010
Han Yanyan was holding a mountain-splitting knife, carefully walking along the street. She noticed a store and had thought of going in, but she saw a search team member run in before her, forcing her to give up and continue onward. The convoy would stay here until evening, during which time search team members would spread out to gather supplies.
Han Yanyan carried her knife and chopped down a zombie that appeared around a corner, feeling a bit of regret. Ding Yao was too incredible! The strength of this man was beyond what she had imagined.
She asked the electronic voice for a stunning face, and though it gave her a discount, when she asked for unbeatable combat power, it similarly offered a reduced option. That day, she repeatedly used her abilities until she fainted, forcing herself to break through her limits. The next day, she woke up in unbearable pain, the aftereffects were clear, but her abilities had indeed grown stronger compared to her first day in this world.
Although she wasn't an unstoppable force, she had some advantages. According to the information the electronic voice had given her, if she kept training like this, her abilities would progress faster than others. Given enough time, she would slowly become stronger.
Based on this foresight, when she met Ding Yao, she decided to create an image for herself of a resilient and tenacious young girl who would gradually grow stronger, eventually fighting alongside him. In her previous novels, the growth-type female lead was always praised. She wanted through this continual growth and progress to gradually attract Ding Yao, hoping he'd fall for her unyielding spirit rather than her alluring body.
— What a wishful thinking!
She thought she had the advantage. Seeing Ding Yao use an electric grid to wipe out zombies on an entire street today, she realized she was certainly just the stepchild.
Ding Yao was the true prodigy! So impressive that it left her feeling helpless! How could she possibly "fight alongside" him! Ridiculous!
Han Yanyan's face was expressionless as she thought, wondering if it was too late to adjust her plans. Should she seize an opportunity to throw herself at Ding Yao and change to a delicate and alluring persona, or would that seem too disgraceful?
The surroundings left her no time for such idle musings. Holding her knife, she remained alert to her environment.
She started off with several companions, but they gradually spread out, tacitly claiming their own areas. Being new and inexperienced, she found every place she saw was already taken, forcing her to move further.
While with the others, she had already dealt with some zombies. By now, she was almost completely accustomed to this world. From the moment she stepped off the vehicle, a bun had been in her mouth to prevent inappropriate screams at the sight of zombies. Now, chopping down another zombie, she swallowed the soft, soaked bun in her mouth and entered a small store.
The store was chaotic, appearing long-since looted. After all, the zombie virus outbreak had been several years ago. Nonetheless, Han Yanyan managed to find some food, lighters, and sanitary pads!
Especially the sanitary pads!
She hadn't initially considered it, but upon seeing them on the shelf, she quickly stuffed several packs into her backpack. Although they weren't heavy, they took up a lot of space, making her backpack quite full.
Han Yanyan also found some storage bags, folding them and placing them in her bag for future use. Venturing into the small store's back room, she located some food, but mostly took essential items like... underwear.
Having tasted a bun today, Han Yanyan realized that in Nanling City, not only could the joint committee organize production, but even the Thunder Strike Squad could grow wheat and rice. As long as she could come up with something, whether by selling ice or herself, she could find food.
What proved difficult to come by were non-essential life supplies.
She arrived empty-handed in this world, and was still wearing the same underwear she had on since those first days!
By the time she left the store, her backpack was bulging. Moving swifter than earlier, she continued exploring. When the sunlight grew dim, her backpack was packed full, and she carried a storage bag meant for bedding, also puffed up. Entering a building with the intention to search it before heading back, she found herself stuck inside.
Han Yanyan hadn't anticipated so many zombies in the building. Her current abilities lacked offensive power, relying solely on the mountain-splitting knife. Cornered in a stairwell, the zombies inside reached out toward her.
She was forced to the corridor's end, with nowhere to hide and overwhelmed by zombies. Pushed from the second floor to the fifth, she was nearly exhausted.
In a life-or-death moment, Han Yanyan gritted her teeth, using her abilities. Water powers were useless against zombies, and her ice powers hadn't yet advanced for attack. Han Yanyan, wrapping a thin layer of ice around herself, gambled on her hunch.
The advancing zombies slowed, appearing confused without their target, confirming to Han Yanyan that her gamble had worked.
These zombies were like those described in post-apocalyptic novels she read. Without sight, they were sensitive to the scent of blood, body heat, and sound. On the second floor, she'd accidentally kicked a fallen fire extinguisher down the stairs, alerting every zombie in the building.
Now, Han Yanyan stood against the wall, mostly covered in a thin ice layer. The ice acted as a mask, enclosing her breath's warmth.
Making no noise or heat, to zombies, it seemed she vanished. The zombie horde stopped, puzzled, slowly drifting away.
With her body covered in thin ice, Han Yanyan slowly crept downstairs, remembering to pick up her storage bag on the second floor, then leaving the building. Exiting, she shut the door, wedging it closed with a stick. Anyone else arriving would deduce danger within.
The door was wooden with glass. From the glass reflection, Han Yanyan spotted the person attacking her.
Dodging quickly, a stick aimed at her head instead hit her shoulder. This was no playful hit; it was a killing blow filled with malice, and Han Yanyan suspected her shoulder blade might be cracked. As the attacker grabbed her backpack, Han Yanyan let go, tripping and falling down the steps. Fortunately, those steps were only three high.
But the person pursued, grabbing her knife as they came down the steps. Raising it for a killing blow, Han Yanyan kicked his ankle, causing him to stumble. Rolling aside, she evaded him, though he managed to drag her back by her clothes.
The difference between a man's and a woman's strength was immense. Just like that, Han Yanyan was dragged towards him. Flipping over, she pressed her hand against the attacker's face, encasing it in ice.
With his face frozen, the man muffled a scream. Han Yanyan kicked him away and attempted to escape, but he peeled the thin ice from his face, reaching for her again while grabbing her knife to swing at her face.
At a critical moment, Han Yanyan caught the knife in both hands. Thankfully, they were both partly laying on the ground, limiting the swing's force, so it didn’t sever her hand. Yet, the pain made her vision blur.
In the life-or-death struggle, her power surged within. White ice spread from where Han Yanyan clutched the knife, freezing the man's arms up to his elbows.
This time, the ice wasn't a thin layer; it was thicker and much sturdier.
Though the man struggled, Han Yanyan heard cracking sounds. She gritted her teeth, strengthening the ice binding his elbows. His arms were fixed in such a position, merely relying on his weight to press on Han Yanyan, unable to use strength to cut down.
Taking advantage of the short respite, Han Yanyan pushed the knife aside with her left hand, reaching into her pocket with her right to draw a fruit knife...
This was no game; it was life and death.
Han Yanyan stabbed the fruit knife into the man's neck, withdrawing it to stab again, and again...
When the major artery ruptured, it wasn’t bleeding, it was spraying. The blood was hot, salty, and metallic! It was a completely different feeling from killing zombies!
Han Yanyan had just killed someone!
Han Yanyan always thought maybe she had become a shut-in, turning into a weirdo.
She liked consuming heavy content—novels, shows, movies—and wrote gruesome stories on various websites under pseudonyms, including dark and violent themes.
Even while chopping through zombies earlier, she found an excitement in finally “releasing” her pent-up energy, like someone long-repressed finally breaking free.
But now, Han Yanyan realized she wasn’t a weirdo; she was just a normal human.
She pushed the man's corpse off herself, using her legs to scoot back until her lower back hit the steps.
His eyes were still open, dead yet unfulfilled. Perhaps he thought dealing with a weak woman would be easy. Unbeknownst to him, she was an ability user. Her abilities, though weak, cost him his life, leaving him with an unwilling departure.
Since coming to this world, her calm and collected nature vanished. The entire persona of a strong young woman crumbled. Han Yanyan now felt like screaming and crying. Her hands shook—partly from lingering fear, and partly because her palms were torn, exposing bone.
Yet, Han Yanyan still possessed some rationale.
Despite shaking from pain, she stifled her cries, using her abilities to wash the blood off. Zombies were sensitive to sound and the scent of blood. If she attracted them now, her mission in this world might just end in game over.
Blood easily washed off the skin, but bloodstained clothes were problematic. Han Yanyan froze the wounds on her hands, planning to leave quickly. First things first, retrieving her weapon.
Attempting to stand, she collapsed again, legs weak with no more strength, grateful she hadn’t wet herself. The aftereffects of adrenaline rushing through her body left her frail post-crisis. Unable to stand, she shifted onto her wrists, crawling toward the corpse. Her knife was frozen to the corpse.
Recognizing the man as someone from her same truck, after getting off, the Thunder Strike Squad directed them to an area, generally sending the truckload in one search direction. She recalled him entering a building earlier, thus claiming a spot first, prompting her to venture further for her territory. She hadn’t anticipated him following her, nor his intent to kill.
Why would he want to kill her? What was worth risking his life for?
Exhausted, Han Yanyan crawled over, attempting to grab the knife, yet her palm injuries caused it to slip. Sucking in a breath, readying to try again, she froze.
A shadow cast itself on the corpse. Han Yanyan didn't know when it first appeared; the intense battle distracted her from such details. By then, with the sun setting, the shadow stretched longer, distinctly human-shaped.
Turning sharply, Han Yanyan saw him.
On the wall, Ding Yao stood there, looking down at her.
How long had he been there? Had he witnessed everything?
Mind racing, thoughts collided, but as Han Yanyan saw Ding Yao, her entire being relaxed. She knew even with a horde of zombies appearing, she wouldn't die now.
As her mind eased, she slumped to the ground, taking deep breaths.
To hell with the strong young woman persona! Han Yanyan couldn’t hold it together any longer.