Chapter Eight: White Star

As the supply crate descended at random, one nondescript box fell right at the entrance of the gymnasium, indistinguishable from the others.

At last, it’s here. Fang Xia fought to suppress the excitement surging within him and began to meticulously map out his route.

Centering the crate at the gymnasium doors, within a hundred-meter radius there were eight zombies. Farther out, several more roamed aimlessly.

“Eight of them—how do I deal with this? Whether I fight or grab the supply crate, it’ll draw the attention of zombies beyond a hundred meters. Taking down eight zombies and looting the crate will take at least fifteen minutes. In that time, another seven zombies nearby will be drawn in as well.”

Fang Xia murmured to himself, strategizing. The ideal outcome was to loot the crate after killing fifteen zombies. If anything went wrong, he would have to adapt.

He already knew that zombies moved sluggishly during the day and their hearing dulled considerably. If he stayed cautious and moved quickly, he would never face more than three at once. Thanks to his years of combat experience, even though his current body wasn’t especially strong, that would be more than enough.

In his previous life, Fang Xia had only ever picked up a low-level supply crate. Surviving six years, however, owed more to his unwavering composure and careful planning than just skill honed on the edge of death.

Truth be told, against zombies of this level under daylight, any ordinary man could handle several, provided he conquered his fear.

Time was short, and Fang Xia worried that someone else might stumble upon the crate first. He had to act quickly.

He slung on his backpack—the weight barely hindered his movements and could even provide some protection from attacks from behind.

With a cleaver in one hand and a boning knife in the other, Fang Xia stepped out, mind racing through the likely scenarios, his positioning, and how to respond to the unexpected.

His footsteps alone were enough to draw the zombies, but for now, only the two nearest ones were attracted.

“Good. Let them come.”

As the two zombies lunged, Fang Xia easily dodged, sliced down, and shattered the skull of the first. The second lunged forward, its ghastly arm reaching for him.

He gave it no chance—blocking with the cleaver, then reversing his grip for a swift strike, crushing its skull.

His attacks were swift and ruthless, always aimed at the head—anything less, and even if you split them in two, they could still bite.

After dispatching the two zombies, Fang Xia didn’t leave right away. Instead, he fumbled around the corpse’s skull for a while and pried out a small white crystal.

A Level-1 Enhancement Crystal—a rare treasure. It could alter a person’s genes, greatly enhancing speed and strength, making one far more formidable.

The top fighter and lord of Dawn City in his past life had reached the seventh tier, his body unimaginably strong, wielding supreme martial skills—a living engine of slaughter.

Of the two zombies, only one had an enhancement crystal. Fang Xia wasn’t surprised. The drop rate was low; Level-1 crystals appeared in maybe ten percent of zombies. If every zombie had one, everyone would be a powerhouse, but in reality, true strength remained in the hands of a few.

Having killed the two, Fang Xia advanced, keeping his distance and using noise to lure the zombies over one or two at a time, dispatching each with ease.

With this method, he soon drew close to the supply crate—only to find he wasn’t alone. There, near the box, stood a striking young woman, her figure delicate and graceful.

…

Bai Xing had scrounged up something edible in her dorm to regain her strength. Though she’d gone a night without sleep, spent in fear, she was holding up well.

It was nine in the morning.

Still sitting by the window, Bai Xing had stopped trembling. Now she noticed the strange sight in the sky.

“What is that? It looks just like a supply drop in a game.”

She stared, wide-eyed, as one of the crates drifted down toward the school, landing near the gymnasium.

After hesitating a few minutes, Bai Xing decided she had to try. Her instincts told her the crate would be useful.

Hoping for rescue was only a psychological comfort, and even rationing, her dorm’s food would last two or three days at most. After that, death was inevitable.

But just waiting around wasn’t an option. Sooner or later, the food would be gone.

Bai Xing was clever. Drawing on her experience from watching zombie movies, she knew this was just the beginning—there weren’t that many zombies yet. There was still a chance to escape, to seek rescue or more supplies. Once the world teemed with zombies, she’d probably become one of them herself.

If mysterious crates were appearing from the sky, they had to be valuable—perhaps holding weapons or food.

Downstairs, the zombies seemed bewitched, their abilities greatly diminished, much like in the movies; during the day, zombies truly were much weaker. This could be an opportunity.

Bai Xing crept along stealthily, making no sound. Miraculously, she managed to reach the crate without alerting a single zombie.

When she arrived, she witnessed a young man with a travel backpack and knives in both hands dispatch two zombies with ease.

And after killing them, as if dissatisfied, he jammed his knife into their skulls and stirred.

Bai Xing’s stomach churned; she felt as though she might vomit up everything she’d just eaten.

At that moment, the man looked up and saw her.

Their eyes met, and Fang Xia was taken aback.

Could it be her?

A ripple of surprise stirred in Fang Xia’s heart. In his previous life, he’d been among the lowest rung of humanity, never paying attention to who the top ten experts were. He’d never known that the student who found this crate and became one of Dawn City’s top ten was a girl—and such a beautiful one.

But that didn’t matter. Fang Xia was now within arm’s reach of the crate. He didn’t even consider the possibility of her snatching it. A college girl posed no threat to a hardened survivor like himself—the zombies in daylight were more dangerous than she was.

If she really became one of the top ten experts because of this crate, then Fang Xia had to have it. If he snuffed out her future here, perhaps that top ten spot would be his for the taking.

Besides, the longer the crate remained undiscovered, the better for him. The fewer who knew about the supply drops, the more he could take. Even if he let her live, she’d go looking for more after today, and others would find out sooner.

His mind raced, weighing the pros and cons. A cold light flashed in his eyes.