A shadowy figure wielding a savage iron hammer stood at the end of what seemed like an endless pitch-black tunnel. Oppressive, sinister—he blocked the only exit, like the embodiment of despair.
Ma Ying was running out of strength. Her steps slowed, the light fading from her eyes as she stared helplessly toward the tunnel's end.
Compared to the man brandishing that brutal weapon up ahead, the weird creatures flailing on the ground behind them were considerably less terrifying.
She dared not move forward. Her legs went weak, and the more afraid she became, the less her body could respond.
"What do we do?" Ma Ying turned to Liu Xianxian for guidance—the only person she could rely on right now.
"The underground corpse-transport tunnels are complex and connect to various lab buildings across the West Campus," Liu Xianxian said through gritted teeth. "We can either turn back—if we're lucky, we might make it out, but there's a much higher chance we'll be trapped and die down here." She bit her lip and made her second suggestion: "The other option is to charge forward. If that man attacks you, just drop me. I'll do everything I can to hold him off, and you run—get outside and find teachers and security guards."
"No."
"I twisted my ankle. I can't run at all. If we don't do this, we'll both die here!" News reports flashed through Liu Xianxian's mind—young girls falling into the hands of predators—and tears streamed down her face despite herself.
"Die here..." Ma Ying recalled the paintings she had seen inside the cabinet. The scenes depicted in those works filled her with fear and nameless dread.
She gave a small nod and made the agonizing decision. "I'll run out as fast as I can, then come back with help to rescue you."
"I'll wait for you."
Once they had agreed, the creatures chasing them from behind had drawn dangerously close.
The man blocking their path seemed to notice them at last. He swept the half-meter-long weapon through the air with a casual motion and began walking toward them.
The stench of blood spread through the underground passage. A red figure lingered just behind him, and the two of them—one leading, one following—bore down on Ma Ying and Liu Xianxian with overwhelming pressure.
The two female students followed their plan and started walking toward the man. But after only a few steps, Ma Ying could no longer move her feet. Liu Xianxian, on her back, had gone completely pale.
Faint threads of blood seemed to swirl around the man up ahead. Perhaps because of her terror, Ma Ying and Liu Xianxian began to hallucinate—the sound of dripping blood echoed in their ears.
The plan couldn't keep up with reality. Instinct drove Ma Ying to slow down; her brain was screaming at her to get away from him.
Liu Xianxian felt a pang of regret too. Only now, when actually facing death, did she realize how cowardly she truly was.
Tears slid down her cheeks. Liu Xianxian gripped Ma Ying's shoulders with both hands. "Maybe we should go deeper into the underground morgue instead—there might be another exit!"
Before Ma Ying could voice her decision, the man blocking their path suddenly surged forward at terrifying speed. She screamed—not even thinking, just reacting—and her legs carried her in the opposite direction.
He was terrifying!
They scrambled back around the corner. Several humanoid creatures flopped through the corridor like live fish. They had actually seemed pleased when Ma Ying and Liu Xianxian were heading their way, but their expressions quickly changed.
The bloody stench filling the tunnel overpowered the formaldehyde. Fine threads of blood spread continuously across every surface.
What was that?
Footsteps sounded at the far end of the corridor. A red-coated figure followed behind as
"Don't be afraid! I'm here to save you!"