Chapter 118: Your Doomsday Has Been Delivered (1)

City B.

Once a city ablaze with lights, it now lay in ruins and darkness.

“Can we still get out alive?” A voice choked with sobs echoed from a shadowed corner.

“We definitely can. We will leave this place,” came the resolute reply.

“But… how do we get out?”

If the camera were to pull upward from the ground, it would reveal that this group stood right in the city’s heart.

Elsewhere in the city, strange, malformed figures roamed.

Clack, clack, clack—

“Do you hear that?”

Several people held their breath, listening intently.

Clack, clack—

The sound of high heels striking the ground.

Clack, clack, clack, clack—

In the surrounding silence, the sound was unnervingly clear, as if it were—

A chill rose along everyone’s spines, shooting straight to their heads. Stiffening their necks, they turned around.

In the darkness, only a vague silhouette appeared.

It stood not far behind them.

Was it human or...?

Before anyone could decide, a beam of light suddenly shone in that direction.

The beam cast directly upon the shadow, revealing the figure behind them.

It was a little girl, dressed in a fluffy red dress, her high heels shimmering with scattered light.

She looked like a star who had just descended the red carpet—radiant and dazzling, utterly out of place amidst this desolate world.

Startled by the sudden light, the girl raised her hand to shield her eyes.

“Are you... alive?”

“Obviously,” she murmured, pressing her palm downward in the air. “The light’s too bright.”

…

Ling Qiong had thought that once the last mission ended, she could leave. But—leave? Not a chance!

No matter how much she cursed the heavens, the world, or the game, she had to accept reality.

Because she couldn’t get out…

…

This was a post-apocalyptic zombie mission.

A sudden meteor shower struck various places across the world.

Soon after, some humans became infected by the virus carried by the meteors, indiscriminately attacking the uninfected.

Those attacked would join their ranks.

For the first two days, they were called monsters.

Later, influenced by movies and TV shows, they became known as zombies.

The mission’s backdrop was a familiar trope: after the apocalypse, the heroine opens a safe space, teams up with the hero to establish a base, and carves out an oasis for humanity.

Ling Qiong’s current role was Xu Wuyan, a friend of the hero’s childhood sweetheart, Lin Miaoru—though “friend” was more of a euphemism for serving as Lin Miaoru’s personal maid.

Originally, Xu Wuyan had little connection with the heroine.

Most of the time, Lin Miaoru, the heroine’s jealous rival, clashed directly with the heroine.

During a supply run, Lin Miaoru, feeling slighted, decided to teach the heroine a lesson.

Unexpectedly, the author abruptly ended the storyline; the heroine, who was not supposed to die, met an untimely end.

And she died because of Lin Miaoru.

Fearing that the hero would find out she caused the heroine’s death, Lin Miaoru ordered Xu Wuyan to keep silent.

Xu Wuyan, naturally, dared not speak out.

But Lin Miaoru remained uneasy.

She found an opportunity to eliminate her.

Xu Wuyan was lucky to survive, unaware it was Lin Miaoru’s doing, thinking it was an accident.

Soon after, Lin Miaoru found another opportunity. During an outing, she sold Xu Wuyan to a group of male survivors.

In this world, women were rare—especially beautiful ones.

One could imagine Xu Wuyan’s grim fate.

From that point, her life was filled only with despair.

…

When Ling Qiong arrived, it was just as the hero’s group retrieved the heroine’s body for a simple funeral.

Yes! Another heroine’s funeral.

It seemed that being born under the heroine’s spirit tablet was a solid character trait.

After the funeral, fearing Xu Wuyan might reveal secrets, Lin Miaoru left her alone in a place swarming with zombies during a supply run.

So here she was.

She had been here for two days.

This was the first time in the city she had encountered moving living beings besides the grotesque creatures outside.

These people had entered the city to scavenge supplies.

They had intended to stay on the outskirts but were chased by zombies into the city center.

“Why are you alone?”

The group was cautious, keeping their distance from Ling Qiong.

“Isn’t being alone okay?” Ling Qiong tilted her head, her voice soft and gentle, sounding sweet and obedient.

“…”

It wasn’t a question of okay or not.

It was more like: why on earth are you dressed like you’re about to walk a red carpet?

This was the apocalypse. Even if people could stay clean at first, no one cared about cleanliness later on.

Those who dressed up were just courting death.

Eventually, even the vainest had to change out of their dresses and heels.

Survival was paramount.

The girl they had encountered was too strange…

There’s a saying: the more beautiful something is, the more dangerous it tends to be…

“It’s not that it’s not okay, but your outfit…”

Ling Qiong spread her hands innocently, “What’s wrong with it? Don’t I look good?”

“…”

It wasn’t about looking good or not.

Ling Qiong crossed her arms and said softly, “This world’s already awful. Can’t I look nice to feel a bit better?”

“…”

That was true.

But now, everyone only thought about survival; there was no time for anything else.

“You… how do you run like that?” Wearing high heels—are you crazy?

“Why would I run?”

“What if zombies chase you?”

“I have a car.”

“…”

But there must be places the car can’t reach.

…

Ling Qiong carried no weapons. Aside from the eerily clean and polished appearance, she seemed harmless.

Just a sweet, obedient girl whose soft voice put others at ease.

“What are you doing here?”

“Just getting some fresh air,” Ling Qiong fanned herself lazily. “It’s too hot now.”

“…” Hot, yet you’re dressed like that!!

No, with zombies all over the streets, you come out for fresh air—aren’t you afraid of being caught?

The group had eight survivors—not too many, not too few.

The leader was a sturdy young man named Fang Sanqian.

“Why not Fang Ten Million?”

“...What good is a house now?” Empty houses were everywhere, but no one dared live in them.

They were all young, averaging under twenty-five.

“Is there a safe place nearby?” Staying here was dangerous; zombies could appear at any moment.

“There is.” Ling Qiong glanced at them. Since they were alive and seemed decent enough, she decided to be kind and help them. “Follow me.”

“Are we really going with her?”

“She’s alive, not a zombie…”

Some debated quietly.

Some trusted her; others were wary.

They feared encountering bad people…

In these times, judging by appearance alone was a costly mistake.

—— End of excerpt ——

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