Apocalypse King: Recruiting S-Tier Beauties With My Ruler System
Chapter 85: Ruins and Shadows

Chapter 85: Ruins and Shadows

John Wang’s POV

March 17th, 2025 — 9:38 PM

Longwan University — Linbei Campus, Ruined Courtyard

—

The cracked pavement stretched out ahead of us — uneven, broken, half-swallowed by weeds and old bloodstains.

I raised a hand once, sharp, silent, and the group tightened immediately.

Mu Qinglan slid to my left flank, her bat held low but ready. Shen Yifei shifted nervously to my right, spear clutched too high but steady enough. Zhou Xue limped near the centre of the pack, shielded by the others — Chen Xun, Deng Hua, Liang Qiu, Guo Fan — all moving stiff, jittery.

A sloppy formation, but they still moved well.

That was enough.

I kept us tight along the western wall, sticking to the shadows thrown by the broken shell of the old gymnasium. Ahead, maybe thirty meters out, a cluster of infected drifted across the old food court.

Five, maybe six. Mouths slack, heads twitching, dragging broken limbs behind them.

No pattern.

No intelligence.

Just hunger.

I crouched lower, signalling by hand — halt. Crouch. Wait.

The group froze, low against the ground.

The infected wandered past without seeing us — too far, too dark.

We moved again slowly, with measured and calm steps to avoid making noise and attracting the zombies wrapped around us.

Every footstep mattered.

No scraping.

No panic breathing.

No second chances.

Behind me, I heard Shen Yifei breathing too fast through her nose, fighting it, copying my stance the best she could.

Chen Xun stumbled once — nearly fell — but Mu Qinglan grabbed the back of his jacket in a flash, yanking him upright with a sharp jerk.

No words.

No thanks.

That was survival.

We reached the cracked edge of the old sports complex — the fencing twisted, half-pulled down like broken ribs jutting from a corpse.

I raised my hand again — halt.

A new sound drifted in — low, ragged, the wet shuffling of many bodies moving together.

I edged forward, peering around the collapsed bleachers.

Twenty. Maybe thirty infected. Spread across the ruins of the old track field. Moving slow. Clustering. Feeding on something we couldn’t see.

Blocking the straight path north.

Damn.

I dropped back to the group, crouching low behind a crumbled concrete barrier. Mu Qinglan knelt beside me, calm. Waiting. Shen Yifei looked like she wanted to ask something, but bit it back and kept quiet.

She was becoming smarter, and I felt it was good to have brought her.

I jerked a thumb toward the west — broken fencing, collapsed bleachers, shattered ground.

"Skirt wide," I said, voice barely above a whisper. "Stick to the wreckage. One at a time. No noise."

They nodded, tight faces pale but focused. Liang Qiu took the lead without needing a shove, shield slung up, machete low. She slipped through the first broken gap in the fence, moving fast and low.

Chen Xun followed — eyes darting everywhere, feet too loud, but he stayed upright.

Shen Yifei and Zhou Xue moved next — Zhou leaning heavier than before, but pushing through it with sheer will.

I brought up the rear, Mu Qinglan shadowing the left line, ready to strike if anything went wrong. At one point, Guo Fan froze, wide-eyed, stuck halfway through a collapsed metal beam.

Shen Yifei hissed and shoved him forward by the back of the vest, almost knocking him through, desperate to avoid noise and delay, but... thankfully avoiding any sound.

Good.

We crept past the sports field perimeter without drawing the herd’s attention.

But it was close.

Too close.

The stink of the dead—rot, old blood, wet earth—clung to the air thick as fog.

A broken bleacher collapsed behind us with a faint metallic groan.

I whipped my head back — but the herd didn’t notice they were still feeding, shambling... wandering like lost sheep.

We were lucky, this time.

Only lucky.

I signalled tight again — move faster, tighter.

Thanks to using basic gestures, the group could follow them.

They picked up the pace — hunched shapes darting from wreck to wreck under the dead black sky.

We broke clear of the wrecked sports field, breathing hard but silent.

The herd was still back there, gorging on whatever scraps they’d found. Too slow. Too stupid to notice us.

Ahead, the ruined campus stretched wide — more broken buildings, more wreckage. But between us and the North Lab?

Wide open ground.

Two hundred meters — too far to sprint safely.

Zombies lingered near the east walls, cutting off detours.

But also too close to want to risk a detour... only to find another herd. I flicked a glance over my shoulder.

The group was still tight — barely.

Liang Qiu up front, shield braced.

Chen Xun and Deng Hua flanking the centre, machetes tight in their hands.

Zhou Xue was moving slower because of the fear and pressure, face pale, sweat pouring down her temple — but still walking, not whining.

Guo Fan dragged his steps, barely keeping up, but still moving.

Mu Qinglan mirrored me off the left side, bat slung low, every muscle loose and ready.

Shen Yifei at the right — tense, a little too high on her toes, but her eyes were sharp, copying everything I did without hesitation.

Although it was cute, I noticed she seemed to be improving faster than I expected.

The group’s overall growth was amazing, despite not being soldiers or friends, but good enough to move and push through this dangerous moment.

I couldn’t believe the university would last much longer, and it seemed the main groups prioritised the main campus and planned to let Linbei fall.

The broken shape of the North Lab Block loomed ahead — two smashed stories, skeletal steel beams jutting into the sky. Clearly, the aftermath of a brute, or something more readily, but I didn’t have the time to check right now.

Half the windows were blown out, and the front doors were shattered, fixed together with makeshift repairs, but then I noticed something.

Inside, shadows fought shadows.

Muzzle flashes lit up the broken lobby — bright, violent stutters of light.

"Wait!" I called out to the group, my voice deep and almost alerting the nearby zombies, a stupid mistake, but there was a reason. "Qinglan have you noticed?"

Bang! Gunshots echoed from the distant building, drawing more and more zombies closer... from the inside, the screams of terrified students echoed and disgusting sounds reverberated in my enhanced ears.

The danger wasn’t just the zombies inside.

Other survivors... taking a chance, or probably fighting over the scraps.

I crouched low, studying the distance.

Wide open ground.

One collapsed concrete planter was near the halfway mark, and then there was an old crumpled bus rusting sideways, maybe ten meters beyond that.

The first one hundred metres didn’t have much cover.

But if we managed to reach the second half and rushed right, everything would be safe.

Mu Qinglan knelt beside me, reading the same map in her head.

"Two sprints," she said quietly.

I nodded once.

"First to the planter," I said. "Catch your breath. Second sprint to the bus. Then breach the entrance when there’s an opening."

"Understood," Qinglan muttered, flexing her fingers once around the bat.

Shen Yifei edged closer, her hands tightening nervously around her spear.

"But... what if they see us?" she whispered.

"They will," I said simply.

No point lying.

"But if we move fast enough, they won’t stop us."

I let the words sink in.

Simple plan.

Ugly odds.

Zhou Xue coughed low, grimacing but staying upright.

"I can make it," she said without me asking.

"I will guard the rear, so focus on making it to the door, Zhou Xue." Though I wanted to lead, there was a danger that we might really lose her at this rate.

If things became dangerous, I would use my Type-9K and just crush the zombies. "Qinglan, can you lead them?"

Mu Qinglan looked at me with her ice-blue eyes before she sighed with a nod. "Ok."

I tapped Liang Qiu on the shoulder — hard enough to make her flinch.

"You lead," I said. "Also, keep your shield high. Don’t stop. I won’t let you die."

She looked at me for a moment, maybe it’s because our faces were close, but she nodded with a blush and grunted while lifting her body.

"Yes, boss."

I jerked my chin at Chen Xun and Deng Hua.

"You two flank the runner, and guard the centre."

Despite looking pale and terrified, they nodded and wrapped around Zhou and Liang Qiu.

Guo Fan swallowed hard but lifted his machete higher.

"Good, don’t be scared, I will take their attention if things go bad." I tapped their names, turning them all into scouts. Though a scout wasn’t as strong as a soldier, they gained more bonuses to their spirit and speed... Meaning their fear would shrink faster.

"Trust me."

However, as my finger pressed the buttons...

I made Liang Qiu a soldier because, for a moment, Tang Wei’s figure appeared in my mind, and she had worked the hardest so far.

’They can always train their bodies in the gym... and through combat.’

[Guo Fan | Role: C-Tier Scout]

[Deng Hua | Role: C-Tier Scout]

[Chen Xun | Role: C-Tier Scout]

[Liang Qiu | Role: C-Tier Soldier]

I stood up fully — no more hiding — and shifted my weight forward, feeling the broken concrete under my boots. The distant herd behind us moaned louder — maybe catching scent, just perhaps feeding.

But it no longer mattered... "Yifei, will you fight with me?"

My reason for asking her was because of her growth—she started facing her fears, and I needed to take advantage of this moment.

Though cruel, I hoped she would accept.

Because the actual fight was ahead.

"Mm." She nodded and slipped away from Qinglan and Zhou Xue, standing beside me with her slightly pale face. I couldn’t help but appreciate her efforts.

Then I raised two fingers.

Pointed at the planter.

Then I pointed at the bus.

Two steps.

No thinking.

No second chances.

"Move on my mark," I said, voice cold and sure.

Every face turned to me — waiting, terrified, desperate, but they didn’t complain or look confused. I started understanding that it was better to fear than to have blind faith.

At least fear moved fast.

The gunfire ahead flashed again — brighter this time — the sound sharp and close.

Someone was dying inside the North Lab.

Soon, we’d either join them or finish what they couldn’t. I set my stance.

Raised my hand.

Waited.

The next gunshot cracked sharp and loud, close, almost in our faces.

"Now!" I barked.

The group exploded into motion.

Mu Qinglan darted forward first, bat cracking across a zombie’s skull.

Deng Hua and Liang Qiu slammed into another, their shields smashing the infected sideways.

This could work!

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