Yu Zixin sat panting in the corner of the tunnel, his back pressed against the cold wall as he tried to catch his breath. They had been running for what felt like two hours, and by the time they finally reached the end of the tunnel, his legs were aching and his entire body was drenched in sweat. They were finally close to the exit, but before stepping outside, Zixin wanted to recover some of the energy he had burned through and rest for a moment. Whatever was waiting for them out there, he had no doubt there would be zombies, and he didn't want to face them while already exhausted.
Bao, meanwhile, looked completely unaffected.
He stood a short distance away, gazing toward the tunnel's exit without even a drop of sweat on his forehead.
"How long are we waiting here for?" he asked.
"Dunno. Let me catch my breath," Zixin mumbled, wiping the sweat from his eyes.
Bao didn't answer immediately. Instead, he continued staring toward the exit with a distant expression before finally speaking.
"Your body is weak and unable to hold on even for two hours straight. This is why I told you to kill as many zombies as you can, Zixin. If you don't level up early in the test, you won't be able to defeat the creatures that come afterward."
Zixin's hand stopped halfway through wiping his face.
The test.
Bao had mentioned something bad coming more than once, but this was the first time he'd called everything they were going through a test.
Zixin frowned.
"Why is it a test?" he asked, his breathing finally beginning to settle. "What are they testing for?"
Bao bit his lower lip.
For once, he actually looked hesitant to answer. His ruby-red eyes shifted away, and after a moment, he drew in a quiet breath before speaking in a softer voice.
"A test is for something good. All you need to do is work hard. After we get your brother, you should start training earnestly. Time wasted now will only put your life at risk later."
That was all he offered.
Zixin stared at him.
It wasn't exactly an answer.
In fact, it only gave him more questions.
From everything Bao had said so far, it was obvious that whatever was happening to humanity wasn't random. The zombies, the levels, the strange powers, the creatures Bao kept warning him about—there was some kind of purpose behind all of it. And now Bao had confirmed that what they were going through was a test.
A test for humanity, perhaps.
To see who survived the longest.
To see who was strong enough to keep going.
But who was conducting the test?
And why were humans being tested in the first place?
Those questions circled through Zixin's mind, but he already knew asking Bao now wouldn't get him anywhere. Bao had become strangely good at answering a question without actually revealing anything useful.
Zixin sighed.
"Fine. What level do I have to reach before you'll answer all my questions about this test?"
Bao raised an eyebrow.
"Level fifty."
Zixin stared at him. "Whoa." He glanced toward the dark tunnel ahead and then back at Bao. "That's a long road ahead."
With that, he pushed himself to his feet and patted the dust from his knees. His legs still felt heavy, but he had rested enough.
"Let's go."
Bao nodded and followed him toward the exit.
Outside the tunnel, a few zombies heard their footsteps and immediately charged toward them. Fortunately, they were all Level One zombies, nothing Zixin needed to worry about anymore. He simply swung his broomstick as he walked, slicing through their necks one after another without slowing down.
They had finally made it to the outskirts of the city.
The population here was much less concentrated than in the city center, which meant there weren't nearly as many zombies wandering the streets. Still, Zixin could see several small clusters of them roaming around, drifting aimlessly between abandoned buildings and vehicles.
He didn't feel like wasting his energy on them.
Keeping to the shadows, he waited for one group to pass before quietly making his way toward a nearby car.
It looked as though the owner had abandoned it in the middle of driving. Both doors were hanging wide open, and there was no sign of anyone nearby. Zixin reached for the handle and noticed a dark, dried bloodstain smeared across it. He frowned as he examined it for a moment.
The driver hadn't simply gotten out and walked away.
It looked like they'd been dragged out.
Zixin sighed. There was nothing he could do about it now. He opened the driver's door, climbed inside, and gestured for Bao to get in as well.
Bao stood outside for a moment, tilting his head as he stared at the vehicle.
"Won't this car cause a lot of noise?"
"This is a bigger vehicle. If they come after us, we can just drive over them. Get in. Stop wasting time."
Bao pouted at his blunt answer but obediently climbed into the passenger seat.
Zixin started the engine.
To his relief, it came to life smoothly, and after checking the road ahead, he quickly pulled away from the tunnel and onto the main road.
Their journey toward Zixin's village had finally begun.
For a while, neither of them spoke. The scenery outside the windows slowly changed as they left the outskirts behind, the familiar city disappearing farther into the distance.
Then Bao turned toward him.
"How far away is your home?"
"About five hours away now."
Zixin kept his eyes on the road, his hands tightening around the steering wheel. They were moving faster than he had expected, and if the roads stayed clear, they might even make it in four hours.
Four hours.
That wasn't long.
But it suddenly felt unbearably long when he thought about Lin Jing sitting alone at home.
He swallowed and tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
"I just hope my brother makes it until then."