Cold! So cold that it seeped into her very bones.
Murky river water violently rushed into Qiao Yu’s mouth and nose, depriving her of the last trace of oxygen.
Qiao Yu suddenly opened her eyes, instinctively struggling desperately with all four limbs beneath the water.
The current was swift, like countless icy hands dragging her relentlessly downward.
Her lungs felt as though they were about to explode, and her overwhelming desire to survive unleashed astonishing strength within her.
She kicked desperately at the water weeds wrapped around her ankle and frantically swam toward the faint glimmer of light above the surface.
“Splash!”
Qiao Yu burst out of the water and greedily gulped in lungfuls of air.
Before she could even feel relieved, a wave crashed over her and violently swept her toward the shore.
Her body slammed heavily onto the shallow bank covered in coarse gravel.
She rolled awkwardly twice before collapsing face down in the mud and violently vomiting.
She coughed up river water mixed with sand, her throat filled with the sickening metallic taste of blood.
It hurt so much. It felt as though every bone in her body had been shattered.
Qiao Yu closed her eyes in pain, but countless unfamiliar images suddenly flashed through her mind like scenes from a film.
Those memories were like sharp blades, forcibly slicing into her brain.
“Qiao Yu, don’t blame me for being ruthless. You only have yourself to blame for standing in my way.”
“Only after you die will this space jade pendant belong to me, and all the supplies in the team will be mine as well.”
“Go down and feed those monsters!”
The final image was of a pure-looking face twisted with jealousy.
That was Sheng Yue, the original female protagonist!
It was this woman, who normally preached nothing but righteousness and morality, who had unhesitatingly pushed her off the bridge and into the raging river on the very first day of the apocalypse.
The memories completely merged with hers.
Qiao Yu opened her bloodshot eyes and gritted her teeth.
The good news was that she had transmigrated into the novel, and after being reborn in the water just now, she had somehow survived drowning.
The bad news was that this was an apocalypse where order had collapsed and zombies ran rampant!
The original owner was not only a powerless cannon fodder character, but had also had her golden finger stolen right at the beginning.
This was practically a hell-level starting point.
“Roar!”
A faint beast-like roar came from the distance, carried toward her by the river wind.
Along with it came an overwhelming stench of blood that made her stomach churn.
Qiao Yu shuddered, the icy river wind raising goosebumps all over her body.
She could not stay here any longer!
The strong smell along the riverbank could easily attract wandering zombies at any moment.
She had to find somewhere safe to hide immediately.
Qiao Yu clenched her teeth, braced both hands against the muddy ground, and struggled to stand.
Her legs were numb from being submerged in the freezing water for so long.
The moment she took a step, her foot suddenly caught on something hard and heavy.
“Thud!”
Qiao Yu lost her balance and fell straight into the cold river mud.
“Hiss!”
Her chin struck the gravel, making her eyes sting with tears.
“What the hell is this? What a huge rock…”
Qiao Yu muttered a curse as she reached out to push away the “large rock” that had tripped her.
The moment her palm made contact, she suddenly froze.
The texture was wrong!
This was not a cold stone. It was soft fabric, and there was even a faint trace of warmth beneath it.
Although the body temperature was frighteningly low, it was definitely a human body.
Qiao Yu’s heart jolted. Taking advantage of the dim light, she quickly brushed away the mud and water weeds covering the person.
Under the faint light, she finally saw what was in front of her.
It was a man.
He lay motionless in the filthy shallow water, the black trench coat covering his body torn to shreds and soaked through with blood.
But the most striking thing about him was his face.
Even covered in mud and blood, it could not conceal his breathtakingly handsome features.
His features were deep and sharply defined, with a tall, straight nose.
His face was as pale as paper, however, and his brows were tightly furrowed.
Even while unconscious and on the verge of death, he still radiated a terrifying killing intent.
It was as if a demon from the abyss had fallen into a deep sleep.
The sensation instinctively made people want to flee.
Qiao Yu swallowed, her fingers subconsciously moving toward the man’s nose to check his breathing.
It was so faint that she could barely feel it.
Should she save him or not?
In the apocalypse, kindness was both the cheapest and most fatal thing.
She could barely save herself, and taking along a dying burden would undoubtedly be a dead end.
Qiao Yu decisively withdrew her hand and prepared to leave.
Just then, a sharp pain suddenly erupted deep inside her brain.
It felt as though a steel needle had been violently driven into her skull.
“Ah!” Qiao Yu cried out in pain as she clutched her head.
Immediately afterward, a cold, mechanical electronic voice devoid of emotion exploded inside her mind.
【Ding!】
【A soul fluctuation meeting the host requirements has been detected. System loading initiated.】
【Ten percent… fifty percent… one hundred percent!】
【Villain Life Link System forcibly bound successfully!】
Qiao Yu’s vision went black, and a translucent virtual panel suddenly appeared across her field of vision.
The moment the panel appeared, it began flashing with blinding blood-red light.
Accompanied by rapid electronic alarm sounds, it was enough to make her scalp tingle.
【Warning! Level Ten Red Alert!】
【Warning! Level Ten Red Alert!】
The cold electronic voice suddenly accelerated, rigid and utterly uncompromising.
【Ultimate villain target detected one meter in front of the host.】
Qiao Yu froze and slowly turned her head toward the blood-covered man lying on the ground.
【Target identity confirmed: Rong Chen.】
Rong Chen?!
Upon hearing that name, Qiao Yu’s heart skipped a beat.
How could someone who had read the original novel possibly not know that name?
This was no ordinary passerby. He was the most terrifying and insane villain in the entire novel, the obsessive villain who would eventually destroy half the world!
His ability was powerful enough to destroy heaven and earth, while his personality was twisted and bloodthirsty.
Even the male and female protagonists, blessed with countless advantages, had to steer clear of him later in the story.
And she had actually stumbled upon this living King of Hell just because she tripped over him?!
The alarm continued blaring furiously, while the red light on the panel was so vivid it seemed to drip blood.
【Ding! The target Rong Chen’s vital signs are extremely weak.】
【Ding! Current target corruption value: 99.9%!】
【Warning, host. The target’s mental state is on the verge of losing control.】
【In accordance with the Villain Life Link System binding, the host and villain now share their life force.】
【If the host does not immediately take action to calm his anger and lower his corruption value,】
【the system will determine the mission has failed in ten seconds and execute the immediate elimination protocol!】
Elimination?!
Qiao Yu was so furious that she nearly spat out blood.
She had just escaped death in the river and had not even caught her breath yet.
This damn system had forcibly bound itself to her, and now it was already issuing her a death notice?
Who in their right mind could have a corruption value of 99.9%?!
He was only 0.1% away from exploding and destroying the entire world on the spot!
“I refuse! Unbind me immediately!” Qiao Yu roared furiously inside her mind.
【Refusal invalid. Elimination countdown initiated.】
【10!】
A cold, blood-red number began flashing at the center of her vision.
【9!】
Qiao Yu panicked and crawled backward several steps on her hands and feet.
Get away from this ticking time bomb!
【8!】
【System prompt: If the host moves more than three meters away from the target, lightning elimination will be executed immediately.】
Qiao Yu froze mid-motion.
What kind of robber logic was this?!
Retreat meant death, and moving forward meant death too!
【7!】
【6!】
The red countdown sounded like notes from a death knell. Every time the number changed, Qiao Yu’s heart clenched painfully.
The river wind around her grew even colder.
The smell of blood in the air seemed to be drawn toward them by some invisible force, becoming increasingly intense.
【5!】
Qiao Yu took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the fear in her heart.
She had to think of a way!
She had to survive first!
She gritted her teeth and threw herself back toward Rong Chen.
【4!】
Whatever. She would treat a dying horse as though it were still alive and give it one last shot.
Calm his anger, right?
Qiao Yu stretched out her trembling hands and pressed them toward the man’s chest without hesitation.
She tried to stabilize his vital signs first with artificial respiration or CPR or something similar.
【3!】
Just as the countdown reached “3,” something unexpected happened.
Rong Chen’s previously lifeless chest suddenly rose and fell violently.
The next moment, his eyes snapped open.
They were eyes devoid of all human emotion.
A heart-stopping crimson light glimmered deep within his pupils.
Violent, bloodthirsty, and bone-chillingly cold.
Before Qiao Yu’s hand could even touch his chest, a terrifying killing intent swept over her like a hurricane.
“Bang!”
Water splashed everywhere.
Rong Chen moved with astonishing speed.
His pale, slender hand with its sharply defined knuckles shot out like an iron clamp.
He grabbed Qiao Yu’s slender neck with deadly precision and squeezed tightly.
His tremendous strength slammed Qiao Yu onto the muddy shallows.
A suffocating sensation instantly surged over her, and her face flushed red from the lack of oxygen.
Rong Chen slowly lowered his head, his crimson eyes fixed coldly on the woman struggling desperately beneath him.
His thin red lips parted slightly, and his voice was hoarse, as though it had been scraped over sandpaper.
“Who are you?”