Chapter 45
The Cost of a Promise
Chen Zheyan slowly lifted the ventilation cover once again and cautiously looked down at the third floor.
An eerie silence had swallowed the entire corridor.
It was not the peaceful silence of an empty place—it was the suffocating silence that only existed where death had already passed.
Desks and chairs lay overturned across the hallway. Dark bloodstains covered the floor and walls, while shattered glass reflected the dim emergency lights that flickered weakly above. A cold breeze drifted through the broken windows, carrying with it the distant smell of blood and decay.
Chen Zheyan carefully scanned every corner.
To his surprise, not a single zombie was in sight.
Only the terrifying growls echoing from the staff room and the assembly hall broke the silence, reverberating throughout the entire floor and making the atmosphere even more horrifying.
Chen Zheyan immediately turned towards Jinjin and Adam, raising a finger to his lips to signal them to stay completely silent.
The two nodded without making a sound.
Just as Chen Zheyan carefully began climbing down from the ventilation shaft—
Bzzzz...
The entire ventilation shaft suddenly vibrated violently.
At first, it was only a faint tremor.
Then another.
And within seconds, the whole shaft began shaking so violently that it felt as though dozens of people were crawling through it at incredible speed, heading straight towards them.
Adam and Jinjin's expressions instantly turned pale.
There was no need to guess.
They knew exactly what was coming.
---
A Few Moments Earlier...
After Chen Zheyan, Adam, and Jinjin had escaped into the ventilation shaft, the zombies outside continued crashing against the classroom's glass wall.
Again...
And again...
Until finally—
Crash!!
The enormous glass wall shattered under the overwhelming pressure.
Like an unstoppable flood, every zombie on the second floor rushed into the classroom.
In his haste, Adam had made one fatal mistake.
He had forgotten to close the ventilation cover.
That single moment of carelessness had now become a deadly threat.
The zombies quickly discovered the open entrance.
Climbing over one another with terrifying speed, they crawled into the ventilation shaft without hesitation.
Unlike ordinary humans, they moved through the narrow passage with frightening agility, rapidly chasing after their prey.
Meanwhile, Chen Zheyan, Jinjin, and Adam had already reached the third floor through the ventilation system.
Remembering what Ms. Selena had told them, Chen Zheyan carefully observed the surroundings.
Just as she had predicted, most of the third-floor zombies had already moved down to the second floor. The remaining growls came only from the staff room and the assembly hall.
Believing the hallway to be relatively safe, Chen Zheyan climbed out of the ventilation shaft and cautiously examined the area.
Then suddenly...
Adam and Jinjin felt a powerful vibration beneath them.
The ventilation shaft shook violently.
It sounded as though countless creatures were crawling towards them with terrifying speed.
There was no doubt anymore.
Those were zombies.
Dozens of them.
Rapidly closing the distance.
Adam's eyes widened.
"Jinjin! Get down! Right now!"
Hearing the urgency in his voice, Jinjin immediately obeyed.
She climbed down without wasting even a second.
As soon as Chen Zheyan heard the strange noises, he rushed back to the ventilation opening and helped Jinjin climb down safely.
Now it was Adam's turn.
He carefully started climbing down.
But the moment he looked behind him...
His entire body froze.
Inside the dark ventilation tunnel, countless glowing red eyes were racing straight towards him.
Dozens of zombies were only seconds away.
For a brief moment...
Adam became completely silent.
Then, a faint, sorrowful smile appeared on his face.
In a quiet voice, he whispered,
"Looks like... it's finally time to keep my promise."
Jinjin looked at him in confusion.
"What do you mean?"
Suddenly, Adam's earlier words echoed inside her mind.
"No matter what happens... I won't let anything happen to you. That's my promise."
Jinjin's heart began pounding uncontrollably.
At that very moment, Adam shouted with all his strength,
"Chen Zheyan! Take your sister and get out of here!"
"Adam! Don't be stupid! Hurry and climb down!"
Jinjin cried desperately.
But her words came too late.
The zombies had already reached him.
One of them lunged forward and buried its teeth deep into Adam's shoulder.
"AAAHHH!!"
A painful scream escaped his mouth as blood poured from the wound.
Yet...
Despite the unbearable pain...
Adam stretched both arms wide, pressing them firmly against both sides of the ventilation shaft.
Using his own body as a barricade, he blocked the passage.
He knew...
The moment he moved...
Every zombie behind him would reach Jinjin.