CHAPTER 115: DOOMCLOCK: TICKING

"Let’s move."

As Sian uttered those words, chaos erupted in the ballroom.

While everyone stood in confusion and panic over the terrifying scene they had just witnessed, no one noticed that some of their peers had grown pale and begun acting strangely.

Their bodies twitched and jerked with slow, unnatural movements—then, as if struck by a surge of electricity, they convulsed violently before their eyes turned red... or blank white.

Yes.

They had turned.

They were no longer human.

In Sian’s time—his world—these creatures were the most dangerous, most repulsive beings he had ever encountered.

Even though these ones are far from the mutant’s scary creatures, they still resemble them, so Sian could know from one look that the virus effect then was similar to that in his world.

They were the nightmare that never ended.

And now, that nightmare had returned to choke his reality and drag it into a living hell.

Suddenly, pandemonium filled the air.

The live broadcast, which was supposed to capture a boring, ordinary party, had turned into a horror movie.

This was a hundred times more terrifying than the infamous forest livestream, where terrorists took civilians hostage.

At least back then, there wasn’t so much blood.

No one had seen a person devour their fellow human.

No one had heard screams like these—screams that seemed to rise straight from the depths of hell.

Terrifying. Bone-chilling.

"Sian, what the hell is going on?!" Lan Qisheng couldn’t keep up with the chaos unfolding before him. He had no idea what he was supposed to do.

He turned to Sian, who stood silently, seemingly untouched by the carnage surrounding him—like a pure flower amidst a rainstorm of blood. And yet, the flower remained, blooming with solemn beauty.

Sian dodged an attack from a blood-soaked man with fangs, kicked him away, then turned to the two men beside him and said in a calm, tired voice,

"What’s happening... is that those bastards’ plan was to unleash a deadly virus on this island. As you can see, it turns anyone with a weak immune system into a flesh-eating monster—in other words, a zombie."

His icy tone sent a chill down their spines, but both men stayed silent, knowing Sian hadn’t finished.

And indeed, after a pair of sighs, Sian continued,

"They’re no longer human. And there’s no cure for this virus. So don’t let your hearts falter. If you get scratched, you’ll suffer the same fate."

Sian glanced toward Jiao Liangchen, who was pushing some people—no, some zombies—out of his way, his ears still tuned to Sian’s words.

"Jiao Liangchen, spread the word to your men. Tell them what needs to be done. Have them sweep the island and try to rescue as many as possible. The virus spreads fast, and the signs are obvious. It’s okay to bring along anyone who appears normal, as long as they haven’t been bitten. And also, tell your superiors one more thing..."

"From this moment onward, the island must be completely sealed. No one gets in, and no one gets out. Or else... the entire world will be at risk."

And judging by the grim look on Sian’s face, he wasn’t joking.

Lan Qisheng immediately pulled out his phone and called his grandfather.

"Hello? Grandpa? Listen, there’s something I need—"

"What?"

"I want to say—"

"I heard everything, you brat!" his grandfather barked. "The livestream’s still up. Everyone’s watching. The whole damn world knows what’s happening."

"Then can we lock down the island?" Lan Qisheng didn’t want to waste time. They needed to act fast if they were going to escape alive.

"You little punk! Do you have any idea how much chaos is spreading online and across the world right now because of you? Do you think this old man can clean up after you every time? Huh? At the very least, you should’ve shut off the cameras after things went south!"

"Grandpa, do I look like I’m in the mood for a lecture? Just do it. Get the military to block every route off the island. And don’t let anyone—or anything—leave. Didn’t you hear what Sian said?!"

"Fine, fine! Just keep yourselves safe. The troops are already moving. I’ll do what I can to prevent this from turning into a catastrophe. Also—cut those damn cameras. My stomach’s turning from this horror show. In all my years in the army, I’ve never seen something this disgusting."

"Alright, Grandpa. Goodbye."

Lan Qisheng ended the call just as Jiao Liangchen hung up his own. The latter had given orders to his men, then contacted intelligence headquarters to do the same.

"Now the real game begins," Sian said, though his smile was more sorrowful than playful. It was the kind of smile you give when you’re mourning something.

"Let’s move fast. First, just like the old man said—destroy all the cameras. Then gather as many survivors as possible, and get out of here."

Sian had been standing closest to Lan Qisheng and had naturally overheard everything his grandfather had said.

As the trio began to move swiftly through the chaos—dodging zombies and people frantically leaping in terror for their lives—they knew the cameras were still broadcasting every second to the outside world.

No one dared kill anyone, not even a zombie. They only used minimal force to push them away.

Because even if Sian had said these creatures were no longer human and couldn’t be cured, the world wouldn’t believe it.

If they killed someone now... they could be tried for murder.

But it didn’t matter.

The world would believe it soon enough.

"Sian! Sian, help me! Please! I don’t want to die! I don’t want to die..."

Song Zijian’s face was a mess of tears and mucus. His heavy makeup, once used to flaunt his beauty, had melted off his face, making him look even more horrifying than the zombies below.

He stood atop a table, trembling, as four or five zombies clawed at him from below, desperate to tear him apart.

The scariest thing about these monsters wasn’t just their hunger, but the fact that they wouldn’t die unless their necks were severed. And the virus they carried was extremely infectious.

Other than that, they weren’t particularly fast—but not slow either. They didn’t think, didn’t feel. They moved on pure, primal instinct—a blind craving for human flesh.

"Sian! Help me! We’re friends, remember? I’m your childhood friend! You can’t just leave me here! You can’t—!"

Sian ignored his screams.

He moved toward the final camera in the hall and yanked out its cords.

Finally, he exhaled.

Now he didn’t have to hold back anymore.

Only God knew how hard he’d been trying not to rip the heads off those wretched monsters.

But the last bit of rationality in him had stopped him—because this wasn’t the apocalypse. Not yet.

He still had a chance.

A chance to prevent disaster. A chance to protect this beautiful world from turning into ash.

After that... he wanted to live peacefully. To eat, drink, sleep... and grow old with white hair.

And for that dream, he couldn’t afford to break the law—not now.

He couldn’t risk ending up in a dark cell... or worse, being sentenced to death.

As Sian tried to calm himself, reminding himself this was still just a solvable crisis, he saw three men wielding chairs, pushing zombies away from two trembling women whose tear-streaked faces looked as delicate as morning dew.

Some people, Sian thought, cry beautifully.

And others... well, others cry like Song Zijian.

...

Liang Zixuan, Kong Yusheng, and Long Weiji were drenched in sweat, struggling to keep the hungry zombies at bay—zombies whose mouths gaped open, ready to consume them at any moment.

Meanwhile, Dong Linrui and Liu Yufei looked close to fainting from fear.

Sian realized the trio wouldn’t last long. He stepped in.

In four swift movements, he flung the zombies away with surgical precision.

"Are you alright?" he asked, stepping closer and noticing the blood on them.

"Were any of you bitten?"

For a moment, Liang Zixuan felt the air around Sian drop several degrees.

"No. That blood’s from someone else. He was standing near us when the zombies attacked."

"Good. But if I were you, I’d take that shirt off. Don’t let any of that blood touch your skin, or else..."

Sian gestured toward the transformed monsters with a glance.

Everyone understood instantly.

They stripped off their outer layers, revealing short-sleeved shirts underneath.

Lan Qisheng and Jiao Liangchen approached, a group of survivors following them.

As people who served the public, their priority was saving lives—and so they had gathered everyone who hadn’t yet been infected.

Still, compared to the original number of guests in the hall, the survivors were only about half.

Some had turned into zombies.

Others... had become their meals.

"These are all who’s left?" Sian asked quietly, though his golden eyes seemed dimmer than usual.

Lan Qisheng wanted to check on him, but now was not the time.

Their priority was to escape alive, come up with a solid plan, and try to save the island—before it became a nest of the undead.

Before it infected the entire world.