September 11, 2027, afternoon...

7:25 PM.

Could this be a day worth remembering?

I don’t know... but I should remember it. Today was my first period.

Hmm... this "relative" had never visited me before. But I’d heard every girl gets one. Every month, it checks in on girls, then leaves after a few days—quietly, without taking a single cloud with her. It only takes away... a bit of "money" and a few legendary...

Sanitary pads!

Face weary, I stepped out of the bathroom. My lower abdomen still cramping, making me restless. Clutching my stomach, I forced myself forward a few steps. Then—a warm, wet sensation spread on my inner thighs.

"Ahhh!!!"

I yelled in despair. But that warmth ignored my frustration, flowing steadily down...

Helplessly, I trudged back to the bathroom. With the last drops of water, I cleaned myself. Then, clutching my stomach, I rushed to my room. From my solar-powered bag, I pulled out a pack of the legendary...

Sanitary pads!

"Do I... really have to use this?"

Staring at this mythical companion for Aunt Flo—my "Uncle Period"—I hesitated. But the crimson flow beneath me gave no time to think!

"Ahhh!!! Screw it!!!"

Resigned, I studied the pad.

"This... double-sided tape? Peel it off? Is this how it sticks?"

After fiddling forever, I finally stuck the sanitary pad to my underwear.

How did it feel?

Weird. Awkward. Annoying!

"Sigh..."

I sighed deeply. Topless, I sat on the living room sofa. I grabbed the paper I’d tossed there earlier, towel-drying my stubbornly wet hair as I read.

"This... this is!!!"

The content stunned me. Instinctively, I read aloud:

"Fellow citizens, facing this war, we can only say to survivors... accept our condolences."

That was the first line.

"Due to unknown causes, a virus spread among humans. Around 8 AM on August 11, sporadic outbreaks began. By 9 AM the next day—August 12—the initially small-scale virus exploded into a massive epidemic. To the victims, our government expresses deep mourning..."

"We wish to drive these inhuman monsters from our towns immediately. Sadly, most military bases nearly fell during the outbreak. For this past month, we’ve cleared bases and built defenses."

"Survivors... if you see this notice, arm yourselves. Avoid monsters and zombies whenever possible. Seek refuge at the following Survivor Bases or military bases. There, you’ll find ample water and food..."

"For these lifeless yet moving corpses spreading the virus anew, inspired by a certain game’s depiction, we adopt the term ‘Zombie’."

"Other Mutant Monsters: the military has gathered data. Survivors, do not fear. Memorize each monster’s traits. Avoid contact at all costs. If encountered, never fight—evacuate immediately! Remember: evacuate immediately!"

Does this mean... the government is still alive?!

"Are there... really Survivor Bases?"

I scanned the locations below. Over fifty Survivor Bases and military bases... all far from me. Many names, I’d never heard before.

"These... are probably named after towns..."

My fingers tapped the paper unconsciously, making it rustle. I pieced together theories.

It started August 11... by August 12, two outbreaks. The first was small-scale chaos in towns. The next day, a massive explosion...

"This... doesn’t feel natural. It feels more like..."

My tapping paused. The bold thought startled me. But somehow, it felt close to truth.

"Could... it be man-made?"

"But if so... who did this? Why? How did they create or unleash this virus for terror?"

I pondered... no conclusion. I knew too little. Besides, it was all speculation—no evidence this was man-made.

"Whatever... thinking won’t help. Keep reading."

The top half held the notice. The bottom listed Survivor Base names, locations, populations, and safety ratings—from D (lowest) to S (highest)...

And the S-level safe base was...

"Tibet!?"

Could it be... Huaguo’s secret military base?

I flipped the paper. Both sides had writing. On the back, colorful printed images and tiny text.

Squinting, I examined closely.

Eight monsters were listed with names and pictures. I recognized two: the green monster and the gecko monster.

"Codename: Gecko..."

"Sharp claws, keen sense of smell. Uses camouflage to hide and ambush. Highly agile, adapts to terrain. Likely in:

Urban zones: downtown high-rises or between tall buildings.

Attack methods: impales or wraps enemies with a 5-meter tongue; tears humans apart with claws.

Countermeasures: avoid high-rises. Never enter tall buildings at night."

Below were details on others, including the green monster—locations, attacks, traits, countermeasures—all meticulously recorded.