I Became Robin?! (Honkai Star Rail)

Song Kang was as ordinary an office worker as they come, living a routine nine-to-five life. At thirty-one years old, he harbored no grand ambitions and couldn't even be bothered to find a girlfriend, having long since resigned himself to a life of bachelorhood.

His meager monthly salary barely covered his own expenses, let alone supporting a partner or starting a family. If he were to ever tie the knot, it would mean draining his parents' resources—a prospect he found unconscionable. He was perfectly content with his current life.

Though his wages were modest, they sufficed. He ate well, indulged in occasional gaming microtransactions, and even bought small gifts for his parents from time to time.

Today seemed no different from any other. Song Kang returned to Tianming Residential Complex after work. But as he entered, he noticed a thick, dark green smog spreading rapidly across the horizon.

"What's this? Did the weather change out of nowhere? Is it going to rain?" Song Kang quickened his pace toward his home. He coughed a few times, his throat feeling slightly irritated, but he dismissed it as nothing.

He quickly reached his apartment door, unlocked it, and called out reflexively, "Mom, what's for dinner tonight?"

Though well into his thirties, Song Kang had barely ever cooked a meal for himself. He didn't even do his own laundry. After a long day at work, he would simply come home to relax, occasionally bickering with his parents about what would happen when he grew old.

But today was different. Instead of the familiar sizzle of stir-frying from the kitchen, his question startled a figure to stagger out of the master bedroom, accompanied by a low, guttural growl.

Beneath the familiar face lay deathly gray skin, bulging eyes, and unmistakable patches of livor mortis on her arms. Song Kang froze, a wave of long-dormant terror washing over him.

As a former resident of Fancheng, a refugee from the Zombie Disaster, Song Kang had witnessed the horrors firsthand. Even after all these years, the grotesque manifestations of zombification remained etched in his memory.

"...Mom? No, this can't be... This isn't real..." Song Kang teetered on the brink of collapse. He couldn't comprehend the scene before him, couldn't accept the reality unfolding before his eyes. But reality cared nothing for his denial. While he stood paralyzed, his already-dead mother lunged at her favorite child.

The distance of less than ten meters vanished in an instant as his mother lunged at Song Kang, sinking her teeth viciously into his arm. Though still dazed, Song Kang's body reacted instinctively, raising his arm to block the attack at the last moment.

Blood splattered everywhere.

The searing pain snapped him back to reality. Adrenaline surged through his veins as he shoved the zombie away with all his might, his eyes darting around before he bolted into his bedroom, slamming the door shut and locking it.

Only after securing the room did his legs buckle beneath him, leaving him slumped on the floor.

Song Kang's mind swirled with confusion. He didn't understand what was happening, what he should do next, or even why he hadn't turned into a zombie himself. Wouldn't it have been better to die with them?

Bang! Bang!

A thunderous battering echoed against the door, but Song Kang remained motionless, not even considering barricading it. He sat paralyzed, staring blankly at the familiar ceiling, as if awaiting death's arrival.

Then, a soft, melodious voice drifted in from afar. At first, it was so faint he could barely make it out. But as the source of the singing drew closer—or perhaps as Song Kang's hearing sharpened at an unnatural pace—the lyrics grew clearer, and he found himself captivated by the haunting melody.

When Song Kang finally came to his senses, he realized his face was streaked with tears, and the turmoil in his heart gradually subsided.

Just sit here and silently await death? If his parents knew he was even considering such a thing, they would have given him a thorough dressing-down. He could practically picture his mother's furious expression as she berated him:

"Giving up over some trivial nonsense? Get up this instant! If you've got nothing better to do, go sweep the floor!"

"You're over thirty! Why are you still acting like a child? Stop making me worry sick!"

If your parents are gone and you're left all alone, how will you survive? Song Kang had once seen this question online, and now he suddenly remembered one of the answers:

I'll live well. When my time comes, Mom and Dad will come to take me, just like they used to pick me up from school. And just like when I was a child, I'll tell them, "I did my best..."

Bang—

With a muffled crash, the bedroom door splintered open. But by then, Song Kang had already stood up. Gazing at his deceased loved ones, he whispered, "I'm sorry..."

As the zombie lunged for a second bite, Song Kang effortlessly sidestepped the attack and pinned it to the ground with a swift countermove.

A surge of immense power coursed through his body—a transformation brought about by adapting to the virus and evolving into an Evolver, amplified by the enchanting melody that resonated through the streets.

Evolvers who had adapted to the virus possessed physical capabilities akin to Captain America from Marvel comics. However, since these Evolvers were ordinary people rather than highly trained elite soldiers, their combat prowess paled in comparison to the Captain's. Still, their newfound strength was considerable.

For these Evolvers, survival during the Zombie Disaster was straightforward—as long as they clung to life and didn't seek death.

Staring down at the zombie pinned beneath him, Song Kang gradually increased the pressure on its neck. With a soft crack, the creature's struggles ceased.

Similar scenes were unfolding across the city. Some faced their parents, others their siblings, and still others their spouses or children—all transformed into the ravenous undead.

This was destined to be an agonizing ordeal. In just one hour, countless people lost their families and nearly everything they held dear.

In such circumstances, choosing to live on required even greater courage.

Soon, Song Kang left his home, following the sound of Robin's singing until he found a police car surrounded by a horde of zombies, inching along slowly. Without hesitation, he charged in to help.

As time passed, more and more Evolvers joined the fray, relieving much of the pressure on the Bureau of Anomalous Investigations as the zombie horde continued to close in.

Inside the Bureau, Robin sang tirelessly, her voice growing hoarse. Yet she dared not stop, fearing what might happen during the brief moment when the buff faded.

This ordeal lasted nearly an hour before Zhong Wanhong finally sent a message:

"The search and rescue operation is complete."