Chapter 4
947words
"Hurry! They’re getting in!" Toby grabbed Beth’s arm and dashed forward, with Lillian close behind, her wrench held firmly in front of her chest. The passage was pitch-black; only the faint glow of the system panel barely lit the stone steps beneath their feet. On the panel, the "Hostile Distance" rapidly dropped from 15 metres to 10: [Infected group has entered the passage. Current count: 8, including 1 mutated variant (Swift Infected)].
"Swift Infected?" Lillian’s voice trembled with tension. "We ran simulations in the lab before—this variant is three times faster than regular infected, with fast wound healing. Only a head strike can kill it."
No sooner had she spoken than rapid footsteps echoed from ahead. Toby clapped a hand over Beth’s mouth at once, yanking her and Lillian into a recess nearby—stacked with dusty crates of ancient books, just enough to hide the three of them.
The footsteps drew closer, and a small figure burst out of the darkness, a huge hiking backpack slung over their shoulders. The figure clearly sensed movement too; they spun around suddenly, flicking open a folding knife with a sharp "snick", and shouted warily: "Who’s there? Stay back!"
The system panel popped up with a new notification instantly: [New target detected: Sophia Green (First-year Fine Arts student). Vital signs stable, not infected. Initial favourability: 30 (Wariness mixed with curiosity). Carried items: Camping gear, folding knife, 3 energy drinks, basic trap toolkit].
"We’re not infected!" Toby hurried to speak, dimming the panel’s glow slightly. "We escaped from the West Tower—we’re heading to the library. What about you?"
After getting a clear look at the three of them, the girl’s tense posture relaxed a little, though she didn’t lower the knife. "Name’s Sophie. I was sketching outdoors yesterday when the grey mist hit, so I hid in this passage. I heard noises from the library side—I don’t know if it’s safe or not."
Beth suddenly remembered something. "Grandfather’s manuscripts mentioned this passage connects to the library’s Special Collections. There’s a fire door there that can block the infected!"
"But a section of the passage collapsed," Sophie frowned. "I tried to get past this morning—I need a ladder to cross it."
Toby was about to respond when a sharp "swish" of wind came from behind him—it was the Swift Infected! He instinctively shoved Sophie into the recess, then grabbed the fire axe and charged forward. In the dark, a blurry figure lunged at him; relying on the system’s "Danger Alert", Toby dodged sideways just in time. The axe grazed the Swift Infected’s shoulder and struck the stone wall, sending sparks flying.
"Lillian, the ethanol!" Toby yelled. Lillian fumbled for a test tube at once, splashing the ethanol onto the Swift Infected’s body. Sophie reacted quickly, tossing a lighter over—blue flames instantly wrapped around the variant, which let out a shrill howl, its movements slowing noticeably.
"Aim for the head!" Lillian shouted. Toby seized the chance, gripping the axe with both hands and swinging hard at the Swift Infected’s neck. Dark red fluid gushed out, and the variant crumpled to the ground. The flames still burned its corpse, emitting a faint "sizzle".
[System Notification: Successful team collaboration in eliminating mutated variant. Beth Williams’ favourability increased to 65 (Enhanced sense of security); Lillian Hart’s favourability increased to 45 (Recognition of team coordination); Sophia Green’s favourability increased to 45 (Wariness eased). Unlocked new system function: "Material Sharing Panel" – view and allocate items carried by team members].
As the panel updated, Sophie unzipped her hiking backpack. "I’ve got a folding ladder and rope—camping gear. Should be enough to build a crossing." She pulled out a metal folding ladder, which extended to two metres when opened, then took out a coil of climbing rope. "But someone needs to go first to secure the rope—stop the ladder from sliding."
Toby volunteered at once: "I’ll do it." He took the rope, climbed slowly across the collapsed section using the ladder. Above the opposite side of the passage was a rusted iron hook—once used to hoist ancient books. Toby tied the rope firmly to the hook, then fastened a safety clip to the other end and handed it to Beth: "Come one by one. I’ll hold the rope."
Beth went first, followed by Lillian, with Sophie last. When Sophie was halfway across the ladder, the passage suddenly shook, and several pieces of gravel fell from the ceiling. Toby pulled the rope hard, while Lillian reached out from the other side to grab Sophie—just as Sophie’s hand touched Lillian’s, the ladder snapped with a loud "crack", tumbling into the darkness below.
"Thank goodness you’re okay!" Beth let out a relieved breath. The four of them continued forward, and soon spotted a faint light ahead—it was the emergency light in the library’s Special Collections.
"We’re almost there!" Toby quickened his pace, pushing open the door to the Special Collections. The sight inside made all four of them pause: bookshelves had toppled over, ancient books and shards of glass scattered across the floor. But the fire door was tightly shut, and the "Emergency Exit" light above it was still on.
Suddenly, there was a tapping sound from behind the fire door, followed by a clear female voice: "Who’s outside? Are you infected?"
Toby exchanged glances with the other three—hope flickered in their eyes. It seemed there were other survivors in the library.
