Chapter Ten: Exploring Once More

Living in a world without the internet is undeniably monotonous.

No games, no movies, not even electricity. As soon as night fell, harrowing wails echoed from outside the window.

Just yesterday, Fan Li encountered the first living person he had seen since the world ended.

It was midday, and Fan Li had been sleeping when he suddenly heard someone calling out from outside. Jolted awake, he rushed to the window, only to see a young man in camouflage surrounded by dozens of zombies.

At his feet were scattered pieces of bread and instant noodles—it was clear that this was a survivor who had ventured out in search of food, driven by hunger.

Modern life has made young people accustomed to speed and convenience. The old wisdom that “a well-stocked home knows no anxiety” has long been defeated by takeout, convenience stores, and supermarkets. When hunger strikes, you simply make a call or step outside; supermarkets and shops are everywhere. Young people like Fan Li rarely bother to stockpile anything more than essential snacks at home.

Clearly, the young man outside had only risked venturing out when he could no longer endure the lack of food. Unfortunately, his success was only partial: returning with supplies, he was spotted by zombies, leading to the scene now playing out before Fan Li’s eyes.

Dozens of zombies encircled him. Though the young man swung a stick wildly in defense, the zombies—starved for days—grew frenzied at the sight of fresh prey. The pain of being struck meant nothing to them.

In his desperate flailing, the young man even managed to gouge out an eye from one of the zombies, leaving a gory, mangled socket. Yet, undeterred, the creature only hurled itself forward, using the stick wedged in its empty socket as leverage.

Fan Li drew the curtains shut once more.

It wasn’t cold-bloodedness—by the time the zombies had surrounded him, the young man’s legs were already mired in the quicksand of death.

A scream echoed from the street, mournful as a cuckoo’s song, the final note of a life. After that, silence. Fan Li knew that with the young man’s death, the zombies would feast again.

A few hours later.

The young man had vanished without a trace. Not even a few decent bones remained. On the bloodstained ground, some trampled bread was scattered—bait thrown into the water, while the zombies waited, rods in hand, for the next catch.

…………………………

The young man’s death was not entirely in vain. At the very least, Fan Li now knew he was not the last human alive in this world.

What an ironic, bitter joke.

Fan Li decided he needed to adjust his life. After all, what he faced now was no longer mere monotony, but a blend of tedium and horror.

Three days had passed since he had scavenged the zombie family’s home. After acquiring a pair of dumbbells, Fan Li had stepped up his daily training, dedicating at least three hours a day to arm exercises.

Only through firsthand experience could he judge situations accurately. Fan Li would never forget the moment a zombie’s blow sent his hammer flying.

It was like being disarmed on a battlefield; without backup, he would never have lived to see another sunrise.

Zombie strength aside, his own arms needed strengthening. Fortunately, he had spent some time in the gym back in school and knew the basics.

Of course, Fan Li hadn’t forgotten the most important task: exploring the remaining apartments.

This building had six floors, two units per floor, twelve households in total. Excluding his own, the zombie family upstairs, and the long-vacant unit on his floor, there were nine apartments left to explore.

Over several days of observation, no new zombies had appeared in the hallway, likely because the main entrance on the ground floor was shut, preventing any from getting in.

Not long ago, these buildings had been slated for demolition, but negotiations had stalled when some residents demanded exorbitant compensation.

Though the redevelopment of the shantytown had been put on hold, efforts to beautify the city meant some changes were made to the surrounding buildings. The exterior walls were repainted, and the old wooden doors were replaced with access-controlled security doors.

He owed those stubborn holdouts a measure of thanks. If not for the renovations, and if the entrance had remained an old wooden door, zombies would have roamed freely. The halls would have been filled with their howling and pounding—enough to drive anyone mad, even with a monster manual in hand.

“Six floors in total—besides myself, are there any other survivors in the building?”

Some apartments might still contain survivors, but others likely housed people who had succumbed to the virus and become zombies.

The zombie family had left a deep impression on Fan Li. He never imagined that the mutations had affected not just the couple, but their child as well—turning a once gentle, innocent girl into a hideous zombie.

He must be cautious.

The sudden appearance of the girl zombie had sounded an alarm in Fan Li’s mind. In this new world, he needed to double his vigilance if he didn’t want to end up as someone else’s meal.

“The other resident upstairs is an anime enthusiast. He was rarely home—yes, I’ll start with him.”

To ensure his safety, Fan Li decided to begin his exploration from upstairs. If anything went wrong, he could always retreat to his own apartment or the zombie family’s unit.

The neighbor of the zombie family was something of a rich kid, a fan of all things anime. He had bought the apartment not to live in, but to display his expensive collection of figurines and models.

After some simple preparations, Fan Li once again grabbed his hammer and stepped outside. This time, instead of locking the door, he simply pulled it shut behind him. Remembering how his hammer had been knocked away last time, he tore a sheet into strips and tied the hammer securely to his right hand.

He was less nervous this time, experience lending him confidence. He moved quickly upstairs. The zombie family’s door was still open. As for the corpses, Fan Li had thrown them downstairs the same day to prevent rot.

A flicker of loneliness passed through Fan Li’s eyes, but he quickly collected himself. He had not forgotten his purpose.

This was an old building. Aside from a few apartments with steel security doors, most still had the original wooden ones.

This second attempt at “breaking and entering” found Fan Li much better prepared. He stepped back a few paces, raised his right foot, and kicked forward with all his strength.

Bang!

With a crash, the door swung open…