By the street, in a residential neighborhood, on the seventh floor.
Inside the apartment.
A computer hummed. A young man sat in front of it, one hand on the mouse and the other on the keyboard, typing away.
On the screen was LOL, a game popular with teenagers.
A voice came through the speakers.
"Three against one, and you still don't know how to play? I turned the tables and escaped with a sliver of health. Brothers, just tell me—wasn't I awesome?"
"Awesome...!" The last word cracked.
"Did you guys hear something outside? It's really noisy, like there was a car accident. I can hear honking, too."
"Yeah, there is. Don't worry about it. Let's push..."
Lin Fan calmly got up, went to the water dispenser, poured himself a glass, then stood by the balcony and looked down.
A crowd was running around in a panic, with someone chasing after them.
Those who fell to the ground didn't get back up.
Cars swerved unsteadily, crashing into shops.
"Are they all on drugs?"
He returned to the computer, took a sip of water, picked up his headset, and spoke to his teammates.
"Believe it or not, there's a bunch of people on drugs outside my building. They're dancing around like maniacs and crashing into cars. It's total chaos."
One teammate said, "Guys, I just saw a news report. People are turning into zombies."
"Zombies? They're getting pretty bold, huh? Forget it, just push. Come on, marksman, what the hell are you standing there for? Take the tower!" another teammate shouted angrily.
"Ah! Help! Don't bite me! I'm the marksman—let me take down the tower!" a gaming-addicted teammate screamed, followed by a heart-rending shriek.
Lin Fan asked calmly, "Are there really zombies?"
A teammate replied, "Zombies, my ass. They've all lost their minds. I'm not counting on him. I'll push the tower myself. When this is over, I'm loading up a zombie map in CF and mowing all those bastards down."
There was a commotion outside, but Lin Fan kept playing, his hand on the mouse. He didn't interfere or ask questions.
Not long afterward, another scream came through the headset, accompanied by snarling.
"Damn it, what the hell is wrong with you guys? We're just playing a tower-pushing game, and we still run into a bunch of grade-schoolers. Can't you keep your parents from catching you? This is so damn messed up!" the last remaining teammate fumed.
"Maybe they really did run into zombies," Lin Fan said.
The last remaining teammate said, "Zombies, my ass. You're always making stuff up. Can you be realistic for once?"
"I know your girlfriend's right next to you," Lin Fan said.
A lewd voice came through the headset. "Heh, a brother really gets me. That's right. You guys push the tower, and I'll push mine."
"Your girlfriend's going to bite you," Lin Fan warned.
"Heh, brother, you're a real pervert. How can you even say something like that? You're such a—"
"Ah!"
"What are you doing?"
"Let go! Let go!"
"Have you gone crazy?"
Desperate cries came from the other end of the headset.
Thud! Thud!
Furniture crashed, and someone fell.
Then came the sound of chewing.
"So it really is happening." Lin Fan looked at the screen. None of the players were moving, whether on his team or the opposing team. He controlled his champion, followed the minions, and pushed toward the enemy base.
It wasn't time yet.
He took down a tower and headed straight for the Nexus.
Bang!
The Nexus exploded.
He won the game, and the end screen appeared.
"I really have been reborn."
Lin Fan leaned back in his chair, staring blankly at the game screen.
He felt like he'd been reborn, but he wasn't completely sure.
To confirm it, he played a game of LOL just as he had before his rebirth. He was matched with the same teammates, spoke in the same way, and said the same things he had said before.
Everything that happened during the game was identical.
The streets were chaotic, and cars were crashing into things.
His teammates in the game screamed one after another.
The fate of all four teammates was exactly the same as what he'd just experienced.
He was certain: he'd been reborn. Once the game ended, the system would appear.
"I won't make the same mistakes this time. I'm ready."
[Detection] [Little Assistant at your service] [Name]: Lin Fan. [Strength]: 10. (Standard) [Body]: 10. (Standard) [Speed]: 10. (Standard) [Points]: 0.
Looking at the interface before him, he found it familiar, and felt much more at ease.
"It's exactly the same. Nothing's changed."
Bang, bang, bang, bang...
A rapid knock sounded at the door.
"Lin Fan, open up! Hurry!" a clear female voice called from outside.
Based on what had happened before his rebirth, the woman knocking outside was his neighbor, Liu Weiwei. She was tall and beautiful, with a curvaceous figure and perfect proportions—one of the great beauties.
Many men pursued her.
Even he had once fallen for her. Everyone liked beautiful women.
Before his rebirth, the moment he got the system was also the moment he died, because he had opened the door for Liu Weiwei.
Blood had been flowing from a bite on Liu Weiwei's neck.
He hadn't known the creature was a zombie, or that anyone bitten by one would turn into a zombie.
He'd even been worried about her and fetched a first-aid kit to bandage her wound.
While he was dressing it, Liu Weiwei had tackled him to the ground and bitten his neck. She tore open his chest and devoured his flesh and organs.
"I know what's going to happen. I have more important things to do. I can't die."
Kitchen.
Lin Fan picked up a kitchen knife and held it behind his back as he walked to the door.
"What is it?"
He opened the security door.
Liu Weiwei still looked beautiful. Blood streamed from the wound on her neck.
Her breathtaking face was tinged with panic, yet she still had an alluring air about her.
"There are a bunch of crazies outside. They're biting everyone they see." Even in her panic, her voice was gentle and melodious, stirring a desire to protect her.
Lin Fan didn't let her in. "Your neck is bleeding."
The panicked Liu Weiwei kept glancing toward the stairwell.
"Let me in. I lost my keys while I was running away."
Lin Fan shook his head. "You were bitten on the neck. You're going to turn into a zombie and bite people."
"Ah?" Liu Weiwei was terrified. She grabbed his arm and pleaded pitifully, "You'll help me, won't you?"
"Mm. I can help you. Close your eyes," Lin Fan said with a smile.
"Thank you. As long as you help me, I'll do anything you want." Liu Weiwei's voice quavered. She put particular emphasis on "anything," as though offering him a deal.
As soon as Liu Weiwei closed her eyes,
Lin Fan swung his arm, bringing the sharp kitchen knife down toward her neck.
Squelch!
Blood sprayed out, staining the white wall red.
"There. I've helped you. Now you won't turn into a zombie that bites people."
He looked at the body on the ground and silently closed the security door.
Lin Fan leaned against the security door, holding the bloodied kitchen knife. Neither grief nor joy showed on his face. He looked calm, as if he'd done something perfectly ordinary.
His calm was frightening. It was as though his fear had vanished—or perhaps watching himself get eaten by zombies had already numbed him.
[Zombie threat eliminated] [Points obtained: +1]
"One point?"
"So this is what the Little Assistant does. I can earn points by killing zombies."
He looked at the interface.
He could put points into strength, body, or speed.
After thinking it over,
he put the point into strength.
[Strength]: 11.
After adding the point, he felt a slight change, as if he were a little stronger than before.
Suddenly,
he heard something outside the door: the sound of chewing and swallowing, along with something bumping against the security door.
Holding the kitchen knife, he opened the security door.
Outside, a zombie was crouched there, eating Liu Weiwei's body. Its clothes were torn, and her chest was a bloody, mangled mess. The sight was horrifying.
He knew who it was.
It was another resident of the building.
He lived on the eighth floor and worked as a programmer.
He was thin and weak, wore glasses, and was still young, but already had a receding hairline. Maybe his job was why he'd gone bald so early.
Lin Fan also knew that he liked Liu Weiwei.
He had a habit of stalking her.
He often waited for Liu Weiwei outside the neighborhood, then followed her upstairs when she got off work.
The noise of the door opening alerted the programmer, who had been eating the body.
The programmer stopped chewing and stared at Lin Fan, his gray-white eyes rolling as disgusting flesh and blood dripped from his mouth.
"Roar!"
The programmer lunged at Lin Fan.
"What are you roaring for?"
Lin Fan brought the knife down. The blade was sharp and struck the programmer's head. Squelch—the sound of the knife sinking into flesh. He pulled it free, and the programmer fell to the ground.
After adding a point to strength, he could feel that he was stronger. It was easier than before.
[Zombie eliminated] [Points obtained: +1]
He looked quietly toward the stairwell. It was silent; not a sound could be heard.
He closed the security door again.
Zombies really had appeared.
He wondered if Huang City was all right.
He hoped things could stay the way they used to be.
Because...
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