Chapter 15. Truth Revelation

Karina's face was clearly etched with restrained anger. However, she continued to listen to every word Jeffry spoke without interrupting.

"I know this sounds absurd," Jeffry shifted his attention toward Karina after saying that, trying to gauge her reaction.

Jeffry then noticed Karina's hands tightly clenched, her sharp nails digging into her skin. Carefully, Jeffry reached for her hand and gently tried to unclench it. But moments later, Karina yanked her hand back.

"Is this a joke? How can a miserable life be put on display for entertainment, and am I going to die?" Karina thought to herself, struggling to contain her anger. She exhaled deeply and tried to calm herself.

"Why are you here?" Karina asked.

"I don't understand it either. After this body got into a car accident a year ago, my soul entered it. And I heard it was you who brought it to the hospital," Jeffry explained.

Karina fell silent, listening to Jeffry's explanation. If she hadn't experienced her own miraculous return, she might have thought Jeffry was insane. This might explain her long-standing confusion—why there was no A20 base and why John wasn't the leader.

"Even though I can change some things, right now there's a chaotic plot because one of the characters isn't following the film's narrative. Still, I'm a bit relieved that the character deviated from the storyline," Jeffry said quietly.

Hearing Jeffry's words, Karina seemed to know which character deviated from the film's storyline. None other than herself, who had experienced a rebirth.

"But now, that character is entering a plot that will lead to their own death," Jeffry continued.

"Rather than being careful, I hope you'll stay away from that mutant. I'm not asking for the results of your research, but I'm begging you—don't research or get involved with that mutant species," Jeffry pleaded, his tone serious.

"Why? If I die, isn't it part of the film? And didn't you say earlier that if the film ends, you'll go back to your real world, to a peaceful world?"

Hearing this question, Jeffry fell silent again. He stared at Karina seriously, trying to find the right words to explain the complex situation. But before he could answer, Karina stood up from her chair.

As her hand reached for the door handle, a voice suddenly stopped her in her tracks.

"I like you," Jeffry said, his voice full of conviction as he stepped toward her.

Karina was taken aback. She studied Jeffry's face carefully, trying to understand the meaning behind his words.

"Sorry if this startled you. I just don't want you to die following the film's plot. If following the film's plot means your death, I'd rather stay in this world," Jeffry added, this time his voice soft and full of concern.

Hearing that, Karina felt her blood rushing, her heart pounding faster than usual. What was this? Was this a side effect of absorbing a less pure crystal core? She would pay more attention to it next time.

Confusion flickered in her eyes. Did Jeffry really like her? Since when? Why hadn't she noticed before? Suddenly, memories of her past life surfaced, reminding her that she hadn't dated anyone in the last thirty years of her two lives. The only thing she felt now was confusion about what to do.

"I..."

"I know this is not the right time. You can give me an answer when things settle down at the base. For now, I'll deal with the mutant and restore things to how they were," Jeffry interrupted her abruptly. And just as quickly, he disappeared from her sight, leaving Karina with doubt filling her mind.

...

"Karin!" The sound of someone calling snapped Karina out of her thoughts.

She turned to the side and saw Eila, who had suddenly appeared beside her.

"What are you thinking about, Kak? I've been calling you and you didn't answer," Eila complained, shaking her head.

Karina glared at Eila, their eyes meeting in a sharp gaze.

"If you've got nothing to do, you might as well help haul the zombies out," Karina said firmly, giving Eila a direct order.

Hearing Karina's command, Eila slouched and went off to drag the corpses of the zombies that the militants had taken down.

At the moment, Karina was busy overseeing the development of a new military zone at the old school building. She noticed the numerous zombie corpses still scattered around, waiting to be cleaned up.

Karina grabbed a radio-like device with an antenna to call in another team to help with the cleanup. As she was about to press the call button, she suddenly felt an unsettling sensation. She started sensing a horde of zombies approaching the area.

Quickly, Karina shouted, "Everyone, get inside! A horde of zombies is coming!"

After that shout, chaos erupted. People were trampling over each other, frantically trying to get inside the building as fast as they could.

Karina was no less agile, running with quick steps in search of the control room with the loudspeaker system.

"Close all gates and front doors!" she shouted, her voice full of urgency and worry.

However, a staff member approached her with a puzzled expression. "Ms. Karin, there aren't any zombies approaching. Why are you talking like that?" the staff member asked, confused, trying to understand the reason for the sudden command.

Karina shot the staff a sharp look, emphasizing the urgency of the situation. "Use your eyes. If zombies attack, I'll be throwing you out there," she said sternly.

Hearing Karina's words, the staff member in the brown uniform gulped nervously, grabbing the binoculars hanging around his neck and quickly scanning the area. But all he saw were a few old cars on the road, no zombies like his superior had said.

After a few moments of observing, he spotted a thick cloud of smoke about a hundred meters away and panicked. Karina swiftly moved toward him.

"I see a horde within a hundred-meter radius!" he said quickly.

Karina immediately snatched the binoculars from the brown-uniformed staff member.

"Argh!" the staff member yelped as his neck was tugged, quickly releasing the binoculars hanging around his neck.

After examining the scene, Karina pressed her lips together and spoke into the microphone, "A horde of zombies is approaching within a hundred-meter radius. Military personnel, prepare your weapons. Once you receive my command, start shooting!"

Hearing Karina's announcement, all the soldiers quickly grabbed their guns and ran to their assigned positions. Once the zombies reached within fifty meters of the school gate, she gave the command to fire.

Karina hesitated. She clutched her hands in worry as reinforcements had not yet arrived.

Brutally, the horde of zombies broke through, smashing the fences that lined the road. Their flesh writhed in hunger, and their red eyes glowed as they searched for prey. The terrified screams of the people filled the air, creating chaos around the building.