"Are we just going to hide here?" Ye Zhu glanced around the pristine room. The space was immaculate, with no cockroaches or mosquitoes in sight, making it a safe haven.
In normal times, the moment the apocalypse hit, a room would quickly become overrun with mutant cockroaches, rats, mosquitoes, and other horrific creatures…
Ye Chen shook his head, his gaze drifting outside the window. Dark clouds covered the sky, thunder rumbled, and the wind howled through the air, as though even the heavens were mourning humanity's tragic fate.
"Tomorrow morning, I'll go out and hunt some zombies." Ye Chen's eyes gleamed with a sharp light. Hiding with food and waiting for death was pointless. The virus inside those zombies would only grow stronger with time. When the food runs out, facing off against stronger zombies would be a death sentence.
"What?" Ye Zhu's eyes widened in shock. "That's too dangerous!"
Ye Chen gently patted her head and smiled. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. Now, go to sleep. It's late."
With that, he got up, grabbed a blanket from the large bed, and moved it to the couch. "I'll sleep in the living room. If there's any noise, I'll wake up. You stay in the bedroom."
Ye Zhu stared at him in disbelief. "With everything that's happened, you can still sleep?"
Ye Chen chuckled lightly and thought to himself, This is just the beginning…
…
The next morning, the sun streamed through the window, casting light on Ye Chen's face as he lay on the couch. Slowly, he opened his eyes and glanced at the bedroom door, a wave of warmth filling his heart. There had been a time when he hid alone, waiting for dawn, before heading out to hunt monsters, day after day, like a machine, numbed by the endless cycle.
But now, he wasn't alone in this fight anymore…
A smile tugged at his lips as he got up, brushed his teeth, and washed his face. After donning his rough cloth clothes, he gripped a watermelon knife in one hand, with a can of gasoline in his pocket, along with a box of matches. In case of a zombie siege, gasoline would come in handy, and using a lighter was too risky.
After preparing everything, Ye Zhu stirred in the bedroom. Wearing a white nightgown, she lazily walked into the living room, stretching her arms. Seeing Ye Chen fully dressed and ready to go, her eyes lit up. "Big Brother, you look so handsome."
Ye Chen almost choked on his own spit. He glanced at her helplessly. "Breakfast is in the kitchen. I'm heading out. Don't go running around."
Ye Zhu giggled, nodding in agreement.
Ye Chen gave a helpless smile, then glanced through the peephole in the door. The hallway was still silent, not a single zombie in sight. Feeling reassured, he opened the door and stepped outside.
"Big Brother!"
Ye Zhu's voice rang out just as he was about to leave.
Ye Chen paused and turned back, gazing at her in confusion.
Ye Zhu was standing by the sofa, her little fists clenched. "Be careful."
Ye Chen's heart warmed, and he smiled before closing the door behind him.
After Ye Chen left the room, Ye Zhu went to the kitchen for breakfast. She didn't rest afterward; instead, she ran to the center of the living room and began doing push-ups.
"Big Brother, I won't slow you down!" Ye Zhu's face was flushed with sweat as she managed ten push-ups. Her pale arms trembled under the strain, but she gritted her teeth and pressed on.
…
Once Ye Chen left the room and the door clicked shut, the safe environment behind him was lost. He wiped the smile from his face, his expression turning serious. His grip on the watermelon knife tightened, holding it close to his chest, ready for any sudden encounters with zombies. Only someone with the experience of surviving the apocalypse for ten years would understand the importance of such a stance. Most people would have kept their weapon in their pocket, unprepared to react quickly when the time came.
The hallway was quiet, with dark red carpet muffling his steps. He wasn't far from the room next door, and he approached it cautiously.
The door was slightly ajar, a cold breeze slipping through the crack. Ye Chen held his breath and pressed his ear to the door, cautiously pushing it open with his foot. The door creaked open slowly, revealing the scene inside. Before he could take in much of the room, his gaze fell on a young man dressed in fine clothes, wearing a white checkered hat, standing just inside the doorway.
As the door swung open, the young man slowly raised his head. Beneath the hat was a pale face covered in sores, and there was a trace of dried blood at the corner of his mouth.
A zombie.
Ye Chen's heart skipped a beat, but he didn't hesitate. With a swift motion, he swung the watermelon knife at the young man. If he tried to run, more zombies would be drawn to the noise.
The zombie's light green eyes flickered with malice. With a roar, it lunged at Ye Chen, claws sharp as daggers, swinging at him from both sides.
Ye Chen had seen this type of attack before. Most people would panic when faced with such an aggressive stance. After all, with only one weapon, it would be impossible to guarantee a clean kill with a single strike to the zombie's head. If he missed, he would be vulnerable to the zombie's claws.
But Ye Chen remained calm. With a swift kick, he aimed at the zombie's lower body, pushing it back. The zombie's forward momentum was suddenly halted, and at the same time, Ye Chen thrust the knife upward, targeting the zombie's chin.
Thud!
Blood spilled from the zombie's mouth as its jaw snapped shut, likely severing its own tongue in the process.
Ye Chen sighed inwardly. The watermelon knife didn't have a sharp tip, and without it, the attack couldn't penetrate deep enough. If it had been a proper blade, the zombie's head would have been pierced.
He didn't have time to dwell on it. As the zombie staggered back, Ye Chen kicked again, creating distance between them.
Ye Chen didn't stop there. He gripped the knife with both hands, blade facing outward, and charged toward the zombie. The zombie, still determined, lunged at him once more.
Ye Chen's eyes turned icy. He kicked the zombie's chest with precision, and the force of the blow sent the zombie flying back like a motorcycle revving at full speed. The zombie's strength was three times his own, but with the right positioning, Ye Chen managed to send it reeling.
The moment the zombie staggered, Ye Chen saw his opportunity. He used the momentum from his kick to spin around, his body twisting as he swung the knife at the zombie's neck.
Whoosh!
The blade sliced into the zombie's neck, but because the knife wasn't sharp enough, it only went halfway through. Ye Chen didn't twist the knife; doing so would risk breaking it. Instead, he yanked it out quickly, switched his grip, and aimed a sweeping low kick at the zombie's legs, knocking it off balance.
The zombie's lower body collapsed, and it lost its footing, tumbling forward. Ye Chen didn't hesitate. He dropped into a crouch, swinging the knife in a clean arc that severed the zombie's head from its body.
Thud!
The head rolled off and hit the floor with a sickening sound. Black blood poured from the neck, smelling foul.
The zombie's body didn't collapse immediately. Even without its head, it continued to thrash wildly, its limbs flailing in a desperate attempt to attack.
Ye Chen wasn't fooled. He had expected this. With a swift kick, he sent the zombie's body tumbling backward. After a few more futile struggles, it collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
The entire battle had taken less than thirty seconds. Ye Chen quickly scanned the room. The place was in disarray, with blood splattered all over the floor. Fortunately, there were no other zombies in sight. Otherwise, he might have been in real trouble.
Zombies were like powerful beasts, each one stronger than three ordinary humans, and with their claws, teeth, and powerful limbs, they were deadly to deal with. If more than one attacked at once, even someone like Ye Chen might be overwhelmed.
Ye Chen exhaled a breath of relief. He turned to close the door, then calmly approached the zombie's body. Using his watermelon knife, he sliced open its chest. Its internal organs remained intact, without any signs of decay, though everything was pitch black, almost as if they had been painted with black ink.
Disappointed, Ye Chen felt around inside the zombie's body. Apart from the blackened organs, he found nothing useful—no mutated flesh.
Suddenly, a soft crunching sound came from a corner of the room.
Ye Chen's heart skipped a beat. Instinctively, he grabbed his knife and spun around. The sound came from behind the bed.
Frowning, Ye Chen crept closer. As he rounded the bed, he saw a small girl in a white dress crouching in the corner, fiddling with something on the floor. Her body trembled as she hunched over, her frail frame invoking sympathy.
"Little girl," Ye Chen called softly.
The girl didn't respond. She was still facing the wall, her back to him, as she continued to fidget with whatever was in her hands. Ye Chen moved closer, but before he could get a
good look, he spoke again, this time a bit louder.
"Little girl."
He reached out and gently tapped her shoulder.
The girl slowly turned her head. Beneath the messy black hair, her pale green eyes glowed with an eerie light. Blood was smeared at the corner of her mouth, and in her hand, she clutched half a severed arm.
With a horrible screech, the little girl lunged at Ye Chen, jaws wide open.
Ye Chen barely had time to react. His knife, already at the ready, struck out instinctively, slicing into her left neck. But the blade only cut halfway through, as the watermelon knife wasn't sharp enough for a clean kill.
With no time to hesitate, Ye Chen's other foot kicked out, slamming into the girl's chest. The sound of bones snapping echoed as she was sent flying into the wall.
Ye Chen took a step forward, his knife coming down in a brutal arc, cracking the girl's skull open. Blood oozed from her forehead, but her eyes remained full of hunger, bloodlust, and malice until the very end.