Tu Sanqi had been separated from Tu Yu for three years.
She didn’t even know where to start looking for him, so all she could do was go wherever she could.
This time, she headed north to the Fifth Sector, not only hoping to find work at a human base under the sector’s jurisdiction, but also hoping to try her luck—maybe her brother could have become an ability user.
And, as it turned out… he had.
Tu Sanqi: “……”
Why! Why couldn’t she have met an ability user sooner? Why did that damn low-level zombie have to play dead?!
“God!” Tu Yu, realizing too late, recognized this person who looked like a homeless wanderer.
Overjoyed, he brushed aside Tu Sanqi’s hair and, without hesitation, wiped her face. Seeing how gaunt her cheeks had become, his voice choked a little.
He said, “Sanqi… you’ve wasted away.”
Tu Sanqi: “……”
Who wouldn’t waste away after over a month on the run???
The siblings’ reunion was sudden, but there was no long small talk.
Tu Yu turned to Ye Ming and asked, “Captain, are there still openings at the sector base?”
Ye Ming checked and nodded.
Tu Yu, thrilled, patted Tu Sanqi’s shoulder. “Great, Sanqi! I’ll take you back to the base—it’s safe there! From now on, I’ll visit you whenever I can!”
The base… it was inside the Fifth Sector, but it was all human inhabitants.
Tu Sanqi hesitated, feeling both conflicted and a spark of hope.
As she pondered, she sensed someone quietly watching her.
She glanced back and caught the short-haired woman surveying her with a faint gaze.
Tu Sanqi: “……”
Acting casual, she moved slightly behind Tu Yu, avoiding the woman’s eyes.
**
The car moved again, and Tu Sanqi sat in the back corner.
Tu Yu sat next to her, exuding a sense of security. She soon fell asleep.
Since fleeing, she hadn’t slept peacefully.
When Tu Yu woke her, the sun was already up.
The car hadn’t stopped yet, but she immediately saw the building ahead.
She snapped fully awake, pressing against the window to stare at the tall walls.
Through them, she could vaguely see the tops of buildings, and small patrol drones in the air… This was the safest place Tu Sanqi had seen since being separated from Tu Yu!
As the car slowed, they approached the sector gates.
Curious, Tu Sanqi peeked and saw Ye Ming in the passenger seat rolling down his window, cheerfully calling out, “Brother Yun.”
Then Tu Yu helped her out of the car.
The man called Yun took another scanning device and ran it over her, which emitted a green glow.
“Thanks for your effort,” Yun greeted the group and let them pass.
Following Tu Yu, Tu Sanqi was even more surprised—
Yun’s device was visibly high-level, yet it detected her as human?
But she could understand the zombie language spoken by the mutated fish… she couldn’t possibly still be fully human!
Tu Sanqi was stunned.
From above, she heard Tu Yu’s voice: “It’s still early. I’ll take you to register first.”
“Register?” Tu Sanqi blinked, puzzled. “Do you need to register to enter the base?”
“No, not for living here,” Tu Yu explained. “But for school, yes!”
When they were born, the virus outbreak was at its peak. Survival was already a struggle—school was out of the question.
Decades into the apocalypse, human organizations gradually established bases, trying to restore aspects of normal life. Education was a key part of that.
Of course, schools in the apocalypse taught completely different content.
Tu Yu explained, “School helps you understand the current situation, teaches survival skills… and if you’re lucky, daily training might even unlock your potential and awaken abilities!”
Tu Sanqi: “……”
She smiled wryly. “Let’s hope so.”
**
Tu Yu took a half-day leave and personally took Tu Sanqi to register at the school.
After entering her bio-information, Tu Sanqi received her own communicator—the same type used by Tu Yu and the others to scan her.
Once worn, it felt as if it were embedded in her skin, impossible to remove.
Tu Sanqi was amazed.
Tu Yu explained, “It’s bound to the person, like an old ID card.”
While explaining, he showed his own communicator.
Tu Sanqi compared hers and noticed the differences.
Her communicator had very limited access, with no scanning ability.
She could only enter the school and human base areas—Tu Yu’s internal training zone in the sector was off-limits.
“No worries. I’ll be on missions, but I’ll come see you when I can,” Tu Yu said, ruffling her hair.
Tu Sanqi nodded and adjusted quickly.
Her brother was now an ability user, enjoying resources but also shouldering responsibility.
That evening, Tu Yu took Tu Sanqi for a tour of the human base.
It felt alive with civilian activity, with no traces of zombies… if you ignored her presence.
Tu Sanqi: “……”
She wiped her face, overwhelmed with emotion.
Tu Yu gave her most of his savings, took her out to eat, then returned her to the dorm before heading back to the sector.
Tu Sanqi, still unsettled, decided to walk around the school herself. When she returned to her dorm, there was someone new inside.
The person glanced at her, and just as Tu Sanqi was about to greet them, they looked down again.
A very aloof and cold demeanor.
Tu Sanqi: “……”
She shrugged, finished washing up, and lay down.
Classes would start tomorrow!
She didn’t know what school would be like.
…
After months on the run, she had developed reflexive caution.
Hearing slight movement in the room, she immediately opened her eyes and saw her cold roommate leaving.
She glanced at her wrist—only 4:30 AM.
Yan Shuang had lived alone before, but now with a roommate, she moved quietly. Passing Tu Sanqi’s bed, the latter caught her sharp, assessing gaze—what a perceptive person.
Meeting eyes, Tu Sanqi rubbed her eyes, ignored the cold expression, and asked naturally, “Where are you going?”
Yan Shuang murmured an apology and walked on: “Training room.”
Training room?
The one Tu Yu mentioned?
Tu Sanqi’s eyes lit up. She quickly got up, put on her shoes, and asked, “Can I go with you?”
Yan Shuang paused, saying nothing, just leaning by the door and waiting.
Three minutes later, the two left the dorm, one following the other.
Outside, the sky was still dark, thick fog swirling, streetlights casting faint outlines.
Yan Shuang wasn’t very talkative, and Tu Sanqi didn’t bother her, moving ahead with excitement.
They soon reached the training building, passing through the checkpoints, their communicators flashing green.
As the heavy metal door opened, Tu Sanqi was stunned by the room filled with “giant eggs”!
So this was the training pod Tu Yu had mentioned.
When she stepped inside, a scanner beam swept her from head to toe, and a number appeared on a side screen: 73
Immediately, the indicator light on the pod turned on.
She walked over and saw the pod’s number: 73.
Intelligent allocation.
High-level unit!
Tu Yu had explained that after being rescued by the sector, he went to school for a year and awakened his abilities there.
During school, the training pod was his primary interface.
The pods simulated various environments, extremely realistic, and at maximum settings could even inflict real harm… but the stimulation helped unlock potential and awaken abilities.
Looking at the training pod, Tu Sanqi felt a spark of luck.
She could understand the mutated fish’s zombie language—but maybe her ability was to understand zombie language?!
Pressing “Start,” the pod door opened, and Tu Sanqi eagerly climbed inside.