Han Ning pretended to be choosing among them, absorbing the Energy from each Soul Beast corpse one by one.
[Energy +0.16]
[Energy +0.22]
[Energy +0.14]
...
He wasn't sure if it was because they had been sitting out for too long, but the Energy inside each Soul Beast corpse was a bit less than it would have been right after death.
Still, the dozen or so corpses, bit by bit, provided him with 2.6 Energy. Adding the 0.5 Energy he had left over, his system's total remaining Energy broke the 3.0 mark.
"This rain is just getting heavier and heavier, with no sign of stopping."
"The white fog is getting thicker, too, and the temperature is dropping."
"I hope nothing else weird happens..."
The students of Building A sat huddled together, each one clutching a Silver Lotus Wood plant. The Purification zone created by the Silver Lotus Wood acted like a Barrier, keeping the fog at bay.
Everyone stared out at the vast, white expanse, their hearts filled with a fear of the unknown.
"If this wasteland gets poisonous rain often, our crops won't be suitable for planting outside. We'll have to build an indoor greenhouse," said Teacher Fang, who was feeling a bit better and was leaning against the wall, his voice fraught with worry.
Lin Tianhe, who had squeezed in next to Han Ning and Teacher Fang at some point, let out a sigh.
"Sigh... Speaking of which, the cherry tomatoes and garlic I planted in my dorm have already sprouted. I just don't know if they'll be edible when they bear fruit."
"I haven't tasted fresh fruits or vegetables in about ten days."
"Tell me about it."
Han Ning opened his mouth, about to say something more.
Suddenly, his ears twitched. Faintly, he thought he heard a strange sound.
"Han Ning, what's wrong? Why'd you suddenly stop talking?" Lin Tianhe was startled by the sudden freeze in Han Ning's expression.
"Shhh..."
Han Ning made a hushing gesture, tilting his head to listen carefully.
Everyone saw his strange behavior and stopped talking, watching him with tense expressions.
In this kind of atmosphere, one person suddenly taking on a serious expression was especially frightening for everyone else.
"HISSS..." "CROAK!" "ROAR~"
"WOOO..."
"WOOO..."
All sorts of Soul Beast cries reached his ears intermittently, but mixed among them was a strange sound.
"Did you guys hear that?"
Han Ning frowned, unable to figure out what kind of creature could make such a strange noise.
"What?" The others looked confused.
"WOOO WOOO~ WOOO WOOO~"
Han Ning imitated the sound's frequency.
"It sounds like a train whistle," Dean Wu said as he walked over, offering a guess.
"A train whistle?" Everyone was taken aback.
"A whistle? It seems to have disappeared now." Han Ning listened intently for another moment before shaking his head in confusion.
He couldn't figure out what was going on either.
"It's probably the sound of some powerful Soul Beast. In this situation, I wouldn't even be surprised if you told me a real train was coming," Lin Tianhe said with a dry laugh, trying to ease the stagnant atmosphere in the hall.
"Wait, did you say a real train?!"
Han Ning's expression shifted. "You guys think it's possible other people also transmigrated, and this time it was a train?"
"Heh, Student Han Ning has quite an imagination. But since a whole group of us transmigrated here, a train coming over too doesn't seem so bizarre after all." Dean Wu simply treated the students' speculation as a joke.
Outside, the rain pattered on, showing no sign of stopping anytime soon.
In the dim environment, the thick white fog was like a silent monster, encroaching on their living space step by step.
The hundred-plus people in Building A, who had started out sitting about 30-40 centimeters apart, had gradually squeezed together until they were pressed body to body.
At first, the students still had the presence of mind to chat, trying to alleviate the tense and uneasy atmosphere.
But as time passed, they gradually fell silent, simply staring at one spot with vacant eyes, lost in their own worlds.
"help... help..."
Han Ning, who was resting against the wall with his eyes closed, felt his ears twitch again and snapped his eyes open.
This time, even some of the students with stronger physiques heard the faint sounds coming from outside.
Everyone's eyes widened subconsciously, their faces showing expressions of disbelief.
"You guys heard that?"
"It sounds like someone's calling for help... in English."
"The English word 'help'... I heard it clearly!"
'It seems... there's a high probability the wooo-ing sound I heard earlier was a train whistle...'
Han Ning's expression became incredibly complex. "If everyone can hear it, that means they're close. Maybe only a few hundred meters away."
Their hearing had been enhanced, making it better than an ordinary person's.
"No way... Don't tell me I actually guessed right? That other people transmigrated over," Lin Tianhe gulped.
"Dean Wu, should we go rescue them?"
The young girl, Liu Susu, had a kind heart. Hearing everyone's discussion, she couldn't help but pose the soul-searching question to Dean Wu.
"This..."
Dean Wu was also stumped by the female student's question. His expression changed several times before he finally let out a soft sigh and shook his head.
"No. The fog is too thick right now, and we don't have the ability to help. My foremost duty is to ensure your safety first. I can't be responsible for anyone else."
The other teachers said nothing, clearly in agreement with Dean Wu.
"If we have the ability to help, fine. If not, then forget it." Han Ning voiced his agreement.
Even though they had yet to leave their ivory tower, some of the male students who often read post-apocalyptic novels or played post-apocalyptic games generally agreed with Dean Wu's sentiment.
"Isn't it wrong not to help them...?"
Only a few kind-hearted students voiced their dissent.
But fortunately, the vast majority chose to remain silent.
「A few more minutes passed.」
The barely audible cries for help seemed to grow louder and louder.
Until—
"BANG BANG BANG! BANG BANG BANG! Help! Help!"
"HISSS... HISSS..."
"AHHH!!!" "HISSS..."
In the eerie silence, the frantic banging on the iron gate outside the dormitory, accompanied by shrill screams, was incredibly piercing.
Just then, Han Ning suddenly stood up from the crowd, a look of concern on his face as he gazed outside.
With his superior hearing, he could clearly make out the horrifying, subtle sounds of bones breaking amidst the screams.
'Sometimes, having hearing this good is a form of torture.'
"Hey, hey, Han Ning, you're not getting soft-hearted, are you?" Lin Tianhe hurriedly grabbed his roommate.
Han Ning shot him a look, a little speechless.
"You're overthinking it. I'm worried someone is luring a more powerful monster to our dormitory. It'll be a disaster if they break down our outer wall."
"Dean Wu, do you have a high-powered flashlight? I'm going to the second floor to see what's out there. If it's people, we can ignore them. If it's a monster we haven't seen before, we need to prepare in advance."