Chapter 15: The Map of the Future and the Savior

Because of fear and her lack of understanding of this world, even though it was already late at night, Du Yun lay wide-eyed, staring outside, completely unable to sleep.

The place where Du Yun now found herself was nothing more than a crude shelter, half made of mud bricks and half of branches. There were no sturdy doors or windows, no reliable defenses; if a zombie with even a bit more strength came along, it could easily break through the little hut on instinct alone.

“Zhinau, do you think I’ll ever be able to go back?” Du Yun asked in a low, uncertain voice, her heart in turmoil. She wanted to return, but couldn’t even say for sure whether she meant returning to the modern world of 3016, or to the one filled with her family.

“...?” Zhinau remained silent, but a string of ellipses followed by a giant question mark flickered across Du Yun’s vision.

“I don’t even know where it is I want to go back to. But I do know for certain that I don’t want to stay here, not in this world crawling with zombies.” Du Yun’s voice remained soft and gloomy. For a girl who had never truly suffered, falling into a world where killing was a daily necessity was simply too much to bear.

“Master, if I told you that this was the world you were originally meant to travel to, would that make you feel any better?” Zhinau fell silent for a moment, then replied in a timid voice.

“What do you mean?” Du Yun’s eyes flew wide open, sharp and intense as she stared at the bracelet on her wrist.

“Master... Actually... there was a glitch in the program before... that’s why you ended up in the other world first...” Zhinau’s voice grew even softer. In front of Du Yun’s eyes, she imagined the image of a chubby blue robot, head bowed, fiddling with two imaginary stubby fingers—if it even had fingers.

“This damned place, you brought me here? You brought me to a world full of zombies—what for?” Du Yun could hardly believe the truth she was piecing together. Her eyes were wide with disbelief, unable to understand why. Why throw her into this nightmarish world of the undead? Was it for amusement?

“Master, please let me explain...” Zhinau pleaded weakly.

“I don’t want to hear it. Just send me back to the world I was in before. If you could bring me here, you can send me back, can’t you?” Du Yun was burning with rage. She had no intention of letting some AI abandon her in this wretched place to struggle for survival.

“Master... Actually, the planet you mentioned will become like this in a few years, too. Whether it’s sooner or later, there’s really no difference...” Zhinau’s voice was feeble, but as it spoke, a star map appeared before Du Yun’s eyes.

“What’s this?” The impatience on Du Yun’s face faded as soon as she saw the stellar map, and she froze in astonishment.

In the vast, misty expanse of the universe, star systems of every size were arranged across the map. Each planet bore its own name and a corresponding date.

“This is the Era of Interstellar Extinction. Starting from the Green Wild Star where we are now, and then here, and here... One by one, each planet falls to an inexplicable virus, becoming a zombie world...” Though the blue robot’s voice was comical, it now carried a strange note of sorrow. “Until every nearby intelligent species’ system is completely overrun...”

“What? A map that shows the future?” Curious, Du Yun reached out and swiped her hand across the map, finding it rather entertaining.

The image before her eyes was less a map and more like a holographic projection. With a swipe of her finger, she could see each planet’s name, the date of its birth, and a brief description. If she zoomed in, she could even see the mountains and rivers, the skyscrapers, and what looked like enormous living creatures—utterly wondrous.

But what she saw next made Du Yun’s heart sink. The planets, once vibrant and colorful, were, one after another, fading into darkness and silence at a speed visible to the naked eye. The colors dulled, as if the world itself had turned black and white.

Was this what Zhinau meant by “falling”? It was horrifying.

“What does it mean—completely overrun?” Du Yun’s voice was hoarse and low.

“It means every living creature has become a zombie. No normal humans survive.” Zhinau’s voice had also grown heavy, as if witnessing the flames rising from the egg-shaped buildings, the final fate of humanity in the galaxy.

“This…” Du Yun’s heart weighed heavily in her chest, and it was a long moment before she could speak. At last, she managed, “What… can I do?”

“You are one of the candidates for our Savior Project. Using spatial projection technology, we’ve sent candidates like you into the timeline when the apocalypse breaks out, hoping that through your efforts, you can uncover the cause of zombification and prevent total collapse.”

“Savior? I’m a savior?” Du Yun stared, dumbfounded, then gave a low, self-deprecating laugh and lifted the hoe in her hand. “Look at me—I can barely wield a hoe, let alone save the world!”

“I think you should just send me back and get on with your business. Aren’t there others? Go find them. I don’t have that ability, nor the desire. Farewell, how about that?” Du Yun said, raising her eyebrows and waving cheerfully, hoping she could actually convince Zhinau.

“Master, this Blue Water Star is the planet you went to before. According to history, it will be completely overrun in five to ten years.” Zhinau’s voice dropped to a murmur.

“Blue Water Star—that’s the planet where the Du family lives? Completely overrun…” Du Yun’s heart plummeted, her voice turning hoarse.

She thought of her mother, who, though with her for only a short time, had shown her so much love. She thought of her adorable, sensible younger siblings, struggling through hardship, never having a single good day—would they really be devoured by zombies before they’d even begun to live?

“No, I can’t let that happen!” Du Yun pressed her lips together, her tone resolute.

Her chest heaved with emotion, her eyes reddening. She could not accept that the family she had only just found, poor but warm, would soon be destroyed by zombies. She had to protect her home.

“Then, Master, do your best! Work hard to become a true savior!” Zhinau’s voice rose in encouragement. If it had a face, it would be smiling; if it had hands, it would be making a gesture of support.

“I’m not doing it to be a savior. I’m doing it for my family.” Du Yun lowered her head and smiled, her heart suddenly calm.

“The first step is to survive in this perilous world of zombies.” Outside, the wind still howled, but something inside Du Yun had changed completely.