Escape from the Inn

"I'm quite interested in the Wasteland, and I've looked up a lot of information about it..." Luo Jun casually made up a reason. "The key question is, why is the Wasteland's Eternal Virus here?"

"Even if it appears, it shouldn't be able to infect!" Deng Qian raised a concept. "The rules of the [Wasteland] and the [Martial World] are different; the Eternal Virus shouldn't be able to survive here..."

"Rules?" Luo Jun was slightly taken aback, and many other students also looked puzzled.

"Different worlds have different rules..." Lao Miao Miao explained, "You'll learn this concept when you reach third grade. Although the major worlds are generally similar, some core factors that determine the differences in their styles are not interchangeable..."

"For example, one of the core elements of the Martial World world is 'inheritance.' In other worlds, talent determines one's ability to cultivate. Everyone has their own abilities, and teachers can only impart the basics and guide through experience. Only Lineage with blood ties can inherit similar abilities."

"But the Martial World is different. Although it is dominated by Martial Combat Faction, the Cultivation Method of different schools still have different effects. And the abilities of a school can almost all be passed down as long as one is willing to learn. Aptitude only determines how well one learns, not whether one can learn at all. This is a phenomenon unique to the Martial World world, which cannot be seen in other worlds, including the Main World."

"And the [Savage Wilderness] is the same..." Xu Yiming, who had been to the Savage Wilderness, added, "One of the core elements of the [Savage Wilderness] is 'primitive'. Apart from magical artifacts, any machinery or technology exceeding a certain level of complexity will fail there... This is why, even after exploring the Savage Wilderness for many years, the Ling Family still hasn't developed an industry using the local resources."

Deng Qian nodded. "And one of the core factors that determined the [Wasteland] was the Eternal Virus! This virus destroyed civilization in the [Wasteland] world, leaving the entire world in a post-apocalyptic state. However, although this virus is also a living organism, and can even be taken outside, it cannot remain active in worlds outside the [Wasteland], let alone cause infection..."

"Therefore, I have doubts about whether this was caused by the Eternal Virus ..." Deng Qian frowned as she looked at the monsters raging outside and Zhenmin shouting for his life.

Just then, a Paper Crane flew in through the window and landed in Deng Qian's hand. She unfolded it and saw that it contained a message that Tie Jingang sent back.

"Bang!" A gunshot rang out, a bullet appeared between the infected man's eyebrows, his head exploded, and his body fell to the ground.

The group immediately set off, but as soon as they went downstairs, they heard a scream. A First-Order Infected rushed into the inn, and a long tongue shot out from its split jaw, piercing the waiter's chest!

"We've already arrived?!"

Gather at Yunlai Inn immediately. Be careful to avoid those infected with the Eternal Virus. If you need to fight, prioritize attacking the head and spine.

"It really is the Eternal Virus?!" Tie Jingang's assertion made Deng Qian's eyes widen in surprise. She quickly regained her composure. "Quick, Martial Uncle Tie wants us to gather at his place! Everyone must maintain their inner energy at all times, and be extremely careful not to be harmed by those infected with the Eternal Virus. Once it becomes active, it's almost incurable..."

A dozen or so people rushed out of the inn and found that there were already quite a few ordinary infected people wandering the streets...

Everyone looked in the direction of the sound and saw Song Shan blowing on the muzzle of his revolver.

"Don't hesitate, let's go!"

Everyone looked at this kind-hearted Senior Brother Song, dressed in ancient costume yet wielding a gun, and found it all too incongruous...

Everyone was shocked. The infected creature noticed them and immediately abandoned the waiter's corpse, baring its fangs and claws as it pounced.

As Martial Combat Faction, he had always disdained using firearms-type magical artifacts, but when facing infected individuals swarming with the virus, it was better to use ranged attacks than close-quarters combat...

Thanks to the superhuman mobility of the First-Order Mutant, the Eternal Virus spread very quickly in the town. In just a short time, hundreds or even thousands of residents have been infected!

Seeing the cries and screams of the people, the students felt bad. Some couldn't help but want to help, but were stopped by their Senior Brother classmates.

"Don't try to be a hero! Preserving yourself is the most important thing! Save your kindness and passion for when disaster strikes your own homeland!"

Otherworlder, though they may look very similar to us, are ultimately different species from different worlds. Their thoughts, culture, and beliefs are completely different from ours. You can communicate with them and build relationships, but absolutely, absolutely do not develop too much empathy for them, as this will only affect your judgment when carrying out your missions.

This is a concept that the college repeatedly instills in its students from the moment they enroll.

Luo Jun watched the screaming residents flee and sighed silently...

After all this time, he was no longer the naive boy he once was. The world was wider and deeper than he had imagined. He was not strong enough yet; there were too many people stronger than him, and too many things beyond his control...

However, he didn't mind doing something as long as there was no danger.

"The Yunlai Inn is just ahead." Having taken down quite a few infected along the way, the team finally arrived at the rendezvous point. Song Shan breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at the students, "Is everyone alright?"

"They're all here..." everyone responded in unison. Suddenly, Lu Fei shouted in panic, "Luo Jun is gone!"

Song Shan was startled, and cold sweat immediately broke out on his back. "What happened? When...?"

"It was still there when we just turned that corner..." Lu Fei said, somewhat panicked, "It's been less than a minute..."

"This..." Song Shan gritted his teeth. "Deng Qian, you take them into the inn first, I'll go find him!"

Before the words were even finished, a figure had already rushed out of the group and was running back the way they came.

"Ling Xin! What are you doing!" Song Shan shouted, thinking to himself, "Why are there so many problem students..."

But Ling Xin stopped as soon as she reached the corner, staring blankly at the wall behind her, then turned away with a blush on her face.

Then, Luo Jun emerged from behind the wall, pulling up his trousers...

"No, I just went to the restroom, why are we being monitored...?"

"Hmph..." Ling Xin snorted coldly and returned to the group. Luo Jun slunk back, saying, "Sorry, I had to go to the bathroom..."

"Next time, tell me if anything happens!" Song Shan scolded. "We can wait for you a while. Don't act on your own; it's too dangerous..."

"I understand, I understand, Senior Brother Song, I'm so sorry..."

Seeing that he was alright, everyone rushed to Yunlai Inn, but no one noticed that a strange wind blew out from behind the corner, heading towards the direction where the earliest fire had broken out.

(End of this chapter)