The vines were pulsing.
Thump.
Thump.
Thump.
Like a heartbeat.
Yan Cijin placed her hand on the door but did not open it.
"The fruit is very close."
Bai Li nodded.
"Yes."
They opened the door.
The twelfth floor was almost completely dark.
The moment they stepped inside, every light came on.
Not electrical lights.
Golden flowers.
Hundreds of them.
They lined the walls and ceilings.
The entire floor glowed.
At the center stood a ruined fountain.
Something was sitting inside it.
A zombie.
It was motionless.
Much larger than the earlier ones.
Its body was wrapped in thick dark tissue, with glowing lines running beneath the surface.
It was sitting cross-legged.
Its eyes were closed.
Yan Cijin lowered her voice.
"Is it asleep?"
"No."
The zombie opened its eyes.
A pressure swept across the room.
Yan Cijin's expression became serious.
"Level two?"
Bai Li nodded.
"High level."
The zombie stood.
It did not roar.
It simply walked toward them.
