No Time

I've brought everything I needed for our zombie trials.

For Ge, the dove, dirt mixed with sand, the strongest metals mixed together(Tungsten, Chromium, and etc...), an oxygen tank filled with gases both harmful and harmless, and the baby wolf.

For Xiao Lai, the tarantula died so I bought an iridescent tarantula to make up for it, mushrooms, a taser gun to replace the stupid idea of a plasma globe, the kite(the bird), and a zombie core. Every zombie has a core but level one cores aren't very useful. They only help a little with leveling up.

For Xiao Bing, wisteria branches(they're poisonous) were used to replace the pencil that she originally used, an owl, gecko, flame torch, and cat.

For me, I had prepared, water, a raven, the cheetah, a femur bone from one of the zombies since it was the strongest bone, and most important of all, my peridot ring.

I skinned the zombies and cooked them to my best abilities. Thinking about it, I'm going to become a cannibal now, aren't I? Well, some people in the apocalypse were cannibals. But it was abhorred and everyone stayed away from them. Zombie trials weren't considered cannibalism but everyone knew what it really was. But for power, they would do anything. Even though I tried not to be like those power hungry freaks, in the end, I had ironically become one of them.

I told my siblings to not let me out no matter how serious it looked. They nodded solemnly and I went into a concrete room specifically prepared for the zombie trial, holding the cooked zombie meat.

To be honest, the zombie meat tasted incredibly strange. Stringy and mellow. But since it was zombie meat, it added a hint of rotten and sour taste. I gagged and almost retched as I ate the meat. It would be the source of my power, I had to go through it.

It hurt. It really hurt. my head itched from the inside and I wanted to scratch so badly but my arms were as heavy as lead and I couldn't lift them. I felt so, so weak. It really was a terrible feeling. I yelled for what seemed like hours and from the corner of my eyes, I could see my skin turning dark and rotting. My skin peeled off and grew back again. It really hurt. My voice didn't come out anymore and I could only hope for it to end safely. The pain didn't numb. It truly didn't, or how would it hurt more as time went on?

But I couldn't faint, or else I might touch the ground and have less chance of gaining all the powers I needed. I held my hands up, like those crazy religious worshipping fanatics. Ha, today was very ironic. But holding my hands up was tiring and I dropped them to my sides often because they trembled so much and the blood spewing from the pores of my hands and arms were falling onto my face, blinding my eyes. The blood also was spewing from my mouth and since my throat was so dry and hoarse from screaming, I could only swallow it to hydrate myself. It tasted like metal.

I only thought quietly in my head and counted the minutes as my skin and muscles kept peeling and regenerating.

But this doesn't amount to the pain I felt when being betrayed by people and being thrown into the horde of zombies to buy time for others to run away. Emotional pain hits more deeply than physical pain. I was too kind my last life, I was trying to change, but it was too tiring to act that way. I wanted to be my true self, whatever that was, I don't want to be mature. I still want to be a kid, act unruly, free. Maybe I'll try it out after I'm free of this agony...

After an hour passed, pain faded away leaving only soreness. I could feel the strength ready to burst out at anytime. My voice was still gone and my body still weak and trembling but I still made it to the door. I stomped at a button on the floor that popped out only after an hour had passed and the door opened.

My siblings looked very concerned and watched as I made it to the table where the water in a bowl, my peridot ring, and the femur bone. They were absorbed and I could feel the longly awaited return of my space and water abilities along with the bone ability that I did not yet know how to use. My mood became better and I hurried while stumbling to the small cottage made for the animals. My siblings were quicker than me right now due to my currently weakened state from the pain. Xiao Lai opened the door for me and I made it in and saw the raven I had trained. Ge, Xiao Lai, and Xiao Bing held back the other animals as I motioned to the raven to come closer.

It flew down to me and rested on my shoulder. Ugh, it really still hurt. I petted the raven and felt its ability seep into me. I slowly smiled. Only one more left.

The cheetah was afraid of me. Trembling as I made its way to it, it tried to run away. I really should have kept it in a cage, but Xiao Bing specifically trained all of them not to fight and they all listened to her words. The animals never fought and lived cordially whether they were considered prey or predator. Even the ones that she took from the zoo just yesterday recognized her and listened by not disturbing the other animals.

But I didn't truly expect that a white blur would jump at me and make me touch it due to my current slowness. I felt power seep into me and deep disappointment and anger as I didn't get to touch the cheetah. It turned out to be the arctic fox that was almost extinct. Why did Xiao Bing have to bring this curious creature back?

I was angry but also disappointed in myself for not making preparations properly. This was a serious matter and I should have kept the animals all separated. But it was no use, I would use the cheetah as a replacement for Xiao Bing's cat and find another one later and use it for the red phase if I needed.

I could only look at loss and placed my hands down. I crumpled to the ground and sat there as if broken. I was very tired. I didn't even have the strength to sit up now.

"Yu Ge, I'm so sorry! This guy was really unruly yesterday when I tried to train him. I didn't think that... I'm really sorry! I really am... I'm sorry Yu Ge... Wuwu, I shouldn't have brought him back... I'm sorry..." I could hear Xiao Bing sobbing and looked up.

"..." I couldn't even croak. But I motioned for her to come to me. Hugging the crying little sister of mine tightly, I patted her back slowly and calmed her down. It was her fault, but she didn't expect it. And it all led down to me. If I was responsible and actually separated the animals, this wouldn't have happened. And if I had actually strictly reprimanded her in bringing more animals, this wouldn't have happened in the first place...

The arctic fox only looked at us curiously not even knowing what it had caused. We would have to return these animals to the zoo but I would keep this one because I wanted petty revenge. I would bully it every day by taking away its toys and delicious food. I'll give him the worst dog food.

After a few strong coughdrops, my voice was a little back. Elders always said that we were very lucky to be alive in an age where medicine could do anything. I wondered what random abnormal power I would get but put it aside since it was Ge's turn.

"Ah, wait! Let me go first! Let me get over with it first! It seems painful and I want it to end quickly!" yelled Xiao Lai as Ge was getting ready to go in with a serious look on his face.

This made me freak out. Xiao Lai was the only person I was worried about that would maybe not pass the zombie trial. I was originally going to put him last so that we could hold him back if he became an advanced zombie.

Before I could get a word out or even move, Xiao Lai snatched the meat from Ge's hands, gobbled it up in front of me and rushed into the room. I could only desperately grab at the air and fall flat as I tried to stand up and run to stop my little brother.