C8 Transform

Upon reaching the staircase on the 27th floor, the silence was still pervasive.

Descending to the 26th and then the 25th floor, they encountered no zombies, which only heightened their tension as they moved increasingly further from home.

On the 24th floor, the absence of zombies continued, yet the ground was smeared with bloodstains that trailed into one of the apartments, its door ajar but unlocked.

This particular apartment had several cracks in the walls, unlike the others, suggesting something significant had occurred within.

Jiang Feng felt a growing unease; the walls in Heyday were known for their sturdiness, and yet here they were, marred by numerous fissures.

He swallowed hard, his nerves frayed, but he steeled himself and inched forward with difficulty.

Even Urendir, battle-hardened as she was, couldn't suppress the pounding of her own heart.

Gun gripped tightly, Jiang Feng cautiously extended one foot and gently pushed the door open. There it was again—the sound. A low, indistinct moan that sent chills down his spine.

The most terrifying thing was hearing a sound without seeing its source. Jiang Feng's anxiety was so palpable he could hear his own breaths.

The trio entered the living room with utmost caution, navigating around the shards of glass and fragments of furniture strewn across the floor.

Beside a couch lay a body, utterly still.

Upon closer inspection, they saw its head was battered beyond recognition. They exchanged knowing looks and nodded to each other, confirming the body was indeed lifeless and posed no threat.

Meanwhile, Jiang Wei clutched the fabric of her clothes tightly, her slight trembling betraying her struggle to acclimate to the gore and death surrounding her.

Biting her lip, she gave her head a firm shake, willing herself to remain composed. Her young spirit harbored a resolute determination, fully aware of her reason for being there—she had to adapt, and quickly.

"Uh, uh, uh, uh…"

The low groan echoed once more, unmistakably the sound of a zombie.

Following the sound, it seemed the zombie was in the farthest bedroom, with the door still shut tight.

Jiang Feng gestured for Jiang Wei to stay put while he and Urendir cautiously made their way toward the bedroom.

Guns gripped firmly in hand, they inched closer to the room step by measured step.

"You are the angel among devils..."

Out of nowhere, the ringtone of a cell phone on the floor pierced the silence. It appeared to belong to the homeowner. Jiang Feng's heart nearly leapt from his chest; he hadn't anticipated overlooking the phone on the floor.

With a roar as fierce as a lion's, the bedroom door exploded into splinters. The zombie burst forth, charging at Jiang Feng with terrifying ferocity.

In a panic, Jiang Feng unleashed a barrage of bullets. "Bang! Bang! Bang!" They struck the zombie but failed to halt its advance.

The creature opened its gaping maw, lunging for Jiang Feng's neck.

For the first time, Jiang Feng tasted the flavor of death.

Another gunshot echoed as the zombie knocked Jiang Feng to the ground. Lying there, eyes wide and gasping for air, his heart thundered in his chest. He believed his end was near.

But though the zombie had pinned him down, it didn't bite. It lay motionless atop him.

Jiang Feng shoved the zombie off and saw the reason why: a gaping, bloody hole in its head.

"Jiang Feng, are you okay?" Urendir quickly silenced her phone and rushed to Jiang Feng's aid. "Idiot, who told you to fire wildly? You need to aim for the head."

Jiang Feng, now on his feet, was still reeling from the ordeal. It had all happened so fast. If not for Urendir's precise, life-saving headshot, he would have been torn apart. He shuddered at the thought of becoming a half-necked, disfigured creature. He hadn't imagined his first encounter would nearly end in disaster.

"Ahhhhh!" Jiang Wei's scream pierced the air, her body shaking uncontrollably. She had never been this close to such bloodshed and death for an extended period.

"Jiang Wei, stop screaming," Jiang Feng quickly muffled her cries with his hand.

From outside, a chorus of zombie roars grew louder and more frequent.

"This is bad. The zombies from the lower floor must have made their way up. They've sensed our disturbance," Urendir said, her voice laced with tension.

"Let's get out of here!" Jiang Feng grabbed Jiang Wei, ready to make a break for it.

But Urendir caught him from behind, "No, it's too late. Going out now would be walking right into them."

Urendir yanked Jiang Feng back and swiftly locked the anti-theft door.

"Shh, shh, shh," she gestured, signaling for silence as she aimed her gun at the door.

Jiang Feng clamped his hand over Jiang Wei's mouth, desperate to keep her quiet.

The anti-theft door might not hold if several zombies rammed into it.

Silence was their only option now. Since Urendir had shut the door before the zombies ascended, if they remained quiet, the horde might be unable to pinpoint the source of the noise.

Fortunately, the zombies' roars outside the door didn't seem to get any closer. They likely couldn't determine where the disturbance was coming from and were aimlessly roaming the hallway.

Urendir made a series of hand signals to Jiang Feng, who nodded in understanding. The trio then quietly and slowly retreated to the kitchen—the furthest point from the anti-theft door—and gently closed the door behind them.

In a hushed tone, Jiang Feng asked Urendir, "We can't be trapped here. You're a sharpshooter, right? Can't you take them down?"

"It's no use. The zombies move too fast. I couldn't get a bead on that one's head as it burst through the door. It took me two whole seconds to aim at such close range. With my current reflexes, I can't handle an onslaught from dozens of zombies," Urendir whispered back.

After a brief pause, Jiang Feng wiped the sweat from his brow and suggested, "Then maybe we should just transform right here."

Urendir hesitated, her brow furrowed with a hint of fear that something unexpected might occur.

"Jiang Feng, I'm concerned about the butterfly effect. Jiang Wei's time travel has already altered our future, so I'm really worried about potential accidents. I fear we might not evolve in sync," she expressed.

"Our future has indeed changed. Take, for instance, I would have never met you in the original timeline. But the butterfly effect is quite limited and will unfold in a reasonable manner based on the situation. Genetic changes are out of the question. And at this point, do we really have any other choice?" Jiang Feng reasoned.

After a few seconds of contemplation, Urendir bit her lip and decided, "Alright, it's do or die. If we don't change now, we'll be forced to change later anyway."

"Urendir, I need to keep Jiang Wei calm. Go get two cups of blood from that zombie. Drinking their blood will allow us to transform. Just be careful not to make too much noise," he instructed.

Nodding, Urendir picked up two cups from the kitchen and cautiously opened the door, tiptoeing to the corpse of the zombie. She drew her dagger, sliced the zombie's artery, and collected the blood in the cups.

With the zombie long dead and blood pressure low, the blood oozed out sluggishly. The roars outside the door made Urendir's heart race as if she were walking a tightrope, her back slick with cold sweat.

Inside the kitchen, Jiang Feng held Jiang Wei close, silently signaling her to stay quiet.

Minutes later, the cups were brimming with blood. Urendir slipped back into the kitchen, gently shutting the door behind her. Everything had gone off without a hitch.

The steamy cups of blood emitted a foul stench, nauseating both Jiang Feng and Jiang Wei. But with no other options, they steeled themselves for what had to be done.

"Will one cup be enough?"

"Absolutely. This much blood is teeming with super radiation," Jiang Feng assured her, taking a cup and offering a reassuring smile. "Let's do this. To our transformation—may it be as graceful as possible."

"I always feel like you rush into things," Urendir remarked, clinking her cup against Jiang Feng's with resolve. "But there's no turning back now." Without further ado, she took a deep gulp.

After about ten seconds, both of them had downed the entire glass in a single breath, despite the lingering taste of blood.

Setting down their cups, Urendir and Jiang Feng exchanged glances.

"Did our transformation work?" Urendir inquired.

"Probably not. The radiation through the digestive system might be slower," Jiang Feng replied, uncertain.

"Okay, let's just wait then."

No sooner had Urendir spoken than Jiang Feng let out a sharp cry, clutching his chest. "My heart... it feels like it's going to burst."

Jiang Wei, now free, cried out in alarm, "Dad, Dad, what's wrong?"

"Jiang Feng..." Urendir was suddenly gripped by a searing pain in her heart, mirroring Jiang Feng's description, as if on the brink of explosion. The agony made her unsteady, causing her to stumble and knock over a stack of cups and dishes, which clattered to the floor.

Then, the whole suite seemed to tremble, as if someone was battering the security door from outside.

"It's bad. The zombies have picked up on our disturbance; they're hitting the security door," Jiang Feng managed through clenched teeth, clutching his chest.

"Damn it, that file didn't warn us about any heart pain. Are we going to fail? What's actually happening?" Urendir gasped between throbs of pain.

"I have no idea. It wasn't mentioned in the guide," Jiang Feng said, pain forcing his eyes shut.

Unable to stand any longer, Urendir collapsed with a thud onto Jiang Feng.

Jiang Wei, pushing at both Jiang Feng and Urendir and weeping, pleaded, "Dad, Dad, sister, sister, what's wrong with both of you?"

"Jiang Wei, keep quiet. Don't make me regret taking you with us," Jiang Feng roared through his agony.

At the sight of Jiang Feng's furious face, a newfound resolve seemed to awaken in Jiang Wei. She quickly covered her mouth to stifle her cries, though tears continued to stream down her cheeks.

Seconds later, a resounding crash signaled the security door giving way, and several zombies staggered in.

The zombies, having lost sight of their target and their voices, began to scurry aimlessly throughout the room.