Chapter 33: Similar Plot

Zerra closed her eyes, mentally saying goodbye to both the female lead and the male lead. The next time they met, she would no longer be Zerra, but a zombie king.

They would stand on opposite sides and she would serve her last purpose as the stumbling block in their love life. She waited for the pain to come, but…

Her eyes abruptly opened wide. She had fallen into someone's embrace. It was Cassias. His hand circled around her waist while the other one held a gun, shooting each zombie with incredible focus and accuracy.

One by one, the zombies fell down. Cassias kicked some incoming zombies, and with his hand still holding Zerra tightly, he kicked them. There were over a dozen of them. 

"Fool, what are you doing going there knowing zombies are inside?" Cassias frowned in displeasure at Zerra. Shoving her behind him, he put the gun in her hand and began to use his hands.

The sounds of bones breaking entered Zerra's ears, and she winced, snapping out of her dazed state. Cassias' actions surprised her. Still, his actions of breaking the zombies' necks were a terrifying scene.

After he brought the last zombie down, he dragged Zerra out of the room. There was a disappointment and a hint of suppressed anger in his eyes that made her feel guilty.

She fidgeted, biting her lips. Shaking her head, she stuttered, "I was just too shocked to react…"

Cassias let out a breath, and his emotionless mask was back. It was unknown what he was thinking or whether he believed her words or not. His hand grabbed hers again. They went to the farthest room.

"Sir, anything I can help you with?" The person inside was shocked when he saw Cassias's icy face. 

"That room over there." Cassias pointed at the room full of zombies earlier. "Who was there?"

The doctor looked taken aback. "Is there something wrong with the observation room over there?"

"All the medical staff turned into zombies." Cassias didn't beat around the bush. Zerra watched as the doctor's expression morphed into shock and then a mix of various expressions. 

"You know something?" Cassias pressed him sternly, and the doctor avoided his gaze as he swallowed. She thought in her mind, he was so fierce, intimidating the poor doctor like that. Look at that doctor's glasses; they visibly shook a bit.

The doctor finally relented when he couldn't stand Cassias' chilling eyes. He opened his mouth and carefully said, "Among the people in the examination room, one is the doctor's lover."

The room fell into a brief silence.

The lover might have hovered in between zombie's instinct and her human's side. And the doctor was quite foolish and most likely released her from the rope because he couldn't bear to see her in pain. The ending was already expected.

The doctor took off his glasses and wiped his face, sighing deeply in pity and some regret. "I shouldn't have given him that room even if he begged me, but look at now… and the other medical staff too…"

He glanced at Cassias' somewhat unkempt attire and could already surmise what happened to the zombies in that room. Since he and Zerra were standing there and alive, it meant that those people had been released from having their bodies taken over by the zombie virus.

Glancing at the file in his hand, he sighed. He was in charge of all the observation rooms, and other doctors had to report to him once a day about the condition of bitten people.

As if realizing something, he asked Cassias and Zerra, "Since you are here, is there something I can help you with?"

Cassias eyed him skeptically. "Is the observation room still safe?"

"Of course." The doctor pursed his lips. "I am really sorry for the incident in that particular room earlier. It was part of our negligence, and I also thank you for helping us with the zombies."

After he said that, he asked with doubt, "Is one of you injured?"

"That would be me." Zerra, who hadn't spoken since earlier, opened her mouth. She was a bit surprised that her voice came out so hoarse.

Cassias also frowned. He asked the doctor, "Do you have some water?"

"Eh? Of course." The doctor took a small bottle of water and handed it to Zerra. Cassias snatched the bottle, muttering a succinct thanks, and unscrewed the lid.

"Drink." He handed over the bottle to Zerra, who took it and instantly drank a few gulps. Her throat didn't feel as dry as before. 

"Where have you gotten bitten, Miss?" The doctor asked, and then proceeded to scribble something on his paper, taking notes of every answer to the questions he asked.

As the doctor went out a moment later, it was only her and Cassias inside.

"Thanks." She muttered quietly, lifting her head. "You can go back now. They need you."

Cassias lifted his eyebrows and his lips curled up a bit. It was the same look he had used to look at Daniel earlier, with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.

Zerra knew how terrifying this man was and what kind of personality that lies behind his occasional gentlemanly facade. She pursed her lips. 

Fortunately, the doctor went back at this moment. He informed them of the room that Zerra can take for her observation period, which was usually one to three days.

There were already a few people inside, and after Cassias made sure that the other people's ropes were tight enough, he left. There were some beds with curtains, so she couldn't see other patients.

As she laid down and boredly waited for time to pass, she inwardly grumbled about how she was always unlucky when either protagonist was present. This time, when she opened a door, it just happened to be a room filled with zombies.

And then there was dork Daniel too. What kind of cannon fodder was he? Instead of targeting Nyra or Cassias, he picked on her. He deserved one star rating!

Just wait, she would definitely take revenge on him. He also turned into the Brown family's lackey… she vowed to make him her lackey!

Once she became the zombie king, his zombie dog would follow her command, and seeing how he treated those golden retrievers, as soon as she could get one under her wing, she surely could lure and conquer him.

But… that needed to wait until she became the zombie king.

A day passed as Zerra continued to daydream in boredom. She just had her breakfast after her siblings and Cassias checked up on her. She lifted her eyebrows when she heard some commotion outside. 

"What is happening?" She asked. Her voice drowned out, and none answered her. However, from the small window, she saw a sight that made her blood run cold no matter how many times she saw it.

Her skin tingled, and suddenly the rope that locked her on the hospital bed felt too tight. 

She wanted to escape, but couldn't. It was still a mystery where those zombies had come from… she remembered Darren's words about how zombies started appearing out of nowhere in some hospital room.

The next time she blinked, she found herself surrounded by those zombies. They clutched the curtains, and with beast-like growls, they got rid of those cloths that hindered their movement.

In the broad daylight, they approached her. Their draggy footsteps were like the echo of doom.

Then, she felt the familiar, excruciating sensation like her soul was pulled out of her body. This time, she was bitten by the horde of zombies for real…

None heard her screams of pain.