Starting Over at Max Level

Cheng Yan had been a zombie for years, evolving from a little zombie all the way into the Zombie King. Just as he was about to reach max level, someone blew his head off. When he opened his eyes again, he had been reborn as a human with the same name. And wouldn't you know it, his new body's senior fellow disciple was the very human who had blown his head off: Qi Jianrui, the strongest human alive. This body was not only that of a weakling human, but also belonged to a nobody at the base, looked down on by everyone for desperately clinging to Qi Jianrui's coattails. He was frail and dirt-poor. Even a thief would go in and curse at how clean the place was. Now that he'd gotten another chance at life, Cheng Yan discovered that he was miserable and had to endure the scorn of countless people. Meanwhile, the enemy who'd blown off his head stood above them all, revered by countless people. Cheng Yan: I can't take this crap anymore! I'm going to find a way to take revenge and kill that bastard! * Cheng Yan was determined to get revenge. But he was nowhere near equipped for the job. He had two options: One: Charge straight at Qi Jianrui. Whether or not he could kill him was a matter of luck, but he could take a gamble. Maybe Qi Jianrui would let his guard down and Cheng Yan could kill him with one stab, finally avenging himself. Two: Dutifully take on base missions, go out to kill zombies and dig up crystal cores for contribution points, level up from scratch, and kill Qi Jianrui once he was strong enough. Cheng Yan chose option two. He was sure that if he chose option one, he wouldn't even get his knife all the way out before Qi Jianrui turned him into a human barbecue. * Actually, Cheng Yan had a third option. To kill the Zombie King, Qi Jianrui had paid a terrible price, and was left with a side effect. He had developed an inexplicable obsession with Cheng Yan's blood. The first time Qi Jianrui lost control at the base, he pinned Cheng Yan down and sucked his blood from his neck. After wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth, Qi Jianrui stood up and said coldly, "Don't tell anyone about this. I'll compensate you. Think about what you want, then tell me." The young man lying on the ground let out a scoff. "Sure. I want crystal cores." At first, it was a mutually beneficial arrangement. But gradually, Qi Jianrui no longer wanted to keep it at that. Later, the young man who had always cooperated suddenly shut him out. Qi Jianrui knocked on his door, breathing heavily and unevenly. "Help me." Cheng Yan smiled brightly. "Beg me." Qi Jianrui tipped his head back and stared at him, saying with restrained patience, "I'm begging you." * Before becoming a zombie, Cheng Yan had once been a celebrated human leader. Countless people revered, loved, and followed him. Only after his unexpected death were they forced to part ways, unwilling and full of resentment. When his former followers discovered signs that their leader had returned, they were overjoyed! They rushed to the base as fast as they could, hoping to invite their leader to leave with them. But outside the base, they found a sea of corpses, and an enormous number of high-level zombies unlike any they'd ever seen, crouching eagerly beyond the walls. Humans and zombies stared at one another. !!! No one gets to steal our leader/king! Cheng Yan: orz What do I do when every startup I launch is so successful that my old team comes knocking? The new base's friends clung to Cheng Yan's leg. "Boss, don't abandon us!" Theme: Stay true to your original aspirations