Skills for Survival
"I need him to survive. He just saved me. I need to help him, gain his favor—at least make myself a bit safer!" Daphne patted her chest, trying to give herself courage, and finally made up her mind.
Knock, knock, knock!
Yang Tian paused, looking at his bare upper body and the untreated wounds. He sighed, put on his jacket, and opened the door.
"What... do... you want?" His raspy voice almost made Daphne drop the medical kit.
"I... I saw you were covered in blood, so you must be seriously hurt. I'm studying medicine, and I can help with treating your wounds," Daphne said, summoning her courage, her head slightly bowed.
Yang Tian raised an eyebrow, suppressing his fierce aura as much as possible. "Aren't you... afraid of me?"
"I have to face it. You were right. We both chose a crazy path, and we should at least trust each other and... take care of each other."
Yang Tian stared at the timid girl for a moment, then slowly stepped aside and walked toward the bed.
Seeing the zombie make way for her, Daphne let out a big sigh of relief. Put nicely, she was caring for the zombie; bluntly, she was trying to appease him, as her fate was in his hands.
Daphne walked forward, pulling off Yang Tian's jacket, revealing the makeshift bandages covering his wounds. As she carefully unwrapped each one, her eyes widened in shock.
His body was covered in wounds, twisted and grotesque like small snakes.
Feeling her gentle touch, a hint of appreciation flashed in Yang Tian's eyes. He hadn't expected the girl to have some skills; he thought she was just a clueless girl.
"Still in school?" Yang Tian asked, breaking the heavy silence.
"Yes... UCLA, medical school..." A hint of pride flashed in Daphne's eyes—a feeling she hadn't had in a long time.
"Oh... a top student." Yang Tian teased, though the effect would have been better without his grim voice.
"My name is Daphne Johnson. You can call me Daphne. What's your name...?" Daphne smiled, once again confirming her suspicion. This zombie seemed to remember a lot, almost like a normal person, not just a zombie with some intelligence.
"Yang. Call me... Young," Yang Tian said softly.
"You used to be human, right...? I'm sorry, I mean, how did you end up like this?"
"My team and I were targeted by a zombie leader... We fought fiercely, and in the end, three of my teammates died. The remaining four were rescued. Oh... except for me—I guess I count as one of the lost." Yang Tian said with a hint of self-mockery, gesturing at his half-human, half-zombie appearance.
"My God... you really were human? No... I mean, you remember everything? You still have human thoughts, a complete human mind? That's... that's amazing!" To Daphne, this was incredible news. She could finally relax a little because standing before her was a human wrapped in a zombie shell.
"That's why we can sit and talk like this, why I can look at you and not lunge at you," Yang Tian muttered, his gray-green eyes scanning the girl's exposed skin. It was like a drug to him—the most lethal temptation.
Daphne felt a chill run down her spine, and she shivered. Yang Tian also sensed things were getting out of control and quickly averted his gaze. Silence once again filled the room.
After a while, Yang Tian broke the silence again, "Home—Los Angeles?"
Daphne nodded, her eyes suddenly welling up.
"Why did you come to the northwest? Tired of the beach, decided to try the desert?" Yang Tian joked.
"It was a vacation. I hated the control at home. To them, everything was about profit. If the world hadn't suddenly changed, I would have been married off within a year or two, to someone I despised." Daphne shook her head slightly, her voice soft. "I wanted to get away for a while. A friend told me the underground racing here was amazing, so I wanted to see for myself. I didn't expect to get stuck here."
"Racing?" Yang Tian asked, surprised.
"Yes... not quite like most girls, right?" Daphne rubbed her reddened eyes, a confident smile spreading across her face—it was captivating.
"Let me think... a rich heiress, a UCLA top student, a wild street racer, and a beautiful girl... I bet there were lots of people chasing after you."
"Of course!" Daphne said proudly. She tied a butterfly knot with the bandage on Yang Tian's arm, her head held high. "Back then, I was..."
She suddenly stopped, covering her forehead with her hand. She looked at Yang Tian and said, "Heh... all those things I was proud of are gone now. I'm just a struggling girl trying to survive. My looks and body have become burdens."
Yang Tian shrugged. "Didn't your family come to save you? Isn't your family powerful?"
"Upper-class, but not top-tier... maybe the family is gone now. In this world... I don't even know where those monsters came from! God should really punish them!" Daphne became more agitated as she spoke, eventually cursing loudly, completely forgetting there was a zombie in front of her.
"Have you thought about what you'll do if Los Angeles is in the same situation—or worse? What if your family really is gone?" Yang Tian asked suddenly.
"I... I..." Daphne was at a loss for words. If what Yang Tian said was true, what would she do then?
"Starting tomorrow, I'll teach you some things," Yang Tian said, seeing her confusion.
"Teach me... what?" Daphne's blue eyes were filled with uncertainty.
"Teach you how to survive." Yang Tian looked at the butterfly knot on his arm and said slowly.
"I just want to go back to Los Angeles. I don't need anything else..." Daphne watched Yang Tian's expression carefully.
"You have to learn. I can't take someone who can't even hold a gun to Los Angeles," Yang Tian said firmly.
"Who says I can't hold a gun?" Daphne pouted, tying another butterfly knot on Yang Tian's arm.