Chapter 15: Centipede

Everything was ready, and just as they were about to set out, Zhu Hao asked, "Where's Gu Ping?"

Another male student named Chang Junyan replied, "He just said he was going to the bathroom; he should be back any moment."

Chen Mu said, "Let's walk out slowly, and wait for him when we reach the door."

Wei Dalei pushed the flat cart that Chen Mu had handcrafted, marching ahead at the front.

After the metal parts rubbed together, they emitted an ear‑grating squeaky screech, which stood out starkly in the quiet surroundings.

However, just as they were about to reach the door gap,

"Ah—!"

Then they heard Gu Ping's anguished scream coming from outside.

Everyone froze for a moment; Chen Mu was the first to react, immediately rushing outside, and the weapon at his waist transformed once more into a spear.

When the danger was unknown, a long weapon was obviously safer.

Wei Dalei was a beat slower, but he quickly followed.

He held a giant Wolf-tooth Club that Chen Mu had specially forged for him; just looking at the iron spikes on it made one's scalp tingle.

Although he started later than Chen Mu, after his strength was enhanced, Wei Dalei sprinted with all his might, his speed far surpassing that of an ordinary person.

After all, the source of speed is ultimately strength.

Wei Dalei, despite starting behind, overtook Chen Mu in the blink of an eye.

Chen Mu shouted urgently, "Old Wei, don't rush up—assess the situation first."

Having heard Gu Ping's cry for help, Chen Mu had already braced himself for the worst; though they were merely classmates and not close, he couldn't stay indifferent. He had prepared himself: if it were just a few ants he could handle, he would certainly act, but if it were a large animal like a rat or frog outside, there was no need to risk himself.

His reason for rushing out first was to keep others from danger, yet he forgot about Wei Dalei, that reckless oaf.

At this point, a warning came too late.

Wei Dalei had already rushed out through the door gap.

However, as soon as Wei Dalei stepped out, he froze in place, staring dumbfounded at the sight before him.

Chen Mu followed only a few seconds later; upon bursting out of the door gap and looking ahead, he too was stunned.

But he only froze for a second, then quickly grabbed Wei Dalei and ran back, shouting at Chang Junyan and Zhu Hao, who had just come out, "Go back, don't look!"

Yet human curiosity is a strange thing; Zhu Hao and Chang Junyan, knowing full well how dangerous it was, still couldn't help stealing a glance.

Just that one glance nearly scared them into wetting their pants.

It was a dark‑red centipede, as massive as a python, coiled and gnawing at the frail Gu Ping.

Gu Ping's miserable cries continued, but they were growing fainter by the moment.

That centipede showed no sign of stopping at all.

Driven by survival instinct, Zhu Hao and Chang Junyan bolted back without even having time to wet their pants, and Wei Dalei, jerked by Chen Mu, snapped to his senses and retreated as well.

Though he was reckless, he wasn't stupid; even with his strength boosted, he was still no match for the centipede at that moment.

Although it was merely a small centipede, a single bite would inject enough toxin to kill a person then and there.

The four of them ran all the way back to where the crowd was gathered before coming to a halt.

"What happened?" Dong Junwei sensed that Gu Ping might have met with misfortune.

"Gu… Gu Ping… centipede…"

After uttering those two words, Chang Junyan suddenly covered his mouth, hurried to the side, and vomited loudly.

Zhu Hao pictured the vivid centipede, its long legs moving in a rhythmic sway, its antennae writhing seductively; then he thought of Gu Ping's bloody, miserable plea for help, and, prompted by Chang Junyan's reaction, he too ran aside and vomited.

Chen Mu and Wei Dalei fared a little better, but their stomachs churned uncomfortably.

"Old Wei."

Seeing Wei Dalei still a bit dazed, Chen Mu thought he had truly been frightened stupid; if the team's primary combatant were incapacitated by fear, the loss would be great.

Who would have thought Wei Dalei would suddenly look sorrowful, his voice tinged with a sob, saying, "Boss, I really wanted to save him… truly, I wanted to go up, I wanted to save him…"

Chen Mu sighed, patted his shoulder, and said, "I know; you did your best."

The group of girls who had stayed behind now finally understood what had occurred; although they hadn't witnessed it directly, seeing Zhu Hao and Chang Junyan vomiting nonstop let them sense the horror.

When Luo Hui had died earlier, he had been far away, and a swallow had merely flashed by, so the impact on everyone had been far less intense.

"What do we do? The centipede could also crawl in through the door gap."

"If that's really the case, what are we few to do?"

"Why don't we just stick together from now on?"

"……"

Gu Ping's death sparked great unease among everyone about their current environment.

Even Chen Mu felt a lingering fear.

To be honest, the fact that these people have survived until now is largely due to luck.

Nothing else needs to be said.

Going outside to use the bathroom is something nearly everyone has done; it was just that Gu Ping was extraordinarily unlucky to encounter a centipede.

Looking at it this way,

In fact, so‑called night watch is nothing but self‑deception; a few crickets or centipedes could wipe out these people.

Resistance would also be meaningless.

"That centipede won't come in, will it?" someone suddenly asked anxiously.

After all, it happened at the doorway; such a possibility isn't nonexistent.

"It… just… should be full now."

That remark is somewhat callous.

But one can't blame people for selfishness; in this situation, "let the fellow die while I survive" is human nature, especially since Gu Ping wasn't particularly close to anyone.

Instead, it was Wei Dalei, who had always been at odds with him, who now felt full of self-blame.

"Chen Mu, what do you think we should do?" Dong Junwei asked.

Chen Mu fell silent for a moment, then said: "We still need to move the supplies; to be honest, staying here is just as dangerous as going out—we can't keep holding out forever, and that would eventually get us killed."

"Then... the plan remains unchanged?"

"I suggest that everyone act together." Chen Mu said after a moment's thought.

Dong Junwei pondered briefly and then understood Chen Mu's meaning.

If the boys who go out meet with mishap, the girls left behind would hardly have any ability to protect themselves, likely resulting in a slow death; it would be better to act together, at least bolstering their courage a bit.

Dong Junwei quickly nodded and asked everyone: "What do you all think?"

Zhao Xiao Yan, Du Jia Jia and the others, thinking that the doorway was where Gu Ping had been eaten by the centipede, refused to stay alone here no matter what, and all agreed in unison.

This group of students from Class 4, Senior Year 3, originally numbered eleven.

After Luo Hui and Gu Ping died, only nine remain now.

Chen Mu counted the heads, seeing that they didn't even reach double digits, and couldn't help feeling gloomy.

Who will be next?

Although mortals must eventually die.

But at times like this, humanity's will to survive is actually stronger than in peaceful eras.

The world is impermanent.

Who could have imagined that a group of high school students who were just discussing toilet paper now face a life-or-death crisis.