When I Became a Zombie

They dropped me off about ten minutes away from the camp. There were guards stationed at the camp, and getting any closer might have meant getting shot on sight. While we were in the car, he repeatedly warned me not to move and to wait for him.

He still hoped to prove to them that I wasn’t a threat. The chances of success were slim, but I didn’t say anything. I just watched the vehicle drive away, restraining my urge to follow the sound and staying put.

I didn’t know how long I waited—maybe a few hours? The sun was high, so I instinctively moved to the shade of a tree. Then, in the slight breeze, I picked up some other sounds that attracted my attention.

I can’t run around, I have to wait for him here.

…But there seemed to be voices in the distance.

Even so, I shouldn’t move.

…But I was so hungry.

I heard the sound of breaking branches, distant voices, and a faint smell of raw meat.

By the time I realized it, I had already left the place where I was waiting.

I glanced around and ended up heading towards the source of the sound.

I am different to him, but that didn’t mean I didn’t want to eat. It didn’t mean I wouldn’t eat someone else.

A voice in my head repeatedly reminded me not to leave, but my feet moved forward uncontrollably.

“Mommy…”

“Hush! Don’t call out, I’ll take you back.”

“But…”

“Call mom, she’ll scold me for letting you run off. We’re fine, right? Stay close, I’ll take you back.”

There were two children.

My steps faltered for a moment, and my mind cleared for a brief second. In that moment, I also heard groaning from another direction and caught a whiff of decay.

“Brother…” The little girl’s voice trembled as she pointed to the other direction.

The boy glanced back quickly, grabbed his sister’s hand, and ran in the opposite direction.

I thought the creature would soon be nothing but skin and bones because its speed had increased a lot. I suddenly realized that my own agility was improving. Did this mean I was becoming like that creature?

No, it was different.

Though that creature moved fast, it was very uncoordinated. I was not like that.

The creature moved quickly, and the two children wouldn’t be able to escape. From a distance, I saw more slow-moving ones coming from the edge of the forest.

It was definitely not instinct. I subconsciously walked faster, and when the guy came to me, I threw him to the ground.

It was beyond saving. Half its face was missing, and one eye was bulging. Even on the ground, it tried to get up and chase after the children.

I found a stone and, when I nearly couldn’t hold it down, I struck it hard with the stone.

The sound of falling and the smell of blood soon reached me. I stood up, holding the blackened stone in my left hand.

The others were getting closer. I estimated the distance and knew I couldn’t handle them alone. I quickly moved towards the children.

The boy had a long cut on his leg, sitting on the ground in terror as he looked at me. The girl had tears in her eyes and was scared.

The boy gritted his teeth. “Rui Rui! Run!”

The girl tugged at his arm, trying to help him up.

I threw the stone aside, bent down, and used my dirty left hand to lift the boy under his other arm. I struggled to say, “Run.”

The boy stood up with difficulty. He didn’t react to me not biting him or the stone on the ground, but he hesitated for a moment before trying to leave with his sister.

He took only one step before collapsing.

The nearest creature was coming over. I had no choice but to draw the knife from my waist, elbow the creature aside, and quietly mutter something, but it didn’t react at all.

Desperate, I raised the knife and stabbed it in the head.

The skull was still somewhat hard, and the knife got stuck inside. Since I’m not used to using my left hand, it was difficult to pull out, but the other two creatures were already closing in.

“Persi!” At that moment, I heard a familiar voice. I instinctively turned to see him, accompanied by a woman, rushing towards me. He waved and urgently said, “Get down!”

Why should I get down?

The next moment, the creature next to me fell with a gunshot.

Then another one, this time the one on my other side.

I stood there in a daze, still holding the knife. I thought I was next.

He ran over, and a third gunshot rang out.

I fell to the ground, and a creature not far away also fell with half its head missing.

He was on top of me, breathing heavily, while I turned my head towards the sound of crying.

A woman was hugging two children, sobbing.

Footsteps approached, and I looked up to see Meng Chao, holding a gun and looking down at me with a smile, “I’ve seen it all.”

After that, there were no more gunshots. The other two creatures were probably dealt with by his people using knives.

I stared blankly at the children and their mother, who were surrounded by several people.

Meng Chao moved aside and pulled me up, checking if I had any new injuries.

He looked at me reproachfully, “I told you to wait there.”

I wanted to say I was just hungry, but before I could speak, I felt a slight movement to my right.

My first reaction was to pray that my hand wouldn’t fall off.

Then I looked down slightly to see a little girl holding my hand, tears in her eyes, “Thank you for saving my brother.”

He smiled helplessly, squatting down, and took my right wrist, trying to pry the child’s hand away, “Brother Persi knows, see, brother’s hand is bandaged. Let go, okay?”

The child withdrew her hand, timidly asking, “Rui Rui… didn’t notice. Does brother Persi not hurt?”

It doesn’t hurt.

I shook my head. The mother of the children came over, instinctively pulling the children back, then looked at me with tear-filled eyes.

I guessed she wasn’t sure whether to say thank you.

“Thank you,” Meng Chao said, then crouched down and picked up the little girl, “Rui Rui, what did Daddy always say? Never run off by yourself.”

Rui Rui pointed at her fingers.

Someone approached Meng Chao from a distance, “It seems more noise has been heard.”

Meng Chao glanced at me, then at him, took a deep breath, “Quickly pack up. We need to leave immediately.”

He sighed in relief, first looking at my bandaged right hand, and asked, “Will it fall off?”

I shook my head.

He smiled wryly, “I really want to scold you and kiss you at the same time…”

My gaze wandered a bit as he grabbed my left wrist, “Hurry up, we need to go back and pack up.”

Many people were watching me on the way.

When we arrived at the camp, someone pointed a gun at me, but was stopped by others.

He led me back to the tent and busied himself packing up the supplies.

I watched him squat and work, and when he was rolling up the sleeping bag, he turned and smiled at me, holding another watch.

It was similar to the one on my wrist.

He put the watch on my left wrist and rolled up the sleeping bag.

I wanted to help, but my right hand was a hindrance.

So I just stood there, watching him pack up the tent with others.

Then my right hand moved again without me realizing it.

The little girl, Rui Rui, was holding a few white flowers, “Brother Persi, brother asked me to say thank you.”

But I remembered she had already said it?

I took the flowers with my left hand. She smiled at me and ran back to her mother.

The woman looked at me from a distance, smiling.

A low chuckle came from beside me.

I turned to see him smiling happily as he carried his backpack.

He placed a hand on my shoulder, “If I had known it would be like this, I wouldn’t have had to say so much.”

Then he pulled me towards the vehicle, “Chen Ke, you’re so warm.”

“…”

I remember my body temperature was very low.

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onee-chan:
Hello friends~
Can you guys comment on the quality of the translation? I have a lot of project I’m currently translating along with this novel and I’m a little worried if my work is a little sloppy(•᷄- •᷅ )
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