Chapter 12: Zombie Eating

Suddenly, a zombie lunged at Miyamoto Rei. Komuro Takashi stepped forward, shielding her, but was bitten on the shoulder.

"Ahh!" Takashi howled in pain.

"No! Stop!" Rei cried out, her voice filled with panic and fear.

Their shouts drew the attention of Marikawa Shizuka and Takagi Saya, as well as the surrounding zombies, who began converging on them.

Lin Feng watched as Takashi was bitten and thought helplessly, "Takashi, oh Takashi, how unlucky can you be? Without Busujima Saeko, you're just useless. And for Miyamoto Rei? Is she really worth it? What does she have that's so special? Just... slightly bigger assets than my Saeko."

"Saeko, go ahead and save them," Lin Feng instructed as he stopped in his tracks.

"Lin Feng, what are you doing? Why did you stop? Hurry and save them!" Saeko turned to yell, seeing him standing still.

"Quiet! Can't you see Takashi was bitten? I need to check if there's a cure in the system," Lin Feng shouted back, his sudden outburst catching Saeko off guard. Her eyes reddened, tears welling up.

Lin Feng sighed, realizing his mistake. "I'm sorry," he said softly, pulling Saeko into an embrace.

"It's... it's okay. Just don't do it again. You scared me and it hurt when you yelled at me," Saeko murmured, hugging him tightly, her voice trembling.

"It won't happen again, I promise. Now, go save them while I look for a cure in the system," Lin Feng reassured her, gently patting her back.

Saeko nodded, took up her Tianwen sword, and dashed toward the zombies.

Meanwhile, Lin Feng quickly entered the system to search for a solution.

As more zombies closed in on Takashi, Rei, finding sudden strength, rose to her feet. She killed the zombie biting Takashi's shoulder and stood protectively in front of him.

"Rei, get out of here!" Takashi shouted desperately.

Rei turned to him, tears rolling down her cheeks. "Your words earlier—I'm giving them back to you. If you're going to die, we die together."

"No!" Takashi roared as a zombie lunged at Rei. He was overcome with despair, but just then—

"Not on my watch!"

A sharp voice rang out. In an instant, a flash of green and white streaked past. The zombie in front of Rei was decapitated in one swift motion.

It was Saeko, her blade slicing through zombies like a wolf among sheep. Each one was either cleaved in two or fell lifeless to the ground.

Just as Saeko cleaned up the area, Saya's mother, Takagi Yuriko, arrived with reinforcements. The group was rescued quickly.

"He's been bitten. He'll turn into a zombie soon. We have to kill him!" Yuriko declared sternly.

"No! Takashi is special! He won't turn. I know he won't!" Rei cried, clinging to Takashi desperately.

"Actually," an unfamiliar yet oddly familiar voice interrupted, "he might really be one of those rare cases."

"Who's there?!" Yuriko demanded.

"Relax, relax. No need to get so tense," a figure stepped into view. Everyone relaxed as Lin Feng's figure came into view holding a small vial of antidote. At the system's recommendation, he had spent a painful 150 points for the cure.

"Lin Feng?!" The group was stunned by his sudden return.

Rei, desperate, grabbed him by the arm. "Takashi was bitten! Please, I beg you, save him!" She was about to kneel when Lin Feng quickly caught her, stopping her from doing so.

"Let it go, Rei. Once bitten by a zombie, there's no saving them," Takashi said, pulling her back gently.

"But… but…!" Rei burst into tears, sobbing into Takashi's arms.

"Ahem," Lin Feng cleared his throat, drawing their attention. "Actually, there is a way to save him. But... it comes with a cost."

"Really?! Takashi, did you hear that? Lin Feng can save you!" Rei exclaimed excitedly.

"What's the cost?" Takashi asked, his tone cautious.

"Well," Lin Feng began, "it's not a small cost, but it's not entirely unmanageable. The choice is yours."

"I'll do it," Takashi replied firmly, glancing at Rei. "No matter what, I'll do whatever it takes."

Lin Feng nodded and explained, "The antidote will change your body, Takashi. From now on, you'll have to eat zombie flesh to survive. Miss a day, and you'll grow weak, parts of your body turning zombie-like. Miss two days, and you'll die, becoming a zombie yourself—though you'll retain your intelligence. Miss three days, and you'll lose your mind completely, your body melting into corpse sludge."

"Zombie flesh?!" Everyone was shocked.

"Yes," Lin Feng confirmed. "But it's not all bad. The transformation will enhance your strength significantly. It's your choice."

After a brief silence, Takashi looked at Rei, then back at Lin Feng. "I'll do it."

Lin Feng handed him the vial of emerald-green liquid. Without hesitation, Takashi drank it down.

"Done. Just remember," Lin Feng said with a smirk, "you'll need fresh zombie meat every day to keep going." Then, leaning closer, he whispered, "Oh, and one last thing—you'll still be fully functional down there. No worries about your love life."

With a pat on Takashi's shoulder and a wink, Lin Feng slung an arm around Saeko and walked away, leaving the group stunned.