Chapter Three: Making Use of Waste to Distract the Zombies

Very quickly, the group quietly moved the table aside, opened the door, and followed Gu Sha out. Gu Sha gripped his dagger tightly. Although he knew that these zombies still retained some human habits and were sleeping, their slumber was light, and they could be awakened easily. Furthermore, there was always a chance of running into some night owl wandering around instead of sleeping.

Gu Sha did not lead the students to the small shop downstairs; instead, he headed toward the rooftop of the academic building. He remembered very clearly that there were three Origin Pearls in this school, one of which was on the rooftop of this teaching building.

The reason he remembered so well was that, in his previous life, it was this very Origin Pearl that he had missed. As for the other two, he only knew their approximate locations, learned years later through conversations with former classmates who discussed the Origin Pearls.

It was precisely because he needed to find the Origin Pearl that Gu Sha brought along this group of burdens. He remembered clearly that there was a gathering of zombies on the rooftop. He needed scapegoats to draw the zombies away for him.

"Gu... Gu Sha... Where... where are we going?" a classmate asked timidly.

"Yeah, Gu... Gu, where are we headed?" another asked.

"To look for supplies," Gu Sha replied flatly.

No one spoke again.

Suddenly, a male student spoke up. "This doesn't seem right, Gu Sha. If we're looking for supplies, why are you taking us to the rooftop?"

Gu Sha turned and looked at the student—his name was Xu Wei, the class monitor and an excellent student who, used to his academic success, often acted superior and disdainful toward others. Because of his grades, the teachers liked him and favored him greatly.

What Gu Sha remembered most was that, in his previous life, when he was ostracized by Chen Nannan’s group, Xu Wei was the brains behind it. When Gu Sha was driven out of the small shop, Xu Wei was a significant reason why.

Gu Sha looked coldly at Xu Wei, shook his dagger, and said, "What, do I need your permission for what I do?"

Xu Wei tensed, glanced at the dagger in Gu Sha's hand, and didn't dare say another word.

During the day, he had been full of fear toward Gu Sha, but as time passed and he regained his composure, his innate sense of superiority slowly overcame his fear. The thought of having to obey someone so mediocre gnawed at him. Seeing everyone follow Gu Sha only made him more resentful; he, who had always been the center of the student group, was now relegated to the margins.

He analyzed the situation: Gu Sha only had his fearsome reputation and a dagger, not true superiority. With his intellect, Xu Wei believed he could surpass Gu Sha and become the leader—all he needed was an opportunity.

That's why he dared to question Gu Sha. Yet, as he met Gu Sha’s emotionless gaze in the dim stairwell light, his courage faltered and he fell silent, though inwardly, he still seethed, plotting to seize control at the first chance.

The group held their breath and tiptoed up to the rooftop. This rooftop had a stairwell structure—a small building about three meters high.

The moment they arrived, everyone shuddered.

The rooftop was packed with zombies, at least thirty of them by a rough count, and there was nothing else of use up there. The group was both fearful and confused, unable to understand why Gu Sha had brought them here in search of supplies.

At that moment, Xu Wei saw his chance. He immediately challenged Gu Sha. "Gu Sha, there’s nothing here! We risked our lives coming with you. If you can’t find any supplies, you’ll listen to me—give me your dagger and I’ll lead everyone to find supplies!"

All eyes turned to him. Though they feared Gu Sha, skepticism brewed in their hearts. No one dared to speak up until Xu Wei did; now, they unconsciously gravitated toward him.

Gu Sha’s lips curled with interest as he looked at Xu Wei. After twenty years surviving the apocalypse in his previous life, he was well-versed in the treacheries of human nature. Xu Wei’s petty schemes were transparent to him. He slowly raised his dagger.

"You want it?" he asked.

Xu Wei, feigning righteousness, replied, "I don’t want your dagger, but these are extraordinary circumstances. So many lives are at stake—we need a leader with a brain to guide us..."

With a sudden movement, Gu Sha stabbed Xu Wei in the stomach.

A scream tore from Xu Wei’s throat, and the other students were struck dumb with shock.

Xu Wei’s cry awoke the sleeping zombies. Gu Sha kicked him hard, sending him flying into several other students.

In the next instant, Gu Sha turned, braced his feet against the stairwell wall, and with both hands grabbed the stairwell roof. With a powerful pull, he climbed up in a single, fluid motion.

Though his rebirth hadn’t restored his former physical strength, the experience and instincts honed over twenty years of combat remained. His control over his body was at the highest level. In simple terms, Gu Sha’s current combat strength wasn’t high, but his bodily awareness surpassed even the elite soldiers. So, while the three-meter-high stairwell roof was insurmountable for ordinary people, he scaled it with ease.

This had all been part of his plan. The newly-born zombies were only slightly stronger than average people, unable to jump up, and entirely mindless. Standing atop this high platform, he was relatively safe—unless the zombies formed a human pyramid, they couldn’t reach him.

To prevent the zombies from attracting even more and forming such a pyramid, he had brought all his classmates here. He had been willing to bring these burdens along for exactly this moment.

Now, his classmates were frozen with terror, staring blankly as the zombie horde surged forward, ignoring the fallen Xu Wei.

"Gu Sha, save me..."

"Gu Sha, you bastard!"

"Gu Sha, why did you do this to us..."

His classmates cursed him, their voices breaking with fear and despair.

Gu Sha watched coldly. He hadn't forgotten that, in his previous life, these same people had sided with Chen Nannan against him. Reborn, he saw no reason to waste his compassion on them—using them was the most they deserved.

"Ah!" "Help me!" "Run..."

The students stampeded toward the stairwell, but, lacking Gu Sha’s abilities, they could only flee downward. The doorway was narrow, and in their panic, few could escape. Some were instantly swarmed and torn apart by the zombies, while Xu Wei, lying on the ground, had his intestines dragged out and scattered.

Gu Sha, perched atop the stairwell, watched the zombies chase the others downstairs. As soon as the coast was clear, he leaped down and ran to a corner of the rooftop.

There, he found a thumb-sized, golden-yellow bead—the Origin Pearl he had longed for.

He picked it up and quickly climbed back onto the top of the stairwell, where he finally examined the pearl. Wiping it clean, he placed it in his mouth and swallowed it.

In that instant, a surge of immense power exploded within him, flooding his flesh and veins and sweeping through his entire body in mere seconds.

Gu Sha inhaled deeply, regulating his breath with the Qi-guiding technique, focusing his will to direct the origin energy to strike at the gene lock and prevent its dissipation.

In that moment, Gu Sha’s consciousness seemed to glimpse a deep crimson space, crisscrossed by several black chains.

He knew these were the gene locks.

The golden energy battered against them.

Crack. Crack.

One gene lock shattered completely, and some of the remaining energy began to assault a second chain, breaking about a third of it before stopping.

Gu Sha’s eyes snapped open.

"A First-Tier Warrior!"