It Is Said That I Have Been Crushed By Dimensionality Reduction (Quick Travel) - Chapter 28

A cold, mechanical voice suddenly echoed, causing three people to slowly turn their heads and fix their gaze on the zombie boy standing there, exuding a chilling and intimidating aura.

They nearly screamed, dropping to their knees immediately, driven by a powerful will to survive. Silently, their thoughts praised: “That name sounds fitting. It matches your strong demeanor perfectly.”

The Lu family was speechless.

They had seen many take drastic measures just to survive, even sacrificing pride and dignity. It was normal under such harsh circumstances. The difference here? The person they admired so deeply was a boy who had just entered his first year of high school.

Worries the Lu family had buried deep began to resurface.

Obuchi had never been exposed to society before. Would he be shunned by others his age and framed because of his unusual friendly appearance?

Before they could process these concerns, an emotionless voice cut through.

“Quiet.”

There was no anger or irritation, only a calm statement of fact. Yet the three immediately stopped talking, their faces turning even more fearful.

The Lu family’s train of thought was broken as they stared blankly at the young man standing with one hand in his pocket.

He was thin, dressed in loose clothing that seemed to flutter with the wind—so much so that it felt like the slightest breeze could blow him away. Yet his indifferent eyes looked down on everyone as if they were insignificant.

His almost inhuman coldness was overwhelming.

Suddenly, the Lu family felt as though a great distance was growing between them and Xiaoyuan.

Bai Yuan, accustomed to the Lu family’s fluctuating emotions, turned and walked toward the hotel.

His voice, flat and indifferent, floated behind him:

“Keep up.”

The Lu family snapped back to reality, their worries and doubts vanishing. They hurried to follow Bai Yuan—Lu Guohai, now zombified, included.

The three people who had knelt hesitated briefly before trailing behind. They didn’t want to stay near the monster who could easily kill second-level zombies, especially since a noisy ordinary zombie was right beside him.

They felt like the zombie might suddenly turn and bite them at any moment.

Still, their friends were trapped in the hotel. They had to see with their own eyes to feel safe.

Bai Yuan’s spiritual power instantly enveloped the hotel, revealing everything within. To consume his crystal core, second-level zombies had gathered all the zombies nearby, including those inside the hotel.

Inside, the hotel was empty except for scattered corpses—and one living person. Pale and motionless, the person was huddled inside a cabinet, eyes closed.

They moved up to the second floor.

The Lu family didn’t know why they followed, but nervously observed that no zombies were nearby.

One whispered, “Does it seem like that person is searching for something?”

The others nodded and signaled him to be quiet, silently becoming almost invisible.

The Lu family in front heard the sound and were startled. They turned to see the three breathing a sigh of relief.

Zhou Lijun asked suspiciously, “Young man, why are you following me?”

Since the betrayal and framing they had experienced before, the Lu family distrusted all strangers.

But these three were different. They knew the hotel was dangerous, yet risked coming here to warn them.

The three looked at each other but couldn’t find the words to explain.

Could it be that they were just afraid of the zombie boy and thought the others were warning them too, so they followed?

Shirahuchi stopped in front of a locked room, barricaded with furniture and sofas to keep zombies out.

Bai Yuan looked annoyed and kicked the door forcefully.

“Open.”

The strong door flew open instantly, furniture and sofas flying aside. The person hiding in the cabinet was jolted awake, weak from days without water.

No way to escape.

Only a zombie of level one or higher could break the door so precisely.

He was doomed.

As this thought crossed his mind, he remembered his close friends who had grown up with him. He hoped they could help his parents.

Frozen in despair, he awaited death.

Outside the door, Bai Yuan appeared as calm and casual as if entering his own home.

The Lu family was stunned.

Could their Obuchi master be this powerful?

The three shuddered in awe.

This zombie, suspected to have psychic and water-based powers, was terrifyingly strong.

They began to doubt the accuracy of the base’s level classifications—could ordinary zombies really reach the second level?

“Come in.”

The cold, mechanical voice resonated from inside.

The three, shaken like frightened chicks, instinctively moved closer to the Lu family for warmth and security.

Bai Yuan gestured toward the cabinet. “Open it.”

The three exchanged hesitant glances before swallowing their fear and carefully opening the cabinet door, bracing themselves for zombies to jump out.

The Lu family held their breath.

Suddenly, pale, thin arms reached out from the cabinet. The three recoiled in fear, feeling their souls nearly leave their bodies.

They weren’t cowardly by nature.

Having practiced martial arts, they were faster and stronger than most. Their usual response to zombies was to swiftly attack.

But this time, it was different.

Though wary of this zombie named Obuchi, they sensed he didn’t intend to harm them.

Their minds dropped the usual heightened defense.

Just as they tried to pull away the arms, a pale face emerged from the cabinet.

“Ogawa?”

They quickly opened the cabinet fully.

Zhao Chuan, extremely weak, was dragged out. His cracked lips and dark circles revealed his constant state of tension and sleeplessness.

His emotions fluctuated as he struggled to breathe.

He was ready to die.

But then, he heard a human voice from outside.

He was shocked to be rescued, yet terrified the rescuers might kill him or use him as bait or food.

At that moment, a familiar voice confirmed it was his comrades.

He reached out excitedly.

The three almost knocked off his arm, but seeing him alive brought tears to their eyes.

“Water.”

A cold mechanical voice cut through.

One of the three quickly found a glass and handed five cups to Bai Yuan, bowing respectfully.

Zhao Chuan knew now was not the time to relax; if he passed out, he might never wake again.

He forced himself upright.

Against the sunlight sat the thin young man, legs drawn up, one hand resting on his knee, hair falling slightly to conceal his slender neck.

Zhao Chuan’s mind raced.

Though they had faced a dangerous criminal, he never imagined this young man could stand so confidently and calmly.

The cold tone, the commanding presence — this was no ordinary youth.

Hearing Bai Yuan’s cold order, a man immediately fetched water with awe.

Zhao Chuan thought: Is this young man a superpower?

That explained how they reached the hotel unharmed.

He tried to sit straighter, weakly saying, “Thank you for saving me.”

The boy looked up briefly, clearly indifferent, and replied simply, “It’s nothing.”

Zhao Chuan’s awe deepened.

A young man, still barely an adult, already carried the demeanor of a powerful superior.

He thought hard, then asked firmly, “Do you need subordinates?”

The three young men glanced at each other in shock — how could Zhao Chuan speak so boldly?

But Zhao Chuan knew their powers were extraordinary, and he wanted to be among their trusted followers.

He glanced toward the zombie making noise nearby.

The fact that the zombie hadn’t attacked the humans showed there was control here.

Though powerful, their abilities weren’t greater than his own.

He looked around again.

A casually dressed middle-aged couple sat on the bed’s edge, relaxed and curious, as if on a casual outing.

No sign of superpowers there.

Yet they acted completely at ease in front of the young man.

A woman around fifty also sat nearby, touching the quilt and looking around calmly.

Zhao Chuan felt a headache coming on.

He scanned again, but saw no others more powerful than himself.

What was going on?

He refused to believe these people were just a random group.

Then it hit him.

Why not think of them as a family?

A teenager still not an adult, surrounded by an elderly man and a middle-aged couple—this made sense.

Zhao Chuan looked back at the young man and reached out slightly.

Five cups lifted into the air, water swirling in a tiny tornado, washing the cups clean before filling them with fresh water.

The cups hovered steadily.

Bai Yuan’s movements were effortless and fluid as he commanded coldly, “Drink.”

The Lu family was moved, eyes glistening. They took the cups, sipping gratefully and expressing thanks for the kindness.

They didn’t mind the boy’s indifferent manner at all.

But as this thought passed, Zhao Chuan heard the boy say again, cold and distant:

“I made them.”

The last cup floated toward Zhao Chuan, as if reserved just for him.

He was stunned, a pang of guilt washing over him.

Despite the boy’s aloof exterior, he cared deeply for those around him.

Zhao Chuan was more convinced than ever.

He had to join this young man’s group, become his loyal follower, and work hard from now on to gain favor.

Fa Xiao, standing next to Zhao Chuan, quickly grabbed the cup as if it were a treasure, bowing deeply and speaking respectfully, “Thank you, sir.”

Then he turned away and spoke plainly to another, “Kawako, drink up.”

Zhao Chuan sighed inwardly.

These three young men were a little too eager to flatter.

How could they gain the boss’s trust by being so obvious?