My Girlfriend is a Zombie Chapter 1 – Zombie Puppet

On a desolate street, a zombie was wandering unconsciously.

A slight grin spread across its lips, a trace of saliva hanging precariously, its pair of reddish eyes ablaze with chilling creepiness.

Not too far in the distance, a small, abandoned supermarket stood. The glass door was spattered with brownish blood. Through the gaping, broken panes, one could vaguely discern crooked shelves and scattered food items.

Behind the supermarket's entrance, another middle-aged male zombie moved slowly. Judging by his attire, he seemed to have been one of the supermarket's staff.

This zombie shuffled closer to the supermarket. Upon passing the middle-aged zombie, it suddenly produced a bone chop knife and, turning, forcefully severed the staff member's neck.

Blood sprayed forth as the headless zombie instantly collapsed onto the ground.

The peculiar zombie then promptly grabbed a bag from behind the counter and began rapidly stuffing food into it….

“Huuu…. Exhausted…”

……

Inside a dimly lit residence, Ling Mo, dripping with sweat, observed his hands, holding a bag filled with food and various household items with evident satisfaction.

Before him sat the very zombie from the small supermarket. However, this zombie regarded Ling Mo with an expression devoid of malice, only an unsettling emptiness.

“Looks like I’ve improved significantly from just a few days ago. I can finally manipulate them with some degree of flexibility now,”

Ling Mo shifted his gaze to the zombie, a faint smile touching his lips.

Two weeks prior, the sudden outbreak of a novel virus had transformed the entire world into a brutal slaughterhouse.

Countless humans had been turned into zombies… To be precise, the virus infection led to a complete loss of self-consciousness, subsequently turning them into savage, predatory monsters….

The few survivors were forced to scurry and hide in the city's hidden corners like frightened mice.

Yet, Ling Mo, once an ordinary individual, discovered his latent ability to control zombies shortly after the world plunged into its apocalyptic state.

He could perceive a subtle connection between himself and the zombies. These empty-headed creatures were akin to mindless puppets, into whom he could inject his own thoughts, thereby directing their actions.

The initial stages of his experiments were fraught with peril. Zombies frequently slipped from his control midway, even placing him in life-threatening situations on multiple occasions.

With persistent effort and an increasing number of attempts, Ling Mo eventually honed a set of techniques. These advancements allowed him to maintain consistent control over the zombies, directing them to wander and gather essential supplies for him.

However, a significant limitation remained: the zombies could never stray too far, a fact that caused Ling Mo some annoyance.

He felt like a puppeteer of the undead, yet the strings attached were far too short, and his skill was still insufficient.

Nevertheless, achieving a considerably safer level of survival, Ling Mo was quite content with his zombie-controlling abilities. He affectionately referred to the zombies under his command as 'Zombie Puppets'.

During the process of controlling these Zombie Puppets, Ling Mo sometimes sensed a surge of violence influencing him as well. Whether this influence was beneficial or detrimental, he had yet to ascertain….

Over these past days, Ling Mo had developed a deeper understanding of zombie behavior. Unlike the typical ghoul-like beings depicted, these zombies were not merely the walking dead, but rather living individuals afflicted by the virus.

Although their bodies remained physically alive, their minds had been utterly corrupted, transforming them into monstrous entities. They relentlessly hunted uninfected survivors, tearing at flesh with a strength far exceeding that of an average human.

The virus had systematically obliterated their senses, seized control of their thoughts, and repurposed them as executioners driven solely by their primal killing instincts.

In Ling Mo's assessment, these contemporary zombies were considerably more terrifying than any depicted in games or movies, primarily because they retained their five senses. Both sound and scent could instantly capture their attention.

“The sun is starting to set. We'll call it a day.”

This residence offered no real safety; it served merely as a temporary staging ground for Ling Mo during his zombie puppet-control operations.

After stowing the day's gathered provisions into his backpack, Ling Mo shook his head, which throbbed with a slight ache, and commanded the zombies to rise.

Standing in close proximity, with the zombie puppet directly before him, Ling Mo still felt a persistent sense of unease.

Although lacking the putrid stench of decay common in movie portrayals, this zombie still emanated a potent aroma of blood. The viral infection had leached the color from his face, leaving behind glowing red eyes. Through his slightly parted lips, stained remnants of pork were visible on his teeth.

Without a doubt, it was likely the grim leftovers from a recent human meal….

The zombie had possessed good looks, appearing to be a teenager of about seventeen or eighteen years old. However, his current appearance lent him the air of a malevolent spirit.

“Go… move…”

Ling Mo suppressed a strong wave of nausea, guiding the zombie to descend the stairs.

Even with the zombie puppet clearing the path ahead, his own safety was far from guaranteed. Ling Mo gripped a sharp bone knife, proceeding cautiously in the zombie puppet's wake.

To reach his temporary sanctuary, a street crossing was unavoidable. Upon their arrival earlier that day, Ling Mo had ingeniously deployed firecrackers, creating a diversion that drew the majority of the street's zombies in the opposite direction. Still, a few stragglers remained, aimlessly wandering.

As they cautiously made their way to the intersection, Ling Mo encountered an unexpected obstacle.

Two zombies, their bodies slick with fresh blood, barred the path. One ghoul was disturbingly occupied, gnawing on a severed human arm. In this sprawling provincial city, where millions once lived, daily survivor casualties during desperate food searches were grimly commonplace. Dead bodies were hardly a rarity.

Yet, the sight of that mangled limb evoked a somber reflection in Ling Mo, a pang of sorrow for his own kind. His unique abilities afforded him a greater chance at survival, but complacency was a fatal error; he too could easily become a meal for these monstrous beings.

Ling Mo advanced, his zombie puppet skillfully maneuvered. He brandished the bone-chopping knife, closing in on one of the creatures.

While the other zombie was momentarily distracted by a faint noise, Ling Mo seized the opportunity. Gripping the knife firmly, he darted behind the nearest undead and plunged the blade into its head.

The two zombies fell almost simultaneously. After wrenching his knife free with considerable effort, Ling Mo sent one of the fallen bodies tumbling aside.

Ling Mo never let a valuable opportunity pass him by. Though manipulating zombies had proven incredibly effective, he understood the absolute necessity of possessing his own combat prowess for self-preservation.

Furthermore, Ling Mo sensed a peculiar, violent resonance within him whenever he decapitated a zombie. A fleeting, almost pleasurable sensation accompanied the act of pulling the blade free from its gruesome task.

“The virus isn't transmitted through spiritual contact, is it… If it were, I would have been infected long ago… If it's not the virus, then what exactly is this feeling….”

This subtle alteration in himself troubled Ling Mo greatly, yet he remained without any clear answers.

Nevertheless, the growing ease and proficiency with which he could cleanly dispatch zombies was undeniably a positive development for Ling Mo.

Before the cataclysm, he had been nothing more than an ordinary man. His initial encounters with zombies had been terrifying ordeals, leaving him shaken and unable to think straight even after the bloody deed was done.

But to survive, honing his combat skills was paramount.

And in the depths of Ling Mo's heart, one person remained the constant focus of his thoughts. Mastering zombie control, accumulating vital supplies – all these efforts were driven by a singular goal: to traverse this perilous district and find her……