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/I regret lying to you before. Now, as I teeter on the edge of death, please hear me out. I’ve tried, as someone who was once human, to contribute something good back to our kind./

Mr. Spider traced these words with the blood of a zombie, his gaze heavy with anxiety as he looked up at Lin Feng.

Lin Feng, however, betrayed no surprise. He had long sensed Mr. Spider was concealing something, but his choice to set the peach grove ablaze was driven by concern for his group, not merely a pact with a spider.

From a distance, they watched as waves of spiders tried to smother the raging flames. The once vivid peach grove was now a blackened scar on the landscape, with a handful of charred trees at its heart, belching dark smoke.

Observing the unburned remnants of the grove, Mr. Spider collapsed in despair.

“Let’s have it,” urged Lin Feng, sensing that Mr. Spider, like him, had been keen to eliminate the grove entirely.

Though their attempt seemed unsuccessful, it wasn’t for naught. Most of the peach trees were destroyed, except a few that stood by the poolside.

/The Queen, she resides beneath that pool!/ Mr. Spider began.

/She wasn’t always a queen, just an inconspicuous girl in our class. She was obsessively engrossed with her spiders, which made our classmates label her ‘the odd one out.’/

/But when the zombie outbreak began, she revealed unparalleled strength, annihilating every last one of them. But when we started to see her as our beacon of hope, the true nightmare commenced./

/She unleashed torrents of spider venom across our class, with both students and faculty falling victim. Following that, she crafted her legion of loyalists: several evolved into ‘spider-humans.’ Most of the others weren’t as fortunate and perished, leaving behind just a few like me, whose genetics melded seamlessly with the spiders, elevating us to an elite status with untapped potential./

/Then she began her breeding frenzy, creating a massive subterranean force. Moreover, she manipulated those she transformed, binding them to her cause. For instance, Zhang Xiaohong, whom I just confronted, was our class representative. Now, he’s unrecognizable…/

“And no one resisted?”

Lin Feng’s voice was heavy with confusion as he peered down at the dejected figure of Mr. Spider.

/Unlike humans, spiders can’t resist her grasp. Those who once mocked her are now confined to a life shrouded in darkness beneath the ground,/ Mr. Spider’s words etched with a hint of remorse.

/I too tried to defy her,” he motioned to his amputated leg,and paid the price. Despite becoming a spider, I gained certain unique abilities. Do you recall how I awakened you? That brief autonomy from her clutches stems from this power. But it’s waning. Given my vulnerabilities, it’s only a matter of time before she destroys me./

“We could escape together,” Lin Feng proposed, weighing the value of having Mr. Spider by his side. The latter’s agility and potent corrosive fluid were undeniable assets.

/No,/ the writings persisted. /We are all tethered to her essence. No matter the distance, as long as she lives, we remain forever under her heel. If chance permits, try casting the ignited peach tree into the abyss, or perhaps, direct a missile into the cavern below. The armies of spiders lurking there are far more menacing than any zombie you’ve confronted. Always bear in mind…/

Having relayed his tale, Mr. Spider retreated to a shadowed corner, lost in introspection. Lin Feng mulled over the message, realizing that the complexity of their predicament exceeded his initial estimations. The school was a ticking time bomb.

Time seemed to stagnate, the ground awash in a purplish hue from the pooling blood. With a tormented shriek, Mr. Spider’s form stiffened, a grim testament to his ordeal.

In the past, Mr. Spider must have solicited human help. But ordinary humans were no match for the malevolent peach blossom zombies, leading many to succumb to their ranks. Lin Feng mused on how, on that fateful day, Mr. Spider could have forewarned him but chose to save him later. This rescue cultivated a sense of gratitude in Lin Feng, a sentiment designed to eclipse any burgeoning trepidation.

However, fear had never found its way into Lin Feng’s heart. His concerns were chiefly about the action’s necessity and its success odds. Contemplating this, he let out a sigh.

Soon, a low rustle announced the appearance of crimson spiders blanketing the floor. Without hesitation, Lin Feng sprang upwards, seeking refuge on the staircase rooftop.