Chapter 134 I want a group of people who will never betray me...
The simulator's shell slowly opened, and Fu Qing watched for a few seconds before stepping inside.
She had entered the simulator thousands of times, but this time she hesitated slightly.
But she didn't show it on her face. She quickly lay down, closed her eyes, and fell into the darkness.
The system in her mind was quiet; it hadn't uttered a sound since her conversation with Lu Yan began, and now it was silently displaying the memory import loading bar as well.
Fu Qing inexplicably felt that if the system had a human form, it would be looking at the sky and the ground but not at her, whistling guiltily.
The progress bar quickly jumped to 100% before the notification popped up:
[Watch now?]
Fu Qing: "Yes."
Her vision blurred, like a lens out of focus. Through a layer of frosted glass that seemed to be fogged up, she saw a small, enclosed room.
The only source of light came from a skylight overhead, through which sunlight slanted in, causing dust particles inside the room to swirl and dance in the light.
A person was sitting on the ground against the wall.
Her clothes were stained with large patches of blood. She bent one knee, rested her right arm on her knee, and examined a gun in her hand.
The faint roars of zombies could be heard outside the window, and the ground trembled. Fu Qing instinctively realized that a large horde of zombies was approaching.
She turned around and looked around the room. There were slogans on the walls and an observation window on the closed door. Fu Qing guessed that this was probably a room used for interrogation by the police.
There was only deathly silence all around, except for the roars of the approaching zombies.
The gun in her hand was most likely taken from the body of a dead policeman.
The mechanical sound echoed in the empty room. Fu Qing looked back down at the man, whose hands moved quickly, skillfully removing the magazine, checking the ammunition, and finally closing it with a click.
When I looked up, a very familiar face appeared.
Her own face. Seeing herself here wasn't surprising to Fu Qing; she just hadn't expected it to be like this.
This woman from the past, or rather, her first incarnation, looks both strange and familiar.
The reason they were strangers was because their appearances were slightly different: his hair was shorter, with neat eyebrows and eyes visible beneath the hastily trimmed bangs, and a deep scar on the side of his eye that could blind her if it were an inch above it. He was also thinner and slightly older than he was now, with old, keloid scars covering his exposed skin.
When not speaking, his lips are habitually pursed, the corners of his lips turn slightly downward, and the muscles on his cheeks are tense.
Compared to her second life as Fu Qing, she seemed to have experienced more and was more exhausted and depressed.
Only when she raises her eyes does her clear, bright, and distinct black and white gaze tell others that she is actually still very young.
At most twenty-six or twenty-seven years old.
If the first and second/third lifetimes follow the same pattern, with the end times occurring at the same point in time, then this should be around the seventh year after the outbreak of the virus in the first lifetime.
Fu Qing's heart sank: the time that humans can endure is indeed getting shorter.
Within his mind, the system responded: [The first zombie king hadn't yet established such a significant advantage. Zombies evolved much more slowly; it took humanity seven years for advanced zombies to appear, but even then, it was still a devastating blow to the survivors.]
These advanced zombies already possess some of the abilities of the Zombie King.
For example, the ability to command widespread support and a more acute perception of humanity.
They led hordes of zombies, relentlessly destroying all human settlements and forcing humans to scatter and flee.
However, these persistent pursuers are like sharks in the deep sea; even if they are thousands of miles apart, they can catch up as soon as they smell a trace of blood.
This is an escape that seems to have no end.
To reduce their appeal to zombies, people are even afraid to stay with their relatives and friends; the risk increases dramatically once the number of people exceeds three.
Unable to stay still, unable to sleep peacefully, constantly under the pressure of death, worrying about family and friends, and facing the apocalypse alone... the immense physical and mental torment caused countless people to die of mental breakdown before being caught by zombies.
Survivors are either extremely determined or alone and have no ties to them, so they don't have to suffer the torment of worry.
"Supporting young people" perfectly fits both of these criteria.
A backpack beside her and the system in her mind are all she owns.
Fu Qing heard her former self speak: "All adjusted?"
Her blurry vision cleared the moment she looked up, and the system's electronic voice beeped: "Hmm, that guy's abilities are getting stronger and stronger, even affecting me now… I've temporarily blocked it, but our time is running out, host."
Fu Qing listened to their conversation and thought to himself, "So, this is the view from the system's perspective...?"
So, was this memory also sealed away by the system?
"It's okay, it'll be over soon."
After saying this, Fu Qing suddenly turned his eyes and looked coldly at the half-closed door.
In just a few seconds, a zombie burst into the room like a whirlwind, its movements so fast they were like a blur.
Fu Qing, who was in the void, was stunned for a moment. Her hearing was much better than that of ordinary people, but she failed to notice the approaching zombie.
The sunlight streaming into the room fell on the intruding zombie, refracting countless blinding rays. It was no longer flesh and blood; from its fingernails to its hair, everything had become a weapon, yet it fit perfectly at the joints, like a well-lubricated machine, moving without making a sound.
Like a precision machine born purely for assassination, it silently approaches, only to unleash a fierce and chilling killing intent at the very last moment.
"I've been waiting for you for so long."
Fu Qing remained calm, showing no surprise whatsoever.
She sat firmly on the ground, turning her head to avoid the zombie's outstretched arm. With a clang, the concrete wall behind her was as fragile as tofu, easily sliced open by the zombie's claws.
The distance between the human and the zombie was brought to an extreme. The zombie turned its head and opened its mouth to bite, but "Fu Qing" grabbed its neck with her other hand. Her arm muscles burst out with powerful strength, pushing it away inch by inch without any resistance.
The pale fingertips contrasted sharply with the bloodless, dark-glowing skin of the zombie.
Apart from her right arm, the rest of her body remained almost completely still. It was only then that Fu Qing, who was watching, noticed that her left arm was hanging limply, whether due to a fracture or some other reason.
Judging from the bloodstains on her body, Fu Qing guessed that her injuries must be quite serious.
She made a quick judgment and continued watching, her emotions as detached as if she were looking at a stranger with her own face on top of him.
The zombie was still struggling, but at a certain moment, its body stiffened.
As if all its superpowers had been drained, the zombie's metallic skin rapidly lost its color, became soft, and even began to rot, centered on "Fu Qing's" palm.
It is degenerating.
In the blink of an eye, it had transformed from an incredibly powerful special zombie back into an ordinary rotting corpse.
From skin and muscles to bones, it was like metal heated to its limit, melting inch by inch, peeling off the body and dripping onto the ground.
In a matter of seconds, the uninvited guest was reduced to a mangled mess of unrecognizable flesh.
"Fu Qing" shook his hand and picked up the gun from the ground again.
"It is currently the only special zombie within a one-kilometer radius." She explained calmly to the system, which answered Fu Qing's question from the side. She closed her eyes to sense for a moment, then opened them again. "There are also three high-level zombies approaching with a horde of zombies. They will arrive in five minutes and surround this place."
Fu Qing's feelings were somewhat complicated.
If I'm not mistaken, this should be the superpower Zhao Yunxiao possessed in his second life.
That cheat code that allows you to continuously level up by killing zombies.
However, the first incarnation of "Fu Qing" was far more powerful than Zhao Yunxiao, and his abilities had evolved to a level that was completely unfathomable.
[Host, are you really not going to run away?]
The first-generation system's clear electronic voice sounded worried.
There's still time; with your abilities, you can definitely escape.
The police station was simply unable to stop the massive horde of corpses.
She could already hear the zombie's heavy breathing, as if it couldn't wait to tear her to pieces.
It believes that "Fuqing" can hear it too, and only more clearly and distinctly than it can.
"What's the point of escaping?"
Fu Qing fiddled with the gun in his hand. "That guy told me personally that the last human had been killed by them, and long before that, humanity had no hope of turning the tide."
The guy she was talking about was, of course, the Zombie King.
As her abilities were upgraded to a certain level, "Fu Qing" was already able to vaguely sense the other party's presence, and she believed that the other party felt the same way.
They became aware of each other's existence at the same time, and at the same moment, they realized that the other was the greatest threat to themselves/humanity.
For the next few years, they remained entangled with each other, using every means to hunt each other down.
Many times, "Fu Qing" almost pinpointed the location of the zombie king, only to be blocked by countless zombies before he could make his move. He could only watch helplessly as the zombie king slipped away as cunningly as a lizard with a severed tail.
Countless times, "Fuqing" almost died at the hands of the zombie king, and each escape was extremely dangerous.
The same applies this time.
She was surrounded and barely managed to escape, risking the loss of an arm.
"Fuqing" is tired of this kind of chasing game.
"Continuing to delay will only make it stronger, which is completely pointless."
The system finally gave up trying to persuade "Fu Qing" and sighed in agreement: "That's right. If you die at the hands of zombies, I'll have to find another host in my next life. Finding a human as powerful as you is almost impossible."
Since that's the case, why not start the next life sooner?
Its tone had an inhuman, naive cruelty.
However, it is clear that the first-generation system had a closer relationship with "Fu Qing" and spoke without any restraint.
The system in Fu Qing's mind, which would later become the system, explained in a low voice: "We've been together for seven years. Because of the fear of revealing your abilities, you never joined any team during those seven years, nor did you ever stay in any shelter or human hideout."
I only have you, but you have the same thing.
From the very beginning, “Fu Qing” understood that what he had gained was a growth-oriented golden finger.
Fearing that her abilities would be exposed and coveted by others, she forcibly shut herself off until she was strong enough, staying away from people, living alone, rarely communicating with others, and even not daring to seek help from official forces.
Firstly, although she trusts the government, she does not trust individuals at the grassroots level.
The system clearly stated that she only temporarily possessed this ability because she was chosen by it.
Even if she dies, the timeline does not end; it will randomly select the next host until the story comes to an end.
In other words, one's own cheat codes can be taken away.
Fu Qing was not selfish, but he was not so generous as to think that "as long as humanity can survive, it doesn't matter if I die."
The golden finger is her greatest hope for revenge, and she must firmly grasp it in her own hands.
Secondly, even if she successfully finds a trustworthy person, it will inevitably take some time to gain their trust.
The zombies were evolving every second, and she dared not waste any time, much less gamble with the other party's trust.
After careful consideration, Fu Qing chose to temporarily conceal her supernatural abilities until she had killed enough zombies, gained a thorough understanding of them, and was strong enough to protect herself, before taking the information to the official authorities.
The plan initially progressed smoothly.
"Fu Qing" continuously kills zombies and upgrades his abilities. Although he has never teamed up with anyone, he has descended from the sky countless times when others are in danger, saving desperate people, and then lightly leaving.
Her whereabouts were elusive and her strength unpredictable; she became almost a mysterious urban legend among the survivors.
Three months later, after killing a specially evolved zombie, her mind suddenly became incredibly clear and transparent, as if it had been washed away by an invisible spiritual force.
She sensed a voice.
His speech was muffled and hoarse, his pronunciation and articulation extremely awkward, as if he were a non-human species that had just grown vocal cords and was clumsily learning how to use them.
But the anger and hatred in his tone were conveyed to her with unmistakable clarity.
"Found you..."
"Kill...kill..."
"I'll kill you."
That was the first thing the Zombie King said to her.
It took it three months to evolve a vocal cord, just so it could communicate with her.
"Fuqing" began to hear its voice from time to time.
Sometimes it would take a week or two, sometimes only two or three days, and each time she heard it, she became more and more alarmed.
The zombie king is growing rapidly.
As an intelligent being, it grows much faster than a human baby, taking less than a month to go from babbling to being able to communicate fluently.
"Fu Qing" began hunting zombies even more diligently to upgrade his abilities.
On the day the Zombie King could perfectly mimic human tone and intonation to communicate, "Fu Qing" also upgraded her superpower.
Then she heard the zombie king speaking to humans.
It has learned to bewitch people and to coerce and entice.
The first devout believer was born.
In order to be with his family, who had turned into zombies, forever, he willingly submitted to the zombie king.
What made Fuqing most desperate was that she could hear, but she couldn't see.
Each time a new believer joins, she hears one more voice.
Deep, sharp, hoarse, weak, and resonant voices, men, women, young and old, mingled together into a torrent, echoing incessantly in her mind, deafeningly loud.
Apart from her, no one in the world knows that a vast force is secretly growing, composed of humans, hidden among them, yet eyeing humanity with predatory intent.
"Fu Qing" had no way of knowing who the traitor was.
When it heard the zombie king's voice again, it had learned to hide its emotions.
It smiled gently and calmly: "Tell me, can you still clearly distinguish who is an ally and who is an enemy?"
"Supporting young people" is not possible.
For the past few months, she has been killing almost every day.
Now, she can clearly sense the zombies' attack intentions, change their limbs, and detect all zombies within a hundred-meter radius...
She became incredibly knowledgeable about zombies, but when she came to her senses, she realized that what she truly didn't understand were her own people.
Nearly a year has passed since the apocalypse, and despair hangs over the land. The organization of devout followers has grown rapidly. Soon, its members have transformed from desperate individuals who turned to zombies for the sake of their loved ones into scum who yearn to transcend class and species and rule over humanity.
She heard their plots, their shrill laughter as they killed others, and how they slowly shed their human skin, transforming into inhuman beasts.
She began to refer to the beasts as "them".
The voice in her mind caused Fu Qing to suffer from neurasthenia and even become paranoid.
When she encounters a lone survivor on the road, she no longer rushes to help without thinking. Instead, she observes for a long time before cautiously taking action.
She hadn't considered seeking help from the authorities for a long time.
The Zombie King and the devout followers never gave up searching for her. Their mutual connection allowed them to vaguely sense the direction of Fu Qing's location. There was always a higher density of zombies around her. In their relentless pursuit of her, this group attacked every living human in sight and trampled down every human hiding place.
She was no longer the savior recounted by survivors, but the one who brought disaster.
Wherever they went, death followed like a shadow.
In this situation, seeking help becomes even more difficult, as no one can be sure whether the devout believer has infiltrated the official ranks. If she mistakes someone for someone else and they report her location to the zombie king, not only will she be in danger, but she could also endanger the entire shelter.
Fu Qing finally realized that everything was beyond repair.
Fewer and fewer humans are alive, while the number of zombies is increasing, and the disadvantage is snowballing.
Perhaps, handing over the golden finger to the state from the very beginning would have been the best choice.
At that time, devout believers had not yet appeared, and even if they did, their numbers were too small to pose a threat. Furthermore, zombies had not yet begun to evolve, and humanity had ample time to develop a vaccine.
Although it is still a race against time, the chances of success are much greater than they are now.
Humans in this generation have no chance to go back to the past, but thanks to the information she gleaned from the system over the years, "Fu Qing" knows that when the last human dies with resentment, there is a chance to turn back time.
They could go back to the time before everything happened.
However, those who become zombies or die in the mouths of zombies will be forever erased from this small world.
Fu Qing glanced down at the gun in her hand, her fingertips stroking the cold barrel. When she heard the system urging her to quickly start the next life so that they could continue the binding, she chuckled.
"Sorry, you should try someone else next time."
The system went silent, and an electronic voice exploded in my mind: "[You don't want to continue being bound to me?!]"
It was unusual for it to be so shocked, and it seemed to feel abandoned. It buzzed accusingly: "You can't do this! In your human world, this is called starting something and then abandoning it!"
"Fu Qing" sitting on the ground and Fu Qing in the void: "..."
Fu Qing pressed her temple: "...Where did you learn that word? I'm not going to abandon you."
"Anyway, the reason you want to bind with me is simply because I'm useful enough, binding with me is the most convenient, and the success rate of saving the world is the greatest, isn't it?"
She had long known the significance of the system's existence; in essence, it was the same as the Zombie King—a creation of a higher dimension, and all its emotions were merely imitations of humans.
No matter how perfectly a copy is made, it is not genuine empathy.
"What if I could tell you who to bind with, so you wouldn't have to waste time searching for a suitable host?"
The system immediately stopped its internal turmoil and asked with a mixture of belief and doubt: "Really?"
"Um."
Without death, there is no way to begin the next life.
But once she dies, the reborn her will be nothing more than a stranger with the same appearance and personality.
If time could turn back seven years and memories were erased, "Fu Qing" believes that her young and arrogant self would still have gone down the same path.
Her overconfidence in her abilities is ingrained, making it difficult for her to easily trust others.
Even if she had to go through it all again, as long as the system still belonged to her, the outcome would not change.
Therefore, the only solution is to abandon the system and hand it over to someone who is humble, honest, kind, and even somewhat weak.
When someone suddenly becomes incredibly wealthy, their first reaction will be fear rather than elation.
When the end of the world comes, they will crave protection rather than venture out alone;
They must be honest enough to choose to rely on the state rather than turn to unreliable but potentially exorbitantly priced private organizations.
They must also be smart enough, and preferably have some background, whether it comes from their family background or academic and work experience, so that they can have access to information and gain trust.
Therefore, the system may have to sacrifice upgrade speed to find someone whose abilities are not outstanding, or even mediocre.
But only such people are most likely to hand over their invaluable golden touch when they have no other choice.
The horde of zombies continues to approach.
"Fu Qing" remained seated, explaining each point carefully and meticulously.
After listening for a long while, the system asked a question: "And what about you, host?"
"I?"
Fu Qing chuckled and flexed her wrists lazily. "I think I can survive without you, don't you think?"
"Actually, I really miss the early days when my superpowers were so weak they were practically nonexistent. I didn't have to worry about being discovered, and I could move around freely."
For the past seven years, with only the system, a creation that is neither human nor human, as his companion, "Fuqing" has almost forgotten what it feels like to interact and communicate with people.
When I wake up in the middle of the night, all I can think of are the scenes of laughing and joking with my roommates during my college years.
She hates the devout believers who betray humanity, but as her abilities continue to improve, she herself, in the eyes of outsiders, may have already become less and less like a "human".
After a brief silence, Fu Qing quickly composed himself before speaking again.
“The zombie king has already memorized my scent. If what you said is true, that you and it will retain the memories of this life after reincarnation, then the first thing it will do in this life will definitely be to find me and kill me at all costs.”
"Its awakening, growth, and the cultivation and brainwashing of believers all take time, so rest assured, I will also have the opportunity to train myself in the next life."
"Fu Qing" clearly had a clear and complete plan in mind long ago, and he spoke very fluently.
“I will survive and stall for time as much as possible so that the new host you are looking for can take the opportunity to study the vaccine while it is searching for me.”
"Perhaps this is the best arrangement."
The system has no physical form; when "Fu Qing" speaks, he either examines the gun in his hand or looks up at the void in front of him.
Their gazes met several times with Fu Qing's, as if time and space had intersected, bypassing the system's communication, and the two had a direct, face-to-face exchange.
Fu Qing looked down at her past self.
As she spoke, a sharp glint appeared in the depths of her eyes, breaking through the weakness caused by severe injury and blood loss, making her slightly dull face shine again.
Even though she was a complete stranger to her future self, who was practically a parallel universe version of herself, she remained confident and certain.
"Humanity held out for seven years this time. The Zombie King's abilities will grow stronger in the next life, so let's say it's shorter... five years, is that enough?"
Upon hearing this, Fu Qing, who was in the air, couldn't help but smile.
system:【……】
It really wanted to ask, what made the host think that it could hold on for another five years without its cheat-like abilities?
But it couldn't ask.
Because it understands better than anyone else that Fu Qing in this life chose death herself.
Otherwise, relying on her cheat ability, even if she were the only person left in the world, she could continue to fight the zombie king for a long time.
She was indeed the most powerful and unimaginably strong human being it had ever seen in its entire life.
This level of expertise gave her an astonishingly credible claim to the number she casually mentioned.
After hesitating for a long time, the system finally said: "...I will try my best."
I try my best not to hold her back.
However, I cannot guarantee the strength of the new host, nor can I guarantee how much the Zombie King will evolve in the next life.
“It’s alright.” “Fuqing” hadn’t expected it to make a promise on the spot anyway. “Victory wasn’t something that was planned in the mind.”
She paused abruptly, her tone turning cold: "The nearest zombie is within 500 meters."
At their speed, breaking into the police station would only take a few seconds.
As the time for parting drew near, the system suddenly became anxious.
It was even more agitated than the human "Fu Qing," as if it was more afraid of losing its host than the other way around.
The electronic voice became urgent, interrupting Fu Qing's actions.
[Wait! What if, and I mean what if, we have a different host in the second life, and we still fail?]
"In my third life, could I...?" Its voice lowered, "...could I re-bind to you?"
Fu Qing was slightly surprised, and after a moment of stunned silence, she quickly said, "I remember you said before that your form is not fixed."
[Yes! The current superpower is only what I've determined based on a comprehensive assessment—the one most likely to help humanity achieve victory. But if needed, I can transform into something else.]
The system replied quickly, a glimmer of hope rising within it.
This superpower could help in vaccine development, making it truly the most likely "golden finger" to save all of humanity.
The horde of zombies has already reached us.
The next second, there was a loud bang, the police station wall collapsed, and the ground shook violently.
Fu Qing ignored the commotion outside and was momentarily lost in thought. When she spoke again, her tone wavered for the first time: "Then... if there is a third life, give me a group of absolutely trustworthy companions who will never betray me."
Perhaps then, she wouldn't have made the decision to venture out on her own.
The footsteps drew closer.
Fu Qing, suspended in mid-air, silently watched as the person on the ground released the safety and raised their gun to their temple.
The system suddenly spoke: "If we fail again in the next life, I will do everything in my power and at all costs to find you before the Zombie King, and bring you to the third life."
[Having accumulated strength from two failures, its power will reach its peak in the third life, and humanity will not have a fourth chance.]
You are my only hope; I will find you.
Fuqing calmly closed her eyes.
His vision blurred again, and the scene before him gradually overlapped with the fragments that flashed before his eyes when Fu Qing was on the verge of death and unconscious in the simulation chamber last time.
This time, however, she finally heard the words spoken before the gunshot rang out.
"Then let's wish we never meet again."
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