The street felt wider than it should have.
It wasn't the space itself that had changed, but the way people moved through it. Distance had become instinctive. No one wanted to be close to anyone else. Fear spread faster than the infection, shaping behavior in real time.
People avoided eye contact. Avoided slowing down. Avoided anything that might tie them to someone else's fate.
Lin Tianhao walked against that current.
His pace remained steady, unhurried, as if the chaos around him had nothing to do with him. His eyes moved constantly, taking in details without lingering too long on any one point.
To his left, a man sprinted past, nearly slipping on a body sprawled across the pavement. He didn't stop. Didn't check. Didn't even look down properly. Survival had already stripped away hesitation.
Farther ahead, a group clustered near a convenience store entrance. Their voices overlapped, rising and falling in argument. Some wanted to stay together. Others wanted to move. No one had taken control, and that uncertainty hung heavier than the danger itself.
Lin Tianhao passed them without slowing.
He had seen this before.
Groups like that didn't last.
A scream suddenly cut through the noise.
Sharp. Panicked. Close.
His gaze shifted immediately.
A man burst out from between two parked cars, stumbling forward as if his legs could no longer support him. Blood covered the side of his neck, soaking into his shirt. His hand pressed desperately against the wound, but it did nothing to slow the flow.
He didn't get far.
Something followed him.
It moved low to the ground, its body stretched forward with unnatural speed. In one fluid motion, it leapt over the hood of a car and landed hard, claws scraping against metal before finding traction.
Lin Tianhao's eyes narrowed slightly.
It had once been a dog.
Now it was something else.
Its frame was lean but tense with coiled strength. Patches of fur clung to its spine, darkened and matted with blood. Its movements were controlled, precise in a way that felt far more dangerous than the erratic behavior of the zombies.
The distance closed instantly.
The man didn't even have time to react.
The creature tackled him from behind, dragging him to the ground.
The sound that followed was brief and final.
For a moment, the street fell silent.
Then panic returned, louder than before.
People scattered in every direction. Some ran without thinking. Others froze, caught between disbelief and fear.
Lin Tianhao remained where he was.
His attention stayed fixed on the creature.
Mutated animals usually took time to appear. They didn't evolve this quickly under normal circumstances. But this one had already crossed that line.
It lifted its head slowly, blood dripping from its jaws.
Then it looked at him.
The moment stretched.
No one else seemed to exist.
Lin Tianhao adjusted his stance, shifting his weight slightly. The metal chair hung at his side, but his grip tightened just enough.
He didn't underestimate it.
Animals didn't hesitate. They didn't question. They acted.
The creature moved first.
It lunged forward in a blur, its claws digging into the ground as it launched itself with explosive force.
Lin Tianhao stepped sideways at the last moment, narrowly avoiding the strike. The creature passed him, twisting mid-air before landing and turning again almost instantly.
No pause.
No wasted motion.
It attacked again, this time lower, aiming for his legs.
Lin Tianhao reacted immediately, bringing the chair down in a sharp arc. The impact struck its shoulder, knocking it slightly off balance but not stopping it entirely.
The creature adjusted mid-movement.
Its claws grazed his pant leg, tearing fabric and leaving a shallow cut beneath.
Lin Tianhao stepped back, widening the distance.
His expression didn't change, but his focus sharpened.
This was different.
Zombies followed patterns.
This did not.
The creature began to circle him, its body low, movements controlled. Its breathing remained steady, almost calm, despite the fresh blood coating its mouth.
It was watching.
Learning.
Lin Tianhao exhaled slowly, steadying his own rhythm.
Dragging this fight out would only make things worse. Noise would draw attention. More enemies. More variables.
He needed to end it quickly.
The creature lunged again.
This time, he didn't retreat.
He stepped forward.
The timing had to be exact.
At the moment their paths crossed, he shifted his body just enough to avoid the direct hit and drove the edge of the chair upward into its jaw.
The impact snapped its head back.
Its body lifted slightly.
That was enough.
He followed immediately, bringing the chair down with full force onto its skull.
Once.
Twice.
The third strike broke through.
The creature collapsed, its limbs twitching briefly before going still.
Lin Tianhao remained still for a moment, watching.
Only when there was no movement left did he step forward.
The Organic Core inside it was larger than any he had seen so far. Its glow was stronger, more concentrated, pulsing with a density that hinted at the energy contained within.
He crouched and retrieved it carefully.
The heat was immediate, stronger than the others, almost pressing against his skin. This was not something to consume recklessly.
Behind him, footsteps slowed.
Then stopped.
He didn't need to turn to know people were watching.
The fight had drawn attention.
A small group stood at a distance, their expressions tense, uncertain. Some looked afraid. Others looked at him with something closer to awe.
None of them approached.
Lin Tianhao slipped the core into his pocket.
Attention like this brought trouble.
Power attracted people, and not all of them came with good intentions.
He turned and walked away without a word.
The street ahead was just as unstable, just as dangerous. But that didn't matter.
There was no such thing as safety anymore.
Only advantage.
His thoughts settled as he moved.
Zombies would continue to evolve.
Mutated animals would become more common.
And soon, awakened humans would begin to show themselves.
Some would fight to survive.
Others would take advantage of the chaos.
The world would fracture quickly.
Lin Tianhao lifted his gaze toward the buildings ahead.
He already had a destination.
A supply store is three blocks away.
Reinforced shutters.
Limited entry points.
A defensible position.
In his previous life, it had lasted two weeks before being overrun.
This time, it wouldn't fall so easily.
Not if he reached it first.
Not if he grew strong enough to hold it.
His fingers brushed against the cores in his pocket.
The path forward was clear.
Strength first.
Everything else after.
He continued walking, steady and composed, as the chaos of the world unfolded around him.
This time, he wasn't trying to keep up.
He was moving ahead of it.
And he intended to stay there.