Chapter 4: Even Plants and Animals Are Mutating!

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Jiang Yao glanced again at the system mall. Since she didn’t have enough points to unlock anything, all she saw was a dull gray screen. Without a doubt, the items for sale were all related to history, roughly categorized into books, artifacts, tools, and the like. She searched thoroughly but found no food, which puzzled her. In a post-apocalyptic world, food was undoubtedly the most precious resource. Why then did the system mall not offer any for sale?

The system replied coldly: [The system only provides a certain degree of assistance for students’ survival. As for food, clothing, housing, and transportation, it takes no responsibility! Please strive on your own~]

Alright then.

Jiang Yao shrugged. In plain terms, it meant no shortcuts were supported.

Apparently, it was no philanthropist.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden exclamation. She looked up and saw Ji Yuanyuan’s eyes wide open, shining with excitement. “Is this what they call a supernatural ability? I actually have one too!”

She grew interested. “What’s your skill?”

Ji Yuanyuan hesitated. “It’s something related to music, called ‘Like Hearing Fairy Music, Ears Momentarily Clear’? Weird name… I can sing a snippet of lyrics to any target, making them worship me for ten seconds. But what use is that?”

“…”

Jiang Yao pondered. “It seems everyone’s skill is related to their own specialty.”

That matched a post she had seen on the forum. She had a feeling the poster was no ordinary person, but now that the internet was down, there was no way to trace their IP.

“Woohoo~”

At that moment, two boys on bicycles rushed by, chased by a string of zombies. Soon after, the two circled back, with the zombies reluctantly following behind—like walking dogs.

The two girls were stunned.

You could actually do that?

Ji Yuanyuan suddenly slapped her forehead. “Right! If we have bicycles, why run?”

Walking to the library would take at least half an hour, and who knew how many dangers could be encountered along the way.

After discussing, they decided to ride bikes.

Shared bike stations were everywhere on campus—finding a bike was easy, but all were locked.

The situation was urgent; there was no time to consider public decency.

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Jiang Yao crouched down, using a wrench to pry open the lock.

Suddenly, from the bushes behind her, a black shadow lunged at her. Ji Yuanyuan screamed, “Ah!”

In a flash of inspiration, Ji Yuanyuan began to chant, “Amen, amen, a grapevine tree, tender green shoots just sprouted…”

A magical scene unfolded: the black shadow that was about to pounce on Jiang Yao suddenly dropped to its knees before Ji Yuanyuan with a thud!

Ji Yuanyuan was speechless.

Wait, it actually worked?

The creature looked strange—clearly a cat, but its size rivaled that of a leopard, with sharp claws and a fierce demeanor!

The ten-second effect gave Jiang Yao enough time to react. She pushed herself up and swung the wrench at it.

The creature was quick to respond but still got scratched. It snarled fiercely at Jiang Yao and, apparently realizing she was a tough opponent, suddenly darted into the bushes and quickly disappeared.

Jiang Yao furrowed her brows. Ji Yuanyuan suddenly exclaimed, “Isn’t that Little Black? How did it turn into this?”

There were always some stray cats and dogs on campus, beloved by students who often fed them and even gave them nicknames.

Little Black was one of those stray cats.

But the vicious beast they’d just encountered made it hard to associate it with the previously lazy, belly-exposing, affectionate Little Black.

Jiang Yao’s eyes flickered as she stared at the waist-high bushes. Before the apocalypse, gardeners regularly trimmed them; now they towered over her thighs. “Maybe the apocalypse didn’t just affect humans—plants and animals mutated too.”

The conclusion chilled her to the bone.

This was no good news. It meant humans now had to guard not only against zombies but also threats from mutated flora and fauna.

Riding a bike saved a lot of time.

On the way to the library, Jiang Yao handled any zombies they encountered. Killing zombies earned points, and points could upgrade skills.

In short, zombies were a useful commodity.

Ji Yuanyuan understood this too, mustering courage to kill a few zombies herself.

Soon, the iconic building of the library came into view. The university’s library was historic and well-stocked; even on weekends, it was packed, with no chance of snagging a seat if you arrived late.

One could imagine that during the outbreak, the library would be a disaster zone.

Suddenly, someone called out to them, “Hey, are you heading to the library?”

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They turned to see a boy not far off, dressed in a black hoodie, clutching a skateboard under his arm. He looked winded, as if just out of a fierce fight.

Ji Yuanyuan nodded. “Is there a problem?”

The skateboarder shook his head, his face inscrutable. “Just a friendly warning: once you enter this library, no one comes out. Think carefully!”

Jiang Yao followed his gaze toward the library’s main doors, which were tightly shut, making it impossible to see inside.

About a dozen zombies wandered nearby. Her heart sank, but she politely thanked him, “Thanks for the warning, but we have a roommate still inside.”

Seeing they were determined, the skateboarder shrugged off his board, stepped on it, and said, “Good luck!”

Then he skated away.

After dispatching a few zombies, the two arrived at the library entrance. Ji Yuanyuan swallowed nervously. “Why is it so quiet inside?”

The closed doors suggested those inside were trying to keep the zombies out for safety.

But with so many people cramped inside, there should have been some noise.

Jiang Yao found it strange too. To be cautious, she told Ji Yuanyuan to stand back and stepped forward.

“If anything jumps out, run immediately—no hesitation, okay?”

Her skill could freeze a target for a full minute, giving her plenty of time to escape danger.

Ji Yuanyuan nodded quickly, knowing now was no time to falter.

Jiang Yao took a deep breath and gently pushed the door.

She expected it to be locked tight, but to her surprise, it opened with barely any effort!

Eyes wide, she clutched her wrench to her chest and slowly stepped inside.

Ji Yuanyuan waited a moment, sensing no danger, then hurried forward.

“Why is there no one here?”

The silence was unnerving. The room was a mess, clearly the scene of chaos, with bloodstains on the floor.

The moment they stepped inside, the door slammed shut behind them.

Outside, a dozen zombies paced anxiously just a few meters away, as if something inside was keeping them out.