Que Tang snapped her eyes open and sat up in bed, gasping for breath. "I really can't deal with these 'suicidal' mission endings anymore. Why is this system so sadistic? Couldn't you provide a flash memory-wiper like in *Men in Black*? Just one flash, everyone's memories are gone, and I wouldn't have to die, right?"
"Because we don't have the budget, meow~"
"..." Que Tang decided not to speak to this cat lest she be provoked to death. Suddenly remembering the addition of an infant, she turned her head. She saw the child already gripping the rails of the crib, struggling to stand as she watched her. In an instant, Que Tang’s heart throbbed from the sheer cuteness. "So adorable~"
Unexpectedly, as soon as she spoke, the child’s lip trembled, and she began to wail.
"Do... do I look that scary?" Que Tang made a crying face.
"Host, please check the infant status panel, meow~"
Que Tang stepped forward to check. The status panel read: *Satiety: 10, Diaper is wet, Needs a bath, Wants a hug.* There was even a little crying face drawn on it. "...I'm the one who wants to cry, okay?"
She then began a frantic series of tasks under the panel's guidance. After being busy for half the day, she collapsed onto the bed in exhaustion, letting the child crawl over her stomach and play with the Little Mushroom.
"Don't step on my belly!" Que Tang protested weakly. The infant, thinking she was playing, giggled and reached out to pinch her cheek. "...Where did this brat come from? Heavens, taking care of a child is more exhausting than a mission. When I get back, I’m definitely going to be a more filial daughter to my parents."
After more fussing, the child began to get cranky again. Having gained some experience, Que Tang checked the panel and saw she was sleepy. She quickly picked her up to coax her, singing a lullaby. After rocking her until her arms felt like they were going to break, the baby finally fell asleep. With movements as delicate as if she were handling a high-precision instrument, she placed her back in the crib and pressed the automatic function.
"Quick, let me into the next mission. I don't want to stay here and babysit. Also, set me as a mute character this time, so the female lead can't over-analyze everything I say and boost her affection level! And can the 'Female Lead' and 'Male Lead' indicators only appear during the first meeting? Otherwise, I can't look anyone in the eye." She grabbed the Little Mushroom urgently.
"Is the Host sure about disabling the speech and indicator functions for this mission? Meow?"
"Positive!"
"Alright then~ meow!"
Que Tang thought she saw the Little Mushroom flash a suspicious smile. She was about to call a halt, but when she blinked again, she had already arrived in the world of the next mission.
She was sitting on the floor of a cluttered room. Furniture was piled up against the door. Besides her, there were two other men and two women. Everyone was holding iron bars, their expressions etched with utter exhaustion.
"...This isn't the kind of story I think it is, right?"
"Correct, it's the apocalypse. Since the first two were novice missions designed to help the Host quickly familiarize herself with the system, the difficulty was low. Starting from this mission, the difficulty returns to normal, and the points will increase. Meow~"
"...Fine. So, what's the plot outline this time?"
"The character the Host is playing is a college girl who lost her ability to speak after witnessing her parents' murder before she reached adulthood. The female supporting character is the Host's older sister. The two sisters had always depended on each other until the protagonist went to college, leaving her hometown for this university town. However, one month after the semester started, a mutant strain of an infectious bacterium that originally only spread on the African continent—called S87—began to emerge. It remains dormant in the body for six months, so the virus, which was thought to be confined to Africa, began to be discovered in infected individuals all over the world. Once the disease manifests, the infected go mad and bite people, unable to restrain their instincts. Their skin gradually rots and falls off over time, and their brains are taken over by the strain, turning them into unconscious creatures surviving solely on instinct. This world calls them zombies. Those bitten or who have contact with the infected also become carriers. Since there is currently no cure, it quickly spread globally. Meow~"
"You only introduced the virus; you didn't give me the outline at all. Don't try to fool me!"
"Meow, don't be so impatient. The background is also very important. Anyway, a month after school started, zombies appeared everywhere. The government and military couldn't handle it effectively, so a wave of panic swept through cities worldwide, including this university town. Classes have long since stopped. Many students turned into zombies, while others were bitten to death. A few, like the Host, survived and live a life of constant flight. Because you are separated from your sister, you must return to your original city, City A, to find her."
After listening to this long, tongue-twister of an outline, Que Tang caught a vital point. "Wait, what did you just say? I have to find my sister? So the female supporting character is my sister?"
"That's right, meow~"
"Since the female supporting character is my sister this time, why did I disable my speech function?! Can anything even happen between sisters? Even if the affection level is maxed out, we'd just be sisters with a great relationship. No wonder you were smiling so deviously! Dammit, let me speak again!" Que Tang practically wanted to strangle this treacherous system cat.
"No can do. Once the settings are locked and the mission begins, they cannot be modified. And Host, you really are 'too young, too simple.' Who says nothing can happen between sisters? Haven't you seen those unscrupulous novels on Jinjiang's Yuri section? Meow~ However, due to recent censorship crackdowns, we harmoniously changed the original setting: the sister was adopted as a child, while you are the biological daughter."
"...What kind of unscrupulous system is this! Even so, they're still sisters!"
"Meow~ Host, calm down. To avoid cases where a Host regrets their choices, we provide one opportunity to speak. There is a research institute in this world dedicated to curing the S87 virus. They will develop a universal cure that can not only restore the Host's voice but also return the infected to their human state. As long as the Host finds this institute, you can get the medicine—but there is only one dose. As for the Host's sister, on the second day after zombies breach the city's defenses, she will be pushed into the horde by her colleagues to buy them time to escape. She will then become the world's only 'Zombie King' who retains her intelligence, consciousness, and an appearance indistinguishable from a normal human."
"..."
"The original story goes like this: On her way back to City A, the female lead meets the male lead, a childhood neighbor who happened to be here on business. The two return to City A together to find the sister. During their flight, the male lead gradually falls for the female lead. The sister becomes jealous and eventually reveals her identity as a zombie, leading the two to execute her for the greater good. Because the sister in this world suffers betrayal from her colleagues at the start, her initial 'Blackening Value' is at a maximum of 100, and her affection for the female lead is at 50. The Host's task in this world is the same as the previous ones: make the male lead fall hopelessly, desperately in love with the female supporting character. Meow~"
After listening, Que Tang was silent for a while. "You call this 'increasing the difficulty a little'?"
"Yes, it's just Normal difficulty, meow. In game terms, it's 'Normal'."
"I might have a way to make a male lead fall for a person, but making him fall for a zombie is just too twisted!"
"You can restore her to human form, meow~"
"That's still too hard! How many points is this mission worth? It should be very high."
"It is, 600. Meow~"
"What did you say? Say it again. Six hundred? You call that an increase? This system is too stingy!"
"Stop complaining! I was too nice to you before, meow~ Other systems don't even give points for novice missions." The entity seemed to be losing patience. "This time, besides the strengthened constitution from the cultivation world being transferred directly, I'll give you a storage ring from that world as a starter pack. In this world, I have no physical form and will communicate with you directly through your consciousness. The rest of the plot guidance will be explained as the story progresses. Host, please begin the mission."
Que Tang, who had been sitting in the corner, stood up helplessly. She walked toward the man who was the leader in her memories and pulled out a notebook.
*I'm not staying here to wait for death. I'm going back to City A to find my sister.*
The man's face was a grotesque mask of long-term fear, exhaustion, and hunger. He said impatiently, "We've already blocked the door with furniture. There are zombies everywhere outside. I'm not opening the door. If you want to leave, you can only go through the window. Also, I'm not letting you take any food or water." She was just someone they met on the road; if she wanted to go out and die, he wouldn't stop her. At least there would be one less person to share supplies with, allowing him to survive a bit longer while waiting for rescue.
*It doesn't matter. I'm going back for my sister.* After writing this, she tore out the page and put the notebook back into her black backpack. Under the gaze of the four people, she opened the window to observe. They were in the dormitory area of the university town. The dorms were six stories high, and they were currently on the third floor.
Que Tang looked down. Perhaps because it was daytime, there weren't many zombies on the road. She continued to observe and saw a supermarket about two kilometers to the left. The distance between the buildings on her side was about a hundred meters. She looked up and estimated the distance to the roof and the ground. In less than three seconds, she decided on a strategy.
After putting the iron bar into her backpack, she nimbly climbed out the wall, carefully ascending along the air conditioner ledges and water pipes. The strengthened constitution Little Mushroom mentioned was indeed useful. She reached the roof with ease.
Because the roof door was permanently locked, there were no zombies. She gauged the distance between the two dormitory buildings. After a practice run and jump to confirm her physical state, she sprinted from the far end and leaped, easily clearing the parapet to land on the next building.
*Yes!* she cheered silently.
After several more attempts, she finally reached the dormitory building opposite the supermarket. She tried to observe the situation inside the supermarket, but other than the fact that the main doors were shattered, she couldn't tell much. After confirming there were no zombies below, she climbed down from the sixth floor to the first and then sprinted into the supermarket. Because she didn't see clearly, she crashed into someone's embrace.
"Sor—" She managed one syllable before remembering she couldn't speak. She looked up, intending to apologize, but her eyes widened in shock.
Floating above that person's head was a line of text: *Female Supporting Character of this World.* Upon seeing her, the person also revealed a strange expression.
"Little sister?"
"Didn't you say the female supporting character was in City A? How did I run into her here?" Que Tang asked her practically useless guide in shock.
"Um, sorry Host, I looked at the wrong story. The female supporting character in *this* story is a Reborn Revenge Zombie. So, her affection level is negative fifty. Meow~"
"...Wait until I finish this mission, you're dead!"
Knowing that the person in front of her knew sign language, Que Tang used the original body's memories to communicate directly. *[Sister, why are you here?]*
"After the S87 virus broke out, I heard the entire university town had fallen. I was worried about you, so I came to find you," the sister said gently, but there was no emotion in her eyes.
Knowing full well the other was lying, Que Tang dutifully performed an expression of being moved, frightened, and dependent. *[Sister, don't say anything more. Let's quickly grab some food and water and find a safe place to hide.]* She gripped her sister's hand tightly.
"Meow~ Affection level from the FSC increased by 10. Currently negative 40."
"In this world, I can only live the life you want, grinding the sister's affection," Que Tang thought as she gathered food, pulling her sister along while simultaneously roasting the system's lack of integrity.
***
