Chapter 77: What Is More Terrifying—Zombies or Humans?

Food for the coming days had already been prepared. Ye Xing was busy selecting her favorite snacks from the convenience store shelves—after all, who would choose to gnaw on dry, hard bread when there were tastier options? Saeko Busujima silently followed at her side, jotting notes into a small notebook she held in her hands.

Having finally found some satisfying food, Ye Xing settled herself on a clean spot on the floor and shared a bento meal with Saeko. Nearby, invisible to the others, Ruo Xing kept chattering in Ye Xing’s ear, “Not bad! At this rate, in a few more days, everyone will wake up. Once Kanade Tachibana, that little angel of light, can help, clearing out zombies will be much easier!”

“I know. She’ll be a huge advantage against the undead…” Ye Xing replied.

“Oh, right! Since you’ve killed a thousand zombies, the system rewards you: your damage against dark undead increases by ten percent, and your resistance by five. When you reach one hundred thousand kills, your damage will rise by a hundred percent, and resistance by thirty! Keep up the good work!” With a lazy pat on Ye Xing’s shoulder, Ruo Xing faded away.

Night fell, and the guttural cries of zombies occasionally echoed from outside into the convenience store. After a day of fighting, exhaustion weighed on everyone, but with no one keeping watch, who would dare to sleep? If a zombie suddenly appeared and bit a sleeping person, it would be the end.

After some discussion, Takashi Komuro and Kohta Hirano agreed to take the first watch, with Ye Xing and Saeko Busujima covering the second half of the night. Soon after the arrangements were made, the steady breathing of the sleepers filled the store. There were only so many blankets to lie on, and comfort was scarce. Yet neither Ye Xing nor Saeko felt any drowsiness.

“Saeko, do you want to learn swordsmanship?” Ye Xing suddenly asked. Since she had accepted Saeko as a subordinate, it was only right to take responsibility for her training.

“Really?” Saeko’s eyes lit up with delight. “Of course I want to!”

“Then come with me.” Ye Xing stood and walked straight out of the convenience store. Saeko quickly grabbed her wooden sword and followed. At the entrance, Takashi and Kohta were keeping themselves awake through conversation—if they didn’t talk, they’d surely nod off before their shift ended.

Seeing Ye Xing and Saeko passing by, Takashi called out in confusion, “Ye Xing, Busujima-senpai, where are you going so late?”

“Training,” Ye Xing replied simply, and the two of them walked out together.

“Training? This late at night?” Takashi wondered aloud, glancing at the receding figures.

“Didn’t you see Ye Xing’s incredible sword techniques during the day? Maybe she’s going to teach Busujima how to do that!” Kohta exclaimed, gesturing animatedly as he recalled the impressive display. It was nothing any technology could achieve, and the scene had left a deep impression on them all.

Most of Ye Xing’s techniques required energy to perform, which Saeko couldn’t yet utilize, so Ye Xing searched her memory for an appropriate style for Saeko to learn. She found nothing—she herself only knew the Night Shadow Star Technique, which was wholly incompatible with Saeko. So Ye Xing decided to teach Saeko the art of the quick-draw—a technique that relied solely on physical strength and could be used by anyone who mastered it.

In swordsmanship, Saeko’s talent was truly remarkable. After a brief explanation from Ye Xing, she quickly grasped the basics. Given some time, she would surely master the fundamentals of the quick-draw.

Ye Xing and Saeko used the zombies as training targets, attacking without holding back. With every strike of their swords, a zombie fell for good. Each kill left Saeko with a sense of exhilaration.

After some time, mindful of Saeko’s stamina, Ye Xing ordered her to stop. Even so, Saeko was drenched in sweat and breathing heavily. Hours of relentless swinging had left her arms numb and her grip weak—she could barely harm the zombies by the end.

Nevertheless, the results were obvious. Saeko keenly felt the changes in her body. Once her stamina returned, her attack speed would be much faster than before. Despite her exhaustion, she wore a bright smile. Never before had she fought with such abandon, nor improved so rapidly—all of it thanks to Ye Xing.

“Rest here for a while. I’ll get some water,” Ye Xing said, noticing Saeko’s sweat-drenched state. He knew she could still defend herself, so he left to find water, assured of her safety.

“Is he worried about me?” For the first time since meeting Ye Xing, Saeko felt his concern for her. It was a small gesture, but for Saeko, it meant everything. His care meant he had accepted her, and that made her happier than anything else.

Immersed in her own happiness, Saeko failed to notice someone approaching from behind. A cold gleam flashed from the knife in the stranger’s hand. Years of sword training had sharpened Saeko’s senses beyond those of ordinary people, and she sensed something drawing near. Assuming it was another zombie, she decided to wait until it got closer before attacking.

When the footsteps stopped right behind her, Saeko spun around, wooden sword slashing fiercely toward her target’s head. In that instant, she realized the “zombie” behind her was not a zombie at all—there were no wounds, no stiff movements, and his eyes stared at her with focus. It was a person.

Her upbringing had ingrained in her a deep aversion to killing. The moment she saw her opponent’s humanity, Saeko hesitated, hastily pulling back her sword. She could slaughter zombies without a second thought, but killing a person was something she still could not bring herself to do.

The forced retraction of her strike threw Saeko off balance, nearly causing her to fall. The man behind her, who had just barely escaped death, seized the opportunity—he pressed his knife against her pale neck and quickly tossed her wooden sword aside to prevent resistance.

“That scared me. I thought I was about to die by your hand. I should thank you for missing,” the man sneered, his gaze roaming over Saeko’s flawless figure. In this world that had collapsed into chaos, how many people still obeyed the old rules? This man was one who had given in to his desires. He had been watching Saeko from a distance as she rested, fixating on her beauty—something he would never have dared to covet in the old world.

Regret flooded Saeko’s heart. Why had she pulled back her sword? If she had killed him, she wouldn’t be in this situation now. Thinking of what this man might do to her made her feel nauseous, on the verge of vomiting. She resolved that, if necessary, she would rather die than let him succeed. As a traditional woman, Saeko had already made up her mind.