Chapter 7：Elegant lifestyle

Zane strutted back to his high-rise palace, towering over the city like it owned the place, claiming twenty floors as its kingdom.

The pad was spotless, every corner shouting sleek and modern.

The white steel railings outside the windows were tough as nails, fending off storms and mutant weirdos alike.

Up top, the solar panels kicked back like they were sunbathing, keeping Zane's place powered up 24/7.

Even with a zombie horde looming, Zane's mind was buzzing with plans.

Electricity was his sidekick, fighting off the boring silence of being solo.

The vivid scenes on his TV, the thrill of video games, and the constant flow of online news jazzed up his end-of-the-world routine.

Everything was set, just waiting for the legendary Apocalypse to knock on his door.

Time hung over him like a ticking bomb, counting down to zero hour.

As dawn broke, the sun showed up right on schedule, lighting up the quiet city.

Zane remembered the Apocalypse was scheduled for 9 AM.

He glanced at the clock; the minute hand was sneaking past 8:59.

The final countdown was on.

He looked out the window, watching the busy streets below where folks were laughing and bustling, oblivious to the brewing storm.

The ticking clock pounded like a drumbeat to Armageddon, heralding a new age.

Right at 9, the sky lost its cool, the morning sun turning a deep red like it was caught off guard.

People looked up, puzzled.

"Yo, why's the sun acting all Hollywood?"

"No idea! Is this some cosmic thing?"

"Take a pic, slap it on Twitter…"

While everyone was busy capturing the bizarre sky, a sinister vibe crept in.

People began collapsing, hitting the ground hard.

Cars crashed, glass shattered like confetti, and chaos crashed the scene.

As panic and fear exploded, the Apocalypse pulled back the curtain.

People slowly realized something was seriously wrong, their expressions twisting with concern.

"Babe! What's wrong with you? Get up!" a woman on the sidewalk shook a man vigorously.

"Roar!" But when he faced her, his expression was all twisted, and he bit into her neck.

"Ahhhh!" She screamed, her clothes quickly turning red, and then her eyes glazed over as her body convulsed.

Everywhere, the same horror unfolded.

"Ah! Monsters!"

"It's the zombies! Help!"

"Waaaah~~~ Mom, wake up!"

Screams, cries, and monstrous roars filled the air, turning everything into a nightmare.

Zane, watching from his window, also hit the ground.

When he came to, he was one of the zombies.

"Heh—" A raspy sound escaped his mouth, words failing him.

"Figures…" Zane muttered to himself.

Plus, a bunch of his body functions were glitching, including his once impressive "15-inch pride," now totally unresponsive.

"Guess I gotta level up slow."

Zane glanced at his living room mirror.

His appearance hadn't changed much except for his ghostly pale, kinda spooky skin.

After turning into a zombie, his body was stiff and slow, his movements sluggish, and pain was off his radar.

Now, he was slower than your average Joe.

By his old life's standards, he was a bottom-tier, D-grade zombie!

But hey, some upgrades came with the package.

His hearing and smell were off the charts, his nails could cut glass, and his teeth could tear through a steak like butter.

Zane snagged an apple and chomped down, but man, it tasted like chewing on a candle.

"Yuck..." No joy in that snack, just a gnawing craving for something meatier.

Zane shuffled over to the dining table, a bit stiff but still got style, tying a crisp white scarf around his neck like he's about to hit a gala.

Dude was living large, pulling out a fresh slab of beef from his stash and setting it on a fancy plate like it was a five-star joint.

He grabbed a knife and fork, slicing up that beef into neat little cubes, looking all gourmet.

Zane stabbed a piece with his fork, tossed it in his mouth, and even as a zombie, his taste buds were on cloud nine.

"Wow, this is insanely good!" he thought, feeling a buzz of happiness.

Outside, the world was losing its mind, screams everywhere, but Zane? He was zen, savoring his fancy zombie feast like a boss.

Each bite was like a power-up, his undead appetite was endless, plowing through ten plates of meat before even feeling a dent.

This zombie foodie was leveling up fast, bending steel utensils like they were plastic spoons.

But hey, the feast was all that mattered, dish after dish, totally lost in the flavors.

Outside, the city quieted down, screams turned to zombie roars, survivors scarce.

But Zane? Cool as a cucumber, focused only on his meal, even as the news blared about the apocalypse, he was like, "Cool story, bro," and kept eating.

While the world crumbled, Zane was all about that gourmet life.

He didn't even keep count, probably wolfed down two cows' worth.

Finally full, he untied his scarf smooth as silk, feeling spry like a regular dude, maybe even hit a Class C zombie level.

Zane strolled to the window, peeping the chaos outside, zombies and desperate survivors everywhere, but he was just chilling.

Leaning on the windowsill, he swirled some wine, took a sip, and dabbed his mouth with a towel, all classy.

That's Zane, a high-class zombie, living it up in the apocalypse, a real standout in a world gone mad.