The savage roaring of the zombie scattered a flock of circling birds.
The survivors inside the Women's Dormitory heard it and were instantly petrified.
Brittany was shaking uncontrollably in the corner.
"Did… did Ethan get eaten by a zombie?" she stammered.
"It's possible. I heard a truck just now—that must have been your 'simp' boyfriend coming to you, which only drew the zombies!" scoffed a well-built guy, Jock 1.
"Wow, guess your boyfriend 'loved' you so much he'd risk all that to find you," mocked Jock 2, who was equally large.
The three men with Brittany were all on the campus basketball team. Brittany had been a cheerleader, which is how they got together.
"Love? He's just a pathetic simp who ends up with nothing!"
Jock 3 sneered, giving Brittany's rear a heavy smack. He enjoyed the immense satisfaction of having a former 'campus goddess' subservient to him.
Brittany ignored the insult and complained, "So what now? That Ethan is useless; he couldn't even bring us any food!"
"Wait a minute!"
Jock 1's ear twitched. He quickly grabbed the steel pipe next to him. "There's movement in the hallway. Someone's coming up!"
The group immediately fell silent, listening anxiously to the sounds outside.
Sure enough, footsteps were getting closer, accompanied by faint zombie growls.
"Oh, look! Your pathetic boyfriend actually made it inside!" Jock 2's face lit up with excitement.
After days of depleting the dorm room's meager food supply, they were starving. They had even lost interest in beauties like Brittany.
"Stick to the plan!"
The three Jocks, armed with steel pipes ripped from chair legs, hid on either side of the door. They planned to subdue Ethan the moment he entered and snatch any supplies he might be hiding.
They never intended for Ethan to survive. After all, one less person meant one more ration to split.
Ethan staying alive offered them no benefit whatsoever.
DONK! DONK! DONK!
A rhythmic knocking sounded on the door, unhurried and almost casual.
Brittany peeked through the peephole and saw a pale, handsome face—it was Ethan.
"Come in quickly."
Brittany hurried to unlock the door.
The moment Ethan stepped inside, Brittany, as if afraid he would bolt, quickly locked the door behind him.
The three Jocks emerged with their 'weapons,' cornering Ethan in a tight circle.
"Where's the food? Where did you hide it? Hand it over now!" Jock 1 demanded.
The original plan was to jump him instantly, but seeing his hands were empty, they needed answers first.
Ethan was expressionless and cold. His eyes swept across the room, finally resting on Brittany.
Meeting his gaze, Brittany showed no remorse. She was defensive. "I admit I tricked you, but at a time like this, I don't need to explain myself. Every man for himself!"
Ethan merely stared at her, silent.
But the three Jocks had run out of patience.
"Why the F*CK won't you talk?! Where is the food?"
"Hand it over, or we'll beat you to death!"
"It's the apocalypse! Killing you is a freebie!"
The intense hunger twisted the three men's faces into monstrous masks. To Ethan, starving humans seemed no different from the zombies—they had lost all reason and were ready to cannibalize.
"Where's the food? Tell me before I kill you!"
Jock 1 finally snapped. He swung his steel pipe directly at Ethan's head.
The guy was an athlete, strong and powerful. The pipe cut through the air, a force no ordinary man could withstand.
But Ethan simply raised his hand and, with a CRUNCH, caught the pipe mid-swing. It stopped dead, unable to move an inch further.
"Huh?" Jock 1's face twisted in shock. He strained every muscle, trying to yank the pipe back.
But Ethan's grip was like an iron vise. No matter how hard he pulled, it was useless.
The other two Jocks were equally stunned and moved to help.
At that moment, Ethan opened his mouth. His throat, still stiff and raspy from his transformation, struggled to articulate a few strange, guttural syllables.
"You are, the food."
"HISS—!"
Hearing this, the men gasped, a collective intake of cold air. Terror gripped their hearts, and the hair stood up on their arms.
They finally realized the truth:
Ethan was a zombie!
"HOLY SH*T!"
Jock 1's legs gave out in fear. He abandoned the steel pipe and scrambled backward.
But Ethan swung his hand, the massive force shoving the pipe through the man's open mouth, skewering his head entirely.
PU-CHICK!
Blood sprayed everywhere. Brittany and Jock 2 went deathly pale. Having never witnessed such gore, their fear peaked.
"Run!"
Someone screamed. The three survivors bolted out the door, tumbling into the hallway.
But the moment they turned the corner, they slammed into a wall of muscle. The enormous impact knocked them back onto the floor.
They looked up.
It was a zombie over six feet tall, covered in bulging, knotted muscle—Tank.
"ROAR—"
Tank let out another deafening bellow. He brought down a fist the size of a bowling ball, smashing Jock 2's skull like a watermelon. Blood splattered everywhere.
Brittany was drenched in blood and utterly paralyzed.
But then, right next to her ear, she heard a sound—a chilling, quiet 'HEHEHE' laugh.
She instinctively turned her head.
The female Athlete zombie was licking her own fingernails, her creepy face inches from Brittany's own.
"AAH—!"
Brittany screamed, her pants immediately dampening. The extreme, visceral terror had made her wet herself.
Just then, Ethan stepped out of the dorm room.
Tank and the Athlete zombie instantly stopped their attack and stood respectfully beside Ethan, their expressions fawning and slightly boastful, signaling they had successfully captured the prey.
The PhD zombie was kneeling on the floor, using his nails to meticulously pick out blood vessels from one of the corpses—studying something, apparently.
This entire scene was even more bizarre than Tank smashing a man's head.
Brittany and the sole surviving Jock 3 were pale and trembling. They finally understood:
Ethan was the zombies' Alpha!
"Please! Don't kill me! I'm sorry! I was wrong! WAAAHHH WAAAHHH!"
Jock 3 dropped to his knees, snot and tears streaming down his face. All traces of his earlier arrogance were gone.
Brittany snapped back to reality and joined him, crying and begging.
"Ethan, don't you love me? WAAAHHH WAAAHHH! I'm your girlfriend! Don't kill me! I'll give you anything you want! WAAAHHH!"
"Fine." Ethan walked toward her, his face still cold.
He produced a dagger with a flourish.
And plunged it into Brittany's chest.
"I want to see your heart."
"AAH—!"
A final, hysterical shriek echoed through the hallway.
Ethan used the blade to scoop out a human heart.
Tank, standing beside him, looked visibly famished.
Brittany was instantly dead, her wide, staring eyes still holding the terror and despair of her last moment.
"Too dirty…"
Ethan's dagger was skewered with the crimson organ, like a giant lollipop. But disgusted, he tossed it to Tank.
Tank stuffed it into his mouth and swallowed it whole, like a pig devouring a ginseng fruit.
"WAAAHHH WAAAHHH~~~"
The only remaining survivor, Jock 3, sobbed uncontrollably. The scene was too bloody and horrifying, surpassing the limits of human sanity.
The Athlete zombie saw him crying and let out another 'HEHEHE' laugh. Perhaps she found it amusing, or maybe she was trying to 'comfort' him, telling him it was a good day and he should stop crying.
Her sharp claws plunged directly into the man's neck, severing his carotid artery.
The man's sobbing instantly ceased. The entire hallway fell silent.
Moments later, the sounds of tearing and chewing began to echo in the empty corridor. The zombies started their feast.
After killing the group, Ethan felt a surge of satisfaction. He then remembered that the Campus Cafeteria might hold more supplies. It had a Walk-in Freezer specifically for raw meats.
Since he was already here, he might as well stock up.
He led his three Minions out of the dorm, across the Football Field, and toward the cafeteria building.
Ethan noticed the zombie density here was much higher. Specifically, four or five zombies were clawing at the glass doors of the cafeteria entrance, desperate to get in, their bloody handprints smearing the glass.
"Are there survivors inside the cafeteria?" Ethan wondered.
However, the zombies were too stupid. The glass door was a pull door, but they were all pushing in, unable to open it.
Seeing the dimwitted zombies were in the way, Ethan ordered Tank to clear a path.
"ROAR—"
Tank roared, charged forward, grabbed one of the zombies, and slammed it into the wall.
SPLAT!
The zombie flattened against the wall, almost becoming paste, then slowly slid down, leaving streaks of blood.
The other zombies were tossed aside by Tank. They snarled but, fearing the massive zombie, backed away without attacking.
Tank's intelligence, however, was not much higher than the rest.
He also tried to push the glass door inward.
But his brute strength was overwhelming. With a CRACK!, the glass door shattered, and the frame warped completely.
Clearly, in the face of absolute power, technique is irrelevant.
Ethan stepped into the cafeteria. The main floor was quiet, but the air was thick with the smell of decay. A few corpses lay on the ground—zombies with their heads smashed—their dried blood staining the floor a dark purple. Survivors had clearly killed them.
Since the outbreak happened in the morning, the cafeteria wasn't at peak capacity, so it wasn't a major danger zone.
However, if any survivors were here, they would definitely be gathered at the Walk-in Freezer, where the food was.
Ethan headed straight toward the storage area.
He soon reached a set of double steel doors, which were tightly shut and locked. He pushed them—they didn't budge.
Faint whispers were audible from behind the doors.
The sound was weak, but Ethan's sharp hearing caught every word.
"Oh no, I think zombies are coming! What do we do?" a girl's voice cried out in fear.
"Don't worry, I'll protect you," a guy said, pulling her close to comfort her.
But the girl was still worried. "Maybe… maybe we should just run."
"Hmph! You two lovebirds better leave now! Staying here just wastes rations!"
Across from the couple, a middle-aged man in a Chef's Uniform (whom we call Chef) grumbled disdainfully, holding a sharp Boning Knife.
The boyfriend frowned but didn't dare to reply, seeing the knife in the Chef's hand.
A total of five people were hiding in the storage room: the Chef, the couple, and two other girls. Hearing the door rattling, the two girls' faces were also pale with fear.
One of them was very pretty, with thin lips—it was Sophia (Su Xiaorou), Ethan's former Stock Clerk.
She came from a poor background, always working while studying. After Ethan fired her, she found another job doing the same thing at the campus cafeteria.
"The zombies… they can't get in, can they?" Sophia whispered, trembling.
"No," the Chef nodded. "These zombies are idiots. They couldn't even figure out the glass door outside. There's no way they can open this locked steel door."
The others felt slightly relieved, but just then, a BANG! echoed loudly. A massive dent the shape of a fist appeared on the solid steel door. The clear outlines of five fingers showed the immense force behind the blow.
Smashing the door was, of course, Tank's job.
He wound up his massive, cinder-block-sized fist and slammed it against the door again.
BAM!
The entire door shuddered violently. Dust rained down from the ceiling, and the door panel was dented even further.
The five people inside were stunned.
"What… what is that thing?"
"I don't know! Maybe a mutant zombie?"
"OH GOD! Run, run now!"
Seeing the steel door wouldn't hold, the five stumbled and fell as they ran down the corridor. At the end of the corridor was a small Walk-in Freezer.
But before they could run far, Tank hit the door again. With a SHATTER!, half the steel door was ripped from its hinges.
His bulky body squeezed through the opening.
"My God!"
Looking back, the group gasped in astonishment. They had never seen such a terrifyingly strong zombie. Fear chilled them to the bone.
The Chef, despite holding the Boning Knife, ran the fastest, reaching the Freezer first.
"Get in! The zombies are coming!"
HEHEHEHE~~
Just then, an unnervingly chilling laugh echoed in the dim corridor, like a harbinger of death.
The Chef looked closer and saw a thin, agile silhouette charging past Tank, moving like a blur—the Athlete zombie.
The boyfriend in the couple was the second to reach the Freezer.
His girlfriend and Sophia were trailing behind.
"Honey, wait for me!" the girlfriend cried anxiously.
But the boyfriend saw the terrifying female zombie was almost on his girlfriend's heels—there was no time.
"Close the door!"
The boyfriend hardened his heart. The moment the third person (the other girl) scrambled inside, the three survivors pushed the heavy Freezer door shut from the inside.
SLAM! The Freezer door sealed.
The abandoned girlfriend was right by the door, pounding on it desperately.
"Open up! Please open the door!"
But no matter how bruised her fists became, there was no sound from inside, no attempt to let her in.
Despair consumed her. She would never forget the look on her boyfriend's face as he slammed the door—the man who had just minutes ago promised to protect her.
Jerk!
A rush of wind hit her back. The girlfriend turned and her face froze in horror.
The Athlete zombie was less than fifteen feet away. In the next second, it would pounce.
In a moment of pure panic, the girl shoved Sophia, who was beside her, forward, hoping she could delay the attack.
"YAAH—"
Sophia screamed as the immense force sent her crashing to the ground.
The Athlete zombie leaped over her and pinned her down, her claws gripping Sophia's wrists tightly against the floor. No matter how Sophia struggled, it was useless.
"HEHEHEHE~~"
The female zombie laughed. Having gone hunting with Ethan and eaten fresh meat, she was in an unusually high state of excitement, laughing at every person she saw.
But the chilling laughter was truly terrifying.
Sophia looked up at the maniacal face just inches away. Overwhelmed and utterly terrified, she gave up the fight and closed her eyes.
She waited for the bloody jaws to clamp down.
But after her laughter, the zombie didn't attack. Instead, it released Sophia, vaulted over her, and pounced on the girl in front.
"AH!"
The girl screamed as intense pain shot through her neck. The female zombie bit down, and the agonizing pain sent her body into uncontrollable spasms.
She stared wide-eyed in despair. She couldn't understand why the zombie had bypassed Sophia and attacked her instead.
Soon, her screams stopped, and she lost consciousness.
Meanwhile, Sophia was still lying on the floor, her eyes tightly shut.
A thought crossed her mind: Why doesn't it hurt?
Am I dead? That didn't seem right.
Cautiously, she slowly opened her eyes. As her vision cleared, she saw a tall, lean figure standing over her.
His skin was pale, his face incredibly handsome, and he was looking down at her.
"B-boss… Ethan?"
Sophia's eyes widened in astonishment. She recognized the man—her former supermarket Boss, Ethan.
She couldn't believe she ran into him here!
Ethan studied her.
His reason for sparing Sophia had little to do with their past working relationship. He simply noted that the girl was quick and efficient.
And he happened to need a Maid to clean his apartment, wash his clothes, and do the dishes.
To treat Sophia as mere meat would be a waste.
He wasn't short on food anyway. He could keep her around for now.
"Get up." Ethan's voice was strained.
Sophia realized something was wrong. Ethan seemed to have become a zombie himself, and the giant, muscular Tank was standing respectfully beside him.
With wobbly legs, Sophia braced herself against the wall and slowly stood up.
"Boss, are… are you alright?"
"I am." Ethan nodded. Perhaps because he had killed Brittany, he was in a surprisingly good mood. He asked:
"Are you willing to come back to work?"
"I… I am! Of course, I am!"
Sophia wasn't stupid. She immediately understood this was her chance to live. She nodded eagerly, like a pecking chick, terrified that a single 'no' would result in her immediate death.
Though she was confused by everything, saving her life was the priority.
She used to work for Ethan for tuition; now, she was working for her life!
Having received her answer, Ethan ignored her and walked past.
He brought Tank to the Walk-in Freezer door. Ethan's 'inventory' was inside.
Tank stepped forward, raised his giant fist, and pounded on the Freezer door.
BAM! BAM! BAM!
Each blow was like a blacksmith's hammer. The floor shook, and dust sifted from the walls.
But the Freezer door held firm, merely making Tank's arm sting.
Inside the Freezer, the three survivors were pressed against the door. Their nerves were strained like tight clock springs; they were holding their breath, afraid to make a sound.
"How… how is this zombie so strong?" the boyfriend whispered, his brows furrowed.
The Chef still had some confidence. "Relax. This Freezer door is made of Two-inch Steel. Even a truck couldn't break it. No matter how strong that zombie is, he can't get in."
"Oh…" The other two were slightly reassured.
Outside, Tank continued to pound the door, but after a few moments, he made no progress.
"ROAR—" Tank roared in frustration, growing frantic. He wanted to smash the people inside into a pulp and eat them!
But with his current strength, he truly couldn't break through.
Ethan watched from behind.
Since Tank couldn't do it, he would have to take over.
Just as he was about to step forward, Sophia approached him, a determined look in her eyes. She felt intense resentment toward the three people who had locked her out.
"Boss, I have the key to the Freezer!"
"Oh?"
Ethan raised an eyebrow. That was good news. It saved him a lot of trouble.
The ultimate employee—already contributing on her first day back.
As a former Stock Clerk, Sophia had the key. It was too big to carry around, so it was hanging on the wall of the adjacent room.
She retrieved the key and handed it to Ethan.
Ethan ordered Tank to step back, then walked forward, holding the key.
Tank was baffled. His cinder-block fist couldn't smash it open, but that tiny metal stick could?
Inside.
The three survivors heard the sudden silence and were overjoyed.
"Hmph! I knew that zombie couldn't smash it. He must have given up," the Chef said triumphantly.
The boyfriend nodded. "Yeah, just wait a little longer, and the zombies will scatter. We can go back to the storage room."
But the words had barely left his mouth.
A CLICK-CLACK sound came from the lock on the door's edge.
It was the sound of the tumblers turning.
"Wha—!?"
The Chef's eyes immediately widened, his expression one of utter disbelief. He realized the zombie was unlocking the door!
The boyfriend was equally stunned, his face turning ashen. "How is that possible?"
"WAAAHHH WAAAHHH~~ What do we do?" the girl cried, trembling uncontrollably.
They couldn't possibly fathom how a zombie could use a key to pick a lock.
As the lock turned, the door was about to open.
"Quick! Grab something! Block the door!" the Chef desperately cried. It was a futile final gesture.
It was useless.
The moment the lock disengaged, Tank shoved the door with immense force. With a final BANG!, the door flew inward, sending all the objects they had stacked against it scattering into a million pieces!