The rotting hand was inches from his face.
Yuan Shenzi's heart slammed against his ribs like a war drum. He kicked out wildly with both legs, his boots connecting with the zombie's chest. The creature staggered back a single step, but the other two closed in immediately, their wet groans filling the narrow alley like a death chant.
His back slammed into the cold, slimy wall. Trash and broken glass crunched under his feet. There was nowhere left to run.
"Not like this…" Shenzi gasped, sweat stinging his eyes. "I refuse to die on the first night as a rejected trash!"
A strange heat pulsed again in his chest, hotter than before, but nothing happened. No power surged through his veins. No sudden strength filled his limbs.
He glanced desperately at the only thing he had.
[Status]
Yuan Shenzi – Lv.1
Talent: Insect Control (F-Rank)
System Energy: 0
Useless. Completely useless.
The lead zombie lunged again. Shenzi activated his talent with everything he had. A small swarm of mutated flies and cockroaches, drawn by the smell of blood and decay, rose from the garbage around them. They buzzed angrily around the zombies' heads, crawling into empty eye sockets and torn mouths.
One zombie swiped blindly at the insects, giving Shenzi two precious seconds. He dropped to the ground, fingers scrabbling through the filth until they closed around a broken metal pipe. He swung it with all his strength.
Crack!
The pipe smashed into a zombie's arm. The bone splintered with a sickening sound, but the creature barely slowed. Black ichor sprayed across the alley wall. The insects scattered after only a few moments, his control was too weak, the radius too small.
"This is it?" Shenzi thought bitterly, chest heaving. "This pathetic ability is all I have?"
A second zombie's claws raked across his left arm. Pain exploded like fire. Blood welled up instantly, soaking his sleeve. The metallic scent mixed with the overwhelming stench of rot, driving the zombies into even greater frenzy. Their groans grew louder, more eager.
Shenzi's vision blurred from the pain. He swung the pipe again, this time catching one across the shoulder. The impact jarred his arms, but he used the momentum to shove past the distracted creatures.
He burst out of the alley and into the wider street.
Night had fully claimed the city. The blood-red sky was now pitch black, pierced only by faint, unnatural green aurora-like lights dancing overhead — a clear sign that mutated energy was thick tonight. Streetlights flickered weakly. Distant patrol sirens wailed, but they sounded miles away. The outer barrier of the safe zone was still several long blocks ahead.
His breathing came in ragged gasps. Level 1 with average stats meant he wasn't built for this. His legs already burned. The scratch on his arm throbbed with every heartbeat, sending fresh waves of pain through him.
The three zombies spilled out of the alley behind him, their shuffling footsteps growing louder. Shenzi ran, feet pounding the cracked pavement. He passed abandoned cars with shattered windows, broken shop fronts covered in faded signs that read "Closed Due to Outbreak – Stay Indoors," and glowing System notice boards warning citizens about increased night activity.
He veered sharply into another side street, shoulder slamming into a trash bin. The metal container toppled with a loud crash, spilling garbage across the road. One zombie tripped and fell face-first into the mess, but the other two kept coming without pause.
"Come on… just a little farther…" Shenzi muttered through gritted teeth.
His injured arm hung uselessly at his side. Blood dripped onto the ground, leaving a trail that only made things worse. The zombies seemed to move faster now, drawn by the fresh scent.
The street opened into a small abandoned plaza. Cracked fountains and overturned benches littered the area. For one hopeful second, Shenzi thought he might have lost them.
Then a low, guttural growl came from the shadows to his left.
A fourth zombie emerged, a zombified stray dog. Its body was twisted and larger than normal, muscles bulging unnaturally under patchy fur. Its eyes glowed with feral hunger. It was faster. Much faster.
Shenzi skidded to a halt. The three human zombies fanned out behind him. The dog zombie circled to his right, cutting off escape.
He was surrounded.
The metal pipe in his good hand felt heavier now, bent and slick with black ichor. His legs trembled from exhaustion. The wound on his arm burned like acid.
With a desperate cry, Shenzi pushed his talent to its absolute limit. A larger swarm of mutated insects, flies, cockroaches, even a few beetles, erupted from the plaza's cracks and debris. They swarmed the zombies, biting, crawling, buzzing furiously into eyes, ears, and open wounds.
For a moment, it worked. The human zombies slowed, swiping clumsily. The dog zombie shook its head violently, trying to dislodge the insects.
But it wasn't enough.
Shenzi dropped to one knee, chest heaving, vision swimming. The insects were already losing cohesion. His control was fading fast.
"Family threw me away…" he whispered, voice cracking with exhaustion and rage. "Academy dreams crushed in a single night… and now I die to mindless corpses because my talent is worthless."
Tears of frustration mixed with sweat on his face.
"If there is any god or System watching… give me something real!"
The heat in his chest surged violently. It felt like liquid fire spreading through his veins — almost painful this time. His entire body trembled.
A new fragmented system line flickered in his vision, glitching and unstable.
[Anomaly Detected…]
[Second Awakening Sequence… 27%…]
[Talent Reconfiguration Initiated… Error… Insufficient Energy…]
The message vanished as quickly as it appeared.
The dog zombie recovered first. It snarled and leaped straight at him, jaws wide.
Shenzi swung the pipe with everything he had left. The metal connected with the creature's side in a heavy thud. The impact knocked the dog zombie off course, sending it crashing into a bench. But the force also threw Shenzi off balance. He stumbled backward and fell hard onto the cold ground.
The pipe clattered away from his grip.
The other three zombies were right on top of him now. Their rotting hands reached down, claws extended. The stench of death filled his nose. Shenzi raised his good arm to shield his face, knowing it was futile.
In that split second, the strange heat inside his chest exploded.
A blinding white-blue light burst deep within his body, so intense it lit up the plaza for a fraction of a moment. The zombies froze mid-lunge as if startled by the sudden glow.
A powerful system notification began to form in his vision, brighter and clearer than anything he had ever seen before.
[Critical Condition Triggered!]
[Second Awakening…]
The light intensified rapidly, swallowing his senses. Shenzi's eyes widened in shock as the notification continued to load, the words burning brighter with every passing heartbeat.
Everything around him, the zombies, the plaza, the night sky, started to fade behind the overwhelming radiance.