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“Look at all these frogs, Lin Feng!” Liu Mengqi said, her eyes widening in surprise as she sat next to him. With a playful curiosity, she nudged a nearby frog with a stick. The frog, clearly not amused, gave a croak of protest, rolled its eyes, and hopped away.

Lin Feng raised an eyebrow, “Isn’t it odd? Frogs should be hibernating during winter.” A memory of Song Zhe mentioning the unusual movement in the water earlier resurfaced, casting a shadow of concern over his face.

Feeling the subtle shift in the atmosphere, he signaled the group for silence. Everyone immediately hushed, their senses heightened as they peered into the murky shadows of the sewer, despite the fact that only Lin Feng and Song Zhe had night vision. Their current section was noticeably warmer, a nuance he had initially overlooked, perhaps because his insulated jacket and thick hair had kept the cold at bay.

Amidst the heavy silence, time felt like an eternity. The distant murmurs of the horde from above slowly dissipated, plunging them into deep quietude. The lone candle’s flame danced hesitantly before being snuffed out by the encompassing gloom.

“We need to move,” Lin Feng whispered, prompting the group to retrace their steps. As the girls swiftly collected their possessions, he carefully pondered their next moves. He definitely did not want to end up in a cliche TV moment, where the protagonist takes a side turn for the sake of it. Tempting fate out of sheer curiosity was not in his character.

With the girls leading the way, Lin Feng and Liu Tao closely followed, ever vigilant. They soon reached their initial spot. The overwhelming stench they had initially found off-putting now felt strangely reassuring, a reminder of a known environment.

The sight of the frogs stirred a memory in Lin Feng. They reminded him of an old classmate, Froggy, previously ousted by Zhu Hanfang. Not that Froggy had the ability to alter the temperature, though who could really say at this point?

A good amount of time had passed since they departed. Even now, Lin Feng couldn’t put a finger on whether his erstwhile classmate was friend or foe. After all, his brain capacity had degraded to the point where it wouldn’t surprise him if Froggy mistook him for Zhu Hanfang. Still, he couldn’t help thinking about that odd human-frog couple.

Lin Feng began to ascend the metal staircase. The climb was made somewhat awkward by his bulky insulated gloves. He cautiously glanced through a crevice to ensure the coast was clear of zombies. But when he tried to lift the manhole cover, it remained immovable.

“Song Zhe,” Lin Feng called, descending a few steps, “Can you give me a hand with that enhanced strength of yours? Something’s jamming the cover.”

Song Zhe approached with determination. “Stuck, you say? Alright.” Taking a deep, albeit stench-filled breath, his eyes transformed into a radiant gold. He summoned his energy and thrust it towards the cover.

A loud clang echoed as the manhole cover was catapulted into the air, dislodging a car wheel that had been obstructing it.

“A little muscle always does the trick!” Song Zhe chuckled, showing off his biceps and casting a smug glance at Lin Feng.

Suddenly, a shadow loomed overhead. Lin Feng’s instincts sharpened, and he activated his time-slowing ability.

“Song Zhe, watch out! Zombie!” Lin Feng’s urgent cry filled the air as he spotted the imminent danger.