The plain white ceiling stared back at Ren’s eyes. There were no decorations, no expensive paintings, just smooth, boring plaster. Ren let out a long sigh, the air leaving his lungs feeling cold and carrying a faint scent of damp earth. It was not the typical morning aroma of an ordinary student dormitory. It was the subtle scent of death, the smell that had clung to him since he first opened his eyes in this new life.
He sat up slowly, his joints cracking dryly like snapping twigs. Ren lifted his hand, staring at the palm that was pale, almost transparent under the morning sunlight slipping through the thin curtains. His skin was not as smooth as the models in magazines, nor as muscular as the campus athletes. His skin was rough, strangely textured, and there were grayish stains around his wrists that would not disappear no matter how many times he scrubbed them.
"System," Ren murmured softly, his voice raspy and flat.
A transparent blue screen immediately appeared before his vision, floating in the air without emitting any disturbing noise. Simple text scrolled with a neat font.
[Welcome, Host. The Second Chance System has been activated.]
[Name: Ren]
[Race: Young Zombie
Level 1
]
[Status: First-Year Student at Elite University]
[Main Mission: Survive for one semester without revealing your true identity.]
[Daily Mission: Attend morning class on time. Appearance must be rated as 'Innocent' by at least three people.]
Ren clicked his tongue, an old habit that remained even though his body had changed. He was not an ordinary human. He was a zombie, a creature that should be hunted and destroyed in this fictional game world. However, thanks to a system error or perhaps bad luck, he had been given a second chance. A chance to live, to learn, and maybe, to take revenge on the fate that had destroyed him in his past life.
The problem was, this body was weak. His brain still functioned well, even sharper than before, but his physical capabilities were very limited. He could not run fast, could not lift heavy weights, and worst of all, his appearance was very unattractive. His face was expressionless, his nose slightly snub, and his eyes were too wide, making him look constantly surprised or stupid. People would assume he was a naive country student, not the young master of a billionaire family that controlled half the property assets in the city.
That was precisely his plan. Ren smiled thinly, a smile that did not reach his eyes. Playing dumb was the best strategy. If people thought you were harmless, they would let their guard down. And when they let their guard down, you were the one holding the control.
He got up from the bed, his legs feeling heavy as if pulled by extra gravity. Ren walked toward the full-body mirror in the corner of the room. The reflection staring back was indeed disappointing. His black hair was messy, and his clothes consisted of a loose gray t-shirt and worn-out jeans. He looked like someone who had just been dragged through a storm.
"Perfect," he whispered. "No one will suspect that behind this ugly face lies a brain that can calculate the cash flow of multinational corporations in seconds."
Ren picked up an old backpack from the table. Its contents were only an empty notebook and a cheap pen. He did not need to carry an expensive laptop or fancy gadgets. His brain was the largest database he possessed. Besides, attracting attention with luxury items was the last thing he wanted right now.
As he opened his dorm room door, the low roar of the corridor immediately assaulted his ears. Students were running, laughing, and shouting to call their friends. Abundant youthful energy. Ren felt alien in the midst of that crowd. He was not part of them. He was a predator disguised as prey, or perhaps, prey learning to become a predator
He stepped out, closing his room door carefully. The key was turned twice. A paranoid habit that was hard to eliminate.
At the end of the hallway, a group of students was gathering. One of them, a girl with long brown hair and a bright smile, was speaking enthusiastically. Ren paused for a moment. His heart, which beat slowly and heavily, suddenly felt tight. That girl... Clara. Her name was Clara. And that face, that smile, looked remarkably similar to the woman who had once destroyed his life. The woman who had sold his family's secrets for power.
Old pain pierced Ren's chest, even though technically his internal organs no longer functioned fully like a normal human's. He gripped his bag straps tighter, his knuckles turning white.
"Don't be stupid," he scolded himself internally. "This is not her. This is a new world. New rules."
However, the system seemed to have a bad sense of humor. The blue screen blinked again.
[Additional Mission Triggered: Greet Clara. Obtain the rating 'He looks innocent and cute'.]
[Reward: 10 System Points. Failure: Hunger Penalty for 24 hours.]
Ren groaned softly. Hunger for a zombie did not mean wanting to eat brains, but rather an extreme weakness that made movement impossible. It was a torture he avoided at all costs. With heavy steps and an expression crafted to look as stupid as possible, Ren began his walk toward the group of students. He had to play his role. He had to be Ren, the ugly, innocent, and harmless guy.
This campus world would become his biggest stage of deception. And Ren was its lead actor, ready to outsmart everyone who underestimated him.