The pale light of dawn filtered through the cracks in the window, casting a cold glow over the floor.
Thuong Sinh opened his eyes.
After a night of restless sleep, his mind remained unnaturally sharp. He sat up slowly, feeling his body had recovered significantly. The inner essence circulated more naturally now than it had the previous night.
Morning had arrived. A new day in the apocalypse... had begun.
Today, he needed a plan. His food and water were nearly depleted; he had to venture out. Thuong Sinh packed his backpack with his meager belongings: a few leftover buns, a bottle of water, a flashlight, and his cleaver sheathed at his waist.
Peering out the door, he saw the corridor was clear. He slipped out, closing the door silently, and moved toward the stairwell. It was only when he reached the lower floors that he encountered a few zombies.
Like a silent wraith, he crept behind them, neutralizing each one with surgical precision. The mechanical voice of the system chimed in his ear, but he ignored it. It wasn't until he reached the ground floor that the true brutality of the apocalypse laid itself bare.
Incomplete corpses littered the ground, and the number of zombies had surged. Thuong Sinh moved along the hallway toward the dormitory canteen. As he suspected, the place had been picked clean. Not a single scrap remained—no wonder the two from last night had resorted to scavenging the dorm rooms.
He scouted the area but found no survivors, only the aimless wandering of the undead. Along the way, he harvested more kills.
[ Thuong Sinh ]
[ Cultivation ]: 0/100
[ Realm ]: Body Refinement (Early Stage)
[ Merit Points ]: 115
Staring at the system interface, he remembered the shopping cart icon. He tapped it, and the screen transitioned to a shop page. After browsing for a moment, he saw it only sold three categories: Weapons, Manuals, and Alchemical Pills. There was nothing else.
Suddenly, a piercing scream erupted from the building across from his.
Thuong Sinh's grip tightened on his knife. He moved to the window, parting the curtains just enough to see out. In the courtyard of the opposite dorm, several figures were sprinting in chaos. Behind them, over a dozen zombies stumbled in pursuit, their throat-tearing moans filling the air.
One person fell. The scream lasted less than two seconds before it was drowned out by the sound of tearing flesh.
Thuong Sinh narrowed his eyes. "The distance is too great... and there are too many of them."
If he charged in now, he would be surrounded. He glanced at his 115 merit points. To earn more points... I have to stay alive first.
Suddenly, his gaze froze. Amidst the chaotic crowd, he saw a figure so familiar his heart skipped a beat. Her long hair was tied back, and though her face was pale, it couldn't hide her elegance. Even from this distance, even amidst the blood and monsters, he recognized her instantly.
It was her.
The girl he had stolen glances at throughout his freshman year, but never had the courage to approach.
Thuong Sinh's gaze turned icy as he spotted another familiar figure standing not far from her.
Tran Pham.
His face wore a mask of feigned composure as he shouted orders to those around him, acting as if he held the power of life and death. That face... that name. The very person who had orchestrated the beatdown Thuong Sinh received just yesterday.
Thuong Sinh gripped the windowsill. If he went out... he might die. But if he didn't...
His eyes flickered back to her.
Across the courtyard, a group of a dozen youths struggled to retreat. Their breath was ragged, sweat mixing with dried blood on their clothes. They brandished crude weapons: iron bars, pipes, kitchen knives, and even broken wooden planks.
"Don't split up!"
"Hold the formation! Run to the front dorm!"
In the center of the group, a girl was being shielded. Her face was bloodless, but she gritted her teeth, refusing to be a burden. Behind them, the low growls were incessant. Drawn by the noise and the scent of blood, distorted figures emerged from every corner. They weren't fast, but their numbers were growing.
One student who lagged half a step behind was dragged down. His cry was cut short as he was submerged in the sea of undead. No one dared look back. No one dared stop. They knew that to stop for one was to die for all.
They sprinted for the iron gates of the opposite dorm. The stench of rot and copper filled the air.
"Get in! Now!" a youth shouted, throwing his entire weight against the iron door.
Screeeech—!
The sound of metal scraping was deafening, inciting the zombies to shriek louder. One by one, they piled inside. As the last person rolled into the hallway, the iron door was slammed shut.
BAM!
Zombies slammed into the metal, their nails scratching against the iron with a sound that made skin crawl.
"Lock it! Lock it now!"
Someone fumbled with the bolt, the metal clanking home with a dry thud. Only then did they collapse against the wall, lungs burning. The only sounds left were ragged breathing, pounding hearts, and the relentless scratching from outside.
Slowly, the silence was broken by the sound of sobbing. It started as a faint whimper, then escalated into uncontrollable weeping.
"Hu... hu... Lam is still out there..." a girl sobbed, clutching her backpack. "He was just... just a second too slow... if someone had just pulled him..."
No one dared comfort her. In that moment, they had all chosen to run. Another girl slumped down, clutching her head. "I can't take it... I want to go home... I just want to go home!"
"Shut up! You want to call every monster out there to us?!" a voice snapped.
At that moment, a figure stepped forward.
Tran Pham.
He straightened his soiled collar, his eyes scanning the panicked crowd. He cleared his throat, commanding attention.
"Listen up," he said, his voice dropping into a deliberate tone of authority. "Crying won't solve anything."
A few people looked up at him instinctively.
"Before we ran here, I contacted my family. My father is in the military; I've already reported our situation."
The crowd stirred instantly. "The... the military?"
"For real? So someone is coming to save us?"
Tran Pham smirked slightly, maintaining his calm facade. "The roads are a mess and the signal is unstable, but they won't abandon us. As long as we hold our ground and keep order, we'll be safe."
His words were baseless, but in this moment, people clung to any shred of hope. His eyes drifted toward a figure standing at the far end of the hallway. She was comforting her friend, her face pale but her eyes steady.
He approached her, his voice softening. "Thanh Dao, it's going to be okay." He stepped closer, trying to look reliable. "You heard me, right? My father is in the military. I've reached out. Help is coming."
He spoke with absolute certainty, making sure everyone could hear.
Thanh Dao looked up at him. Her eyes showed the weariness of the ordeal, but they weren't clouded with fear. She gave a faint, polite smile—the kind used for social grace rather than genuine comfort.
"I see... thank you."
A simple response, enough to acknowledge him, and enough to end the conversation. She turned back to her friend. "It's okay... listen to me. We're alive. Just breathe slowly... okay?"
Tran Pham stood there, his smile slowly stiffening. A vague sense of irritation flickered in his chest. He had said so much, yet he hadn't truly reached her at all.