Chapter 001: The Zombie Cafeteria

Crimson clouds blazed like fire; the setting sun melted into gold.

On this autumn day in Tokyo, the air was crisp and clear. The wind had swept the clouds from the sky, leaving a flawless, glass-blue vault overhead. Occasionally, birds darted by in hurried flight.

The sunlight slanted across the city as Su Cheng walked the streets of Tokyo, thousands of kilometers from his hometown, dragging his suitcase behind him. A faint sense of melancholy welled up in his heart.

"This is the place," he said.

Casting aside his negative thoughts, Su Cheng got off at Shinjuku Station and, guided by the map, found the apartment building he had rented. After handling the paperwork and handing over the cash, he followed the building manager up to the thirteenth floor by elevator.

Standing outside apartment 1301, Su Cheng took a deep breath. He was about to unlock the door when it suddenly opened from within.

A long-haired young man with the air of a street musician appeared, startled to see someone waiting outside. Su Cheng noticed the young man was carrying a garbage bag, seemingly about to take out the trash.

"Hello, I'm Su Cheng, moving in today. Please take care of me," Su Cheng quickly sized up his new roommate. Apart from the wandering musician hairstyle, everything else seemed fairly normal.

"A Chinese? My name's Ryosuke Araki."

"Yes, I'm an exchange student at Waseda University."

Su Cheng briefly introduced himself, then carried his luggage into the vacant room. Despite his aloof, artist-like demeanor, Ryosuke Araki turned out to be talkative and helpful, assisting Su Cheng in tidying up the room.

The apartment wasn't large, but the kitchen and bathroom were fully equipped, clean and tidy. The only flaw was the somewhat worn floors and walls.

Still, securing such an apartment at a reasonable price in Tokyo’s bustling heart was more than Su Cheng could have hoped for. Most importantly, it was only a short subway ride from Waseda University, saving him a considerable amount in transportation costs—no small matter in Japan, where fares are notoriously expensive.

After unpacking, Su Cheng chatted with Ryosuke Araki and learned he was originally from Kyoto, chasing his musical dreams in Tokyo. Yet, after five years of setbacks, he was still performing as a bar singer, sometimes busking in busy commercial districts, hoping to be discovered by a talent scout.

"Araki, is it just the two of us in this apartment?"

To thank Araki for his help, Su Cheng gave him a bottle of strong liquor brought from China. Araki, a true enthusiast, unscrewed the cap and took a hefty swig, only to be overwhelmed by its fiery kick, tears streaming down his face.

"This stuff is potent—cough, cough," Araki sputtered, finally catching his breath. "There’s also a middle-aged guy who works as an IT engineer for a game company, but he’s always working overtime, hardly ever comes home. The classic corporate drone."

A "corporate drone"—a derogatory term in Japan for employees exploited like livestock.

"The overtime culture here really is something else," Su Cheng remarked, sipping cold water, reminded of an overworked engineer from a fantasy world.

By the time his luggage was stowed, night had fully fallen outside.

"Cheng, I’m heading out to sing at a bar. There’s a ramen shop nearby that’s pretty good—you should check it out." With that, Araki tidied up quickly and left for the subway.

Araki’s suggestion made Su Cheng realize he was indeed hungry.

He left the apartment building and soon found the ramen shop Araki mentioned.

"Welcome!"

Pushing open the wooden door, Su Cheng was surprised to see the small establishment packed with customers, enveloped in a rich, savory aroma.

This ramen shop, unlike the famous chains Ichiran or Hakata, was family-run. The owner, a kindly, stout middle-aged man, worked alongside his wife and daughter.

"There's space at the counter—please take a look at the menu," the owner's daughter called out, bustling over to greet Su Cheng and thoughtfully pouring him a glass of cold water.

"Thank you," Su Cheng squeezed into a seat at the counter and studied the menu carefully.

Ordinary soy sauce ramen: 680 yen. Large signature chashu ramen: 1,180 yen. Extra toppings cost more...

These prices were remarkably affordable for Tokyo. In a slightly better restaurant, a meal would easily cost over 2,000 yen.

As Su Cheng debated which ramen to order, a white-collar man seated beside him leaned over. "First time here, huh?"

"Yes, just arrived in Shinjuku today."

"The signature chashu ramen is excellent—you should give it a try."

Su Cheng eyed the photo of the large chashu ramen; it certainly looked delicious and filling. In Japan, restaurant photos rarely misrepresent the actual dish, so he felt assured.

"One large signature chashu ramen, please," he called.

After placing his order, Su Cheng glanced into his wallet. Having paid rent, his living expenses for the month were running thin. It seemed he’d have to find a part-time job before classes started.

Well, he’d figure out how to earn money tomorrow. For now, he would enjoy his first dinner in Tokyo.

While waiting for his ramen, Su Cheng’s phone suddenly vibrated.

He thought it might be a message from home or the university, but it turned out to be a promotion for a mobile game.

"Tokyo Monster Strategy, limited-time download?"

Curious, Su Cheng read the game’s description: "Tokyo has fallen; monsters roam. Players must survive in Tokyo beset by ghosts, banshees, and zombies." So it was a post-apocalyptic survival game.

The premise was appealing, but since the ramen shop had no Wi-Fi, Su Cheng reluctantly decided not to download it.

Yet, as he was about to cancel, an inexplicable force seemed to guide his hand. Before he realized it, his finger had tapped the download button.

"Damn, my data!" he lamented, watching his phone’s data drain at an alarming rate. Worse, the game was a whopping 10 gigabytes!

What a scam!

"Better cancel before the data blows up."

But to his dismay, no matter what he tried, he couldn’t stop the download. In desperation, he decided to shut off his phone, but it was as if it had been infected— even the power button wouldn’t respond.

Just then, as he considered forcibly removing the SIM card, a message popped up on the screen.

"Tokyo Monster Strategy download complete. Game will launch in 3 seconds."

Su Cheng stared at the message in shock. Ten gigabytes downloaded in seconds—impossible.

Character loading complete...

Player: Su Cheng
Title: None
Class: None
Level: Bronze, Rank Five
Game Points: 0
Scene loading...

Su Cheng stared at the screen, dumbfounded, feeling as if he’d been dragged into some supernatural event.

About five seconds later, the display shifted, revealing a sinister skull.

Scene creation complete. Current scene: Zombie Cafeteria. Difficulty: One star.

Objective: Escape the Zombie Cafeteria within ten minutes.

Su Cheng nervously watched the countdown beneath the eerie skull. Yet, nothing frightening happened next.

Was it just a prank?

"Your ramen is ready. Please enjoy," the staff announced.

A steaming bowl was set before Su Cheng.

"Maybe it’s just a joke. Which game company would be so bored?" His anxiety eased slightly as he picked up his chopsticks, ready to dig in.

The stench hit him.

Suddenly, a nauseating odor of decay washed over him. The ramen in front of him bubbled with thick, red human blood; the noodles had transformed into a mass of pitch-black women's hair, crawling with plump maggots.

Staring at the blood-soaked, maggot-infested ramen, Su Cheng nearly vomited.

"What’s wrong, kid? Not to your taste?" the white-collar man beside him asked.

Su Cheng turned to see the man’s face pale, half-rotten, one eyeball dangling loose and dropping with a plop into the boiling blood broth.

Yet the man paid no mind, hungrily shoveling "ramen" into his mouth, swallowing the eyeball along with it.

An overwhelming tide of terror swept over Su Cheng, his heart pounding so hard it threatened to burst from his chest. He couldn’t utter a sound. Though a devoted fan and veteran of horror games like Resident Evil, facing zombies in real life was an ordeal few could withstand.

"Zombie Cafeteria! The game’s scene has appeared in reality?"

Just then, Su Cheng felt a sharp pain in his calf. Looking down, he saw a zombie child, skin bruised and mouth full of jagged teeth, gnawing furiously at his leg, treating him as food.