[Host Scan Complete]
[Sterling, of pure bloodline, the chosen one]
[Evolution System Successfully Bound]
In his sleep, Sterling heard an irritating mechanical sound in a daze.
He wanted to open his eyes, but no matter how much he struggled, his body couldn't move an inch.
This was not a nightmare, but a nightmare.
In the dream, he stood in a city full of scars, and all he could see were countless zombies, baring their teeth and claws, with ferocious faces.
In the sky, there were countless monsters floating, covering the sky and blocking the sun, indescribable, unspeakable monsters.
...
"Ah!"
Sterling suddenly woke up from the dream.
He greedily breathed the turbid air in large gulps; the nightmare was too terrifying.
The most terrifying thing was the high degree of overlap between the dream and reality.
Sterling reached for his phone and searched for evening news messages.
"H country has a zombie virus outbreak, the apocalypse has started a countdown."
"Damn people from H country, they've harmed the whole world!"
It was still full of rumors and statements that threw mud at the people of H country.
Sterling angrily threw away his phone, wanting to get up and find water, but as soon as he took a few steps, he heard the chaotic sound of police sirens and car collisions outside the window.
"Boom"
Suddenly, an explosion shook the ground violently.
Sterling quickly hid under the window, peeking out at the chaotic streets.
The streets at night were filled with the wailing of sirens as police cars sped by, only to be knocked flying by crazed humans.
The entire city had plunged into utter madness, with vandalism and arson visible everywhere. As far as the eye could see, people were wielding guns, committing crimes, looting, and killing without restraint, engaging in smash-and-grab robberies.
The city, once picture-perfect with its cleanliness and beauty, and a highly developed nation, who could have imagined it would descend into such chaos.
The rule of law had completely vanished in this country.
"Da-da, da-da, da-da..."
Bullets flew wildly, and smoke from gunfire filled the air.
The crazed individuals fired their guns indiscriminately, and stray bullets shattered the glass of Sterling's apartment.
"This is madness! Complete madness!"
Sterling stumbled towards the bed, grabbing his phone to call the embassy for help.
"Knock, knock, knock."
The sudden knocking startled Sterling.
"Who is it? Who's there?"
Sterling demanded nervously.
"You viruses, get out! Get out of our country!"
"It's all your fault, you brought the virus here. Leave now, I don't want you!"
The person knocking was the landlord, a middle-aged woman in her fifties, the epitome of a typical landlady.
She was usually very accommodating. During Sterling's study abroad, they had gotten along very well. Every time Sterling came from his home country, he would bring some local specialties for the landlady.
The current situation was all due to the absurd rumors online, claiming that the virus that broke out in H country had swept across the globe, harming the entire world.
Those infected would convulse and were incurable. The most terrifying part was that after death, they would reanimate, becoming zombies that would eat anyone they saw.
At first, Sterling thought it was a rumor. A zombie outbreak, the end of the world—how could that be possible?
But in recent days, the rumors had intensified, with various news reports flying around, causing the entire city to plunge into extreme panic.
The origin of the virus was unknown, but according to news reports, the infection source was said to have first erupted in H country and spread here through students studying abroad, which also led to a surge in sentiment against people from H country.
Unfortunately, Sterling was one of those students, with only half a year left to graduate, and he had ended up in such a world.
"Landlady, could you give me a few more days? If you make me leave now, it's like sending me to my death!"
Sterling leaned against the door, pleading in a friendly manner, hoping the landlady would show some leniency.
"Get out of my house now and don't cause me any trouble!"
The landlady was resolute and left no room for negotiation.
"No, landlady, you know how chaotic it is outside. If I go out now..."
"Click."
Before he could finish his sentence, the crisp sound of a shotgun being cocked came from outside the door.
That sound was all too familiar; studying in Europe, it was a sound he had heard all too often.
"Oh, no!"
Almost instinctively, Sterling dived to the side.
"BANG."
The next second, a massive gunshot echoed throughout the room, the door was blasted into pieces, and the smoke from the gunpowder filled the air, the pungent smell assaulting his senses.
"Well, I'm leaving, but you didn't have to shoot!"
Sterling shouted in anger, wanting to reason with the landlady.
But when the door swung open and Sterling saw the landlady's face, his heart skipped a beat.
The once kind old lady now had a ferocious expression, her face covered in veins, capillaries spread across her entire face, and the most terrifying were her blood-red pupils, making her look like a demon that had crawled out of hell.
The landlady tilted her head in a terrifying manner, her mind clouded, and muttered:
"Get out! Get out! You brought the virus and infected me, it's all your fault!"
With that, the landlady suddenly raised her gun, not aiming, and pulled the trigger.
"Damn!"
Sterling instinctively bent down to dodge.
"BANG."
The shotgun spewed flames, shattering the glass behind Sterling into smithereens.
This shot frightened Sterling greatly; he sat on the ground, staring blankly at the broken window, never had death felt so close, a sense of dread welling up within him.
"Don't shoot! I'm leaving, I'm leaving right now!"
But at this point, the landlady had lost all reason.
She turned the gun towards Sterling.
"It's all your fault, you brought the virus!"
"Oh no!"
Sterling felt that all was lost, his life was surely over here.
"Click, click."
The chamber made an empty sound, a stroke of luck in the misfortune, she was out of bullets.
Sterling didn't know where he found the courage, but he leaped up from the ground and lunged at the landlady, gripping the barrel of the shotgun tightly.
"Give it to me!"
It sounded good in theory, but when he pulled with all his might, it didn't budge.
They locked eyes, an incredibly awkward moment.