The Forbidden Zone Files

Three years ago, Lin Wan, a brilliant virologist, was betrayed by her mentor and disgraced. The "Dawnlight" project she led, intended to repair genetic defects in humans, was sealed away in its entirety, becoming a lifelong source of shame. Three years later, a virus known as "Echo" swept across the globe.

Unlike other zombie viruses, those infected by Echo were not mindless, shambling corpses. They retained some memories and skills, reenacting their obsessions from life amid the ruins. Some even knew how to cooperate and hunt. Stranger still, tissue samples from the infected contained biological markers from the Dawnlight project, markers only Lin Wan could recognize.

The whole world was sinking into ruin. Only Lin Wan knew this was no natural disaster, but a man-made one.

To clear her name and, more importantly, find the source of the catastrophe, Lin Wan set out to survive and unravel the mystery. Along the way, she met Shen Che, a taciturn former special forces soldier with formidable combat skills. One used a scalpel to dissect the secrets of the virus; the other carved a path through the thorns ahead with his military knife.