Chapter 6: The Damn Space

Su Xiaomu glanced at the incomprehensible symbols on the hide parchment a few times before tossing it back onto the table. Useless. He walked to the bed and lay down. After the series of shocks, both physical and mental exhaustion weighed heavily on him. No zombies, no immediate threat to his life... he drifted into a fitful sleep.

He awoke feeling disoriented. He'd slept for what felt like a long time, yet... stepping outside the cabin, the light in the sky hadn't changed at all.

Su Xiaomu rubbed his forehead, blinking. Still the same. His earlier guess was confirmed: this was indeed a space. Why he could enter it remained a mystery.

His clothes were filthy. Spotting his small bundle still lying on the grass, he retrieved it. Hunger gnawed at him again. After eating a few more apples, he decided it was time to clean up.

The stream burbled softly, its source unseen. Su Xiaomu stripped naked and waded in. The water came up to his thighs. He began scrubbing.

"Huh?" He noticed the grime sloughing off his skin, carried away swiftly by the current. Left arm, right arm... the dirt seemed to dissolve effortlessly, more effective than any shower gel. Seeing this, he scrubbed himself thoroughly from head to toe.

A profound sense of relief washed over him. He felt stronger, no longer the sickly wretch he'd been. Looking down at his reflection in the water, though still skeletal, his face was noticeably cleaner and paler. He nodded, satisfied.

Su Xiaomu wasn't overly concerned with looks; passable was fine. As long as he didn't resemble a desiccated corpse, he was happy. This space, its water, and its fruit clearly had healing properties, and potent ones at that.

Whether before or after the apocalypse, this space was an immense treasure to Su Xiaomu.

Gold? Wealth? Jewels? What good were they without food? Without sustenance, life itself couldn't be guaranteed. Those things were worth less than garbage. He thought of the vault of gold he'd seen upon rebirth – utterly worthless trash.

Su Xiaomu had no intention of staying in the space forever. Despite its safety, the utter lack of human presence and the eerie quiet, broken only by the occasional cluck or quack, felt deeply unsettling.

Dressed in clean sweatpants and a t-shirt he'd scavenged earlier, Su Xia幕 lay back on the grass, hands behind his head, a blade of grass between his teeth. He stared at the unchanging sky, pondering how to get out.

He concentrated... and suddenly, he could see outside. It was the spot where he'd been lying. The zombies that had swarmed him were now scattered around, brains splattered grotesquely on the pavement.

Scanning the surroundings, he saw no other zombies. Get out, he willed. Instantly, he found himself standing on the desolate street.

Su Xiaomu instantly went on high alert, scanning his surroundings. He was weaponless. If zombies appeared now... his life would be forfeit. The space had saved him once; there was no guarantee it would again, and he still didn't know how to consciously enter it.

He darted towards a corner, spotting a few shambling figures in the distance. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead. "Enter... enter... enter!" he muttered frantically. No matter how many times he said it, nothing happened.

"Damn space! And those symbols... useless!" he cursed under his breath, helpless. Spotting a small convenience store, he ducked inside.

The zombies hadn't been there before he exited the space. Their rapid convergence now confirmed it: they hunted by scent. Human scent.

Inside the store, he found some remaining food and began stuffing his pack. Most importantly, he found a sharp dagger. Why a store would have one was a mystery, but survival trumped curiosity.

I'm an idiot, Su Xiaomu thought bitterly. Living comfortably in the space, and I come out to be zombie chow...

Thud! He dodged sideways just as decaying claws raked the spot where he'd been standing, leaving deep gouges in the linoleum. Cold sweat drenched him.

Gripping the dagger, Su Xiaomu faced the zombie. Bulging eyes, purple ichor oozing down its face, it reached for him with grasping hands, intent on tearing its prey apart...