While Xu Qian was questioning the system, Xiang Jintian was not idle either.
He discovered that besides returning the way they came, there was no other path.
As they neared a certain point, they couldn't fly any further, as if a barrier was blocking them.
Xu Qian took a deep breath and patted Xiang Jintian's shoulder.
"We'll have to swim."
Xiang Jintian's wings paused for a moment before flapping rapidly again.
"Can we?"
"We have to try. We're not far from shore, and we don't have enough time to go back. Dismantling the door took too long, and... it was on fire inside."
Xiang Jintian trusted her and nodded.
Xu Qian didn't have a boat in her spatial storage, only large inflatable swimming rings, which would be slower than just swimming.
The two flew back to the laboratory, took off their shoes, and stored their heavy belongings.
"Qianqian, can you swim?"
Xu Qian raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Of course. Want to race?"
The school swim team wasn't just for show.
The smile in Xiang Jintian's eyes deepened, and he chuckled, "Then I'll look forward to it."
Xu Qian tapped her empty wrist, and the indifference in her eyes faded considerably.
"Ten minutes left on the countdown."
Xiang Jintian's eyes flickered, and he scooped her up in his arms and flew to the edge.
They plunged into the sea.
The bone-chilling cold water instantly engulfed them.
Xu Qian's skin erupted in goosebumps; this was zombie water, after all.
Once in the water, Xiang Jintian's expression was grave. He specifically warned, "Qianqian, we just need to swim to shore. Don't look into the sea, understand?"
Xu Qian nodded and spread her arms, swimming rapidly towards the shore.
Their swimming speeds were almost identical, though it was likely Xiang Jintian was holding back.
She swam until she was breathless, while he didn't even break a sweat, appearing almost relaxed.
Suddenly, the sound of chaotic splashing erupted.
"Splash."
"Splash."
Just as Xu Qian was about to turn her head, Xiang Jintian pressed down on her head.
"Don't look. Speed up."
Xu Qian's eyes darkened, sensing it was nothing good.
She increased her speed, swimming rapidly towards the shore.
The sounds behind them grew louder as she accelerated.
Xiang Jintian swam beside her, protecting her, occasionally giving her a strong push, which significantly eased her pressure.
Military training really built stamina; she had truly lost in a swimming race.
With only fifty meters left, Xu Qian couldn't resist a glance back.
That one glance caused Xu Qian to choke on a mouthful of black water.
She considered her psychological resilience to be quite strong.
But... today she began to doubt herself.
The sea was filled with dense zombie heads. Their faces were mostly intact, but their skin was bloated and greenish, their hair soaked, making them look like ghastly demons from hell.
It was terrifying!
Their pairs of green eyes floated on the water's surface, staring intently at them.
Xu Qian used all her strength to crawl ashore, letting the thick sand cling to her entire body.
The two dared not linger.
Xiang Jintian wrapped an arm around Xu Qian's waist and immediately flew into the air.
Their wet clothes clung tightly together, their body heat transferring to each other.
Xu Qian felt nothing, but Xiang Jintian's ears turned as red as blood.
The moment they took flight, countless zombies climbed out of the dark sea.
Their movements were distorted, and they formed a dense mass.
They were like a new generation of zombies.
Xu Qian narrowed her eyes. Releasing so many level three zombies would cause H City's base considerable trouble.
Xiang Jintian was also worried; the sheer number was too overwhelming for just the two of them to handle.