Volume One, Chapter Five: Death! Death! Zombies!

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No way. I can't even get home, and you're picking this moment to cause trouble!

What kind of god-forsaken, broken system is this!

Qiao Yuan plopped down on the floor, carefully trying to recall the sequence of events. Could it be that the system upgrade quest can only be carried out during the apocalypse? Is that why the system didn't issue any tasks when she was at the grocery store?

Rare minerals? What counts as a rare mineral?

Thinking of this, Qiao Yuan stood up abruptly and began to examine the exhibits around her in earnest.

She slapped her forehead!

She had been thinking too narrowly! Aren't all of these rare minerals?

Qiao Yuan approached a glass case containing a mutton-fat jade bowl. With a flicker of thought, the jade bowl vanished, appearing in her spatial storage the very next second.

She pulled up the system interface: Upgrade quest progress 1/5.

Perfect!

Agate cup! Collected!

Gemstone necklace! Jade thumb ring! Golden censer! Collected!

[Ding! Congratulations to the host, the Grocery Store System has successfully upgraded to a Level 2 Supermarket System.]

[Unlocking Upgrade Gift Package!]

[Daily Blind Box: You can draw from the blind box once every morning at 6:00 AM.]

[Space Expansion: Current storage space has doubled.]

A series of notifications chimed rapidly in Qiao Yuan's ears.

It really did upgrade.

So, can I go back now?

She didn't want to spend another second in this place.

Qiao Yuan ran out of the exhibition hall and closed the door. She took a deep breath, preparing to push open the main entrance, when suddenly—

Qiao Yuan heard a bizarre sound coming from the quiet museum.

"Hrr... hrr..."

Who's there?

Not far away, a figure was stumbling toward Qiao Yuan. Could it be Ning Jue?

Qiao Yuan took a few quick steps forward. After walking about ten meters, she realized something was wrong. The person wasn't speaking, and they were moving forward slowly in a strange, contorted posture.

Qiao Yuan caught the scent of rotting flesh. She looked up, her pupils contracting sharply, every hair on her body standing on end!

That—that couldn't possibly be called a human!

The flesh on the figure's body had long since decayed, and yellow pus oozed from sores with every movement. Its eye sockets were sunken, gray-white eyeballs protruding, and most of the skin on its face had sloughed off, revealing terrifying, ghastly white bone.

"Zombie!" Qiao Yuan gasped.

The previously sluggish zombie, upon hearing the sound, snapped its head up. Its slow movements turned agile in an instant. Dragging its mangled, skin-flayed feet, it lunged toward Qiao Yuan!

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Ahhhhhh!

Qiao Yuan took off running. She could hear the roaring in her chest—that was her heart pounding frantically!

Perhaps because she was too terrified, just as she was about to reach the treasure exhibition hall, her legs turned to jelly and she took a hard fall.

The zombie behind her closed in, pouncing toward her. Almost instinctively, Qiao Yuan rolled to the left a few times.

*Bang!*

The zombie slammed into the floor with a heavy thud. The impact stunned it, and as it struggled on the ground, its speed slowed.

Qiao Yuan crouched on the floor. The door to the exhibition hall was behind the zombie, three meters away. Three meters—four seconds at most to reach it. But seeing the zombie blocking her path to the door, Qiao Yuan hesitated.

No! I can't take that risk! In every movie and novel, zombies are extremely dangerous; all it takes is one bite, and it's game over!

Kill it! Kill it!

Qiao Yuan calmed herself and began to look around for a weapon. Inside a glass case right beside her was a dark Tang sword. She reached out, pulling the blade into her storage, and then willed it to appear in her hand.

I can't die! I absolutely cannot die! I just started making money, I was about to live a good life! I absolutely cannot die!

Even though her shoulders were trembling, Qiao Yuan gripped the hilt of the sword with all her might.

The zombie crawled up from the floor, strings of viscous, yellowish pus stretching between its chest and the ground.

The trick to killing a zombie is... it's...

Decapitation! Yes, decapitation!

Qiao Yuan had never even killed a chicken in her life. She swallowed hard and raised the Tang sword in front of her chest. The zombie tilted its body, emitting a sound like a broken bellows: "Hrr... hrr..."

One step, two steps...

Do or die!

Qiao Yuan let out a roar, raised the black blade, and brought it down with all her might!

*Crack!*

Fate played a cruel joke on her. Qiao Yuan had aimed squarely for the head, but the moment the blade fell, the zombie's head suddenly lolled to one side. The sword struck its collarbone instead.

Why such bad luck!

Because the flesh was so severely decayed, the zombie's neck couldn't support its head, which is why that happened. But... I can't pull the sword out!

Qiao Yuan broke into a cold sweat, struggling desperately to yank the blade free, but it was wedged tight in the zombie's collarbone. No matter how hard she pulled, it didn't budge.

The zombie, with the sword still embedded in it, kept moving forward. It opened its gaping maw, making a clicking sound. Qiao Yuan could even clearly see its rotting, tongue-like flesh and disgusting yellow teeth.

What do I do? What do I do! Am I really going to die here?

Qiao Yuan kept backing away, watching as she got further and further from the door.

"Get down!"

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A shout suddenly erupted in the empty exhibition hall.

Qiao Yuan dropped to the floor by instinct. The next second, an overwhelming stench washed over her! She watched as a man used an axe to sever the zombie's head.

*Thump!*

Black, putrid blood splattered all over both of them.

"Ning Jue?"

Without a word, Ning Jue grabbed Qiao Yuan and pulled her into the treasure exhibition hall. The sudden coolness and the shelves piled high with goods reminded Qiao Yuan that she was safe.

*Thud!*

With a dull sound, Ning Jue collapsed to the floor, curling into a ball as his body began to convulse and his muscles spasmed uncontrollably.

"Ning Jue? Ning Jue, what's wrong?"

Qiao Yuan touched Ning Jue's body, and a wave of intense heat radiated from his skin. Is he running a fever?

There was no time to think. Qiao Yuan immediately dragged Ning Jue to the medicine shelf. She found fever medication, forced it into his mouth, and followed it with a few sips of water.

"Cough, cough..." Ning Jue frowned, each cough accompanied by a painful groan.

Qiao Yuan took a deep breath and pressed her palms together. "I'm sorry! Please forgive me!"

She quickly stripped Ning Jue down, then took a bottle of white liquor and poured it onto a towel. Ning Jue was running a high fever; if she didn't cool him down physically, he would be in danger. The only method she could think of was to wipe him down with the liquor.

A few minutes later, a man smelling strongly of alcohol was freshly "prepared." After Qiao Yuan dressed him in new clothes, she noticed his temperature beginning to drop. Once his tense body finally relaxed, she collapsed beside him. After a while, Qiao Yuan hid behind a clothing rack to change into clean clothes herself.

"Qiao Yuan?"

Hearing his voice, Qiao Yuan hurried to the medicine shelf. "You're awake?"

Ning Jue struggled to prop himself up, leaning his back against the wall to sit upright. He looked down at his new clothes, and the tips of his ears turned bright red.

"My clothes..."

As he spoke, Ning Jue's expression suddenly changed to one of horror. "No, no, no! I, I have to leave immediately!"

He used every ounce of his remaining strength to stand up, stumbling toward the warehouse door.

"What are you doing? Your fever just broke."

Qiao Yuan reached out to support his arm, but Ning Jue violently swung his hand away.

"Don't come near me!"

Qiao Yuan stood frozen in place. Big brother, even if you saved my life, I saved yours too. Why are you turning on me so fast?

Seeing Qiao Yuan's indignant look, Ning Jue offered a miserable smile and slowly extended his palm.

Qiao Yuan's breath hitched. She opened her mouth slightly, falling into a stunned silence.

On the base of Ning Jue's palm were two horrific, bright red teeth marks.