And so it was. After ten minutes spent changing clothes and gearing up, Duan Heng and Bai Ling finally reached the villa’s ground floor. They stood before the side door the thug had failed to open last night. From the inside, they could see it had three layers of defense:
A standard security door.
A roller shutter.
And an electronically sealed alloy gate.
Each barrier had multiple locks. The alloy alone was thick enough to withstand a rocket launcher. No wonder the thug wasted hours on it last night.
Now, their outfits:
Duan Heng wore dry hair, a fitted black shirt and trousers, topped with a loose brown hoodie. His belt accentuated a perfect silhouette—powerful, well-defined muscles visible even through fabric.
Bai Ling had shoulder-length hair, a white shirt under a black jacket, black shorts—and black silk stockings hugging her long legs. White sneakers completed the look: energetic, adorably fierce.
*Why the stockings again?*
*‘Blackmailed and bribed by Duan Heng, that’s why! No stockings, no food, you bastard!’*
…
Graaah—
Grrrooowl—
Before the door even opened, guttural snarls seeped through. Low, hellish moans made Bai Ling swallow hard.
Duan Heng, however, stayed calm. He unlocked the gates with unhurried ease.
"Hey, be careful…" Bai Ling whispered nervously.
Duan Heng nodded. "Relax. Leave it to me."
"Hmph…"
Bai Ling hated admitting it, but his steady smile—just a faint upward curve of his lips—made her fear melt. Safety washed over her.
*Only for a second.*
Her eyes narrowed. She muttered under her breath:
*‘Smug bastard. Let’s see you smile when zombies surround you.’*
*‘If you slow me down, I’ll laugh my ass off. Pin you down and spank you!’*
Her teeth clenched at the thought.
Duan Heng swung open the final gate. "Follow me." He stepped outside.
*Whoosh—*
Blinding sunlight hit Bai Ling’s face. She shielded her eyes.
The stench of blood hung thick in the air—a world overturned.
She snapped back to reality. Duan Heng was already in the courtyard! Panic shot through her. She sprinted after him, terrified he’d be swarmed alone.
"Why rush? I almost lost you!" she hissed, glaring.
Duan Heng just tugged her arm, pointing toward the courtyard gate. "Look."
"Huh?"
Bai Ling’s eyes widened. Confusion turned to shock.
Beyond the gate, zombies crawled on the ground, tearing at scattered chunks of raw meat. The fresh scent had drawn over a hundred of them—a feast straight from hell. Their lifeless eyes fixed on the gore. Guttural *grrrooowls* filled the air.
Duan Heng had set this trap using yesterday’s "materials."
"You scattered meat while I changed?" Bai Ling whispered, hiding behind him like a frightened kitten. "What if you draw the whole Zombie Tide? What if there’s too many?"
"Impossible." Duan Heng chuckled. He ruffled her hair when she wasn’t looking. "Early-stage zombies have weak noses. Worst case? A few hundred. We retreat if needed." He pushed her gently toward the gate. "Now. Time to kill."
"Eh?!"
Before she could react, she stumbled forward—right to the gate’s edge.
A zombie at her feet lifted its rotting head.
"Eeek!"
She’d seen monsters yesterday, but this close? Its half-human face, those dead eyes—they chilled her bones.
*Grrrooowl—*
The zombie lurched up like a starved beast spotting prey. It scrambled toward her, faster than she expected. She backed into a corner, trapped.
"Cut it down!" Duan Heng’s voice was low, urgent.
Bai Ling’s palms sweated. Her knife trembled.
*‘Damn it… DAMN IT!’*
Rage burned in her chest—not just at Duan Heng’s smug spectator act, but at her own cowardice.
*‘Why must I face this?! If only I had real power… He’s enjoying this, isn’t he?!’*
The zombie’s decaying fingers stretched toward her throat. Half a meter away. One second more, and its teeth would sink in.
Duan Heng’s hand drifted to his waist knife—ready to throw.
But—
Bai Ling’s tear-streaked eyes flashed. She swung her blade.
"Don’t underestimate me!"
*Crack—*
Her Perfect Body, enhanced by the system, held strength far beyond human limits. No special skill needed. Just raw power.
One strike. The zombie’s head flew off. It rolled fifteen meters before stopping.
Bai Ling stood there, tears still wet on her cheeks—but her gaze was steel.
Duan Heng couldn’t look away. *This* was the Bai Ling he remembered from another life. The partner who fought beside him. The seed was sprouting.
*Beep—Zombie slain. Attributes +9%.*
*Combat Power: 14. Zombies Killed: 2. Level: 1.*
"Phew… Made it…" Bai Ling exhaled, a small, relieved smile touching her lips.
She turned to brag to Duan Heng—
He stood beside her now, long blade drawn.
"Don’t celebrate yet. Get ready."
"Ready for what?" She tilted her head.
Duan Heng jerked his chin toward the courtyard.
The severed head’s thud had drawn attention. A hundred zombies were rising. Their hollow eyes locked onto the pair.
"Holy shit…" Bai Ling cursed under her breath. Cold sweat beaded on her forehead. She gripped her knife, taking position at Duan Heng’s flank.
Duan Heng smirked. Calm.
"Bet on who kills more? Loser calls the winner ‘Daddy.’ Deal?"
"You son of a—! I’ll make *you* say it!"
Bai Ling’s fear vanished. A fierce grin spread across her face.
Zombies shambled closer.
The first morning of the Apocalypse.
Two against a hundred.
