[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-after-i-fully-prepared-for-the-apocalypse-the-un":3,"chapter-after-i-fully-prepared-for-the-apocalypse-the-un-after-i-fully-prepared-for-the-apocalypse-the-un-chapter-33":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","After I Fully Prepared for the Apocalypse, the Ungrateful Cried with Regret",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":20,"prevChapterSlug":21,"totalChapters":22,"novelImage":23},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":16,"volume":17,"translator":18,"content_hash":19},146397,236,"Chapter 33: Warren Rhodes","after-i-fully-prepared-for-the-apocalypse-the-un-chapter-33",33,"\u003Cp>\"Is there something special about this number?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lewis asked, confused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s nothing. Just a personal matter.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warren Rhodes rubbed his sore eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hadn’t slept for days.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Alright, Director Rhodes. I’ll get right on it...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>When Lewis looked up, he saw that Warren Rhodes had already fallen asleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He quietly closed the door, trying his best not to disturb him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Everyone’s been wiped out these past few days. Now that the acid rain has finally stopped, Director Rhodes deserves a temporary break...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Barely forty minutes after Lewis had left,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warren Rhodes startled awake.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The voice from before seemed to still be echoing in his mind:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, the zombie virus is primarily transmitted through blood contact... Second...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s happening to me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warren Rhodes muttered to himself.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He got up and poured himself a cup of strong tea. The cold liquid ran down his throat, clearing his head a little.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He walked out of his office and noticed that his colleagues and subordinates outside had all gone home for the day.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No one’s been home for days. They can finally go home today.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warren Rhodes smiled in relief. He walked down the dimly lit stairs, only to find the lights still on in the IT department below.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Remembering the matter with his granddaughter, he decided to go and ask about the situation again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And while he was at it, about that strange phone call from earlier.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’I just wonder if Lewis has gone home yet.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warren Rhodes opened the door to the IT department and saw Lewis, under the bright white lights, kneeling on the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His back was to Warren Rhodes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The files on the floor around him were scattered, but that was normal for the IT department.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warren Rhodes sighed and bent down to help pick up a file from the floor.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lewis, why haven’t you gone home yet?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warren Rhodes asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But Lewis remained with his back to him, not responding.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he was about to step forward, Lewis, still crouched on the floor, suddenly convulsed and whipped his head around to face him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warren Rhodes stared in disbelief at the Lewis before him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He was vomiting blood, staining his white shirt.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The veins on his face bulged, their patterns turning black.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director... Rhodes... run... now...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lewis clutched his neck, his expression contorted in pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Only then did Warren Rhodes notice the bloody hole in Lewis’s neck.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Who did this?!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Right, I need to call an ambulance!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warren Rhodes tremblingly pulled out his phone, only to find it had no signal at all.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He couldn’t even dial the emergency number.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Run... now...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After forcing out those two words, Lewis convulsed again and lunged violently at Warren Rhodes!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if by some strange compulsion, the voice echoed in Warren Rhodes’s mind again:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"First, the zombie virus is primarily transmitted through blood contact. Whether by scratch or bite, infection is rapid...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’A real zombie?!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warren Rhodes’s expression changed drastically. Fortunately, he was from a military background, and though he was over fifty, his reflexes were still sharp.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He backed away, knocking over desks and chairs while observing the zombie’s reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lewis, do you still recognize me?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He found that nothing he threw could stop Lewis’s advance.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Lewis, it’s me, Director Rhodes!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Chance Lewis! Wake up!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...Third, once transformation into a zombie is complete, it is irreversible. Do not hold out hope. Kill on sight...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Remembering those words, Warren Rhodes’s heart sank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Kill on sight... How is that possible...’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked at the crazed Lewis before him, a bitter sting in his eyes and nose.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Chance Lewis of yesterday was a clean-cut, decent young man.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But the thing he was now, it was clearly no longer Lewis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"KHH... ROAR!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A beast-like roar erupted from Lewis’s mouth. Warren Rhodes decisively drew his service pistol.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The first shot hit Lewis’s shoulder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But he continued his attack as if he felt no pain.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BANG! BANG! BANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Next were his thigh, abdomen, and ankle...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still no effect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...Second, to attack a zombie, you must destroy its head. Hits to other areas are ineffective...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warren Rhodes fired again, this time at Lewis’s heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His aim was true. For a human, it would have been a fatal blow.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it had no effect on Lewis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This could only mean one thing: Lewis no longer had a beating heart.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"How could this be...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could this be...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, he slowly raised his hand, aiming the pistol at Lewis’s head.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>BANG!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Lewis before him dropped at the sound of the shot.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Watching the black blood spread toward his feet, Warren Rhodes felt as if he were trapped in a bizarre nightmare.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Wait, if Lewis was infected by a bite,\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>then there’s another infected person out there. I can’t let it get away!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With a sudden realization, Warren Rhodes sprinted out the door, only to be met by a cacophony of screams rising from all around.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was followed by the city’s highest-level defense alarm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The siren tore through the sky, striking the most taut chord in people’s hearts.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warren Rhodes knew all too well that it was a sound reserved for major wars and sudden catastrophes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That alarm had just sounded seven days ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And tonight, it had started again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director Rhodes!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A group of people ran toward him. They were soldiers from War Zone Five’s combat team, who had been supporting disaster relief efforts and hadn’t yet withdrawn.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"What’s the situation outside?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warren Rhodes asked hurriedly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Communications were almost completely down.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Ten minutes ago, a large number of injured people at the general hospital died from an unknown viral infection.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But not long after, they came back to life...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harrison Driscoll had seen his share of strange things, but something like this was unheard of.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Not only did they come back, but they’re biting people everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And... and eating them!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"It’s not just the general hospital. Even the rescue shelters have been overrun!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The streets are full of infected people!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>the other soldiers added, their voices trembling.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Director Rhodes, we’ll escort you to a safe location first.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Reinforcements are needed everywhere, and High Command has already issued an order\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>to do everything possible to protect and evacuate civilians to safe zones. We were just about to...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No! No!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>You can’t go just like that! You can’t!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>That will only escalate the disaster!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warren Rhodes seemed to have lost his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>...Fourth, preservation of combat strength is essential...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’That’s right, why did that person mention this point?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Why say that preserving combat strength is essential?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’Does that mean not sending reinforcements?’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’If the infection can’t be stopped, sending more people will only create more infected.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’It’s a vicious cycle.’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>’But if we don’t send reinforcements, what’s the point of our existence?!’\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Warren Rhodes hesitated, unable to make a decision.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just then, a guttural roar echoed from the end of the hallway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A familiar figure was walking toward them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was Corbin Lawson from the IT department.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it was obvious he was infected.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Protect Director Rhodes!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After Harrison Driscoll gave the order, the group formed a tight cordon, shielding Warren Rhodes at the very back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Corbin Lawson, stop!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If you take another step forward, we will shoot to kill!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Harrison Driscoll shouted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>However, as if he couldn’t hear a thing, Corbin Lawson continued stumbling toward them.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The sounds he made were like those of a wild beast.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Left with no choice, Harrison Driscoll fired a warning shot at the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But it clearly had no effect.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Preserve combat strength, preserve combat strength...\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I understand now...\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"All of you, fall back! From now on, you’re under my command!\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>At that moment, Warren Rhodes’s eyes were perfectly clear, glinting with a newfound resolve.\u003C\u002Fp>",1285,"2026-05-29T03:44:18.636Z","2026-06-01T04:29:06.436Z",1,"novelbin.me","d252ff6bac6b205a0ce45ae3be8623bf8bc2053471de5d698da7a251bbe8cdb7","after-i-fully-prepared-for-the-apocalypse-the-un-chapter-34","after-i-fully-prepared-for-the-apocalypse-the-un-chapter-32",312,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fafter-i-fully-prepared-for-the-apocalypse-the-un-cover.jpg"]