Consciousness seeped back. Li Xiaofeng opened his mouth to curse.
*What the actual hell?!*
But no sound came out—only a guttural rasp. Panic coiled in his chest. He tried to sit up, limbs stiff as rusted hinges, and crashed back to the floor.
After agonizing attempts, he managed to rise, his body jerking like a marionette with tangled strings. Something was *wrong*.
His neck creaked audibly as he lowered his gaze. *Is it gonna snap off?* Finally, he glimpsed his hands—pale claws tipped with jagged nails, veins bulging like worms beneath parchment skin.
*Holy hell!* His mind raced. *Evolution? Mutation? Superhero origin story?*
Dragging his rigid frame toward the bathroom, each step a battle against uncooperative joints, he wondered if his grotesque gait might revolutionize runway fashion. *Normal people couldn't pull this off.*
The mirror revealed a nightmare: pallid flesh, patchy hair, eyes glowing blood-red. Drool oozed from his slack jaw.
*I'm… a zombie?*
*And not even a cool one!* His receding hairline screamed "decades-old code monkey." The bulging eyes looked ready to pop out. The constant drool? *Might as well wear a bib.*
As he catalogued his horrifying new aesthetic, a mechanical voice sliced through his thoughts:
**[Ding! Host Status Check…]**
**[Race Confirmed: Zombie]**
**[System Integration Commencing…]**
**[1%…50%…99%]**
**[Zombie Evolution System Activated.]**
Li Xiaofeng froze. *A system?!*
*Even as a zombie, I'm still the protagonist!* He tried to lift his chin dramatically, savoring his tragic solitude—
*CRACK.*
His neck vertebrae protested. *Right. Zombie body. Note to self: No Shakespearean poses.*
A holographic panel materialized in his mind:
**Host:** Li Xiaofeng
**Rank:** Tier-1 Common Zombie
**Evolution Points:** 0/100
**Innate Abilities:**
- **Neurodegeneration:** Viral damage grants zombie traits:
1. Movement speed reduced by 70%. Chasing humans? Good luck.
2. No pain receptors. Vision/hearing degraded. Smell blood from 300 meters.
3. Infinite stamina. You could walk the equator… slowly.
4. Strength tripled (still can't outrun grandma's shopping cart).
- **Viral Contagion:** Bite = new zombie minion.
- **Carnage Evolution:** Each infection boosts Evolution Points.
**Skills:** None
**Evaluation:** An utterly mediocre zombie. 50/50 chance against unarmed humans… *if* you catch them.
Li Xiaofeng's drool-dampened lips twitched. *All these fancy terms, but I'm basically a sluggish, ugly virus dispenser?*
*Zombies in movies chase screaming crowds! Why am I stuck with "50/50 against some office worker?!"*
He slumped against the sink, the glass cracking under his clawed grip. *So much for apocalypse dominance.*