After an unknown amount of time, Anirudh finally opened his eyes and let out a long sigh.
The strange thing was that his breath was unusually long, lasting nearly half a minute before he exhaled completely!
At the same time, the black and purple substances that had dried up like a layer of mud shattered and turned into fine black sand, scattering all over the ground.
Now, the wounds on Anirudh's body had completely healed, leaving not a single mark or scar. "In fact, his skin had taken on a golden-brown glow, smooth and radiant like polished sandalwood—warm, earthy, and luminous."
What was even more remarkable was that he had been slightly chubby before, but now, after his transformation, he had become much leaner. Some of the fat had disappeared, replaced by solid, powerful muscles, giving him the physique of a Tiger, exuding an aura of strength and beauty.
"Is this the minor success stage, the stage of cutting tendons and washing marrow?" Anirudh thought, staring at his hands, which were as soft and smooth as freshly kneaded dough.
Although he had never done physical labor, his hands had developed some calluses from years of holding knives. But now, those calluses were gone, as if he had been completely reborn!
It wasn't just his appearance that had changed. At that moment, Anirudh could clearly feel that some special transformation had occurred in his body, as though a heavy burden he had been carrying for years had suddenly been lifted. He felt incredibly relaxed, comfortable, and full of energy.
"Oh, now you look like a pretty boy."
Looking up at the mirror again, Anirudh smiled and shook his head. While his appearance hadn't drastically changed, there was a unique aura about him now. With his fair, delicate skin, he appeared years younger, especially with his lean, slender figure, making him undeniably attractive—at least to younger girls.
However, Anirudh didn't care much about his looks. What mattered to him was how much stronger he had become!
After all, the life-and-death battle with the bloody monster had made him painfully aware of his own weakness and had instilled a strong sense of urgency.
In this damned apocalypse, the only way to survive was to become stronger!
As this thought crossed his mind, Anirudh felt an impulse to test his newfound strength immediately by fighting a few zombies!
But before he could act, his phone suddenly rang.
"Chandan?"
Anirudh was momentarily stunned upon seeing the caller ID. He answered the call.
"Boss, brother, my dear brother, you finally answered!" Chandan's anxious voice came over the line. "What on earth are you doing? I've been calling you the whole day—an entire day! I thought you had…"
"Entire day?" Anirudh was taken aback by Chandan's words. He looked up at the electronic clock on the wall and found that it was already 3 p.m. on the 30th.
His retreat had lasted nearly an entire day!
He had only felt as though he had been in seclusion for a few hours.
It seems that the saying "time does not matter in spiritual practice" really is true. No wonder, like the sages in ancient Indian lore, people spent decades in seclusion seeking enlightenment!.
But that wasn't the important part right now. Anirudh was more curious about what had happened that made Chandan so anxious to reach him. "I forgot to bring my phone. Tell me, why were you looking for me?"
"Boss, I remember your home is near the Jeevan Daan Hospital, right?" Chandan asked, sounding nervous. "Do you know what happened there? A terrifying monster appeared, and over 200 police officers stationed at the hospital were killed or injured. Now, the people in the hospital and the police officers have either fled or died. The entire hospital has been destroyed!"
"A monster? What kind of monster is that powerful?" Anirudh was shocked.
Even though the police weren't equipped with the heaviest firepower, most of them had guns. He couldn't believe that a monster could confront two hundred armed policemen head-on. Could it be something more terrifying than the bloody monster he had encountered?
"I don't know," Chandan replied. "I overheard my dad talking about it and called you immediately. It seems the monster has made the Jeevan Daan Hospital its lair and hasn't left. But your place is so close to the hospital. I think it's safer if you come to my place first."
"I understand. I'll come over later," Anirudh said after a moment of hesitation. He hung up the phone.
Now that he had expelled the virus from his body, there was no longer any fear of being isolated or studied. Plus, more and more terrifying monsters were appearing in City C. It was a good idea to head to the National University of Defense Technology to avoid the chaos.
And most importantly, one full day had passed since the awakening day set by the system. No one knew what would happen in the next two days. It was better to find a safe place and wait for any changes.
Having made up his mind, Anirudh quickly packed some clothes and surgical tools, then turned his attention to the severed tongue that had fallen on the ground.
"You'd better take it with you."
After some thought, Anirudh wrapped the severed tongue in a few sealed bags, then stuffed it into a pile of clothes. This tongue, coming from a bloody giant monster, had a strong deterrent effect on ordinary zombies and considerable research value. It would be useful to keep it with him.
Once everything was packed, Anirudh took the spirit tablet from the altar, placed it into his suitcase, and headed out.
"Although his adoptive father had only raised him for three years after rescuing him from human traffickers, Anirudh's life had changed forever. Taken in by the compassionate Sharma family, he was given not only shelter but also the love of a doting mother, an elder sister who treated him like her own brother, and a younger sibling who looked up to him. His adoptive father, a humble schoolteacher, had gifted him a Navaratna Rudraksha pendant before passing away unexpectedly. Anirudh owed them everything. Without their intervention, he would have been mutilated by the traffickers and forced into a life of misery as a beggar. Instead, their kindness and support had allowed him to find purpose and reach his current state."
As Anirudh thought about it, he picked up the not-so-big suitcase and left his home.
But when he reached the garage, he froze. His electric car, which had been parked near the garage, was gone, along with the SUV he had bought only two years ago.
His car had been stolen!
"This damn apocalypse…" Anirudh muttered, feeling dejected. With zombies running rampant, the police tied down, and order breaking down, even thieves were out taking advantage of the disaster.
But they really valued money more than their lives. Were they not afraid of encountering zombies?
With a shake of his head, Anirudh dragged his suitcase toward the National University of Defense Technology. Taxis were impossible in this world, but fortunately, the university wasn't far—just about half an hour's walk.
Crunch!
Suddenly, a colorful jeep emerged from the fog, turning the corner and stopping in front of him.
"Stop right there!"
Three people were in the jeep. Their wild appearance, with brightly dyed hair, made it clear that they were no good.
A bald man with a machete jumped out of the jeep, pointing it at Anirudh, grinning viciously. "I didn't expect to meet another mover. It just so happens that I'm here to lighten your load. Leave everything behind and get out!"
He paused, his expression turning even fiercer. "If you don't know what's good for you, I'll make you bleed!"
The other two men in the car laughed arrogantly. "Haha, Brother, you're so fierce. Are you trying to scare this pretty boy to death?"
"Yeah, look at him, he's totally stunned, like an idiot!"
One of them added with a grin, "It's a shame he's not a girl. Otherwise, I'd have some fun, just like the one before…"
But as they mocked him, Anirudh suddenly smiled.
"Frightened silly?"
Seeing Anirudh smile, the bald man froze. Then his grin turned more vicious. "Don't think you can pretend to be dumb…"
Bang!
Before the bald man could finish, Anirudh leaped forward and kicked him hard in the stomach.
With a dull thud, the bald man, who was around two hundred pounds, was sent flying. He crashed several meters away, vomiting heavily, blood mingling with the vomit.
"Fuck you…" The remaining two thugs were stunned, then enraged. They grabbed their machetes and iron bars, preparing to attack.
But Anirudh's strength was far beyond their reach.
Before they could even step out of the car, Anirudh jumped, landing on the hood and quickly knocking out the yellow-haired man. Then, with one hand, he grabbed the thug in the driver's seat and threw him out of the car.
Bang!
The thug flew several meters in the air before crashing heavily to the ground.
With the thugs dealt with, Anirudh calmly placed his suitcase in the car and stepped on the gas. The jeep sped off, leaving behind the groaning, half-dead thugs.
Chaos had its benefits!