The next day... I officially became a zombie hunter.
After running from the Rank 2 zombie, I came up with a simple strategy: find other zombies at my level or lower, and beat them before they could bite me. Sounds easy. In practice? Yeah, not so much.
Zombies are... everywhere. But they're not all stupid.
Some crawled through the streets. Some leapt like frogs—and one of those almost took off half my arm with a sneak attack. But thanks to my upgraded Claw skill, I could fight back faster. My slashes now were deadly. Literally.
Every time I killed a Rank 0 creature, I felt this strange energy surge into my body. It was like replacing a dead battery with a fresh one—hot, raw, and dangerously addictive.
I had no idea what time it was. But when the sky started to glow red and the strange noises in the mall quieted down, I knew night had fallen.
I limped into an old changing room, shut the door as best as I could, and sat in the corner, hugging my knees.
I called up my status screen again.
Name: Sylvia Hortensia
Race: Zombie (Rank 0)
INT (Intelligence): 10
~ Regeneration (3/10) – 3 HP/second
"I'm... insane. Four levels in one day. What kind of zombie am I?"
I stretched out my fingers. They were starting to feel more flexible, more... alive? Though that word felt a bit ironic.
Regeneration was definitely active now. I could feel the wounds I took earlier slowly closing up. No pain. No sound. Just... cold.
"If humans need sleep, what do zombies need? Emotional rest?"
My eyes stared up at the dark ceiling. On one hand, I wasn't tired. But on the other... there was a strange emptiness hanging over me.
Maybe because I still carried memories of being human. A 40-year-old man who worked like a mule, loved coffee, and always dreamed of a second life.
"And now I actually got that second life... though, well, in the form of an undead teenage girl."
Irony of the century.
Day 2: You have resisted your zombie instincts.
Self-control status: 2 out of 3 days.
Survive one more day to unlock a special upgrade.
I nodded slowly "Just one more day... Then we'll see, Sylvia, if you can still stay yourself."
I leaned my head against the wall. Not sleeping. Just... still. Watching the darkness. Waiting for morning.
A zombie girl, awaiting her evolution.