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墨書 Inktalez
In the midst of the apocalypse, despair enveloped everything in darkness.
Whether it was zombies or humans, everyone struggled to survive in this chaotic world, lost and yearning for life, yet unable to find any direction to move forward.
To survive, what could one even do?
The order that once existed had crumbled, and friends and family were scattered, their fates unknown.
Everything familiar had become unrecognizable—cities, streets, friends, loved ones… all had been shattered into pieces the moment the apocalypse struck.
Humans who had lost everything had turned into mere shells, instinctively clinging to life. But what was the purpose of living? How many could truly understand?
Perhaps in this perilous and dark end of days, what meaning did life hold?
“Daddy, are you awake?”
A timid voice broke through his thoughts. Chu Donglin turned around to find Shishi looking at him with concern, cautiously offering him a piece of chocolate.
“Daddy, eat.”
She gazed at Chu Donglin with a mix of fear and worry in her eyes. “If you eat it, you won’t be hungry anymore.”
Chu Donglin paused for a moment as warmth surged in his heart.
If there was any meaning to his survival now, it was undoubtedly because of the girl before him.
He smiled and shook his head, gently refusing the chocolate she offered. “Daddy can’t eat chocolate. You should have it, Shishi.”
The girl blinked in confusion. "Does Daddy not like chocolate?"
After thinking for a moment, she turned and ran back to the living room, rummaging through the backpack filled with food.
Chu Donglin initially wanted to reach out and stop her, but as he extended his hand, he caught sight of the dried blood on it and helplessly retracted his hand.
The blood of a zombie carries a virus; if he accidentally infected the girl, he would be beyond redemption.
He could only sit helplessly on the balcony, watching as the girl dashed back to her room. After searching through the backpack for a while, she returned with an armful of various snacks.
"Daddy, eat."
The girl remembered Chu Donglin's warning and dared not touch him.
She placed all the snacks in front of Chu Donglin and said, "They're all really tasty."
Chu Donglin shook his head with a bitter smile. "I can't eat these things. The food I need is different from what Shishi eats."
He looked at his pale skin and sighed. "Just put them away. You can keep these snacks for yourself, Shishi. I'll go find something else to eat."
The girl nodded, somewhat understanding but not entirely clear on what Chu Donglin meant. At least she grasped one thing: Chu Donglin did not eat these snacks.
She sat down beside him, hugging her knees, and asked with confusion, "Then what do you want to eat? Shishi will help you find it."
"Me?" Chu Donglin looked up at the torrential rain outside and then at his severely injured body, unable to help but chuckle bitterly. "I eat meat."
The girl tilted her head in thought, suddenly remembering something. She ran back to her room, and soon, amidst a flurry of cheerful chirps, she returned holding a fluffy chicken.
She presented the struggling chicken in her palms to Chu Donglin, her eyes filled with anticipation and nervousness. "Daddy, do you want to eat it?"
Chu Donglin was taken aback, staring at the girl in front of him with a bewildered expression. "Aren't you the one who loves chickens? Why would you want to give it to me?"
"But Daddy is more important," the girl replied seriously, looking at Chu Donglin. "Even though I like the chicken, Shishi is more worried about Daddy."
"You and your logic... Ha..." Chu Donglin chuckled, shaking his head in amusement. It was a mix of exasperation and warmth that felt strangely unfamiliar to him as someone who had never been a father before.
However, he didn't dislike this feeling; on the contrary, Chu Donglin found himself quite fond of it.
Looking at the obedient and understanding girl before him, he felt that no matter how heavy his wounds were, it was all worth it.
He gazed at the girl and smiled. "Shishi, do you like listening to stories?"
"I do," she nodded blankly, still exuding an endearing shyness.
"Then how about I tell you a story? I know many interesting ones."
"Isn't Daddy going out today?" The girl looked at him with confusion.
"It's raining today, so we're not going out," Chu Donglin said with a smile. "Let's tell stories instead; Daddy will stay here with you."
With the clouds of rain hanging overhead, the entire city was now overrun by Second-Stage Zombies.
The Second-Stage Zombies, who usually hid in buildings and shadows, afraid to face the sunlight, now leaped out from their hiding places, rampaging through the city without restraint.
Amidst the torrential downpour, even the sound of rain pounding against the windows could not drown out the roars that echoed around. It was clear that the city had become a playground for the Second-Stage Zombies.
Was dragging a severely injured body outside a way to hasten one's death?
Although typical Second-Stage Zombies wouldn’t attack Low-Level Zombies, encountering one that enjoyed torturing them would spell doom for Chu Donglin.
A wise man does not stand beneath a dangerous wall. Despite his gnawing hunger, Chu Donglin decided to endure a little longer, absorbing more moonlight energy to heal his body before venturing out.
Moreover, going out now would mean being caught by a First-Stage Zombie, which would be akin to delivering himself on a platter.
Those Zombies had no sympathy; when they met, it was either you die or I live—there was rarely a third option.
Chu Donglin had worked hard to evolve to this point; he didn’t want to throw it all away due to a moment of carelessness and end up as someone else's trophy.
If he were to die, not only would Wangcheng's parents have no one to care for them, but also the girl Shishi would be left unattended.
In this city overrun by Zombies, leaving a girl alone among them—did he even need to think about what that outcome would be? Chu Donglin did not want to witness such a despairing future.
“Hmm, let me think about what we should order.”
In response to the girl's eager gaze, Chu Donglin stroked his chin and said, “How about we tell the story of The Little Mermaid… Shishi, do you know the story of The Little Mermaid?”
The girl shook her head, looking somewhat confused. “I don’t think… I know.”
"K, then let's talk about the story of the mermaid. Deep in the distant ocean, there are seven beautiful and lovely mermaids. They are the daughters of the sea, princesses of the Sea King. Among them, the most special mermaid, she..."
The girl sat beside Chu Donglin, hugging her knees, listening intently to the fairy tale he was telling. The dullness in her eyes gradually brightened with a spark of interest.
Although Chu Donglin hadn't read these fairy tales in many years, he had once loved them and read them many times. At this moment, he could recall the general outline of the stories—but only vaguely. Many details eluded him, and he could only stumble through those parts.
Fortunately, the girl didn’t mind these lapses; she was a very attentive listener. She sat quietly beside Chu Donglin and listened to several famous fairy tales like "The Little Mermaid," "Snow White," and "Little Red Riding Hood."
However, it wasn't long before Chu Donglin ran out of stories.
After all, it had been many years since he last encountered these tales, and without a photographic memory, it was quite difficult for him to recount them on the spot. But with the girl's sparkling eyes fixed on him, he felt compelled to continue.
In the end, with no other choice, he resorted to telling stories from animated series aimed at younger audiences, such as "The Lion King" and "Doraemon."
The girl showed great interest in these varied stories. Although her expression remained somewhat blank, Chu Donglin could sense her happiness.
The storytelling continued for a while as rain fell outside.
When darkness once again enveloped the city, Chu Donglin thought tonight would be gloomy. However, around midnight, the clouds parted unexpectedly, and cool moonlight poured down once more.
Lying on the balcony and bathing in this cool moonlight, slowly absorbing its energy, Chu Donglin closed his eyes and fell asleep.
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