The muffled sounds outside the gym continued, with more zombies drawing closer.
My entire body ached, and sweat soaked through my clothes.
The recent battle had nearly drained all my strength.
"Brother Haotian, your sweat... seems to really work!" Zhao Mengmeng exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise.
I looked down at my damp hands and then at the limp zombies on the ground, feeling even more puzzled.
Could it really be my sweat?
"This is impossible," Jiang Jie adjusted his glasses, the lenses reflecting a pale light. "The main components of human sweat are water, inorganic salts, and small amounts of urea and lactic acid. It shouldn't have any effect on zombies."
"But..." Zhao Mengmeng pointed at a zombie covered by a corner of my sweat-drenched clothing. "It's not moving!"
That zombie, which had been clawing and snapping just moments ago, now stood completely still, as if frozen in place.
"Maybe it's just a coincidence," Si Tu Xiangnan crossed his arms, his tone laced with skepticism. "It could also be that the residue from your socks played a role."
Socks?
A chill ran down my spine.
I had always thought it was the "Miracle Liquid" on my socks that restrained the zombies, but now it seemed that might not be the case.
"No," I shook my head. "My socks lost their effectiveness long ago. I didn't use them during the battle."
"Then... could it be that your sweat and the liquid on your socks reacted chemically in some way?" Jiang Jie proposed a new hypothesis.
Chemical reaction?
I furrowed my brow, trying to recall the process of extracting the "Miracle Liquid."
It seemed... there hadn't been any special chemical reaction at all?
"That's not right." I suddenly thought of a crucial point. "I used Socks to wipe off my sweat earlier, so those liquids must have mixed with my Sweat. If there was really going to be a chemical reaction, it should have happened by now."
Jiang Jie paused for a moment, then fell into deep thought.
Si Tu Xiangnan waved his hand impatiently. "Alright, alright, this isn't the time for research. We need to figure out how to deal with the next wave of zombies."
He was right; the sounds outside the gymnasium were growing louder, and we didn't have much time left.
"Jiang Jie," I said, looking at her, "can you analyze the components of my Sweat?"
She nodded. "I can, but I need some equipment and reagents."
"I'll go find them!" Zhao Mengmeng immediately volunteered.
"Wait," Si Tu Xiangnan called her back. "I'll go with you. There should still be some leftover supplies from the chemistry lab in the gym."
The two quickly left the stands while I stayed behind with Li Fengzhu to organize the survivors in reinforcing our defenses.
The atmosphere inside the gym was tense and oppressive; everyone knew that the next wave of zombies would be even more ferocious.
We had to prepare for the worst.
About an hour later, Jiang Jie and Si Tu Xiangnan returned, bringing back some basic chemical instruments and reagents.
"I need a sample of your sweat," Jiang Jie said to me.
I nodded, took off my jacket, and twisted it hard, letting my Sweat flow into the test tube that Jiang Jie had prepared.
She immediately began her analysis while we anxiously awaited the results.
Time ticked by slowly, and the sounds outside the gym grew closer.
"How's it going?" I couldn't help but ask.
Jiang Jie lifted her head, her brow furrowed. "It's strange; the composition of your sweat is not too different from that of a normal person, except..."
"Except what?" I pressed.
"Except that it contains an unknown special substance," Jiang Jie replied, a hint of confusion in her tone. "The concentration of this substance is very low, and I cannot determine its specific composition or function at this time."
An unknown substance?
Could this be the key to restraining zombies?
"Is it possible that it's some kind of virus or antibody?" Si Tu Xiangnan speculated.
"I can't rule out that possibility," Jiang Jie nodded. "But I need more time and equipment for further research."
Time...
What we lack the most is time!
At that moment, a loud crash echoed from the gymnasium doors; the next wave of zombies had arrived!
"We don't have time!" Li Fengzhu shouted. "Prepare for battle!"
I took a deep breath and looked at Jiang Jie. "No matter what the substance is, we have to try it now."
I took off my jacket again and wiped my forehead with the sleeve before applying the Sweat to my hands.
"Everyone! Apply my Sweat to your bodies! Let's see if it can provide any protection!" I shouted.
The survivors looked puzzled but complied nonetheless.
I rushed to the front, facing the surging tide of zombies, with only one thought in my mind:
Survive!
I swung my fist, covered in sweat, and struck the zombie in front of me with all my might.
A miracle happened.
The moment the zombie made contact with my sweat, it let out a piercing scream, and then its body rapidly decayed, collapsing to the ground.
"It really works!"
"My sweat can truly restrain zombies!"
I was overjoyed, and I poured even more effort into swinging my arms, knocking down the surrounding zombies one by one.
The other survivors also noticed the miraculous effect of my sweat and began to imitate me, applying it to their bodies as they engaged in a desperate battle against the zombies.
Just as we were gradually gaining the upper hand, I suddenly felt a wave of dizziness, and my body began to sway.
Exhaustion and dehydration were pushing me to my limits.
"Hao Tian!" Jiang Jie’s voice was filled with concern.
Everything went dark before my eyes, and I lost consciousness.
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