Chapter 17: The Awakening’s Peril

Having fortunately obtained a crystal core from the small shop, and considering my current frail state, I resolved to absorb it immediately.

As for why I didn’t wait until I returned home to absorb the crystal core…

The reason was simple: absorbing the crystal core would allow me to swiftly awaken new abilities using the energy it contained.

Not only would this grant me new powers, but my physical attributes would also significantly improve alongside the awakening.

In the face of the zombie apocalypse, the stronger my body became, the better my chances of survival.

Otherwise, should danger arise, I wouldn’t even be capable of saving myself.

To both awaken an ability and enhance my physical prowess was a win-win situation, one I needed to complete without delay.

Upon entering the warehouse behind the small shop, I quickly located a secluded small room. Ignoring the four survivors who desperately called out to me, I swiftly slipped inside and locked the door behind me.

Immediately, I pulled the crystal core from my pocket, clenching it tightly in my palm until it shattered.

Instantly, countless specks of black dust erupted, swirling in the air and refusing to settle.

They hung motionless around me until I closed my eyes and inhaled sharply. The black dust surged towards me, permeating my skin and seeping deep into my body.

Unlike the torment of a high fever, this sensation was utterly pleasant.

It felt akin to an embryonic creature submerged in water, with gentle currents coursing through my form, leaving my mind feeling exquisitely refreshed.

The awakening process itself wasn’t complicated; one simply needed to crush the crystal core and absorb the resulting black dust.

However, crushing the crystal core was only necessary for the initial awakening.

Later, to upgrade an ability further, merely clutching a crystal core would suffice to absorb it completely, without the current inconvenience of having to shatter it.

With my eyes closed, my body steeped in comfort, I awaited the complete awakening of my ability.

After this reincarnation, when I realized my spatial ability had returned with me, I initially believed I wouldn’t need to awaken again.

Yet, to my surprise, the fever that followed my rebirth was incredibly fierce, reaching truly alarming levels.

I hadn’t forgotten the relentless spread of the black spots on my neck, a sight that filled me with profound worry even now.

No one had ever encountered such a phenomenon before, and the unknown always carried inherent risks.

I was no longer alone; my sister, who had run away from home before my rebirth, was now by my side. I was bound to protect her, to ensure we both survived this apocalypse.

With her by my side, there were many more considerations to weigh.

Just as this thought crossed my mind, the pleasant sensation within my body abruptly vanished, replaced by an overwhelming emptiness that assailed every single cell.

A sudden, ravenous bloodlust seized me, an urge to slaughter everyone outside the room, to devour their flesh and blood, and fill the burgeoning void within me.

No! This couldn’t be happening!

Gritting my teeth, I fought to remain rooted to the spot, refusing to succumb to the insidious delusion.

Such thoughts, I knew, were the domain of zombies.

I was still human!

My teeth clamped down on my lip so forcefully that I drew blood. It trickled from the corner of my mouth, falling to the ground and congealing into crimson beads.

This sudden turn of events was unequivocally not a sign of awakening!

Rather, it felt like a martial artist succumbing to qi deviation, plunging my entire being into peril.

The void intensified with each passing moment. Just as I teetered on the brink of losing control, I steeled my resolve, lurched to my feet, and stumbled towards the opposite wall.

Defiance blazed in my eyes as I faced the pristine white wall, a faint smile gracing my lips.

Then, I slammed my head against it with brutal force.

Thud.

The impact was far too violent; my brain felt as though it had completely shut down. There was nothing left but an all-consuming agony.

The distraction worked, though it was a classic case of ‘harming the enemy a thousand while incurring eight hundred self-inflicted wounds’.

‘But to make me resort to cannibalism? Never!’