The two of them charged all the way down to the third-floor corridor-and the moment they saw what waited there, their scalps went numb.

The entire hallway was packed with zombies. Conservative estimate: thirty to forty. The left corridor alone held close to twenty.

"Haozi, this is life or death. I take the front, you cover the rear!" Yang Bin's voice was iron.

"Mm." Chen Hao nodded, dead serious.

Yang Bin tightened his grip on the iron pipe and charged straight ahead.

"Graaah-"

The zombies in front lunged immediately.

Yang Bin's pipe shot forward in a vicious thrust, punching clean through the first zombie's skull.

But his expression darkened. The resistance-it was heavier than before. Noticeably so.

No time to dwell on it. He planted a boot in the zombie's chest and kicked it backward into the ones behind, toppling several to the ground. Both of them sprinted forward through the gap.

The downed zombies scrambled back up almost instantly, lunging again.

The horde from behind was closing fast.

Chen Hao copied Yang Bin's technique, driving his pipe forward in rapid strikes. He wasn't as smooth, but after his physical upgrade the power was there. The lead zombie took the pipe straight through its brain.

Chen Hao booted it away just like Yang Bin had.

They fought with everything-pipes stabbing, feet kicking, shoving zombies back as fast as they surged forward.

After dropping several in a row, Yang Bin was certain now. These zombies were stronger than yesterday's.

Body hardness, raw strength, speed-all of it had increased.

"Are the lower floors just tougher? Or do zombies actually grow stronger over time?" The thought chilled him.

"Bin-ge, hurry! I can't hold them!" Chen Hao's voice cracked with urgency.

Yang Bin whipped his head around and his stomach dropped.

The rear horde was bigger than the front. They'd already closed the distance to Chen Hao completely. His pipe had no room to thrust anymore-he'd switched to a desperate horizontal shove, trying to hold the wall of bodies back.

It wasn't working. Too many. He could only grit his teeth and brace, arms trembling, hands already torn and bloody from clawing fingers.

"Haozi, hold on!"

Yang Bin roared, rammed his pipe through another skull, then launched himself into a flying kick that sent the impaled zombie hurtling back several meters. The zombies behind it collapsed like dominoes.

"Go!"

No time to finish anything off. Yang Bin ran across the fallen bodies, boots stomping over twitching limbs.

Chen Hao shoved forward with everything he had and scrambled after him.

Up ahead, Yang Bin switched from thrusting to swinging-wide, brutal arcs that cracked skulls and sent zombies sprawling sideways as he bulldozed a path forward.

Chen Hao was right on his heels. Room 308 was just ahead-almost there-

A zombie on the ground lunged and wrapped both arms around Chen Hao's leg. Before he could react, it sank its teeth into his ankle.

"Sss-!"

Chen Hao sucked air through his teeth, face twisting in pain.

"Haozi!"

Yang Bin spun. The pipe came down instantly, caving in the biting zombie's skull. He grabbed Chen Hao, hauled him up, and drove his shoulder into the remaining zombies blocking the doorway-smashing them aside-then threw both of them through the door of Room 308 and slammed it shut, locking it.

"Graaah-"

They barely had a second to breathe before a snarl erupted from inside the room.

A zombie. In the dorm.

"Liu Bo..."

Recognition hit them both at once. Their faces fell.

Three years as roommates. They'd gotten along well-genuinely well. Seeing him like this, gray-skinned and snarling, felt like swallowing broken glass.

But Liu Bo didn't care about old friendships anymore. His dead eyes locked onto living flesh and he charged.

"Sorry, brother."

Yang Bin exhaled slowly. The pipe flashed out-one clean strike through the throat.

He didn't go for the head. At least leave him that much dignity.

Liu Bo crumpled to the floor. Both of them stared down at him in silence.

They'd killed dozens of zombies by now. But this was the first time they'd killed one of their own.

"BANG BANG BANG-"

The door shook violently under a barrage of fists. The horde outside wasn't giving up.

They snapped out of it fast. Together they dragged the nearest bed frame over and wedged it against the door.

The second the barricade was in place, a voice came from behind them.

"Bin-ge! Haozi!"

Hu Wenliang's head poked out from the bathroom doorway, eyes wide with disbelief and joy.

"Liangzi!" Both of them lit up instantly.

Three grown men crashed into each other in a fierce hug.

"I thought I'd never see you guys again!" Hu Wenliang's eyes were red-rimmed.

"Yeah... it's really damn good that you're alive," Chen Hao said, voice rough.

They pulled apart. Hu Wenliang looked between them, bewildered. "The whole building is crawling with zombies. How the hell did you get back here?"

"Don't even get me started. You have any idea what we went through to come save your ass?"

Chen Hao stuck his leg out. The ankle was a mangled mess-skin shredded, a chunk of flesh torn clean away.

"Haozi... you-" Hu Wenliang's eyes went red again the instant he saw it.

"I'm sorry, Haozi. If I'd known this would happen, I never should've sent that message. If you turn... I-I'll go with you."

"Get lost. You're not my girlfriend. Who asked you to die for love?" Chen Hao waved him off. "Hurry up and find something to bandage this. It hurts like a bitch!"

"You're about to turn into a zombie-what's the point of bandaging?"

"You're the one turning into a zombie! I'm perfectly fine, you jinxing bastard." Chen Hao rolled his eyes.

"But-"

"Enough, Liangzi. Haozi's fine."

Yang Bin walked over with gauze, rubbing alcohol, and some basic wound medicine he'd pulled from the cabinet.

He'd stocked these himself ages ago. Working construction gigs between classes meant scrapes and bruises were routine, so he always kept supplies on hand.

But just as he was about to treat Chen Hao's wound, he froze.

He'd activated True Vision Eye to check the bite-and his gaze had drifted to Hu Wenliang by accident.

What he saw stopped him cold.

Hu Wenliang had an ability. A Healing Ability.

"Holy shit... are you kidding me?" Yang Bin's eyes went wide.

"What? What is it, Bin-ge?" Chen Hao looked at him, confused.

"Liangzi has an ability too. Can you believe that?"

"Seriously?!" Chen Hao's pain was instantly forgotten.

"What are you two talking about? What ability?" Hu Wenliang stared at them blankly.

"Liangzi. Put your hand on Haozi's wound. Then focus-concentrate on wanting to heal him." Yang Bin's voice was calm but intent.

"What? Why?"

"Just do it." Yang Bin smiled.

"Uh... okay."

Hu Wenliang crouched down, placed his palm over the torn flesh on Chen Hao's ankle, and focused.

Heal him. Heal him.

White light bloomed where skin met skin.

All three of them stared. The ragged wound was closing-visibly, steadily-flesh knitting back together in real time. Within moments, the ankle was whole. Smooth. Not even a scar.

"Holy shit, that's insane?!" Chen Hao gaped at his own foot.

Even Yang Bin couldn't hide his shock. Seeing it with his own eyes was something else entirely.

"This... what the hell is happening?" Hu Wenliang looked at his own hands like they belonged to someone else.

"Here's the deal-"

Yang Bin laid it all out. Abilities, Red Crystals, the changes to their bodies-everything he'd figured out so far. Hu Wenliang listened with his mouth half open.

"So this apocalypse doesn't just have zombies... it has superhumans too?" Hu Wenliang's eyes were saucers.

"Yeah. Basically."

"That's... insane."

"By the way, Liangzi-Liu Bo turned. How'd you survive? Were you just in the bathroom at the right time?" Yang Bin asked.

"No. That night your phone call woke me up and I couldn't fall back asleep. So I got up to game-figured I'd play a couple rounds and pass out. But I kept losing. The more I lost, the more pissed I got. Couldn't stop. Played until past four in the morning before I finally won one.

Right when I was about to quit and sleep, I noticed through the window that it was weirdly bright outside. Reddish. I got curious, opened the door, stepped out-and guess what I saw?" Hu Wenliang's face was still haunted by the memory.

"The Nine Stars of the Big Dipper. And a crimson star," Yang Bin said.

"How did you-?!" Hu Wenliang's jaw dropped.

"Is it possible we saw it too?" Chen Hao grinned.

"Oh. Right." Hu Wenliang deflated, embarrassed.

"That sight blew every trace of sleep out of me. I stood there watching until every last star faded. By the time I went back inside, dawn was breaking.

When I got back to the room, Liu Bo was shaking. His whole body, just... convulsing. I called his name over and over. Nothing. He wouldn't wake up.

Then his skin started to rot. Right in front of me. Slowly splitting open, going gray. I was terrified. Tried calling you guys-couldn't get through.

Then he opened his eyes."

Hu Wenliang swallowed.

"They were blood red. Like something out of a horror movie. Exactly like the zombies you see on screen.

I bolted into the bathroom and locked the door. Kept dialing 110-nothing. Line was dead. Eventually I got online and saw the news. Zombie outbreak, nationwide. So I just... stayed in there. Didn't dare come out." His voice was still unsteady. Lingering fear.

"Damn. You watched a zombie form in real time," Chen Hao said quietly.

But Yang Bin had gone silent, mind racing.

He had an ability. Chen Hao had an ability. Hu Wenliang had an ability.

The one thing all three of them shared: they'd seen the Nine Stars of the Big Dipper and the crimson star that night.

Were the abilities connected to the stars?