Thuong Sinh's gaze remained icy as he appraised the group. The words "Awakened" caused a slight stir in his mind, but before he could inquire, the student in front leaned in closer.
"Not only that, we have intel." He paused, lowering his voice further. "Two hundred kilometers south, a military zone has been established. Soldiers are guarding it, and they're taking in survivors."
Thuong Sinh froze. South. In his mind, a familiar name appeared: Duong Nam. That was where his home was. If his family was still alive, there was a high probability the military had evacuated them to that sector.
"We plan to head out tomorrow," the student continued. "With you, our group will have two Awakened. It'll be much safer on the road."
Thuong Sinh fell into a pensive silence. Joining them meant being tied down, but the journey south was long; traveling alone on foot carried extreme risks. After a moment of calculation, he looked up.
"Fine."
The group visibly relaxed, but before they could celebrate, Thuong Sinh spoke again, his tone flat. "On one condition. Whenever we encounter zombies, let me handle them."
The group went quiet. Someone frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I take the lead to kill the zombies. Unless it's a desperate situation, none of you are to interfere."
It was a bizarre request. He wasn't demanding extra supplies or leadership—just the right to kill the undead. They exchanged glances and eventually nodded. "No problem, as long as you don't put the group in danger."
Thuong Sinh gave a curt nod. In their eyes, he was just a powerful eccentric with a morbid habit. They didn't know that for him, zombies weren't just threats—they were his path to power.
The leader stepped forward. It was the man who had first broken into Thuong Sinh's room—Luu Hao. He was stocky with broad shoulders and sharp, observant eyes. Clearly, he was a survivor, not just a complacent student.
Behind him stood the man Thuong Sinh had held at knifepoint—Chu Minh. He was pale, a faint scratch still visible on his neck. He stayed quiet, keeping a wary, unmistakable distance from Thuong Sinh.
To the left were Vuong Khai and Ton Lam. Both were tall and muscular, their wrists wrapped in old athletic tape. Even their posture screamed "athlete"; they were clearly the brawn of the group.
The fifth was Hua Thanh, a thin, bespectacled youth carrying a heavy backpack. He was the scout and quartermaster, his eyes constantly darting around as if calculating an escape route.
Finally, there was Tran Tuyet, the girl standing at the very back. She wore practical clothes, her hair tied high to reveal a pale neck. Though small, she was well-proportioned. She was the group's Healing Awakened. Her face was pale, but her eyes were bright and alert. Her hands were clean—clearly, she was the one the group protected most fiercely.
"I am Thuong Sinh." He offered nothing more. Luu Hao nodded and signaled the group to move.
They ascended to the sixth floor, which served as their temporary base. It was a wing of interconnected rooms that had been cleared and barricaded. About twelve people were inside, mostly exhausted students.
Hua Thanh set his bag down and looked at Thuong Sinh. "Brother Thuong... what exactly is your ability?"
The room went silent. Everyone wanted to know. In the apocalypse, a person's ability determined their value.
"My body is stronger than others," Thuong Sinh replied after a moment. He had no intention of revealing the System. "Faster reflexes. Greater strength."
Hua Thanh nodded. "Likely a Strength Enhancement type. A front-line combatant like you is incredibly useful."
Night fell, swallowing the corridors in thick darkness. While most slept, Thuong Sinh sat cross-legged in a corner, back against the wall. He wasn't sleeping. His breath was steady as currents of energy flowed through his meridians.
Suddenly— "AAAAAAAGH!!"
A scream ripped through the night. Thuong Sinh's eyes snapped open. A familiar guttural roar followed—not human, but zombie. He lunged out of the room. In the flickering light of the hallway, the scene was horrific.
Three or four corpses lay scattered. One zombie was already feasting on a dying student. Seconds later, the corpses twitched and stood up, their bones snapping with a sickening sound. They had turned.
Panic erupted as people fled their rooms. The sound of their footsteps immediately drew the zombies' attention.
"Don't run blindly!" Luu Hao shouted. "Grab your weapons! Group up!"
But panic had already set in. As a zombie lunged toward a fleeing girl, Thuong Sinh appeared before it. A flash of steel glinted in the dark.
Thuck. The knife buried itself in the zombie's temple. The body slumped. Two more zombies roared and lunged at him simultaneously, their twisted forms closing the distance in two strides.
Thuong Sinh didn't retreat. He shifted his weight, his foot planting firmly on the floor. A surge of burning energy erupted within his body, funnelling through his arm and into the blade.
"Blade Wind."
Schwing.
The sound was thin and cold, like a blade being drawn in a graveyard. It wasn't the sound of hitting flesh, but the sound of air being torn apart, compressed into a lethal line. A gust whistled for a fraction of a second, so sharp it made skin crawl.
In that heartbeat, the two zombies froze mid-air. A second later, their heads slid from their necks. Blood sprayed in two dark arcs as their heavy bodies crashed to the floor.
Silence returned to the hallway. The survivors stood frozen, staring in awe. Thuong Sinh retracted his knife. The blade was spotless; only a few drops of blood dripped from his sleeve. His breathing was calm, his eyes indifferent as he looked at the piles of meat at his feet.
This was the first time he had tested the Blade Wind technique in actual combat. Its power was exactly as he expected—clean, efficient, and so fast the enemy couldn't even react. With his current strength, he could execute this ultimate move three times at most.