Chapter 26: Mutation—The Arrival of Toxic Zombies

Faced with the other person’s questioning, Wang Yan replied unwillingly, “I already had it in my hands. How was I supposed to know that girl would snatch it back? It’s your fault too! If you’d dared to come during the day, I could have given you the bracelet first—then it wouldn’t matter how arrogant she acted.”

The man sneered, “Can’t even hide a bracelet? Miss Wang, you’re really something! Since you didn’t get the goods, let’s just forget about the reward we agreed on.”

He turned to leave, but Wang Yan hurriedly grabbed his arm. “I put in the effort! If you’d come a day or two earlier instead of suddenly showing up today asking for the bracelet, things would’ve been much easier. It’s your fault! You promised to teach me survival skills in the future—you can’t go back on your word!”

It turned out that earlier that morning, when Wang Yan was complaining to Zhang Yuwen about having to bring along the burden that was Bian Changxi, this man happened to overhear. He immediately asked if Bian Changxi was the person he was looking for, and then said he wanted the white jade bracelet she wore, claiming it originally belonged to a friend of his and that Bian Changxi had forcibly taken it.

Neither Wang Yan nor Zhang Yuwen cared who the bracelet originally belonged to. What attracted them was the man’s claim that he knew why the world had become like this, and he knew what to do to live well in the future.

After all, Bian Changxi was half-dead anyway, so taking a bracelet from her was no trouble. Who wouldn’t want first-hand information about the apocalypse? The two agreed to help. Unfortunately, although they managed to steal the bracelet, the man refused to show up during the day and insisted on coming at night. And, well, everyone knew how that turned out.

Wang Yan was never one to take a loss. She’d already done her part, and it was his own fault for not coming earlier—so she was determined to get her reward, no matter what!

The man let out a cold laugh, suddenly pulling out a small knife and waving it menacingly. Wang Yan gasped and shrank back in fear. Zhang Yuwen, who had been standing behind, tensed at the sight of the knife, but quickly stepped forward with a smile. “No need to get angry, friend. Wang Yan’s just a little anxious, don’t blame her. But let’s be honest, all our teammates are in the warehouse. If we shout, they’ll rush out in an instant. Since you came here secretly, I’m guessing you don’t want anyone to see you. Why make things so tense?”

To be fair, Zhang Yuwen was both gutsy and cunning. Even when faced with a drawn knife, he was still trying to squeeze some benefit out of the situation. If it were Wang Yan, she would’ve backed down after being scared a couple of times.

He forced a smile. “It’s just a bit of information, not some priceless treasure that’ll be gone once you give it away. Since we worked so hard, shouldn’t you at least show some goodwill? Who knows, we might have to deal with each other again in the future—think of it as making a friend.” He peered at the man’s face, half-hidden in the shadow of his baseball cap, and probed, “Besides, I doubt you want Bian Changxi’s bracelet just because it belonged to your friend. It’s the apocalypse—who cares about that anymore? Could it be there’s something special about the bracelet?”

Wang Yan’s eyes lit up and she quickly chimed in, “Exactly! I was wondering why you were making such a big fuss and sneaking around. Hmph, if you don’t give us any apocalypse info, I’ll just go tell Bian Changxi someone’s after her bracelet.” She crossed her arms and raised her brows triumphantly.

The man’s face darkened, though the night and his cap hid it. He just stood there, gripping the knife, motionless as if deep in thought. Zhang Yuwen and Wang Yan exchanged glances, both falling silent. They couldn’t push too hard—the man seemed confident, either because he had backup or because he was truly dangerous.

A cold wind howled lowly, making the night feel especially chilling. If one looked closely, it seemed as if a faint mist of blood was drifting through the air, growing thicker and more restless by the second.

Wang Yan rubbed her arms, glancing uneasily at the dim, lightless surroundings. She was starting to feel creeped out and urged impatiently, “Well? Have you made up your mind or not?”

Before she could finish, a shrill scream suddenly erupted in the distance. Wang Yan jumped and exchanged a look with Zhang Yuwen. “That came from the warehouse, didn’t it?”

They soon heard the sounds of people waking up inside—shouting, cursing, crying, running—a scene of utter chaos, mixed with the guttural roars of something inhuman. After three days in the apocalypse, they both recognized that sound instantly: Zombies had gotten into the warehouse!

Clang!

At that moment, the man’s knife slipped from his hand and clattered to the ground. The two looked over in confusion, only to see his hand—just holding the knife—curling and trembling as if in spasm, veins bulging, the skin turning visibly pale and bluish, even peeling away like a snake shedding its skin. His fingernails quickly blackened, lengthened, and thickened, becoming sharp and menacing.

The two of them stared in shock.

Then came a series of cracking sounds. They looked up, dazed, to see the man’s body twisting unnaturally, his bones seeming to break and reassemble. He grew taller and bulkier in an instant, muscles bulging and tearing through his clothes, radiating terrifying power.

Terrified, they shook their heads and stumbled backward. Wang Yan’s legs gave out and she fell to the ground, just in time to see the man’s face under the cap: short black brows, hooked nose, a sinister expression that sent chills down her spine. But at that moment, she watched in horror as his skin turned ashen, nostrils flared, eyes bulged, mouth stretched wide and rotted, sharp teeth bared, and foul-smelling drool dripped out...

“Urgh…”

Wang Yan’s mind went blank, her stomach churning with nausea. Her body, acting on instinct, scrambled backward. She staggered to her feet and fled in a panic.

Zhang Yuwen wasn’t much better off. He glanced back in terror as the man—no, the monster—threw back its head, baring its fangs and letting out a shrill, inhuman screech before lunging at them.

“Ahhh!” Zhang Yuwen screamed in terror, shoving Wang Yan toward the monster as he turned and ran for his life.

“No! Ahhh—!” Wang Yan’s screams pierced the night sky.

Bian Changxi opened her eyes to darkness, but the chorus of screams from outside was clearer than ever. She threw off her blanket and paced barefoot across the floor, rubbing her brow in frustration.

How did things end up like this?

She remembered that in her previous life, the appearance of toxic zombies hadn’t caused such an uproar.

The third night of the apocalypse had been much like any other, except that after midnight, the zombies’ attacks became noticeably fiercer, and more people were injured. Some were lucky—the zombies that attacked them weren’t toxic yet, so although they were wounded, those wounds would eventually grant them powerful abilities. Others weren’t so fortunate. After sunrise, they turned into zombies—infected zombies. They would bite and claw at others, creating a new wave of zombies. Within just a few days, there were no longer any non-infectious zombies left; every zombie carried the virus and could infect humans.

It was true that some of the first toxic zombies evolved from the original non-toxic ones, while others were transformed survivors. But Bian Changxi didn’t remember the night of the mutation being this chaotic. She guessed that the entire neighborhood had been awakened by now, which meant that in many households, the normal people had turned into zombies all at once. Just thinking about it was terrifying!"