Little Qi's Flying Dagger

Cheng Shuili almost threw up. Wanyi had not seen what happened, but judging by the look on Cheng Shuili's face, she knew it was nothing pleasant.

"Drink some water."

Wanyi opened her backpack, pulled out a thermos, and unscrewed it before handing it to Cheng Shuili.

She could finally speak, and since those people had not come out yet, now was a great time for a chat!

"Is your name really Cheng Ershui?"

"Pfft..."

Cheng Shuili nearly spat out the water. Why was this person's focus so strange?

Wanyi raised her hand to compare their heights. Cheng Shuili was a bit taller than her, which felt quite surreal.

"And you aren't really Chen Wanyi, are you? It sounds like a screen name with a surname tacked on. If I didn't know your screen name, I might have been fooled."

Wanyi smiled, reached out, and said solemnly, "My name is Qi Wanyi. Boss Ershui, what's your name?"

Cheng Shuili gripped the hand she extended. The touch was cold but unexpectedly reassuring. After a moment of hesitation, she gave her real name: "Cheng Shuili, the 'li' with the wood radical."

With that, the two finally exchanged their real names.

Cheng Shuili held the thermos and took two more sips of hot water before the nausea subsided significantly.

It was now certain that Skinny, Fatty, and Yang Yunsheng were dead.

Only Wang Lu and Zhang Yueying remained inside.

After the bald monster tore Yang Yunsheng apart, it had lost its target and was wandering aimlessly around the service area lobby.

Besides this one, there was definitely another one inside the gas station—the same one that had attacked Skinny earlier.

Wang Lu and her companion knew the situation inside the gas station, but they might not be aware of the situation in the lobby.

It was confirmed that once a person died, they would be turned into a Form of the Blooming Skeleton by the Sound-Devouring Slime. In other words, those two people staying alive was actually beneficial to Cheng Shuili.

The top five would receive rewards, so there were no longer any conflicting interests between them.

The people inside could not speak, but those outside could shout warnings. Cheng Shuili yelled at the top of her lungs, "There is another monster in the service area lobby! Don't stay inside too long, the monsters will keep multiplying! If you can't get out without killing them, stab them in the head!"

Wang Lu and Zhang Yueying could not provide a warning. Cheng Shuili shouted two more times, and Qi Wanyi joined in, until the two finally quieted down.

Qi Wanyi was actually a bit confused by the second half of the statement, but she understood once she saw the face of the monster wandering the lobby. Those dead companions would likely all turn into such disgusting creatures.

Qi Wanyi's gaze fell upon the Form of the Blooming Skeleton. The thing only had its upper body left, moving entirely by dragging its pelvis. Its arms hung limply at its sides, while its exposed ribs had become its new arms.

The flesh on the monster was not firm either, shedding bits of meat and bloody foam with every step it took.

The more Qi Wanyi looked, the more disgusted she felt. She gritted her teeth and turned her head away, feeling much better.

They had given the warning, so whether those two lived or died was up to them.

Cheng Shuili pulled Qi Wanyi to sit against the outer wall of the service area. The outside was absolutely safe. All they had to do now was enjoy a good lunch and wait quietly for time to pass.

The two chatted casually, mostly expressing admiration for each other's appearance and combat prowess.

About ten minutes passed when a series of hurried footsteps suddenly echoed from inside the service area. Cheng Shuili and Qi Wanyi immediately poked their heads out to look.

Zhang Yueying was dragging Wang Lu as they dashed frantically toward the exit.

Wang Lu's right leg was a bloody mess, clearly injured, but she gritted her teeth and pushed forward with all her might.

Just as they were about to step out of the service area, Wang Lu suddenly stumbled and fell to the ground.

The bald Form of the Blooming Skeleton lunged from the shadows, its sharp bone claws aimed straight for her heart!

Qi Wanyi instinctively pulled out her dagger and threw it.

The dagger pierced accurately into the monster's eye socket. It let out a piercing screech, and its movements stalled for a split second.

That one-second delay saved Wang Lu's life.

Cheng Shuili looked at Qi Wanyi with a strange expression. This person was usually quiet and hadn't shown much enthusiasm, yet she had taken the initiative to act!

Cheng Shuili hadn't even planned on interfering!

For one thing, she hadn't thought of throwing a knife. To save someone, she would have to re-enter the service area. Putting herself in danger for the lives of two strangers was a selfless act Cheng Shuili really couldn't bring herself to do.

Even if she had thought of the flying dagger, she probably wouldn't have thrown it. She only had one dagger, and it had attribute points added to it—she couldn't just throw it away in a place like this!

Well, now Qi Wanyi had lost her only defensive weapon.

Cheng Shuili was silent for a moment, then handed her the baseball bat she had been holding. "Give it back to me later."

"Are you that stingy?" Qi Wanyi was genuinely surprised to hear her say that.

While the two chatted, the others were in a race against life and death!

Zhang Yueying spun around and dragged Wang Lu across the boundary of the service area. The bald Form of the Blooming Skeleton slammed on the brakes at the boundary, its rotting face twisting, but it dared not take a single step further.

The two slumped onto the highway, gasping for air.

Wang Lu's leg injury was shocking, and blood quickly pooled into a small puddle on the ground.

"Th... thank you..." Wang Lu thanked Qi Wanyi weakly, her face pale from blood loss.

Cheng Shuili stood beside Wang Lu to inspect the injury. She hadn't seen it clearly from a distance, but up close, she could see that the wound was so deep the bone was exposed.

With this much blood loss...

Although she didn't want to admit it, everyone present knew that she wouldn't survive.

"Do you have anything to stop the bleeding? Bandages... gauze... anything at all, please, save me?"

Wang Lu clutched her injured leg helplessly, her eyes scanning the three of them before returning to her leg.

"Stop the bleeding... must stop the bleeding first..."

As she spoke, Wang Lu took off an inner thermal shirt from under her down jacket. Her fingers trembled as she placed the clothing on her leg, but she didn't dare to press down, looking at the three standing there for help.

Cheng Shuili ignored her gaze, her eyes fixed firmly inside the service area.

The Forms of the Blooming Skeleton were gathering at the boundary—at least seven or eight of them—all "watching" them with empty eye sockets.

The most chilling part wasn't the monsters themselves, but the fact that they had all been human.

Cheng Shuili saw Fatty, Skinny, and Yang Yunsheng—the ones whose names she knew—along with several others whose names she didn't know, likely the first group that had headed straight for the finish line.

And...

There were many more dead players who were likely being transformed into new Forms of the Blooming Skeleton as they spoke.

Qi Wanyi frowned as she glanced at Cheng Shuili. Seeing that she truly had no intention of helping, she decided to suppress her own urge to assist as well.

But Wang Lu kept crying out, her voice raspy and hoarse, sounding like a mix of shrieks and desperate pleas.