"Mmph, so... so amazing!"

"His gaze is so icy... Aaah, why is this happening!"

"No! Get out of my head!!!"

"What’s wrong?"

Bai Ling, clinging to Duan Heng’s neck, shook her head abruptly. Duan Heng blinked, curious. She didn’t answer.

Her cheeks were flushed crimson, lips pressed shyly together—adorable. To hide it, she buried her face deeper into his shoulder.

"Nothing..." Her voice trembled faintly.

Duan Heng understood instantly. He ruffled her hair, confident. "Leave it to me. I’ll handle the System Coins."

"Mm..."

Soothed by his calm tone, Bai Ling nestled quietly against him—light, soft, sweet-scented. Perfectly huggable, like a plush pillow.

Once settled, Duan Heng’s expression turned icy. Playfulness vanished, replaced by battle focus. By the time he looked down, his eyes were glacial, locked onto the Zombie Tide below.

*Groooan—*

*Gurgle—*

The zombies’ eerie moans echoed. Without intelligence, they’d lost Duan Heng after his leap, now wandering aimlessly beneath the building.

A smirk curled Duan Heng’s lips. Left arm still supporting Bai Ling’s legs, he thrust his right hand forward. System protocols whirred—spatial energy flared! Bloodied meat chunks materialized from his storage space, tumbling from the third-floor balcony to the street below.

"Hey!"

Duan Heng roared from the railing. The zombies snapped their heads up, spotting him—and the feast.

More surged in, crimson eyes blazing. They stampeded toward the building. Those who couldn’t squeeze through scaled the walls, clawing upward.

Thousands packed the street—easily five or six thousand. They swarmed the office block like locusts, the entire structure groaning under their weight.

*CRACK-BOOM-BOOM—*

The scene defied description. Like students storming a cafeteria after class. Like concert fans mobbing an entrance.

But these weren’t humans. They were bloodthirsty zombies. The horror dwarfed any concert—before Duan Heng could blink, zombies flooded the stairwells *and* clawed through windows.

They’d formed a living ladder, piling three stories high. The building had become a zombie hive.

*Perfect.*

Unfazed, Duan Heng tightened his grip on Bai Ling and sprinted up the emergency stairs.

He outpaced the zombies easily. Though the Zombie Tide chased relentlessly below, it always lagged a full floor behind. Other zombies lurked inside the building, but Duan Heng’s agility left them grasping at air.

When blocked, he’d kick a zombie aside or leap cleanly over obstacles—smooth as a secret agent.

"Why run *up*? There’s no escape!"

Peeking through the stairwell gaps, Bai Ling saw the sea of zombies below. Panic edged her voice.

Duan Heng didn’t flinch. "Hush. Be good."

"Mmph..."

He nuzzled her cheek. The gesture made her blush—but also sparked irritation:

*‘Telling me to shut up?! Just ‘cause you’re higher level... Darn it!’*

*‘If zombies corner us in this building, I’m totally laughing at you! Hmph.’*

Bai Ling bit her lip silently, though she stayed tucked against his shoulder.

...

Fifth floor.

Tenth.

Fifteenth.

Twentieth!

They climbed higher. More zombies poured in behind them, flooding the building. As noted before: zombies were herd creatures. Those at the back blindly followed, creating the Zombie Tide.

By the time Duan Heng reached the thirtieth floor with Bai Ling, nearly 80% of the street’s five to six thousand zombies had squeezed inside. The rest were distracted by corpses on the road.

They heaped at the base like a rotting mountain, screeching hoarsely. Some were crushed beneath others; some tumbled down the shifting pile. The stench and shrieks made it hell on earth.

Then—Duan Heng changed direction. He burst from the stairwell, sprinting straight for the floor-to-ceiling window!

Zombies still gave chase. But no one expected this: at nearly a hundred meters up, Duan Heng raised his arm without hesitation. Energy crackled—then—

*CRASH!*

The window shattered. Glass glittered like diamonds as they leaped through the spray!

Wind roared in Bai Ling’s ears. Terrifying weightlessness seized her—they were plummeting straight down!

*‘Holy crap! He actually jumped! We’re dead!’*

*‘My life was short, but meeting you... I’m happy. Sob...┭┮﹏┭┮’*

Her mind blanked. She’d even drafted her last words. *This was over a hundred meters!*

But—just as she braced for impact—the falling sensation vanished. They landed smoothly?

*‘Huh?’*

Bai Ling lifted her head, confused.

They hadn’t jumped to the ground. Duan Heng had leaped *across* to the rooftop of the neighboring building. From here, the entire office block—and the trapped Zombie Tide—was visible.

"Wha—? Wow!"

The adrenaline rush faded, but Bai Ling’s heart still hammered. She covered her mouth, awestruck.

Duan Heng raised an eyebrow, pleased. He dipped his head toward the girl in his arms. "Fun, right? You can get down now. Or... do you want me to keep carrying you?"

"Eep!"

Bai Ling jolted, face burning. She scrambled down, flustered.

Only then did she realize: Duan Heng had carried her up thirty flights. Yet he wasn’t even breathing hard. Utterly composed.

*‘Is he even human? Does he have infinite stamina?’*

*‘How many zombies would I have to kill to get like him?!’*

Watching his calm smile, Bai Ling pouted, frustrated.

Duan Heng didn’t tease her this time. He walked to the rooftop edge, arm outstretched toward the zombie mountain below.

"What are you doing?" Bai Ling called, worried he’d fall. *This was still twenty stories up!*

Duan Heng just smiled faintly. His focus locked onto the seething mass. Violet-black energy gathered along his arm, crackling with lightning.

The pressure made Bai Ling’s hair stand on end. She stumbled back two steps.

Then—Duan Heng’s expression hardened. Palm open—he unleashed a primordial violet beam, several meters wide, tearing through the sky!

The blast painted the heavens purple.

BOOOOOOM——

"Aaah—!"

Bai Ling’s mind went blank. Her legs gave way. She collapsed, staring dumbly.

The beam struck the building’s base. Fire rippled upward, swallowing the zombie mountain and structure whole.

Everything vanished in flames—zombies, trees, concrete. Glass exploded floor by floor. Even elite zombies burned, howling. The neighboring buildings and sky glowed crimson. Heat seared Bai Ling’s cheeks from a block away.

It lasted seconds.

All from one skill.

Duan Heng stood untouched. Not a bead of sweat.

*‘So... strong...’*

*‘Unbelievably strong!!!’*

Bai Ling sat frozen, mouth agape. Her trembling body, parted lips, and wide pupils betrayed utter awe. Before such impossible power, all she could do was submit. Even clenching her thighs and curling her toes couldn’t stop the shivers rising within her...

*‘So cool... How?!’*

"Five thousand System Coins earned. But after transfer fees, you’ll get about four thousand."

Duan Heng watched the inferno calmly. *In his past life, he’d reached level ninety. This was nothing.*

His current power came from retaining past-life skills—and the "Annihilation Flash" ring, which channeled 100% of his base energy.

"Huh? What’re you doing?"

He turned. Bai Ling wasn’t listening. She sat dazed, cheeks flushed pink, a trace of drool at her lips. Her vacant stare made her look broken.

Duan Heng tilted his head, puzzled. He walked over and tapped her shoulder. "Zoned out? Hello?"

"Wah!"

Bai Ling jolted awake.

Duan Heng’s face seemed... sharper, more dazzling than usual. An urge to pounce on him, to claim him, surged through her—

*‘No! Wrong! Stop it—’*

She shook her head violently, trying to clear the haze.

Then she looked up at him, eyes sparkling with hope. "Can... can I get that strong too?"

"Hm? Of course."

Duan Heng answered without hesitation, as if stating fact: "Around level forty. With me training you? No problem. Trust me."

"ROAR—"