"Dead."
That was the only cold thought running through Christina Chu's mind.
The thing charging at her looked vaguely human—but only in the loosest sense. Its pupils were a sickly gray, its eye sockets swollen and bloodshot. Veins of violet-black snaked beneath the skin, bulging grotesquely, while dark, half-congealed blood oozed from its gaping mouth.
Its canine teeth had lengthened into sharp points.
Every detail screamed one truth: this was no human.
Christina had seen zombie shows before, but nothing prepared her for the reality. The sight was enough to shatter her voice into silence.
Her legs refused to move. Terror locked her joints, froze her breath. She wanted to scream, wanted to run, but her body betrayed her.
I don't want to die.
I've never even fallen in love. I've never even felt it once…
The desperate cry echoed inside her chest. But the figure only grew closer, claws outstretched, fangs glinting.
She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the inevitable bite.
And then—something impossible happened.
She felt a presence step between her and death.
Her eyes snapped open.
The crowd in the hospital hall froze as well.
A tall young man stood before her. His hands were still in his pockets when his leg shot out like lightning. His foot smashed into the zombie's abdomen, sending it staggering backward.
Before it could recover, the figure blurred, speed surging unnaturally. In the blink of an eye, he was behind the creature. His arms locked around its torso like iron bands. One hand gripped its throat.
The other struck downward.
A sharp crack split the chaos as bone snapped under his palm.
The creature went limp instantly, collapsing to the tiled floor in a heap.
The entire maneuver had lasted less than three seconds.
Even the most elite special forces soldier could never have matched it.
Christina stood paralyzed, eyes wide as saucers. Her mind refused to process what had just happened.
But the young man wasn't finished.
Kneeling briefly, he pressed a hand over the corpse. A strange glimmer of light—dim, ethereal—flashed, then vanished from sight. No one else seemed to notice.
Christina barely registered it herself. Her heart still pounded in her chest like a war drum. The adrenaline overwhelmed her. Her legs gave out and she collapsed toward the ground.
Before she could fall, a strong hand caught her.
She looked up.
A handsome face smiled down at her, warm and reassuring. His voice was gentle, almost teasing.
"Are you alright?"
Thunderbolts raced down Christina's spine. For a heartbeat, she forgot her fear.
So handsome.
So warm.
So… boyish.
Her twenty years of singlehood had never prepared her for this moment. Her heart pounded wildly, just like in those romance novels she secretly read.
It was ridiculous, absurd, and yet—this was it. The moment they described as "heart pounding like a deer."
The girl was utterly lost.
---
Ethan White suppressed a chuckle.
Of course she was dazzled.
Even the Dark Mother Goddess herself had once coveted this face. Handling a shy young nurse was hardly a challenge.
He let his gaze flick over her quickly. About 5'3"—not remarkable, but not plain either. Her nurse's uniform was loose, but couldn't fully hide the curves beneath. Long legs extended beneath her skirt, wrapped in white stockings, the calves slender and perfectly shaped.
Her mask hid most of her features, but her eyes—wide, round, and shimmering with both fear and awe—were striking.
Not bad, he thought casually.
Before he could say more, applause broke out.
The elderly patients nearby—grandpas, grandmas, even middle-aged uncles still hooked to IV drips—clapped with admiration. They hadn't seen a monster. To them, this was a brave young man subduing a violent lunatic.
"Good job, young man!"
"So fast! You saved her life!"
"Such courage! The police will definitely side with you."
Their praise washed over Ethan. He sighed inwardly, amused. They had no idea what had just happened. Still, he raised his voice calmly:
"Someone should report this immediately."
"Already done!" an older man said cheerfully. "Don't worry, we all saw what happened. The police will protect you."
Ethan forced a polite smile. He would let them think what they wanted.
But his attention was already elsewhere—on the glowing notifications appearing before his eyes.
---
[You have slain a low-level evolutionary virus mutation failure (Zombie).]
Experience gained: 1 × 10 = 10 points.
Currency gained: 1 × 10 = 10 copper coins.
First Zombie Kill Reward: +1 Gold Coin.
[Title Obtained: Zombie Slayer.]
[Zombie Slayer (F-Rank Title): All attributes +1. Against zombies, chance of delivering a fatal blow increased by 1%.]
(Note: After killing 100 zombies, this title will evolve into the E-Rank title "Zombie Hunter.")
---
Ethan's smile widened faintly.
So it was true—the pre-apocalypse period amplified all rewards tenfold. Killing one lowly zombie had already given him more than he'd gained in a full morning of hospital viruses.
And a title.
Titles were rare. To gain one so soon meant he was already building momentum.
He rolled his shoulders, the tension bleeding out of him.
Just then, the sound of heavy boots echoed from the hall. Police officers stormed in, faces drawn tight. Their speed was faster than Ethan had expected.
The bystanders hurried to explain what had happened, voices tripping over each other with excitement. But after just a few sentences, the chatter died.
A single piece of news silenced them all.
The patient who had attacked the nurse…
…was already dead.
The words struck like thunder. The hall fell into icy silence, every person rigid with unease. Even the bravest among them could hear their own pulse pounding in their ears.
The world had just shifted beneath their feet.
And only Ethan White understood what that meant.
---