Chapter 81: Zombie King x Ex-Girlfriend (3)

As Lyra slowly opened her eyes, the nauseating, foul stench of rotting flesh and rusted iron was completely gone. Instead, her lungs filled with the crisp, clean scent.

Coming into her view was a stark white ceiling. She blinked away the lingering dizziness, her dark eyelashes fluttering as she turned her head to look around the quiet, brightly lit room. Standing near the foot of her bed was a young girl in a medical uniform, watching her with a wide, attentive gaze. The moment the girl saw Lyra stirring awake, she quickly turned on her heel and slipped out the door without a word.

A few moments later, heavy footsteps echoed down the tiled corridor.

A tall man in a pristine white doctor’s coat walked into the room, holding a medical clipboard in his hands- a certified doctor!

Lyra’s eyes darted around the clean space, her mind working rapidly. Was I brought to the survivor base? Did I actually succeed in getting rescued?!

"Hello," the doctor said smoothly, offering her a reassuring smile. "I am Dr. Richard. I treated your gunshot wound and cleaned your shoulder. How are you feeling right now? Any dizziness or sharp pain?"

Lyra gave a quiet, subtle nod, keeping her posture low and delicate. Since the System hadn’t notified her of any script updates or mission triggers yet, she knew better than to speak up too soon or act out of character.

Meanwhile, outside the medical room...

"Captain... are you truly sure about keeping her here?"

A sharp, anxious female voice echoed down the quiet hallway. Standing beside Kael was a senior female colleague- a high-tier water ability user named Sister Claire, who had been a senior student at the university and had always looked out for Kael like a protective older sister.

Claire’s eyes were narrowed in deep suspicion and disgust as she looked toward the medical room’s closed doors. "That is the exact same girl who used you, dumped you, and made a complete fool out of you in front of the entire campus! I have already seen her true, selfish face. Keeping someone like Lyra Vance in our base is an absolute waste of precious resources! She won’t hesitate for a single second to betray you and the team the moment she gets a better opportunity!"

Kael stood completely motionless, leaning against the cold concrete wall with his arms crossed over his chest.

He stayed silent, his pitch-black lashes casting long shadows over his pale cheekbones. How could he possibly forget? He clearly, vividly remembered every single detail of how that spoiled, arrogant rich girl had targeted him, treated him like an academic slave, used his genius for her own convenience, and then tossed him away like a piece of worthless trash the second his background was exposed.

Without uttering a single word, Kael stood up straight, his tall, broad frame casting shadow. His cold, emerald-green eyes glinted with an unreadable light as he turned and walked toward the medical room, with Claire following closely behind his heels.

Through the clear glass window of the door, Kael’s gaze landed directly on Lyra.

She was sitting up in her medical bed, her dark hair falling softly over her shoulders, offering a sweet, dazzling smile to Dr. Richard as she thanked him.

The second Kael saw her smiling so brightly at another man, a sudden spike of irritation flared violently in his chest! His dark eyes grew misty and shadowed, an unnatural wave of possessive anger surging through his veins.

I hate her, Kael thought bitterly, his jaw setting tightly as his knuckles turned white. I despise her with every fiber of my being... that’s the only reason why seeing her smile makes my blood boil like this.

CREAK.

Lyra looked up instantly as the heavy door pushed open.

Kael stepped into the room, his towering, lean body radiating an icy pressure that instantly filled the quiet space. He stopped at the foot of her bed, looking down at her fragile, pale face with cold, piercing green eyes.

"What’s your plan behind saving me?" Kael demanded coldly, his voice flat and completely devoid of warmth.

"Huh?" Lyra’s eyebrows furrowed into an immediate, offended scowl.

WDYM ’WHAT’S MY PLAN’?! Lyra screamed frantically inside her mind, her soul rolling its eyes in absolute outrage!

"A simple ’thank you’ would have been more than enough!" Lyra huffed out loud, glaring straight into his handsome, cold face with absolute defiance. "What do you mean ’why did I save you’?! If I hadn’t jumped in and impaled that mutated Level 3 zombie, you would have been a bloody, dying corpse on those marble steps!"

Even though Lyra knew perfectly well in her head that he was the hidden, invincible Zombie King and nothing in this world could actually kill him, who cared?! It was her golden opportunity to act like his heroic savior!

Kael’s emerald eyes flickered slightly at her fiery attitude. He let out a low, cold breath, his expression remaining unreadable.

"Fine," Kael replied flatly. "Thanks for it. Now that your shoulder has been treated and you’re awake, you can leave the library and find a new base."

DANG IT!

Ding!

[ HOST! DO SOMETHING! ] the System shrieked frantically inside her head, flashing bright red warning lights everywhere! [ YOU CANNOT LEAVE HIS SIDE! IF YOU GET KICKED OUT OF THE BASE, YOU WILL BE EATEN ALIVE BY ZOMBIES IN FIVE MINUTES! ]

"This... You...!" Lyra stammered out, her dark eyes widening in genuine panic as she looked up at him.

Suddenly, she let out a soft, delicate wince, her small hand flying up to clutch her bandaged shoulder as her face paled.

"U-Understand this, Captain..." Lyra whimpered, her voice dropping into a soft, pitiful, and sweet tone as she looked at him with wide, crystal-clear, teardrop-glistening eyes. "My wounds are still fresh and it’s paining so badly right now! If I leave the base like this, the smell of my blood will attract every zombie on the block, and I can’t even defend myself... Please, take me into your base! I have nowhere else to go!"

Kael stared down at her trembling, small form.

He had fully expected her to throw a loud, spoiled, arrogant tantrum like she used to on campus, screaming at him and demanding special treatment. But instead, she was looking up at him with pure, clean, and desperate eyes, softly pleading for his protection.

Something deep within Kael’s frozen, mutated heart gave a strange thud. His cold, piercing gaze locked onto her teary face, his mind momentarily short-circuiting.

"...Fine," Kael finally spoke, his deep voice carrying a strict weight. "You can stay for a few days. But you better pull your own weight and work. There is no place for a free slacker in my team."

Lyra’s lips twitched, her eyes flashing with hidden fury.

Yet, she quickly forced a bright, obedient, and angelic smile onto her face, nodding her head enthusiastically. "Yes! Thank you, Captain!"

Meanwhile, inside her head...

FUCK YOU, YOU UNGRATEFUL BRAT! Lyra roared inside her soul, violently punching an imaginary Kael in her mind! I TOOK A BULLET FOR YOU AND YOU’RE CALLING ME A SLACKER?! I HOPE YOUR ZOMBIE ARMY EATS YOUR HOMEWORK!

Seeing her unusually obedient and sweet reaction, Kael turned his cold gaze toward the silent senior sister standing behind him.

"Transfer her to..." Kael paused, his dark green eyes slowly scanning Lyra up and down, taking in her dirty, blood-stained clothes. "...First, take her to wash up. I will check up on her living arrangements later."

With that cold, brief command, Kael turned on his shoe and swept out of the medical room, his broad shoulders disappearing down the hallway.

Lyra looked down at herself with a disgusted pucker of her lips. Yeah... she was looking completely, undeniably filthy. Blood, ash, and black dirt covered her denim jacket, making her look like a abandoned street kitten.

She swung her legs over the bed and stood up, looking over at Senior Sister Claire.

From the original host’s memories, Lyra instantly recognized this woman. Claire was a respected senior student who had always helped Kael out during his poor university days, treating him like her own precious younger brother. Knowing what the original host had done to Kael, Claire naturally harbored a deep, burning hatred for Lyra.

Knowing her place, Lyra quietly and submissively followed Claire down the long corridor toward the residential quarters.

"There are no extra clothes for refugees here," Claire said coldly, stopping outside a small room and handing Lyra a neatly folded set of fresh garments. "So wear mine."

Lyra took the clothes and stepped into the small private washroom.

She unfolded the outfit, discovering it was a delicate, floral-print summer mini dress! Lyra held it up against her body- it was a bit loose around her slender waist, but with a quick tuck, she could easily manage it. The vibrant colors looked stunning against her fair skin.

Since fresh running water was extremely scarce in the apocalypse- available only when water-ability users like Claire generated limited supplies for essential cooking and medical needs- there was no shower.

Lyra didn’t mind at all. She pulled out her trusty pack of fragrant wet wipes, thoroughly scrubbing her entire body clean from head to toe until her skin was smooth, porcelain-white, and smelling faintly of sweet roses.

System, Lyra called out in her mind. Open the Mall!

Using a tiny fraction of her remaining prestige points, Lyra purchased a basic, high-tier cosmetic kit- a hydrating lip tint, light blush, and an eyebrow pencil.

Standing before the small washroom mirror, Lyra expertly applied a touch of rosy tint to her lips, dusted a soft pink hue onto her cheeks, and brushed her long, silky dark hair until it fell in soft, voluminous waves around her shoulders.

She stared at her reflection in the glass, her dark eyes wide, bright, and mesmerizing.

"No wonder she was called the campus crush..." Lyra muttered under her breath, a small, proud smirk curling her rosy lips. In the soft light, she looked like an exquisite, fragile, and thoroughly pampered little princess of a wealthy household- a striking contrast to the ruined, blood-soaked world outside.

Taking a deep, steadying breath, Lyra pushed open the washroom door and stepped back out into the hallway.

"Thank you so much, Senior Sister," Lyra said in a soft, sweet, and graceful voice, bowing her head politely.

Claire, who had been leaning against the wall with an irritated, cold expression, turned her head-and her breath instantly caught dead in her throat!

Her eyes bulged out in speechless shock as she stared at the girl standing before her.

Claire’s mind went completely blank. She had remembered Lyra Vance as an arrogant, loud, and heavily caked makeup bully... but she didn’t remember her ever being this devastatingly, jaw-droppingly pretty!