Fei's waist.
Just as Mo Fei was about to offer her thanks, the curtain to the men's restroom suddenly ripped open, and out leaped a male zombie in a nurse's uniform. One of his arms was broken, and his face was covered in pits and marks from countless bites from other zombies.
Lin Jing reached out and yanked Mo Fei behind him, snatching up his Tang sword and charging at the male nurse. He was also furious. Drawing cards was so difficult, with so many zombies huddled upstairs, and he wasn't sure if he'd even be able to find the card machine.
The male zombie had probably never seen such ferocity. Seeing zombies clashing head-on, he was even a beat slower than Lin Jing. By the time he leaped to his feet, Lin Jing's Tang sword had already struck him, colliding with the zombie's blade and severing half his neck.
Lin Jing angrily kicked the male zombie in the chest and turned to look at Mo Fei, "Come here and finish him off."
Mo Fei hesitated for a moment, but then quickly clenched the dog-legged knife in her hand. She knew that Lin Jing was training herself, and she didn't want to disappoint Lin Jing. After all, she really wanted to go home with Lin Jing.
Seeing that the male zombie was still not obedient, Lin Jing kicked him again, stepping one leg on the zombie's chest to prevent him from moving. Then he said to Mo Fei, "Hurry up."
Mo Fei raised the dog-legged knife and chopped it down at the other side of the male zombie's neck. She hit the right spot, but Mo Fei was weak, so she had to chop it four times in a row before she completely finished off the male zombie.
Lin Jing glanced at Mo Fei and said coldly, "Remember how you felt just now. These zombies aren't anything to be afraid of. As long as we're not surrounded by a large group of them, we have a chance of defeating them."
Lin Jing walked over to the wall that was shielding him
and leaned out slightly. After confirming that there were no more zombies outside, he gestured to Mo Fei, "Let's go." The two of them tiptoed to the side door. Lin Jing opened it, and he
and Mo Fei quickly slipped out. The number of zombies outside the outpatient building was now slightly less than before, but some still lingered. They smelled the scent of life and became excited, chasing after Lin Jing and Mo Fei.
Lin Jing pulled Mo Fei and ran, followed by a dozen zombies. "How far is it to the fire escape outside?"
"We're almost there. Just around the corner ahead." Mo Fei's heart was pounding from the frantic running.
Lin Jing dragged Mo Fei toward the fire escape, at least a dozen zombies still trailing behind them. When they finally turned the corner, Lin Jing's heart sank. The fire escape was indeed in front of them, and a dozen more zombies roamed about a dozen meters in front of it.
Mo Fei's heart nearly stopped. Dozens of zombies were ahead of them, and a dozen more were chasing them from behind. Lin Jing and Lin Jing were alone, and they seemed trapped in a desperate situation.
Lin Jing froze for only two seconds. The next moment, he was dragging Mo Fei toward the fire escape. Unfortunately, there was a locked iron gate at the entrance. The dozen zombies behind them were about to catch up, and the dozens ahead, sensing the scent of life, were rushing towards them.
Lin Jing picked up Mo Fei and carried her from the iron railing to the steps of the fire escape. Then, gently supporting herself with his left hand, he leaped onto the staircase. The next moment, the zombies were already charging.
"Run!" Lin Jing shouted, and Mo Fei had already run up several steps. Lin Jing followed closely behind him, climbing up.
The open-air fire escape looked somewhat treacherous. Each step was made of iron plates, with the standing side hollowed out. The handrails were also thin iron bars with wide spacing. If someone wasn't careful, they could easily fall. No wonder the first floor was locked.
But Lin Jing and the others had no choice. The zombies swarmed around the locked small iron gate downstairs, unable to open it. However, many had already climbed through the outer iron bars and were now scrambling up, chasing Lin Jing and Mo Fei.
Mo Fei was actually a bit afraid of heights. The old iron steps creaked harshly as she and Lin Jing trod quickly, as if reminding them that they couldn't withstand much effort.
As she sprinted upward, Mo Fei slipped, her left foot piercing the railing, and she threatened to fall through the gaping gap. Lin Jing grabbed his waist from behind and pulled her back. Mo Fei finally managed to steady himself, holding onto the railing with trembling hands, her heart pounding. She had nearly died just then. If Lin Jing hadn't pulled her back, she would have fallen by now.
She and Lin Jing were at least four stories high now. A fall from that height would, even if not kill them, leave them severely crippled.
Even a moment's delay meant the zombies behind would have caught up.
"Hurry up," Lin Jing said, kicking the zombies that had already climbed up behind him twice, sending them tumbling through the gaps in the iron railings. The zombies fell to the ground below, their heads splattering red and white liquid all over the floor like a puddle of mud, unable to rise again.
Meanwhile, the zombies behind Lin Jing and the others had already densely packed the stairs. While kicking the zombies behind him, Lin Jing occasionally turned and slashed at the zombies chasing them.
They still had to climb the stairs, and Lin Jing was afraid of falling when he slashed backwards, so he had to hold onto the outer iron railing with his right hand and slash with his left. The force of the blows was much weaker than if he used both hands together. Although many of the zombies behind him stumbled and fell, more of them climbed up.
These zombies were literally climbing, using both their hands and feet. Some even piled on top of one another to sprint upwards. Their forms were contorted, their demeanors like those of a wound-up Sadako, unaware of pain and even less afraid of falling down the stairs.
As more and more zombies climbed, Lin Jing's heart grew heavier. They had only reached the seventh floor, but the rumbling music was clearly still playing above. They might need to reach the top floor to find the card draw system, and the clinic building was 13 stories high.
Lin Jing took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down. The zombies were right in front of him. If he turned and continued running, he would be tackled and bitten in the next moment.
Thinking this, Lin Jing turned to face the zombies, kicking them repeatedly at the one already beneath him. Just as Lin Jing was paying attention to his footing, a female zombie, still a few meters away, climbed up from the backs of several zombies below and pounced at him.
Lin Jing stretched out his leg and kicked with all his might, sending the female zombie flying mid-air and careening down the stairs.
Lin Jing didn't dare delay, as the zombie beneath him opened its maw again, aiming for his calf. This wasn't going to work; he and Mo Fei would die here sooner or later.
As he rapidly kicked the zombie in the face, Lin Jing observed these mindless monsters, noticing that they were almost all connected end to end, some even stacked high on top of each other, attempting to climb up from the zombie beneath him to crush him.
Without time to dwell, Lin Jing desperately kicked the nearby zombie toward the iron bars, occasionally stabbing it with his long knife.
With Lin Jing's tireless efforts, he had already kicked half the zombie out, dragging several others along with him, who were now crouching in the stairwell. He gave another powerful kick, finally sending the zombie down. At the same moment, a tall, male zombie in security uniform lunged at him from two meters away. With
a flick of his wrist, his Tang sword vanished. He clutched the iron railings with both hands and leaped forward to kick the zombie, hoping to send him flying down the stairs. Instead, the zombie grabbed hold of Lin Jing's legs.
Dragged by the zombie, he swung over the railings. Had he not held onto the railings, he would have fallen down the stairs, a puddle of mud.
Mo Fei had no time to think. She only knew that if Lin Jing died, she would be finished too. She didn't bother to think about anything else. Mo Fei took the dog-leg i-knife in her hand and imitated what Lin Jing had just done. She desperately kicked the zombie one meter away from Lin Jing. If this zombie came up again, it would probably bite Lin Jing's wrist that was holding the iron railing.
But Mo Fei was weak. She used both hands to support himself with the dog-leg i-knife, but was still pressed hard against the iron steps by the zombie. Her back was hurt by the iron steps.
Lin Jing didn't let go yet. He relied on willpower. He had killed so many zombies and his physical strength was already running low. Now there was still a zombie hanging under his feet. The zombie's hand was still holding Lin Jing's right leg. The two of them were swinging on a seven-story high. It looked more exciting than any extreme sport.