"You mean leading the horde away?" Josie Quinn blinked playfully and smiled. "That's right! By now you should know that having me as a companion only benefits you, right?"
Realizing that it was Josie Quinn's secret help that had allowed them to escape danger time and again, Lucas Lockwood's wariness toward her had long since melted away like ice.
'Even if she's after something, she's saved us so many times. No matter what her motive is, we should be grateful.'
"Thank you."
Josie Quinn tilted her head, sizing him up as moonlight scattered fine, silvery specks across her long eyelashes.
Judging by his obviously relaxed expression, his gratitude was genuine and no longer tinged with the suspicion of the past few days.
She smiled brightly and winked at him. "Then you'd better remember this favor."
She raised a finger and tapped her temple. "Keep it logged right here. When I need help in the future, you can't refuse."
'I'm definitely cashing in this favor!'
'It's no surprise that Cole will become a major player in the apocalypse and can recharge me,' she thought.
'So this guy in front of me, who can also recharge me, is definitely not going to be some nobody. Doing him a favor now will surely pay off later.'
'Otherwise, why would I risk my neck to lure away zombies?'
'Helping someone in their time of need is far more meaningful than adding to their success.'
Without a moment's hesitation, Lucas Lockwood nodded solemnly. "Alright. As long as it's within my power, I will never refuse."
Josie Quinn grinned like a cat that got the cream, her eyes curving into crescents.
Moonlight spilled in through the window, illuminating her expression perfectly.
Lucas Lockwood's gaze unconsciously lingered on her face for a few extra seconds.
Just then, the angry roars of zombies suddenly echoed through the silent city.
Josie Quinn and Lucas Lockwood spun around at the same time, striding to the window to look outside.
In the moonlight, a dense horde of zombies was moving along the main road, agitated by some unknown stimulus.
"Why are there suddenly so many more zombies?"
As Josie Quinn leaned out to look, her expression full of suspicion, Lucas Lockwood grabbed her. "Careful."
His expression was grave. Before entering the city, he had been scouting the situation while fighting an intense inner battle.
In the end, he had decided to cut straight through, which would save them a good chunk of time.
Their food supplies were running low, and they could find more resources in the city.
But the deeper they went, the more zombies they encountered.
Even with Josie Quinn luring zombies away, they were gradually starting to struggle.
"Do you know why they're acting so abnormally?"
Through their time together, Lucas Lockwood had noticed that Josie Quinn knew more about the apocalypse than they did.
"I don't know," Josie Quinn said honestly, her gaze sweeping toward him. "But… humans can evolve, and so can zombies. Humanity's living space will continue to shrink, so… you should enhance your own superpowers as much as you can."
"Zombies can evolve too?"
The information Josie Quinn provided made Lucas Lockwood's face tighten. Ordinary zombies had already shrunk humanity's living space.
If evolved zombies appeared, humanity wouldn't be far from extinction.
"It's true that it's hard for ordinary humans to survive. Their only choice is to get to a safe zone as soon as possible. But as long as superpower users keep leveling up, they can move freely even in the apocalypse."
Lucas Lockwood's gaze grew darker. "How do you know so much?"
Josie Quinn turned her head to meet his gaze. "Because… I've lived a whole lifetime more than you."
Then she laughed. "Just kidding. Don't worry about how I know. But if you trust me, you'll save yourself a lot of trouble! Anyway, I'm off to bed."
Because Josie Quinn hadn't shown herself for the past few days, he didn't know where she slept.
Seeing her walk toward the exit, he stood his ground and said, "It's dangerous outside. Come inside with me. Tomorrow, when everyone wakes up, I'll introduce you to them."
'So he's planning to let me join the team?'
But Josie Quinn changed her mind.
"No thanks. I suddenly think it's fine just following you guys like this."
'This way, I don't have to deal with other people.'
'In the apocalypse, the people around you could be gone any day.'
'If I don't get too close, don't make friends, don't form attachments, then I won't have to feel sad.'
Lucas Lockwood was silent for a long time, but ultimately respected her choice.
Of course, Josie Quinn wouldn't actually go far from them. She still needed Lucas Lockwood to restore her depleted superpower.
She transformed into an inconspicuous rock and stuck herself to the wall near Lucas Lockwood's head.
He didn't notice, his hands pillowed under his head. He didn't seem to be resting either.
But Josie Quinn couldn't hold out any longer. She had been luring zombies all day and was exhausted.
Slowly, she drifted off to sleep…
Who would have known that when they woke up the next day, they would be facing a tough battle.
The building they were hiding in was completely surrounded by zombies. The main entrance was impenetrably blocked by them.
"Lucas, the zombies have the door blocked! We can't get out!"
All the students were gripped by a sense of extreme anxiety.
Lucas Lockwood also saw the densely packed shadows reflected in the window.
If the glass broke, they would pour in like a tide.
Aside from the few superpower users among them, the rest would likely have no hope of survival.
Lucas Lockwood made an immediate decision. "Go check the perimeter! See if there are any other doors or windows we can get out of."
Just as he finished speaking, something suddenly slammed into a window.
Then, more and more impacts sounded.
"Let's go!"
By the time they rushed into the back rooms, the glass had already been smashed, showing a spiderweb of cracks.
The place they were in seemed to be a teahouse, with many rooms.
The college students ran around like headless chickens, anxiously searching for a way out.
"It's over, it's over! A zombie got in!"
Hearing the shout, Lucas Lockwood's heart sank. He stepped out of the private room and looked, and sure enough, he saw several zombies tumbling in through the broken window.
They didn't seem to have noticed anyone yet. After scrambling up from the floor, they made guttural, raspy sounds—HEH… HEH…—as they began to explore their surroundings.
"Everyone, keep your voices down. The window is small, so not many zombies have gotten in. We need to hurry."
After giving the warning, Lucas Lockwood immediately went to the other rooms to look for an exit.
But all the windows were blocked by security bars; there was no way out.
More and more zombies squeezed in through the window. In the blink of an eye, more than a dozen of them were wandering around the room.
Meanwhile, the banging on the door hammered against their hearts. THUD. THUD.
"They're coming! They're heading this way!"
"The door's about to break too! Are we trapped?"
The more timid ones had already covered their mouths and started to cry.
A few zombies heard the noise and turned, shuffling toward them.
A couple of the braver male students rushed forward and carefully took care of the approaching zombies.
But before they could even catch their breath, the main door was smashed open with a loud BANG!
Countless zombies poured in through the doorway, instantly filling half the main hall.
In that moment, everyone's heart filled with despair.
Lucas Lockwood was the first to snap out of it. He warned in a low voice, "If you don't want to die, find a way out now!"
With that, he turned and charged deeper inside.
A few who were still clear-headed immediately followed him.
But more and more zombies squeezed into the building. After filling the main hall, they continued to pour deeper inside.
"It's over… the zombies are in."