The campus was filled with laughter and chatter, bustling as usual.
No one would know that, according to the original storyline, tomorrow—in the coming twenty-four hours, oh no—Tang Tang glanced down at the countdown timer on her phone, her brow deeply furrowed.
Now there were only twenty-three hours left before this place would be overrun by zombies.
Before, she always thought that this was all just a dream, but now Tang Tang has completely fallen into that dream and entered into a nightmare.
Time waits for no one. She couldn’t afford to waste any more time here.
Tang Tang knew all too well that, given ‘her’ reputation, even if she warned everyone about the apocalypse tomorrow, no one would believe her. They might even accuse her of spreading panic and rumors. With that thought, she turned and ran toward her dormitory.
As she ran, she checked the hidden space she had just obtained.
The hidden space was roughly 27 cubic meters in size and was currently empty. According to the system, it was a growth-type space, meaning it would expand as her abilities increased. The space could store items, but for now, it could only hold inanimate objects.
This was the result of an hour-long negotiation with the system. It had to be said, the system was not only infuriating but also stingy!
Earlier, it had said that it would give her more assistance, but when she said she wanted a hidden space, it refused to fulfill its previous promise.
It said that the hidden space was already a very powerful existence, and providing her with additional help would affect the normal order of this world. Tang Tang had argued tirelessly, but in the end, she couldn’t persuade the system, it had flown off without another word.
Damn it.
***
The dormitory was about a twenty-minute walk from the playground, but Tang Tang ran as fast as she could and managed to reach the dormitory building in ten minutes.
University campuses were always vast in size, and this was a relatively new school. The dormitory buildings were tall and modern, with walls covered in gleaming white tiles that reflected the low shrubs and grass along the pathways, creating a fresh and pleasant sight.
But now was not the time to admire the scenery.
Tang Tang quickly swiped her campus card and ran into the dormitory building.
She now needed to go to her dorm room to retrieve the bank card stored in her locker, then rent a small apartment outside, and take a trip to the nearest wholesale market.
Since she had only read a few chapters of that book, she had no idea what would actually happen during the apocalypse. But preparing in advance and stocking up on food and tools was never a bad idea.
The dorm was a four-person room, but only two people were inside at the moment. Noticing her return, they both shot her disdainful looks and began to mock her.
“Some people are just shameless. They used to fawn over Jiang Zhu because he was the young master of the Jiang family, but now that he’s been kicked out, they immediately turn their backs on him.”
“Exactly. After receiving so many gifts from Jiang Zhu, she acted all high and mighty when breaking up with him today. Why doesn’t she have the decency to return everything?”
“She has no decency at all, just shameless.”
…
During their relationship, the two of them had witnessed firsthand how well Jiang Zhu treated Tang Tang. To be liked by someone like Jiang Zhu—handsome, from a wealthy family, and incredibly devoted—was something to be envied and resented. Especially since this person was right next to them, as roommates, they had long been green with envy.
Now that today’s incident had happened, they naturally wouldn’t miss the chance to mock Tang Tang.
But Tang Tang had no time to listen to them. She quickly unlocked her cabinet, took out her wallet, and stuffed it into her pocket. After doing this, she headed toward the door.
She had intended to leave directly, but she paused just before reaching the exit.
Although they had no real friendship and she knew they probably wouldn’t believe her, they had been roommates for so long. Before leaving, she decided to give them an indirect warning.
“I heard from someone today that there have been occasional robberies around here lately. Be careful when you go out, and it’s best to carry something for self-defense.”
Her hand on the doorknob hesitated for a moment before she turned and walked back.
She bent down carefully, picked up a small cardboard box from the bottom of her cabinet, gently brushed off the fine dust on it, and tucked it into her backpack.
“I won’t be back tonight. Remember to lock the door, and if you hear any noises outside, don’t open it unless you know who’s there.”
Under their mocking gazes, Tang Tang finished what she had to say: “Tomorrow is the weekend. You might want to stock up on some extra food today.”
“Tang Tang, do we need you to tell us what to do? Ugh—” Wang Fen exaggeratedly shuddered and rubbed her arms.
“Every time I hear your name, it makes me sick.”
“Who knows what you’re doing out tonight? Did you just dump Jiang Zhu and now you’re climbing into someone else’s bed? Disgusting!”
The two of them kept up their taunts, and Tang Tang had no idea whether they had taken her words to heart or not.
She opened her mouth, wanting to remind them one more time, but the two had already turned away, each putting on their headphones and ignoring her. Tang Tang swallowed her words, pursed her lips, and finally walked out.
Only after the door closed did the two take off their headphones again. They took turns cursing Tang Tang for a while, stopping only when they grew tired. Wang Fen glanced out the window and asked, “Has there been another robbery nearby recently?”
“I don’t know,” Zhao Li shrugged, “but this place is so remote. I bought a small knife last time and it’s still in my drawer.”
***
Everything went smoothly afterward. Tang Tang rented a place near the wholesale market and went shopping as soon as the lease was signed. Only after all the items were moved into the room did she finally let out a sigh of relief. Immediately, she stored everything in her hidden space, neatly organizing them by category.
Once everything was done, Tang Tang realized she was drenched in sweat. The summer heat was intense, and she had been running around all day without a moment’s rest. Now that she finally had a brief respite, she quickly turned on the air conditioner. As the cool breeze blew from the AC, she couldn’t help but wonder if this would be the last time she’d ever enjoy such comfort.
A wave of sorrow washed over her, emotions swirling inside.
But soon, it all condensed into a surge of anger:
It was all that damn system’s fault!
It ran away pretty fast, if it dared show itself now, she’d strangle it without hesitation!
The 27-cubic-meter hidden space was now completely packed, with no room to spare.
Tang Tang thought for a moment. She had bought a lot of food and daily necessities, prepared plenty of self-defense tools like knives, and even had warm bedding and clothing. It seemed like she was well-prepared for now.
But looking at all these items in the hidden space, she still felt uneasy.
She was holding the script of a cannon fodder character, someone destined to die as soon as the apocalypse began. According to the original novel’s setting, not only would zombies appear after the apocalypse, but some people would also undergo mutations.
This meant the emergence of superpowered individuals.
Just like the female lead’s healing ability, which not only protects herself but also heals others, it is a highly valuable skill in the harsh environment of the apocalypse and such ability would be highly sought after.
The male lead, Jiang Zhu, likely had impressive abilities too, but since the novel was written from the female lead’s perspective and Tang Tang had dropped the story early, she didn’t know what his ability were. She only knew they were incredibly powerful and unbeatable.
But now, the biggest problem she faced was this: as a minor cannon fodder in the original story, someone who was supposed to be torn apart by zombies, what would her own superpower ability be?
Wait! Hold on a second!
Thinking back carefully about what the system told her three years ago when she first arrived here—
What were the exact words?
Her memory from three years ago was a bit fuzzy, but Tang Tang had a gut feeling that whatever the system said back then wouldn’t bring her any comfort now.
Was it something like: “No superpower ability awakened, ultimately torn apart and devoured by zombies”??
!!!
Damn it!
Tang Tang abruptly sat up, her whole body going cold.
No way, right?
No, no, that can’t be right. Her memory must be wrong! Yes, that’s definitely it!
Even though she tried to convince herself, it did little to ease her anxiety.
Tang Tang could no longer sit still. She turned off the AC and hurriedly ran towards the school.
***
Translation by NightOwll
***
[OP:08/04/2024][Edited:07/12/2026]
Que sistema maldito!!!