Chapter 29: The Meal

Inside Villa 18, Max lowered the bone flute from his lips.

A minute later, the trembling beneath the villa finally stopped.

Max scanned the room with a suspicious look.

"This place gives me a bad feeling."

He waved one hand.

"Let’s go."

The five surviving men looked as if they had just been spared execution. They hurried after him without asking questions.

None of them noticed the foul-smelling liquid slowly leaking through the crack beneath the basement door as they left.

---

At the abandoned auto shop on the eastern edge of the city, Talon returned in a panic with Blaze and his four remaining men.

The moment they entered, Talon began tearing through cabinets and storage boxes.

"Find something useful!" he shouted. "Medicine, disinfectant, anything!"

He desperately searched for something that could treat the blisters spreading across his face.

---

7:00 AM.

The roaring outside Century Skyline Villa District had grown louder throughout the night.

Ethan stood beside the bedroom window on the third floor of Villa 8, pulling the curtain open just enough to see outside.

The scene beyond the glass made his expression tighten.

Zombies filled the open spaces between the villas. Hundreds of them stumbled through the streets, pressing toward the fortified compound.

Ordinary zombies slammed into the alloy perimeter wall. Their nails scraped across the steel plates, producing a constant, grating screech.

Several zombies with cyan-black skin repeatedly rammed their heads against the main gate. Each impact sent a faint vibration through the wall.

Farther away, three zombies with webbed hands and feet were climbing the drainage pipes, their fingers sticking to the metal as they slowly made their way upward.

"There have to be at least a thousand," Ethan muttered.

His gaze shifted toward the roof of Villa 9.

The Winged Zombie crouched there, half-hidden in the shadows. Her dark-green eyes flickered as she watched the swarm below.

Behind him, Daisy lay curled up on the sofa. Her face was pale after spending most of the night using her Mental Ability.

"The cyan-black zombies have a strong defensive instinct," she said quietly. "It’s almost like their bodies are constantly bracing for impact."

She took a breath.

"The webbed ones feel different. Their emotions are tied to adhesion. They can cling to almost anything."

Her voice grew tense.

"But the Speed Zombies are the worst."

Ethan looked back at her.

"Why?"

"One of the ordinary zombies got in their way earlier." Daisy swallowed. "They tore it apart instantly."

Ethan’s eyes narrowed.

He turned toward the surveillance screen.

Several zombies that looked little more than walking skeletons wandered through the streets. Their bodies were thin and withered, but their fingertips gleamed with a metallic sheen.

They had clearly consumed Cores connected to Metal Abilities.

That alone was troubling.

What disturbed Ethan even more was what they were doing next.

The Evolved Zombies gathered around the bodies of ordinary zombies. They crouched down, forced open their victims’ skulls, and dug into the brown matter inside with their claws.

They were eating the brains.

Ethan watched in silence for a moment.

"They’re consuming the Cores inside ordinary zombies," he said. "They’re using them to evolve."

His expression hardened.

"If they keep doing this, one of them will eventually become strong enough to break through our defenses."

Debbie approached with a cup of hot water. A soft white glow radiated from her palm as she placed her hand against Ethan’s back.

After a full night of treatment, the wound had finally scabbed over.

"Don’t worry too much," she said. "The defenses can hold for now. We have enough food to last three months, and the diesel should keep the generator running for at least six months."

Ethan accepted the cup but did not drink.

"We can’t stay trapped here forever."

His gaze remained fixed on the monitor.

"Last night, Daisy sensed something moving beneath the ground. That means there may still be threats under the villa district."

His expression grew grim.

"Even if we survive the zombie swarm outside, we might not be safe underground."

Ethan lowered his eyes and checked the two remaining Cores in his Survival Space.

The first two women on the system’s gift list were still on cooldown.

Sofia had five days remaining.

Daisy had four.

He was looking forward to seeing what the next gifts would bring.

Hopefully, something useful.

---

Over the next two days, Ethan tried several times to reach Villa 9 through the underground tunnel.

The moment he approached the basement exit, he could hear movement above him.

Heavy footsteps.

Scraping claws.

The constant, restless sounds of zombies.

He tried digging in different directions, but every route led to the same problem. The number of zombies surrounding the villa was simply too high.

Breaking through would expose him to too many enemies.

He had no choice but to wait.

On the morning of the third day, Ethan was awakened by a sharp gasp from Daisy.

"Ethan! The Winged Zombie is attacking the other Evolved Zombies!"

He rushed to the surveillance screen.

The Winged Zombie had pinned one of the thin, withered zombies to the ground. Her claws tore through its skull, and she began devouring the Core inside.

A flash of crimson crossed her dark-green eyes.

At the same time, a faint golden glow appeared along the edges of her wings.

Ethan’s expression darkened.

She was growing stronger by consuming the Cores of other zombies.

"She’s absorbing their abilities," he said.

His hands slowly tightened.

"If she keeps this up, she may eventually become strong enough to tear through the alloy wall."

The mood on the third floor immediately turned heavy.

Outside, the zombie horde continued to roar and crash against the defenses.

Inside, no one spoke.

Sofia sat with her knees drawn to her chest, her face pale.

Rose held her daughter’s hand tightly. Her knuckles had turned white.

Daisy sat with her eyes closed, her brow deeply furrowed as she tried to monitor the situation outside.

Nina did not fully understand what was happening, but she could sense the adults’ fear. She clung to Debbie and refused to let go.

Debbie looked around at the worried faces before turning toward Ethan.

He stood in front of the surveillance screen, his expression hard and focused.

To everyone else, he looked calm.

But Debbie could see the strain in his eyes.

Everyone was relying on him.

That meant he was carrying more pressure than anyone else.

"Everyone, don’t lose hope."

Her voice broke through the silence.

She stood up and forced a small smile.

"There has to be a way out of this. We’ll find one."

She looked around the room.

"We’ve spent days worrying about the zombies and barely eaten proper meals. If we keep letting fear control us, someone is bound to make a mistake."

Her gaze settled on Daisy.

"You used to love experimenting with recipes, didn’t you? You always said you wanted to cook for everyone but never had the time."

Daisy looked up.

"Why don’t you make us a real meal today?"

Daisy stared at her sister for a moment.

Then she understood.

In a situation like this, something as simple as a warm meal could help everyone feel human again.

She took a deep breath and nodded.

"You’re right. I’ll cook."

She forced a smile.

"People can’t survive on fear alone. We need food if we’re going to think clearly and find a way out of this."

Sofia immediately raised her hand.

"Yes! I haven’t had a proper hot meal in forever."

She turned toward Daisy.

"I’ll help you prepare the ingredients."

Rose nodded in agreement.

The oppressive silence finally began to break.

The women moved into action, heading toward the kitchen and gathering whatever they needed.

Soon, the sounds of knives chopping vegetables and pots clattering against the stove drifted through the villa.

Then came the smell of real food.

Slowly, it pushed back the fear hanging over the room.

Ethan watched them work from the doorway.

His shoulders relaxed slightly.

He understood exactly what Debbie had done.

She had given everyone something ordinary to hold on to.

And in a world like this, ordinary things had become precious.

Ethan returned to the window for one more look outside.

The Winged Zombie was gone from the roof of Villa 9, but the horde remained.

The streets were still packed with undead bodies.

He lowered his gaze and checked the two Cores in his Survival Space.

Daisy’s cooldown would end tomorrow.

He hoped the next gift would give him a way to break the stalemate.

---

Daisy’s cooking turned out to be far better than Ethan expected.

By dinner, the table was covered with steaming dishes.

For the first time in days, everyone sat together without constantly watching the windows.

The atmosphere was almost lively.

After a few glasses of wine, the emotions everyone had been holding back finally began to surface.

Sofia’s cheeks flushed as she raised her glass.

"Before the Apocalypse, I was worried about my college entrance exams."

She gave a helpless laugh.

"Who would’ve thought things would turn out like this?"

Rose stared into her glass.

"My company was working on a new drug," she said quietly. "Then the Red Fog appeared, and everything fell apart."

Daisy slowly swirled the wine in her glass.

"I used to study human psychology every day. Now I spend every waking moment sensing the emotions of zombies."

She gave a bitter smile.

"I’m starting to think it’s driving me insane."

Debbie did not drink. She simply sat beside Ethan and watched him quietly.

Daisy glanced toward him.

"What about you, Ethan?"

The alcohol had made her more curious than usual.

"What did you do before the Apocalypse? You’re good at almost everything."

Ethan paused.

For a split second his mind went completely blank.

What was he supposed to say? That the last thing he remembered was almost having sex with his girlfriend before her father shot him in the head?

He cleared his throat, eyes dropping to his plate.

"Em... nothing. Nothing special."

That answer seemed to satisfy her for the moment.

Dinner continued until the plates were nearly empty.

Later, Rose helped Sofia back to their room on the second floor.

Daisy had the highest alcohol tolerance among them. Her cheeks were red, but her eyes remained clear as she helped Debbie clean up the kitchen.

---

11:00 PM.

Debbie sat on the edge of the bed for a while, listening to the distant roar of the zombie horde against the walls. Nina was already asleep, her small body curled under the blanket.

She carefully lifted her daughter and carried her the short distance to where Daisy was already lying down. Without a word, she gently placed Nina beside her sister, pulled the blanket over both of them, and stepped back.

Daisy didn’t stir.

Debbie turned, crossed the dark hallway, and quietly opened the door to Ethan’s room. She slipped inside and closed it behind her with almost no sound.

Outside, the zombies kept crashing against the walls.

Inside, the night changed.