"Ahhhh…"
A young man jolted awake, his face pale and drenched in sweat. Fear was etched into every line of his expression. He looked around frantically and whispered, "Am I… dead again?"
Shen Yu buried his head in his hands, trembling. "Impossible… I've died ninety-nine times! Why… why can't I escape my fate… to die by that zombie?"
Shen Yu had already died ninety-nine times in this apocalyptic world. Now, he had been reborn for the hundredth time.
In his very first life, he had been nothing more than a part-time worker in a supermarket, ignorant of the disaster about to unfold. A single zombie had stormed through the doors and torn him apart before he could even scream. He thought it was the end.
But it wasn't.
He opened his eyes again… a second life. This time he barricaded himself at home, trembling in silence, surviving the first day. Yet, still foolish, still clinging to hope, he tried to help others. His reward was betrayal—slaughtered by the very people he had fed.
Over and over, life after life, he sought cooperation. Over and over, he was deceived, used, discarded. By the twentieth rebirth, the illusion of humanity shattered. People were no better than the zombies clawing at the walls. With eyes gone cold, he began killing without hesitation. For a time, survival became easier.
Until they appeared. The mutated ones. Faster, stronger, more vicious than the rest. No matter how many times he grew stronger, they always tore him apart.
By his fiftieth life, he finally killed one—only for something worse to rise in its place.
By his eightieth, despair gnawed at him, whispering that survival was meaningless. Yet an idea had struck him then: the military. With his knowledge of the future, he gained their trust, rose to prominence, and wielded power like never before. For a time, victory was within reach. Cities reclaimed, hordes annihilated.
Until the commander zombie came.
That monster ended everything.
By his ninety-ninth life, Shen Yu had emptied the earth's arsenals, nuclear fire raining down from the sky. Yet still—the commander survived. His last flicker of hope was crushed beneath its shadow.
And now… the hundredth life.
Shen Yu pressed a hand to his face, his voice hoarse as he muttered, "Why… why? This is impossible." His body trembled, but in his eyes, the light of madness and determination flickered once more. "No matter how strong the zombies are… I will not lose hope."
He looked at his hands, at his body—and froze. The room felt unfamiliar. Wait… this isn't my body!
He ran to the mirror. Shock drained the color from his face. This… isn't me? My face, my body… everything is different.
Pale and trembling, he muttered, "I've been reborn in another body?"
Suddenly, memories flooded his mind. This memory… it's Shen Yu's. But I'm inside someone else… This is the first time this has ever happened.
He quickly assessed the situation and understood: for some unknown reason, he had awakened in this new body.
"Wahhhh…" A baby's cry pierced his ears. Shen Yu turned and saw a one-year-old girl crying in a crib.
It was his daughter. Her mother had gone to the store for groceries… and had been eaten by zombies. Such a tragic fate.
Shen Yu approached the crib, staring down at the tiny, innocent face. She was so cute, so helpless. "This world… it's far too cruel for you. I can't protect you…"
He raised his hand, trembling, intending to end the baby's suffering. But as his fingers shook violently, his body drenched in sweat and his eyes burning red, he froze.
Shen Yu pulled his hand back, trembling. "I… I can't kill you. Why? Is it because this body belonged to your father? My chest hurts… just thinking about it."
He lowered his head in silence. After a long pause, he looked up again, eyes firm. "From today onward, I'll raise you. But if I ever feel my life is in danger… I'll throw you away and run without looking back."
Bibi, the little girl, stared at him while crying. She was hungry, too young to understand her situation, and so her cries grew even louder. "Wahhh…"
Bang! Bang! Bang! Growl… growl… The sounds of zombies came from outside.
Shen Yu hurriedly covered Bibi's mouth. "Don't cry, or we'll die!"
The baby, feeling his hand, tried to lick it, thinking it might be milk.
Shen Yu flinched at the wet sensation on his palm and pulled back. "Quiet… don't cry. I know you're hungry, but there's no food for you."
He gritted his teeth. I'm no match for a group of zombies. I need real weapons, like an axe or a gun… but all I have is a knife. Even for myself, there's no food here. What should I do? The door is blocked by zombies… what should I do?
Confusion weighed down on him.
[Ding… Apocalypse System Awakening…]
[Ding… You have obtained Infinite Storage Space.]
A space where you can store anything without limit.
[Ding… You have obtained the System Shop.]
A unique shop where you can purchase anything—food, medicine, weapons, clothes—directly from the system.
[Ding… Your special ability is Transformation. Every seven days, you may choose one transformation.]
[Ding… Please select your first form: 1. Rabbit — agility and heightened senses, or 2. Lizard — camouflage, regeneration, and climbing.]
[Warning: Once chosen, this cannot be changed.]
Shen Yu's eyes widened. He immediately understood—this was a system. In his past lives, many humans had systems, and they became terrifyingly powerful. But in all his ninety-nine lives, he had never once possessed one. Yet today, he finally did.
He stared at the two options: rabbit and lizard. "I don't know exactly what I'll gain… but when it comes to survival, a lizard is far more useful than a rabbit."
Without hesitation, he chose the lizard.
At once, his body shuddered as changes surged through him. He could feel it—he had the ability to fully transform into a lizard or alter just parts of his body.
He raised his right arm, which suddenly shifted into a long, green lizard's tail.
A smile tugged at his lips. "My strength and defense haven't increased… but I've gained lizard abilities: climbing, regeneration, camouflage, reflexes…"
Then, a thought struck him. Can I change my whole body?
He focused, and in an instant, his entire body transformed into a massive lizard inside the room. With another thought, he shrank into a palm-sized lizard, the world around him appearing enormous.
Moments later, he shifted back into his human form.
Shen Yu's eyes gleamed. "At first, I thought this was useless… but it's incredible. If I can shrink and change into animals, this ability is far more powerful than I imagined."
[Ding… Beginner Package received. Child items and foods.]
Shen Yu looked at the items and finally allowed a small smile to form. "Ah… perfect. This will last almost ten days. At least we have a food source now."