Perhaps it was a result of her innate lack of awareness, but when Lizi stirred from her coma, the first wave to crash over her was shock, swiftly followed by panic.

Feeling overwhelmed by fear, she just retreated into the closet, staying safe within the four walls of her home. There, she wrapped herself in excuses, telling herself that stepping outside was just too risky to even think about.

She never changed her clothes—not that it mattered. She had lost all sensation, feeling neither pain nor disgust. She didn’t even bother checking whether her wounds had completely rotted. Instead, she curled up in the hollow, silent house, finding an odd sense of peace in the solitude.

If she didn’t die despite giving in to despair like this, the fetus should still be alive as well.

“My little one… no matter what you become, whether a monster or not, Mommy will love you all the same…” Lizi murmured, gently touching her slightly swollen belly. At last, she made up her mind to step outside, no matter the risk of being chased away or facing other unforeseen dangers.

First, she needed a weapon for self-defense—and a change of clothes to cover any traces of her affliction.

Determined not to let her fragile resolve waver, Lizi sprang into action immediately.

She peeled off her short-sleeved shirt, which had fused with her festering wounds.

Given that her entire body lacked intact skin, she had long abandoned any thoughts of bandaging herself. The pus-soaked wounds had dried and adhered to her clothes, becoming one with the fabric.

Even though she knew it wouldn’t hurt, her instincts still made her hesitant, and she moved cautiously.

Then, something strange happened. The scabs she had long ignored cracked audibly, and a faint, almost imperceptible coolness spread across her body.

Lizi inhaled deeply and, without further hesitation, stripped off her shirt in one swift motion. Even in the darkness, she could see the inside of the fabric covered in bark-like crusts.

Not enough—she needed more light to see clearly what had peeled off her body.

She rushed to the window, intending to let in just a sliver of moonlight. But she forgot about the unnatural strength that had come with her affliction—she ended up tearing down the entire curtain.

In the darkness, her bare breasts shone stark white. Lizi tilted her head down, examining herself under the moonlight. Though a few red, swollen patches remained on her skin, what she saw was unmistakably human—smooth, perfect skin. She pressed a hand against her chest.

The soft sensation dazed her for a moment. Standing completely naked in the silvery glow, she burst into an uncontrollable, triumphant laugh.

Excitedly, she ran her hands over her body, from her neck down to her ankles. Her joints were slightly larger than before—probably not ideal for wearing high heels anymore. A bit of a pity.

After dressing carefully, Lizi cautiously opened the front door and peered past the small fence of her front yard. The street was pitch black, but it didn’t hinder her vision in the slightest.

Wissky Town was completely silent. Abandoned cars sat on the streets, their doors wide open. Without really thinking about it, Lizi kept walking for a long time, only to realize that everywhere around her was as lifeless as a corpse.

Everything felt so strange and absurd. Gradually, the scene grew more and more chaotic, resembling the foreign riot scenes once reported on the news—traces of fires and scattered debris everywhere.

Not a single window emitted light. The moon, half-hidden by dark clouds, cast a glow over the world, and with Lizi ’s enhanced vision, everything seemed to radiate an eerie fluorescence.

She stepped into a supermarket. It looked like it had been looted, yet most food and supplies were simply strewn across the floor. The glass had been smashed.

Where had all the people gone?

She picked up a can of long-life milk and a loaf of bread. This was the first time in her life that she had stolen anything. But she told herself it was necessary—besides, there was no one left to pay.

After walking for what felt like an eternity, Lizi finally saw a figure emerging unsteadily from a distant street corner.

She was both fearful and hopeful—hopeful that the approaching figure was another survivor like herself, someone who had also miraculously escaped death. Both had noticed each other from a distance, and as the person ran toward her, Lizi instinctively took a few steps back.

As he came closer, Lizi recognized the familiar face—Zhang from the development department. She let out a sigh of relief.

Though she had never had a great impression of Zhang before, she now felt fortunate to have run into him. At the very least, he was someone she knew—someone she could rely on.

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At this moment, she was still naïve, believing that in times of disaster, people would put aside their grudges, support each other, and work together to find a way out.

"Lizi ?" The man’s ashen face was filled with astonishment. He eagerly took hold of her hands, his warmth momentarily easing her loneliness. Overjoyed to have found another person, Lizi didn’t even mind his overly familiar gesture.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I had a terrible flu this past week and stayed home to rest. What exactly happened out there? Where is everyone?" Lizi quickly asked.

Zhang remained silent, simply pulling her into a nearby alley. They entered a three-story, red-painted old apartment building, away from the open street. Only then did he lower his voice and say, "It’s dangerous outside now. This place is my territory. If you’d stayed where you were, you could’ve been attacked at any moment."

Lizi inhaled sharply, cursing herself for not being more cautious. In times of crisis, men really did seem to think ahead better.

"What’s going on? Tell me!" she pressed.

Zhang kept his lips tightly shut, but his grip on her wrist suddenly tightened. Lizi tried to shake him off but couldn’t. She frowned as she stumbled slightly, unable to match his pace.

She glared at him in frustration, not understanding his sudden tension. He hadn’t even explained what was happening yet, and there wasn’t a single soul in sight—where was this supposed enemy? It was then that she remembered her newfound sharp vision, which allowed her to spot threats from a distance.

"You haven’t contacted Shouyi?" Zhang suddenly asked, turning back to her with an unsettling glint in his eyes.

Lizi shook her head. In truth, she had tried but failed.

"He’s still away on a business trip. I was too sick to get up, and when I finally tried to call, my phone wasn’t working."

"Well then, Lizi , let me tell you the truth. About a week ago, people here started getting infected with some kind of strange disease. Before anyone could react, everything spiraled out of control. This disease… it turns people into something like starving zombies. They crave nothing but living creatures. Some got infected and turned violent fast, others just died outright, and then there were those who showed no symptoms and tried to escape Wissky Town. Guess how many of them made it out?" Zhang smiled at her.

Every ounce of her previous relief vanished—her deep-seated dislike for Zhang surged back. One of the reasons she had always disliked him was his wolfish white teeth, barely hidden beneath his thin lips, always giving off a greedy, insatiable impression.

"They didn’t?" Lizi stepped back, crossing her arms over her chest in a futile act of self-protection.

Something was wrong with him. Lizi had experienced terrifying changes in herself, but at this moment, it was Zhang who felt dangerous.

She turned to leave, but before she could act, he had already dragged her into his apartment. The moment they stepped inside, he locked the door behind them.

"Heh, looks like you’re not so clueless after all," he chuckled. "There were just too many infected people—blocking roads, tearing apart anyone who still looked normal. Supplies were scarce, and eventually, even those who weren’t as severely infected became prey. That’s why you haven’t seen anyone alive. Those things couldn’t find fresh victims, so they either went into the mountains to hunt animals or lurked along the highways leading out of Wissky Town, waiting for stragglers."

He casually waved his hand, as if summarizing the apocalypse.

"Like the end of the world," he said with a grin.

"Did you eat it too?" Lizi heard her own trembling voice.

"I'm telling you, if you don't eat, you'll just end up being eaten yourself. Eating makes you stronger. Kids are the best—easy to catch, and they don’t taste as bad as adults. Lizi, are you thinking of running?"

Zhang tightened his grip on the woman in his grasp. That softness, that pale, delicate skin—he had fantasized about devouring every inch of it for so long. The proud butterfly he could only dream of during his lonely nights had finally landed in his palm. How could he not want to rip off its wings?

"Let me go!" Lizi struggled with all her might, but he forcefully dragged her into the room.

"Don't be scared, I won’t eat you. There are no women left in this town! Those green-skinned zombie freaks can’t even be called women. No matter how desperate I get, just looking at them makes me sick. But you, Lizi… you’re still so beautiful."

He unbuttoned his pants and began to pull at Lizi's clothes, the fabric cracked like a piece of paper, Lizi gasped, but in the blink of an eye, he spread Lizi's legs apart and pushed in with his penis.

"Ah!"Lizi could only comprehend his brutality through sight.

She was screamed out by the humiliation, but the voice pleased the man, only to see that Zhang was still wearing clothes, shaking more wildly on her.

She felt nothing at all…

If she closed her eyes, it was no different from simply lying on the ground.

So Lizi tried. And just as she thought, it made no difference.

The man moaned and muttered to himself, his voice dragging Lizi back into reality, forcing her to open her eyes again.

"You can't… you can’t leave this place," he panted. "No one will allow the ones who still have a chance to escape. They destroyed the power plant, every place that could send for help. Be mine, Lizi! I love you more than Shouyi does—let me protect you..."

Zhang lifted his shirt, revealing a gaping, rotting wound below his ribs. The flesh had collapsed inward, exposing white bone beneath the thick green pus festering inside his torso. The muscles around the wound were shriveled and hardened, but when he let his shirt drop, it was barely noticeable at a glance.

"See? As long as I eat fresh meat, the wound slowly heals." His eyes lingered on Lizi i—not just with lust, but with the hunger of a predator eyeing its prey.

"You… you said you wouldn't eat me."

Seeing the madness outside with her own eyes, something inside Lizi shifted. A strange, almost instinctual thought took shape—a plan, born from the sheer need to adapt and survive. And right in front of her stood her first test subject.

Zhang loosened his grip on her breasts and slapped himself a few times. His gaze softened into something desperate and pleading. With a hoarse voice, he swore, "I won’t. I promise! Even if I die, I won’t let those zombies lay a hand on you. If I can’t take it anymore, I’ll kill myself first. I swear I’ll never hurt you. You’re my Lizi!"

A man driven mad by the sickness, yet in the depths of his despair, he had found comfort. Never before had he felt the woman in his arms was this precious.

Zhang thought to himself—Lizi needed him! Only he could save her!

"I'm so scared…" Lizi sobbed, her resistance growing weaker. Encouraged by her trembling submission, he thrust harder, faster, until he spilled himself inside her, collapsing onto her delicate frame.

The sudden flooding her body made Lizi shudder, and for a brief moment, she thought she could shove him off. But instead, her raised right hand slowly lowered—out of sight, beyond Zhang’s view.

She cried louder, more pitifully. The sound thrilled him, and he eagerly kissed every inch of her skin.

But Lizi… Lizi was growing intoxicated—mesmerized by the brilliance of her own performance.