"Are you alright?" Fang He noticed the subtle fluctuations in her emotions and looked over with some concern. "The level two zombies haven't made a move. It seems like they're deliberately forcing us to slaughter them."

“There are players among these level 1 zombies.” Xiao Cheng pretended not to hear the chatter in his head. “Killing a level 1 zombie with a crystal core gives five experience points, while players can provide purer energy. I just killed a number 47 and got fifteen points.”

“After being assimilated by zombies, he is no longer a player.” Fang He didn’t react much to her words, but instead chuckled. “Perhaps he should thank you for granting him liberation without holding a grudge.”

Xiao Cheng said she felt comforted and then chuckled, "It sounds like a deal."

“Yes.” Fang He casually wiped the blood splattered on his face. “And it’s quite fair and just. Even in the normal world, he wouldn’t be able to sue you.”

After clearing out a wave of level 1 zombies, both of them were injured to varying degrees, especially their stamina, which was severely depleted, and their breathing became rapid. The drop rate of this wave of zombies was not high, and the two were exhausted from killing them, but they were still far from leveling up in terms of experience points.

The five level-two zombies finally began to move, striding towards them in unison, leaving large, dented footprints on the ground with almost every step they took.

As the earth and rocks rolled, Xiao Cheng watched them, only to feel a dull ache in her already healed calf.

"If we can't win, let's find a chance to retreat," Fang He said to her in a low voice. "You run, I'll cover your retreat."

“That’s not just covering our retreat, that’s making our lineage end.” Xiao Cheng completely disregarded his suggestion. “You came here to find me, which is an undeserved disaster. Consider me a burden to you. We’ll fight together, we’ll retreat together. Even if we die, I’ll make sure you die with me.”

Fang He chuckled upon hearing this: "So you want to drag me down with you?"

"Not necessarily. Actually, there's an even easier way." Xiao Cheng forcefully shook the blood off the blade of his short knife. "If I kill you, I'm guaranteed to level up to level three."

A voice in her head echoed her words: "Yes, yes, yes! That's the kind of thinking you should have! Kill him, kill him, anyway, you weren't the same kind of people to begin with..."

The voice suddenly realized something, as if it had let something slip, and the sentence abruptly ended without a clear beginning or end.

Xiao Cheng hadn't expected this unexpected bonus. She casually tapped her head with her fingertip and silently thought, "Are you there? That's well said, continue?"

The voice continued to feign death, remaining completely silent.

Xiao Cheng hadn't expected to get anything out of him anyway, but now he finally had a brief moment of peace. He curled his lips slightly and chuckled.

Five level-two zombies appeared before the two in the blink of an eye, their towering bodies blocking their path completely, like five walls sealing them inside. Five fists the size of pot rims slammed down, casting shadows that enveloped them entirely, leaving them with almost no escape.

Xiao Cheng and Fang He jumped apart, one on the left and one on the right, using the subtle time difference between the punches to nimbly and dangerously dodge the zombie's attacks, while always looking for an opportunity to counterattack.

The prolonged struggle had exhausted them both physically and mentally, and the five level-two zombies were also growing impatient. The largest of them suddenly roared furiously at the sky, and its stone armor rapidly peeled off, reforming into a towering platform.

It stood atop the high platform, barely visible as a blurry shadow. A pale blue halo instantly coalesced in its hand, growing increasingly dazzling before transforming into a waterfall that cascaded down from the platform.

The rushing sound of water echoed through the sky as the waterfall washed over the stone platform, carrying mud and pebbles that eventually coalesced into a thick mud slurry that crashed down on the two of them.

"Holy crap! Superpowers?!" Xiao Cheng was utterly shocked. "Why would zombies have superpowers?!"

The other four zombies instantly stopped their attack, retreating completely into their stone helmets and armor, sealing themselves off completely. The ground trembled violently, and the little fleshy balls in the pit stopped crawling out, curling up tightly together, trembling restlessly and emitting rapid, sharp squeaking sounds.

Fang He immediately activated his superpower, but it was to no avail. The limit of time he could stop was only one second. The mudslide was so powerful that it was almost impossible to see the brief pause.

The zombie on the stone platform let out a wild laugh, its empty eyes seemingly coming to life in an instant, muttering incoherently, "Mine... all mine!!!"

Xiao Cheng swiftly shoved the knife into Fang He's hand: "Stab me, hurry up!"

Fang He stared at her blankly: "Are you trying to take control of the situation?"

What kind of initiative is this?! It's because he gained superpowers after leveling up, while I got nothing after leveling up!

And what if, what if, I don't die? After all, the thing inside my body clearly doesn't want me to die.

Muddy water rained down from the sky, and large and small mud droplets had already splattered onto her. All she could hear was a deafening roar. Xiao Cheng shouted at Fang He to get started, but before she could finish speaking, her wrists were suddenly gripped tightly.

"Don't worry." Fang He pulled her into his arms and gently covered her eyes in an almost intimate embrace.

Then he chuckled softly, whispering like a lover's murmur: "It's not that time yet. I won't allow you to die for me, and it's absolutely impossible."

The sound of the mudslide was so loud that Xiao Cheng didn't actually hear what he said, but she involuntarily calmed down. Time seemed to stretch out in that instant, and she could clearly feel the slight vibration in Fang He's chest as he spoke.

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