Ma Tianming's Death

Shen Yi from the Foreign Languages Department: "We're here. If you're outside the gymnasium, you should be able to hear the drone."

Ma Tianming from the Sports Department: "I hear it, I hear it! It's right above me—bring it down!"

Shen Yi from the Foreign Languages Department: "Don't rush. Tell me the answer first."

As he sent the message, Shen Yi looked at Xu Wanting in his arms and said, "Lower the drone a little, but not too low. Just enough for the person below the Black Fog to see it."

"Mm..." Xu Wanting's cheeks were slightly flushed, and her red lips parted as she breathed lightly. She adjusted her position and began lowering the drone.

Inside the Black Fog.

A burly young man licked his cracked lips as he stared fixedly at the thick Black Fog above him.

He was Ma Tianming.

He had arranged this deal with Shen Yi behind Zhao Tao's back.

Otherwise, he would have had to share the water with Zhao Tao!

Besides, Zhao Tao was unwilling to tell anyone else how to obtain supernatural abilities. He did not want others gaining powers too.

But Ma Tianming did not give a damn about that. I'm practically dying of thirst. Why the hell should I help you keep your secret!

There's nothing in it for me anyway!

"Hurry up! Hurry!"

Ma Tianming muttered, occasionally turning back to glance at the gymnasium.

It would be troublesome if the others discovered him.

Besides, Zhao Tao had said there were monsters in the Black Fog. It would be even worse if a monster noticed him. He had to get the water quickly!

Soon.

The outline of a drone appeared in the air.

Several bottles of mineral water dangled beneath it.

Ma Tianming from the Sports Department: "I see it! Lower it a little more! A little more!!"

Shen Yi from the Foreign Languages Department: "The answer."

The more anxious Ma Tianming became, the less Shen Yi hurried.

From start to finish, Shen Yi had held the upper hand in this deal.

Because he was not short on water. Losing a few bottles would not matter.

Most of what he had said earlier was intended to make Ma Tianming think he was in a hurry. Otherwise, he would never have gotten the information out of him.

Now was the time to keep him in his grasp.

A person tormented by hunger and thirst would only become more desperate upon seeing water, even losing the ability to judge calmly.

Ma Tianming from the Sports Department: "Let me get the water first!! What if you go back on your word again?"

Shen Yi from the Foreign Languages Department: "I could say the same to you. What if I give you the water and you go back on your word?"

Ma Tianming from the Sports Department: "You fucking—!!!"

Ma Tianming licked his cracked lips, gripping his phone tightly in anger as he hesitated.

He really was afraid this guy would break his promise!

But he truly was thirsty too...

Staring up at the life-saving water source that was nearly within reach, he gritted his teeth and began typing.

Ma Tianming from the Sports Department: "I can tell you the answer first, but you absolutely can't go back on your word! Otherwise, I'll tell Zhao Tao and have him bring people to trouble you!"

Ma Tianming from the Sports Department: "Most of us here are sports students. Even if you somehow got supernatural abilities, you can't possibly be a match for dozens of students!"

Shen Yi from the Foreign Languages Department: "Don't worry. I don't want to become enemies with you either."

Though he said that, killing intent had already risen in Shen Yi's heart.

If Ma Tianming dared threaten him, then he truly intended to cause trouble for him. He could not leave someone like that alive!

Fortunately, he had never told Ma Tianming his dorm room number.

The dormitory building was so large that even if Ma Tianming got inside, finding him would not be easy.

Still, to be safe, he would switch dorm rooms later...

If he had possessed a long-range sniping ability, Shen Yi would have wanted to kill Ma Tianming outright and eliminate any future trouble!

He had never killed anyone before, but if someone truly threatened his life, Shen Yi would kill them without hesitation!

That was the resolve one needed to survive in the apocalypse!

Ma Tianming from the Sports Department: "It's a colorful fruit that grows on plants that haven't mutated."

Ma Tianming from the Sports Department: "I'm not lying to you. Zhao Tao ate one of those fruits, and a few dozen seconds later, he suddenly gained lightning powers!"

Shen Yi: "Fine. I hope you're not lying. Otherwise, I'll tell Zhao Tao about our deal. I'm sure Zhao Tao won't keep a roommate who betrayed him around, right?"

Ma Tianming from the Sports Department: "..."

Ma Tianming knew how to threaten people, and so did Shen Yi.

And Shen Yi's threat struck right at the heart of the matter!

Shen Yi looked at Xu Wanting and said, "Lower the drone and give him the mineral water... As for the drone, retrieve it if you can. If not, forget it."

He had considered breaking the deal.

But on second thought, if Ma Tianming told Zhao Tao about the transaction, Zhao Tao might come after him to obtain the secret to gaining supernatural abilities.

From Zhao Tao's evasive behavior, it was clear that he did not want anyone else to know how to obtain supernatural abilities.

What a greedy bastard.

"Okay!"

Xu Wanting began lowering the drone slowly.

Before the drone even reached the ground, the thirsty Ma Tianming snatched down the mineral water.

Then,

He immediately twisted open a bottle and began gulping it down.

He looked as though he had gone mad from thirst!

No wonder that, after being cautious for so long, he had let down his guard at the very end of the deal.

He was so thirsty that he no longer had the mind to haggle with Shen Yi!

Seeing this, Xu Wanting could not help sighing.

This was probably the daily reality for most survivors...

People like Shen Yi, who lacked neither food nor water, were far too rare.

At that thought, Xu Wanting could not help feeling somewhat fortunate.

Now that she was with Shen Yi, she did not need to worry about food or water. She only had to wait peacefully for rescue.

Though Shen Yi liked touching her legs and chest...

It actually felt pretty good when he touched her!

"Ah!"

Xu Wanting suddenly screamed, startling Shen Yi, who had been engrossed in studying her body.

"Shen Yi, y-you, look!"

Shen Yi immediately looked at the drone's screen.

There,

Several thick vines suddenly stretched out from the Black Fog, binding Ma Tianming tightly like a rice dumpling and dragging him toward the fog.

"W-what is this?"

Two minutes earlier.

Ma Tianming drained an entire bottle of water in one breath, feeling so good that he nearly cried out.

Looking at the remaining two bottles, he considered hiding them so Zhao Tao and the others would not find them.

Besides that,

He needed to figure out how to get more water from this Shen Yi!

He did not believe Shen Yi had only a few bottles of water. Putting himself in Shen Yi's place, if he only had three bottles, he would never have given any to someone else.

He was certain Shen Yi had many more bottles of water!

But how could he get the water from Shen Yi?

Perhaps he could discuss it with Zhao Tao and subtly reveal some information. Given Zhao Tao's personality, he might not be able to resist the temptation and would go looking for trouble with Shen Yi.

Then Ma Tianming could pretend to stand on Shen Yi's side, coerce and tempt him into giving up water... and then take the chance to get rid of Shen Yi, preventing him from revealing their deal.

That's right, that was the plan!

I'll take it all!!

I'm fucking brilliant!!!

As Ma Tianming excitedly plotted, he failed to notice the vines creeping out of the Black Fog behind him like living things, silently reaching his back.

When he felt a chill down his spine, he instinctively turned around, and his pupils suddenly contracted.

Reflected in Ma Tianming's eyes, countless vines instantly lunged at him and wrapped around his body.

It was already too late to escape.

"Help! Help me!!!"

"It hurts! It hurts so much!!!!"

Ma Tianming screamed and struggled violently.

But the vines were incredibly strong. The more he struggled, the tighter they constricted, squeezing his skin purple, flushing his face red, and making it difficult for him to breathe.

Though he continued struggling desperately, it seemed useless.

The vines tightened around his body bit by bit. Perhaps because his blood could no longer circulate, his entire face began turning red and purple. The sharp vines split open the flesh on his body, and bright red blood flowed out, staining his clothes and dripping onto the vines...

Even more horrifyingly, the moment his blood fell onto the vines, it was absorbed directly into them and vanished without a trace.

The vines seemed exhilarated by the blood. They constricted Ma Tianming's body even harder, gradually tearing him apart as flesh, blood, and bones of every color splattered everywhere...