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“Grandpa?” Luo Yesheng gasped in shock as he stared at the familiar Level 4 zombie, only to spot a Level 3 zombie lurking right behind it.
He finally understood why Bianbian had labeled him a villain.
Why Bianbian’s father had attacked them that day.
Everything now made sense.
So…
He looked down at the metal plate on his waist and abdomen—this wasn’t Bianbian’s ability; it was made by a level-four zombie.
But… why were those two zombies standing at the doorway, not pouncing like other zombies would upon smelling fresh flesh?
Judging by their movements, apart from looking no different from zombies on the surface, they completely fail to exhibit any typical zombie characteristics.
No zombie can resist the temptation of flesh and blood; they are merely the living dead, devoid of any innate nature.
There was once a brutal incident at a certain base that led to its entire downfall—
A family member of an ability user became inexplicably infected without any exposure to the infection source. Instead of reporting it, the ability user concealed the truth and kept the infected family member at home.
At the early stages of the apocalypse, powerful individuals were scarce, and the base’s defenses were weak. This ability user firmly believed that even if his family became infected and turned into zombies, they would never harm him. Yet, in the end, his misplaced trust led to the complete destruction of the entire base.
This tragedy served as a grim warning to all survivors: do not believe that infected loved ones retain any consciousness. Infected zombies possess no self-awareness—only the most primal instinct to hunt and feed.
They have no heartbeat, no breath; their bodies are rotting and cold. Their nails and teeth harbor a deadly virus. Once bitten or scratched by them, transformation into a zombie occurs within minutes at the fastest, or within twenty-four hours at the slowest.
No one was spared.
After stabilizing the situation, the major bases attempted to identify the source of the virus and develop a vaccine.
It was useless.
The research teams are still working hard, yet they remain unable to produce an effective vaccine.
“This is my grandpa.” With the Reincarnation Ring, Bianbian no longer worried about bad guys discovering her grandpa. Pointing at the Level 3 zombie, she said, “That’s Uncle Zhu Yuan.”
Bianbian kept a straight face: “I saw everything that day when you and another big bad guy fought Grandpa and Uncle Zhu Yuan.”
Luo Yesheng opened his mouth, but knowing he was in the wrong, no sound came out.
After a long while, he finally spoke in a dry voice: “They… didn’t bite you?”
The impact of the two high-level zombies on Luo Yesheng was even greater than that of the Magician. The Magician had simply overwhelmed him with sheer power, whereas the two high-level zombies shocked him to his very core.
Could it be that high-level zombies truly develop self-awareness?
The strongest zombie he had ever encountered was the level-four zombie right before him; Luo Yesheng could find no other point of reference.
Bianbian felt an inexplicable surge of pride, puffing out her little chest and tilting up her small face, her big eyes sparkling as if alight: “Grandpa and Uncle Zhu Yuan would never bite me.”
If Luo Yesheng had heard someone on the road claim that zombies don’t bite people, he would have scoffed in utter disbelief. Yet now, with the evidence right before his eyes, he had no choice but to believe it.
Too many things crowded his mind today; with his injuries still unhealed, Luo Yesheng’s head throbbed violently. In the end, he decided to think of nothing at all, simply emptying his mind and becoming like a block of wood.
A few minutes later, the roasted mountain pheasant was finally ready.
Bianbian divided the roasted pheasant into several portions: one for Grandpa, one for Uncle Zhu Yuan, one for herself, and naturally, the portion containing the tail feathers went to Luo Yesheng.
Luo Yesheng: “…”
Of the two chicken drumsticks, one was given to Grandpa on the side, and the other was meant for the Magician.
“Dad.”
The Magician was not in the classroom at that moment.
Bianbian, receiving no response, put down the chicken leg with a hint of disappointment—she believed her father had already left.
Luo Yesheng watched coldly as two zombies gnawed on the fragrant roasted mountain chicken. The fact that zombies not only refrained from eating humans but also consumed human food just as they did in life utterly shattered his understanding of reality.
Then he noticed Bianbian’s actions and asked calmly, “Bianbian, isn’t your father always by your side?”
He sensed that the Magician was not inside the classroom.
That faint, chilling sense of oppression had vanished.
Bianbian nodded.
Luo Yesheng was about to ask another question when the elderly zombie suddenly let out a low growl at him. Strangely, he understood the hidden meaning behind that sound—A pet should know its place and not pester its master with endless questions.
Sighing inwardly, he fell silent.
Bianbian ate meat until her mouth was slick with oil, then let out a contented burp. Rubbing her little bulging tummy, the girl’s eyes curved into crescent moons as she hummed a nursery rhyme only she could understand.
Eating meat feels simply wonderful~
With Luo Yesheng around as a walking chef, Bianbian’s quality of life improved significantly.
After moving into Jinxin Community and facing threats from two zombies, Luo Yesheng ended up living on the fourth floor—meaning he shared the same floor with those two zombies.
He slept in terror every night, yet this very fear confirmed that these two zombies did not eat people.
Occasionally, when the Level 3 zombie would drool and show signs of “craving” toward him, it would be growled back into submission by the Level 4 zombie.
Luo Yesheng often thought with an expressionless face: This must be the sense of security that comes from zombies.
As time passed, he gradually reconstructed the little girl’s experiences from Bianbian’s accounts, learning also that Bianbian’s father, for some unknown reason, did not appear often. And he was not her biological father—of course, this was his own deduction.
And since her grandfather had been infected and turned into a zombie, she was too young to survive alone and needed a normal human to take care of her.
So… he was chosen.
To ensure Bianbian’s safety and prevent him from harboring ill intentions, he was forcibly turned into a “pet.”
　　……
Unfortunately, there was no one to consult; the only person he could talk to here was Bianbian. Yet, Luo Yesheng certainly couldn’t tell the little girl, “Bianbian, I suspect your father isn’t human.”
Indeed, the more time he spent with Bianbian, the more Luo Yesheng felt that her elusive father was not human. Invisible, unable to speak, communicating only through writing, and appearing as if accompanied by an eerie, terrifying background music.
Luo Yesheng had even guessed that Bianbian’s father might be some super VIP from a certain base, who, possessing the special ability of invisibility, discovered Bianbian’s existence out of boredom and decided to raise her just to pass the time. This would roughly explain why he only appeared occasionally, delivering supplies and the like.
But if it were really some big shot from a certain base, wouldn’t they just bring the person directly into the base? Why go through all this trouble…
After thinking it over, some kind of supernatural creature seems to fit the description best.
“Uncle Zhu Yuan, spoons are for scooping soup, not for eating.” Bianbian stood on a chair, stretching out her hand to tug at the arm of the Level 3 zombie.
Luo Yesheng supported her small body to prevent her from falling off the chair, while pulling her hand back. He swiftly replaced the little girl’s arm, saving the spoon in the Level 3 zombie’s hand just in time, preventing it from being swallowed again.
Zhu Yuan, when eating, would inadvertently shove other things into his stomach along with his food; he had already swallowed six or seven spoons.
Luo Yesheng never imagined that in his lifetime, he would peacefully sit at a dining table and share a meal with two zombies.
Oh, and he even had to snatch spoons right out of the zombies’ mouths.
The Level 3 zombie, having its spoon snatched, let out an unhappy roar, only to be slapped straight back into obedience by the Level 4 zombie.
Luo Yesheng: “…”
This scene had gone from unbelievable at first to something he now took for granted.
He had truly never encountered a zombie so down-to-earth.
“Bianbian, our food supplies at home are running low. This afternoon, I’ll have to go farther out to scavenge for resources,” Luo Yesheng said, glancing at his wristband. With this device, even if he tried to escape, once he moved more than five kilometers away from Bianbian, he would automatically be pulled back.
Just like a pet that accidentally gets separated from its owner but finds its way home by following their scent.
However, during this period, he gained immensely. Probably due to consecutively undergoing life-or-death trials, coupled with Bianbian generously sharing the remaining crystals from the iron box with Luo Yesheng—including a Tier 3 Fire-element crystal!
Luo Yesheng naturally broke through, reaching the peak of Grade B, with one foot already stepping into Grade A, his strength surging dramatically.
Yet… just as he broke through to the peak of Grade B, Grandpa advanced into a Tier 5 zombie.
He still couldn’t defeat Grandpa.
Bianbian couldn’t sense any of this, but Luo Yesheng and the Level 3 zombie could directly feel the oppressive aura emanating from Grandpa.
After breaking through to Level 5, aside from his stiff limbs becoming slightly more flexible than before, Grandpa showed no other noticeable changes.
However, Luo Yesheng noticed that this newly promoted Level 5 zombie… was attempting to learn how to speak again.
The results were minimal, and it was hard to make out what he was trying to say.
“Let’s go together.” Bianbian finished the last sip of soup and licked her lips回味ly—Luo Yesheng’s cooking skills were quite impressive; he could turn even simple ingredients into something uniquely flavorful.
With the improved quality of life, Bianbian’s once-frail little body received ample nutrition, changing day by day until she quickly regained the fair and healthy appearance she had when her grandfather took care of her.
She looked like a delicate snow-white dumpling, strangely appetizing.
Luo Yesheng looked at the snow-white little bundle and instinctively shook his head. “No, it’s too dangerous.”
The ability user who served as a pet but acted more like a nanny, after taking care of Bianbian for some time, seemed to have developed something akin to Stockholm syndrome. He had grown so attached that he unconsciously adopted a paternal mindset, always thinking like an old father.
This was an illness that needed treatment.
Bianbian argued logically, “I’ll go with Grandpa and Uncle Zhu Yuan. With more people, we’ll have greater strength, and that way we can find more food.”
Luo Yesheng compromised. He couldn’t disobey orders anyway.
With a peak Tier-B ability user, a Level-5 zombie, a Level-3 zombie, and three great guardians, if they still couldn’t guarantee Bianbian’s safety, they might as well strip themselves of their power levels and report directly to the underworld.
Thanks to Luo Yesheng, Bianbian not only enjoyed an improved quality of life but also gained a better mode of transportation.
—he drove the large off-road vehicle parked in the underground garage to Jinxin Community, sourced materials nearby, and completely refitted it. The vehicle was now barely recognizable as an off-roader; instead, it resembled a sheet-metal weapon of destruction.
To maintain distance, the two zombies sat in the back seat as usual, while Bianbian took the front passenger seat—Luo Yesheng had modified it into a child seat for her convenience.
Bianbian was already sitting obediently in the front passenger seat. As Luo Yesheng lifted his leg to climb into the driver’s seat, he unexpectedly slipped, slamming his forehead hard against the door frame.
“Hiss…” Luo Yesheng rubbed his head as he took his seat. For the past two days, things had been strangely off; he kept bumping into objects or tripping over nothing. Though none of the injuries were severe, the pain was unavoidable.
He couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong.
“Uncle Luo, are you okay?” Bianbian leaned forward from her child’s chair, her large eyes fixed on Luo Yesheng, filled with genuine concern.
With his exquisite cooking skills and meticulous care, he saved Bianbian from many bumps and bruises. Thus, in Bianbian’s eyes, Luo Yesheng successfully redeemed himself, rising from “the big bad guy” to “Uncle Luo.”
Luo Yesheng shook his head, intending to say he was fine, but perhaps he shook it a bit too hard—his skull banged against the car door with a thud.
“…”
He suspected he might be suffering from some kind of nerve disorder.
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Second update delivered. Goodnight, mwah~