Zombie Brain

Levi's breath hitched.

Visible shock spread across his face as more text flooded his vision. At first, it was just a simple description—

Corrupted BrainKey ingredient in several solutions, mostly defensive.

But then, a list appeared.

A long, sprawling catalog of uses for a zombie's brain.

Dozens—no, hundreds—of potential applications filled his vision. Medical solutions. Combat enhancements. Chemical byproducts. Every single one was locked, grayed out with an overlay that simply read:

[LOCKED]

His gaze drifted, and he saw more labels. Not just on the zombie—but on people.

Mrs. Lily.His classmates.

Parts of their bodies were highlighted, marked with uses just like the zombie's brain.

Every person in the room had labels, just like the dead.

Levi's stomach twisted violently.

It was like some hidden black-market horror. People weren't just people. They were also ingredients.

His hands trembled at his sides, his breath unsteady. Then, he threw up. The floating screen remained coldly indifferent.

The realization hit him like ice water down his spine.

To the system—to whoever or whatever made this—there was no real difference between a zombie's brain and a human's. No morality. Just parts to be used.

Levi swallowed hard, his entire body cold.

He had to fight the urge to look at himself—to see what he was worth.

Mrs. Lily's gaze snapped to Levi, her expression unreadable.

"If just watching makes you want to throw up," she said, her voice even, "then what will happen when it's your hands making the cuts?"

Her words hung in the air like a challenge.

Then, without hesitation, she continued the lesson. With measured precision, she demonstrated how to cut through the skull, the blade gliding through soft tissue before meeting bone. The sickening crunch echoed through the sterile lab, followed by the slow, careful removal of the brain.

When she was finished, she stepped back, wiping her gloves clean. "Your turn," she said simply.

Levi hesitated, staring at the snarling zombie before him. Though its mouth was gagged, the sight of it sent a shiver down his spine. The tools felt heavier in his hands, his pulse pounding in his ears. The knowledge that this was once a person made his stomach twist.

His breath felt shallow. His fingers twitched against the scalpel.

"I have a question," Levi said, raising his hand.

His voice wavered slightly as he asked, "Can zombie brains be used to create solutions?"

Mrs. Lily's gaze settled on him.

"No," she answered, tilting her head slightly. She took a slow step forward, resting a gloved hand on the examination table. "The only part of true value—the one worth harvesting at any cost—is the Chaos Heart. But the ones with high energy content and purity are extremely rare."

She gestured toward the brain. "That being said, zombie brains do have certain properties. One of the more useful effects is a mild repelling ability. As long as the brain isn't placed between a zombie and its intended meal, most will instinctively avoid it."

A few students exchanged glances, intrigued. Levi frowned. "Why?"

Mrs. Lily shrugged. "The exact reason isn't fully understood, but the most accepted theory is that it releases faint chemical markers indicating something is already dead and infected beyond usefulness.

"But," she continued, raising a finger, "this repellent effect has limits. If a zombie is starving or desperate, it'll ignore the aversion and go for whatever it can sink its teeth into."

A few students tensed at that.

"Additionally," she added, "certain components of the brain are used in the making of Symbiosis Armament."

Levi blinked. "Symbiosis… Armament?"

Mrs. Lily smirked. "That is a topic for another day."

Her sharp gaze swept over the group. "Does anyone have any questions?" she asked, her voice calm but expectant.

Silence.

Mrs. Lily clapped her hands once. "No questions? Then get to work."

The students shuffled into action, each group moving toward their designated table. The air was thick with tension as they donned their reinforced gloves and picked up the provided tools.

Levi and his group hesitated before one of his teammates, a tall girl named Luna, muttered, "Might as well get this over with," and pressed the saw against the zombie's skull.

The moment the blade met bone, a piercing screech filled the room. Sparks flickered, and Luna's arms trembled from the effort. The saw resisted, vibrating aggressively in her hands. Gritting her teeth, she pushed harder, but progress was painfully slow.

"Damn it," Luna hissed, stepping back to shake out her arms. "It's tougher than I thought."

Another student in the group, a girl named Elara, took over. She adjusted her grip, pressing the saw down with calculated force, but after a full minute of cutting, she had barely made a dent.

"This is insane," she muttered, sweat forming on her brow.

One by one, they took turns, their hands aching as they struggled against the unnaturally dense bone.

It took far longer than any of them expected, but eventually, the first skull cracked open with a sickening pop. A putrid stench immediately burst forth, like rotten eggs mixed with chemicals.

That was when things got worse.

As Levi reached forward with gloved hands to lift the brain, its slimy texture squished beneath his fingers. A thick, viscous fluid clung to his gloves. The unnatural warmth of the organ sent a wave of nausea rolling through him.

The moment Levi lifted it free, a chain reaction rippled through the room. The grotesque sight, the unbearable stench, the sickly texture—it was too much.

One student gagged. Another stumbled back, covering their mouth. Then the first retching sound came, followed by another, until half the class was hunched over, vomiting onto the cold, sterile floor.

Levi clenched his jaw, forcing himself to breathe through his mouth. His stomach twisted violently, but he refused to give in. Swallowing hard, he turned his attention to the jar beside him.

With shaky hands, he lowered the brain into the container, the thick fluid sloshing as it settled inside.