Pho Noan Yi heard Xu Chi's voice. She stopped in her tracks, glancing left and right. She tried to think. Ah, there was someone! Just like those earlier people—able to talk. How terrifying. She only wanted to have one meal—why was it so hard? She really felt wronged.
Xu Chi was nearly out of strength; he barely managed to tilt his head to the side. Pho Noan Yi paused on the staircase, looking around, which caused his injured cheek to rub against the edge of the step above. Xu Chi gritted his teeth.
"Put! Me! Down!"
He swore that once he recovered his powers, the first thing he would do was subdue this zombie, then press it against the stairs and grind it back and forth!
Pho Noan Yi finally realized—the "food supply" on her shoulder was the one talking.
Oh, in that case, it wasn't scary anymore.
She ignored those four words spoken through clenched teeth and kept staggering downstairs.
Xu Chi, held upside down, was so furious he almost laughed. The moment he smirked, pain shot through him. Fine. Very fine! This thing was dancing on his last nerve. He was going to take this zombie's head and use it as a soccer ball.
Pho Noan Yi carried Xu Chi down to the second floor, where she saw six mutant zombies.
The second floor was filled with beds, packed quite closely together. To a mindless zombie, the place was like a maze. The zombies wandered between the beds as though choosing one they liked for a nap.
Pho Noan Yi didn't want these ugly things to snatch her food. Ugly! They didn't deserve to eat it! She kept heading down.
Xu Chi was so angry he almost passed out, secretly gathering his strength. In his mind, he'd already hacked this zombie carrying him into a thousand pieces.
Pho Noan Yi gently carried her "beautiful ration" all the way to the front entrance. Standing under a patch of sunlight, she felt happy.
[Just need to find a place to eat.]
Xu Chi was stunned.
Alright, he understood now. This zombie saw him as food, so she was carrying him away. Once he recovered his powers, he'd eat her core alive!
This wasn't the city center but the suburbs. The street was lined with home goods stores, with all kinds of merchandise. The store Pho Noan Yi had just come out of was the largest, most well-stocked furniture center around—and the closest place to the safe zone established by Xu Duc Hung.
The zombies in this area had mostly been cleared out. Even hanging upside down, Xu Chi could see the familiar street leading to the safe zone.
He sneered.
In truth, he had long heard his parents' inner thoughts—disgusting, nauseating thoughts. He couldn't believe them. The CEO of the Xu Corporation, worth tens of billions, a man praised for his devotion—his gentle, refined father, Xu Duc Hung—was actually a beast who lusted after his own son!
Xu Chi shut his eyes, hiding the darkness in them. Before leaving, he had planned carefully—he would kill the eight fake ability-users with all his strength, then use his powers to control them. Wait for a chance to kill his way back!
But plans never kept up with change. Now, he was in a miserable state, hatred boiling inside but powerless to act.
[Hmm? Where should I eat? It seems like nowhere is safe.]
Xu Chi had had enough. Weakly, he replied, "Just find somewhere without people."
Pho Noan Yi ignored him, tilting her head inside her cat-eared helmet so it bumped against Xu Chi's leg, making his small wounds flare with pain again. But the physical pain was nothing compared to the pain in his heart.
She heard the vehicles of those people drive away. Fear gripped her—her instincts told her to stay far from them. She stood still, trying to determine which way they had gone—it seemed to be the opposite direction.
Pho Noan Yi turned her head toward where Xu Chi was looking—that was where Xu Duc Hung's safe zone lay. A strong aroma drifted from that direction. Food.
She took a step toward the safe zone.
Xu Chi, seeing the direction, could only hope she'd go there and eat the entire safe zone. As long as she didn't bring him along! He wanted them all dead. Could this little zombie wipe out everyone in there?
"Hey! Don't be too greedy—for a human—uh, for a zombie!" Xu Chi snapped.
[Hmm? What's a zombie?]
This was the first time Pho Noan Yi responded to Xu Chi's words—she asked through her inner voice. Xu Chi's eyes lit up. It could understand him? Good, there was a chance.
"Forget about zombies. Just turn around and go straight. In there—it's the safest place to eat."
[Turn around? Go straight? Is it safe?]
"Safe!"
Pho Noan Yi obediently turned around, a little dazed and simple-minded. She didn't realize she was following the "food's" instructions. She looked into the distance, where tall buildings clustered together like a forest.
Pho Noan Yi wanted to blink, but her eyelids didn't move. Eating in the "forest" seemed safe enough.
She carried Xu Chi in the new direction, staggering forward.
"Can you treat food a little more gently?"
Xu Chi was being shaken so much his bones felt like they'd snap, pain tearing through him.
[Hmm? Food needs to be treated gently too?]
Pho Noan Yi stopped to ponder this. She struggled to turn her head but couldn't see the "sugar figurine's" beautiful face—only a pair of long legs, which didn't look as tasty as the head.
She carefully set the fragile, weak "food" on the ground.
Xu Chi slumped there, lifting his head just enough to see the name badge swinging on her chest. He narrowed his eyes.
It was the intern badge of the Xu Corporation:
Commercial Assistant – Pho Noan Yi.
Enough. Xu Duc Hung, that beast, wouldn't spare his own son. His subordinates had even wanted to eat his flesh.
Xu Chi quietly flexed his fingers, still restoring his powers. He would kill them all—leave no one alive.
Pho Noan Yi had no idea about the mental process of her "ration." She grabbed Xu Chi again, tugged him once, hugged him once, and hefted him up. This time, Xu Chi's head rested against her chest, swaying along with the name badge.
With each step, his cheek brushed against the soft, undulating area.
Alright. He understood now. Earlier, his left leg must have brushed against that.
Disgusting!
Xu Chi shut his eyes, suppressing the roiling emotions. He only needed to recover a little of his power—that would be enough. This thing seemed only strong physically; it probably wasn't a mutant zombie. Even if it was different from other zombies, it was still a zombie.
Just first-tier Shadow powers should be enough to control it.
Pho Noan Yi carried Xu Chi, staggering on from areas littered with smashed zombie skulls to places where only a few wandered. Those zombies smelled the blood on Xu Chi and approached, but kept their distance, standing there blankly, not daring to come closer.
Xu Chi began to notice something was off. The zombies seemed afraid of this little zombie.
Pho Noan Yi carried him from dawn until dusk, from the suburbs into the city center. Zombies grew in number, spilling from every corner, howling in hunger.
The whole world was like a three-dimensional chorus: So hungry.
But not a single one dared come near Pho Noan Yi. Some even followed her at a careful distance, swaying along in time with her staggering steps.
Xu Chi didn't see them—his attention was on the jingling bell by his ear, focused on regaining his powers.
Pho Noan Yi saw they weren't approaching and ignored them, walking to the door of a restaurant. Something told her this was a good place to eat. She was starving!
She carried Xu Chi inside, tossing him onto a sofa in the waiting area. Leaning down close, she prepared to eat.
Xu Chi's eyes suddenly snapped open, his hand shrouded in dark mist as he clamped it around her wrist.