Seventh floor of a residential building by the roadside.
Inside a room.
A computer buzzed steadily. A young man sat in front of it, one hand on the mouse, the other tapping rapidly on the keyboard.
On the screen was a popular game among young people—League of Legends.
Through the headset came loud chatter.
"Three on one? Can't play like that. And I still killed one of them. Look at him running with a sliver of health. Guys, tell me, am I a god or what?"
"Totally godlike... crackling laughter"
"Hey, did you guys hear something outside? Sounds wild, like a car crash... and some kind of beeping noise."
"Oh yeah, but just ignore it. Probably nothing—"
Lâm Phàm calmly stood up and walked to the water dispenser, poured himself a glass, then stepped out onto the balcony.
He looked down.
A crowd of people were running in panic, some being chased.
Someone fell and didn't get up.
Cars were swerving wildly, crashing into shops.
"Are they all high or something?"
He returned to the computer, took a sip, and put on his headset again.
"You guys won't believe this—outside my building, people are running around like they're on drugs, going crazy. Cars crashing everywhere. It's total chaos."
A teammate replied, "Bro, I just saw on the news—people are turning into zombies."
"Zombies? That's nuts. Ignore it for now—one wave at a time. Hey, ADC, what are you doing? Push the tower, damn it!"
"Aah! Help! Don't bite me! I'm the ADC, let me push the turret!" shouted another teammate, followed by gut-wrenching screams.
Lam Pham asked calmly, "So… it's really happening?"
Another teammate replied, "Zombies my ass. These people are nuts. When the game's over, I'm going to boot up CrossFire zombie mode and wipe 'em all out."
The chaos outside was growing louder. Lam Pham just kept playing, unfazed.
Soon after, more screaming came through his headset.
"What the hell is wrong with you guys?! Even in a tower-pushing game, I get stuck with little kids. Don't your parents ever catch you?! This is f***ing bullshit!" one teammate raged.
"Maybe they really did run into zombies," Lam Pham muttered.
"Nah, you're always fantasizing. Try being real for once. Like me, I'm gaming and getting some action at the same time. Heaven and hell in one room."
"I know your girlfriend's with you," Lam Pham said.
Through the headset came a smug chuckle. "Heh, you know me too well. You're right. You guys push your towers—I'm pushing mine. And I'm still getting... uh, eaten."
"She might just bite you for real," Lam Pham warned.
"Heh... bro, you're wicked. Saying stuff like that—wait, wait, she is biting... ah!"
"Hey, what are you doing?!"
"Open your mouth—hey, hey—"
"You've gone f***ing insane!"
The screams grew louder. Furniture crashed. Flesh tore.
"...So it's really happening," Lâm Phàm murmured. On screen, all players—friend and foe—had stopped moving. He controlled his champion alone, pushing down the lane.
Soon, he destroyed a turret. Then went straight for the Nexus.
Boom!
The crystal exploded.
Victory screen appeared.
"I really came back..."
Lâm Phàm leaned back in his chair, staring blankly at the screen.
He felt certain—this was a rebirth. To be sure, he played a match just like before. Same teammates. Same conversations. Same chaos outside.
Everything matched perfectly.
Yes. He had been reborn. After this game ended, the system would arrive.
[Scanning...]
[Assistant activated]
[Name]: Lam Pham[Strength]: 10 (Normal)[Body]: 10 (Normal)[Speed]: 10 (Normal)[Points]: 0
The familiar interface calmed his nerves.
"Exactly the same. No changes."
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Rapid knocking.
"Lam Pham! Open the door! Quick!" a woman's voice called from outside.
According to his past life, the one knocking was his neighbor, Lieu Vi Vi—tall, beautiful, perfect curves. One of the local goddesses.
Many men had pursued her.
He too once had feelings for her—who wouldn't?
In his previous life, he gained access to the system right before dying—because he opened the door for her.
Her neck had been bleeding. She'd been bitten.
Not knowing what it was, he tried to help. He looked for a first-aid kit.
While he treated her wound, she attacked, bit his neck, ripped open his chest, and devoured his flesh and organs.
"I know what's coming. I have more important things to do. I cannot die now."
He walked to the kitchen.
Picked up a cleaver. Hid it behind him.
Walked to the door.
"What's wrong?"
He opened the metal security gate.
Lieu Vi Vi still looked stunning. But blood flowed down her neck.
She looked scared, confused—still breathtaking.
"There are lunatics outside—biting people!" Even in panic, her voice remained soft and alluring, sparking a protective instinct.
But Lam Pham didn't let her in.
"Your neck is bleeding," he said.
She kept glancing down the stairs.
"Please, let me in. I lost my keys while running…"
"You've been bitten," he said calmly. "You'll turn into one of them."
"Wha...?" She trembled, clinging to his arm. "You'll help me, won't you?"
"Yeah. I will. Close your eyes."
"Thank you… as long as you help me, I'll do whatever you want…" she said with a sob, misunderstanding his words.
As soon as she closed her eyes—
Slash!
Blood splattered across the white walls.
"There. I helped you. Now you won't become a monster."
He stared at the lifeless body, then silently shut the door.
Back against it, cleaver in hand, eyes calm—like nothing unusual had happened.
Terrifyingly calm.
Had he lost his fear after seeing himself torn apart by zombies in a past life?
[Killed a potential zombie][Points gained: +1]
"One point, huh?"
"This is the assistant's effect. Killing zombies gives me points."
He checked the system.
Points could be assigned to strength, body, or speed.
He chose strength.
[Strength]: 11
As soon as the point was added, he felt a small change—he was a bit stronger than before.
Suddenly—
There was movement outside.
The sound of chewing. And of something hitting the metal door.
He gripped the cleaver and opened it.
Outside, a zombie was squatting, devouring Liễu Vi Vi's body. Her chest was torn open. Blood everywhere.
He recognized the zombie.
A fellow resident. A programmer from the eighth floor.
Skinny, with glasses and a receding hairline. Despite being young, he already had a bald spot—probably from work stress.
He'd always had a crush on Lieu Vi Vi.
Even stalked her.
Would wait outside the gate and follow her up the stairs.
The sound of the door opening caught its attention.
The programmer zombie looked up at Lâm Phàm, mouth dripping with gore.
"Roar!"
It lunged.
"What are you roaring at?"
Lam Pham swung down the cleaver.
Thunk!
It struck true. A squelch of flesh. He pulled the blade free. The zombie dropped.
The added strength made a difference—he felt it.
[Killed a zombie][Points gained: +1]
He looked down the stairs. All was still. Quiet.
He shut the door again.
Zombies were real.
Now, he needed to know—was the whole city of Hoàng Thị like this?
He prayed it could still be saved.
Because...