The moment Evan stepped into the tent, a pale face lunged at him with its mouth wide open. It was Lina. She had fully turned into a zombie.
Before she could tear into him again, Evan wrapped his arms around her, allowing her to bite down on his shoulder without resistance. Half a minute passed before Lina slowly calmed. The ghastly gray in her eyes faded, replaced by the returning warmth of human black pupils. She blinked in confusion, her breathing steadying.
She was back.
Lina's gaze dropped to Evan's shoulder and she gasped. Her voice trembled with guilt.
"Your shoulder. Does it hurt?"
Although her memory during zombification was hazy, she clearly understood who had caused the wound.
Evan shrugged casually.
"It's nothing. I got bitten so many times today that one more barely matters."
But his casual movement caused fresh blood to leak from the injury.
Lina panicked.
"No. Don't waste it."
Without hesitation, she leaned forward and gently licked the blood that had trickled down his skin. Only once it was completely gone did she pull back with a satisfied expression, like a kitten who had just tasted its favorite treat.
Evan froze.
Great. So Lina was exactly like Sophie Yu now.
All they ever thought about was eating.
So this wasn't Sophie's personal quirk at all.
Every cured zombie behaved like this.
He rubbed his temples. At least his own body was evolving. If not, with two zombie girls clinging to him day and night, he probably would not survive three days.
"Master, are you done in there?"
Sophie poked her head into the tent. The moment she saw Lina's restored appearance, she instantly understood.
"Don't worry, Lina. Being a zombie actually isn't that bad. You'll get used to it soon."
Sophie squeezed her hand warmly.
"I'm not scared," Lina replied softly. She tilted her head like a curious bird. "When I'm with Master, I feel safe."
Sophie smiled.
"Let me share some experience with you. Master, go outside for a bit."
Before Evan could object, Sophie shoved him out of the tent.
"What secret could the two of you possibly need to hide from me?" he muttered with a helpless smile.
But as soon as he stepped out, his expression changed. Three figures approached carefully from across the warehouse: Tom Harper, Leo Quinn who sat in a wheelchair with a twisted leg, and Mary Lee. They all held makeshift weapons.
Their initial confidence shattered the moment Evan emerged from the tent unharmed. Fear washed over their faces.
"You… weren't you bitten by zombies?" Tom stammered, pointing a nail gun at him with trembling hands. This was the closest thing they had to a firearm in the entire store, but even that did little to steady him.
Evan alone had defeated dozens of zombies earlier, and he had Sophie…the terrifying long-legged beauty with enough strength to snap a grown man like a twig.
Leo clenched his jaw, hoisting his own nail gun as anger mixed with fear.
"Tom, don't chicken out. We have guns."
"Right. Right. We have guns."
Tom wiped sweat from his forehead, trying to convince himself he had an advantage.
Inside the tent, Sophie and Lina heard the commotion and rushed out.
The moment Tom saw Sophie, greed flared in his eyes. She was beautiful, strong, and deadly. A woman completely out of his league. Which made him want her even more. Wanting her and being able to control her were two very different things. And Tom knew he would never control her.
Unless she was dead.
He gulped and barked,
"You. If you don't want your Master shot on the spot, then take off your clothes and dance for us."
Leo laughed spitefully.
"Yeah. Take it off. You owe me after breaking my leg!"
Sophie's brows pulled together. She glanced at Evan. Her Master… was being threatened? She did not know what to do. Her fingers curled, claws itching beneath the skin.
But Evan's voice was steady.
"Don't worry about me. A nail gun won't kill me. Just get rid of them. Leave the balding one alive. I have questions."
Tom's face paled.
"You're looking for death!"
Leo's panic got the better of him. His shaking fingers squeezed the trigger.
Several nails shot out, whistling through the air.
One embedded itself in Evan's arm.
Sophie's pupils instantly shifted from black to ghostly gray-white. Her claws extended, thin but razor sharp. A feral roar ripped from her throat.
"You dare hurt Master?"
She launched forward like a predator freed from chains.
Before Leo could react, her hand punched straight through his chest. She pulled out his still-beating heart, blood dripping down her arm.
With a single squeeze, the heart exploded into a spray of crimson.
Leo collapsed silently, disbelief frozen on his face.
Mary Lee shrieked and tried to run, dropping her nail gun in terror. She did not make it two steps before Sophie leapt after her, landing on her shoulders. Sophie's claws sliced down in a clean motion.
Mary's head flew upward, blood gushing like a fountain in its wake.
Then Sophie slowly turned toward Tom.
Tom's legs buckled beneath him. He collapsed, sobbing as warm liquid soaked his pants.
"Please. No. No. Someone help me!"
She raised her clawed hand and aimed for his forehead.
"Leave him alive," Evan said sharply.
Sophie froze. Her claws stopped just inches from Tom's eyeballs. She closed her eyes, inhaled, and slowly returned to her human-like form. Her eyes darkened back to black.
"Sorry, Master. I lost control." She stuck out her tongue sheepishly, returning to her adorable demeanor.
But to Tom, she was a monster far scarier than any zombie.
Evan walked closer, pulling the nail from his arm with a hiss.
"Now. Tell me where the freezer keys are."
Tom's chin trembled.
"If I tell you… will you let me live?"
"No. Whether you talk or not, you will die. But if you talk, at least you can die quickly."
Evan smiled pleasantly, which somehow made Tom tremble even harder.