The Perfect Path To Insanity-Chapter 35: Your Eyes Are Glowing Red

Min-hae shook in Hel’s hold, her body quivering as her eyes darted sharply to the side.

She drew in a quick gasp, her fingers digging into Hel’s arm.

’Why’s she shaking so much?’ Hel loosened her grip and released Min-hae, turning her upper body to follow the line of sight.

Behind them, the group of men, ten in total, scattered around the food pile coughed harshly.

A few of them staggered and fell. Red veins spread across their eyes, turning the whites bloodshot.

"What’s going on?" one muttered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

Another suddenly clutched his belly and screamed in pain.

None of them knew what was happening. The only thing they could doubt was the food being poisonous to their health. None of them were bitten, so why...

’The food!’

Min-hae let out a piercing scream, her arms wrapping tight around Hel’s waist as she thrust a finger toward the eaten junk of food.

"The food’s contaminated! When Ae-rin fell into it, her fluids mixed in. It spread the virus! Just like how Ae-rin got infected somehow."

All of them paused when they realized.

Ding!

The Runic board flashed before everyone.

[Players. When will you learn?]

[We Always Dropped A ’Tip’, Don’t We?]

[Number Of Infected Players: 12.]

’That’s ten of them, Ae-rin, and the original third infected player. This isn’t going well,’ Hel thought.

One of the men shouted, "the hell?! What do you mean infected?! we’re not— AAARGHHH!"

He dropped to his knees, clutching his stomach, his skin paling rapidly.

[Well, since these new zombies are well fed, why not go all rampage without a cause?]

[It’s always fun that way...]

Their eyes fully reddened now, foam forming at the corners of their mouths.

Their bodies convulsed inhumanely, dislocating every bone in their bodies.

The first to turn into a zombie snarled, his fingers curling into claws, and lunged at the nearest man still coughing.

His teeth sank into the man’s shoulder. Biting and tearing down the skin like a wild animal on the loose.

Soon, all the men turned into mindless zombies. However, these ones were uglier to look at. Their skin pale white with ugly purple veins running down their destroyed faces.

At insane speed, they ran toward Hel and Min-hae.

Gritting her teeth, Hel seized Min-hae’s wrist in a firm grip.

She pulled her along, dodging a swiping arm from the closest zombie by yanking Min-hae sideways.

They sprinted toward the exit, not looking back.

At the doorway, Hel glanced back once at Ae-rin, who was still bound and thrashing around.

She exhaled sharply through her nose. ’You’re not human anymore.’ They burst out into the open red sky

Hel shoved Min-hae forward with both hands on her back. "Run!"

Min-hae stumbled ahead. "B-but— Hel, I can help!"

"Do you want to die?! I said run!"

Min-hae hesitated for a while, but she did as she was told, and fled down the block.

Hel spun back to the building entrance, planting her full palm flat against the outer wall.

"Diminish."

The building’s framework compressed, bricks cracking and tumbling in a cascade.

When everything collapsed as they decayed from inside, the broken roofs trapped the zombies inside, under tons of rubble.

Breathing hard, Hel lowered her hand.

She was well aware that her Ruin Path allowed only three uses per cycle, and this marked the final one.

The act of killing the first zombie was just to showcase she wasn’t weak. And a fine way to brag and bully Helena whenever she could.

Shaking out her arm, and flexing her fingers, she set off at a jog in Min-hae’s direction, scanning the ruined streets for her trail.

Many blocks later, she spotted a cloaked figure perched on the ledge of a half-collapsed two-story building.

The cloaked man’s legs dangled over the edge.

She halted, tilting her head up to get a clearer view.

Looking closer, she identified the young man as ’Fateless.’ The guy who killed two zombies and challenged Helena. And also whose clear facial features perfectly matched the wanted man being pursued by the Krats.

’I also heard from the Faction master that Hawks organization wants him too. What’s his deal?’

"You’re the wanted criminal the Krats soldiers are hunting? Why the hell are you here?" She called out to him.

Fei Ming shifted his position on the ledge, leaning forward to look down at her directly.

His eyes glowed a faint red under the hood. Hel took an involuntary step back, her stance widening for balance.

"Are you infected?" she asked.

Fei Ming pushed off the ledge and dropped down, landing lightly on the pavement three feet from her.

"Why do you ask?"

She flinched, retreating another pace, her hand rising halfway to her chest. "Your eyes are glowing red."

"And?"

"It shouldn’t. Unless you’re infected," she shot back.

For a second, he stared at her, recognizing her to be the lady who went against Helena for being too emotional.

But then he tilted his head slightly as he lowered his gaze. "But I’m not. You’re sweating excessively too. Are you the last infected?"

’Somehow, he scares me... why?’ Hel wiped her forehead with her sleeve. She forced her shaking legs to stand upright. Again, she replied:

"No. I’m not. Why aren’t you hiding? What even is a wanted man doing in a Game realm? You don’t fear you’ll get infected? Or the fact I can disintegrate your whole body into a pile of ash?" Her voice was ice cold as she advanced a step closer.

Fei Ming waved a hand dismissively, turning his body away. "Why bother putting up a fight you can’t win? You’re exhausted. Leave."

Her mouth parted in surprise as her fists clenching at her sides. ’Is he belittling me? No. I’m better than him. I’m better than Neon, so I’m better than him.’

She opened her mouth to respond, but he cut her off with a glance over his shoulder. "I came here with a single goal in mind. Not fight with adults stuck in high school."

He walked away then, leaving her standing in the street.