Dark Apocalypse

Episode 31

Hopes are beautiful, but reality is harsh.



Once Adam closed the bathroom door, he couldn't help but collapse over the toilet and retch.

"Ugh..." Before his time in prison, Adam had barely touched alcohol, let alone experienced the violent nausea of being drunk. He had no idea what it felt like to vomit uncontrollably after a drinking spree; all he knew was that his stomach now felt like it was trying to claw its way out through his throat.

The discomfort was indescribable, an agony he could only express by spewing a mass of crimson, decayed, meat-like substance into the toilet. After several grueling minutes, he finally felt slightly relieved, but he no longer had the strength to stand. Exhausted and drained, he slumped against the floor, panting, his entire frame radiating fatigue and weakness.

"You reckless fool! Do you have any idea how dangerous that was? A single misstep, and you wouldn't be here just throwing up!" The voice that only Adam could hear sounded once more. It was Xu Cai, her tone harsh and filled with a blend of anger and lingering fear.

"Are you... worried about me?" Adam managed a weak smile, or something close to it, despite his overwhelming exhaustion. His body felt leaden, and his head spun, not unlike those feverish childhood days teetering on the edge of consciousness.

"Worried about you? As if! Why would I ever care about you?" Xu Cai's response dripped with tsundere indignation, but if Adam had the strength, he'd tease her for it. Right now, he was far too weary...

Even he felt a deep unease. How did he make that split-second decision? It had been a gamble where the wrong move would mean eternal damnation. There was only a 5% chance of successfully absorbing the primary viral serum, and, unsurprisingly, he had failed. So, he injected the antidote into his neck.

According to Xu Cai, that antidote was only effective within a short window for those infected by zombie bites; it was useless against the raw viral serum.

The antidote wasn't designed for this purpose, yet Adam had dared to use it anyway...

He never believed he'd be lucky enough to beat that 5% probability, which is why he had prepared the antidote. He didn't stop there, though—he had other plans.

"If the antidote hadn't managed to halt the virus from invading your brain at the last second, you'd be..." Xu Cai's voice was now puffed up with indignation, sounding adorably pouty. Adam could almost imagine a cute girl puffing out her cheeks.

"I'm not... I'm not cute!" Oh, he had forgotten that Xu Cai could hear his every thought. Adam let out a weary, bitter laugh.

His gamble had been audacious. He had drawn inspiration from countless movies where zombies' behavior hinged on brain infection. If the virus could be stalled from reaching the brain, perhaps transformation could be prevented.

He didn't know if this world's zombies followed the same rules, but given how destroying their brains killed them, it seemed plausible.

At the last moment, he injected the antidote directly into his neck, focusing all its potency on his brain and disregarding the rest of his body. He gambled everything on protecting his mind, a desperate, all-or-nothing move.

Miraculously, he had been right. The antidote stopped the virus from taking over his brain, saving him from turning into a mindless corpse.

"Still... I have to admit, the physical enhancements from the serum were extraordinary," Adam murmured, recalling the moment his strength had soared. It had been excruciating, the virus and antidote battling within his brain, but he had remained conscious and lucid through the agony.

"At that moment, I felt like I could punch through steel! My speed, reflexes, and agility were simply..." Words failed him, but in that instant, he had felt like a superhero. Yes, that was it—an invincible force!

Before, he had always risked life and limb fighting zombies up close, but now, they felt laughably weak. He hadn't even hesitated to take them on barehanded, infection be damned.

"Of course! The viral serum fundamentally transforms the body, enhancing muscle strength, cellular vitality, and neural reflexes," Xu Cai declared with a hint of pride. But what was she so proud of?

"Really...? So, my gamble paid off, didn't it?" Adam's lips curled into a faint smile.

If that were true, the journey ahead would be far easier! He'd be able to escape even a horde of zombies with ease.

"A successful gamble?" Xu Cai's voice suddenly carried a cold, mocking edge.

"Why? Isn't that right? With this power, I'd be safe unless surrounded by thousands of zombies!" Adam was confident in the strength he had experienced.

"Do you really not want to know why you're vomiting, or why your body feels so drained and weak?" Xu Cai's question chilled Adam, tempering his excitement.

"What are you implying?" His hope began to waver; perhaps things weren't as perfect as he imagined.

"The power you felt only occurs when one successfully merges with the viral serum. But you didn't..."

Xu Cai's words plunged Adam into silence. It was true; he had failed to merge, resorting to desperate measures to stop the infection.

"You think you succeeded, but..." Adam didn't want to ask, but he already knew.

"From the beginning, you failed entirely. The antidote only temporarily suppressed the viral infection, giving you a brief surge in strength. But the virus and your body never fused, which is why you're suffering now..."