Chapter 2

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The zombie’s teeth weren’t sharp; they retained their human teeth.

When the zombie bit Rhodes’ leg, it tore off a chunk of flesh that was the size of a palm. His bones and muscles were clearly visible. Blood immediately gushed out like a flowing river. It was a gruesome sight.

Rhodes was afraid of worrying Julie so he gritted his teeth and endured the pain, refusing to make a sound. However, the pain was too intense. His face paled immediately, and beads of sweat began to drip from his forehead.

Rhodes inhaled deeply to suppress the pain before he freed himself from the zombie.

Both of them ran out of the university before quickly entering a small apartment near the university. When they found an unlocked apartment, both of them went in warily, making sure there was no zombie in there. After confirming there were no zombies, they began to move heavy furniture and placed them against the door.

Now that they confirmed they were safe for the time being, Rhodes walked to the innermost bedroom.

Julie who was walking behind him saw the pool of blood on the floor that Rhodes left in his wake. She asked anxiously, “Rhodes, what happened? Did you get hurt?”

Rhodes was taken aback when he heard her question. He turned around and mustered up a smile as he said, “I’m fine.”

As soon as he finished speaking, he fainted immediately.

…

When Rhodes finally regained consciousness, he discovered he was lying on the bed next to Julie. At this moment, he could see the anxious expression on her face as she wiped his forehead with a damp cloth.

When she saw Rhodes had finally woken up, she began to tear up from happiness and relief. She hurriedly asked, “Rhodes, you’re finally awake! How do you feel? Are you okay?”

Rhodes forced a smile on his face and asked, “How long was I unconscious?”

“Half an hour,” Julie replied, “It’s all my fault. If I didn’t drag you down, how could you be bitten by the zombie?” As she spoke, she could not help but cry again.

“Silly,” Rhodes said lightheartedly with a faint smile on his face, “I’m the only one you have. If I don’t save you, I won’t be able to rest in peace for the rest of my life.”

“Rhodes…” Julie knew he was trying to console her. Nonetheless, she was still moved. She lay on his body and cried bitterly.

“You were scratched by the zombie, right?” Rhodes said with a sigh, “Well, at least, with this, we won’t be separated.”

Julie nodded. Tears streamed down her face as she smiled. In her opinion, this was not a bad thing. If Rhodes was going to die, then, she did not want to live as well. However, she had one regret. Due to their families, they did not do much and only held hands and such. What a pity. With this thought in mind, her face flushed red immediately.

When she looked at Rhodes again, she could see he was getting paler and paler. She knew he did not have much time left. With a sense of urgency, she pressed her lips against Rhodes’ lips.

Rhodes, who felt as though he only had half a breath left in him, shivered when he felt Julie’s lips on his lips. He was taken aback but did not refuse her. In fact, he enjoyed the feeling. At this moment, he felt a slight pang of regret. Such a wonderful feeling would only last for a fleeting time.

If he could turn back time, he would not be so passive. During freshman year, no, as soon as he met Julie, he would confess to her immediately. At this moment, he realized they had missed out on too many things. They had a beautiful love, but alas, it was a short one. He could not help but feel unwilling that it had to end so soon.

A bitter smile appeared on Rhodes’ face. It seemed like he had watched too many movies. Everyone hoped they would be like the main character of a movie, surviving disasters, like Alice. How ridiculous! As expected, fate was not in his hands. He knew he was going to die soon and become a zombie.

He consoled himself inwardly and thought it might not completely be a bad thing. The world had already collapsed. Hopefully, the next time he opened his eyes again, everything would return to the beginning.

As time ticked by, Rhodes grew weaker and weaker, and he could his consciousness slipping in and out. It was almost as though he could feel the emptiness as his soul left him. He was about to close his eyes, albeit unwillingly, when he heard a strange sound.

“Ding! Congratulations! You’re lucky to have been bitten by a zombie. Vitality +1.”

Upon hearing these words, Rhodes almost forgot the situation he was in.

‘What the hell? Congratulations on being bitten by a zombie? Moreover, I’m lucky to be bitten by a zombie? Is this person seeking death? Who was it who spoke? If you like it so much, why don’t you get yourself bitten by a zombie instead, sicko!’ A furious stream of thoughts appeared in Rhodes’s mind instantly as soon as he heard those words.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. The images of a few people appeared in his mind at this moment. He was certain only these few people would be so despicable and sick! When he was alive, they would bully him. Now that he was dead, they mocked him. Once he turned into a zombie, he was going to kill them!

Rhodes rose to his feet out of anger.

‘Eh?’ At this moment, he realized something was amiss. Was he not dead? Who could have spoken to him anyway? He looked around in surprise before he touched his face. Then, he pinched himself and confirmed he felt pain. ‘Was I dreaming?’

“Ding! Congratulations to the host for fulfilling the requirement to activate the system. Activating the Thug System. Activation completed!”

Upon hearing the voice in his mind, Rhodes was overwhelmed with happiness.

‘The system!!! The legendary system!!!”

Everyone in this era was no stranger to systems if they liked reading fantasy novels about systems. Rhodes was one of those people. In fact, he had also published a few failed books about systems.

He had countless dreams where he obtained a system that could change his terrible life. However, when he woke up, everything was gone.

Who knew at the moment he thought he was going to die, the system would come to him at the final moment?

…

Meanwhile, Julie looked at Rhodes in stunned confusion. He did not seem to realize her presence. As she observed him, a flurry of questions appeared in her mind. ‘Has he mutated? Why is it different from the movies? What should I do? Why is pinching himself? Why is he crying and then laughing? If this is a mutation… it seems rather normal… Maybe the strain of his mutation isn’t bad…’

A smile of relief finally appeared on her face when she concluded that Rhodes’ mutation must not be severe.

At this moment, Rhodes finally turned to look at Julie, looking stunned as though he had just discovered her presence. When he saw his beautiful girlfriend in front of him, he grew even happier. He laughed heartily and said excitedly, “Julie, Julie, look! I’m fine, I’m fine! I’m really fine!”

“Huh?” Julie was stunned and confused. After a while, she asked, “So are you dead or alive?”

“Julie, how can you ask such a question?” Rhodes asked sulkily, “Of course, I’m alive. If you don’t believe me, touch my skin. It’s warm.”

Julie tentatively reached out and touched Rhode’s face. Sure enough, he was warm. “How…” She was about to speak when she suddenly felt dizzy and almost fell to the ground.

Rhodes hurriedly held Julie and sat her down on the bed. When he pulled her pants up, he saw the scratches from the zombie. Currently, the scratches had turned blue, and thick white pus was flowing out of the wounds. Moreover, the blue scratches seemed alive like moving veins, and they were beginning to spread in all directions. It was obvious that she was about to mutate and become a zombie.

As though he just recalled something, he quickly looked at his leg. His wound was even more serious compared to Julie’s. Logically speaking, he should be dead. Why was he fine? Then, he recalled the system notification he received earlier before it was activated.