Chapter 14: The Sudden Appearance of the Red-Foreheaded Zombie

With a hint of expectation and fantasy, Jiang Yi, his face pale, put on a new coat once again. Only then did he stand by the windowsill, vigilantly watching the movements outside. When Guo Hanxue woke up, Jiang Yi remained motionless in that same posture.

The moment Guo Hanxue regained consciousness, she was startled—how had she slept so deeply? When had she fallen asleep? For over ten days, this was something she had never experienced. Even before the apocalypse, her sleep had always been light; how could she now fall asleep without realizing it? Opening her eyes and glancing at Jiang Yi’s back, she felt somewhat confused. Could it be because of this man? Just one day in, was he really worthy of such trust?

What Guo Hanxue did not know was that even Jiang Yi himself hadn’t realized that all this was due to his own abilities. The team mode of the “Battle Upgrade System” was far more complex than the superficial details he had seen. While Jiang Yi could clearly perceive Guo Hanxue’s level of trust in him, his role as team leader was equally influencing their relationship, continuously shaping their dynamic.

Guo Hanxue couldn’t consciously recognize how Jiang Yi was changing her, but his abilities made her distinctly aware of the subtle shifts in their interactions. This influence gradually led her to lower her guard and suspicions before this stranger, Jiang Yi. As long as they remained in team mode, this silent trust would only deepen.

“Jiang Yi, you should rest now. I’m already awake!” Guo Hanxue said without hesitation, getting out of bed to take over Jiang Yi’s watch. Jiang Yi didn’t refuse; the energy from the coffee was nearly depleted. If he persisted, even if awake, his vigilance would falter—a dangerous circumstance for a watchman.

Guo Hanxue, staying up in the latter half of the night, was clearly in better spirits. Using the remaining hot water, she brewed another cup of coffee. A few sips quickly restored her alertness. After all, as an awakened one, her bodily functions far exceeded those of ordinary people. With someone on watch, Jiang Yi no longer worried about threats nearby. He lay down and soon fell asleep again, only to be awakened by a rich aroma.

The appetite of the gifted was large; the food eaten the previous night had long been consumed. The smell of fragrant instant noodles made Jiang Yi’s stomach growl uncontrollably. With limited resources, he could only rinse his mouth with a bottle of water and wipe his face—a luxury in these apocalyptic times. Watching Guo Hanxue busy cooking noodles, Jiang Yi thought for a moment and took out a portion of jade-fat meat from his bag.

The jade-fat meat weighed about half a pound and contained enough energy to satisfy an awakened person’s hunger. A day earlier, Jiang Yi would never have shared such precious food. But after fighting alongside Guo Hanxue for some time, his wariness had significantly lessened. Without revealing his true abilities, he was pleased to offer such valuable items to enhance their chances of survival.

Using a fruit knife, Jiang Yi cut the jade-fat meat into small pieces. Under Guo Hanxue’s astonished gaze, he dropped them into the pot. The already fragrant broth became even more enticing as the meat simmered within. Both swallowed hard, exchanging glances before bursting into laughter.

The instant noodles with jade-fat meat were obviously extraordinary—not only in taste but also in effect. Jiang Yi felt a warm surge throughout his stomach, and the minor wounds on his body tingled gently. Unfortunately, due to his weak constitution, he found it difficult to rely on the meat’s healing properties to mend his injuries. In contrast, Guo Hanxue’s wounds had unknowingly healed by more than half, a stark difference between them.

Looking at the radiant Guo Hanxue, Jiang Yi felt a pang of bitterness. Both were awakened ones—why was the disparity between them so vast? Even now at level five, he was no match for her in any aspect. His proudest attribute, speed, was only slightly superior in her eyes because of her wind-element blessing.

Jiang Yi even challenged Guo Hanxue to an arm wrestling match, only to be effortlessly crushed by the girl, utterly defeated.

Guo Hanxue’s ever-present longbow was so powerful that Jiang Yi could barely draw it fully. Coupled with her extraordinary abilities, Jiang Yi felt like a worthless wreck by comparison.

Yet Jiang Yi understood his own advantages. Though disheartened, he was not defeated. “Just wait,” he thought, “once I reach level 20, I will surely turn the tables and completely surpass Guo Hanxue.”

Muttering to himself, Jiang Yi ate with increasing focus, swallowing his frustration along with every bite.

After finishing the meal, he barely had time to clean up before dragging Guo Hanxue upstairs.

Guo Hanxue was bewildered, not understanding why Jiang Yi suddenly rushed to sweep the area. She had no idea his urgency was not for supplies, but for the experience points gained from killing zombies. Jiang Yi was desperate to level up quickly, at least to outclass Guo Hanxue once.

So eager was he that he failed to notice the zombies on the second floor were unusually quiet. Only when Jiang Yi smashed the glass did they roar and attack.

Guo Hanxue, bow in hand, looked puzzled at the eerie corridor. Was it just her imagination?

Jiang Yi was highly motivated. As his level rose, his physical abilities greatly improved. Killing zombies was as easy as slicing through melons. His left hand’s skull-slicing blade gleamed with a bloodthirsty black light as he swung brutally, sending a misshapen zombie head flying.

Glancing at his experience points, Jiang Yi was thrilled to see he had reached 31 out of 32. One more kill would level him up!

Wasn’t this what he had been fighting so hard for? Excited, he rushed toward the next dormitory.

The room seemed devoid of zombies; despite the noise Jiang Yi made, there was no sound in return. This disappointed him.

Spotting Guo Hanxue a little farther away, he teased, “Why aren’t you coming? Are you too full? Can’t move anymore? Hehe!”

Surprisingly, Guo Hanxue didn’t retort. Instead, a cold sweat formed on her brow, and every hair on her body stood on end. Her left hand gripped the bow tightly, while her right instinctively reached for her waist.

“What’s wrong? Why does my heart feel so uneasy? There seems to be something terrifying ahead,” she murmured, her face as pale as paper.

Jiang Yi was still mocking her, casually striking the nearby glass with his sheath. Suddenly, Guo Hanxue screamed, “Get down!”

Startled, Jiang Yi barely had time to react before the wooden door, nearly struck by him, burst open and slammed heavily onto his body.

He hadn’t even raised his blade, and the flying door knocked him backward, crashing him hard against the concrete wall. Jiang Yi barely managed to raise his arms, blocking the heavy door pressing down on him.

A furious roar erupted as a black shadow leapt out from the shattered dormitory door. Though not tall, its body was grotesquely swollen. The heavy mass slammed onto the door that pinned Jiang Yi.

Barely having just lifted himself, Jiang Yi had no strength left to resist and was crushed under the door again, spitting out blood.

The immense pressure caused him to scream in agony. Behind the broken door, the black shadow was clearly attracted by the living flesh beneath. Its sharp claws pierced the door, reaching down to grab Jiang Yi.

Only then did Jiang Yi fully realize what was happening, his heart filled with terror.

Feeling the door pierced, his body instinctively slipped away, sliding out from the corner formed by the door and wall.

The black claws tore through the doorboard. Furious at losing its prey, the shadow howled in rage and tore the door to shreds.

Jiang Yi had just rolled out of range when a sharp pain shot through his ankle. His body weakened, he knelt on the ground—the doorframe fragments had struck his foot.

“Damn!” Jiang Yi cursed his bad luck, gritting his teeth as he crawled forward despite the pain.

Heavy footsteps followed. Even without looking back, Jiang Yi could clearly smell the stench behind him.

“I was careless!” he scolded himself for being too arrogant, thinking that gaining abilities guaranteed safety. Yet before even leaving the female dormitory, he had suffered a heavy blow.

At this moment, Jiang Yi was immensely grateful that he had prioritized speed—his astonishing 11 points allowed him to narrowly evade the attack.

The bloated black shadow clawed at Jiang Yi’s collar. It pulled hard but only tore off a tattered jacket.

Jiang Yi’s pores burst open in fear, coming closer to death than ever before. His reflexes peaked.

Feeling the sudden tug behind, he slipped out of the jacket like a slippery fish.

The attacker was clearly unprepared for this and, tearing at the jacket, gave Jiang Yi a brief moment to catch his breath.

Looking up, Jiang Yi finally saw clearly what had attacked him.

The sight froze his heart for a second.

A female zombie weighing over 200 pounds stood between him and Guo Hanxue, viciously shredding Jiang Yi’s jacket to pieces. Deprived of the delicious meal she expected, she stomped furiously, crushing the last wooden frame beneath her foot into splinters.

“Not good—it’s an evolved zombie!” Jiang Yi paid no heed to the zombie’s size; his eyes were locked on the gleaming crystal embedded in its forehead.

A blood-red gem nestled between its brows!

Sunlight struck it, radiating a jewel-like brilliance.

But Jiang Yi had no admiration. All he wished for was two more legs to flee without looking back.

This was no mere zombie—it was a nightmare.