Tu Sanqi was bitten by a zombie while on the run.
At this moment, she sat sullenly by the river, trying to delude herself by cleaning the wound and covering it up.
“Lady, have some hygiene,” a mutated fish popped its head out, scolding her. “No fish likes to drink foot-washing water.”
Tu Sanqi: “……”
She was startled.
The next second, the mutated fish bit her foot and walked ashore.
“What the—?!” Tu Sanqi quickly pulled her foot back, her understanding of the apocalypse being shaken once again.
It could talk, fine—but it even had two legs growing beneath its gills!
“…How long have you been mutated?” Tu Sanqi asked, dumbfounded.
The mutated fish, looking weathered, picked up a blade of grass and sighed, “About half a year, I guess.”
Then it looked back at her. “Stop washing it. A few more hours, and your wound would have healed on its own.”
Tu Sanqi snapped back to reality and checked her foot.
The zombie that had bitten her was a low-level one. At the time, she had been busy escaping; the zombie had been lying still on the ground, and she had assumed it was dead. But as she passed by, it had grabbed her ankle and bitten her.
Tu Sanqi had been furious and smashed that lowlife zombie’s head on the spot!
Yet now, as the mutated fish had said, the bite wound on her ankle was miraculously almost healed!
“Could it be that this river…” her eyes lit up.
The mutated fish shook its head. “You’re overthinking it, lady. This river’s completely normal.”
Tu Sanqi paused, then guessed, “Maybe the zombie didn’t bite too deep? I haven’t been infected yet!”
Almost three days had passed since she was bitten; if she hadn’t been infected, superficial healing would make sense.
But the mutated fish shook its head again. “You have been infected.”
Tu Sanqi: “Why do you say that?”
Mutated fish: “I’m speaking zombie language.”
Tu Sanqi: “……”
Her fragile hope collapsed again.
Damn it!
She slumped back, thinking about whether it would be better to just die before losing control, to avoid harming others.
But the mutated fish dropped another bomb:
“And, lady, it seems you’ve mutated to an even higher level than me…”
“High-level?”
Tu Sanqi immediately rejected the idea. “Impossible!”
The zombie that bit her was the lowest of the low. If she were infected, how could she have mutated into a high-level one?
The mutated fish, unable to stay out of water, jumped back in with a splash, leaving only its head above the surface.
“It’s actually possible.”
“You humans have already evolved into abilities users, right?” it analyzed. “Maybe you’re one of them too. Being infected triggered your ability awakening, directly turning you into a high-level zombie.”
High-level, where even typical zombie traits don’t show.
Tu Sanqi hurriedly asked, “So can I still mutate into an ability user?”
The fish said, “Get real. Zombie infection is irreversible, at least for now.”
Tu Sanqi: “……”
She didn’t know if it would be better for humanity if she died or if she stayed alive. After all, she could still take out low-level zombies.
A moment later, the mutated fish spoke again:
“Do you want to hide?” It dipped underwater, lowering its voice. “An ability user is coming.”
As it spoke, Tu Sanqi sensed a vehicle approaching.
The surrounding darkness contrasted sharply with the bright beams of two headlights—it was like daylight.
Before this, she had desperately hoped to meet an ability user soon…
But now she was a zombie.
What a messed-up fate.
She rolled her eyes and looked toward the river where the mutated fish was, wondering whether to dive in and hide, but a strong light suddenly shone directly on her.
Blinded by the light, she also heard the sound of a gun being cocked.
Panic gripped her.
Probably about to get a headshot.
But the next second, a male voice called out: “Captain, it’s a human—”
Tu Sanqi froze mid-breath. Opening her eyes, she saw the light no longer focused on her. The man holding the gun walked a few steps closer and scanned her with a device.
“Didn’t scare you, right?” he said, his tone slightly friendlier. “We’ve encountered several high-level zombies disguised as humans on the road.”
Tu Sanqi nearly died of shock: “……”
She shook her head and noticed the instrument in his hand, her feelings turning strange.
Human?
He said she was human?
Before she could process, two men and two women got out of the vehicle. One man and one woman went to scout the surroundings, while the other two approached her, scanning her with their devices.
“Confirmed,” said the leading man, putting away his device and extending a hand. “I’m Ye Ming, captain of the 3rd squad, Fifth Sector.”
People from the Fifth Sector!
After her original city was overrun by zombies, Tu Sanqi had traveled north, hoping to seek help from the closest Fifth Sector.
Staring at Ye Ming’s hand, she silently cursed that low-level zombie that had gotten her infected countless times in her mind.
But she showed no expression.
Covered in dirt from the escape, Tu Sanqi cautiously wiped her hand and lightly touched his.
“My name is Tu Sanqi.” She was still nervous—after all, she was shaking hands with an ability-user captain as a zombie.
Her feelings were complicated.
Ye Ming nodded, stepping aside, and a woman with short hair approached, smiling kindly.
“You don’t look well… relax. I’m Su Rumeng, the healer,” she said, tying a cloth pack around Tu Sanqi’s arm.
The pack glowed faintly green; as soon as it was tied on, Tu Sanqi felt like she had been charged with energy.
She was touched.
After a brief interaction, she realized these ability users were just as capable and reasonable as she had imagined. For a moment, she almost wanted to be an honest zombie.
But the two who had gone patrolling returned with the corpse of a mutated rabbit.
“Captain, we’ve checked it,” said the man first. “Safe.”
Tu Sanqi looked over and froze.
The short-haired woman next to him immediately raised her gun and fired at the mutated rabbit.
The corpse turned to ashes instantly.
The flames made Tu Sanqi step back half a step.
Su Rumeng comforted her from behind: “She’s Lin Lu… don’t be afraid. She only attacks virus carriers.”
Virus carrier Tu Sanqi: “……”
So even if she’s dead, she’s destroyed anyway???
She laughed wryly, quietly retracting her previous thought of honesty, and turned hesitantly toward the man holding the gun.
“Are you Tu Yu?”
Everyone paused. Tu Yu nodded blankly. “You are?”
Tu Sanqi brushed her hair aside. “Your sister.”
Tu Yu: “……”
Tu Yu: “???”