Regressed with Omnipotent AI on Zombie Apocalypse

Zack noticed that the back door had been partially opened from the inside, and some tables and chairs, which had previously blocked the way, had been moved. Peering through the gap, he spotted a young woman lying unconscious on the floor. Her neat appearance told him she wasn’t a gas station worker. From the way she was positioned, it looked like she’d tried to push the furniture aside to escape.

“Probably passed out from the smoke,” Zack thought. He pulled open the door and cleared the remaining furniture. Gently turning her over, he checked on her.

“Looks familiar…”

The girl, about eighteen or nineteen, had striking features. Something about her face sparked a sense of recognition, even though he was sure he’d never seen her before.

“Ego?” he asked.

Ego immediately responded, “Sophia Monroe, female, 19. Daughter of the late Benjamin Monroe. Mother, Lillian Lane, former CEO of Horizon Corporation.”

“Oh, Lillian Lane’s daughter. That explains it,” Zack muttered. He didn’t know the girl personally, but he had certainly heard of her mother—a prominent businesswoman frequently in the media. After her husband’s early death, Lillian Lane had built her struggling company into a successful empire. And Sophia, this girl, was her only child.

“What a life, huh?” Zack murmured, glancing down at the unconscious girl. “In a world like this, all those billions mean nothing.”

He slapped her cheek gently, trying to rouse her. “Come on, wake up.”

Her eyelashes fluttered, and a weak voice escaped her lips. “Water…”

Zack searched through the store, found a bottle of water, and poured a little onto her face before handing it over. “Drink slowly…”

Before he could finish his sentence, Sophia grabbed the bottle and chugged it down, nearly emptying it in one go. “You’re really thirsty, huh?” He yanked the bottle away before she could finish the rest.

As she looked at him, her eyes slowly cleared. She coughed slightly and glanced around, now fully aware of his presence. “Did… did you kill Purrfield?” she asked, her voice raspy.

“Purrfield?” Zack looked at her, confused, then pointed to the zombie cat’s body. “Don’t tell me… that thing was your pet?”

She looked down at the body, tears filling her eyes. “Purrfield… he wasn’t like this before…” Her words trailed off as another coughing fit overtook her, a result of the smoke she’d inhaled.

Before Zack could respond, Ego’s voice rang in his head urgently. “Sir, a group of zombies is approaching from the southeast. Estimated arrival in ten minutes.”

A countdown appeared on Zack’s screen, ticking down second by second. He glanced between the timer and Sophia. Despite her disheveled state, she had an undeniable beauty that seemed untouched by the harshness of the world around them.

“Sophia, right?” Zack said, his tone direct. “It’s not safe here. That explosion will bring zombies. I’m leaving now.”

“Wait! Can I… can I come with you?” Sophia’s voice was full of desperation. She had been alone for days, terrified, and now Zack’s presence felt like a lifeline.

“Sure,” Zack replied bluntly, “if you’re ready to become my woman. Otherwise, you’re on your own.”

His bluntness left her momentarily speechless. She had expected some kind of negotiation or conditions, but his words were as direct as they were unexpected.

“Think it over,” he added, not waiting for her answer. He started gathering supplies from the store, finding a trolley and loading it up with whatever canned goods and bottled water had survived the blast. He then rolled it out to his vehicle.

As he prepared to leave, a soft, hesitant voice called out behind him. “I… I’ll go with you.”

With that, Zack drove off, following the route laid out by Ego. As they drove through the city, the catastrophic transformation of their surroundings unfolded before them. Fires raged in once-thriving buildings, thick plumes of smoke choked the skyline, and the streets were filled with abandoned wrecked vehicles. The chaos caused by the virus had trapped people in traffic, and many had eventually turned into zombies. The eerie screams of scattered survivors echoed through the air, a chilling reminder of the apocalypse.

Zombies filled every corner of the city. Ego, tapping into the city’s network, could only do so much to help them avoid large swarms, planning a route that minimized obstacles. Fortunately, Zack was driving an armored vehicle, a multi-ton beast that barely flinched as zombies stumbled into its path. Each press of the accelerator was enough to crush them under its heavy wheels, leaving nothing but a smear on the asphalt.

At first, Sophia had been tense in the passenger seat, clutching the armrest in fear as the zombies came into view. But as the vehicle repeatedly ran over them, she gradually relaxed, the exhaustion from two sleepless nights finally taking its toll. Eventually, she closed her eyes and fell into a heavy sleep, her head leaning against the window. The bumps as they ran over the undead seemed to rock her to sleep, providing a strange, brief peace.

After over an hour of driving, Zack parked near a high-end residential area: a newly-built mansion complex, surrounded by high walls and filled with luxurious homes. A small artificial lake shimmered in the center, showcasing the kind of excessive comfort the wealthy had enjoyed before the world fell apart.

"Ego, is this Tribeca?" Zack asked, eyeing the community.

"Yes, sir," Ego replied.

Zack looked around at the tall walls and private courtyards surrounding each mansion. “Rich people and their taste… With a little reinforcement, this place could make a decent fortress against the zombies.”

The community was newly built and still had a low occupancy rate, meaning most homes were empty. That would make it easier to secure the area.

"Ego, mark any Mansions that are occupied," Zack ordered.

“Right away, sir.”

As Ego projected the mansion data onto the screen, the status of each home appeared, including who was inside. Zack quickly identified a good option: Mansion No. 9. It was located in the heart of the complex with a high vantage point, offering a clear view of the surrounding area. The owner had been abroad when the virus hit, so it should be vacant.

“Let’s go,” Zack said as he drove toward the mansion.

When they reached the community’s main entrance, Zack noticed that the gate had been smashed open, probably by a large black Land Rover left behind. Near the entrance, a zombie with only its upper body intact clawed at the ground, dragging itself toward them, groaning in frenzy when it saw their approach.

Without slowing down, Zack pressed the accelerator and ran over it with a sickening thud. The impact jolted the vehicle, waking Sophia from her sleep.

“Where are we?” she asked groggily, looking around. Her eyes widened as she recognized the area. “I’ve been here before.”

“You know this place?” Zack asked.

She nodded. “The developer is my uncle. He gave me a mansion here for my 18th birthday, but I thought it was too far out of the way, so I never moved in.”

She pointed to a nearby mansion. “That’s it—No. 8.”

It was only a small patch of grass and a road away from Mansion No. 9, the one Zack had chosen. Zack felt a sense of irony when he checked the records and saw her name listed as the owner of Mansion No. 8.

“Are all birthday gifts for rich kids this extravagant?” he teased.

Before she could respond, they spotted two zombies—a man and a woman—standing near a blood-stained stroller.