[Chapter: 002 Rise of the Zombies: End of The The Bond of Friendship, Classmate Loyalty]
Ethan deeply admired the two unique skills possessed by his skeletal summon.
Without hesitation, the skeleton turned its hollow eye sockets toward Ethan, then swiftly approached the twitching corpse of the zombie he had just slain—Xu Zheng. With a swift, practiced motion, it drove both bony arms into the rotting body.
A cold pulse of black light surged from the corpse, flickering with an eerie intensity. For nearly thirty seconds, the skeletal figure held its position, unmoving—like a priest conducting a dark ritual.
Then, with a harsh crunch, the skeleton pulled its hands free, holding a fearsome weapon: a bone axe. The weapon was roughly 1.2 meters in length, crudely formed yet viciously sharp. As it gripped the axe, the once-zombie body dissolved into a sludgy puddle, releasing a wave of foul, blackened pus and congealed blood across the floor.
Ethan watched in fascination.
"Cut that table in half," he ordered, pointing to an old wooden computer desk nearby.
The Special Skeleton didn't delay. It raised the axe and brought it down with a heavy swing.
Crack! The room echoed with the sharp report of splintering wood. The desk split cleanly into two, the pieces toppling over with a heavy thud.
Ethan's eyes gleamed.
"Beautiful..."
Staring at the wreckage of the desk, Ethan felt a rare spark of satisfaction ignite in his chest. This skeleton wasn't just some disposable summon—it was a powerful undead warrior. With a guardian like this by his side, his odds of surviving this apocalyptic nightmare had just gone up several notches.
Satisfied with the test, Ethan turned his attention to the shimmering object near his feet. He picked up a dark, metallic coin and turned it over in his fingers.
[1 Survival Coin!]
The moment he touched it, a cold message echoed in his mind, almost like a game system notification.
Although he didn't fully understand the coin's purpose yet, Ethan's instincts as a former gamer kicked in. He knew from countless hours of RPG grinding: everything that drops has value—even if it looks like trash.
The word "Survival" etched into it made it clear enough. This wasn't some random trinket.
"Probably a currency... Let's just pray it's not for some rigged gacha system," he muttered under his breath, slipping it into his pocket.
Just then—
Bang!
A loud crash outside the door snapped his attention forward. The wooden door groaned violently as a long, bony claw pierced straight through, rattling the frame.
Ethan backed up instinctively, his senses sharpening. "Not good."
Before he could react further, the door was torn apart by a group of four zombies. Their eyes glowed with a ghostly white sheen as they shoved their way inside like starving animals.
Crash!
Glass shattered. A second later, Ethan turned and saw another zombie forcing its grotesque body through the window, glass still embedded in its sagging flesh.
His gaze darted around the dorm room—the flimsy construction wasn't going to hold anything back.
Ethan let out a frustrated breath. "The school really had to cut corners everywhere, huh? Cheap dorms to save a buck. Great decision, administration." His voice dripped with sarcasm. Then he shouted, "Special Skeleton! Eliminate them!"
Obeying instantly, the Special Skeleton lunged toward the intruding zombies. Its bone axe rose high, then came down with terrifying force. The first zombie's skull split apart, spraying black blood across the floor like a broken melon.
But the other three zombies pounced, snarling like animals as they grabbed hold of the skeleton's limbs. One tore at its ribcage bone, another bit down hard on its shoulder. Its bones cracked under the relentless assault, and its health began visibly dropping. One zombie latched onto its axe arm, preventing it from swinging.
Ethan didn't hesitate. He surged forward, gripping the staff in his hands like a club. He aimed for the head of the zombie restraining the skeleton's axe arm.
Crack!
The staff collided with a sickening snap, dislocating the zombie's jaw and twisting its neck at an unnatural angle. The monster staggered, stunned. In that brief moment, a glowing orb of white light emerged from its body, floating briefly before zipping into Ethan's chest.
Was that experience? A soul? Power? He didn't have time to think.
The skeleton, now free, lifted its axe and cleaved off the stunned zombie's head in one fluid motion. Blood splashed against the walls.
The zombie that had been grappling the skeleton loosened its grip, perhaps sensing the living scent now closer. It turned to Ethan.
He climbed over the mess of blood and bone, stopping only when he was face to face with the foul creature.
Its white, lifeless eyes stared at him, and a large chunk of its cheek was missing—torn away, leaving only bone. Its mouth opened, revealing a line of blood-stained teeth. The breath from its maw smelled like death.
Ethan recoiled, taking a quick step back. His mind raced.
These things aren't just aggressive—they're contagious. One scratch and it's game over. I need to avoid close combat unless I've got proper protection.
Before he could regain his bearings, the final zombie—the one that had forced its way through the broken window—had fully entered the room. It limped toward him, arms outstretched, growling low and deep.
Ethan's grip tightened on his staff. His mind sharpened again.
No room to retreat. No time for hesitation.
He wasn't a hero. He wasn't a warrior.
But damn it—he had a skeleton with an axe and enough brains to survive.
Beyond the Door…
Two zombies clawed and scrambled through the jagged hole in the wall, their torn flesh dragging along the ground as they crept into the dimly lit room. Their low, gurgling growls echoed ominously in the space—raw hunger saturating every movement.
As if sensing Ethan's presence, the Special Skeleton, who was still grappling fiercely with the first zombie on the floor, suddenly jerked its head. Without hesitation, its bony hand lashed out with supernatural precision, snatching one of the incoming zombies by the neck mid-stride.
With a sickening crunch, the captured zombie was hurled to the ground like a sack of rotten meat.
Ethan didn't waste a second. Raising his novice staff high, he brought it down in a brutal arc. The staff smashed directly onto the zombie's skull, twisting its neck grotesquely to one side with a splatter of dark fluid.
At that moment, a sphere of white light surged out from the defeated corpse and floated into Ethan's chest.
[You have advanced to Level 2. You have earned 2 status points. Please allocate your attributes accordingly!]
As the glowing light sank into his body, a mechanical yet strangely divine voice echoed through Ethan's mind, cold and absolute.
"Put one point into Strength, the other into Stamina!" Ethan responded sharply, without pause.
He had already learned the harsh lesson of combat: stamina was everything. Just three zombies had drained his energy reserves from 8 points down to 3. Every swing, every dodge, and every breath had been a drain on his body. To bash in a zombie's skull entirely required far more force than he anticipated.
Within moments, a wave of warmth flooded his muscles and core. He could feel it—his strength surging slightly, his breathing easing. Stamina had begun to recover more swiftly now, no longer clawing at the edge of exhaustion.
Suddenly, another notification appeared in golden lettering, accompanied by a subtle tremble of energy across his senses:
[Congratulations. You've not only survived, but conquered. As the first person in the world to level up, the God and Devil System acknowledges your exceptional adaptability. In recognition, you are granted a basic skill.]
[Please Select a Skill:]
[[Eyes of Perception – Level 1]
Type: Active
Effect:
This skill grants the user an enhanced sensory ability that penetrates illusion, camouflage, and concealment, allowing detailed insight into the nature of foes. You can perceive and analyze monster stats, skills, and Abilities & Traits—even if they are up to 15 levels higher than your own.
Activation Requirement:
None
Mechanics:
Instantly reveals core attributes (Level, skills and Abilities & Traits) of visible monsters.
Analysis accuracy improves with Intelligence and Perception-based skills.
Cannot read hidden bosses or abilities.
Description:
A gift of vision beyond the mortal threshold—Eyes of Perception enables the user to decipher the unseen, gauge enemy potential, and adapt strategies in real time. In a world where knowledge is power, this skill turns every encounter into a calculated advantage. With each level, the veil of mystery grows thinner, until even the mightiest monster foes are laid bare before your gaze.]
[[Language Proficiency – Level 1]
Type: Passive
Effect:
Grants the user complete fluency in one selected language—spoken, written, and read. This includes perfect pronunciation, idiomatic understanding, regional dialects, and cultural nuance. The skill bypasses linguistic barriers across known civilizations, enabling seamless communication with native speakers.
Activation Requirement:
User must consciously select one language to bind this skill to.
Cannot be changed unless the skill evolves or a skill reset item is used.
Mechanics:
Automatically translates foreign speech and text into the user's native language.
Allows the user to write, speak, and interpret complex grammar structures, symbols, and slang.
Communication cannot be disrupted by magical interference or code-based encryption unless it exceeds Tier 5.
Can be leveled up to include multiple languages.
Description:
In a fractured world of nations, races, and realms, the power to understand and be understood is a weapon as sharp as any blade. Whether forging alliances with distant empires, decoding forbidden tomes, or interrogating monsters with ancient tongues, Language Proficiency makes you a master of connection. Words hold power—and now, they are yours to command.]
[Note: These basic skills do not occupy your three active skill slots.]
Ethan's eyes flicked between the two choices, but his decision was immediate.
"'Eyes of Perception.'" he declared firmly.
A surge of energy jolted through his mind. A radiant light flashed, then condensed into a bronze rune, which etched itself into his consciousness, pulsing faintly like a second heartbeat.
Focusing his intent, Ethan activated his new skill and gazed directly at the nearest fallen zombie.
[Preliminary Infection (Level 1)]
The host is in the earliest stage of viral corruption. Rational thought collapses quickly, overridden by a primal hunger for flesh. As the infection advances, the nervous system deteriorates until the host becomes an irredeemable predator.
Skill – Viral Infection Passive
The virus transmits through blood contact, saliva, or even minor scratches. Once within the host, the incubation period ranges from 3 to 10 minutes based on physical resilience.
There are only three known experimental serums that offer a chance at treatment—without them, the virus is considered incurable under current medical science for at least a decade.]
Ethan narrowed his eyes, heart thudding. "So I was right…"
His expression darkened with a flicker of fear. Even after fighting them, learning the exact mechanics of the infection made these creatures even more terrifying.
There was no forgiveness in this virus. One wrong move—even a nick—and it was over.
As if to test him further, the remaining two zombies groaned and staggered forward.
But before they could close the distance, the Special Skeleton spun around, its axe gleaming under the flickering emergency lights. With a clean sweep, it decapitated one of the zombies, sending the head flying into the shadows. The final zombie lunged—but not at Ethan.
It slammed into the Special Skeleton and, with a feral grunt, yanked at the bones in its chest, tearing one free with unnatural strength.
"Now!" Ethan surged forward. With precise timing, he slammed his staff into the exposed skull of the zombie, crushing it into the floor with a heavy crack.
Another glowing orb of white light emerged from the corpse and floated toward Ethan, absorbed into his body.
"What is this…?" he murmured, staring at the shimmering sphere as it vanished into him again.
"Could this be experience points? The force that's allowing me to grow stronger?"
There was no clear answer, only his instincts—and they screamed that he was right. Something about those glowing orbs made him more… alive. More complete.
Putting the mystery aside, he turned toward the Special Skeleton, activating Eyes of Perception once more.
\\
[Special Skeleton]
Level: 2
Strength: 11
Agility: 11
Vitality: 11
Spirit: 11
Endurance: 11
Skills:
Bone Crafting, Minor Bone Regeneration
\\
"Amazing…" Ethan whispered, eyes gleaming with satisfaction.
The skeleton wasn't just holding its own—it was evolving alongside him.
The skeleton's growth rate was astonishing—far faster than Ethan's own. Its attributes had increased by five full points after gaining just one level. Compared to Ethan, who only received two status points per level, it was clear that this summoned creature was in a different league entirely. Its physical capabilities were now at least 10% stronger than the average human, and with such a powerful servant at his command, Ethan's chances of survival—while still uncertain—had risen significantly.
Without hesitation, Ethan braved the overwhelming stench of death hanging in the air. He pushed a heavy computer desk across the room, gritting his teeth as he dragged blankets, pillows, and other debris to barricade the door and windows. The smell of rotting flesh clung to the air like smoke, but he had no time to gag or panic. Every second counted.
The door, made of cheap university materials, wouldn't hold back a true horde for long. But even a few seconds of delay could mean the difference between life and death. He needed that time—he would make that time.
Level 1 zombies, thankfully, had an obvious flaw. Besides their incredible durability and brute strength, their movements were sluggish—slow, jerky, and awkward. If you faced only one or two, and had a long enough weapon, even an untrained person could kill them with some luck and stamina. But if ten surrounded you? That was a death sentence.
Having secured the door as best he could, Ethan finally let out a shaky breath. The air in the dorm was thick with decay and dread, but at least for now, he was safe. His earlier encounter still haunted him—if he hadn't gotten the Necromancer's Pect skill, if he didn't have that skeletal guardian by his side… he'd already be one of them. Another mindless corpse.
In such cramped quarters, a single zombie was already a serious threat. If three got in? He would have been overwhelmed instantly.
Shaking off the thought, Ethan forced himself to stay focused. No time to fall apart. He immediately began searching the room for supplies, his eyes darting across the cluttered dorm like a machine. Every second spent searching was a risk, but standing still meant death.
He quickly found a bundle of mountaineering rope, a sturdy backpack, four packs of instant ramen, two chocolate energy bars, and a half-eaten custard pie stuffed in a plastic bag. Not much—but enough to get moving.
The room was narrow and confining, but that was also a blessing. Using the terrain to their advantage, Ethan and his skeleton had managed to hold off several zombies earlier. But one truth haunted his mind:
This was just one room.
This dormitory tower had eight floors, with twenty rooms per floor. Each room normally housed ten to twelve students. That meant, at full capacity, this building alone could contain over 1,900 people. And even if today was Sunday—and some had gone out—there would still be 400 to 600 students inside the building.
Even if only a third had turned into zombies, it would be a massacre waiting to happen. That didn't even include the faculty and staff.
And unlike a survival shelter or military base, student dorms weren't stocked with emergency supplies. Most students didn't even have a gallon of water lying around. Ethan had no idea if the water system was still safe, or if it had already been infected. Aside from his own water bottle, he didn't dare drink anything that wasn't tightly sealed.
His mind worked rapidly, stringing together a plan.
He grabbed the rope and secured one end tightly to the frame of the steel bunk bed. He then tossed the other end out the window, the coil unraveling silently until it dangled a few meters above the ground.
With the escape route set, Ethan finally allowed himself to breathe again. He pulled a dusty chair beside the window and took out a pair of binoculars from the drawer. Peering through the lenses, he scanned the world outside. His skeletal summon stood silently by his side, a motionless sentinel of death.
What he saw chilled him.
The school had descended into chaos. The open campus courtyard was filled with screaming students, many of them racing desperately from the dorms. In their wake, staggering zombies followed—arms reaching, jaws gnashing, eyes hollow and lifeless.
Some students had makeshift bandages wrapped around their arms or legs, faces contorted in agony. They were wounded—likely infected. The sickness was spreading fast.
Then Ethan spotted a boy sprinting wildly. In his panic, the student failed to notice a corpse sprawled across the pavement. As he ran over it, a rotting hand suddenly lunged out and gripped his ankle.
The boy cried out, stumbling violently as he crashed to the ground.
"Austin! Save me!!" he screamed in terror, flailing wildly.
Ahead of him, another boy—presumably Austin—glanced back. His eyes widened as he saw the group of zombies closing in fast. Without a word, Austin turned and ran, never once looking back.
"Austin! Evan! Please! Help me!!"
The boy's voice cracked with desperation as he cried out to his friends.
A tall figure—Evan, easily over 1.8 meters—paused. His expression twisted. He turned his head, glancing behind him for only a second. But what he saw froze him.
Evan's face turned ashen as he witnessed the nightmare unfolding before him. His legs gave out beneath him, trembling uncontrollably with fear. Without daring to look back, he spun around and bolted forward, running as fast as he could, heart pounding like a war drum.
Behind him, the horrifying sounds of gnawing echoed in the air. The eight zombies had already thrown themselves upon the unlucky boy, their jaws working hungrily. His agonized screams were short-lived, fading into the cold wind of death within moments.
Panic erupted like wildfire.
The other students who had witnessed the grisly scene screamed in terror, scattering in every direction as survival instincts took over. No one looked back. The bond of friendship, classmate loyalty—all of it shattered in the face of death.
The once-lively campus had become a living hell.
Terrified students sprinted wildly across the grounds, desperately trying to outrun the relentless undead chasing after them. The streets had been nearly empty just minutes ago, but now they were flooded with waves of students—and behind them, an ever-growing swarm of zombies, each lured by the scent of fresh, living flesh.
From time to time, a student would stumble and fall. Their bodies convulsed, twitching violently on the ground. Within seconds, the transformation would begin—eyes turned dull, skin grew pale, and when they rose again… they were no longer human.
A shroud of fear and death now blanketed the University.
From a high vantage point, Ethan stood frozen, watching the chaos unfold below. His hands clenched the railing tightly. His heart thundered in his chest, not just from fear, but from the weight of decisions racing through his mind. Though terror surged within him, his sharp eyes darted across the scene, calculating. Not panicking—planning.
Zombies were charging through the streets like unleashed beasts. But Ethan noticed something others hadn't: they were mainly drawn to movement and noise. The students had unknowingly become bait, luring the undead to every corner of the campus.
His gaze shifted toward the small supermarket—one of the key supply points on campus.
On the road leading toward it, a grim obstacle awaited: twenty zombies stood idly, their bodies swaying as if waiting for prey. They effectively blocked the only clear path not just to the supermarket, but to the main exit of the university as well.
Six male students who had escaped from the dormitories arrived near the intersection, only to be met with this new horror. The moment the zombies caught a whiff of living flesh, six of them immediately turned, groaning and dragging their stiff legs forward. The narrow street became a deadly bottleneck—nearly blocked, with only a narrow gap remaining.
Worse still, the eight zombies who had just finished feeding now began staggering toward them from behind. The students were caught—trapped between two waves of the dead.
Then, in a flash of desperate bravery, two boys let out blood-curdling cries and charged forward with nothing but sheer terror and a pair of crude wooden staff.
"Die, damn monsters!!"
With wild swings, each boy smashed their weapon against the nearest zombie. The strikes hit home, knocking two of the creatures to the ground. It wasn't elegant, but it was effective—for the moment.
Seeing the gap open, another student sprinted forward, seizing the fleeting opportunity.
But he was too late.
Just as he reached the narrowing passage, a zombie's rotting hand shot out and clamped tightly onto his arm.
"No! Help! Help me, please!!" he screamed, his voice hoarse with panic.
He swung his staff furiously, managing to crack the zombie's wrist, but it wasn't enough. In the next instant, three more zombies lunged at him from the side, pulling him down like wolves on wounded prey. Their teeth tore into his throat with gruesome precision.
"AHHHHHHHHH!!!"
His scream ripped through the air like a blade, but it was swallowed quickly by the sickening sound of tearing flesh.
Blood sprayed across the pavement. The remaining two zombies, drawn by the fresh scent, rushed over and began feeding, piling on top of the struggling mass of gore.
The second boy, who had helped fight at the front, had slipped past the chaos, sprinting with all his strength. But he didn't get far. Just ahead, more zombies were waiting. He was surrounded within moments, vanishing into a sea of grasping arms and gnashing teeth. His desperate, howling scream echoed briefly… then silence.
The four remaining students froze in place, eyes wide with horror, breath caught in their throats. The sheer brutality of what they had just seen shattered their courage.
"We… we're done for…"
One boy collapsed to the ground, sobbing, his mind broken by fear.
"Get up the tree!" shouted one of them—a tall boy who hadn't lost his head. His eyes scanned the environment rapidly. There! Trees lined the roadside—part of the University of Qinghua's green initiative.
Without another word, he scrambled up the nearest tree with practiced agility.
The other two followed his lead, their fear momentarily pushed aside by adrenaline as they clambered up the branches like desperate animals.
"Wait! Aaron! Aaron, help me!"
The boy who had collapsed now forced himself to his feet, stumbling after them. His survival instincts had finally kicked in—but too late. He stood beneath the trees, looking up at his classmates with terror in his eyes.
"I—I can't climb! Aaron, please! Pull me up!"
His voice cracked with desperation.
The sound of his scream cut through the air like a beacon. Within seconds, the surrounding zombies—more than ten of them—snapped their heads toward the source.
A wave of the undead turned and began staggering toward the sound with dreadful purpose, their snarls growing louder.
Aaron, the first boy up the tree, glanced down. His hand twitched. He hesitated.
But that moment of indecision sealed the other boy's fate.
Zombie hands clawed at the boy from all sides. He shrieked as fingers like iron clamps locked around him. Teeth sank into his throat, ripping flesh and silencing him in one last agonized scream.
"AHHHHHHHHHHH!!"
His blood-curdling cry reverberated across the area, chilling every soul within earshot. The boy was dragged down, ripped apart by the pack of predators now devouring what was left of him.
The remaining three boys dared not look down.
They continued climbing until they were safely nestled among the thick branches, chests heaving, sweat pouring from their brows. They stared in horror at the scene below.
Dozens of zombies had surrounded the trees, encircling them completely. They clawed at the bark and sniffed the air like beasts locked onto prey.
There was no way down. No way forward.
No escape.