Chapter 1

Chapter 1

“Keep your eyes on your own papers!”

The teacher’s stern warning rang out from the front of the classroom, and Qingshui instantly jerked her furtive gaze away from her deskmate. Ducking her head even lower, she pretended to stare at the exam paper and rack her brains for the answers.

Unfortunately, while she could read every word on the page, she couldn’t make sense of what any of the questions were asking.

Beside her, Qingshui’s deskmate and Dorm Leader, Li Wei’an, kept her head perfectly still. Barely moving her lips, she whispered so softly that she was almost inaudible, “I’m nearly done. Wait for me.”

The tension in Qingshui’s chest eased. She gave a quiet hum of acknowledgment.

To hide the fact that she had nothing to do, Qingshui repeatedly flipped through the brand-new book on her desk, trying to blend in with the studious atmosphere around her.

As she turned the pages, her gaze settled blankly on the printed words. This was already her second year in this world after arriving from the apocalyptic world of her previous life.

Her counterpart in this world had also been an orphan. She had even shared the same name: Qingshui.

Even now, Qingshui could hardly believe she was still alive, let alone living in such a vibrant, beautiful world, where even the breeze carried a pleasant fragrance.

In her previous life, Qingshui had lived in a world overrun by zombies. She had spent her entire childhood struggling to survive the apocalypse, where hunger and filth had long since become the norm.

It wasn’t that she had never considered ending her life. But Aunt Chen’s stories of the beautiful world that had existed decades ago had been like a ray of light, giving her the hope she needed to keep going.

If they tried a little harder and wiped out the zombies for good, might she get to see that beautiful world for herself one day?

Aunt Chen had once said that if such a day ever came, she wanted to become Qingshui’s mother.

Those words were why, when the evolved zombies breached the base, Qingshui had fought desperately to cover Aunt Chen’s retreat onto the evacuation plane, only to be swallowed by the horde herself.

But she didn’t regret it. Aunt Chen was one of the base’s most valued researchers. As long as researchers like her survived, humanity still had hope.

It was just that…

Qingshui couldn’t help wondering: What if, back then, she had…

Hrrrgh…

A muffled, unnatural breath abruptly severed her train of thought. Her mind went completely blank. Every muscle in her body tensed on instinct, and she shot to her feet!

Screech!

The legs of her chair scraped harshly across the floor, instantly drawing every eye in the classroom. Even the teacher at the front frowned.

“Is something wrong?”

Qingshui didn’t answer. Every nerve in her body was pulled taut as she swiftly scanned each person in the room.

Their eyes were all clear, their cheeks flushed with health. None showed the cloudiness or grotesque distortion that preceded zombification. She remained standing for a full thirty seconds before the bone-deep chill finally began to recede and she managed to calm herself.

Had she imagined it? That sound… It had been far too familiar. For that single instant, she had felt as though she were back in that hell.

Or was she simply too sensitive, as the doctor had said?

“Qingshui! What’s wrong?!”

“Qingshui! What’s wrong?!” Li Wei’an was so startled that she dropped her pen. She hurriedly grabbed Qingshui by the arm and tugged her firmly back into her seat.

The teacher had already reached their desks. She bent down to pick up Li Wei’an’s pen, obvious concern in her eyes. “What happened?”

“I’m sorry, ma’am. Her… her head might be acting up.” Thinking quickly, Li Wei’an pointed at her own temple, her voice flustered.

Understanding dawned on the teacher’s face. Before class, the school administration had informed her that a student named Qingshui was enrolled in this elective. The girl had been in a car accident and suffered a head injury, so she occasionally behaved in unusual ways.

“You’re Qingshui, right? Can you keep going? If you’re not feeling well, you should go rest in the infirmary.”

“It’s all right, ma’am. I’m fine. I can do this.”

Qingshui refused. If she missed this exam, she would have to retake it with a group of strangers, and then there would be no one to help her.

“Don’t force yourself if you feel unwell. Let me know at any time.” The teacher repeated her warning several times. Only when she saw the color gradually return to Qingshui’s face did she turn and walk back to the front of the classroom.

Qingshui no longer had any desire to keep pretending. An inexplicable unease had taken hold of her, and she began glancing around restlessly.

She first looked at a boy to her right. He was tall and thin and wore glasses. The whites of his eyes were perfectly clear, without the cloudiness of zombification.

Noticing her gaze, the boy assumed she wanted to copy his answers. With a well-meaning expression, he raised his answer sheet so Qingshui could see it more clearly.
But Qingshui hadn’t done it for that reason at all. She was growing increasingly agitated. A prickling itch began crawling from her throat toward her heart, making her tremble uncontrollably.

She looked again at Li Wei’an, who had her head lowered as she diligently worked through the questions. Her fair cheeks were tinged with pink, and the whites of her eyes were perfectly clear.

Everything looked completely normal.

Was she having another episode?

Qingshui took a deep breath, then suddenly went rigid.

Two years of peaceful happiness had dulled some of her memories, but the terror etched into the depths of her soul had never faded.

She could smell… blood!

Qingshui abruptly grabbed Li Wei’an by the wrist, her voice more urgent and serious than ever before. “Dorm Leader, I…”

We need to run.

Before she could finish, Li Wei’an shoved her answer sheet in front of her and urged, “Qingshui, hurry up and copy it! The teacher’s coming!”

Qingshui stared at the answer sheet. The terror surging from the depths of her soul clashed with her roommate’s urging gaze, leaving her momentarily dazed.

“Hee-hee-hee, aaaaaaah, hahahahahahaha!”

An unbearably shrill, inhuman cackle suddenly rang out from the neighboring classroom. In an instant, Qingshui’s gaze turned sharp and resolute.

She hauled Li Wei’an to her feet and, with strength that allowed no resistance, dragged her bodily out of the classroom.

The teacher’s anxious voice rang out behind them. “Hey, you two! What are you doing?”

The other students taking the exam had also been startled by the horrifying sound, and the classroom immediately erupted in chatter.

“Holy crap, that was terrifying! What’s going on next door? Why was someone screaming like that?”

“Shit, did something happen?”

“Who’s going to check?”

After being dragged out into the hallway, Li Wei’an finally had enough. She yanked her hand free, rolled her eyes, and hissed through gritted teeth, “Qingshui, have you lost your mind? We’re in the middle of an exam! I seriously need to teach you a lesson.”

Qingshui said nothing. She merely stared past her, breathing hard.

Li Wei’an’s heart lurched. She turned around instinctively, and what she saw became a nightmare that would haunt her for the rest of her life.

Through the half-open door of the neighboring classroom, a group of students drenched in crimson were tearing apart the people on the floor. Intestines and organs were scattered everywhere.

They still looked human, yet they were no longer human.

The corners of their mouths had been ripped all the way to their ears, exposing bone-white gums and jagged teeth. Dark-red strands of flesh and fragments of bone still clung to them.

The whites of their eyes had clouded over into a bloody red. There was no trace of reason in their gazes, only an almost deranged excitement.

They grinned as saliva mixed with bloody froth trickled down their chins, splattering the floor with tiny drops of blood.

They were a pack of lunatics!

And those lunatics were still laughing!

They bounced around gleefully as though they were at a party, making gestures so obscene they were unbearable to watch while spewing filthy obscenities.

“Aaaaaah… little piggies, let me rip your bodies open! It hurts, it hurts so much! Help me, aaaaaaah!”

“Please, classmate…” A boy stood trembling in place, his face twisted as if he were crying, but he was still clutching a blood-soaked severed arm. “I… I want to cut off all you filthy bitches and string you together. I want to eat you, I want to eat you, hee-hee-hee!”

“Urgh…”

Li Wei’an’s mind went completely blank. Her heart seemed to stop as her stomach convulsed violently, and she instinctively felt the urge to vomit.

Qingshui clamped a hand over her mouth. She had no idea what these things were, but years of ingrained survival instincts told her that making even the slightest sound right now would mean certain death.

But it was already too late.

The lunatics in the classroom had spotted them!

Their raucous laughter stopped abruptly. Excited gazes brimming with vile desire instantly locked onto the two girls.

The lunatics tilted their heads, innocent yet cruel smiles plastered across their faces. Waving hunks of bloody flesh in their hands, they lunged toward them with grasping claws!

“Classmate, classmate, help me! Heh-heh-heh, help me! I want to cut off your heads and kick them around like balls!”

“I’m so happy! Can I have your eyes? Can I… can I pull out your bones to play with? Hee-hee-hee…”