Perhaps it was Kael Voss's incessant muttering that worked. The van kept gliding straight ahead, gaining speed, and in a matter of twenty meters, it was moving at a brisk walking pace—thankfully, there were no obstacles on the road.
As the van passed through an intersection, the street grew steeper, and the van accelerated further. The sound of the front bumper was relentless, "crack! crack!" as it knocked away several zombies in its path.
Kael Voss peered through the windshield, his eyes fixed ahead. Unfortunately, he didn't have the keys to the van, and the steering wheel was locked, leaving him powerless to control the vehicle. If only he could start the van, maybe—just maybe—he could escape.
But as the van veered off its straight path, it scraped along the sidewalk. With a violent jolt, the van surged forward, slamming into a streetlamp with a loud "thud."
The impact made the lamppost shudder, sway, and slowly topple over.
The crash sent a ripple of noise, alerting the surrounding zombies. They swarmed like bees attracted to nectar, closing in on the van.
Seeing the van come to a stop, Kael didn't hesitate for a second. He kicked open the door with all his strength and jumped out. Under the bright moonlight, a horde of zombies was already converging on him.
A quick glance around left him pale with fear. There were at least two to three hundred zombies surrounding him. If they trapped him, death would be inevitable!
What now? What should I do?
Kael quickly scanned the area. There were shops lining the streets, but even if he could get inside, escape would be nearly impossible. His heart sank as he realized his situation: it seemed like he was about to die again. There was no way out.
Just then, a loud crash echoed in the night.
Kael turned to look and saw that the streetlamp, which had been wobbling dangerously, had now tilted and crashed into a nearby mixed-use building. It broke through a second-floor window, its pole now sticking inside the room.
A glimmer of hope sparked in Kael's chest. This was it—his chance!
Without wasting another moment, he ran toward the building, swiftly climbing up the lamppost. As he hurriedly crawled through the broken window, he looked back to see the zombies gathered below, snarling and screeching at the sight of him, but unable to climb up due to their stiff legs.
Thank goodness. Thank goodness!
Kael's heart, which had been racing wildly, began to slow as he realized he had once again escaped death. Inside the room, he found himself in a bedroom. The bed was neatly made, and a wedding photo hung above the headboard.
In the photo, a handsome man and a beautiful woman smiled radiantly at the camera. However, in the current grim situation, Kael felt no joy looking at it—instead, an eerie chill ran down his spine.
The sky outside was beginning to lighten. After checking the bedroom, Kael cautiously opened the door just a crack and peeked outside.
Suddenly, he couldn't control his scream. He slammed the door shut. Just outside the bedroom door stood a female zombie, her eyes cold and her face terrifying. The moment Kael opened the door, the two of them had locked eyes.
With a loud "bang," before Kael could close the door, the zombie slammed into it with such force that he was knocked backward and stumbled to the ground.
The zombie, barely five-foot-two, was far smaller than Kael, who stood at six feet tall, but the strength it exerted was terrifying.
Kael scrambled to his feet and without thinking, leaped onto the bed. The zombie followed, its features resembling the woman from the wedding photo, but horribly distorted. Her face was ghastly pale, her skin stretched tight over her skull, and she let out an ear-piercing screech.
Kael couldn't bear to look at her again.
The zombie let out a low, guttural growl from deep in its throat. She lunged forward, almost grabbing Kael's legs. But she missed, falling onto the bed. Her body was too stiff to recover quickly.
Seizing the opportunity, Kael didn't hesitate. He stomped hard on the zombie's back and, using the momentum, vaulted himself toward the bedroom door. With one swift motion, he slammed the door behind him, trapping the zombie inside.
Moments later, Kael heard the frantic sound of scratching and banging on the door. Sweat broke out on his forehead as he gripped the doorknob, praying that the zombie wouldn't figure out how to open the door.
Fortunately, zombies had no concept of how to open doors. After a few minutes of chaotic banging, the noise gradually faded.
Kael let out a relieved sigh, his grip loosening on the door handle. The fact that zombies had no real intelligence worked in his favor.
Additionally, a zombie's memory wasn't much longer than a goldfish's, so after just ten seconds, the room had fallen silent again.
Still, Kael wasn't about to let his guard down. He quickly looked around, finding the dining table and coffee table nearby, and dragged them over to block the door. Fearing they wouldn't be enough, he added a single sofa on top for extra security.
With the bedroom door now firmly barricaded, Kael finally let out a deep breath, feeling a bit more at ease.
Once the tension passed, he took stock of his surroundings. The furniture wasn't light, and Kael had no idea where he had found the strength to move it all. Perhaps it was the life-or-death situation that had unlocked some hidden potential within him.
"Maybe I do have some superhuman potential after all," he thought wryly, glancing at his own hands.
Having completed his makeshift barricade, Kael didn't dare take a break. He cautiously checked the remaining rooms—another bedroom, a study, a kitchen, and a bathroom—before collapsing onto the living room couch.
After all the exertion and fear, Kael felt completely drained. His body felt like lead, and even his pinky finger felt too heavy to lift. His earlier surge of courage and strength had disappeared.
From inside the master bedroom, he could still hear the occasional zombie groan. Kael wiped the sweat off his brow, thinking to himself that if the zombie didn't manage to get out, he could stay here temporarily. His injuries needed time to heal before he would return to the shelter for vengeance.
The apartment was meticulously clean, the floor spotless, and the furniture gleaming as if new. It was clear that the owner was a neat and organized person. On the pristine white walls, a large red "double happiness" character was pasted—this was clearly a newlywed couple's home.
Just then, his stomach let out a loud growl. He hadn't eaten much for the past day, only drinking some sodas, and the exertion of escaping had drained all his energy.
Earlier, when he was on the run, he hadn't felt hungry, but now that the tension had lifted, his empty stomach was screaming for food.
Though Kael didn't want to move, he knew he needed to replenish his energy if he was going to survive whatever lay ahead.
With a resigned sigh, he forced himself to get up and head to the kitchen. He found half a bag of rice and some sealed food packages. Using the gas stove, he quickly cooked a pot of rice and wolfed it down.
As he ate, he felt his strength slowly returning. Oddly enough, Kael noticed that he felt far stronger than before. His earlier actions—lifting heavy furniture—had been much easier than they should have been.
Was it possible that surviving these near-death experiences had triggered something within him?
Could it be that he was becoming one of those rare, altered beings?