"What... what on earth are those things?"
Staring up at that bizarre moon and out at the endless expanse of undead blanketing the landscape, Li Ke felt a sharp, violent tremor in his chest. Just from a cursory glance, the number of zombies visible within his field of vision numbered well into the thousands. Literally everywhere he looked, there was a decaying, shuffling silhouette.
And that moon... it looked deeply unnatural.
But the sudden shock instantly triggered a memory of his unique system interface. The name of this reality had been spelled out clearly in his status panel from the very beginning.
7 Days to Die... Seven days. Does that mean a deadly trial occurs every seven days?
Because he had been so swept up in his new life with Erina, he hadn't given the game's actual title much deeper thought. But looking at it now...
Even if I figured it out, what difference does it make? How can a real zombie apocalypse be compared to a video game? In a game, you can respawn. In a game, you always know it's just a simulation...
Gazing through the reinforced glass, a crushing wave of despair steadily crept into his heart. The only reason they hadn't been ripped apart yet was the defensive perimeter wall they had built around the vehicle, combined with the fact that these zombies seemed to have heavily restricted sensory ranges. For now, a fragile peace held.
Otherwise, against a horde of this magnitude, the sheer weight of their bodies crowding together would be more than enough to flip the heavy RV right on its side.
While Li Ke still firmly believed that forged metal could ultimately triumph over rotting bone and muscle, the sheer, overwhelming mathematics of the situation was terrifying. The RV's metal plating wasn't a tank hull. It could withstand a brief skirmish, but if thousands of zombies began throwing themselves relentlessly against the chassis, Li Ke had absolutely no confidence they would survive.
As his thoughts raced, he noticed Erina's eyelids flutter. Reacting purely on instinct, Li Ke immediately lunged over and firmly clamped his hand over her mouth, keeping his body weight low as he silently pointed toward the horror unfolding outside the window.
Erina stared at him in utter shock. Before her sleep-deprived mind could even process what was happening, her gaze followed his finger toward the glass. The very next split second, her entire body locked up as rigid as a board. A muffled gasp died in her throat against his palm, but her sharp survival instincts kicked in immediately. She quickly clamped her own hands over her mouth, forcefully suffocating her own scream before it could escape.
Because they were well-insulated inside the vehicle, her brief muffled noise didn't alert the marching horde outside. Only after her frantic breathing gradually stabilized did Li Ke cautiously slide his hand away from her lips.
Erina kept her hands tightly pressed over her mouth, staring out at the rolling sea of corpses with absolute, wide-eyed disbelief. Trembling violently, she latched onto Li Ke's arm with a vice-like grip, her eyes welling with tears as she terrifiedly buried herself deep into his chest.
Li Ke remained silent, holding her against him as tightly as he could. In a moment of absolute despair like this, Erina's warm presence was the only thing anchoring him to his own sanity.
Wrapped tightly in each other's arms, the young couple curled up together on the mattress, keeping their eyes glued to the window as the endless horde shuffled past. They carefully adjusted their posture to lie completely flat, holding their breath and freezing every muscle, desperately trying not to make a single sound.
Neither of them knew exactly how many hours they spent trapped in that agonizing stalemate. At some point, exhaustion overtook them, and both Erina and Li Ke managed to drift in and out of a restless sleep. Yet through it all, the endless tide of undead never ceased its relentless march. Even relieving themselves required utilizing scavenged plastic bottles, a grueling task executed with absolute, meticulous care out of pure terror of making a single sound.
A heavy silence hung over Li Ke. Under normal circumstances, the sheer intimacy of their confined situation would have been incredibly provocative, but right now, he couldn't muster an ounce of interest. Instead, a slow, suffocating sense of despair was steadily creeping into his chest.
He noticed the anomaly in the sky growing worse. The moon was burning with increasing brilliance, and a sickening, deep crimson hue was gradually bleeding inward from the edges of the crescent.
As the moonlight turned an ominous red, the zombies below underwent a terrifying transformation. The rotting corpses that had previously been shambling at a snail's pace began to accelerate, their movements turning erratic and aggressive. Worse still, a faint, malevolent glow began to kindle within their dead eyes.
It wasn't a trick of his mind. Li Ke could clearly see the horde descending into a state of pure frenzy. Every few moments, a piercing, bloodcurdling shriek would echo from the sea of monsters outside.
"Damn it all..."
Watching the increasingly erratic, violent spasms of the infected, Li Ke took a deep, stabilizing breath. He locked his eyes onto the twisted, alien moon, a terrible premonition settling deep in his gut.
He fished out his long-dead smartphone, powering it on just long enough to catch a glimpse of the screen before the battery died again. It was only two o'clock in the afternoon. Yet, trapped inside this claustrophobic cabin, it felt like an eternity had already passed.
"Thank God we managed to craft those firearms and ammo yesterday. Otherwise, we wouldn't stand a snowball's chance in hell out here."
Glancing at his inventory, his eyes drifted over the four or five stacks of gunpowder he had left over. A wave of regret washed over him.
If the universe had just granted him a little more prep time—or better yet, the infinite stamina mechanics from the actual video game—he and Erina wouldn't be cowering inside a fragile RV right now. They would be safely entrenched atop a heavily fortified, steel-reinforced bunker at the gas station.
"But if my hunch about this world is right, this RV isn't going to keep us safe for much longer."
Staring out at the encroaching horde, Li Ke gently stroked Erina's hair, doing his best to soothe her trembling frame so she could get whatever fleeting rest she could manage in his arms.
He looked back up at the sky. The moon had deepened into an even sharper shade of crimson. Curiously, Erina seemed to react to the shifting celestial light as well, her breathing growing slightly shallow and erratic. Taking a deep breath, Li Ke pulled up his true system interface to check his status.
Energy: 900
Li Ke stayed silent for a moment, then slowly slid his hand under Erina's clothes. His large palm glided across her smooth stomach before cupping one of her heavy, soft breasts. He squeezed the full, warm flesh firmly, kneading and massaging it with obvious hunger. His fingers sank deep into the supple mound, feeling its perfect weight and elasticity.
Erina's skin was silky and hot. He could feel her small, sensitive nipple hardening against his palm as her heartbeat accelerated rapidly under his touch.
"Li Ke…?" Erina opened her eyes, whispering his name in confusion. She looked at him with wide, puzzled eyes, clearly not understanding why he was doing this in such a dangerous situation.
Li Ke raised a finger to his lips, signaling her to stay quiet. However, his other hand showed no restraint. Instead, it grew even bolder, pinching and rolling her stiff nipple between his fingers.
Erina's face instantly turned bright red. She glared at him with an annoyed yet embarrassed expression, clearly upset that he would risk them being discovered. But she knew arguing right now was pointless. She bit her lower lip hard and tried to grab his wrist with both hands, attempting to stop his wandering fingers.
But Li Ke had no intention of stopping.
He took a deep breath and continued exploring her body. Erina gripped his hand tighter, trying to halt his advances, but it was futile. Li Ke suddenly leaned in and sealed her lips with a deep, demanding kiss.
At first, Erina resisted strongly, shaking her head and pressing her lips together. But when a small, involuntary moan slipped out, her resistance melted. She tilted her head back submissively, allowing him to kiss her passionately. Her hands, which had been fighting him, slowly loosened their grip and were easily pulled away.
Li Ke's hand returned to her soft breast, squeezing even harder now. His other hand slid down between her thighs, pushing her panties aside. His thick, rough middle finger pressed against her slick entrance before slowly pushing inside her tight, virgin-like pussy.
"Nngh…!" Erina's eyes widened. The coarse texture of his finger felt strange and slightly uncomfortable inside her delicate walls, but it also sent waves of shameful pleasure through her body. She clamped her hand tightly over her mouth, desperately trying not to make any noise.
Li Ke pumped his finger slowly, curling it to stroke her sensitive inner spots. When he finally pulled it out, a long, thick strand of her clear, sticky nectar stretched obscenely from her puffy pink folds to his glistening finger. The lewd string glistened in the dim light before breaking.
He brought his finger to his mouth and licked it clean, savoring her sweet taste. Erina's face burned with shame. She punched his chest weakly, but said nothing more.
She could already feel his burning hot cock pressing against her thigh, rock-hard and throbbing. She knew resistance was pointless now.
Li Ke lifted her slightly, positioning her over his lap in a face-to-face sitting position. He slowly lowered her onto his thick cock. Erina bit her lip hard as her tight entrance was stretched wide open once again. His hot, veiny shaft pushed deep into her narrow, velvety passage, filling her completely.
At first, Erina tried to move her hips herself while sitting on him. But as the pleasure quickly intensified, she lost all strength. Li Ke took full control, gripping her soft, plump white ass with both hands. He squeezed the juicy flesh tightly and began bouncing her up and down on his cock with deep, rhythmic thrusts.
The wet, obscene sound of her soaked pussy swallowing his cock filled the small space, though they both tried desperately to stay quiet. Their breathing grew heavier and faster. Both of their hearts pounded wildly in their chests as they suppressed their moans, terrified of being heard.
Erina buried her face in Li Ke's neck, biting down on his shoulder to muffle her whimpers. Her massive breasts pressed and rubbed against his chest with every thrust.
As their movements grew more frantic, Li Ke felt his climax approaching. He gripped Erina's ass harder, pulling her down as deep as possible. With a low, stifled groan against her ear, he buried himself to the hilt and came hard.
Thick, hot ropes of cum erupted violently inside her, flooding her womb in powerful spurts. Erina's eyes rolled back slightly as she felt the scorching liquid filling her up. She clamped her hand over her own mouth, letting out a long, trembling, muffled cry as another orgasm washed over her.
Both of them trembled violently in each other's arms, desperately stifling their voices as Li Ke continued pumping every last drop of his seed deep inside her twitching pussy.
They pulled it off successfully. By the time Erina was collapse-resting against Li Ke to recover her stamina, the marching undead outside still hadn't detected a single trace of them.
Li Ke took a long, sharp breath. Gazing up at the ominous sky, he could see that a massive crimson stain now choked out half the moon. A grim silence fell over him. Moving purely on frantic survival instinct, he opened his system UI and began queuing up blocks—specifically, crafting dirt and stone blocks in his inventory. The former required only raw clay, while the latter consumed a few loose stones.
Around this time, Erina finally noticed the unnatural corruption of the sky. She tugged frantically at Li Ke's sleeve, pointing a trembling finger toward the crimson colored moon. Li Ke simply gave her a dark, silent nod to show he understood. He carefully pulled out a stash of scavenged rations, ensuring they stayed completely wrapped under the heavy blankets before cracking them open to muffle any scraping foil or crunching noises.
But the apocalypse didn't care about Li Ke's careful calculations. Halfway through their makeshift meal, the sky shifted completely. The moon had turned an unholy, uniform crimson.
Once again, he booted up his dying smartphone, locking his eyes onto the ticking digital numbers.
17:59:42
It was almost six o'clock in the evening.
Li Ke watched helplessly as a low-battery notification flashed across the screen before the phone forcefully shut down. Right as the display went black, the final second rolled over to 59.
The very next instant, the world plunged into sudden, suffocating darkness. The sky bled into a blinding, monochromatic scarlet, bathing the entire landscape in an unnatural, gory light. Before Li Ke could even process the visual shock, a deafening, unified roar tore through the wilderness. Thousands of rotting throats shrieked across the hills in perfect, malicious harmony.
He lunged toward the reinforced glass—and the sight that met his eyes chilled his blood.
The boundless sea of corpses had turned as one, their dead gazes locked directly onto their position. A piercing, yellow luminescence flared within their eye sockets, and their decaying flesh pulsed with a strange, sickly green hue that practically radiated malice.
An instant later, the horde unleashed a deafening battle cry and charged straight at them like a tidal wave!
"Shit!"
Without a second's hesitation, Li Ke bolted toward the RV door. He aggressively slapped down wood frames into the entrance, hammering them through the system interface to upgrade them to their absolute reinforced limits, completely sealing the doorway shut.
But the moment he finished reinforcing the bottleneck, a sickening crunch echoed from outside. The exterior stone wall they had built over the last few days was instantly obliterated, torn to shreds by the sheer force of the rampaging undead. Then came the terrifying, rhythmic thudding of fists hammering violently against the metal chassis of the RV.
Li Ke worked frantically, deploying wood frames all over the cabin interior to patch and reinforce the buckling walls. But the sheer mathematics of the horde was insurmountable. Within twenty seconds, a chaotic barrage of scratching and heavy thuds erupted from directly above their heads. Erina's panicked voice cut through the noise.
"Li Ke! They're crawling onto the roof!"
Dull, echoing slams vibrated through the metal structure one after another. Li Ke could see it clearly through the seams—the zombies were throwing themselves headfirst into the vehicle, completely disregardful of whether their own rotting bones shattered upon impact.
The heavy RV was thrown around like a fragile rowboat caught in a violent, apocalyptic storm, completely at the mercy of a sea of monsters. They were entirely powerless to stop it.
"God damn it!"
Pushing past the fear, Li Ke aggressively whipped out his newly minted pipe machine gun. Poking the barrel through a shattered window gap, he held down the trigger. In a claustrophobic meat-grinder like this, accuracy didn't matter. He didn't even need to aim; he simply sprayed a relentless wall of lead into the darkness, effortlessly popping the skulls of an entire wave of mutated infected.
Yet, it was completely useless. The bodies of the dead were instantly trampled underfoot by the incoming waves. A dense, suffocating wall of flesh pressed tightly against the vehicle, the sheer physical force dragging the heavy RV off its stabilizers and pushing it backward toward the ruins of the main town.
Li Ke was entirely helpless to change their trajectory. He kept firing frantically, but emptying his magazines caused a subtle, catastrophic shift in balance. Because he had cleared out the monsters on one side, the overwhelming pressure from the opposite flank became uneven. With a violent screech of metal, the surging horde flipped the massive RV entirely onto its side. The zombies swarmed the chassis like crazed ants, scratching and tearing at the metal plating, desperate to claw the living out of their steel tin can.
The violent rollover slammed Li Ke and Erina hard against the side wall. Before they could even gather their bearings, the crushing weight of the horde pushed the vehicle again, forcing the overturned RV to roll continuously across the asphalt.
Up was down. The original floor was now their ceiling. Li Ke's head collided violently against a loose cabinet fixture, a blinding flash of pain nearly knocking him unconscious. Nearby, Erina was pinned beneath the collapsed mattress structure. If she hadn't followed Li Ke's instructions to heavily board up her window earlier, the rotting, blood-soaked hands clawing through the broken glass would have torn her to ribbons by now!
This was, without a shadow of a doubt, an unimaginable dead end. The sheer volume of the dead was simply overwhelming. Even if the RV's chassis somehow managed to hold together for a little longer, it would never survive until dawn.
Assuming a tomorrow would even come.
Taking a deep, shaky breath, Li Ke stopped his futile blind-firing. Seizing a brief moment while the overturned vehicle remained relatively stable, he scrambled through the wreckage to Erina's side. Using their bodies as the central anchor point, he frantically queued up and placed a dense cluster of wood frames. He built a tight, claustrophobic barricade around them, desperate to cage them into a small, secure pocket so they wouldn't be violently thrown about if the RV rolled again.
Li Ke pulled Erina into a fierce embrace, feeling the frantic, rapid drumming of her heart. Amidst the pitch-black chaos, the violent lurching, and the sickening screech of tearing metal as the zombies clawed through the outer hull, Erina's voice barely carried over the noise.
"Li Ke..."
Her voice was tight with pain.
"Are we going to die here? Are we... are we going to turn into those monsters together?"
Erina was growing weak. Her head had taken a severe blow during the rollover; though she couldn't see it in the darkness, she could feel the warm, sticky sensation of blood trickling down her temple.
Li Ke exhaled slowly, firmly pressing his dead smartphone into her trembling palm.
"Erina, my real name is Li Ke. I'm from China. My mother's contact information is saved inside that phone. If you can make it back... look for my world. See if my mother, or even another version of me, exists there. If they do, please... make sure she's taken care of. Give her enough money to live comfortably."
"Li Ke?"
Erina murmured his name in utter confusion, her mind unable to comprehend why he was suddenly giving what sounded like a final testament.
"What I mean to say is... goodbye, Erina. Being with you... it was the happiest time of my life."
—Would you like to initiate target repatriation?—
Yes.
The very next instant, the warmth and erratic pulse of Erina's body vanished entirely from his arms. His fingers clamped down on nothing but empty air. As the screech of tearing sheet metal echoed directly above his makeshift wooden cage, Li Ke knew his own judgment day had finally arrived.
"Well... it was a hell of a dream while it lasted," Li Ke muttered, a fierce, defiant grin breaking across his face.
He opened his hotbar and dragged out a massive stack of black gunpowder.
If he was going down, he sure as hell wasn't going down without a fight!