I Am the Protagonist 01

"Another apocalypse?" Fang Zhiyi was stunned.

Little Hei mimicked his gesture, sprouting two hands to shrug. "Don't ask me. Didn’t you write this yourself?"

"I only wrote the beginning!"

"Still counts as your work."

A putrid stench hung thick in the air.

Little Hei delivered the plot.

The apocalypse had arrived abruptly—a leaked virus reanimated the dead, and the unprepared living fell one by one to infection. At first, humanity fought back. After all, humans held the upper hand against zombies; under heavy firepower, the undead were hardly a threat.

But then, the unexpected happened. The zombies began to evolve. The evolved ones commanded ordinary zombies to attack humans, dealing devastating blows. Worse, these advanced zombies possessed unique traits: some moved at terrifying speeds, others were impervious to blades and bullets, some had heightened senses, and a few could attack from a distance. Most critically, they exhibited rudimentary intelligence.

Humanity was forced into retreat, losing city after city they had reclaimed. Yet, on their side, another anomaly emerged. In quarantine camps, some infected individuals underwent mutations after high fevers—referred to as "awakening." These "Awakened" wielded abilities akin to magic.

Thus began the tug-of-war between the infected and humanity.

Fang Zhiyi was a scavenger, a trash-picker by trade. But after an accidental zombie attack, he awakened an ability—one perfectly suited to him: spatial storage.

At least he wouldn’t have to lug piles of junk while fleeing anymore.

In the apocalypse, aside from zombies, there were human factions. Most had shed their morals, resorting to enslavement and plunder to survive.

Fang Zhiyi wasn’t naive. He knew better than to trust easily, so he kept to himself—until he met a girl named Qin Weiwei. When he first saw her, she was fending off zombies with her pyrokinetic ability. But against a Level 3 mutated zombie, even flames weren’t enough. Moved by pity, Fang Zhiyi intervened, drawing the zombie’s attention so Qin Weiwei could escape.

Yet, upon realizing her savior was just a scavenger, Qin Weiwei barely spared him a second thought. She rambled about her base—how grand and safe it was—and Fang Zhiyi, who had been alone since the outbreak, couldn’t help but yearn for companionship. Qin Weiwei figured pointing him toward the base would repay her debt, but as she turned to leave, she noticed something vanishing from Fang Zhiyi’s hands.

She froze, stunned.

Fang Zhiyi didn’t hide it. He confessed his spatial ability.

Qin Weiwei’s eyes lit up with excitement. This fool had no idea how rare spatial abilities were! Her team had set out to scavenge supplies and recruit Awakened. After a spat with Qin Xue, she’d stormed off alone—only to stumble upon a goldmine!

If she brought Fang Zhiyi back, even Lu Jingxiao would have to acknowledge her. And that insufferable Qin Xue wouldn’t dare mock her again.

With little persuasion, Fang Zhiyi followed her. Though Qin Weiwei had a spoiled streak, she treated him well enough. But her constant chatter about "Lu Jingxiao this, Qin Xue that" left Fang Zhiyi uneasy. What kind of people were these "companions"?

After a grueling journey, they reached the base—a repurposed wilderness camp with a modest population. Qin Xue rushed out, scolding Qin Weiwei for her recklessness. Qin Weiwei shoved her aside and marched straight to Lu Jingxiao.

When Lu Jingxiao learned of Fang Zhiyi’s spatial ability, his eyes gleamed. Though spatial powers lacked combat utility, they were a logistical godsend. After testing, Lu Jingxiao accepted him.

But this marked the start of Fang Zhiyi’s suffering. At first, the team lived up to his expectations—mutual support, shared burdens. Lu Jingxiao, the fair and steady leader, stood at the center, flanked by Qin Xue, Qin Weiwei’s gentle, healing-ability sister.

Initially, whenever they asked Fang Zhiyi to store items, they’d check on him. Touched by their concern, he’d insist he was fine. For the team, he’d push his limits.

But as time passed:

"Zhiyi, there’s a gas station ahead. Fuel is critical—take as much as you can."

"Zhiyi, this granary’s nearly full! Don’t waste a single grain!"

"Zhiyi, these weapons are priceless. Not one can be left behind."

Luck favored the protagonists, but Fang Zhiyi bore the cost. His spatial capacity had limits; each overstuffed storage felt like a hammer cracking his mental barriers.

Yet, faced with Lu Jingxiao’s righteous gaze and Qin Xue’s hopeful smiles, he swallowed his protests.

"Zhiyi, I know it’s hard, but these supplies are everyone’s lifeline. Hang in there a little longer. Once we secure a permanent base, it’ll get better."

Qin Xue would soothe him, "You’re vital to us. Rest if you’re tired—I’ll heal you." Her healing did nothing for mental strain, a fact she knew well. "You’re too kind to let everyone suffer, right?"

And so, burdened by their expectations, Fang Zhiyi endured—until his mind began to fray.

The team’s demeanor shifted too. Their warmth gave way to impatience, demands, even accusations when he refused to hoard extra rations. Someone even claimed he was stealing.

Fang Zhiyi’s heart grew cold. He couldn’t understand their cruelty.

So, when they secured a new camp, he quietly emptied his spatial storage—leaving behind only the scraps he’d scavenged long ago. For the first time in ages, he felt light.

As he fled, he bumped into Qin Weiwei, fresh from another fight with Qin Xue. She took one look at him and seemed to understand. Without a word, she offered to escape with him.