Chapter 2- Mission: The Figher

A student stepped inside.

He wore a first-year uniform, but something was wrong.

His skin was pale. His eyes were clouded white. Blood oozed from a deep wound on his neck, trailing down his shirt. His right arm hung limp and lifeless, while the left side of his body had turned a sickly green.

The class fell silent.

All eyes turned to the doorway.

The teacher squinted, puzzled. "Hey! What are you doing here? And what happened to you—?"

The boy didn't answer.

Instead, he growled.

A wet, hollow sound that scraped the air like broken glass.

Qian Yao stood up, eyes wide, heart pounding.

"He's a zombie!" he shouted. "Everyone, run!"

For a moment, no one moved.

Then chairs scraped across the floor. Books fell. Screams echoed.

The entire class stood from their desks in panic, eyes fixed on the grotesque figure at the door.

Long Hua, the school's bully who never feared anyone, turned to Qian Yao, his voice shaking.

"Are you kidding me? How can there be a zombie?"

The science teacher stepped forward, brow furrowed.

"H-Hey! Boy, aren't you a first-year? Don't play around. Go back to your class."

Qian Yao didn't respond right away. His eyes were locked on the boy's body—on the lifeless limbs, the green, decaying flesh, the blood leaking from the wound on his neck.

If the system is right... then he's not human anymore.

He turned to the teacher, voice cold and steady.

"Sir. He's a real zombie. Move back. Now."

Panic swept through the students. One by one, they bolted toward the back of the classroom, shoving chairs, tripping over bags, and crying out in fear.

The science teacher stared at the boy, disbelief still in his eyes.

"I don't believe it. Zombies aren't real. This is just... some kind of prank..."

The boy growled.

His skin darkened completely to a rotting green. His jaw unhinged slightly, saliva mixed with blood dripping from his teeth.

Then he leapt.

The teacher didn't even scream in time. The zombie slammed into him and sank its teeth into his arm.

A howl of pain exploded from the teacher's throat.

"AAAGH! It hurts—please—someone help—I don't want to die!"

Outside the classroom, chaos reigned. The hallway was filled with screams, running footsteps, and the guttural groans of the undead. Through the windows, students could be seen sprinting across the sports field as more zombies emerged—clothes torn, eyes white, jaws dripping red.

It wasn't just Jiangxi High School.

It was everywhere.

News reports blared across the world. Inside a newsroom, a terrified reporter clutched her microphone.

"We don't know what is happening, but this is dangerous. I think—it's the end of the world. It's a zombie apocalypse."

A zombie wearing a torn blazer and necktie suddenly appeared behind her and bit into her shoulder mid-broadcast.

She screamed.

Back in the classroom, the bitten teacher writhed on the ground, blood pouring from his wound.

"Please—don't let me become one of them—"

The students cried and screamed.

"What is this?! Is this our end?!"

"Qian Yao was right—it's really the zombie apocalypse!"

"We're going to die!"

Even Long Hua, once fearless, stood frozen with his gang at the rear of the classroom.

"Are we going to die like this?"

Qian Yao stood still.

His hands trembled.

"So... it really started."

Just then, a green screen flashed before his eyes. No one else saw it. Only him.

System Mission

Mission Name: The Fighter

Objective: Kill one zombie

Reward: Newbie Package

Failure: Host's Death

The letters turned blood red.

He stumbled back, heart racing.

"Nooo! How could this be?!"

His shout echoed louder than the rest. All eyes turned to him—wide, scared, and confused.

Even the zombie that had bitten the teacher turned its head, as did the teacher himself... now twitching, pale, and changing.

All attention was on Qian Yao.

A terrible growl echoed through the classroom.

Both the zombie student and the now-transformed teacher lunged toward Qian Yao, their jaws wide, eyes white with hunger.

The other students screamed and scattered, stumbling over desks and backpacks to get away from the center of the room. But none ran to help. Instead, they parted like a wave, leaving Qian Yao alone in their path.

Qian Yao hands trembled.

His legs wanted to move, but they wouldn't.

Fear clawed at his heart.

And then—his mind cracked open.

A flood of memories surged through him. Every moment of humiliation. Every insult. Every bruise.

The first day he walked into Jiangxi High, full of hope—only to be met by sneers and fists. The jeers, the cruel dares, the demand for photos of his sister. In every hallway, behind every corner, there was someone ready to push him down.

He had lived his life at the bottom. A loser. A punching bag.

But now... the world had changed.

And he wanted it this way.

He needed it this way.

Back in the present, Qian Yao looked up. The zombie was only steps away from him, mouth wide, teeth bared.

With shaking hands, he grabbed the metal chair beside him.

Gasps filled the room.

"Is he trying to fight it?"

"He's going to die… and then we're next."

"I just want to see my crush one last time…"

In the chaos, Long Hua and his lackeys began creeping toward the classroom door, avoiding attention, faces pale.

The zombie lunged.

Qian Yao swung.

The chair slammed into the zombie's ribs with a loud crack.

The creature flew backward, crashing into the ground with a thud.

The room went silent.

Then, the shuffling sound of feet—Long Hua and his gang darting through the doorway, leaving the rest behind.

"Long Hua just escaped!" someone shouted.

"Did you see that? Qian Yao hit the zombie!"

"That was amazing!"

"Amazing? He's just trying not to die! He won't last long!"

Before anyone could react further, the teacher-turned-zombie leapt from behind. His jaws aimed straight for Qian Yao's head.

Qian Yao spun, chair raised.

This zombie… take this!

The chair came down with brutal force, striking the creature's skull. The zombie collapsed, its head smashing against the floor with a sharp boom.

It didn't move again.

The classroom erupted into stunned murmurs.

"He… killed it."

"He actually killed it…"

"Qian Yao, thank you!"

"There's still one left!"

The student-zombie groaned and stood once more, rising from where it had fallen. Rage burned in its eyes.

Qian Yao turned to face it.

And then, the green system screen appeared again—visible only to him.

System Notification: Mission Complete – The Fighter

Reward Obtained: Newbie Package

Do you want to open it? Y/N

Without hesitation, Qian Yao selected Yes.

Please… give me something good.

The screen changed.

You have received: Weapon Mastery

Your Strength has been doubled (compared to normal human limits).

He felt the change instantly. Energy surged through his veins. The chair in his hands felt lighter—more like an extension of his body than an object.

The screen changed.

[System Notification]:

"Initiating final synchronization… Host and System compatibility at 97%... 98%... 99%...

Perfect synchronization in progress.

From this moment onward, the line between system and host shall cease to exist."*

Just as Qian Yao was looking at the green system screen.

The zombie rushed forward.

Qian Yao didn't wait.

He moved with speed and precision he never had before. The chair swung in an arc, crashing into the zombie's ribs—once, twice, then into its chest a third time.

The zombie's body crumpled.

It twitched once. Then went still.

Qian Yao stepped back, breathing heavily.

Looks like he's dead.

One by one, the other students began to move again. They slowly approached him, expressions a mix of awe and disbelief.

"Qian Yao… how did you do that?"

"He killed them both…"

"And we just hid… like frogs…"

Qian Yao looked at their faces—people who mocked him only hours ago, now looking at him like he was a hero.

Now they know how to respect me. If none of this happened, they'd have used me as bait to escape.

He forced a weak smile.

"Oh… thank you. Now let's get out of here."

But inside, a darker thought bloomed.

I have to keep them alive. Not because I care… but because they can be useful. Tools to protect me. Heh.

For now, Qian Yao was their leader.

No one said it aloud—but no one questioned it either.

Without speaking, he gripped the leg of a chair still lying near the fallen zombie. He twisted it back and forth, wood creaking under pressure. With a sharp cingh, the leg snapped free.

He tossed the broken frame aside.

This rod will be useful, he thought, testing its weight in his hand.

Then, gripping the makeshift weapon, Qian Yao stepped out of the classroom. The others followed behind him in silence.

The corridor outside was a scene from a nightmare.

Bodies were scattered across the floor—some students missing limbs, others lying in pools of dark, congealed blood. The walls were smeared with red handprints. Desks had been overturned, and backpacks lay open, contents spilling out like the last moments of their owners' lives.

Qian Yao's eyes scanned the carnage.

So many students… dead.

Behind him, the others stared in horror. A few students began to cry. One covered her mouth, trying to hold back a scream. Another leaned against the wall and vomited.

They walked slowly, single file, moving like shadows toward the staircase at the end of the hall.

Just as they reached it, a sound broke the silence.

Footsteps.

Slow. Measured. Echoing from the stairwell above.

Qian Yao froze, raising the broken chair leg in his hand.

The others stopped, holding their breath.

He stepped forward, heart pounding.

Eyes fixed on the shadows at the top of the stairs.