Chapter Ten: My Head Truly Feels Like It’s Splitting Open!

More zombies surged forward, frenzied in their desire to tear apart the living human before them. Yet, before Chen Yi, they stood no chance at all. Those rotting bodies fell one after another, collapsing like stalks of wheat under the scythe.

“So this is the power of the super gene?” Chen Yi mused inwardly, feeling an endless stream of strength coursing through his body—like a machine that would never cease its work. This power would become his crucial support for survival in the apocalypse. And he knew this was not even the final effect of the gene. Chen Yi was already beginning to anticipate the heights he might reach in the future.

Suddenly, an especially massive zombie appeared in his line of sight. This one was far larger than the others, its muscles bulging and its presence radiating ferocity. With every step it took, the ground shook with a thunderous reverberation.

“Mutated, have you?” Chen Yi sneered, striding directly toward it. It was simply larger than the rest, but still within the same class as the other zombies—slower, even—and not enough to threaten him. As he closed in, the giant zombie swung its thick arm, aiming to swat Chen Yi aside like a fly.

With a deft movement, Chen Yi ducked under the attack and countered with a horizontal slash. The giant zombie’s leg was severed instantly, and it crashed heavily to the ground. Chen Yi leaped up and struck again, severing its head and ending it for good.

Having finished off the abomination, he turned toward the direction where Chu Yunxi was hiding. She was still crouched behind that battered cabinet, but her gaze no longer held the fear it once did. At her feet lay two zombies with their skulls split open—a work not of Chen Yi’s hand, but of Chu Yunxi herself, wielding the fire axe.

“Well done,” Chen Yi praised.

“I will never be your burden,” Chu Yunxi replied, her eyes blazing with determination.

“Let’s go.” Chen Yi pointed toward the school gate and led the way. Whenever a zombie approached, he dispatched it without hesitation. Occasionally, he would let a weaker one slip through for Chu Yunxi to practice on. She wasted no time, swinging the fire axe and cleaving the undead as needed.

Watching the school beauty struggling so relentlessly to improve her chances of survival, Chen Yi felt a flicker of admiration. She was clearly more than a pretty face; she was a tough survivor who could make it through the end times. All she needed was a little time to temper herself.

“There’s no reason to stay here any longer,” he said quietly. “We need to find somewhere safer.”

“Do you have a plan?” Chu Yunxi asked.

“We leave the school first. We’ll figure out the rest later,” Chen Yi replied, still swinging his blade and harvesting zombie heads as he spoke.

Chu Yunxi nodded, steeling herself once more. Together, they fought their way to the school gate. Around them, the ground was littered with corpses, blood pooling and mixing with an array of foul odors that saturated the air with a metallic tang.

As it seemed that no more zombies remained in the area, Chu Yunxi suddenly stopped and looked at Chen Yi.

“What is it?” Chen Yi asked, meeting her gaze.

Without warning, Chu Yunxi leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. For a moment, Chen Yi was stunned, but he quickly responded, returning her kiss gently. After surviving such horrors, releasing their pent-up emotions through a kiss was a welcome relief.

Their lips parted all too soon. Chu Yunxi’s cheeks were tinged with red, but her eyes shone with unwavering resolve. “From this moment on, I’m yours. No matter where you go, you cannot leave me behind!”

Chen Yi regarded her quietly. Her straightforwardness scored high marks in his mind. Seeing his silence, Chu Yunxi worried she would be rejected, but she stood firm—whether or not Chen Yi agreed, she was determined to follow him.

A faint smile curled Chen Yi’s lips. “Then let’s survive to the end—together.”

Now that their bond was clear, they were about to step out the school gate when urgent footsteps sounded behind them, accompanied by desperate cries for help.

“Help! Chen Yi, save me! Please! I know I was wrong—please forgive me!”

The voice was so familiar it almost made Chen Yi laugh in disbelief. He turned to see Pei Yurou stumbling from the direction of the classroom building, her face contorted with panic. Her clothes were in tatters, clear evidence of a recent struggle.

“Who would have thought that manipulative little snake was still alive,” Chen Yi muttered coldly. His eyes were full of disgust; he hadn’t expected to see Pei Yurou again. It seemed the wicked really do have longer lives—in the harshest environments, those with no ability to defend themselves sometimes outlast the good.

Chu Yunxi’s brow furrowed as well. She knew exactly what kind of person Pei Yurou was. Her sudden reappearance could only mean trouble.

Pei Yurou all but collapsed at their feet, reaching out desperately. “Please, take me with you! I don’t want to die here!”

Chen Yi regarded her icily. “How did you even make it this far?”

Pei Yurou lowered her head, her voice trembling. “I… I sacrificed others—no, they protected me…”

“Heh.” Chen Yi snorted, staring at her with eyes that saw right through her facade.

“As expected, you only ever use other people. Not just manipulative, but vicious as well!” He exposed her for what she was, with no mercy.

Tears welled in Pei Yurou’s eyes as she looked at him, hoping to win back a sliver of hope by playing the weak and helpless victim. “I know I made a lot of mistakes before, but in times like this, shouldn’t we help each other?”

“Help each other? Do you think you have the right to say that?” Chen Yi sneered.

At that moment, the guttural howls of zombies grew louder behind them. Pei Yurou had drawn the rest of the school’s undead right to them.

“Damn it, what a walking disaster,” Chen Yi muttered. He shook his head and said to Chu Yunxi, “Let’s go.”

Chu Yunxi nodded, and the two turned to leave.

“You can’t do this! You pair of filthy dogs! You can’t leave me behind!” Pei Yurou shrieked, her voice breaking with hysteria. Chen Yi ignored her and pulled Chu Yunxi with him, heading quickly for the parking lot outside the school. In a crisis like this, every second wasted could be fatal. He had already spent too much time on Pei Yurou and couldn’t afford to let her drag them down any further.

When she realized there was no help coming, Pei Yurou’s face twisted from pleading to hatred. She got to her feet and screamed curses after them: “You’ll get what’s coming to you! Chen Yi, you bastard! Chu Yunxi, you whore!” She even began hurling stones and debris at them, hoping to attract more zombies and drag them all to hell together.

“Don’t mind her,” Chen Yi said, gripping Chu Yunxi’s hand and quickening his pace.

But Pei Yurou continued to chase after them, making as much noise as possible to keep the zombies on their trail.

“You’re asking for death!” Chen Yi thought. He had planned to let her meet her fate on her own, but now it seemed he’d have to settle the score from their past life himself.

With that, Chen Yi snatched the fire axe from Chu Yunxi. Spinning swiftly, he hurled it with all his might.

With a resounding thud, the axe found its mark. Pei Yurou crumpled to the ground, blood and brain matter spilling forth. Even at the very last moment, she probably never imagined her skull would be split open.