Chapter 1 Reborn

I was the lost daughter of the Carrington family, but they found me and brought me back only to take someone's place in an arranged marriage.

My birth parents, John Carrington and Mandy Price, told me, "Blood isn't thicker than water. We raised Kylie, and her happiness is what truly matters to us."

Then, the apocalypse struck. The wereserpents' wealth turned into nothing, and Kylie Carrington, the fake daughter, fled with John and Mandy, scrambling for survival.

Meanwhile, I was married to a weretiger and lived safely within a secure refuge.

But peace was short-lived. Kylie and my so-called parents found me and killed me. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day of selecting our husbands.

John and Mandy said to me, "Marry the wereserpent. Think of it as our way of making it up to you. Don't fight with your sister over this."

The wereserpent sent a luxurious car to pick me up. As I swirled the wine in my glass, I thought with a smile, "This time, the good life is mine."

…

I was reborn—back to the first day I set foot in the Carrington residence.

At that moment, Kylie was happily discussing our marriages. "I'll marry the weretiger, Luke Stroud, and Sheila can marry the wereserpent, Gavin Lange. It's a perfect match for us both!"

John and Mandy immediately agreed on my behalf, claiming it was for my good and to make up for the 20 years we had been apart.

The moment they said so, I knew the three of them had been reborn, too.

In my past life, the wereserpents were all from prestigious, wealthy families. Their men were refined, elegant, and carried an air of aloof sophistication. In contrast, the weretigers were known for their lack of education, their crude clothing, and their loud, brash voices.

Fate played a cruel joke on the Carringtons. Years ago, they had arranged a marriage alliance with the weretigers, and when the time came, one of their daughters had to marry into the clan.

Of course, Kylie refused. So, she came up with a brilliant plan for John and Mandy.

"Why don't you bring back that daughter you abandoned years ago? She's the perfect match for those uncultured weretigers. You've spent so much raising me all these years. Are you really willing to send me off to suffer?

"Blood might be thicker than water, but it's only natural that the child you raise is the one who truly loves you. Mom, Dad, I'll take care of you two in your old age."

And just like that, John and Mandy found me and brought me home.

They cried as they hugged me and swore to make up for all the lost time. To make things fair, they even arranged a good marriage for me.

I believed them and got married. But then, John and Mandy vanished from my life.

When the zombie outbreak began, the wereserpents were too physically weak to fight, and all their wealth turned worthless.

Conversely, my weretiger husband could crush a zombie's skull with a single swipe of his paw. Before long, the weretigers established a refuge, one that only they could enter.

By the time John, Mandy, and Kylie found me, they were nothing but skin and bones. They knelt at my feet and begged me to take them in.

Later, I discovered they had been using wereserpents as zombie bait, and Kylie had been seducing my husband. In the end, they decided to kill me instead of hiding their dirty deeds.

They even threw my body to the zombies. Nothing was left of me.

Now, back in this life, Kylie and my parents had started their manipulation all over again.

John smiled at me and said, "Gavin's from a wealthy family. You won't be losing out by marrying him. If anything, Kylie's the one taking the hit this time."

Mandy patted my hand. "Once you marry Gavin, you need to behave yourself and listen to him. And don't bother contacting us unless it's something important."

Kylie added, "Mom and Dad are only thinking of what's best for you. You're not saying anything… So that means you agree, right?"

I knew exactly what Mandy meant. She was implying the upcoming zombie outbreak.

Watching them so smugly play out their little scheme and so convinced of their own cleverness, I felt sick. Nonetheless, I kept a neutral expression so that they wouldn't suspect I had been reborn, too.

These fools had no idea that the real key to surviving the apocalypse wasn't the weretigers' refuge.

Chapter 2 Substitute Bride

On the day of the wedding, Kylie insisted on leaving before me and demanded a larger wedding gift.

John and Mandy, naturally, agreed without hesitation. Not only that, but they even planned to accompany her as part of the bridal entourage.

Kylie's wedding gift consisted of several truckloads of supplies. They were food, water, and even generators. It was practically an entire supermarket's worth of goods.

As for mine, they were merely a few blankets and a stack of cash, all useless in the apocalypse. They explained they didn't know what I'd like, so they gave me money to buy whatever I wanted.

The wereserpents arrived to escort me with an impressive fleet of luxury cars, whereas the weretigers, carefree and rough around the edges, showed up on a single motorcycle.

Kylie's long wedding dress trailed behind her, barely fitting on the bike. The excess fabric even ran the risk of getting caught in the wheels.

Meanwhile, I sat comfortably in a high-end car, untouched by wind or rain.

Kylie complained to John and Mandy, "Why didn't you tell Sheila to tone down her wedding? She is making me look bad on purpose!"

John and Mandy coaxed her, "Just endure it for now. Once the apocalypse hits, everyone will think you're their savior. You'll be living the high life when the time comes."

With no other choice, Kylie gritted her teeth, cut off the excess fabric from her wedding dress, and climbed onto the motorcycle.

While the three of them headed to the weretiger tribe, I sipped champagne in my air-conditioned car and enjoyed smooth jazz.

I shall let them play their little games.

…

Little did they know, Luke was ill-tempered, unkempt, and constantly picking fights. Whenever things didn't go his way, he would take his frustrations out on his wife.

The weretigers were strong, but they were simple-minded. They were quick to anger and slow to think. Living with Luke was like walking on thin ice. I never knew when the next blow might come.

As for the idea of establishing a refuge during the apocalypse, that had been my idea. But to protect Luke's fragile ego, I let the world believe it was his.

Since I never found love with him, I had tried to bring my family into the refuge, only to realize they had never considered me family at all.

People were unpredictable.

This time, they would pay for their foolishness and greed.

Just as the rumors had said, Gavin was strikingly handsome, impeccably dressed, and absurdly wealthy. His fortune was so vast that it felt endless.

After spending some time together on our honeymoon, our relationship quickly deepened. As the days ticked down to the apocalypse, I finally decided to speak to Gavin about my plans.

"Let's buy a few castles," I suggested. "Then, we can connect them through underground tunnels, move a supermarket inside, and install power generators and water pumps."

Gavin looked puzzled. I knew if I told him a zombie outbreak was coming, he wouldn't believe me. So I made up an excuse.

"I want to start a business. You'll support me, won't you, babe?"

Gavin was a generous and indulgent man. Spoiling his wife was no issue when he had money to burn.

But all of this—the castles and the supplies—wasn't the real key to surviving the apocalypse. The true solution lay in the wereserpents themselves.

"Babe, can you spit venom?" I asked.

Gavin thought I was frightened by a recent news report about a wereserpent poisoning his wife for insurance money and hurriedly reassured me, "Don't worry. I'll have my venomous fangs removed in a few days. I'd never hurt you."

I stopped him at once. "Absolutely not. Your venom will be very useful."

Chapter 3 Hell

Gavin was confused. "Sheila, you're confusing me. Our tribe doesn't live by hunting anymore. My venomous fangs are useless. Most wereserpents choose to have them removed, just like humans remove their wisdom teeth."

I held his hand tightly and said, "Trust me. In two months, a massive virus will break out. People will turn into zombies. When that happens, your venomous fangs and poison will be invaluable."

Gavin was visibly shaken. He wasn't sure whether to believe me, but in the end, he chose to support me. "Tell me what to do."

"Our priority is to hire as many wereserpents with venomous fangs as possible to work for us. The more, the better," I replied.

Gavin nodded and handed me a card. "This has plenty of money on it. If you want to buy castles, go ahead. Don't worry if you use it all up. I'll always have more."

With this trump card in hand, I began purchasing castles.

After relentless searching, I finally found the perfect one. The castle was perched on a steep mountain, surrounded by dense forests. It had been abandoned for years because of the harsh terrain.

However, that steep terrain made it the ideal fortress. Zombies were slow-moving, and the mountain's incline would make it difficult for them to reach us. From the castle, we could also observe the movement of large zombie hordes.

I bought the castle and hired workers to restore it, reinforcing the walls until even a tank wouldn't be able to break through.

Inside, I decorated it to my liking. Then, I turned the underground wine cellar into a fully stocked underground supermarket.

In the open spaces within the castle walls, I planted crops and raised chickens, ducks, pigs, sheep, and cattle. A deep well was also drilled, ensuring a steady supply of fresh water.

I applied the same design principles to all the castles I purchased. Once everything was in place, the final step was to connect them through underground tunnels.

In my previous life, the wereserpents had been one of the first groups to be wiped out due to their lack of physical strength, making their survival rate the lowest. This time, when the apocalypse hit, they would be the first to enter the castle before humans and other clans.

I kept everything under wraps. To the outside world, I was just some foolish rich girl wasting money on dilapidated castles.

When Gavin came to inspect my work, he was impressed.

But then, with a worried expression, he told me something strange, "The government gathered several business leaders today. They said there's been a severe flu outbreak and advised us to let employees work from home if they show any symptoms."

My heart sank.

That was it. The zombie virus was already spreading under the guise of the flu.

We needed to move into the castle immediately.

Not long after, Kylie called to mock me. "Sheila, I know you grew up poor and didn't have money for school, but your investment sense is just tragic. Do you realize people are laughing at you for wasting money on those rundown castles in the middle of nowhere?"

Then, she added with a cryptic tone, "In the end, none of this matters. Life is unpredictable. When the time comes, money will be nothing. Only those favored by God will make it through."

I pretended not to understand. "My husband handed me a card and told me to spend freely. I didn't know what else to buy, so I got castles. Guess I just have too much money to burn."

My words angered Kylie. But before she could respond, I heard Luke's irritated voice in the background.

"Another damn phone call? You think the calls are free, bitch?"

Two months later, the virus fully erupted, and our once peaceful town became a living hell.

Chapter 4 Zombies

The virus came without warning.

Humans with weak immune systems were the first to fall, their bodies twisting and decaying into mindless zombies. Then, as their numbers grew, the werebeasts followed.

Zombies weren't fast, but they moved in relentless hordes, drawn to sound and scent. Their resilience made them a formidable threat. Soon, the town was overrun.

I led Gavin and his clan into the castle. We had enough food and water to last.

Inside, life was nothing like the chaos outside. While some survivors had established safe zones, most were barely livable, plagued by infighting over dwindling resources.

When Gavin's birthday came, I made him a steak dinner and even baked a cake—a luxury in times like these.

In my previous life, I had suffered in the weretigers' refuge and struggled to survive. This time, I was prepared.

Gavin was moved. "Sheila, marrying you was the greatest fortune of my life. You're smart, capable, and kind. No matter what happens, I'll always stay by your side. No one will ever separate us."

I smiled at him. "Things will get better. And we won't be separated."

A month into the outbreak, a new problem arose.

Through the radio, I warned the other castle leaders that the zombies weren't our only enemies. Humans and werebeasts had become just as dangerous, turning on each other to survive. Raiders would come, not just for food, but for blood.

A brutal, lawless age was upon us. There was no place for mercy.

Unlike other werebeasts, the wereserpents weren't built for brute strength. But they had something far deadlier, and that was their venom. One bite could kill not only humans and werebeasts but even zombies.

Sure enough, within days, multiple castles were attacked.

We were ready. No one died, but blood had been spilled. And there would be more. Without laws or order, civilization had crumbled into violence and competition.

In the apocalypse, only the strong survived.

On day 42, I received a message from John, Mandy, and Kylie.

Kylie's voice carried the condescension of someone offering charity as she spoke, "Sheila, let's be honest. Wereserpents are weak. You won't last against the zombies.

"Several clans are eyeing your castle's supplies. How about this? My husband and I will bring the weretigers over. We'll live with you and protect you."

John and Mandy quickly chimed in, "Sheila, you should be grateful to Kylie! Zombies are terrifying! If you weren't her sister, we wouldn't even consider taking this risk for you. We could've stayed here and enjoyed life, but we're willing to help you out of pity."

I scoffed silently and responded calmly, "No need. The castle doesn't have room for more people. Just focus on surviving. Nothing is more important than that."

Just then, Mandy suddenly shrieked, "You little thief! How dare you steal our bread? This is three days' worth of food for us!"

Kylie remained silent, stubbornly holding her pride. John, however, rushed off to snatch the bread back.

I raised an eyebrow and asked, "Kylie, didn't you just say you were doing well? Why is a single piece of bread your only food for three days? Is your husband not taking care of you?"

The mask finally slipped. Kylie sneered. "Sheila, it's just a damn castle. Wereserpents are weak, while weretigers are strong. Sooner or later, this world will belong to us. Our supplies just happened to run out today. That's all.

"Luke is out searching for food. I won't starve. But you? The day the zombies break through your gates will be the day you die. Wereserpents won't last against other clans and the zombies."

She was right. The zombies were multiplying, while the number of survivors, both humans and werebeasts alike, dwindled.

The strongest clans, like the werelions, werewolves, and wereleopards, were ruthless in their pursuit of resources. They had already swallowed up several smaller refuges—first for survival supplies, then for medical stockpiles.

Now, our castle was the next prize in their sights.