Chapter 10: The Protagonists Assemble

In the moment of everyone's astonishment, Lin Yi decisively drew the Black Abyss sword, his figure rushing toward Igou Ko like a bolt of lightning.

The sword light sliced through the air, and in an instant, his blade had severed Igou Ko’s bitten right hand.

The sound of the hand hitting the floor was crisp and jarring, echoing through the empty corridor.

Komuro Takashi snapped out of his shock, anger and terror intertwined in his eyes. He gripped his baseball bat tightly, intending to demand an explanation for Lin Yi’s actions.

However, Lin Yi was faster; the Black Abyss sword was already pressed against his throat.

The cold tip of the blade filled Komuro Takashi with unprecedented fear. He froze instantly, not daring to make another move.

Unable to act, he could only stand in place, staring fixedly at Lin Yi.

"He has already been infected. If we don't deal with it in time, he will turn into one of those monsters outside. By then, it won't just threaten us; it will cause him even more suffering." Lin Yi’s tone was calm and firm. He glanced at the severed hand on the floor and continued, "What I did was to save his life."

"One, two, three... thirty."

Lin Yi’s voice echoed in the silent corridor. As he dispatched the infected rushing toward him, he counted the numbers under his breath.

The surrounding air was thick with the heavy stench of blood, accompanied by the dull thuds of infected falling to the ground, creating an oppressive and tense atmosphere.

When he reached "twenty," everyone’s gaze involuntarily fell upon Igou Ko’s severed right hand.

The originally bright red blood had gradually turned dark red, and countless tiny insects seemed to be squirming within the flow.

"Alright, it should be fine now." A hint of fatigue seeped into Lin Yi’s voice.

He looked at Igou Ko’s pained expression, feeling little ripple in his heart.

Survival and death had long since become blurred in this crisis-ridden world.

At Lin Yi’s signal, Komuro Takashi, despite being filled with panic and fear, managed to calm himself enough to walk over.

He crouched down, carefully avoiding looking at Igou Ko’s gruesome wound, and tore a piece of fabric from his own clothes to begin bandaging him.

【Successfully treated Igou Ko. Talent 'Redeemer' activated. Permanently increased HP by 7 points and Mana by 3 points. Current HP: 67, Mana: 53.】

This sudden notification left Lin Yi slightly stunned.

He turned to look at Komuro Takashi and Igou Ko nearby. Igou Ko’s wailing had stopped, and Komuro Takashi was busy bandaging his wound.

"What did I do?" Lin Yi muttered to himself, his brows furrowed.

He recalled the scene just now; he had only signaled for Komuro Takashi to bandage the wound, he hadn't treated it himself.

Just then, the Reincarnation Paradise notification sounded again.

【Contractor successfully treated Igou Ko’s viral infection.】

The mechanical voice of the Reincarnation Paradise rang in Lin Yi’s ears, like a cold, unfeeling machine reading out an established fact.

After hearing it, Lin Yi couldn't help but feel speechless.

This sudden "treatment successful" notification left him baffled.

"Thank you for your help."

Igou Ko’s voice was weak but sincere. Despite his pale face and cold sweat, he insisted on walking up to Lin Yi to express his gratitude.

Lin Yi looked at Igou Ko’s bandaged right wrist—a simple dressing applied by Komuro Takashi and Miyamoto Rei in their emergency.

He sighed inwardly. Igou Ko’s charisma was indeed impressive. It was no wonder that in the original story, Komuro Takashi couldn't compete with him. If Igou Ko had survived, it would be a miracle for someone with Komuro Takashi’s lousy personality to be the protagonist.

"This is not the place to talk," Lin Yi said, looking around. The corridor was still filled with the smell of blood, and the roars of the infected could be heard from time to time. "Let’s go to the rooftop to talk."

As he turned, his gaze inadvertently swept over Takagi Saya. The usually lively and cheerful girl was huddled in a corner, shivering, clearly terrified by the horrific scenes from earlier.

Lin Yi understood that Takagi Saya needed time to ease her inner fear and pressure.

At the same time, at this critical juncture, they needed a safe place to formulate their next plan.

After the group gathered, Komuro Takashi led the way, Miyamoto Rei supported Igou Ko, and Lin Yi walked at the back to cover them.

The group passed through the dim corridor and stepped onto the stairs, each step feeling exceptionally heavy.

With Komuro Takashi’s help, Lin Yi cleared the school building faster. Half an hour later, they had completely purged the infected from the entire building.

Along the way, Lin Yi also encountered Busujima Saeko, who was also clearing out the infected. Behind her were two familiar faces: the school nurse Marikawa Shizuka, whom Lin Yi had met once before, and the chubby military otaku Hirano Kouta.

Upon reaching the rooftop, Komuro Takashi threw his baseball bat aside and was the first to lie down. He breathed heavily, as if trying to expel all his exhaustion through his breath.

He closed his eyes tightly, as if that could make him temporarily forget the terror and tension from just moments ago.

Miyamoto Rei and Igou Ko followed suit, finding a place to sit and rest.

They leaned against each other, seeking comfort and strength from one another.

Lin Yi took out a handkerchief he had scavenged from an infected corpse and began to carefully wipe the blade of the Black Abyss sword.

This sword was currently Lin Yi’s most important weapon and had to be kept sharp and in good condition at all times.

The prolonged fighting had reduced the Black Abyss sword’s durability from 24 to 16. If not maintained in time, the durability would likely drop even faster.

Busujima Saeko sat down beside Lin Yi, pulled a bottle of blade oil from her pocket, and handed it to him.

"This is blade oil, used for maintaining weapons," she said with a smile. "Looking at you, you must be a master of the sword as well."

"What exactly happened? Why did it turn into this?"

Komuro Takashi’s voice was filled with confusion and unease. He struggled to sit up from the ground, clutching his head, trying to recall everything that had happened today.

The morning sun, the familiar classroom, the laughter of his classmates... how did all of this suddenly turn into the end of the world?

Miyamoto Rei, Igou Ko, and the newly joined Busujima Saeko, Marikawa Shizuka, and Hirano Kouta all looked at Komuro Takashi in silence.

This question plagued everyone, but the answer was not so easy to find.

"Is this the reason you were talking about, Lin-kun?"

Busujima Saeko’s voice broke the silence. She walked behind Lin Yi, her eyes revealing a hint of inquiry.

She remembered that at the underground fighting arena, Lin Yi had spoken some strange words to her. She hadn't fully understood them at the time, but now it seemed Lin Yi had anticipated all of this.

As Busujima Saeko’s words fell, everyone’s gaze focused on Lin Yi.

Indeed, Lin Yi was wearing full armor; if he hadn't been prepared, how would an ordinary person be wearing such cumbersome gear?

"I don't know the specific situation either; I just heard some rumors," Lin Yi shook his head lightly.

He truly didn't know the origin of the "Dead" virus, only that it came from an unknown source.

For him, the origin of the virus was also a huge mystery.

If Lin Yi had known where the source of the virus was, he would have gone there alone to kill it, rather than playing house with a bunch of high school students here.

New author, new book, seeking votes.

(End of chapter)