Huan Tian hadn't forgotten about the Tier-2 mutant he encountered before.
Alone, he had a real chance to escape. Dragging along dead weight would only slash his odds of survival.
A flicker of shame and anger rose in Lin Qingqing's eyes, but she knew getting emotional now wouldn't help her. She forced down the resentment she felt toward Huan Tian and spoke carefully.
"I know you need a lot of food and water. You'll need tools too. I know where to find them."
"The staff lounge? Forget it. Too many zombies. I won't be going near it anytime soon."
"It's not that. I know there's a small storage room on this floor—food and tools inside.
I'll show you the way if you take me with you when you leave tomorrow."
Huan Tian's hand paused mid-bite. His sharp gaze suddenly locked onto her.
"How do you know I'm planning to leave?"
Lin Qingqing met his eyes without a trace of fear. There was a flash of confidence in her gaze.
"I trust my instincts. You move a lot—you must eat a lot too. These snacks and water won't last you two days. And the outer metal layer on your arm guard is already torn. If you run into a couple more zombies, the books inside could get chewed through. You need new gear and materials."
Huan Tian stared at her without a word, his eyes narrowing until Lin Qingqing's gaze finally faltered and a hint of fear crept in.
"Then why shouldn't I just force the location out of you and go there myself? Maybe even have a little fun while I'm at it."
A cold smile curved across Huan Tian's face. Under the silver moonlight, it looked especially sinister.
"No! You wouldn't!"
Panic flashed through Lin Qingqing's eyes—but it was quickly smothered by a surge of reason.
"I don't believe you'd do that to me," Lin Qingqing said steadily. "You're extremely sharp and composed. With food and water in short supply, you wouldn't waste precious energy on me. That would only reduce your chances of survival in the apocalypse."
The cold smile on Huan Tian's face froze instantly.
For three whole seconds, neither of them spoke.
Then, Huan Tian's lips curled into a faint smile—his first genuine smile since his rebirth.
"You're smart," he said. "I like talking to smart people. But—" his tone sharpened, though the smile remained, "I hate being manipulated even more. If I find out you lied to me, don't expect me to show mercy just because of your face or your body. Understood?"
Lin Qingqing instinctively took a small step back. She hadn't expected his threat to be so blunt, so raw.
But at the same time, she became even more certain: Huan Tian was ruthlessly pragmatic. The only way to stay by his side was to constantly prove her value.
"I... I understand." Lin Qingqing nodded.
"Miss Lin," Huan Tian said, casually tossing two bags of biscuits and a bottle of water at her feet, "congratulations. You've earned my respect."
"Eat up. First rule of surviving the apocalypse: never waste a chance to replenish your energy—and never waste a single scrap of food."
Without hesitation, Lin Qingqing tore open the package and started stuffing biscuits into her mouth.
She had no idea what tomorrow would bring, but she was certain of one thing—if she couldn't keep up with Huan Tian, he would abandon her without a second thought.
Watching her finish every last crumb—even picking up the ones on the ground—Huan Tian finally allowed a faint smile to return to his face.
"Eat," he said, tossing over two more packs of biscuits.
Lin Qingqing continued eating, but she slipped one pack into her pocket and only drank half the water.
"These... I'll save for tomorrow," she said, glancing at Huan Tian nervously.
She was afraid he might take back what she hadn't finished.
The smile at the corner of Huan Tian's lips slowly deepened.
This woman was quick to adapt. She already understood the value of food and water, and she was beginning to think in terms of how to allocate survival resources wisely.
She was also sharp—able to read him through subtle clues and draw surprisingly accurate conclusions. That was a skill he lacked himself.
As long as she didn't cause trouble, Huan Tian didn't mind giving her a chance to live.
In the apocalypse, the walking dead were everywhere—and dangerous.
But the humans you occasionally encountered? They were far worse.
There was no trust. No allies. Only crushing, hopeless loneliness.
That kind of isolation—it was like a slow-working poison, eating away at your sanity.
In his past life, Huan Tian had nearly taken his own life after three months alone. Fortunately, he had met someone then—his first true comrade in what would become his demon-hunting squad.
A woman's face suddenly rose in his mind. Without realizing it, his lips curled upward.
"I wonder how Xia Yue is doing now… Once I get out of this building—"
His thought was cut off by a sudden noise from outside the window.
Clang, clang, clang, clang—
It sounded like a steel cable stretched to its limit, scraping against something sharp and hard.
Both Huan Tian and Lin Qingqing instantly recognized—the sound was coming from directly above them.
The top floor of the building had a steep 70-degree mirrored slope, made entirely of reinforced tempered glass. The window behind Lin Qingqing was part of that slope.
"What's happening up there?"
She turned and pressed against the glass, trying to get a glimpse of the rooftop.
And then—
BANG!
Something blood-soaked slammed hard against the window.
CRACK! The thick glass bloomed with spiderweb-like fractures. Blood smeared across the outside, dyeing the surface a deep, visceral red.
"Ah!"
Lin Qingqing was paralyzed with fear. Her legs gave out, and she dropped to the floor, stunned, her face drained of color.
"He… he…"
"Shut up!"
Huan Tian's icy voice cut sharply into Lin Qingqing's ears, and she instinctively covered her mouth.
The figure that had just crashed against the window was a construction worker dressed in bright orange-yellow gear. A safety rope was still tied around his waist, connected to the rooftop. Although his face was smeared with blood from the impact, he seemed unharmed and surprisingly vigorous.
A terrifying roar echoed from above, filled with bloodthirsty rage and greed.
"You damn monsters! Come catch me if you can! Come on!"
The man laughed wildly, flipping the middle finger at the creatures above, his blood-streaked face twisted in manic joy.
But the joy was fleeting, instantly replaced by absolute terror in his eyes.
"No, don't come closer! Stay away from me!"
"Roarrr!"
Suddenly, the sound of something rapidly approaching exploded from the rooftop.
Almost instantly, a zombie leapt from the stairwell on the top floor, hurtling down the mirrored glass slope like a predator targeting the construction worker below.
The first monster opened its gaping mouth to attack, but the worker reacted swiftly, pushing it away and sending it plunging down the endless drop beneath them.
But that only provoked more violence.
The zombies' roars grew louder, dozens of them leaping from the rooftop in unison, sliding down the glass wall like a swarm, all heading straight for the suspended worker.
"Help! Help me!"
"Open the window! Open it!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The worker pounded desperately on the window, his eyes locked on Lin Qingqing inside, filled with pleading desperation.
"We have to save him! We can save him!"
Lin Qingqing rushed to unlock the window latch, her fingers just about to touch it—
When a large hand suddenly grabbed her from behind!
Her back slammed hard into a solid chest, and she was trapped in Huan Tian's arms, unable to move.
His strong grip locked tightly around her waist, the force telling her she couldn't afford to make any rash moves.
"Don't move. Want to die?"
Huan Tian's voice was cold as ice, utterly emotionless.
"What are you doing? We should save him."
"He's already bitten. There's no saving him."
"You're such a bastard—how can you be so heartless? He's still a human! You won't save him, and you won't even let me try?"
Huan Tian's voice turned even colder, laced with unquestionable authority.
"Listen to me!"