A hollow chuckle escaped my lips. I stared at my arm and couldn''t help but laugh.


    Before I knew it, I was laughing uncontrollably, the sound bordering on hysteria.


    Sophie stepped in front of me, looking at me with a complex expression. She reached out to grab my hand, but I abruptly pulled away.


    Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and said calmly, “Go.”


    Though my face was calm, my heart was in agony.


    So what if I have poison resistance? Even those with resistance eventually turn. There''s no escaping it.


    Maybe it was because of my resistance, but my transformation into a zombie was progressing slower than usual…


    Sophie whispered, “George… don''t lose hope. There has to be a way to cure you.” Her voice carried an unshakable determination.


    I had a bitter smile in my heart. How?


    Before long, I would become a zombie. Instead of clinging to false hope, I hardened my expression and said coldly, “You''re not leaving? Fine! Then I will!!”


    I forced myself to stand, waves of weakness washing over me. Dragging my feeble body, I staggered toward the door.


    Sophie tried to grab my arm again.


    “Don''t touch me!!” I roared. “Do you want to get infected?!!”


    She hesitated. Then, looking up with tears welling in her eyes, she murmured, “I''ll take you to find your friend…”


    I froze.


    “…Alright.”


    Seeing Ares one last time before turning into a zombie didn''t sound too bad. I could also entrust him to Sophie—it would at least improve his chances of survival.


    Sophie locked eyes with me. “And while we travel, I''ll tell you my story. It''s 9 AM now. Let''s get to the car first, then drive to find your friend.”


    I nodded silently.


    She pressed her ear against the door, listening. After a few seconds, she whispered, “There are two zombies right outside. I’ll take care of them.”


    Hearing that, my heart clenched.


    Would the next time be… Sophie said to Ares, "He''s already turned into a zombie. I’ll take care of him…"?


    A bitter chuckle escaped me again.


    Moments later, two soft thuds sounded outside.


    Sophie pushed the door open, holding a pitch-black dagger. I had no idea where she got from.


    “Let’s go.”


    I nodded and followed.


    Though my body was weak, I could still walk.


    The hospital corridors were eerily empty—no zombies in sight. Step by step, we carefully made our way outside.


    Not a single zombie appeared.


    Where did they all go? I wondered with surprise.


    Once we got in the car, we assumed our usual positions—Sophie driving, me in the passenger seat.


    Looking at her now, her face rosy with life, the weight in my heart lightened slightly.


    She must have noticed my gaze because she said, “My wounds… they''re all healed. Not even a scar left. Thank you, George… I will find a way to cure you!!”


    I was about to refute her when she suddenly added, “You’ve probably guessed it by now… I’m an assassin.”


    I blinked in shock.


    Eyes on the road, Sophie continued, “I was an orphan, taken in by a group called the Shadow Syndicate.”


    Her voice grew distant, tinged with memories.


    “There were 94 of us, all orphans, around 11 or 12 years old."


    “Before being ‘adopted,’ we thought we were lucky. A major corporation—at least, that’s what we were told—had chosen us. We were thrilled.


    “But we had no idea what awaited us…”


    She paused, then continued.


    "We were taken to a mountain. Each of us was given a dagger, a bag of food, and a bottle of water."


    “They told us there was more food and water on the other side of the mountain. Only the first 30 to reach the other side would earn a chance to live—not just survive, but to be trained, to be given purpose.”


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    Sophie scoffed bitterly.


    “Can you imagine? To an orphan, the chance to live was a luxury.” We wanted it so badly that we ran.


    "All of us, scattered, each of us desperate to be one of the 30."


    "But that mountain… was huge."


    "By nightfall, I had already drunk half my water. My food was still mostly untouched."


    "Then… the wolves started howling."


    "I was terrified."


    "I hid under a tree, too scared to move."


    “… And somehow, I fell asleep.”


    I didn''t wake up until the next morning. When I opened my eyes, I noticed the grass was covered in dew. I was so thirsty, so I drank some of it. Then, I continued walking forward. But as I walked, I stumbled upon a sight that I would never forget.


    It was the body of a child, torn apart by wild animals, its flesh mangled beyond recognition. I could barely make it out, but it seemed to be one of the companions who had joined us on this journey. I bit down on my lip and stepped back, my body trembling. I was too afraid to scream, worried it might attract the beasts, but tears started flowing uncontrollably.


    I cried for what felt like forever, before finally getting up and walking forward again. But then, I saw something near the body—half a bottle of water. I was terrified of the body and didn’t want to touch it, but my thirst was unbearable. The internal struggle... Can you imagine it? In the end, desire won over fear. I closed my eyes and groped for the bottle, not daring to look back as I ran forward, desperate to escape.


    By evening, I suddenly spotted a figure lying ahead. From a distance, the clothes seemed to belong to my good friend. I felt a surge of relief—finally, I might find a familiar face. I ran toward her, but when I got closer, I froze.


    Her face was slashed with dozens of deep cuts, as if she''d been attacked with a sharp weapon. I couldn''t hold it in anymore; I vomited and collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.


    Sophie paused, taking a moment to compose herself, then continued, her voice tinged with emotion, “I felt so helpless. I cried for a long time, then stood up and kept walking. But everywhere I went, more bodies appeared, most of them stabbed to death. Slowly, I realized what the knife was for. I didn''t dare move too quickly; I just kept walking slowly behind, hiding in the grass at night, waiting for the dew to appear the next morning. Three days later, I crossed the mountain and saw tents in the distance. Out of 94 children, only 12 survived. The rest were all dead.”


    I couldn’t help but gape in disbelief. The world… was this dark? I looked at Sophie, my gaze heavy with understanding.


    Sophie went on, “Afterward, we were sent to a secret base for professional training. I spent seven years there. Three months ago, I was assigned a mission to assassinate an official named Axel. He’s dead now, but I was injured by Duke. The scar on my back is his work. I hid in the neighborhood where you live, and then, five days later, the world ended. That’s when I met you.” Sophie glanced at me.


    I knew my face must have looked as wrinkled as my arm by now. I spoke calmly, “I never imagined… you’ve been through so much. But if it’s the end of the world, at least you’re free now.”


    “Freedom?” Sophie smiled bitterly. “That''s impossible. The Dark Alliance won''t let me go. Jett will send someone after me.”


    “Who is Jett?” I asked.


    Sophie''s eyes flashed with apprehension. “Jett is the leader of the Dark Alliance, or you could say, our mentor. He always wears a silver mask, and no one knows his true face. He''s also incredibly powerful. To put it in perspective, Duke, who absorbed over thirty Evolution Seeds, wouldn''t even last a single move against him.”


    “What?!” I exclaimed, shocked. “Duke, that strong, but he can''t hold off one of Jett''s moves ?”


    I then shrugged. What difference did it make? I was going to die anyway. I muttered, “You''d better watch out for him, then.”


    Sophie nodded slightly and said, “We''re almost on the commercial street. There was too much traffic to drive further. Let''s walk.” I nodded, and Sophie stopped the car. We walked together down the street… But to my surprise, the streets were eerily quiet. Not a single zombie in sight. It was unnervingly silent, almost as if the world had gone still.


    As we approached the supermarket where Ares was hiding, a voice carried through the wind, singing a familiar tune: “He said one day you''ll leave this world behind. So live a life you will remember…”


    I couldn’t help but smile slightly. Of course! That idiot hasn’t left yet…


    Sophie paused when she heard the song, then glanced at me. Seeing the smile on my face, she couldn''t help but laugh softly. I grinned at her and teased, “You know, you actually look pretty good when you smile. You should do it more often. Don''t always wear that cold face.”


    To my surprise, Sophie nodded.


    At that moment, Ares''s singing drifted toward us again, still the same line: “He said one day you''ll leave this world behind. So live a life you will remember…”


    I quickly joined in: “My father told me when I was just a child, these are the nights that never die, My father told me...”


    Sophie covered her mouth, laughing. Then, we heard Ares'' mischievous voice, as if talking to himself. “What? How do I hear George''s voice? It must be an illusion… It''s just an illusion…”


    As we got closer, I couldn’t help but freeze in disbelief.


    There was Ares, lounging on a deck chair, wearing baggy shorts, shirtless, soaking up the sun under a parasol. He had a toothpick between his lips and was holding a cookie while singing. I was utterly speechless, thinking to myself, This guy''s hopeless. What''s he doing, acting like he was on vacation in the Bahamas/Miami, sunbathing? Doesn''t he realize a zombie might pop up and strip him of those flashy purple shorts?


    It seemed like Ares finally sensed someone approaching. He turned his head in our direction, looked us over, and then turned back. Muttering to himself, he grumbled, “Damn it, what''s going on? Why am I seeing things today? Did I really just see George turn into a zombie? And there''s a cute little girl serving him! Hell, if this is really happening, I''d gladly turn into a zombie too!”


    I couldn''t help but facepalm, a vein popping on my forehead. I calmly replied, “You want to become a zombie? I''ll help you with that!”


    Upon hearing this, Ares jumped off the deck chair, crouched by the side of it, and eyed Sophie and me cautiously. He tentatively asked, “George, is that really you?”


    This question felt as awkward as if I were being asked about my gender during the registration process...


    Well, I couldn’t help but laugh at his stupidity. I said, “Come on, come over here and take a good look—whether it''s George or not.”


    Just then, Sophie spoke up. “George, you two go into the supermarket ahead. I''ll go get you some medicine… Hang in there, I’ll be back soon.”


    I paused for a moment and said, “No need for that. There''s no medicine that will cure me. Don''t risk it. I have something to ask of you…”


    Before I could finish, Sophie turned and ran back down the path, calling, “Wait for me…”


    I saw Sophie''s figure, a warm feeling spreading through me. It reignited my will to survive! But soon, she was out of my sight. Ares walked over and stood beside me, gazing at the spot where Sophie had disappeared. He mumbled, “George, wow… where did you find her? Oh, wait, what''s she doing? Why do you look like a zombie?”


    I replied calmly, “I was bitten by a zombie. She… She thinks there''s a way to cure me…”


    Suddenly, Ares let out a loud yell, “Oh, shit!!!”


    The scream startled me so much that I almost jumped. I spun around and kicked Ares in his purple shorts. Given my weak state, Ares could have easily dodged, but he didn''t. He was knocked over by my kick. Undeterred, Ares casually dusted himself off and dashed in the direction Sophie had gone, calling back, “I''ll bring her back! I can cure you…”