“No!”
Lin Ran jolted awake from her nightmare.
Her pale face was covered in large beads of cold sweat, her entire body trembling uncontrollably from the terrifying dream.
Why was she dreaming about the past again?
Five years ago, the apocalypse descended.
Her younger brother Xiao Ze had remained forever in the cold wave six months into the apocalypse due to a minor cold, while her parents died in the zombie horde at the end of the first year.
She, who had miraculously survived, awakened both Dimension and Lightning abilities in the second year, and together with Ye Lan, her university crush, established the Purple Light Base – the second largest base in the apocalypse.
She and Ye Lan naturally became lovers.
Just when she thought their suffering was over and they would remain happy forever, during a mission, she was betrayed by Ye Lan and that woman, sold to this terrifying laboratory.
Those scientific maniacs drained her blood and cut her flesh day and night – she was now more pitiful than a lab rat.
“I really wish I could burn this place to the ground with fire.”
At this thought, Lin Ran’s eyes filled with hatred as she spoke through gritted teeth.
“Heh heh.”
Lin Ran’s thoughts were pulled back by the sounds coming from the man across from her.
Looking over, she noticed her cellmate’s condition was quite severe. His handsome face was terrifyingly pale, his eyes so red they seemed about to drip blood.
His eyes had always been red before, but never this horrifically so – he was clearly not normal.
Still, Lin Ran thought even in this ghostly state, his face remained lethally handsome.
His face seemed kissed by God, with sharp, distinct features.
Yet who would believe such a person was actually a zombie, and a rational Zombie King at that.
His name was Jiang Chen, originally the leader of Sharp Blade, the largest base in the apocalypse, possessing all five elements abilities. Under his leadership, even she and Ye Lan could only look up to his achievements.
But he made one mistake – he trusted the wrong person.
Or perhaps he misplaced his trust in people.
Maybe humans were the most despicable, shameless creatures in this world.
Jiang Chen himself was a Zombie King, yet possessed humanity. He loved humans, pitied humans. Over the past few years, he had disguised himself as human, leading people to establish the largest Sharp Blade survival base.
But when his so-called friend revealed his identity as the Zombie King, the very people he had protected turned against him.
When she heard this news back at Purple Light Base, she couldn’t believe that someone as exceptionally talented as Jiang Chen could be the Zombie King.
But what did it matter if he was the Zombie King?
He had never harmed humans, yet humans had destroyed him.
Then when she arrived here a year ago, she discovered Jiang Chen hadn’t died as rumors claimed, but was imprisoned in this research institute just like her.
“Fire?”
Lin Ran looked again at the person across from her. Jiang Chen was staring at her with his crimson eyes, looking as if he was trying to understand the meaning of her words.
A curious smile tugged at Lin Ran’s lips. How interesting – the Zombie King across from her could understand her words again.
Hadn’t he lost his rationality recently after being tormented by those scientific maniacs, regressing to a low-level zombie state?
“You… you want to burn this place down?”
The man’s slightly hoarse voice reached her.
Lin Ran was startled—he could actually speak again.
Lin Ran stared fixedly at the other person, then burst into loud laughter: “Haha, right, I want to burn this place down, to have this place and all these people buried with me. How does that sound?”
“Sounds good. Let’s go set a fire then.”
Jiang Chen’s lips curved upward, his beautiful eyes sparkling like starlight.
Just as Lin Ran was mesmerized by the sight, a burst of flame erupted from his palm. Soon, the surroundings were engulfed in raging flames, including the tough vine ropes tightly binding Lin Ran.
“Let’s go.”
Jiang Chen had somehow freed himself from his own restraints as well. Moving his stiffened limbs—a result of degeneration—he supported Lin Ran as they headed for the door.
“Warning! Warning! Test subjects 001 and 002 have broken free. All units be advised: these two subjects are extremely dangerous. Shoot to kill on sight. No survivors permitted.”
Footsteps echoed in the corridor, all heading their way.
The moment Jiang Chen opened the door, purple lightning surged toward the approaching figures.
Wherever it struck, everything turned to charcoal.
Such destructive power drew silent admiration from Lin Ran.
This was the might of the Zombie King.
“How did you regain your superpower?”
Her own superpower had long been drained by these mad scientists, yet Jiang Chen could unleash such formidable power. How did he manage it?
“I’m burning my crystalline core.”
Burning his crystalline core? So that was it—a mutual destruction tactic.
A zombie without a crystalline core is like a human without blood; they won’t last long.
Jiang Chen probably had no desire to live anymore either.
Fine.
If they couldn’t live properly, then they’d drag these people down in a spectacular blaze.
Jiang Chen’s magnetic voice drifted down from above Lin Ran, filled with allure: “Didn’t you want to set a fire and perish together with them? Let’s go destroy this place.”
Destroy!
What a beautiful word.
Hearing his words, a sweet yet sinister smile bloomed on Lin Ran’s lips: “Alright, Jiang Chen, let’s head to the main control room.”
Countless lab technicians and Ability Users blocked their path, attempting to eliminate them, but Jiang Chen dealt with them all.
Finally, just as Jiang Chen was nearing exhaustion, they reached the control room.
Lin Ran located the laboratory’s self-destruct mechanism inside. The instant she pressed the button, she saw Ye Lan on the monitor, standing outside the control room. His eyes were wide with terror, his mouth shouting something as he tried to force the control room door open.
After years of collaboration, he surely knew what she intended.
Unfortunately, Lin Ran’s hand had already activated the self-destruct sequence.
How laughable.
So this laboratory, which struck fear into countless Ability Users, had been hidden right within their Purple Light Base all along.
Boom!
A tremendous blast erupted from deep underground, triggering a massive explosion.
Intense flames danced in Lin Ran’s eyes, making them appear extraordinarily beautiful.
“As you wished, was this fire well set?”
Jiang Chen’s cold voice whispered by Lin Ran’s ear, melodious and pleasing.
“Extremely well. Thank you, Jiang Chen.”
Lin Ran’s eyes held a madness poised between being destroyed and destroying, sending a tremor through Jiang Chen’s heart.
“No need for thanks. I’ve long wanted to burn this place to ashes too. It’s just a bit regrettable—you know my name is Jiang Chen, but I don’t think I ever learned yours.”
A bright smile bloomed on Lin Ran’s face. “My name is Lin…”
Her response was drowned out by a tremendous explosion before she could repeat it a second time, and she would never get to speak again.
In the sixth year of the apocalypse, a massive explosion occurred at a research facility beneath Purple Light Base, leveling more than half of the base to the ground.
Moreover, Ye Lan, the leader of Purple Light Base, tragically perished in this explosion.
The explosion dealt a severe blow to Purple Light Base. One week later, having lost its leader and most of its infrastructure, Purple Light Base was wiped out during a massive zombie horde.
“Whimper… whimper!”
As if haunted by some terrifying nightmare, two glistening teardrops hung at the corners of Lin Ran’s eyes.
“Sis, why are you crying like a dog?”
“Sis, wake up already!”
Slap! Slap! Slap!
“Sis, it’s just a breakup! Why are you so heartbroken you’re having nightmares?”
In her sleep, Lin Ran’s delicate face stung with sharp pain. Who was this reckless fool daring to slap her? Instinctively, she swung her palm back at the perpetrator.
“Ah!”Lin Ran’s sharp eyes snapped open to see her younger brother sitting on the floor, clutching his cheek and staring at her with wounded grievance.”
The right side of Lin Ze’s face was frighteningly red, his eyes shimmering with hurt tears.
She stared blankly at her own hand—the sensation had felt so real.
So real it didn’t seem like a dream.
Wait!
Could it really not be a dream?
The possibility made Lin Ran tremble with excitement. Eager to verify this fact, she wondered—how could she test it?
Got it.
Didn’t people say you can’t feel pain in dreams?
Well then, maybe she should test it again.
With that thought, Lin Ran’s gaze returned to the person on the floor, her intense look making Lin Ze shrink back nervously.
“Sis, what are you planning? You can’t abuse me again—I’ll tell Mom! She won’t let you—”
“Ah!”
Before he could finish, poor Lin Ze’s left cheek turned red too.