There were noticeably fewer zombies on the first floor compared to what she had expected, and Bai Li immediately picked up on that detail. The corridor felt strangely empty, with only a few scattered figures wandering aimlessly, their movements slow and uncoordinated. It didn’t take her long to understand why. The attraction from above, the strange pull of that interdimensional market, it was clearly drawing them away like some invisible force. Just like it had drawn her here, it was pulling these mindless creatures in the same direction, making the path below slightly clearer but at the same time hinting at something far more dangerous waiting ahead.

Behind her, Yan Cijin glanced down at the kukri in her hand, her fingers tightening slightly around the hilt as she took a quiet breath. The weight of it felt familiar, almost comforting in a strange way. It reminded her of her previous lives, of the countless times she had fought, struggled, survived. There was a faint sense of nostalgia in that moment, but it passed quickly as her focus returned to the present. Without saying anything, she followed closely behind Bai Li, her steps steady and her eyes alert.

Bai Li, on the other hand, slowed down slightly as she observed her surroundings. She wasn’t familiar with the layout of the hospital at all, but she didn’t need a map to understand what was happening. The way the zombies were moving, the direction they were drifting toward, it all pointed to one thing. The stairs were most likely ahead. That was where everything was gathering. According to what the system had told her, zombies were naturally drawn toward the interdimensional market, almost like an instinct they couldn’t resist. And that was exactly what made this place dangerous. It wasn’t just the number of zombies, but the possibility of encountering stronger ones as well.

Her expression turned slightly serious as she thought about it. Going up through the stairs... that would be risky. In a narrow space like that, even she wouldn’t be able to handle a large group if they swarmed her all at once. No room to move, no space to dodge. Just a trap waiting to happen.

"...That would be suicide," she thought quietly, her grip on the weapon tightening just a little as she considered her next move.

..

..

As they moved forward down the corridor, the uneasy quiet didn’t last long. It never did in places like this. The deeper they went, the more the air itself seemed to grow heavier, carrying that thick, rotting smell that never really left once it settled in. And just like that, they ran into the next batch of trouble.

The first zombie came into view slowly, stumbling out from the side like it had just been waiting there. It was wearing a patient’s gown, but what made Bai Li pause for just half a second wasn’t the clothes. It was the head. Or rather... what was left of it. Half of its skull was gone, completely smashed open, exposing soft, grey brain matter that seemed to shift slightly with every movement. It didn’t even look like something that should still be moving, yet it was, dragging itself forward with uneven steps, its mouth opening and closing in that same mindless hunger.

Even someone used to seeing injured patients every day would feel a chill at that sight. In fact, in her past lives, Yan Cijin knew she would have felt exactly that. Disgust. Fear. Maybe even hesitation. But now... there was nothing. Her eyes remained calm as she watched it approach, as if she was just looking at something ordinary.

Behind that thing, another zombie appeared. This one looked a bit more intact, wearing a yellow delivery uniform that still had faint stains on it, probably from before everything went to hell. It must have been a delivery guy before all this. But its face... its left cheek was almost completely gone, eaten away to the point that the white bone underneath was fully exposed. Flesh hung loosely from the edges, and every time it moved its jaw, you could see the raw muscle shifting underneath. It was just as horrifying, just in a different way.

Bai Li had already shifted her stance slightly, preparing to move, when suddenly—

A scream.

Sharp.

Panicked.

It came from somewhere outside the medical room, echoing through the hallway in a way that made it impossible to ignore.

Bai Li’s expression changed instantly. All that calm turned cold in a split second.

"Let’s go," she said to Yan Cijin, her voice low but firm.

And then she moved.

Her dagger cut through the air in a smooth arc, clean and controlled, slicing toward the neck of the patient gown zombie. The motion was fast, precise, almost effortless. The blade made contact, but before she could even follow through completely, she had already shifted her movement, stepping forward as the zombie reacted instinctively.

It lunged at her.

Too close.

Too sudden.

Bai Li’s eyes narrowed slightly as she adjusted instantly. She brought her knees up, pressing them hard against the zombie’s chest, using the momentum to stop it from fully crashing into her. The thing’s face was right in front of hers now, its mouth wide open, that foul smell hitting her directly. The stench was unbearable, like rotten meat left in the sun for days, mixed with something even worse.

Brain matter dripped slowly from the exposed part of its skull.

"...Disgusting."

Her forehead tightened slightly, veins showing faintly as she gritted her teeth, more annoyed than anything else. She didn’t like this. Being this close, being forced into this kind of messy contact... it irritated her.

With a sharp push, she kicked forward hard, her leg driving straight into its chest. The force sent the zombie stumbling back violently, its body crashing awkwardly against the floor.

At the same time, the delivery zombie had already shifted its attention.

Toward Yan Cijin.

It charged forward, its heavy steps making dull thuds against the floor as it closed the distance quickly. Yan Cijin stood there, holding the kukri, her grip steady, her eyes watching it approach. In reality, she could have ended it in a single move. It wouldn’t even take effort.

But she didn’t.

Not here.

Not now.

She slightly adjusted her stance, deliberately making it look awkward, like someone who didn’t really know how to fight. As the zombie reached her, she raised the blade defensively, blocking its movement just like an ordinary person would. The force behind it pushed her back slightly, her arms straining as if she was barely holding on.

The zombie leaned closer, its mouth opening wider, that foul breath getting closer and closer to her neck.

To an outsider, it looked dangerous.

Desperate.

Like she was about to lose.

Bai Li saw it.

And in that moment, her focus snapped completely.

She didn’t think about anything else.

Not the scream from earlier.

Not the other zombies that might come.

Just that one thing.

She needed to move.

Now.

She pushed off the ground, her body moving forward with sudden force. Her right leg drove into the chest of the patient zombie again, creating just enough space, and in the same motion, her sword came down.

Clean.

Fast.

The blade cut through its neck completely.

The head dropped.

No hesitation.

No wasted movement.

Before the blood could even settle, she turned.

Her eyes locked onto the delivery zombie just as it was about to bite down.

Yan Cijin was still holding it back, still acting like she was struggling, though inside, she was already thinking about how to end it without revealing too much.

But then—

The pressure disappeared.

In a split second, the weight on her was gone.

She blinked slightly, feeling the sudden lightness.

The zombie that had been pressing down on her had vanished.

She turned her head just slightly and saw it.

Bai Li had already grabbed it from behind, pulling it away with force. The sudden shift completely threw the zombie off balance, and before it could even react properly, Bai Li’s blade came down again. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

A heavy slash across its back.

Then a kick.

The impact sent it crashing to the ground.

It barely had time to move before Bai Li stepped forward again, raising her sword high and bringing it down in one clean motion.

The blade cut straight through the back of its neck.

Silence.

For just a moment.

"Let’s go. We can’t stay here," Bai Li said immediately, not even looking at the bodies again. Her tone was sharp, urgent now. She reached out, grabbed Yan Cijin’s wrist, and pulled her along before she could even respond.

As they moved, her frustration finally came out, though it didn’t sound as harsh as she probably intended.

"Why didn’t you strike back just now?" she said, her brows slightly furrowed. "Were you waiting to get killed or something? Or were you just hoping someone would come save you?"

Her grip tightened slightly, but not painfully, just enough to show her annoyance.

"I know it’s not easy," she continued, her voice a bit lower now, but still firm. "But you have to... no, you must act smart if you want to survive. This world doesn’t care if you’re scared or not. And just because you’re a woman doesn’t mean you have to act weak. Forget those stupid ideas. You don’t need anyone to survive. You can fight on your own. You just have to be brave."

The words came out quickly, almost like she didn’t think too much before saying them. It sounded like a lecture, but there was something else mixed in there too. Something softer. Something that didn’t match her usual cold tone.

Yan Cijin listened quietly as she followed beside her, her expression calm as always. But when she heard those words, she couldn’t help but feel a bit surprised.

Not because of what Bai Li said.

But because of how she said it.

Women like this... were rare.

Very rare.

A faint smile appeared on her lips again, small and subtle.

"Do you know if your hospital has any other ways to go upstairs besides the regular stairs and elevators?" Bai Li asked in a low voice, her tone steady but urgent as she pulled Yan Cijin behind a triage desk for cover, her eyes still scanning the corridor ahead like she was expecting something to jump out at any second. Yan Cijin snapped out of her thoughts almost instantly at the question, her mind switching gears without hesitation as she quickly went through the layout of the hospital in her head, recalling the structure from both this life and the countless ones before.

"Of course. We can go outside. There’s an open air fire escape staircase outside our hospital’s outpatient building, the kind with iron stairs and handrails," Yan Cijin replied after only a brief pause, her voice calm but fast, showing that she clearly knew what she was talking about. Bai Li gave a short nod at her answer, her expression easing just a little, like she had expected something reliable from her and wasn’t disappointed.

"Okay, let’s get out of here quickly. Which way is closer?" Bai Li asked again, already shifting her stance slightly like she was ready to move the second she got a direction. Yan Cijin didn’t waste any time either.

"There’s a side door through this corridor. We go out from there, then walk clockwise around the building for about a quarter turn and we’ll see the staircase," she said quickly, pointing slightly ahead while keeping her voice low so it wouldn’t echo too much.

Bai Li nodded again, clearly satisfied. "Okay. Stick close to me. I told you already, I won’t always be able to save you. You need to push yourself and move forward on your own, understand?" she said, trying to sound strict, almost cold, like she was laying down rules.

.

.

.

To be continued.