Chapter 10: The Beginning of the End

The night wind howled through the abandoned city, carrying the scent of blood and decay. Streetlights flickered weakly, their dying glow barely illuminating the crumbling buildings. The once-thriving metropolis was now nothing but a graveyard of rusting cars and shattered glass.

Zhao Yue walked beside me, her shotgun held tightly in her grip. Her combat suit, taken from the police station's armory, clung to her body, highlighting her curvy yet athletic figure. Even with the cold determination in her eyes, I could tell she was still adjusting to this new world.

"Where to next?" she asked, scanning our surroundings.

I checked the mini-map on my system interface. "There's an abandoned train station nearby. If we're lucky, we'll find supplies."

"And if we're unlucky?" she muttered.

I smirked. "Then we get stronger."

The road was eerily silent. No movement. No growls. Just the distant creaking of broken signs swaying in the wind. But I wasn't fooled—this wasn't peace. This was the quiet before the storm.

I tightened my grip on my katana. Zhao Yue walked a step behind me, covering our backs. Her sharp eyes scanned every corner, her body tense, ready to react. I could tell she had experience, but this world was different from any battlefield she had known.

A sudden rustling in the distance made us stop.

I turned my head slightly. "Incoming."

The New Breed

The creature emerged from the shadows. At first, it looked like a normal zombie—pale, rotting flesh, empty eyes. But the moment it moved, I knew it was different.

It was fast.

It lunged forward with unnatural speed, its claws swiping toward me. I barely had time to dodge before it crashed into the car behind me, denting the metal frame.

Zhao Yue raised her shotgun and fired. A direct hit to the chest. The creature didn't fall.

"What the hell?" she cursed.

I activated my skill—Phantom Slash. My blade blurred as I moved, a ghostly afterimage trailing behind me. I aimed for its neck.

The katana sliced cleanly through the creature's throat, severing its head from its body.

It hit the ground with a wet thud.

[You have defeated a Mutant Zombie!]

[EXP +200]

[Level Up! +2 Stat Points Earned]

I exhaled, wiping the blood off my blade. "They're evolving."

Zhao Yue's grip tightened on her shotgun. "If they keep getting stronger, how long can we survive?"

"As long as we need to," I said. "But we need answers."

The train station loomed ahead, its once-bustling platforms now covered in dust and dried blood. Old suitcases were scattered across the floor, left behind in the chaos of the first outbreak.

Near the entrance, a flickering television screen caught my attention.

"Look at this," Zhao Yue whispered, pointing to the screen.

I stepped closer. Static crackled across the display. Then, an image appeared—a news reporter, disheveled and bloody, staring into the camera.

"This is… this is the end," she whispered. "We thought it was a virus. But it's not. It's something else."

She turned the camera, showing something that made my blood run cold. A massive, glowing rift in the sky.

"They're coming through," she sobbed. "Not from our world."

Then, a monstrous roar. The screen cut to black.

Zhao Yue took a step back. "What… what did we just see?"

I clenched my fists. So this wasn't just a random apocalypse.

Something—or someone—had caused it.

And they were still out there.

Before I could say anything, a slow clap echoed through the station. Footsteps approached from the darkness.

I turned, my hand on my katana.

A man in a pristine suit stepped forward, flanked by several armed thugs. His slicked-back hair and arrogant smirk made me instantly irritated.

"Well, well," he drawled. "Look what we have here. Survivors."

Zhao Yue tensed. "Who the hell are you?"

"The name's Lu Chen," he said, adjusting his cufflinks. "And this station? It belongs to me."

I chuckled. "Funny. I don't see your name on it."

His smirk vanished. "You must not know who I am."

"I don't care," I replied. "Step aside before I step over you."

The thugs reached for their weapons.

"Big mistake," I muttered.

Domination

The fight was over in seconds.

The first thug lunged at me, but he was too slow. I dodged his swing and drove my katana through his chest. [Critical Hit!]

Zhao Yue moved like lightning, her shotgun blasting through another enemy's skull.

Lu Chen took a step back, his confidence crumbling. "W-Wait! We can talk about this—"

I grabbed him by the collar and pulled him close. "People like you are parasites," I whispered. "And parasites don't belong in this world anymore."

I slammed my fist into his gut, sending him crashing into a rusted ticket machine. He groaned, clutching his stomach in pain.

[Domination Bonus Achieved!]

[Special Reward: B-Rank Skill – Shadow Step]

[Weapon Acquired: Cursed Katana]

[+10 Stat Points Earned]

I smirked as the system notifications popped up. "Looks like I win."

Lu Chen coughed, blood dripping from his lips. "You… bastard…"

I turned away. "Survive if you can. If not, I won't waste my time burying you."

Zhao Yue looked at me, a flicker of respect in her gaze. "You didn't kill him."

I sighed. In my past life, I cared too much. And it got me killed.

This time, I wasn't making the same mistake. But maybe… just maybe… I hadn't lost all my humanity.