After Zaid killed Sun Yin and learned the skill Iron Body, the group continued pushing forward. With his increased magic and mana, Zaid could summon up to thirty skeleton soldiers, each costing about five mana.
Seeing how much soul power he gained by killing enemies himself, Zaid decided to join the frontlines more often. The risk was high, but the reward in growth made it worth it. Wei Jun also stepped up, fighting at Zaid's side. His dao, empowered by his skill, tore through zombies and beasts like they were paper, cleaving them in half with single swings.
As they fought and moved toward the gym, the number of survivors steadily increased. Many of them were drawn to Zaid's group, seeing the way they tore through evolved beasts with seeming ease. With the number of followers growing, Zaid ordered his skeleton soldiers to prioritize defending the survivors, while he and Wei Jun took on the brunt of the danger alongside Ying Jue, who held up barriers to protect the skeletons from getting overwhelmed.
In the distance, the gym finally came into view—but it was surrounded. Hundreds of zombies and monstrous beasts encircled it like a living wall. There was no choice but to fight their way through.
"I'm going to need to summon more skeletons," Zaid said, pushing himself to the limit.
Using almost all of his mana, he summoned sixty more skeleton soldiers bringing the total to 90—a true army. He left ten behind to protect the survivors and brought the remaining 80 forward, positioning them around himself, Wei Jun, and Ying Jue.
Ying Jue immediately raised her barriers to prevent unnecessary losses, giving Zaid time to recover some mana. Wei Jun charged forward with his dao, cutting down groups of zombies in single strikes, sometimes cleaving three at once. But it was Zaid who stood like a true reaper amidst the chaos.
His scythe cut down zombies and beasts like a farmer harvesting wheat. Surrounded by skeletons, giving commands with terrifying precision, he looked less like a university student and more like a warlord commanding a legion.
As the battle raged, Zaid noticed movement to the east, west, and north of the gym.
"There are survivors fighting on the other sides!" he shouted to Ying Jue and Wei Jun. "If we hold out a little longer, we can break through!"
He raised his hand. "Skeleton soldiers—split! One group stays here with me. The other two, break through to the survivors in the east and west! Help them reach us!"
They obeyed without hesitation.
As Zaid slashed down a burly zombie, its massive body fell—and revealed a hidden threat. A giant praying mantis burst forward with terrifying speed. It was massive, easily taller than Zaid—and he was already 5'9" and had grown a few centimeters thanks to the soul power he'd absorbed.
He barely had time to raise his scythe to block the first blow. The mantis's scythe-like claws slammed into him, pushing him back, threatening to break through his guard. His grip tightened until his knuckles turned white.
Using the beast's momentum, he twisted his scythe to the side, throwing it off balance. He punched the creature in the abdomen with full force—but all it did was make his fist bleed.
"This thing's tough," Zaid growled, blood dripping from his knuckles.
He leaped back, trying to gain distance—but the mantis showed its intelligence, it somehow knew the weakness of his weapon: a scythe needed space. The beast pressed in again, not giving him room to swing.
Zaid ducked under another strike and hastily summoned five new skeleton soldiers to defend him. They bought him precious seconds, but the mantis shredded through them like leaves in a storm.
But that was all Zaid needed.
As the last skeleton fell, he stepped in—grip steady, eyes cold. With a massive swing, he slashed the mantis across the joint between its upper and lower exoskeleton. He didn't aim for the head—he remembered some insects could survive decapitation.
The blade cut clean through. The monster shrieked as its body split apart.
A system notification flickered into his vision, but he ignored it—there was still fighting to do.
The battle was nearing its end. The waves of enemies were finally thinning. From his position, Zaid could now see the other groups.
To the east, a breathtaking woman conjured and launched ice constructs with precise control. Her ice swords and arrows flew through the battlefield like a storm. She wielded an ice blade in one hand and cut down any enemy that came close. Behind her, a large group of survivors clung to her protection.
Beside her fought a handsome man wielding a bow. Every arrow he loosed struck its target's head, killing with ruthless efficiency. Together, they held their side as strongly as Zaid's group had.
To the west, Zaid spotted a black-haired youth cutting through zombies with incredible skill and speed. No flashy abilities yet—but his raw physical strength and battle sense seemed greater than Wei Jun's.
And to the north, a middle-aged man wielded a massive hammer, smashing zombies into pulp. His raw strength seemed about equal to Wei Jun's.
As the tide turned and the monsters fell, Zaid saw no more need for defense.
"All skeleton soldiers—form up into a line! Cut down everything between us and the gym!"
The undead surged forward, slicing through the remaining resistance. Zaid's side reached the gym first—but the others weren't far behind. Within two minutes, all the surrounding monsters had been cleared.
As the battlefield settled and the groups began to approach each other, the tension of the fight gave way to relief.
Zaid didn't hesitate. He ran forward and embraced the black-haired young man from the west with a strong, brotherly hug.
"Zemin—I'm so glad you survived."
Bai Zemin blinked in surprise. "Zaid? Is that you?"
Zaid stepped back, grinning wide despite the blood smeared across his face. "Yeah. I've been fighting my way across the university, and damn, man, it's good to see a familiar face."
Zemin gave a tired smile and clapped him on the shoulder. "Likewise."
Bai Zemin didn't say much but Zaid didn't take offense he knew that Zemin was a quiet guy who seemed somewhat cold but inside he was incredibly kind.
"I had to," Zaid replied, glancing back at his army of skeleton soldiers. "If I didn't, everyone behind me would've died. I'm guessing you've had your fair share of hell too."
Zemin nodded. "We'll share stories later. For now, let's get everyone inside. We need to regroup and plan."
"Agreed." Zaid turned to the others. "Everyone—inside the gym! We'll rest and figure out our next steps."
The other evolvers didn't say anything as they where planning to do the same thing, after all the groups had gathered together and entered the gym they blocked the door.