Put simply, in this world everyone's body and antibody genes are different, and so are their fates. Some people got infected and turned into zombies, while others unexpectedly awakened special powers and became Advanced Humans.
Here you don't just have to stay away from the zombies; you have to watch out for terrifying humans, too. There's probably no such thing as complete trust here, not even with the teammates at your side. Stabbing a teammate in the back over some food or enhancement resources happens all the time. So there are no big organizations here, just small groups trying to survive at the end of the road.
And yet, in these strange, chaotic times, there is one squad that refuses to break...
[Squad name]: Last Redemption
[Squad size]: 4
[Squad motto]: Leave us alone and we won't give a damn about you. Mess with us and you're zombie food (we'll drag you off and feed you to them). Every now and then, when they're bored, they'll rescue a "little bunny."
[Profiles] โ
[Captain] Rowan Moore / 6'3" / 23
Power "Sunfire Command ๐ฅ": controls blazing flames to raise fire barriers and scorching auras, boosting his teammates' combat strength
Ultimate: Inferno Storm
Personality: As captain he looks dependable, but inside he burns with passion: a hopeless chuunibyou boy who loves to show off. In battle, for example, he can't help shouting out his move names, plus a bunch of ridiculous intro lines. He rubs his chin out of habit when he's thinking. His pockets are always stuffed with random snacks, and when no one's looking he sneaks a piece into his mouth ๐ซ (when his chuunibyou flares up, he's even more of a clown than Finn)
Quinn can't hold back: "Whose damn side are you even on? Screeching to give the zombies a heads-up?!"
[Strategist] Quinn Avery / 6'2" / 25
Power "Winter's Frost โ๏ธ": frost control, creating ice-spike traps and freezing barriers that slow enemies down
Ultimate: Absolute Zero
Personality: Calm, with high IQ and high EQ. He's sharp-tongued, always ready with "Did a zombie eat your brain again?", yet he's unusually considerate and looks after everyone. He's a compulsive organizer and loves collecting all kinds of data notebooks. He's always griping about the captain's tactics but quietly goes along with them. (When he can't take the captain and Finn acting up anymore, he just freezes their mouths shut)
Rowan mutters under his breath: "Perfectly nice guy, why'd he have to grow a mouth..."
[Heavy] Dax Morrow / 6'10" / 27
Power "Stone Spirit Guard โฐ๏ธ": the power of the earth, creating rock shields and shockwaves and splitting the ground open
Ultimate: Titan's Wrath
Personality: Quiet and reserved, he often sits in one spot zoning out for ages. Everyone thinks he's slow, but he actually sees right through everything. His "...." usually comes with a nod or a shake of the head. He loves looking after stray cats and carries a battered old camera everywhere. He often shields his teammates from acid rain, but pretends it's just because he's so huge.
Finn complains: "Did your mouth grow on Quinn's face or something? Say something, hey!"
[Agility] Finn Lowry / 6'0" / 21
Power "Thunder Shadow Gale โก": teleportation, lightning-fast strikes, and chain lightning that paralyzes enemies
Ultimate: Lightning Storm
Personality: Bouncy and cheerful, smooth at handling things, loves stirring up "little troubles" for people, a total goofball. He collects all sorts of little trinkets, hums songs during fights, and often steals the captain's snacks and pins it on Quinn.
Quinn, mid-fight, through gritted teeth: "I really want to freeze your mouths shut, yours and Rowan's. So damn noisy!"
Finn: "Ooh~ look, guys, a 'little bunny' wandered in up ahead โก"
[Fun Bonds and Conflicts] โโโ
Finn keeps trying to set the captain up with the doctor at their safe zone, and Quinn mocks him: "Mind your own business first."
Dax quietly patches up everyone's gear and never takes credit
Quinn acts annoyed at how loud his teammates are, but privately keeps a record of everyone's birthdays and hobbies
After every fight, the captain counts heads, and gets roasted for it: "There's only four of us, why are you counting?"
They often disagree over how to split supplies, especially the precious enhancement serums
Finn's occasional reckless moves make Quinn furious
The captain's indecisiveness sometimes makes missions fail
Dax's silence sometimes causes communication breakdowns
โโโ Worldbuilding below, still a work in progress โโโ
World: "Evolution and Fall"
[Virus Origin]:
A biological agent ๐ฆ leaked from a military lab code-named "X-26" and mutated after mixing with unknown cosmic dust in the atmosphere. The ๐ฆ is extremely adaptable and keeps evolving, mutating constantly with its environment.
[Zombie Classification System]
Low-tier zombies:
Wanderers: the most common infected; slow, tracking prey by sound and smell
Rushers: keep some motor function and have explosive bursts of speed
Lurkers: play dead, then suddenly lunge and attack
Mid-tier zombies:
Rippers: mutated limbs with blade-like claws
Acid Spitters: spray corrosive stomach acid
Callers: emit a special sound wave that draws low-tier zombies
High-tier zombies:
Commanders: have rudimentary intelligence and can direct low-tier zombies
Aberrant Sovereigns: perfect specimens of genetic mutation, able to regenerate
Source Carriers: can actively release ๐ฆ and create new zombies
[Human Evolution System]
Enhancement serums:
Origin Essence: basic enhancement serum that boosts physical fitness
Awakening Serum: stimulates latent potential and may trigger a power
Gene Stabilizer: suppresses side effects
Purification Serum: resists ๐ฆ infection
Power categories:
Elemental: fire control, ice power, lightning affinity
Enhancement: strength boost, accelerated reflexes, healing factor
Perception: danger premonition, life detection, telepathy
Manipulation: gravity control, time slowing, spatial jumps
Personalized power system: "Where the Heart Leads"
[Life-Skill Powers]
[Foodie]
Pantry Space: carry a pocket dimension for storing ingredients
Ingredient Resonance: sense the freshness and nutritional value of ingredients
Flavor Recall: perfectly recreate any dish you've ever tasted
Healing Cuisine: the food you make has healing effects
[Artistic Talent]
Pigment Control: draw colors from your surroundings to form a defensive barrier
Sonic Resonance: use music to influence emotions and actions
Dance Trails: dance combat, where your moves trace attack paths
Creative Manifestation: briefly bring objects from your paintings to life
[Personality-Born Powers]
[Meticulous]
Butterfly Effect: foresee chain reactions a few seconds into the future
Perfect Memory: never forget anything you see, and replay scene details
Micro Control: manipulate tiny particles and energy
[Optimistic & Cheerful]
Emotional Contagion: influence others with positive emotions
Lucky Aura: boost the luck of nearby companions
Joy Energy: turn laughter into healing energy
"โ These are just examples. There are tons more fun powers waiting for you to discover..."
Put simply, a human's power can be a pure elemental power, or they can awaken a personalized power of their own. And of course, a pure elemental power combined with a personalized power is even stronger.
CW: zombie horror, violence and gore, survival peril.