Chapter 2

Outside the gate, Andy pulled out his phone and carefully searched the map.

It was a text message from a familiar number.

It was his army buddy, Jason Oswin.

[Hey Andy, I heard you need some cash. Still got a chunk of my discharge pay. Send me your bank details. Also, come visit sometimes. My sister Shirley really wants to hang out with you.]

As he saw the message, a warmth spread through Andy.

He and Jason were more than just comrades. Jason was his childhood friend, practically a brother.

They grew up together, and Jason's parents even helped pay for his school fees.

Before Andy could reply, another message popped up.

[Weather's been crazy lately. Take good care of yourself. Don't end up with a fever like me.

[My eyesight's not as good as it used to be. I need glasses now. Don't laugh when you see me!]

Andy froze, his fingers hovering over the keyboard.

Clatter.

His phone slipped from his grasp, hitting the ground.

He stood motionless while a chill crawled up his spine.

Jason was a scout in the army. He had exceptional physical fitness with hawk-like vision.

Now, his eyesight had suddenly deteriorated, and he had a fever.

Those were clear early symptoms of being infected by the zombie virus!

From what he could remember...

The first wave of the zombie virus was already lying dormant within certain segments of the population before the apocalypse.

The symptoms were fever, failing eyesight, and cold limbs.

Memories and clues clicked into place in his mind.

Andy’s eyes gradually reddened.

In his past life, at the outbreak of the apocalypse, he and Jason had planned to meet up outside the city.

But Jason never showed up. Andy couldn't get in touch with him either.

Andy assumed something had held Jason up.

But now he realized...

Jason had died from the virus. That was why he never made it.

His best friend had actually died from the virus! He had become a zombie, condemned to eternal suffering!

Andy’s eyes turned teary. He felt as if his heart was on fire.

Now that he knew how Jason died, he would not let the tragedy happen again.

He frantically searched his memories. There had to be a way!

After a long while, he slowly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot.

He would forcefully inject Awakened blood into Jason.

That was the only method he could think of to delay zombification.

In the early stages, the zombie virus gathered in the heart to form a core.

Only by injecting Awakened blood before full zombification could the process be delayed.

Jason was in better physical shape than the average person.

Generally, the better one's physical condition, the longer one could resist the zombification.

Two hours!

Andy quickly recalled the details of the infected victims in his previous life.

Jason could hang on for at most two hours after the outbreak!

In that case...

He needed to gather supplies and obtain equipment in three days, then rush to Jason’s side immediately!

Having made the decision, Andy quickly formulated a plan in his mind.

He mused like a silent statue.

Five minutes later, Andy strode off into the distance, his steps resolute.

Three days would be enough!

-

Fortune Credit Company.

In a spacious office, three people sat facing each other.

"Mr. Langford, you must pay back this $250,000 loan in three days. The interest is 7%. If you can't, we may have to seize your house, so we hope you don't default."

Andy nodded calmly.

In three days, money would become worthless.

In six months, the streets would be littered with money. People wouldn't even use banknotes to wipe their butts because banknotes were too rough.

In the apocalypse, the only things that mattered would be food and power.

On the way here, he had already borrowed from every online lending source he could find.

He had even gone so far as to take a "bridge loan" by using his house and car as collateral.

In total, he managed to obtain $500,000 in cash, including the money he transferred back from Wilma.

Though not much, it was enough to purchase a large stock of survival supplies.

The apocalypse had not broken out yet, so money was still the best tool.

After nodding to take his leave, Andy headed straight for the pharmaceutical company he worked at.

After he left, the two moneylenders exchanged glances while whispering to each other.

"Boss, I've run a background check on that guy. I can't believe he's mortgaging his only house at 7% interest. It's brand new. He's crazy."

"Who cares. He's probably lost his mind gambling. If he can't pay in three days, we'll take his house."

-

At the pharmaceutical company, Andy confidently walked through the gate and flashed the ID which showed that he was one of the security guards responsible for transporting goods.

The elderly guard at the door barely had time to see who he was, only catching a glimpse of the ID as it fell to the floor.

Name: Andy Langford

Gender: Male

Age: 24 years old

Position: Special Drug Transport Personnel

Ding!

The elevator opened.

Andy went straight to the third floor, swiped his card, and walked into a lab.

Not only was today not a working day, it was also lunchtime, so there was only one intern on duty in the usually crowded lab.

"Andy?"

The intern, a year younger than him, looked up in surprise, his eyes groggy and his messy hair resembling a bird's nest.

Click.

Andy locked the door behind him, making sure the intern could not run away.

Without wasting any time, Andy went straight to the point.

"Where are the giant lizard extracts and refined snake venoms?"

"Andy, there's no transport mission today. What do you need them for?"

The intern looked puzzled and a little uneasy.

The drugs Andy mentioned were drugs that were heavily supervised, each tube very expensive.

"Mind your own business!"

Andy’s voice was icy, like he was issuing a warning.

The intern sensed that something was amiss.

The coldness and impatience he saw in Andy’s eyes scared him.

He hesitated.

"Andy... I can't. I'm sorry."

Andy glanced at the clock on the wall. He had no time to waste.

The two drugs were key parts of his plan. He needed them at any cost.

Whump!

Andy dumped bundles of cash from his backpack onto the floor.

"Here's $100,000. Consider it a purchase. We'll just be skipping the procedures. You won't get in trouble."

The intern stared blankly at the cash on the floor, feeling at a loss.

$100,000...

The company would indeed sell those drugs for approximately this price on the market.

Andy did not want to waste any more time. He charged deeper into the lab.

Time was of the essence, and there was no room for hesitation.

Yes, he could have taken the drugs without paying a penny.

But in three days, money would be worthless anyway. Besides, he and the intern were somewhat acquainted.

If a problem could be solved with money, then he would use money to solve the problem!

Behind him, the intern finally came back to his senses.

He opened his mouth slightly, as if wanting to object, but decided against it when he remembered Andy's cold gaze and saw the cash on the floor.

He could only comfort himself that Andy had paid for the drugs, so it should be alright.

But Andy seemed to have become a different person. The Andy he knew was soft-spoken and kind, and never argued with anyone.

Andy forcefully opened all the refrigeration cabinets and rummaged through them.

He held up two test tubes to the light, staring at the blue liquid within.

The dark blue liquid looked bizarre under the light.

It captivated him.

[Giant Lizard Extract: Blood essence extracted from North American giant lizards. It greatly increases strength for a short period of time.

Refined Snake Venom: Stimulates the heart and lungs to forcibly increase explosive burst and endurance.]

As special drugs, these two were extremely effective, but the side effects were equally severe.

Andy did not care.

As long as he could awaken his Talent, his body would return to perfect condition afterwards.

Limbs would regenerate, and diseases would disappear.

Every Awakened was a perfect warrior.

Not only that, their physique would also be enhanced.

Filled with the desire for power that he carried over from his previous life, Andy swiftly gathered the remaining drugs in the lab.

Good things shouldn’t go to waste.

Half his cash was gone, and the space it left behind in his backpack was filled with 30 tubes of drugs.

These drugs would cease production after the apocalypse, so there was no way to restock them.

Acceleration, explosive strength, pain endurance, increased focus...

In the early days of the apocalypse, each tube could turn the tide of a battle.

With these drugs in his possession, he felt even more confident in his plan.

Satisfied, Andy exited the laboratory. The intern, who was busy packing money, lowered his head in fear.

"Keep this a secret for three days. After that, you can tell anyone."

With that, Andy stepped into the elevator and turned around.

The two men's eyes met from afar.

The coldness in Andy's eyes made the intern flinch.

-

As the elevator descended, Andy's mind raced, carefully calculating what supplies he needed to buy.

Food. He needed high-calorie canned food.

He must prepare plenty of chocolate bars and energy bars because they were convenient to carry.

The Awakened might be powerful, but their energy consumption also far exceeded that of ordinary people.

Water. A batch of bottled water would suffice, but he could add some glucose to the water.

Weapons. Bows and crossbows were not necessary.

After awakening, he would have no need for garbage ranged attack methods like that.

As for firearms, guns were hard to get; it would take too much time.

Therefore, pass.

He would need a few sets of combat clothes.

Clothes would easily be damaged in high-intensity combat.

Riot shields and bulletproof vests?

Andy shook his head.

With several times the physical attributes of a normal human, bulletproof vests would be useless and would only hinder his agility.

As for other weapons...

Cold weapons would be a good choice.

He could get a few alloy weapons. They wouldn't become dull easily in a fight.

After the apocalypse broke out, the power of guns and artillery would be greatly weakened due to the rules.

With the ridiculous power of the Awakened, cold weapons were the best choice for fighting.

Ding! He arrived at the first floor.

Andy stepped out of the elevator and quickly scrolled through the map on his phone.

His eyes were blazing.

"If I remember correctly, there's a key piece of equipment here that can help with awakening!"