037
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After a massive battle between zombies and ability users, the streets below were almost entirely destroyed; abandoned vehicles parked along the sides lay overturned, shattered into pieces.
Scorched marks were everywhere, alongside half-burnt, fragmented corpses. Cracked ground was smeared with dark red blood, and the air hung heavy with a pungent, rotting stench.
The zombie army, clad in prison uniforms, had chased the surviving ability users away. One of them, however, seemed hesitant to leave; after running some distance, it paused, wavering as if considering returning.
Its grayish-white eyes fixed upon two high-level zombies lying on the ground, seemingly devoid of any strength to resist.
Zombies can advance in two ways: one is through natural progression, and the other… by devouring their own kind.
That’s right, zombies can also eat other zombies, or more precisely, consume crystal cores. However, ordinary zombies lack this awareness; only those of level two or higher instinctively develop the urge to devour their own kind’s crystal cores to advance.
The zombie that hesitated and stopped was a level-two zombie.
Like other ordinary zombies, it had been summoned. Facing a zombie two ranks above itself, it obeyed unconditionally, incapable of harboring any thought of resistance.
It was just like a dog raised by its master: at the master’s beckoning call, the dog would eagerly trot over, ready to follow any command.
However, now that the “Master” is severely injured and incapacitated, the “dog,” driven by hunger, may turn on its master.
So…
This Level-2 zombie hesitated and came to a halt. Its innate zombie instincts told it that consuming two heavily injured high-level zombies would cause its rank to skyrocket at a terrifying pace; soon, this entire region would bow to its supremacy.
Fortune favors the bold—a principle that applies even within the laws of the undead.
It waited for a while, then tossed over a corpse already gnawed by zombies down to mere fragments, signaling its offering of food to the powerful one.
Within the prison, it was a Level Two zombie, capable of commanding a group of ordinary zombies; this was precisely how regular zombies usually showed it deference.
Of course, it wasn’t offering food out of kindness—it was merely testing, using the offering to probe whether these two zombies no longer posed any threat.
The Level 2 zombie’s position was subtle—not too far, yet not too close. Judging by its current appearance, its condition was far better than that of the two “severely injured” zombies. During the previous battle, it had remained almost entirely within the midst of the zombie horde, with eighty percent of the ability users’ attacks absorbed by other zombies.
The Level 3 zombie moved first. In the heat of fierce combat, there had been no time to think about satisfying hunger with food; now that the battle had ended, edible prey seemed nowhere to be found. When the Level 2 zombie tossed over half a relatively fresh corpse, the scent of blood and flesh spurred the Level 3 zombie to struggle back onto its feet.
Clang!
A sheet of metal flew through the air, striking him squarely on the forehead before clattering to the ground—it was a part torn from a car.
The thrower was a Level 4 zombie.
He roared at the Level 3 zombie, his voice faint, yet the oppressive aura of a peak-level Level 4 still lingered.
The Level 3 zombie showed no reaction, but the Level 2 zombie, who had been watching closely, was startled. It realized it had likely miscalculated; even severely injured, its “master” was not someone a mere “dog” could casually challenge.
Thus, this Level 2 zombie picked up the half-remaining corpse and fled like a bird startled by the sound of a bowstring.
“Hah! Hah!” Seeing the food it had almost tasted slip away, the Level 3 zombie let out a furious roar back at the Level 4 zombie opposite it. With stiff fingers, it grabbed the piece of metal that had struck it, raised its arm, and prepared to hurl it back.
But just as it was about to throw, it halted mid-motion, slowly lowered its hand, silently brought the metal shard to its mouth, and licked the blood coating its surface.
This action seemed to enrage the Level 4 zombie. Instantly, despite its battered body, it leaped up like a cannonball and slammed into the Level 3 zombie. The latter crashed into a trash can that still stubbornly stood upright on the ground, sending both flying far away before landing heavily. A large portion of its chest was now visibly caved in.
Zombies feel no pain, but after such a heavy blow, it would be difficult for it to stand up again anytime soon.
The Level 4 zombie staggered, glanced around, then lifted its head to fix its gaze precisely on the wide-open window on the third floor.
Bianbian rested her little head there, having witnessed the entire sudden incident unfold before her eyes.
The Level 4 zombie took two steps forward but forcibly stopped itself; it slowly raised a hand to touch the bridge of its nose, where the glasses it had been wearing were now missing, lost during the earlier battle.
Suddenly, a cardboard box dropped beside them. The sound made Bianbian pull her head back inside; she was no longer surprised by things appearing out of thin air within their home.
She knew this was from the Unseen Uncle.
She hopped off the small stool, squatted on the ground, and observed carefully.
The box’s exterior was white, devoid of any patterns or writing, sealed with a strip of tape. She tore open the tape along the edges and unpacked the box.
Inside lay a roll of medical gauze, alcohol, and two transparent medicine jars containing something resembling gel—pale blue in color, looking remarkably like jelly.
“Bianbian, this is healing medicine for Grandpa and Uncle Zhu Yuan,” the system explained promptly. It didn’t say much more; after that sentence, it fell silent.
The healing medicine had naturally been purchased by the Magician. He casually opened the marketplace, where only the “Medicine” category was accessible. One icon glowed within it—[Basic Healing Kit].
The healing kit contained basic medical gauze, disinfectant alcohol, and two jars of restorative ointment. As the name suggested, when the body suffered external injuries, applying the restorative ointment would accelerate healing.
Regarding the restorative ointment, there was a tiny note: Suitable for all species.
In other words, regardless of the species, this ointment can be applied to any external injury.
Then… could it work on zombies?
The Magician asked no further questions; he simply paid with star coins to make the purchase, letting the basic wound-care pack he bought fall to the ground as he silently watched that small figure.
Worried that Bianbian wouldn’t understand all this, the System took the risk of being discovered by the Magician to explain everything to her.
Although Bianbian couldn’t read, she was no stranger to medical supplies; she even had her own little first-aid kit. Combining the medical gauze and alcohol with what System Daddy had said… she picked up a jar of healing ointment, her small face brimming with uncontrollable excitement.
With this wound medicine, Grandpa and Uncle Zhu Yuan would at least, at least stop bleeding, she thought.
However… Bianbian’s two delicate eyebrows knitted together in worry: “But how can Grandpa and Uncle Zhu Yuan apply the medicine to themselves?”
Since she couldn’t see Uncle, who had helped drive away the bad guys and bought medicine for her, she couldn’t push her luck by asking him to also apply the ointment for Grandpa and Uncle Zhu Yuan.
Just thinking about it made Bianbian feel embarrassed.
Looking at her small fist, the little girl thought to herself: Although I’m still young and can only do so much, I shouldn’t always rely on others; I must handle whatever I can on my own.
She decided to try applying medicine for Grandpa and Uncle Zhu Yuan herself.
Besides, it’s quite simple—she only needed to spread the ointment onto Grandpa’s and Uncle Zhu Yuan’s wounds without using any knives.
Monsters might eat people, but in Bianbian’s heart, she was absolutely certain that neither Grandpa nor Uncle Zhu Yuan would ever harm her—even though, not long ago, Zhu Yuan had attempted to leap up and attack her.
If Grandpa and Uncle Zhu Yuan can’t move, then she can apply medicine to them.
Just like before, when she couldn’t see Uncle tying up Uncle Zhu Yuan with a belt.
Bianbian pattered quickly to her bedroom, dug out two pieces of rope, and with slightly lacking confidence, spoke to the empty air, “Uncle, could you help me tie up Grandpa and Uncle Zhu Yuan?”
The Magician gave no response, sitting on the sofa without even lifting his eyelids.
“It seems Uncle has already left.” Bianbian, receiving no response, instinctively assumed that Invisible Uncle had departed. That was probably for the best; otherwise, she would keep wanting to ask him for help.
She knew this behavior wasn’t right and needed to stop doing it every time.
It didn’t matter; she could manage on her own!
“I still haven’t thanked Uncle for the medicine he gave me. Next time he comes, I must remember,” the little girl murmured to herself. As she spoke, she tied a rope around her waist, then bent down to pick up the cardboard box containing the medicines. She had already decided to go downstairs and apply the ointment for Grandpa and Uncle Zhu Yuan.
Don’t forget to bring the little bear along; with Huihui, her courage will grow even stronger.
“Grandpa and Uncle Zhu Yuan are lying on the ground without moving. I just threw something down earlier; they heard it but still didn’t move, which means Grandpa and Uncle Zhu Yuan must be in terrible pain. If we don’t apply medicine to them soon, and if more bad guys show up…” Bianbian sniffled. “I must protect them.”
Nimbly, she pulled out a hooded raincoat and put it on. She reasoned that if Grandpa or Uncle Zhu Yuan tried to bite her, the raincoat would prevent them from doing so.
The little girl thought she had considered everything quite thoroughly.
Hugging the teddy bear and the medicine box, Bianbian took difficult steps down the stairs with her short little legs.
—The hooded raincoat blocked too much of her view.
She didn’t know that a shadow was quietly following behind her. Watching her recent actions with cold eyes, the Magician remained silent while the System frantically popped up messages: [You are the father; stop Bianbian from doing something so dangerous.]
[Lu Yu and Zhu Yuan are zombies, extremely dangerous. It’s very easy for Bianbian to meet with an accident if she goes downstairs alone.]
The system assumed that the Magician had purchased medical kits to help, planning to temporarily neutralize the two zombies’ threat before having Bianbian use the kits to treat their injuries.
Unexpectedly, after buying the medicine, the Magician simply abandoned all responsibility.
[Once Bianbian becomes infected with the virus, given her physical condition, there is absolutely no chance she could survive the infection; she will inevitably turn into a zombie.]
The magician spoke softly, “It’s just a game. What difference does it make whether you’re raising a human daughter or a zombie daughter?”
The system was thoroughly choked up.
“Or perhaps… this isn’t a game at all?”
Here we go again.
If it were to tell him the truth, it would be game over—it would cease to exist!
“It’s all about raising a cub; whether it’s a human or a zombie makes no difference to me.” Having said this, the Magician didn’t switch scenes, continuing to follow step by step the small figure ahead, whose movements were slowed by clutching a teddy bear and a medicine box.
At this moment, the System missed Xiu Jin immensely. Though he was a bit foolish, he was the only one who truly treated the game cub as his real daughter, caring more about her safety than anything else whenever danger loomed.
Even Nong Jiusi would have been better; at least he was relatively normal—the System couldn’t shake the feeling that the Magician was somewhat unhinged.
It clearly didn’t want Bianbian to come to harm, yet it insisted on pushing her into danger just to watch from behind. What kind of twisted fetish is that?
The system fumed silently. If it were human, it would definitely… uh, never mind. Better not provoke a pervert.
Upon reaching the entrance of the residential compound, Bianbian took the key from around her neck, unlocked the gate, and slipped through. A right turn led directly to where Grandpa and Uncle Zhu Yuan were stationed. The little girl took a deep breath and approached with light, cautious steps.
She saw Uncle Zhu Yuan first.
The zombie had already tossed aside the trash can it had smashed, its chest caved in as it sat half-slumped on the ground, clearly uncomfortable.
During the time it took Bianbian to go downstairs, he seemed to be constantly trying to realign his shattered sternum.
However, the effect was not very noticeable.
If it weren’t for that fellow creature opposite him, would his bones have been shattered into so many pieces!
The zombie tried to stand up several times but failed each time.
Although zombies supposedly don’t have anything like “stamina,” he still felt as though he had lost all his “strength.” Even he couldn’t understand why such a notion would arise in his mind.
In short, the zombie was so utterly fixated on straightening the bones that this single-minded focus made him forget the soul-deep hunger.
Bianbian noticed Uncle Zhu Yuan bowing his head, not even glancing at her once.
Then she spotted an iron bucket nearby; if she placed it over Uncle Zhu Yuan’s head, it should make tying him up much easier.
Thinking thus, Bianbian set the medicine box and the teddy bear on the ground: “Huihui, wait here for me, okay?”
Without the medicine box and Huihui, her movements were much easier. She slowly approached the iron bucket, took a glance, and her little face scrunched up—she felt she might not be able to lift it.
But she still had to try.
The little girl extended her slender hands to grip the handle ring of the iron bucket and lifted with all her might—
Huh?
She looked in surprise at the iron bucket she had lifted; it wasn’t heavy at all.
The Magician followed Bianbian from a moderate distance, leaving even the system bewildered: it hadn’t detected Player No. 3 making any move, so how had Bianbian managed to lift the iron bucket so effortlessly?
Even the system was unaware, let alone Bianbian. Overjoyed at lifting the iron bucket, the little girl didn’t think twice; seizing the opportunity, she dashed toward Zhu Yuan and slammed the bucket over his head.
Duang!
“Sorry, Uncle Zhu Yuan.” Bianbian pulled out a rope, but before she could act, Zhu Yuan cooperated fully, stretching his hands behind his back and pressing them together.
“?”
Bianbian immediately became alert. “Uncle, is that you?”
There was no response.
Seeing this, the little girl grew uncertain again. Though puzzled, her hands didn’t stop; she wound the rope several times around Zhu Yuan’s bound wrists and even tied a bow knot.
Following the same method, she tied up Zhu Yuan’s legs as well. After finishing, Bianbian took a look and inexplicably felt that she had done it so easily…
Meanwhile, Zhu Yuan’s head, covered by an iron bucket, kept shaking as if trying to shake the bucket off.
Bianbian hesitated for a moment, then decided to remove the iron bucket later. First, she had to tie up Uncle Zhu Yuan, and then Grandpa. Only after tying them both up could she safely apply medicine to Grandpa and Uncle Zhu Yuan.
Grandpa was right across from her.
While Bianbian was tying up Uncle Zhu Yuan, she also glanced toward the grandfather opposite her.
Seeing that Grandfather’s clothes were so dirtied their original color was no longer visible, she thought that after applying medicine to him, she would go back and fetch a clean set of clothes for him to change into.
Grandfather loved cleanliness and always taught her to be clean as well. Previously, when Grandfather had been upstairs, she hadn’t been able to help him change, but now she finally had the chance.
After changing Grandfather, she would also change Uncle Zhu Yuan; she couldn’t leave Uncle Zhu Yuan out.
The little girl completely overlooked the difficulty a child faces when dressing an adult.
She could tie up Uncle Zhu Yuan, lift a heavy iron bucket, and apply medicine to Grandpa and the uncles. What else was there that she couldn’t do?
Filled with high hopes, Bianbian happily approached her grandfather. Before she could get close, the elderly zombie, who had been quietly watching her tie up Zhu Yuan without making a sound, suddenly pushed himself up from the ground with some difficulty, sat upright, and let out a threatening growl at Bianbian.
The voice was hoarse, as if warning her not to go any further.
“Grandpa…” Bianbian’s body trembled.
The elderly zombie made no other move, silently collapsing onto its side, leading Bianbian to believe her grandfather was too severely injured to move.
Gazing at the distant elderly zombie, Bianbian raised her hand to wipe her eyes.
That was the grandfather Bianbian knew, and also the grandfather Bianbian did not know.
He would no longer hold her and tell her stories, call her “Bianbian,” smile at her, wash her hair with warm hands, or cook delicious meals for her..
But he is Grandpa.
Even if he turns into an ugly monster, he is still Grandpa.
“Grandpa, why do monsters eat people?”
“Because they have no consciousness; they only know how to eat people. You must not let them bite you. If they do, you will turn into a monster just like them, and it’s terribly ugly.”
“Bianbian doesn’t want to turn into an ugly monster.”
“So Bianbian must remember: never crawl into dark places again.”
“Mm-hmm, Bianbian remembers.”
Bianbian remembered the time she crawled into a hole, found an egg, and happily shared it with Grandpa, only to get her bottom spanked by him. Then Grandpa explained to her why monsters eat people.
Would Grandpa eat her?
Bianbian pressed her lips together, ignoring the warning growl emitted by the elderly zombie, and continued walking forward. Her foot stepped on something; she shifted it aside and discovered it was Grandpa’s glasses.
The lenses were completely shattered, one temple arm was missing, and the remaining arm along with the frame were both bent out of shape.
Bianbian bent down to pick up the glasses, damaged beyond any possibility of being worn again. Making up her mind, she turned and ran back toward where she had just set down the medicine box and the teddy bear. She scooped up both items and hurriedly trotted back toward the elderly zombie.
“Grandpa, you’re not allowed to bite me!” she said, her bright, sparkling eyes fixed on the elderly zombie lying on the ground.
“If you want to bite…” After a moment’s thought, Bianbian handed over the rope. “Then bite the rope.”
The elderly zombie looked at her, then at the rope, its throat constantly emitting a hoarse “heh-heh” sound. Had it been an ordinary person, they would likely have been terrified pale by now.
But Bianbian was not afraid. She even squatted down right beside the elderly zombie, completely disregarding how dangerous her situation was, and lifted her clean little face to gaze up at the zombie with eager expectation.
Thanks to Xiu Jin feeding her these past few days, the little girl’s cheeks and spirit were much better than before. Like a dim flower on the verge of withering that had finally received nourishment, she bloomed anew, becoming vivid and dewy.
The silent pause lasted nearly half a minute before the elderly zombie finally raised its stiff hand to accept the rope offered by Bianbian.
“I’m starting now.” Bianbian’s eyes curved into crescent moons as she tore open the restorative ointment with her teeth and hands.
Inside the container was a wooden spatula; she scooped out a dollop of healing ointment with it and spread it evenly over the wounds on the elderly zombie’s body.
The elderly zombie allowed her to apply the ointment without resistance. He truly placed the rope in his mouth, gripping it firmly with his fine teeth, then let himself fall to the ground, closing his eyes and remaining utterly still.
There were too many wounds on Grandpa’s body; one jar of restorative ointment was clearly insufficient. Bianbian shifted her gaze toward the second jar, then stealthily glanced at Zhu Yuan, whose hands and feet were bound, preventing him from shaking off the iron bucket stuck on his head.
Uncle Zhu Yuan doesn’t have as many wounds as Grandpa…
Thus, Bianbian, with a clear conscience, opened the second jar of ointment and insisted on applying it to all of Grandpa’s wounds.
Then, seeing that only one-third of the ointment remained in the jar, the little girl suddenly felt guilty.
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Compared to Grandpa, Uncle Zhu Yuan is obviously just grass—so thought Bianbian inwardly.
Righteously Confident.jpg
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Da Wanzi is combining the second and third updates into one post. Muah~