"Did I get reborn?" David looked at the familiar but somewhat unfamiliar office, hardly believing his eyes. He clearly remembered being chased and trapped by a group of crazy zombies and being forced into a dead end. In the end, with no way out, he aimed the gun at his own head and pulled the trigger, firing the last remaining bullet. And now, everything seemed as if it had never happened. David looked at his clean and neat clothes and his intact body, his eyes filled with both shock and joy.
He glanced at the time in the lower right corner of the computer: March 2, 2040. Only then did he confirm that he had indeed been reborn, and that he had been reborn a month before the disaster occurred. He stood up and walked to the window of the office, overlooking the world below. Outside, everything was normal, with blue skies and white clouds, and no zombies or mutants in sight. The streets were busy with cars and pedestrians, and there was no sign of the impending apocalypse. But David knew that a terrible virus would spread throughout the world in a month's time.
By then, at least 80% of the world's population would be infected with the virus and become terrible zombies. These zombies had no rationality and were extremely aggressive, like wild beasts. This would be the biggest crisis in human history.
After the outbreak of the zombies, human civilization almost completely collapsed, with only a small number of survivors struggling to survive under the threat of mutants and zombies.
"Only one month left, time is still tight, it looks like I have to prepare as soon as possible..." David's relaxed mood just now suddenly became tense again. Although he didn't know if the zombie virus would break out again in this lifetime, and although he hoped the end wouldn't come, he didn't dare to bet, nor could he afford to.
As he was pondering, suddenly, a cold and emotionless electronic voice sounded in David's mind:
["Congratulations, host, the Super Fortress System has been bound!]
[You have obtained a battle-ready storage space of 50 million cubic meters! ]
The doomsday countdown: 29 days, 15 hours, and 23 minutes. The novice mission has been released!"
A series of messages stunned David for a moment, but then he was filled with wild joy. 50 million cubic meters? How big would that space be?!
Is this the treatment of a reborn person? Starting with such a huge cheat! David was extremely excited in his heart.
If he uses this storage space to store food, then when the end of the world comes, he will no longer have to worry about food issues, right? In the end of the world, food is the most important resource, without a doubt.
After the collapse of human civilization, humans lost a lot of arable land and pasture, and productivity was never the same again. Food is the most precious thing in the end times.
Famine is a common occurrence for people in the end times, and countless people have died of hunger. A beautiful woman can sell her body for a piece of bread, and good friends can turn against each other for a bag of rice,This kind of thing is ubiquitous in the end times.
However, David soon encountered a problem. Although he had fifty million cubic meters of space, he didn't have the ability to obtain so much food, and if he purchased a large amount of food, it would likely attract the attention of the authorities, Does he have to resort to stealing or robbery?
If the matter is exposed, not to mention whether he will go to jail, he won't be able to explain the storage space either. Suddenly, David remembered that the system had issued a novice task. With a thought, he summoned the system panel, and sure enough, he saw an unfinished task in the task bar.
[Task: End Times Reserve!]
[The end times are coming, please collect as many available resources as possible into the combat readiness storage space!]
All resources stored by you during this task period will receive a critical hit of 100,000 times. Task remaining time: 29 days, 15 hours, and 1 minute.] David was shocked.
"So mean, if I store a ton of pork, it will become 100,000 tons of pork in the storage space?!" David was overjoyed.
"Haha, it's true that when you lack something, you will get it." Thinking that time is precious, David decided to leave here immediately and start preparing reserve supplies. He was too lazy to clean up his workstation and walk out the office door.
Suddenly, he heard the surprised voice of his colleague behind him: "David, where are you going? It's working hours now." However, David didn't even turn his head.
Although he knew that the end of the world was coming, he had no intention of giving any hints to these colleagues he had been with day and night. After surviving for several years in the end times,
he had already seen through the wickedness of human nature. This time, he would not easily trust anyone again. The first thing David did after leaving the company was to go to the restaurant he used to go to before the end of the world, and order a large table of dishes.
Braised pork, sweet and sour pork, old duck soup, Dongpo pork knuckle... After living in the end times for many years, David had almost forgotten what meat tasted like.
In Eschatological, it often takes David several days to barely eat a meal, and it's usually some expired food. As soon as the waiter brings the dishes, David eagerly devours them.
The moment the tender braised pork enters his mouth, David has an urge to cry. He hasn't had such delicious food in years. Then David finds it a bit funny that after surviving for so many years in the end of the world, his heart has become cold and numb, yet he was moved by a dish of braised pork. However, David's body is not really hungry now. He feels a bit full after only a few bites. But David didn't come to this restaurant just to satisfy his appetite.
He wants to conduct an experiment. David looked around the private room and found no surveillance cameras. So he put a plate of Dongpo pork elbow that he hadn't touched into his storage space.
[You obtained one portion of Dongpo pork elbow, and the critical hit effect is 100,000 times!]
[Congratulations on obtaining 100,000 portions of Dongpo pork elbow!]
David was delighted. This mission was really helpful! He connected his consciousness to the storage space and found that there were indeed 100,000 portions of Dongpo pork elbow inside. David took one out, and it looked exactly the same as the one he had just put in. Moreover, time was frozen inside the storage space. So no matter how long David waited before taking out the food, it would still be steaming hot and not spoiled.
"I wonder what will happen if I put this duplicated Dongpo pork elbow into the system space?" David wanted to see if the system would have any bugs. So he put the duplicated Dongpo pork elbow into the storage space again. But this time, nothing happened. It seems that the system also has its own judgment method. However, David was already satisfied with this result.
Next, his plan is to have a crazy loot and find a way to store a massive amount of food and resources in his storage space. David immediately made a long list of supplies in his mind. With a plan in mind, David settled the bill hastily and headed towards his home.
Recently, the theft of the Dawsonburg Laboratory in country S has attracted widespread attention. It was reported that the thieves are likely to be a group of extreme environmentalists. They stole the ancient virus stored in the laboratory, causing panic among the public.
After returning home, David casually turned on the TV and saw a news report from country S. "The ancient virus comes from the permafrost deep below a lake surface, and has a history of 50,000 years. Many people are worried that the virus may infect humans. Let's hear from the expert opinion. We are fortunate to have invited Professor , a biological science expert..."
David originally turned on the TV just to have some sound in the empty room, but he happened to see this news. This news immediately caught David's attention. On the TV, Professor Hu, dressed in formal wear and glasses, was talking confidently to the camera: "The possibility of the virus spreading between humans is very small, and there is no need to worry excessively..."
Soon, the news report ended, and for most people, it was just a minor news item. Although this pair of words "ancient virus" looked very sensational, no one really believed that the virus could cause serious consequences.
However, David was impressed by this news. When this news was first released, it did not cause much impact. The news spread across the internet two days after it was released.
The reason for the incident was a netizen called "informant" who leaked a lot of information online. "Informant" claimed to be a second-generation wealthy person from country S. He found that after the ancient virus was stolen from Dawsonburg, large-scale influenza outbreaks occurred in multiple cities in country S. Many high-ranking officials and wealthy people in country S in his upper circle have been leaving the country one after another or moving from busy cities to remote areas under the guise of vacation.
"Informant" keenly sensed the unusualness among them and suspected that all of this was related to the theft of the ancient virus in Dawsonburg. "Informant's" information quickly spread on the internet, had a significant impact and caused panic among many people. The incident quickly gained more and more attention.
In a past life, David also knew about this matter, but at the time, like many others, he didn't take it seriously. Most people just saw it as a joke, something to talk about after dinner. The reason was simple: within a short day, this so-called "informant" was arrested and thrown into jail. The efficiency of the S-country police was impressive.
According to the information released by the police, the "informant" was not a rich second-generation at all. He was just an unemployed young man who spent his days playing games at home and was so poor that he could barely afford the rent.
He admitted that his "disclosure" was just a prank to get attention. Plus, experts in various fields came out to refute his claims, and David, at the time, believed in the experts' words. Now, seeing this news again, David couldn't help but feel emotional.
It seems that the arrival of doomsday was not without warning, but people simply didn't pay attention at the beginning. Perhaps everyone deep down didn't really believe that doomsday would come. When things really happened, it was too late.
David turned down the volume on the TV and took out his phone. He found the phone number of a real estate agency stored in his phone and dialed it. "Hello, is this Hengju Real Estate Agency? I have a house for sale here..." This house was left to David by his parents and was his most valuable asset.
David is not a wealthy person. He only receives a fixed salary of five or six thousand Dollar each month, which is his only source of income. After just a few years of work, he only has a little over 50,000 Dollar in savings. This time, he needs a lot of money to stock up on supplies, and selling the house is his best option.
After doomsday arrives, money will be worthless, and if he doesn't spend it now, he won't have the chance to spend it later. Moreover, his high-rise apartment is not suitable for long-term residence after the water and electricity are cut off, and he will eventually have to leave here. "The price can be set lower, and I will give away all the furniture and appliances. I only have one requirement, which is to pay the full amount in one go." If the buyer chooses a mortgage, David will have to wait for the bank to approve the loan, but time is running out, and he can't wait that long.
"In any case, the sooner it is sold, the better. I need the money urgently. If you can handle it within three days, I can increase your commission by three percentage points."
Finally, David and the real estate agent agreed on a time to visit the house. After hanging up the phone, David let out a quiet sigh. This house was where he had lived from childhood to adulthood, and it held all the memories of his deceased parents' lives. Now, this house was going to change hands soon, and he was a little reluctant to let it go.
There is no better way. Even if he couldn't sell it, he would eventually leave this place when the end came. David picked up a photo frame from the coffee table, which contained a family photo of the three of them. He wiped off the dust from the frame and put it into storage.
A prompt appeared in his mind: "Non-resource items detected in storage, would you like to make a copy?" "No," David thought it was kind of funny. What would he do with a hundred thousand photos? Setting aside his feelings, David began his next plan.
He took out his phone and started downloading various loan apps. Since this house was still in his name, he was considered a high-quality customer in the eyes of these loan apps. The loan amounts offered to David by these apps were considerable.
David didn't hesitate and applied to all of them one by one. After borrowing more than five hundred thousand, David found that many apps were no longer offering him any credit. David laughed helplessly. "It seems that the risk management of these apps is pretty good." But after all that, he managed to borrow more than five hundred thousand.
David had no intention of paying back the money. Even if he wanted to repay, There was nowhere to pay back after a month. As for the house under his name, David estimated that he could sell it for around seven hundred thousand. Calculating this, he would soon have more than a million in cash.
David couldn't help but sigh with relief. Luckily, the system could increase the value of all stored items by a hundred thousand times. Otherwise, with so little money, He can only buy simple supplies for himself. But now, the value of his more than a million dollars had increased by a hundred thousand times.
Next, David took out a pen and paper and made a long list of items he needed to collect. Although food was the most important thing for survival in the Doomsday , it was not enough to just have food. Other supplies needed to be considered too. This was not a challenge for David, as he had accumulated five years of survival experience in the previous Doomsday. He knew exactly what were the most precious resources in the Doomsday.
Three days later. Today is the third day since David's rebirth, and there are still about 27 days left until the end of the world. The sale of the house went much smoother than David had imagined. After the real estate agent listed David's house at a low price on various channels that day, it immediately attracted buyers.
The buyer was the owner of a small company who bought the house for investment purposes. Because the price David listed was low enough, and the city had developed very well in recent years, housing prices were continuously rising. This owner didn't hesitate to buy the house after seeing the price, and in his opinion, he had hit the jackpot.
The owner was not short of money, and payment was made very promptly. After completing the transfer procedures yesterday, David received the full payment for the house early this morning. The house sold for about 700,000 yuan, as David had expected. Together with the 500,000 yuan he had borrowed previously and his own 50,000 yuan in savings, David now had a total of 1.25 million yuan in cash available for him to use.
This was the first time in David's life that he had so much cash. Looking at the balance in his bank account, David wasn't too excited. He knew that he had to spend this money quickly within a month. Only by exchanging this money for resources would it have value; otherwise, in a month, this money would be worthless.
After the house was transferred, David talked to the buyer about "renting" the house for a month because he still had some things to deal with. The generous owner told David that he didn't need to pay and let him stay for free for a month. Anyway, he had bought the house for investment purposes and didn't plan to live there. After David moved out, he would also rent out the house. ๐๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ท๐ฆ๐๏ผ๐๐๐จ
This made David feel a little embarrassed, as if he had "mooched" off the owner. The homeowner's money has already been spent, but as for the house ... it would be of little use in a month. But the owner was so easy to talk to, which saved David a lot of trouble, and he didn't have to find another place to live for the time being.
Today, David got up early, had a simple wash, and had breakfast downstairs. Then he returned home, turned on his computer, and began preparing the reserves of resources. He took out a notebook with a shopping list he made yesterday of the resources he needed to purchase.
The resource that David put first on the list was undoubtedly water. Water is the source of life. A person can go ten days without food and not starve to death, but a person can easily die of thirst in ten days.
After the apocalypse, the supply of tap water in cities will quickly be completely cut off. Finding a clean and uncontaminated water source in a big city will be very difficult.
David's SJ City has a famous river. David remembers when he was young, the river was very clean and clear, but now it is murky. However, even such a murky river became a precious water resource after the apocalypse arrived.
As the virus spread, not only did humans mutate into zombies, but many ordinary animals also mutated into exotic beasts with various abilities. Even small pet dogs can mutate into giant dogs over two meters long after being infected with the virus.
Wild water sources are usually occupied by these mutant beasts, which even consciously ambush around the rivers, attacking other creatures or humans who come to find water. Moreover, some aquatic organisms in certain rivers have mutated and become very dangerous. Not to mention factors such as parasites, pathogenic bacteria, viruses, etc. in the water source. It is extremely dangerous and difficult for ordinary humans to approach these water sources. It can be imagined how precious freshwater is as a resource in the end times.
David looked at his notebook, pondering, "So how to solve the problem of water resources? Stockpile some bottled water?" Bottled water is not cheap, even the slightly cheaper purified water costs about two yuan per liter.
Of course, David could not spend most of his money on buying water. Suddenly, an idea flashed through David's mind. "How did I forget about tap water?" Tap water is the cheapest water resource, costing only a little over two yuan per ton. Moreover, tap water is a very clean water source compared to the wild water sources. It can be boiled and used as drinking water and various other daily water needs. David's water bill is paid every other month, which means that he won't have to pay for this month's water bill until next month. "In that case, I can even save on water expenses?"
David immediately ran to the kitchen and turned on the tap. Under his mental control, the water flowing out of the tap was continuously collected into his storage space. And after the water resources entered the storage space, a ten-thousand-fold critical hit was triggered, and one liter of water instantly turned into ten thousand liters of water.
David was overjoyed, but soon he ran into a dilemma. "I can't just stand here and collect water all the time, can I?" Just then, the system prompted: "[Host can set this area as a resource collection point, and the storage space can automatically collect water resources.]" "There's also this option?"
After some mental manipulation by David, the water flowing out of the tap disappeared into the void as if it had never flowed out of the tap, and entered David's storage space.
A bold idea flashed through David's mind. "What if I set this resource point in the freshwater lake..." SJ City has a huge freshwater lake, which is one of the main sources of fresh water for the SJ City Water Company, with at least tens of billions of tons of freshwater in it.
However, David quickly shook his head and dismissed the idea. "If I were to drain a freshwater lake, it would probably make headlines worldwide." Moreover, having too much water is also meaningless. When his strength is sufficient in the future, he can completely occupy some key water resource locations, and then he will never have to worry about water shortages.
David searched online and found that a tap left open 24 hours a day could flow about 30 tons of water. After the water resources entered the storage space, with the ten-thousand-fold critical hit, there were three million tons of water a day.
As long as David lets the water flow for a few days, these waters will be completely sufficient for his early development needs. Of course, David also prepared to stockpile some bottled water. After all, compared to tap water, bottled water can be directly consumed, and it is also more convenient to use.
David opened a shopping website and ordered a large amount of purified water and mineral water on various platforms. He filled in the delivery address with a small warehouse in the suburban area of SJ City that he had rented before...
This warehouse was originally a place for a furniture processing factory to store furniture and materials. However, that furniture factory has now gone bankrupt, so the warehouse has also become vacant.
The owner of the warehouse was worried about not being able to rent it out, but David successfully rented it. The warehouse is located in a suburban area close to the city, which is an industrial park. Few people come to this place except for some workers who work nearby. Moreover, there are a large number of trucks coming in and out here every day, so no one will notice how much material David is bringing in.
After solving the water problem, the next thing to consider is food. If you were to ask what the most nutritious food with the richest nutrients in nature is, there is no doubt it is meat.
Red meat contains almost all the nutrients and trace elements the human body needs. Humans can even get most of their daily nutritional needs from meat alone. Meat is also more satiating than other foods of the same volume and weight.
David plans to order ten tons of pork, which is twenty thousand pounds of pork, from various sources. This amount is not particularly large and will not cause any market fluctuations or attract the attention of market regulatory authorities. However, when these pork products are stored in the warehouse, they will increase by a factor of one hundred thousand, resulting in one million tons of pork.
What is the concept of this amount? A person will probably consume about fifty tons of food in their lifetime. This one million tons of pork is enough for twenty thousand people to eat for their entire lives. Moreover, the fifty tons of food a person consumes in their lifetime is unlikely to be all high-energy foods like meat. Even if a person were to eat fifty tons of meat in their lifetime, they may not be able to eat it all.
For a person with a normal appetite, one pound of meat per day is already considered a lot. In addition to pork, David also plans to purchase other meats such as chicken, duck, goose, beef, lamb, and so on.
As for seafood, David will naturally not miss out on fish, shellfish, shrimp, crabs, and the like. After the end of the world, most rivers have been polluted to varying degrees. The fish and shrimp in natural water bodies have mostly mutated. As for seafood, the ocean has become the territory of mutant beasts. Even the top experts in the previous world dare not easily venture into the sea. Therefore, seafood has become a luxury item.
David calculated his expenses while purchasing various meats in large quantities. Basically, David purchased everything that flies in the sky, runs on the ground, or swims in the water. Even if he didn't buy too much, even if he only bought 100 kilograms, it would turn into 10 million kilograms after being stored in his storage space, thanks to its incredible capacity.
The reason why he stored so much food was not only for himself. Even if he were to eat until he's full, he would not be able to finish all the food he had stored in his storage space. After acquiring the system and storage space, David had his own ambitions. He now controlled the most important resource in the apocalypse.
In this life, he wanted to establish his own base, just like the powerful people in his previous life. And these foods were prepared to feed the people in his base. After stocking up on meat, the next step was staple foods and cooking oil. For ordinary people, rice, flour, and oil were always the most in-demand commodities. Especially rice, it was the most basic food, easy to cook, and had a long shelf life. ๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐๐๐.๐ฃ๐๐ฉ
"Thirty tons of rice, flour, and various cooking oils." Thirty tons of grain stored in the storage space was equivalent to around three million tons. Then David added some miscellaneous grains such as corn, sorghum, and beans. With staple foods and meat, one's food needs could be fully met. The problem of food reserves was basically solved.
Considering that food in the storage space would not spoil, David added about twenty tons of fruits and vegetables to his shopping list. Then came the salt and various seasonings. Salt not only served as a seasoning but also played a vital role in human health. If the body lacked salt, symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, weakness, fatigue, and headaches could occur.
Nerve cells and muscle cells could not function without sodium and could even be life-threatening in severe cases. In ancient times, salt lakes, salt mines, and other salt-producing regions were always controlled by the government, and trafficking in private salt was illegal. Therefore, salt was definitely indispensable in David's reserves.
In addition to salt, David also purchased seasoning such as soy sauce, sugar, vinegar, monosodium glutamate, doubanjiang, tomato sauce, spices, and so on. When the apocalypse arrived, without industrial production, it would be difficult to obtain these seasonings. The goods in supermarkets or warehouses would soon be consumed or expired under the "guardianship" of zombies and mutants. David had only purchased a part of all the necessary supplies.
To avoid unnecessary trouble, he planned to gradually purchase all these goods and store them in his warehouse within a month, then transfer them to his storage space. In addition to food, there were some miscellaneous items waiting for David to purchase. After dealing with all of these, a morning had unknowingly passed.
David had been busy all morning and was already feeling a bit hungry. His stomach grumbled a few times in protest. He took out a portion of Dongpo Pork directly from his storage space. The fragrance of the food instantly hit his face, and the pork was still steaming hot, red, and translucent...
David suddenly had a bright idea. "Hey, how could I forget about this feature of my storage space." So he took out his phone, opened a food delivery app, and began to order wildly. He added all his favorite foods to the list, and ordered dozens or even hundreds of each item. He didn't stop until he had ordered from more than ten restaurants.
"No hurry, I still have a month, take it easy." David not only ordered junk food like fried chicken and fries, but also expensive dishes like Buddha Jumps Over the Wall and caviar. Anyway, he didn't feel any pain spending the money. Meanwhile, at a fried chicken restaurant a kilometer away from David's house, the front desk received an order notification and picked up the phone to check it. They were instantly stunned.
"What is this? A hundred servings of fried chicken?" The owner passing by was also stunned. He took the phone and checked it, and was also shocked.
"A hundred servings of fried chicken, a hundred servings of chicken rolls, a hundred servings of crispy chicken legs... Am I seeing things?" After thinking it over for a while, the owner called to confirm the order and finally confirmed that the customer really wanted that much food.
"Boss, what should we do?" The bewildered waiter looked at the owner, who was also solemn. For a moment, he even suspected that the customer was trying to make , the customer has already paid, so let's get started.''
About half an hour later, a large amount of takeout was delivered to David's home. The whole room was filled with the smell of food, from fried chicken and roasted duck to braised meat and roasted pig's feet... The living room was almost completely filled with food.
After the delivery person left, David began to put the food into storage space while it was still hot. He first put the one hundred servings of fried chicken into storage, and in an instant, one hundred servings became ten million.
This critical strike ratio made David ecstatic, and he then put all the other food into storage. For the next period of time, David was happily busy.
Takeout from various restaurants kept being delivered to him. David watched as these tempting delicacies were continuously placed into storage, feeling very pleased. After all, in the end of days, where would there be a chance to eat such food? Even the leaders of small bases in the apocalypse would have to eat spoiled and sour food during difficult times.
As for delicacies, only the top powerhouses had the qualifications to enjoy them. With this hoard of delicacies, David was enjoying life while others were struggling to survive in the apocalypse.
Just as David was busy, a call suddenly came in. David looked at the caller ID and saw that it was the company's general manager, Bill. David frowned but still answered the phone.
"Hello! David, you have been absent for three days. According to the rules and regulations, you are considered to have automatically resigned, and the company does not need to compensate you. You don't need to come back in the future."
David chuckled when he heard this. No wonder no one had contacted him in the past three days. It turned out that this was their plan. Bill was David's immediate superior, but he had only gotten his position as general manager through his connections with the company's higher-ups. He was an air-dropped general manager.
Normally, Bill would boss around his subordinates, even though he didn't understand the company's business. However, this didn't affect him from pointing and instructing his subordinates every day. David happened to be the type who didn't like to be disciplined, and he never let Bill have his way. He figured that being fired wouldn't be a big deal anyway.
Bill had been displeased with David for a long time, and he finally found an opportunity. David found Bill's condescending tone a bit funny. Bill was just a small leader in the company, and his proud general manager status meant nothing in the apocalypse.
Whether this kind of person can survive for three days in the apocalypse is a question, and David was too lazy to argue with him. So he hung up the phone directly and added Bill's number to the blacklist in one go.
About two hours later, all the takeaway food was delivered, and David's storage space was already full of all kinds of delicacies. Only then did he take out some food and enjoy a hearty lunch.
In the afternoon, David didn't have much to do. The supplies he ordered would arrive at his warehouse in two or three days. But David didn't plan to just idle around, he went out after lunch and took a taxi to the largest supermarket in the city: Love Home Supermarket.
This is a high-end supermarket that takes a boutique route. Although the food and some products here are more expensive than ordinary supermarkets, the variety of goods is abundant, and the quality is guaranteed. David planned to go on a shopping spree in the supermarket. Items like toothbrushes, toothpaste, towels, shower gel, shampoo, soap... although they are not essential for survival, they can greatly improve the quality of life.
In Love Home Supermarket, Sally was wandering aimlessly. Her figure attracted the attention of many men around her. Although she was wearing a simple and loose casual outfit, she couldn't hide her curvy body.
Not only is Sally tall and has a perfect figure, but she also looks like a professional model at first glance. Her slender and straight legs are thought-provoking, plus a beautiful and delicate face, making the men around her look at her frequently. Sally has long been accustomed to these attention, and she automatically blocked out these gazes, shopping by herself.
Suddenly, Sally saw a familiar figure, and her originally calm expression changed slightly. "Is it him?" The familiar figure in front of Sally was David. At this time, David was pushing a shopping cart filled with all kinds of goods, squeezing the cart full.
David noticed that Sally was staring at him and was slightly stunned. Sally smiled at him friendly, and David also politely smiled and nodded at Sally. Sally was about to approach David to talk, but David had already turned and left.
He seemed to be very busy, constantly putting goods from the supermarket shelves into his own shopping cart. Sally was stunned. "Did he not recognize me?" Sally is David's neighbor, and they live across the hall from each other.
In the city's indifference, even neighbors may not know each other's names after living for more than ten years. That's how Sally and David were at the beginning, strangers to each other, and they wouldn't even say hello when they occasionally met in the hallway.
One day, David suddenly knocked on Sally's door. He told Sally through the door that she had left her key in the lock and forgotten to take it out. It was already around ten o'clock at night, and Sally became wary, thinking that he might have some bad intentions and want to trick her into opening the door. So Sally refused to open the door.
David felt a little helpless and went back home on his own. Sally saw David return to his own door and close it through the peephole, so she opened her door half-doubtingly. As a result, she did find her key still in the lock.
Sally was scared for a while and realized how lucky she was that David had reminded her. If someone with malicious intentions had found her key, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
At the same time, Sally felt guilty. David had kindly reminded her, but she thought he had ulterior motives and didn't even say thank you. After this incident, Sally had a good impression of David. Not only was he a person of good character, but he also looked quite handsome.
She added David as a friend on WeChat in the homeowner group, but after a few simple chats, David didn't say much. Sally had always wanted to thank David in person and apologize to him, but she didn't know how to approach him. Unexpectedly, she met him in the supermarket today.
She thought it was a good opportunity, but David just nodded at her and turned to leave. Sally felt a little inexplicably disappointed
Sally felt complex emotions at the moment and wondered, "Could it be that I offended him with my previous reaction?" In fact, David had recognized Sally, as it's hard for men to forget a beauty like her after just one glance. However, David was busy hoarding supplies and had no time to chat with her now.
If David remembers correctly, Sally, who looks young and beautiful, actually has her own clothing company. Sally told David on WeChat that she learned how to manage and operate a company from her father and other elders in her family since she was young.
Her family background is very powerful, making her a true "wealthy beauty". Although Sally actively added David on WeChat, he knows that there is a huge gap in their social status and he does not have any unrealistic fantasies about her. Furthermore, David has many things to do right now, so he has no intention to pay attention to Sally.
"Hey, look at that fool, he has been running back and forth several times. I wonder what he is thinking. Is he trying to empty the supermarket?" A man pointed to David's back and whispered.
His voice also reached Sally's ears. Sally was surprised to find out that the man's "fool" was actually referring to David. Another man next to him said, "He must have been brainwashed by the fake news online. He is hoarding goods here, saying that an ancient virus has leaked and the end of the world is coming."
"Hahaha, is he crazy? The experts have already debunked this rumor a long time ago." The conversation between the two men also aroused the interest of the people around them, and everyone began to whisper about it.
An old lady said, "I also noticed this young man. He wanted everything on the shelves and kept putting it in the shopping cart, and he was already crazy. "
Another middle-aged man said, "I saw him in the underground garage just now. This young man even hired a small truck to transport all the things he bought. He is really interesting."
The man laughed and shook his head. "They are just full and have nothing to do. They can believe this kind of rumor about the end of the world. It reminds me of those people who hoarded salt more than ten years ago. I wonder if they have finished using up their salt now."
The man next to him jokingly said, "The lower the IQ, the more they hoard." Everyone teased David with a mocking attitude.
Recently, the rumor of the end of the world has spread widely on the Internet, and many people know about it. At first, these rumors did cause panic among some people. However, as the 'Informants' who spread rumors was caught and experts personally came out to debunk it, the attention of this matter gradually decreased. ๐ฏ๐๐ฑ๐ป๐จ๐๐ฒ๐ฅ.๐ผ๐ฟ๐
Those who were affected by the rumors and hoarded supplies to deal with the end of the world were turned into a laughingstock by netizens online. Some even took out their phones and secretly filmed David. If this video was posted online, it would probably get some views.
David did not care about the strange looks from those around him. He knew that these people would at most see him as a joke and not really care about him. In a day or two, these people will forget about him.
Sally looked at David, who was sweeping various supplies in the supermarket, with a complicated expression. She really wanted to advise David, but she felt that their relationship was not very close, and it seemed inappropriate to speak up.
"Ah, he's a good person. Why would he believe these rumors?" Sally felt a little sorry in her heart. Although she is similar in age to David, she has been in the business world for many years and believes her mentality is more mature than the average person.
Sally shook her head and thought to herself, "Forget it. If he encounters any difficulties later, I'll find a way to help him. It can be considered repaying the favor he did me before."
Judging from the things David bought, he must have spent a lot of money. Sally knew that David was just an ordinary office worker who had only been working for a few years, and he probably didn't have much savings. With this kind of extravagance, he might have spent all his savings accumulated over the years at the supermarket.
David was unaware of Sally's thoughts. After several trips back and forth, he finally filled the rented small truck with all the goods. He sat in the passenger seat of the truck and had the driver take him straight home.
After arriving at the residential complex, David gave the driver a tip and asked him to help move the items into his house. The various miscellaneous items he bought from the supermarket almost filled his entire living room.
After several hours of busyness, the two finally moved all the goods into David's house. After the driver left, David closed the door and put all these items into his storage space.
The system immediately sent several prompts to his mind:
"[Congratulations! You have obtained 100 bottles of Port wine, and the 100,000-fold critical hit is in effect!]
[Congratulations! You have obtained 10 million bottles of Port wine!]
[Congratulations! You have obtained 100 boxes of toothpaste, and the 100,000-fold critical hit is in effect!]
[Congratulations! You have obtained 10 million boxes of toothpaste!]..."
David bought anything and everything he saw in the supermarket. Seeing the continuous prompts from the system, David suddenly suspected that he might have bought too much. 10 million boxes of toothpaste...it would take a long time to use all of them.
Suddenly, the system sent another prompt:
"[Congratulations! You have achieved the achievement: Storing more than 10,000 cubic meters of goods!] [Awarding achievement rewards...]
[Congratulations! You have obtained: one genetic enhancement potion and one alloy combat knife.]"
David was slightly stunned. He didn't expect to get rewards for storing goods. He opened his storage space and found the two rewards that the system had given him. The genetic enhancement potion enhances your genes, giving you combat power far beyond that of an ordinary person and greatly increasing your chances of awakening abilities.
This genetic enhancement potion was a transparent liquid in a simple package, a transparent glass test tube sealed with a wooden stopper. "Genetic enhancement?" David knew that after the end of the world, many lucky people would awaken their own abilities.
Unfortunately, David wasn't one of them. He had never awakened any abilities until his rebirth, which had always been his regret. David could survive alone for many years in the end of the world, of course, he was not an ordinary person. But if he faced an ability user, he would have no chance of winning. And this genetic enhancement potion could actually increase his chances of awakening abilities? This made David somewhat excited.
David looked at the other reward: the alloy combat knife.
"[Alloy Combat Knife: a combat knife made of special alloy material, with self-repair function. The blade will not wear out until the blade is completely damaged, and it will always maintain its sharpest state.]
David retrieved the alloy war sword from the storage space. It was a completely black sword that looked nothing like ordinary steel. The handle was made of a material similar to animal skin, very comfortable to hold, and the blade was about one meter long. When he held the sword in his hand, he found that this seemingly heavy sword was actually very light.
David felt as if he were holding a bamboo sword in his hand, almost weightless. Despite its length, the sword's center of gravity was just right when held in the hand. David swung it a few times and found it very easy to use.
"Good knife!" David had used many cold weapons before, and he could tell at a glance that this was a good knife. Moreover, David was very aware of how practical the repair function was.
It is not difficult to sharpen a knife to a razor-sharp edge, as long as the sharpening skills are good, any knife can be sharpened to the point of being able to cut a hair in half. However, how long this sharpness can be maintained depends on the material of the knife. A knife with poor material, no matter how sharp it is, will quickly become dull after a short period of use, which is known as edge retention.
In fact, in David's plan, he also intended to stockpile some weapons. As the saying goes, "If the neighbor hoards grain, I will hoard guns, and the neighbor will become my granary." Stockpiling a large amount of supplies, but without the corresponding strength to protect them, in the end, he will become fish on someone else's chopping board.
This alloy war knife and genetic potion arrived just in time. In his previous life, David was deeply impressed by those powerful mutants. He had witnessed a fire-type mutant incinerate hundreds of zombies with just one move. And now, as long as he drank this genetic potion, he could also become a mutant in the apocalypse.
David retrieved the alloy war knife into his reserve space. As he did so, he couldn't help but hope, "Can items obtained as rewards have a critical strike chance like supplies?" However, there was no change in the alloy war knife after it was retrieved into the space, and the system did not give any prompts. It seems that items obtained as rewards are not counted as resources by the system.
After retrieving the alloy war knife, David took out the tube of genetic potion. The cork of the potion bottle was not tight, and David easily pulled it out.
After inquiring the system, he found out that the genetic potion was to be taken orally. Smelling the bottle mouth, David did not detect any special taste. This tube of genetic potion looked like mineral water, colorless and tasteless.
Without much hesitation, David drank the entire potion in one go, not wasting a single drop. When the potion entered his stomach, a fiery feeling surged up from inside his body.
David felt his breathing become difficult for a moment, his heart rate rapidly increasing, and hot air rushing to his brain. His muscles all over his body began to twitch constantly, and tremendous pain came from all over his body. This pain was like all the muscles in his body cramping at the same time. His bones were cracking, as if his body was being torn apart and reassembled.
David gritted his teeth, and beads of sweat the size of beans had already fallen from his forehead. Fortunately, this pain did not last too long and ended after a few seconds. After the pain subsided, What follows is a feeling of relief like an empowerment.
David looked at himself in the mirror and noticed that his body had undergone some changes. Even his height seemed to have increased slightly. He felt a explosive power within his body and his muscles and bones had become much stronger than before. Even his eyesight had been enhanced, allowing him to see things clearly even from a kilometer away. The strengthening effects of the gene medicine were truly powerful and immediate.
At this moment, a prompt from the system sounded in David's mind: "You have successfully taken the gene medicine. Your physical fitness has greatly improved. You have gained immunity to viruses and will be permanently immune to most diseases."
Upon hearing the system prompt, David's eyes lit up. This meant that even if he was accidentally bitten by a zombie, he wouldn't be infected and turned into one. And the immunity to most diseases was also very practical. At least he wouldn't have to worry about catching colds or fevers in the future. ๐๐๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๐๐๏ผ๐๏ฝ๏ฝ
To test his strength, David grabbed a wrench from his toolbox and with a gentle effort, he bent it ninety degrees. The formidable strength surprised even himself.
Not only had his strength increased, but his agility, endurance, and physical condition had also greatly improved. David was very satisfied with the effects of the medicine. With such a powerful physical fitness, combined with his combat skills honed in the apocalypse, dealing with ordinary zombies would be a piece of cake.
Inspired by the alloy battle sword, David opened his computer and searched online, finally finding a swordsmith studio called "February Tea House". This studio specialized in forging performance knives. Performance knives are knives made directly from high-strength modern alloy steel, with proper heat treatment, forged solely for the pursuit of extreme performance.
With the blessing of modern technology, performance knives are often more practical than traditionally forged knives. After all, technology is constantly advancing, and modern tool steel, die steel, and powder steel are all powerful varieties that ancient people could hardly imagine. Modern steel mills have ultra-high-temperature melting furnaces, electromagnetic equipment, computer numerical control precision temperature control, just-right steel element ratios, and various large-tonnage hydraulic hammers...
The steel produced by this process is difficult to surpass even by traditional swordsmiths with exquisite handcrafting skills. Interestingly, these performance knives that focus on practicality are often cheaper than traditional knives. The reason is that traditionally forged knives usually have unique textures and blade patterns, higher aesthetic value, and some artistic value, known as "sentimental value".
But for David, the appearance of the knife was not important. What was most important to him was durability and sturdiness.
David ordered the top-performance knife in the studio, which cost over 6,000 yuan per knife, and he ordered 20 knives. With these 20 knives stored in the storage space, he now had 2 million knives, which was more than enough.
David confirmed with the studio owner that all 20 knives were in stock and would be delivered within five days at the latest.
With weapons secured, David thought about getting a set of armor as well. After some tinkering on the computer, he finally contacted a workshop specializing in armor. Although most of the armor they made was for movie sets or private collectors, making practical armor was not difficult for them.
David expressed his requirements over the phone: the armor had to be puncture-proof, slash-proof, bulletproof, and as lightweight as possible without affecting his movements.
The owner said this was not difficult, and suggested using modern materials such as Kevlar, carbon fiber, and some special alloys to make it. Of course, this would cost extra, and the owner quoted a price of 90,000 yuan.
David agreed to the price, and even paid an extra 10,000 yuan for expedited shipping.
Although the price was quite expensive, for David, buying this armor was like buying 100,000 sets, making it an incredibly worthwhile investment.
The night in SJ city is as bustling and lively as ever. Even though it has been dark for a while, all kinds of neon lights still illuminate the city, and the roads are filled with continuous traffic.
These past few days have been the best sleep that David has had in a long time. In the apocalypse, he is alone and cannot afford to sleep deeply at night. Any movement or sound could startle him awake. He has no choice but to be extra vigilant to survive in this dangerous world.
He also cannot casually join groups of people, as people's hearts are unpredictable, and he could easily run into someone with malicious intentions. But during this period, David can enjoy a comfortable hot bath every day and sleep soundly in a soft bed until morning.
This quality of sleep is a luxury in the apocalypse. However, tonight, it's already around eleven o'clock, and David feels a little restless. He pulls back the curtains and looks at this sleepless city. David knows that for people with a rich nightlife, the night is just beginning. After nightfall, this bustling city is filled with indescribable temptations.
Thinking of this, David feels parched and thirsty, with an agitated heart. "No, I have to go out."
David decisively puts on his clothes, grabs his wallet, and leaves the house. He then goes to a food street not far from his home. The whole street is full of tempting food aromas, making David's mouth water.
He randomly finds a barbecue restaurant and orders a large pile of skewers and a few bottles of beer. The waiter looks surprised. "Sir, are you alone?" David orders a lot of skewers, mostly meat skewers, but he looks thin, not like someone with a large appetite. The waiter is worried that he won't be able to finish his meal, and it will cause issues when he has to pay.
"It's okay, you can bring it out for me if I can't finish it." The waiter nods and takes the order to the kitchen.
After waiting for about twenty minutes, the waiter uses a tray to bring the grilled skewers to David's table one by one. David has been salivating for a while and starts to wolf them down. Since using genetic medicine, David feels that his appetite has increased a lot.
Maybe it's because this body's strength has increased, the energy consumption has also increased. David was eating happily when suddenly, the sound of a beer bottle shattering caught his attention. The sound came from another table inside the barbecue restaurant.
David turned to look and saw that the customers at that table were a few drunken men who looked to be in their twenties. One man had a red face and held a half-broken beer bottle in his hand as he pointed at a young-looking female server and cursed, "What the f*ck are you talking about? So many people are watching, who the hell touched you? Trying to frame an innocent person, huh?"
The other men also glared at the female server with unfriendly eyes. "Why do you like to talk nonsense so much when you're so young?" "Call your boss over here, quickly."
The female server was frightened by these big, strong men. She was just a college student who was working part-time here during the summer break, and had never seen such a scene before. Being surrounded by several drunken men, the girl felt both aggrieved and scared, and couldn't control her emotions as tears streamed down her face.
At this moment, a woman in her early twenties wearing an apron walked out from the front desk. "What's going on, gentlemen?" The girl saw the woman and felt as if she had seen a savior, quickly hiding behind her.
The girl whispered to the woman, "Boss lady, he touched me."
As soon as she finished speaking, the man holding the beer bottle shouted loudly, "Who the hell touched you? Don't talk nonsense!" He was holding the beer bottle and appeared to be quite agitated.
The boss lady looked at the big men in front of her with some difficulty. "I'm sorry, gentlemen. How about this, I'll give you this meal for free, is that okay?"
Clearly, the boss lady just wanted to settle the matter and avoid any trouble. The men looked the young and beautiful boss lady up and down, not hiding their lecherous gaze.
The boss lady was petite with delicate features. The man holding the beer bottle said, "That won't do. I didn't touch her, but she insists that I did. Isn't that unfair to me?"
The others chimed in, "Yeah, she has no evidence and is accusing our big brother of molesting her for no reason. If this gets out, how can our big brother still mix in this street?"
The man called "big brother" said, "Okay, we don't need the free meal. I don't need this little bit of money anyway."
The man stared at the boss lady with a lewd look and said, "Since she insists that I touched her, then I might as well really touch her. That way, we'll be even."
The man took a step forward and leered at the boss lady with a lewd smile. "Or, let me touch you...?"
The boss lady was frightened and took a few steps back. "What do you want? Do you believe that I will call the police?" ๏ฝ๏ฝ ๐๐๐๏ฝ๏ฝ ๐๏ผ๏ฝ๐๐
David, who was watching on the side, had a general idea of what was his head, he scanned the QR code with his phone to pay the bill and prepared to leave. Although David knew that he could easily handle these ruffians, his habit of not meddling in other people's business had been deeply ingrained in him after surviving for many years in the post-apocalyptic world. All of his kindness and sympathy had been worn away by years of living in the post-apocalyptic world. As long as it wasn't his own trouble, David would never intervene, even if it was just a simple task.
David remembered a former companion of his who was caught and dismembered by a group of bandits as he tried to help a seemingly harmless little girl who led him into an ambush.
One of the rules of survival in the post-apocalyptic world is to mind your own business and don't show kindness. This was a lesson learned at the cost of David's companion's life. In fact, not only David, but the other customers in the barbecue restaurant also got up and left after witnessing the scene. The more conscientious ones paid their bills before leaving, while the less conscientious ones simply ran away without paying.
As David was about to leave, he heard a familiar voice. "Wife, Zoe, what's going on?" David turned around and saw a man in a chef's uniform, slightly chubby with a round head and face, and skin whiter than a woman's.
"Arnold?" David was suddenly shocked. This man's face and voice were extremely familiar to him. He was his last teammate in his previous life - Arnold. David never expected to meet him here.
Although the slightly chubby Arnold in front of David's eyes is completely different from the skinny Arnold in his past life's memory, But David with these facial features and voice, David believes he definitely didn't mistake anyone. ๏ฝ๏ฝ ๐๐๐๏ฝ๏ฝ ๐๏ผ๏ฝ๐๐
In his past life, although Arnold was tall, he was skinny with a pair of sunken eyes that always carried a hint of melancholy, and he was a man of few words. He joined David because David gave him a box of biscuits when he was about to starve to death. At that time, David still had good intentions and was not as ruthless as he later became.
So Arnold followed David from then on. He was a year younger than David ." Unexpectedly, Arnold awakened his ability to transform into a werewolf one day and became an extraordinary person with unlimited potential.
David knew that Arnold was a person of loyalty and gratitude. The box of biscuits that David gave him saved his life, and Arnold always remembered it. Originally, David thought that with Arnold's awakened ability, they could have a better life in the apocalypse.
However, one day, the two of them accidentally wandered into a horde of zombies and were surrounded by them. Arnold had just awakened his ability and it had not yet grown, coupled with long-term hunger and weakness, he was helpless in the face of the zombie's siege. In the end, Arnold used all his strength to throw David onto the rooftop of a nearby building. "Run fast!" These were the last two words Arnold said to David.
However, he himself was engulfed by the zombies and was devoured alive. David survived by hiding on the rooftop for two days and nights. When the zombie horde dissipated, he wanted to find Arnold's body, dig a grave for him, and erect a tombstone, but he only found a few bones. He was not even sure if they belonged to Arnold.
From then on, David was alone, struggling to survive in the apocalypse. David saved Arnold's life, and Arnold returned the favor by saving David's life, but David always felt indebted to him. Arnold should have had a good life, at least better than David's, now that he had become an extraordinary person. Unexpectedly, he met his former comrade here, and David was excited in his heart.
Only Arnold stood in front of the shopkeeper and the girl:"Gentlemen, don't be agitated. Let's talk nicely." Arnold's appearance did not scare these several strong men, after all, the chubby Arnold didn't look very intimidating, and he had a friendly face that didn't look like a ruthless character. In addition, they had the advantage in numbers, while Arnold was only one man and two women, and was weak.
"Brothers, let me treat you guys to this meal." Arnold smiled and offered a cigarette to the man. Unexpectedly, the man slapped the cigarette away. "Who the hell wants you to treat us? I'm not short of this money? You're the boss, right? Make your wife kneel down and apologize to me, otherwise, I'll make you three walk out horizontally today."
Whether it was the effect of alcohol or something else, the man became agitated and started cursing loudly while waving the broken bottle. The other burly men also joined in the shouting. Seeing that the situation was about to get out of control, Arnold whispered to the woman behind him, "Wife, take Zoe and go call the police."
Before Arnold could do anything, the man charged towards him with the beer bottle, shouting, "You want to call the police? I'll make you regret it!" Arnold picked up a chair to defend himself, but before he could use it, he saw a figure flash by and the man holding the bottle was thrown back and hit the wall heavily.
Surprised, Arnold turned his head to see a handsome young man standing beside him, it was David. Everyone was stunned, and no one could see how David had made his move.
Before the burly men could react, David lifted the man with one hand and slammed him heavily onto the table, shattering it to pieces. He then stomped on the man's stomach with his foot, causing him to scream in pain.
David then casually threw the man in front of the other burly men like trash. The man was completely limp like a noodle and couldn't move at all. In fact, David had held back, if he had slammed the man directly onto the concrete floor, he might have killed him.
After taking the gene potion, David could easily kill a strong human being as easily as crushing an ant, without any special techniques, just brute force. The burly men were all stunned, with shocked expressions on their faces. After all, their companion was over two hundred pounds, but David lifted him like a small chick and slammed him with one hand, causing him to be seriously injured. What a terrifying force!
The group of men suddenly sobered up and realized the danger they were in. Just as one of them pretended to make a phone call, David started counting down from ten. The burly men quickly helped their injured companion and tried to escape, but David suddenly stopped them.
"Stop!" David remembered something. The burly men froze in fear and turned to face him, their eyes filled with panic.
"Please buy the order before leaving, and also for this table," David pointed to the table that had just been smashed by the muscular man. The man lowered his head and silently took out his phone to scan the payment code, then showed it to David after finishing.
David nodded. "Alright, you can go now." The man and his companions were relieved and quickly left. Arnold came over and gratefully said to David, "Brother, thank you. Thanks to you, otherwise I would definitely be in the hospital today. My name is Arnold, what's your name, brother?"
"I'm David," David looked at the chubby version of Arnold and found it somewhat funny. The previous Arnold was dark and thin, and if it weren't for his distinctive facial features and voice, David might not have recognized him. At this moment, Arnold introduced the two women beside him to David. Sophie and Zoe also thanked David repeatedly. They knew that if it weren't for David's intervention, they would have been in trouble tonight.
David was quite surprised. He had never known that Arnold had a wife. Moreover, Arnold looked white and chubby, and his appearance was not outstanding. He never thought that Arnold could find such a beautiful wife. In the previous life, Arnold was tight-lipped about his past. David knew nothing about his profession, his family, or where he came from.
Suddenly, David figured it out. When he met Arnold in the previous life, Arnold was alone, and his wife was not with him. In other words, Arnold's wife had probably already encountered an unfortunate fate at that time.
However, it's not surprising that separation and death become more common after the apocalypse. No wonder Arnold, whom David met, was always silent and depressed in his gaze, and David thought he had always been that way. But now, the Arnold in front of David seemed quite cheerful, with no signs of depression.
It's not hard to imagine that he must have had a painful experience that caused his personality to change so much. No wonder Arnold never mentioned his past experiences. Even until Arnold's death, David still didn't know what he used to do. In his heart, David silently thought, "In my previous life, you saved my life, so I owe you one in this life."
In his previous life, even in a life and death crisis, Arnold still thought of letting David survive. As an ability user, Arnold might have been able to get out of the zombie tide on his own if he had abandoned David. But he chose to give David the hope of surviving, simply because David once gave him a box of cookies.
Arnold took out his phone and wanted to return the money that David had paid for the barbecue as a thank you. David didn't accept it as a few hundred yuan had no meaning to him. After purchasing a large amount of supplies, he still had over ten thousand yuan left in his account, and if he didn't spend it all, it would be useless next month. "If you want to thank me, do business with me. I want to ask you to buy something for me."
Arnold readily agreed. "Sure, brother David, tell me what you need."
David said, "Prepare about ten thousand yuan worth of barbecue seasoning and charcoal for me on April 1st, and I'll come and pick it up. Remember to close the doors and windows and open them when I arrive." David's request was a bit strange, but Arnold didn't think much about it and agreed.
After all, they usually closed during the day and only did business at night. David scanned them two thousand yuan with his phone. "This is a deposit." After paying the deposit, David left.
For Arnold now, they just met and even if David wanted to get together, there was nothing left to reunite with. On the way back, David thought to himself, "Not bad, I didn't expect Arnold to be good at barbecuing. Why didn't I notice this skill in my previous life?"
David was worried about how to handle the food he had stockpiled, as he wasn't good at cooking. "Now that he had a cook, Barbecuing is great. I love it the most." David didn't expect to reunite with his friend from his previous life in this way, making him feel very good tonight. ...
Today is the 25th day after David's rebirth, and there are only five days left until the end of the world. He is standing at the entrance of the warehouse he rented, waiting for the customized armor to be delivered. The twenty performance knives he ordered earlier have already been delivered and stored in David's storage space.
As for the supplies he ordered such as pork, grains, cooking oil, mineral water, vegetables, and fruits, they have been delivered one after another in the first 15 days. Since these supplies were delivered in batches, it didn't attract anyone's attention, and the delivery drivers thought David was running a food company.
These days, David orders takeout worth thousands of dollars every day, and sometimes he goes out to various restaurants to search for delicious food. When no one is paying attention, David stores the food in his storage space, makes a copy of it a hundred thousand times, and puts one copy back on the dining table.
His storage space is now filled with all kinds of food. In short, David has been hoarding all kinds of supplies as much as possible for the past 20+ days. At present, David's storage space has millions of tons of food and various supplies, which makes him feel very relieved.
Today is the day when David's customized armor is supposed to be delivered, but the studio encountered some technical difficulties during the process of making it. Fortunately, the boss was reliable enough to deliver it before the end of the world arrived. With the arrival of the armor, all the supplies David purchased online are finally complete.
Bored, David was scrolling through his phone, and at 10 o'clock in the morning, the armor finally arrived. The armor was packed in a specially made wooden box. After the deliveryman left, David unpacked the box by hand and a set of modern-looking armor appeared before his eyes. Since David requested ultimate practicality, the armor was not made in the style of ancient armor.
The design of this armor is closer to that of modern riot gear used by the police. David put on the armor and found that it was very lightweight and the joints of the limbs were very flexible.
David was very satisfied, get what you pay for. Although the armor was expensive, its quality was really good. With this armor, even if David was pinned down by a group of zombies, the armor would be able to protect him for a while. Of course, this only applies to the early stages of the apocalypse. ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก.๐๐ค๐
Zombies and mutants will continue to evolve and mutate over time, and their strength is not constant. David had discovered this cruel reality in his previous life. With the evolution of zombies, ordinary people like him might ultimately face extinction.
Only superhumans can keep up with the speed of zombie evolution, and most ordinary humans are destined to be eliminated. Ever since the appearance of zombies and mutants, humans are no longer at the top of the food chain.
After David stored the armor in his storage space, the system prompted him:
[You have obtained a modern armor, and the critical hit effect is multiplied by 100,000!]
[Congratulations, you have obtained 100,000 modern armors!]
Instantly, 100,000 sets of armor appeared in David's storage space. David discovered something interesting - he could summon the armor directly onto his body from the storage space.
This meant that he didn't have to wear the armor all the time, he could just summon it during combat.
Shortly after David stored the armor in the space,the system's prompt sounded in his mind:
[Congratulations, host, you have reached the S-level standard for material reserves, and your storage space is upgrading!]
[Congratulations, host, your storage space is upgraded from 50 million cubic meters to 100 million cubic meters!]
[You have received a reward: critical hit reward is extended for three days!]
The system gave David a small surprise. "Extended for three days, which means that After the outbreak of apocalypse, I can collect supplies for three more days?"
After the outbreak of apocalypse, David could only rely on money to purchase after the outbreak, the order instantly collapsed, and everything on the streets became ownerless. Whoever could kill their way out of the zombies would get those supplies. For a moment, David had a plan in his mind.
Today is the last day before the arrival of Doomsday. In just a month, time has flown by. If nothing unexpected happens, the virus will fully outbreak tomorrow at noon, turning approximately 80% of the global population into zombies. It goes against scientific knowledge, and the synchronized outbreak of the virus at the same time is incredibly eerie.
The virus seems to have been coordinated, erupting simultaneously and turning countless humans into walking corpses and animals into terrifying mutants. Due to the suddenness of the virus outbreak, human society's order instantly plunges into chaos and gradually collapses.
Everything happened too quickly, with almost no warning. The virus seems intelligent, launching a sudden attack on humanity. Moreover, this is just the beginning. Those who have natural antibodies won't immediately turn into zombies. However, they can still be infected by zombie bites or scratches, leading to an exponential increase in the number of zombies within a short period.
Although David knows that all of this is about to happen, he has no intention of warning anyone. Having wandered through the apocalypse for years, he has become too disillusioned with human nature. Even if he reveals everything he knows, no one would believe him, and it would only bring unnecessary trouble.
Despite being a survivor, David doesn't see himself as a "savior" or anything like that. He is well aware that this unexplained sense of responsibility would only harm him.
Tomorrow is Doomsday, yet David goes about his morning routine as if it were any other day. He fries two eggs, a large piece of meat, sprinkles some salt and pepper on it, and takes out a carton of milk from the storage space. A hearty breakfast is served.
Enjoying the delicious meal, David feels no nervousness or unease about the impending crisis. He focuses on savoring his food, his eyes showing no signs of worry.
As someone who has "died once," David can now remain calm even when faced with imminent disaster. During this time, he has been improving his stockpile list every day. After purchasing a large amount of food, he has been gradually acquiring additional supplies like fuel, generators, medicine, and clothing.
After finishing breakfast, David checks his phone but doesn't receive the expected message in his inbox. "Couldn't find them? What a shame." Some time ago, David asked a few private investigators to help him find someone. The phrase "private investigator" sounds fancy, but most of their work involves investigating extramarital affairs or capturing evidence of infidelity through photographs. Therefore, their fees are not exorbitant, and several thousand dollars are enough to hire one.
The private investigators David hired operate in the gray areas of the law. To fulfill their clients' requests, they occasionally employ questionable methods, making their fees higher. In order to successfully find that person, David hired several private investigators. However, until now, none of them have provided any feedback on their progress. "It's no surprise. With just a name and vague physical characteristics, trying to find someone in the vast SJ city is like searching for a needle in a haystack."
At first, David didn't have high hopes; he was just giving it a try. The person he is looking for is named Adolf, an enemy from David's previous life.
In his previous life, David, with his decent strength and influence among ordinary people, formed a small team. Under David's leadership, the team worked together, each with their own responsibilities, and lived a relatively good life in SJ City. However, one day, David's people clashed with Adolf, who happened to pass by their camp.
The reason was that Adolf took a liking to a girl in David's team and wanted to take her away. The girl, of course, refused to go, but Adolf, in a fit of anger, chose to attack directly. Although Adolf was an ordinary person, he had a terrifying mutated dog with him, possessing fire-based abilities and formidable strength. The members of David's team were all ordinary people, so the outcome was predictable when faced with such a mutated dog.
The team that David had painstakingly built was completely wiped out. When David and Arnold returned to the camp after gathering supplies outside, they discovered that everything had turned to ashes. It was from the survivors near the camp that David learned the full story. This incident greatly affected David.
Since then, he began to understand that ordinary people were like insignificant grass in this apocalyptic world. A group of people being wiped out by a dog, without any ability to resist, had a touch of irony. This was the enormous gap between ordinary people, mutated beasts, and ability users, like an insurmountable chasm.
In fact, the top-level ferocious beasts among the mutated creatures were not inferior to powerful ability users among humans. As for ordinary people like David, they had no qualifications to be compared to them. Later, David learned that Adolf's nickname was the "Dog King."
Adolf himself was a completely powerless ordinary person, but that mutated dog was fiercely loyal to him. So Adolf relied on the dog to establish his own power in SJ City.
After the apocalypse, some organizations studying abilities and mutated creatures ranked individuals based on their abilities. Surprisingly, this ordinary person Adolf, relying on the dog, surpassed many others and ranked first on SJ City's list of powerful ability users. In a sense, it could be said that "a dog is better than a human."
After the members of David's team were killed, David secretly infiltrated Adolf's base once and saw Adolf in person, noting down his appearance. But David never had the opportunity for revenge afterward. After being reborn, David certainly had no intention of letting Adolf off the hook. However, unfortunately, he only knew Adolf's name and appearance and that he was from SJ City; he had no other information.
Today is the last day before the arrival of Doomsday, which makes David feel a little regretful. However, he is not particularly concerned because, based on the trajectory of his previous life, he would eventually meet Adolf again. He will settle this grudge sooner or later. After breakfast, David begins to exercise.
In the apocalypse, having a strong physique is more important than anything else. In his previous life, David maintained a regular exercise routine, which was why he was stronger than most ordinary people. Even after taking genetic potions, David did not abandon this habit. While David is exercising, his phone suddenly rings.
David picks up the phone and sees that it's a call from the private investigator. His heart stirs, and he answers the call. "Mr. David, I've found the person you're looking for. Are you available now?" David's mouth slightly curls up upon hearing this. "I'll be right there."
In the coffee shop, David is sitting across from a man in a suit. This man is one of the private detectives hired by David, named Adrian.
Adrian wears glasses and is tall and thin, presenting a polite and gentle demeanor. He hands a tablet to David.
"Mr. David, please confirm if this is the person you are looking for," Adrian says. David looks at the photo of a bald man with a rugged face and immediately recognizes him as the person he's been seeking.
David nods with satisfaction. "Yes, it's him." He will never forget Adolf's face no matter how many years pass. Adrian breathes a sigh of relief upon David's confirmation, knowing that this case has been closed.
He continues, "Adolf is a nouveau riche. He made a fortune in coal mining a few years ago and now works in fire protection. He is currently unmarried and childless, but he keeps several mistresses." Adrian hands a file folder to David.
"His detailed information is all in here. As for the dog you asked about, I heard that Adolf brought back a wolf hybrid yesterday from out of town, but I'm not sure if it's the same dog you mentioned."
David had entrusted Adrian with this task half a month ago, while Adolf's dog was only brought back yesterday, so the information seems a bit mismatched. David takes out his phone and searches for what a "wolf hybrid" looks like and indeed, it looks exactly like the dog he remembers Adolf having. David now has a clear understanding.
He takes the file folder and pays the remaining amount to Adrian in person. Adrian, upon receiving the money, smiles and extends his hand. "Mr. David, it's been a pleasure working with you."
However, David doesn't shake his hand and says, "Hold on, I need one more favor from you."
After David presents his request, Adrian looks hesitant. "Mr. David, this is a risky matter. Adolf has considerable influence in SJ City, and helping you acquire this information comes with its own risks."
Without wasting words, David directly says, "Fifty thousand." Adrian immediately brightens up. "Deal!" Fifty thousand may not seem like a lot, but for Adrian, who spends his days investigating extramarital affairs, it is a substantial income.
Afterward, Adrian stands up and makes several phone calls outside the coffee shop. David remains patient, waiting. A few minutes later, Adrian returns. "Mr. David, Adolf is about to head to a gas station in the north of the city. We should still be able to catch up if we leave now." ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ก๏ผ๐ค๐๐
David stands up and says, "Let's go."...
Near a gas station in the northern part of the city, Adrian's car parks in an empty space. David sits in the passenger seat, waiting with Adrian.
When Adrian sees a Land Rover Range Rover with the license plate GJ314 entering the gas station, he immediately starts the car and follows behind. "That's Adolf's car," Adrian explains. The gas station is crowded with vehicles, and Adolf's car is waiting in line at the entrance. Adrian's car stops behind Adolf's car.
"Wait for me in the car," Adrian says as he opens the door. He holds a cup of cola in his right hand and pretends to be making a phone call with his left hand. "Hello! Speak louder, I can't hear you. The signal here is bad." Adrian takes a few steps forward, seemingly searching for a better signal. Just as he approaches Adolf's vehicle, he suddenly slips and stumbles, falling near Adolf's car.
Adrian's cola splashes all over him as Adolf's car window is open. Adrian's fall is so natural and graceful that it seems completely genuine, without any trace of acting. His performance easily outshines those of young actors.
"Oh, sorry, bro, it was an accident!" Adrian quickly apologizes to Adolf inside the car.
"Fuck your mother!" Adolf, with cola all over his face, pushes open the car door and grabs Adrian by the collar. "You four-eyed brat, are you asking for death?"
Adrian puts on a mournful face. "I'm really sorry, big brother. It was a genuine mistake. Let me wipe it off for you." Adolf slaps Adrian across the face, knocking off his glasses.
"Forget about wiping, just get the hell out of here." Adolf takes off his jacket and returns to his car, muttering, "What bad luck! Running into a loser like you. If it weren't for the surveillance here, I'd teach you a lesson."
Adrian picks up his glasses and returns to the car, dejectedly covering his face.
Back in the car, Adrian rubs his face and mutters, "Damn, this bastard is so arrogant. If it were any other time, I'd extort him." He takes out his phone and checks. "Mr. David, it's done. I've placed a tracker on his car. You can now track his location in real-time on your phone."
David looks at the red mark on Adrian's face and finds it somewhat amusing. Adrian probably didn't expect to be slapped like that. Who would have known that Adolf could be so aggressive?
"Thank you for your hard work. I'll add another ten thousand," David says. Adrian instantly feels much better upon hearing these words. "Mr. David, you're truly generous." Although Adrian is curious about why David wants to track Adolf's car, he doesn't ask further.
People in their line of work, they do their job and take the money, never sticking their noses where they don't belong. At this moment, Adolf drives into the gas station, fills up his tank, and, perhaps due to a bad mood, throws the money out the car window as he pays, then speeds off.
The gas station attendant stares at the money on the ground, momentarily frozen, her outstretched hand suspended in mid-air. After hesitating for a moment, she crouches down and picks up the money one by one. When she stands up, her eyes are slightly reddened, tears welling up. She turns away to wipe her tears and continues serving the next customer.
Adrian in the car shakes his head. "Tsk, this guy is a real beast." David nods in agreement. "Indeed." Adolf's arrogant and domineering behavior is just like in the previous world. If anything, he has become even worse after losing the restraints of law in the apocalypse.
According to people in Adolf's base, this ruthless Adolf treats others as less than human, using his dog to bully and dominate others, both men and women. In his base, he's like a feudal lord. Anyone below him who dares to offend him even slightly risks being chopped up and fed to the dog.
After bidding farewell to Adrian, David returns home. He checks his phone and sees that Adolf seems to be heading to his own company. The reason for tracking his car is because Adolf owns several properties in SJ City.
Time is running out, and to avoid complications during , David plans to eliminate Adolf tonight. Tomorrow is the day the apocalypse arrives, and SJ City will descend into chaos, making it difficult to find Adolf. What David is truly concerned about is that fire-type mutant dog
Others rely on their status and power, but Adolf relies on the power of his dog. Although the mutated dog of the fire species doesn't look much different from a regular wolfhound, its terrifying strength has left a deep impression on those who have seen it. Some people have given this mutated dog a grandiose name - Hellhound.
If David remembers correctly, the virus outbreak is expected to occur tomorrow around 9 a.m. At that time, the whole world will be plunged into this enormous disaster. Since Adolf managed to survive this catastrophe with the mutated dog, it means that he must be together with the dog tonight. The mutation of the dog probably occurred shortly before doomsday arrived.
David spends his time browsing the internet while observing Adolf's movements on his phone. Adolf's vehicle has been running all over the city of SJ almost all day, indicating that he is quite busy with his business. Around 8 p.m., Adolf's car stops near a bar and remains stationary.
It isn't until around 10 p.m. that Adolf's car finally leaves the bar and enters a villa community called SJ Mingyue. Most of the people living there are influential figures in SJ City.
David opens the information sent to him by Adrian on his computer. Sure enough, the information shows that this villa is one of Adolf's many residences. "It seems he'll be staying here tonight." After determining the target location, David shuts down his computer and leaves immediately. He hails a taxi and quickly arrives at the SJ Mingyue community. Since it is a villa community, it is located far from the city center.
The environment here is very quiet, and there are very few pedestrians on the road outside the community. David walks directly to the main entrance of the community and notices that people entering and exiting the community are using facial recognition or access cards. Beside the security booth at the entrance, a tall security guard keeps a close eye on those coming and going.
"It seems security is stricter in places where wealthy people live." To avoid unnecessary trouble, David plans to see if he can blend in first. If that doesn't work, he'll come up with another plan.
So he follows behind a resident of the community and waits for him to swipe his card. David intends to slip in behind him. Unexpectedly, the security guard at the entrance stops him.
The security guard seems to find David somewhat unfamiliar. He hesitates for a moment, salutes David, and respectfully says, "Sir, please swipe your card to enter the community."
David thinks to himself that the security in this high-end community is indeed dedicated, but he remains calm and casually responds, "I'm here to visit my friend, and I don't have a card."
The security guard asks, "May I know your friend's name and which building he lives in?" David naturally answers, "Adolf, A105. The last four digits of his phone number are 3255."Adrian provided David with all the information, which David has deeply ingrained in his mind. Since he enhanced himself with genetic drugs, his memory has greatly improved. He can almost instantly recall any important information. ๐๏ฝ ๐๏ฝ๐๏ฝ๏ฝ ๐๏ผ๐๐๐
The security guard retrieves a registry from the booth and verifies that the information provided by David is accurate. "Alright, sir, please register here," the guard says. David picks up a pen and quickly writes down a random name and ID number on the paper. After completing the registration, the security guard opens the gate for David. "Please proceed, sir."
David smiles and nods at him, successfully entering the SJ City Mingyue community. "It seems the security in this community is just average." Although the villas here are worth tens of millions, and the residents are wealthy and influential, the security measures are only slightly stricter than in regular neighborhoods.
If the security guard were to call Adolf to verify, David might have been exposed. However, David isn't particularly worried about that situation. He has a way to enter this community; he simply doesn't want to invite unnecessary trouble at the moment. After entering the community, David successfully locates Adolf's villa following the information provided by Adrian.
It is a three-story standalone villa. The villas in this community are spaced far apart, so neighbors don't have to worry about disturbing each other. Additionally, there is a circle of trees surrounding the villas, providing some sound insulation. This proves convenient for David's next actions.
Adolf's villa is surrounded by an iron fence with anti-theft bends his legs and effortlessly jumps over the nearly two-meter-high fence, landing steadily on the ground. He lowers his footsteps and approaches the villa slowly. Inside the villa, "Mr. Augustus, did you have a good time today? I've already arrived home... Oh, you're too polite. It's my duty." In the bedroom on the second floor of the villa, Adolf, with a rosy complexion, holds his phone and enthusiastically talks on the phone. "Alright, Mr. Augustus, rest early. I won't disturb you further."
Adolf's face beams with joy, but the moment he hangs up the phone, the joy on his face freezes instantly. A chilling sensation rests on his shoulder, firmly pressed against his neck. Adolf can clearly see it with his peripheral vision-it's a segment of black blade. Although the blade is black, it appears exceptionally sharp.
Adolf sobers up instantly, feeling as if he's in an icy cavern. He slowly raises his hands, not daring to make any unnecessary movements. "Brother, let's talk things out." Adolf can't fathom who this person is and how they silently infiltrated his home, holding a knife to his neck. Who sent him?
Since the other person remains silent, Adolf doesn't dare to turn around. He continues, "Brother, if you want something, just ask directly, and I'll agree." Although Adolf tries to appear composed, his body begins to tremble involuntarily. His extremely pale face and the beads of sweat on his forehead betray the fear in his heart.
Finally, David speaks, "Where is the wolfhound?" Adolf is somewhat surprised by David's voice; he didn't expect it to sound so young. But David's words leave him puzzled. Wolfhound? Why would someone break into his home in the middle of the night with a knife for a dog?
Moreover, how does this person know that he recently acquired a wolfhound? However, Adolf's life is currently in the other person's hands, and he doesn't dare to ask too many questions. He quickly says, "The dog is in the basement on the ground floor. If you like, I can give it to you." David nods in satisfaction; his guess was correct. The mutated dog is indeed here.
"Take me to the basement," David's blade lightly slid off Adolf's hand. The phone in Adolf's hand was split in half like a block of tofu. Adolf shivered, his hand trembling, and the severed half of the phone fell to the ground. His pupils dilated instantly, feeling a chilling sensation in his heart.
What a sharp blade! If that cut landed on his neck... Adolf didn't dare to think further, and any thought of trying to snatch the knife disappeared instantly.
He obediently led David towards the basement. Although Adolf didn't understand why David was looking for that wolf hybrid dog, he had to do whatever David said to save his life. David held the knife against Adolf's back and followed him into the basement of the villa.
The basement had been converted by Adolf into a wine cellar. The shelves were filled with various expensive wines. As the two entered the basement, David heard the sound of a small puppy barking. It seemed to be disturbed by their footsteps and started whimpering.
David immediately spotted a dog cage in the corner of the basement. The cage was out of place compared to the luxurious decor around it and appeared dirty and messy. David bypassed Adolf and approached the dog cage. Inside the cage was an unopened puppy.
This little puppy looked no different from a rural dog's puppy, short and chubby, with a round and cute appearance. Its fur had a mix of yellow and black colors. The puppy had a robust bone structure, with round legs and body, giving it an adorable look. However, the environment in the cage was terrible, with the mat covered in excrement and urine. The puppy could only huddle in a relatively clean corner. It was evident that Adolf didn't care much about this dog.
If this dog wasn't physically strong, Adolf might have let it die. If that were the case, there wouldn't be a "Dog King" in SJ City. "Awoof! Awoof!" Sensing the presence of strangers, the little puppy nervously barked. Adolf saw David squatting next to the dog cage, with his back turned towards him, and felt an urge to make a move.
"Brother, I bought this puppy from a friend at a breeding farm. They said it's a crossbreed with a wolf, and it cost me tens of thousands. If you like it, you can take it." While speaking, Adolf's gaze darted around, checking if there were any convenient weapons nearby.
At that moment, David suddenly stood up and placed his hand on the knife handle. Adolf instantly felt something was wrong. He swiftly reached out and grabbed a bottle of red wine from a nearby shelf, intending to smash it on the back of David's head. But in the next moment, all he saw was a flash of black blade. The blade was incredibly fast, making Adolf's movements seem like slow motion. ๐๐ฆ๐ฅ๐๐ฐ๐ท๐๐ญ.๐๐ฐ๐
Cold light flashed, and Adolf suddenly felt his perspective spinning. In the last second of his life, he saw his headless body. Adolf's head rolled to the ground, his face still frozen in an expression of fear. His body collapsed to the ground, and blood gradually spread on the floor. The scent of blood filled the air, seeming to also frighten the little puppy, which kept whimpering in fear.
"You got off easy." After beheading Adolf, David retrieved the alloy combat knife into his storage space. In his previous life, Adolf had destroyed the team David had painstakingly built, so his swift death could be considered a favor. However, David was concerned that any unnecessary movement might attract unwanted trouble. AAfter this attack, SJ City's once most powerful psychic will no longer exist..
The feeling of changing the future feels marvelous to David. In the previous life, Adolf was a prominent figure in SJ City, and now he was taken down by David with a single stroke.
David walked to the side of the dog cage and opened it, lifting the dirty little puppy out from inside. There was a bottle and a large bag of unopened imported lamb milk powder next to the cage, presumably for feeding the puppy.
David casually put the bottle in his pocket and stored the lamb milk powder in his storage space.
[You obtained one bag of lamb milk powder, critical hit chance increased by 100,000 times!]
[Congratulations, you obtained 100,000 bags of lamb milk powder!]
The lamb milk powder instantly turned into 100,000 bags, but David didn't mind, as people can also drink the milk powder, so it wouldn't be a waste of space.
When David held the puppy, it struggled vigorously in his hands. David gently calmed it down with his hand, and the puppy gradually became quiet. David carried it upstairs, found a towel soaked in warm water, and wiped the puppy clean. Then he mixed a bottle of lamb milk powder with warm water for it.
When the temperature was right, David brought the bottle nipple to the puppy's mouth. The still-closed-eyed puppy became excited as soon as it smelled the milk fragrance. It latched onto the nipple and began to suck vigorously; it seemed really hungry.
Looking at the cute and round little mutt in his arms, David couldn't imagine that this was the mutated dog known as the Hellhound that dominated in the apocalypse.
Fortunately, the puppy seemed to have been born not long ago and hadn't formed a bond with Adolf. If it were an adult dog and had already developed an emotional attachment to Adolf, David would have to reconsider what to do with it.
Although this dog wiped out David's team in the previous life, he didn't hold any grudges against it. Dogs were merely tools, and for dogs, there was no concept of good or evil. They only knew to obey their master's commands. And that was precisely what David valued. Compared to humans with diverse thoughts, dogs would never betray their master.
Once this wolf hybrid dog successfully mutated, it could become David's most reliable companion, better than any teammate. After finishing the milk, the puppy unexpectedly fell asleep peacefully in David's arms. It was evident that with the help of the milk, it had completely let go of any wariness towards David and had no more defenses.
David sat up while holding the puppy, preparing to leave. Before leaving, David also stored all the expensive fine wines from Adolf's basement in his storage space. Adolf was truly a wealthy man, collecting rare and aged wines that couldn't be found on the market.
After taking care of everything, David walked out of Adolf's villa with the puppy in his arms. As he left the entrance of SJ Mingyue Residential Area, the security guard seemed to recognize David and respectfully saluted him.
The security guard looked at the puppy in David's arms with curiosity but didn't inquire further. David remained calm, smiled, nodded at the security guard, and then left the place.
Adolf's mansion was left untouched by David. Today is the last day before doomsday arrives, and even if Adolf's body is discovered tomorrow morning, it doesn't matter. Back home, the little puppy is still sound asleep. David sets up a bed for the puppy using some old clothes and places it inside.
The weather is still warm lately, so he's not worried about the puppy getting cold. "Let's give you a name," David says while looking at the puppy with its yellow and black fur, feeling a bit uncertain. However, after observing for a while, he notices that the puppy has more black fur. "Then I'll call you Xiaohei (Little Black)."
The sleeping puppy is unaware that its name has been casually decided, and it continues to sleep peacefully. David checks the time, and it's already past midnight. "I should get some sleep too. There are many things to do tomorrow." David looks at the system panel.
[Task: Doomsday Reserve!]
[Doomsday is imminent. Please collect as many usable resources as possible to the prepared storage space! During this task, all resources you store will receive a 100,000x critical strike. Remaining task time: 3 days, 9 hours, 14 minutes.] ๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐ซ๐๐ก.๐๐๐ข
The system provides a precise time.
With the three extra days previously granted as a reward deducted, there are still 9 hours left until the outbreak of doomsday. This means the virus outbreak will likely happen around 9 a.m. tomorrow. Perhaps because he has already experienced it in his previous life, David doesn't feel nervous.
He lies down in his bed and quickly falls into a deep sleep, feeling very peaceful. ... The next day. Before the alarm clock goes off at 8 a.m., David opens his eyes one minute early. He takes out his phone, which hasn't even started ringing yet, and turns off the alarm in advance. After getting up and freshening up, David feeds Xiaohei milk once again, then quickly leaves the house.
David takes a taxi to LoveHome Supermarket once again. Due to limited funds before, David didn't accumulate a large quantity of supplies. But now, with the reward of a 100,000x critical strike extended for three days, he must collect as many resources as possible during this time. LoveHome Supermarket is the first place David chooses. After the virus outbreak, the goods in the supermarket will become ownerless.
Today is the weekend, and the supermarket is crowded with people. This also means that there will be more people turning into zombies later, so strictly speaking, this place is not safe. However, David knows that the combat power of zombies in the initial stage of the virus outbreak is not particularly strong. Moreover, he is quite confident in his own combat abilities at the moment.
Even awakening-level abilities are not necessarily his opponents right now. Plus, having years of understanding about zombies, David is not worried about getting into trouble. Ordinary zombies pose no significant threat to him. Once inside the supermarket, David strolls around aimlessly like an ordinary customer.
Some supermarket staff recognize David and whisper among themselves. "Look, isn't that the guy who bought a lot of things last time?" "Is he the one who believed in the doomsday rumors?"
"He's a good-looking young man, but it's a pity his brain isn't working properly." ... Although they speak quietly, David's hearing has been enhanced, and he hears their conversation clearly. He shakes his head, not bothered by the attention he's receiving.
As David wandered aimlessly, a pleasant female voice suddenly sounded behind him. "David, what a coincidence to run into you again." David turned to look and saw Sally, his beautiful neighbor. "Hmm, what a coincidence," David nodded expressionlessly.
In fact, Sally had noticed David wandering in the supermarket long ago. After much consideration, she made up her mind to approach him and strike up a conversation. She always felt indebted to David and couldn't shake off the guilt unless she resolved the matter. Sally, dressed in casual loose-fitting clothes with light makeup, exuded a casual and lazy charm. David noticed that several men passing by cast envious glances at him.
Obviously, a beauty like Sally would attract attention wherever she went. But David didn't feel anything special about it. In his eyes, Sally was no different from the other people in the supermarketโthey were all just people on the verge of death.
This supermarket had only one exit, and with a large number of people inside, only a few would likely survive after the virus outbreak. David had no intention of saving anyone, nor would he treat Sally differently because of her beauty. In the previous life, many powerful abilities in the apocalypse would have a group of young and beautiful women serving them. It was a normal occurrence in the apocalypse, where beautiful women were easily obtained resources for the strong. However, David had little interest in such things. He looked down upon men who were controlled by their desires. Men needed self-discipline and self-improvement.
"David, I haven't had a chance to thank you for last time. How about I treat you to lunch later if you're available?" Sally initiated the invitation to David. "No need, I have other things to do."
David decisively refused, his tone somewhat cold. Sally was stunned. It was the first time in her life that she had taken the initiative to invite a man to eat with her. Even when discussing business, she had never stooped so low.
Blessed by the resources of her family, it was always others begging her. She never expected that her first invitation to dine with a man would be rejected like this.
"If there's nothing else, I'll leave." David didn't bother with her and intended to confirm the location of the supermarket's warehouse. "You..." Sally choked, not knowing what to say for a moment.
As she watched David turn and leave, Sally felt a complex mix of emotions. "Hmph, what a stingy man. Forget it!" Sally thought that she had offended David before, which led to his reaction.
But upon reflection, she felt that she was in the wrong. "Sigh, it's my fault. Who asked me to see him as a bad person back then?"...
After leaving Sally, David chatted with a random supermarket employee for a few moments. From the employee, he confirmed the location of the supermarket's storage area.
While he was chatting with the employee, he suddenly heard a woman's scream near the supermarket entrance. The sound came from the direction of the entrance, and many people curiously looked over, unaware of what had happened.
David glanced at his watch. It was now 9:12 a.m. "Is it finally happening?"
At the entrance of the supermarket, Sally stood in shock, unable to believe the horrifying scene unfolding before her. Several meters away from her, a petite woman was overpowering a tall man, pinning him to the ground.
Despite her small stature, the woman exhibited an incredible strength, rendering the man immobile. The man seemed bewildered, unsure of the woman's intentions.
The woman's expression was ferocious, resembling a bloodthirsty beast. Her vocal cords emitted a hissing growl that sounded nothing like a normal human.
In the next moment, the woman sank her teeth into the man's face, tearing off a large chunk of flesh. "Help! Save me!" The man screamed in agony, desperately struggling to free himself. Finally, he managed to break free from the woman's grip. However, she immediately pounced on him again, crazily biting his neck.
The crowd gathered around, tightly packed and unable to move. Witnessing the gruesome scene, female bystanders let out screams. Several men rushed forward in an attempt to restrain the frenzied woman, causing chaos to ensue. Someone dialed the emergency hotline, while others called for an ambulance.
The woman continued her frenzied assault, biting and tearing at the man, leaving his hands and face covered in blood and flesh. It took several men working together to subdue her. "Is she on drugs? This is insane!" "Holy cow, this is terrifying!"
"Call the police!" "Is there a doctor? This guy is bleeding heavily." The onlookers engaged in heated discussions. Amidst the commotion, Sally caught a glimpse of the heavily injured man. Her face turned pale, and her intuition told her she needed to leave. However, the entrance of the supermarket was blocked by the crowd. ๐๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ท๐ฆ๐๏ผ๐๐๐จ
Suddenly, Sally noticed a middle-aged man beside her who seemed to be in distress. He was clutching his stomach and squatting on the ground, appearing extremely pained. His body began convulsing uncontrollably. The seizure didn't last long and stopped after a few seconds. The man remained motionless on the ground, with only his shoulders twitching slightly. "Sir, are you okay?" Sally cautiously asked him. When the man raised his head, Sally was startled.
Bloodshot eyes filled his sockets, and his pupils seemed to have disappeared, leaving only the whites of his eyes. Veins bulged on his forehead, and his expression was fiercely savage, emitting a hissing growl from his mouth. It was then that Sally realized this middle-aged man looked exactly like the crazed girl from earlier.
"Roar!" Just as Sally was frozen in shock, the man suddenly stood up and lunged towards her. Sally let out a scream and instinctively pushed him away. Perhaps due to his unstable footing after standing up, the man stumbled and fell. Seizing the opportunity, Sally quickly stepped back several paces.
The man promptly stood up again, but this time, Sally wasn't his target. He lunged at the nearest man beside him, sinking his teeth into him.
The man cried out in pain, frantically elbowing the assailant's back, but the middle-aged man showed no response as if he couldn't feel pain. Sally felt her brain about to malfunction.
First, the girl, and now this man-they both suddenly went berserk, losing their rationality like zombies in a movie. But it didn't end there. Sally suddenly noticed that many people around her started exhibiting the same symptoms. They had pained expressions, their bodies convulsing uncontrollably. Meanwhile, people realized that the man who was initially bitten by the girl was now also experiencing convulsions.
A few seconds later, the man also stood up. He, who was weak and lying on the ground just now, now seemed like a powerful beast and pounced into the crowd. In the crowd, those who showed abnormal symptoms also stood up and behaved like wild animals, biting anyone they saw. The scene instantly turned chaotic. There were screams and shouts everywhere. Sally saw a young child of about ten years old being attacked by several frenzied individuals.
Under their vigorous tearing, the child was torn apart. Sally witnessed this scene and felt her stomach churn, almost vomiting. The air was filled with a strong smell of blood, and the entire supermarket turned into a hellish place in just a few minutes. "Run, they are zombies!" The other people in the supermarket finally realized it, and countless individuals started to run towards the exit, each for themselves. Everyone wanted to leave this hellish place as soon as possible.
In the midst of the crowded pushing and shoving, many people were trampled to death or injured, but people didn't care anymore; they just wanted to escape from here. However, the more they pushed each other, the slower they moved towards the supermarket's exit. "Damn it, stop pushing! If you push more, we'll all die here." "Move aside, get the hell out of my way!" "Help, they're coming after us."
"Mom, Mom!"... Swearing, shouting, and crying resounded through the crowd. Sally watched this scene and suddenly realized that it was impossible to escape through the supermarket's main entrance. Fortunately, she was far away from the crowd and temporarily not targeted by those zombies. She forced herself to calm down and turned to run towards the inside of the supermarket.
"I need to find a place to hide." Sally had a habit of exercising regularly, and her physical fitness was decent. She narrowly evaded several zombies that tried to pounce on her. Suddenly, she seemed to think of something.
"Oh no, David is still inside the supermarket. He definitely doesn't know about the situation here." Sally hurriedly ran towards the interior of the supermarket and found David in the fresh produce section.
At this moment, David was holding a cabbage in his hand, inspecting it. Sally approached him and grabbed David's arm. "David, come with me quickly." David looked at her curiously. Sally explained anxiously, "There are... uh, zombies outside. You know about the rumors online recently, right? Zombies have really appeared!"
David looked at her in astonishment. Of course, he wasn't surprised by the zombies. He found it unbelievable that this woman's first reaction after encountering zombies was to come back and inform him. Seeing David's reaction, Sally thought he didn't believe her. "I'm not joking. Zombies have really appeared. The entrance is blocked, and we need to find a place to hide quickly."
She tried to pull David's hand and make him come along, but she found that David didn't move. At this moment, a supermarket staff member not far from them collapsed to the ground in pain, and their body started convulsing. Sally's face turned pale. "Run, David! He's turning into a zombie."
Sally was so anxious that she was about to cry. David put down the cabbage in his hand and smiled. This woman was interesting. Even at a time like this, she didn't abandon David and try to save herself alone. David extended his hand, and a completely black alloy combat knife appeared in his hand. He glanced at Sally indifferently. "Follow me closely."
Sally was stunned as she watched the sword suddenly appear in David's hand. Just a moment ago, she saw that David had nothing in his hand. In an instant, David seemed to perform a magic trick and pulled out a black long sword from somewhere. Meanwhile, the employee who had been twitching on the ground had now managed to get up, with obvious signs of zombification on his face. Seeing the low-level zombie in front of him, David felt a familiar sensation returning. He had dealt with zombies every day in his previous life during the apocalypse, and he had grown accustomed to not seeing zombies for a while.
After summoning the alloy sword, David then summoned his armor. Just like countless times before, he took out the armor from his storage space and neatly put it on. Sally was already baffled by the appearance of the sword in David's hand, and now he suddenly had a complete set of black armor on him, tightly wrapped. Sally was filled with shock in her eyes. She had thought David was just an ordinary office worker, but now she couldn't understand the man in front of her at all. With the armor in place, David approached the zombie, which was just a low-level one.
At this stage, zombies were the weakest. They moved relatively slowly, had no intelligence, and relied solely on instinctive behavior like wild animals. With the protection of the armor, even if David stood still and let them bite, they wouldn't be able to break through his defenses. The current zombies had not yet evolved sharp teeth and fangs. The only noteworthy aspect about them was their strength, which far surpassed that of ordinary humans. Perhaps due to the release of bodily restrictions by the virus parasitizing their brains, these zombies often exhibited strength several times greater than their former selves.
"Roar!" The zombie in front of David let out a low roar and charged towards him. David raised his sword and performed a swift slash. The alloy sword, a product of the system, had a sharp blade that effortlessly sliced through the zombie's neck. The zombie's head fell to the ground, and its body collapsed. Destroying the central nervous system was the only way to kill a zombie, and a headshot was the most effective method.
However, human skulls are relatively hard, and there is a risk of weapons getting stuck, so decapitation is also a good choice as it quickly renders the zombie incapacitated. Nevertheless, a decapitated zombie can still bite for about a minute. Just make sure not to get bitten by the severed head. After killing the zombie, David continued forward with the sword in hand. He was currently in the fresh produce area of the supermarket, deep inside. The chaos that occurred at the supermarket entrance had attracted most of the people there, so there weren't many zombies where he was. After taking a few steps, David noticed that Sally was still standing there, dazed.
He furrowed his brow. "What are you doing? Hurry up and follow me." Sally snapped out of her trance and nodded as if awakening from a dream. "Oh, right." Just a moment ago, David effortlessly killed a zombie with his swift sword strike. Although it seemed effortless, his movements were incredibly fast, far beyond what an ordinary person could achieve. Sally couldn't even clearly see his actions.
Sally quickly realized that David was incredibly powerful, and following him closely might be her only chance of survival. A man was crouched on the ground with a woman who was convulsing violently, her arm covered in blood from a recent zombie bite. The man, covered in bloodstains, frantically pulled out his phone, seemingly attempting to make a call.
Suddenly, the woman sat up abruptly and lunged at the man beside her. The man screamed in terror, dropping his phone to the ground. As the woman was about to bite his neck, the man used his arm to shield himself. She bit down on his arm, tearing off a large piece of flesh.
"Ah!" The man let out a cry of pain. "What's wrong with you, honey? It's me!" The man couldn't understand why his wife, whom he had been with day and night, had suddenly turned into this horrifying creature. After swallowing the flesh in her mouth, the woman opened her mouth again, ready to bite the man. At that moment, a flash of a blade passed between the woman's neck.
A moment later, a smooth and clean cut appeared on the woman's neck, blood gushing out. Her head fell into the man's arms. "Ah, you... you killed my wife..." The man looked at David with bloodshot eyes. David looked at him as if he were an idiot. "Can't you see that she turned into a zombie?" The man gritted his teeth, filled with hatred.
"She... she was just sick. Why did you kill her? Why..." "Give me back my wife!" The man, who had lost his wife, lost his sanity for a moment and charged at David. But in David's eyes, the man's movements seemed slow-motion.
He raised his alloy warblade and swung it, effortlessly cutting the man in half. After dealing with the man in front of him, David expressionlessly waved his blade, flinging off the bloodstains.
"David..." Sally's face turned pale, her voice trembling like a mosquito. Her legs and hands were trembling slightly. While Sally could understand David killing zombies, he had just killed a living person. Although Sally knew that the man had been bitten and would eventually turn into a zombie, as someone living in a society governed by the rule of law, she found it difficult to accept the act of killing. Moreover, David's indifferent expression frightened her. Killing seemed insignificant to him. Sally, after all, was an ordinary woman living in peacetime, never having witnessed such a scene. In this moment, the oppressive feeling brought upon her by this killing-machine-like man was not much less than that of the zombies.
"What is it?" David glanced at Sally indifferently.
In that instant when Sally was about to speak up, David had already made up his mind. If she had any objections, he would not hesitate to leave her behind. Sally swallowed her saliva, her eyes slightly reddened, and her whole body trembled like a sieve, clearly displaying her immense fear.
However, it was unclear how much of her fear was from the zombies . Sally lowered her head, too afraid to look into David's eyes, and shook her head slightly. "It's nothing." ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ญ.๐ฐ๐ณ๐
David smiled, relieved that she was a clever woman, saving him the trouble. He didn't say anything and continued walking towards the entrance of the supermarket.
Occasionally missing content, please report errors in time.
David conducted a thorough search of the supermarket, making sure not to miss any zombies hiding in corners. Sally followed behind him, trembling with fear, and she realized that within just a few minutes, there were almost no living people left in the supermarket.
The man they encountered earlier seemed to be the last survivor in the entire supermarket. David wasn't surprised by this. That's the terrifying nature of the zombie virusโit spreads incredibly fast. Some estimates suggested that after just one month of the virus outbreak, only around 20% of the world's population remained.
It was an exaggerated number, and it would continue to increase over time. David skillfully killed the zombies in the supermarket, each strike efficient, precise, and deadly. There were no flashy moves, just simple and swift kills. Soon, David and Sally reached the corner of the supermarket entrance. Both of them could smell the thick scent of blood in the air.
As they turned the corner, David looked toward the supermarket entrance. Even though David had survived in the apocalypse for many years, he couldn't help but furrow his brow at the scene before him. The entrance was piled with countless corpses, blood flowing like rivers, staining the ground red. Limbs, organs, and intestines were scattered everywhere.
Dozens of zombies were "feeding," occasionally turning the bodies into new zombies. They joined the ranks of the undead, dragging their maimed bodies. At first glance, there were no living people left at the supermarket entrance. It seemed that only a few lucky ones had managed to escape. But even if they escaped the supermarket, there were countless zombies waiting for them outside. "Wow!"
Sally couldn't hold it any longer and vomited. Even after emptying her stomach, she continued to dry heave. The zombies that were feeding were attracted by the commotion caused by David. They abandoned their "food" and roared as they charged toward David.
David showed no fear. He wielded his alloy sword and approached, killing one zombie after another as easily as cutting melons and vegetables. With each swing, a zombie fell. But the number of zombies was still too high. One zombie grabbed David from the side and bit his shoulder. However, David's armor was a heavily customized piece, and human teeth posed no threat to it.
The zombie's bite had no effect and instead shattered its own tooth. While this zombie held onto David, others took the opportunity to swarm and grab his body. "David!" Sally exclaimed. She looked around, grabbed a nearby fire extinguisher, and wanted to come to David's aid.
But she quickly realized that David remained motionless, as steady as a rock. It was the powerful physical enhancement brought by the genetic modification serum. Although surrounded by zombies, he showed no panic whatsoever, let alone the fact that these zombies couldn't break through his defenses.
David grabbed one of the zombies behind him and threw it over his shoulder, slamming it hard onto the ground. Then, he stomped on the zombie's head, crushing it completely. Red and white substances sprayed out, blossoming into a bloody flower on the floor. Afterwards, David grabbed another zombie that had been clinging to his body and threw it away like a chick, knocking over a pile of zombies in the process.
David turned his head and shouted to Sally, "Don't come over, take care of yourself." Sally watched as David effortlessly threw the over 100-pound zombie away, almost dumbfounded. Was this truly the strength of a human?
After dealing with the zombies surrounding him, David continued his pursuit, swinging his alloy sword relentlessly. Like cutting wheat, the zombies fell one after another. Within just a few minutes, dozens of zombies were quickly eliminated by David. After handling everything, David walked to the supermarket entrance and glanced outside.
The streets were filled with fleeing crowds and stranded vehicles. Faint flickers of fire could be seen in the distanceโoverall, it was a scene of chaos. David closed the supermarket door to prevent other zombies from following them. "Aren't we going outside?" Sally's voice came from a distance. David shook his head. "Go outside? It's not any better out there now, and I have other things to do."
David walked to a zombie's corpse and pressed the tip of his alloy sword against its forehead. As the blade sliced through the skin, a white crystal appeared beneath it. "I didn't expect even these stage zombies to have mutant crystals."
David used the tip of his sword to pick out the crystal and carefully examined it in his hand. "No mistake, this is a mutant crystal, just a bit smaller." Some zombies and mutant creatures generate these crystals after undergoing mutations. Awakened individuals with special abilities can enhance their own powers by absorbing the energy from these crystals. ๐๐ฒ๐๐ง๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐น.๐ผ๐ซ๐ด
The more powerful the zombie or mutant creature, the stronger the energy contained within the crystal. However, these crystals have no effect on ordinary people. Well, it's not entirely accurate to say they have no effect. If an ordinary person were to directly consume a mutant crystal, they could strengthen their physique and even have a minuscule chance of becoming an awakened individual.
But in doing so, the greater likelihood is that they would mutate into a zombie, and the process is excruciatingly painful. Therefore, it's an extremely high-risk approach. So, it's not a problem to say that mutant crystals have no effect on ordinary people. This post-apocalyptic world is just that unfair to ordinary people.
In his previous life, David had also collected many mutant crystals, but he never attempted to consume them. Usually, he would sell these crystals to those awakened individuals in exchange for resources. However, there were also some unscrupulous awakened individuals who would simply snatch the crystals without giving any compensation. David had no way to deal with such matters, as awakened individuals were not someone he could afford to offend.
David waved his hand at Sally. "Come here." Sally walked slowly to David's side, unsure of what he was going to do. David handed her the alloy sword in his hand and then shook the mutant crystal in his hand. "Open the foreheads of these zombies, collect these crystals, and be quick about it."
Sally was momentarily stunned. "Me?" David coldly said, "What's the matter, unwilling?" Sally hesitated for a moment, lowered her head, and fell silent. After a brief silence, she picked up the knife and started searching for the crystals on the corpses scattered on the ground.
At that moment, a voice rang in their ears, "Emergency notice, attention please!" Both of them were drawn to the voice on the television and looked up.
"Emergency notice: An unknown virus has erupted globally. Infected individuals experience brain death within a few minutes and subsequently the central nervous system is controlled by the virus, turning them into walking dead. The underlying mechanism is currently unknown. Residents are advised to stay indoors, close doors and windows, and await rescue."
At the entrance of the supermarket where there was no signal, a sudden news broadcast started playing on the television. The news showed the disaster situation in various countries around the world. After watching the news, Sally realized that SJ City was not the only place where the virus had erupted. Almost simultaneously, the catastrophe had struck worldwide, plunging all countries into paralysis due to the endless zombies.
At this moment, Sally finally realized the severity of the situation. "Stop watching and get to work," David said to Sally. Sally hesitated and walked over to a corpse of a zombie. When she cut open the zombie's forehead with a knife, she saw a translucent crystal shimmering beneath the skin.
She reached out her hand, intending to remove the crystal. As soon as her fingers touched the zombie's skin, a sticky sensation spread between her fingertips. There seemed to be no blood under the crystal-filled skin, only a layer of fatty tissue enveloping it. "Ugh!"
Sally couldn't help but vomit again while kneeling on the ground. However, this time her stomach was empty, and she could only dry heave. After vomiting, Sally turned to look at David beside her, her eyes filled with a plea. David stood there, expressionless, without any intention of helping.
Somehow, Sally felt a wave of resentment surging up, and two clear tears slid down her cheeks. She had always been the privileged daughter of her family, never having done any kind of work like this. David spoke, "If you can't do it, forget it, don't force yourself." After saying that, David ignored her, turned around, and headed back into the supermarket.
Sally watched David's departing figure, tears streaming down her face uncontrollably. Crying, she picked up the alloy war knife and continued to scalp the zombies. Sally was not an ordinary person; she could manage a company and had some abilities herself. She was an intelligent person and understood the meaning behind David's words.
She had just realized that with David's abilities, he could have saved most of the people if he had acted earlier. But David didn't rush to take action, indicating that he didn't care about the life or death of these people. Moreover, David had been stockpiling supplies in the supermarket recently; he must know something.
If Sally hadn't gone back to remind David, she would probably have already become one of those zombies. If she wanted to continue staying by David's side, she had to prove her worth. The outside was now filled with zombies, and she had no chance of surviving on her own. Moreover, her parents were far away in another country and couldn't provide any help. David was the only person she could rely on now.
As for David, he began to sweep through all the goods in the supermarket. Anything on the shelves, David stored it all in his storage space. Even miscellaneous items like rice cookers, vacuum cleaners, dishcloths, and the like, he threw them all into the storage space.
With nearly unlimited capacity in the space, even with a hundred thousand times the boost, the supplies in this supermarket couldn't fill the entire storage space. Soon, the items on the supermarket shelves were completely cleared by David.
Then David went to the fresh produce section of the supermarket and packed all the vegetables, chicken, duck, fish, and other items into the storage space,David's efficiency was high.
[Congratulations, you have obtained one cabbage, with a critical hit multiplier of 100,000!]
[Congratulations, you have obtained 100,000 cabbages!]
[Congratulations, you have obtained one pound of pork, with a critical hit multiplier of 100,000!]
[Congratulations, you have obtained 100,000 pounds of pork!]...
The system's notifications kept coming, and the critical hit multiplier of 100,000 caused the supplies in David's storage space to rapidly skyrocket. ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ป๐ผ๐๐๐ฅ.๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฆ
Soon, David had swept away all the useful supplies in the supermarket. It took him less than half an hour to accomplish everything. After storing the supplies in his space, David returned to the entrance of the supermarket.
Sally was still busy collecting mutant crystals. Her eyes were red and swollen, indicating that she had just cried a lot. "How is the collection going?" "Just a few left," Sally's voice sounded somewhat teary and aggrieved.
David walked over to a nearby counter, sat down, and took out a pack of biscuits and a bottle of water to replenish his stamina. After the intense battle and gathering of supplies earlier, he had consumed a lot of energy.
A few minutes later, Sally approached David and returned the alloy combat knife to him. Then she carefully placed dozens of mutant crystals on the counter from her pocket. "They are all here."
David counted them, and there were a total of 35. These primary-level mutant crystals were not particularly rare in the post-apocalyptic world.
After all, ordinary zombies could be killed even by slightly stronger ordinary people. However, not every zombie could produce crystals inside their bodies. Interestingly, zombies that could produce crystals inside their bodies usually had the chance to evolve into higher-level zombies.
On the other hand, zombies that did not produce crystals inside their bodies were likely to remain ordinary zombies in the later stages. "Well done," David nodded and collected all 35 mutant crystals into his storage space.
[Congratulations, you have obtained 35 mutant crystals, with a critical hit multiplier of 100,000!]
[Congratulations, you have obtained 3.5 million mutant crystals!]
David was astonished. Mutant crystals could also have critical hits? He had originally thought that such important resources would be restricted by the system, but he didn't expect that even mutant crystals could have a critical hit multiplier of 100,000. In other words, he now had 3.5 million mutant crystals!
David swallowed his saliva. Even the most powerful esper in his past life, in the city of SJ, never had such a large number of mutant crystals. "It's a pity that these are the lowest-level crystals with limited effects. How great it would be to have higher-level crystals."
Nevertheless, the harvest of so many crystals at once made David feel quite satisfied. He walked over to Sally and took out a large bottle of water and a bar of soap from his space. "Wash your hands."
Sally took the soap and water, her facial expression already somewhat numb. David knew that experiencing so many things in just one day was indeed not easy for a girl. However, with time, she would gradually get used to it.
He asked Sally, "Are you hungry?" Sally shook her head, but quickly nodded. Although she had no appetite at the moment, her stomach was indeed empty.
David retrieved some food and drinks from his storage space and handed them to her. He checked his watch. "Rest for half an hour, and then we'll set off." Sally responded with a soft "okay" and obediently nodded. She didn't ask where they were going; right now, she just wanted to stay by David's side.
"Mom, how are things over there? Are you and Dad okay..." Taking advantage of a break, Sally made a phone call to her parents who were far away in another country. Although the world was currently engulfed in a zombie crisis, communication networks were still functioning for the time being, and phones and the internet were still accessible.
"Good to hear you're okay. Take care of yourselves." Sally's eyes became red, and her voice choked up. Although she learned that her parents were temporarily safe, the severity of the disaster weighed heavily on her, especially considering her parents' advanced age.
The possibility of never seeing her parents again made Sally feel suffocated. "Yeah, I'll take good care of myself. I'm with my friends, and it's safe here." After chatting with her parents for a while, Sally wiped away her tears and reluctantly hung up the phone.
At that moment, David, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened his eyes. He glanced at his watch and realized that Sally's phone call had lasted for 36 minutes. However, David didn't rush her; Sally's actions had impressed him, and he had gained a certain level of approval for her.
David planned to establish his own base in the near future. Originally, his initial plan was to recruit individuals with supernatural abilities and various technical talents. In theory, ordinary people like Sally were not his top priority. However, Sally's notification about the outbreak of zombies made David ultimately decide to bring her along.
Moreover, Sally seemed to have good capability and adapted quickly. Plus, considering that Sally was a company owner, she had some management experience. In the future, when David establishes his base, her management skills might come in handy.
"Are you ready? If you are, we'll set off." David asked Sally as she put away her phone.
Sally looked at David apologetically and said, "Sorry for the delay. I'm ready now." David waved his hand, indicating that it was alright. Suddenly, Sally thought of something and curiously asked David, "By the way, don't you want to call your family?"
David paused and said, "I don't have a family." Sally realized she had said something wrong and quickly apologized, "Ah... I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked." She regretted it, blaming herself for being nosy. ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐ซ๐๐.๐๐๐
However, David's expression didn't seem to change much. "It's fine, let's go." David didn't pay much attention to it. He stood up and walked toward the interior of the supermarket.
Sally found it increasingly difficult to understand David. When he killed people, he had a cold and ruthless demeanor, like a bloodthirsty executioner. But when she talked to him, he seemed like a silent and reserved boy next door. Suddenly, Sally realized that David seemed to be heading in the wrong direction. She hurriedly followed him. "David, aren't we going out through the main entrance?"
David shook his head. "No, we're going to the underground parking lot." Before the outbreak, David had already scouted this supermarket several times.
He had planned the escape routes in the supermarket several times to ensure that he could escape unharmed even in the worst-case scenario. There was a freight elevator in the back of the supermarket that directly led to the underground parking lot of the mall. Normally, only supermarket employees knew about this freight elevator.
David had rented a car and parked it in the underground parking lot of the mall several days ago. With zombies roaming outside, it was very dangerous to rely on just their legs to escape. Although he was confident in facing dozens of zombies at once, as the saying goes, many ants can bite an elephant. If he accidentally got surrounded by a horde, even with armor and genetic potions, his chances of survival would be slim.
When David brought Sally to the freight elevator in the back of the supermarket, Sally became even more convinced of her thoughts. David must know something to have made such detailed plans. However, Sally didn't inquire further; everyone has their own secrets, and she wouldn't actively ask unless David revealed them.
As David pressed the elevator button, in the instant the doors opened, a zombie in work clothes suddenly burst out of the elevator and lunged at David. Sally was startled and let out a scream.
David reacted swiftly, dodging the zombie's attack with a sidestep, and then swiftly beheaded it with a knife. Carving open the zombie's forehead revealed a perfectly formed mutated crystal inside.
David stored the crystal in his storage space, and the system's prompt sounded:
[You have obtained one mutated crystal, critical strike effect increased by 100,000 times!]
[Congratulations, you have obtained 100,000 mutated crystals!]
One crystal went into the bag and instantly turned into 100,000 crystal cores, which was incredibly satisfying. The only regret was that the mutated crystal was too small, and its energy content was not substantial. "It looks like I need to collect more mutated crystals during these three days, and it would be even better if I can find advanced ones." As time goes by, zombies will continue to evolve.
Zombies several years later, even the most ordinary ones, are in an entirely different league compared to the present. As for mutated zombies after evolution, ordinary people are even less likely to be their match, only those with supernatural abilities can deal with them.
Some zombies and mutant beasts that possess elemental powers also have mutated crystals with special colors. For example, the crystal of the fire element is red, and it provides additional benefits to fire-based ability users.
They can obtain more energy from the crystals and even have a certain probability of comprehending the elemental skills possessed by the former owner. But no matter what, even these lower-quality mutated crystals are valuable in the post-apocalyptic world.
David heard that some supernatural abilities related to forging and crafting require mutated crystals to create special weapons and items. So, it's definitely not a problem to stock up on a few mutated crystals. David retrieved his knife into the storage space and took the elevator down to the underground parking lot with Sally.
The underground parking lot was very quiet, and the sound of David and Sally's footsteps seemed particularly clear in this silent environment. The somewhat oppressive atmosphere made Sally feel a bit scared, and she instinctively moved closer to David. Only by leaning against David could she gain a sense of security.
Soon, David found his car parked in the underground parking lot. It was a sturdy Jeep Wrangler with a high chassis, perfect for off-roading. Since David had a storage space, he didn't need a vehicle that could carry a lot of goods; it just needed to be sufficiently sturdy.
Just as the two were getting ready to get in the car, suddenly, David heard a commotion of footsteps in the distance. "Hey, wait for us, young man!" David turned his head and saw five young people in work uniforms running towards them.
The five young men were all males, dressed in chef and waiter uniforms. The leader, a man in his thirties with a greasy chef's uniform, said, "Brother, can you take us with you? We're trapped here without a car and it's too dangerous to go out."
These men clearly knew about the situation outside, which is why they were hiding here. When they saw Sally's appearance, their eyes couldn't help but be drawn to her. It was inevitable, given Sally's outstanding looks and figure. The chef pulled out a cigarette and offered it to David. "Brother, it's chaotic outside now. Take us with you so that we can have some support on the road."
David firmly refused. "No need. I'm going to pick someone up later, and this car can't fit so many people. You guys figure it out on your own." As soon as David said that, the faces of those men instantly changed.
The chef's hand, holding the cigarette, froze in mid-air, and his expression turned sour. "Young man, don't be too selfish. This car is so big, it can at least fit five more people." The chef looked at Sally and said, "Miss, please persuade this young man. We can't just ignore others in need."
Sally looked away and didn't say anything. David smiled and said, "What's it to you how many people can fit?We're not familiar?" He said to Sally, "Get in the car."
Sally obediently walked to the passenger side, opened the door, and got in the car. Seeing that the two of them were about to leave, the group became anxious. One of the young waiters pulled out a kitchen knife from somewhere. "Damn it, why are we wasting time talking to him? Let's just take his car. With so many of us, are we afraid of one person?"
He walked up to David, pointing the kitchen knife at him as he stood by the car door. "Kid, you asked for this. We could have left together, but you refused. Now, step aside and leave the keys and that woman, or I'll kill you."
David sighed. He didn't want to resort to violence, but he regretted wasting his breath on these people. That's how it was in the apocalypse-limited resources made people fight to the death over anything. ๐๐๐๏ฝ๐๏ฝ๐๐.๐๐๐
"Hey, are you pretending not to hear me?" The waiter's emotions grew more agitated. He raised the kitchen knife, ready to strike. Suddenly, the waiter's face filled with terror as he noticed a long knife in David's hand, appearing out of nowhere.
David swung his hand swiftly and decisively. The man's hand holding the knife was instantly severed, and his arm, along with the knife, fell to the ground, blood gushing out. "Ah! My hand!" The waiter let out a horrified scream. It all happened too fast, and the other chefs and waiters behind him paled in fear.
The waiter, who had just been furious moments ago, now wore an expression of pure terror. He looked at David, and their eyes met. From David's eyes, he saw a disregard for life and a chilling intent to kill.
In that instant, he felt like he had plunged into an icy abyss, as if the person before him was the god of death emerging from a mountain of corpses. Before the waiter could even react, he saw a figure as fast as lightning flash by.
In the blink of an eye, a knife accurately stabbed into his heart. The waiter looked at David, pale-faced, as if he was looking at a monster.
David pulled out the knife, and the waiter immediately collapsed like a deflated balloon, falling to the ground. "Someone's been killed!" "Runing!" Finally, the remaining men reacted and scattered in different directions, fleeing for their lives.
"Just as I thought, a direct stab did the trick," David thought to himself. He sheathed his alloy combat knife and got into his car. His next destination was the nearby food street where Arnold's barbecue restaurant was located. If he guessed correctly, Arnold and his wife should be hiding in the store.
At this stage, the destructive power of the zombies was limited. As long as they locked the doors, the zombies wouldn't pose any threat to them. Moreover, the food street mainly operated during the night market, so there weren't many people around during the day. Therefore, Arnold and the others were relatively safe there.
David started the vehicle and headed towards the food street... Xiangshan Food Street.
Arnold anxiously held his phone, making a call. Besides his wife Sophie, there were two young men and women beside him. Arnold sighed, "It's over, the emergency line is unreachable. We're trapped here."
The young man beside Arnold browsed the news on his phone, frowning. He sighed and said, "Arnold, according to what I read online, this situation seems to be serious. It's not just here, but zombies have erupted worldwide."
Arnold nodded and took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket, but quickly realized that there were two women with them and put the cigarettes back. He paced back and forth in the room, unable to think of a solution for a while.
"Right now, the entire SJ city is surely in chaos. There probably aren't any spare police forces to rescue us." Everyone had worried expressions. If they didn't receive help in time, they would be trapped here and eventually die. They didn't dare to go out now. They had just witnessed a group of zombies brutally biting a pedestrian to death, a scene of utter misery.
Arnold walked to the rolling shutter door and looked outside through the window gap. The few zombies were still wandering the street. He reassured everyone, "There aren't many zombies here. Maybe if we wait a bit longer, they will leave on their own."
Just then, they suddenly heard the roaring sound of an engine. They crowded around the window and saw an off-road vehicle forcefully crashing into the tables and chairs set up on the food street, sending the wandering zombies flying. The off-road vehicle raced to the other end of the street, executed a drift, and then turned around, charging at the remaining zombies once again. Under the violent impact of the off-road vehicle, the zombies either died instantly or lost their mobility.
Arnold and the others were astonished. Just as they were curious about the driver of the vehicle, they saw the off-road vehicle heading towards their store. Finally, the off-road vehicle came to a stop in front of Arnold's store.
The car door opened, and a young, handsome man stepped out. It was David. "David! It's you!" Arnold instantly recognized David and exclaimed in surprise.
David smiled at him. "Arnold, I've come to pick up the goods."
Arnold was initially taken aback but then remembered that David had placed an order for barbecue seasoning and charcoal with him recently. Zoe had complained before that if it weren't for David's order, they wouldn't have needed to come to the store today and wouldn't be trapped there.
Surprisingly, David showed up to collect the goods even in this situation, leaving Arnold a bit bewildered. Arnold opened the door and said with a smile, "David, my friend, the items are here. It's dangerous outside, so come in first." At this moment, Sally also got out of the car and stood beside David. The others noticed the stunning beauty behind David.
The young man behind Arnold couldn't help but stare at Sally, blatantly displaying his unabashed gaze. Sally frowned, feeling uncomfortable with his gaze.
David also noticed the young man and furrowed his brows slightly. Somehow, he felt that this young man in front of him looked familiar. The situation in the store was different from what David had initially planned. He had only intended to bring Arnold and his wife.
Arnold noticed that the young man's gaze was off and quickly intervened, "David, is this your girlfriend?" Before David could speak, Sally took the initiative to greet Arnold, "Hello, I'm Sally." Without clarifying the misunderstanding that she was David's girlfriend, she intentionally left it ambiguous.
Arnold introduced the young couple to David, saying, "David, this is Zoe, our waitress in the store. I don't know if you remember her." David naturally remembered Zoe. It was because Zoe had been harassed by a customer that Arnold and his group got into a conflict. Arnold pointed to the young man next to Zoe and said, "This young man is Angus, Zoe's boyfriend."
Angus appeared to be only eighteen or nineteen years old, very young. He had a shaved head and a tall stature. He was wearing a tank top that revealed his muscular body, indicating that he regularly worked out. When David heard the name "Angus," a small wave of turmoil surged within him.
No wonder this young man in front of him looked so familiar. Angus was a somewhat well-known figure in the early days of the apocalypse. However, he wasn't an ability user but the leader of a gang of thugs. Angus was physically strong, fearless, and ruthless.
After the apocalypse, he formed a team and rampaged throughout SJ City, burning, killing, and looting. Freed from the constraints of the law, they became increasingly lawless, committing almost every imaginable atrocity.
David heard that they took pleasure in killing and torturing survivors. However, it seemed that this gang had made too many enemies and was later wiped out by a powerful ability user. David didn't want to bring Zoe and Angus with him, and after recognizing Angus's identity, he was even more reluctant to have such a person in his group.
During the conversation with Arnold, David learned that Angus was here to find his girlfriend, Zoe. He wasn't particularly familiar with Arnold and his wife; they just happened to be trapped there.
David instructed Sally to move the items he ordered into the car's trunk. Although he could have stored these items directly in his storage space, he didn't want to reveal his abilities in front of Angus for the time being.
Arnold quickly stepped forward to help when he saw this. "Sally, let me do it. You can take a break on the side," Arnold's wife Sophie also hurried over to assist. After a busy moment, they finally loaded everything into the car.
David noticed that Angus seemed to have an odd look in his eyes when looking at him. But he quickly realized that it might be because of Sally.
David had a fit and muscular build, but when he wore clothes, he didn't appear particularly strong. He seemed a bit slim, and his facial features leaned towards a gentle and harmless look. On the other hand, Angus, with his muscular physique and numerous tattoos, had a more intimidating presence.
David felt somewhat helpless. If it weren't for Arnold's presence, based on Angus's gaze alone, David would have already sentenced him to death. Although Arnold was his good friend from a past life, they weren't that familiar in this life.
If David unhesitatingly killed Angus, it would likely give Arnold a negative impression of him. While David was contemplating, Arnold and the others had already moved everything David needed into the car.
After some thought, David spoke to Arnold and Sophie, "I was supposed to pay you the remaining amount, but money doesn't hold much value in this world now. My team needs manpower, so why don't you two join us?"
Arnold's face immediately lit up with joy. It was exactly what he had been hoping for, as he was unsure how to leave this place. However, Zoe and Angus's expressions changed. From David's words, it seemed that he had no intention of bringing the two of them along.
Arnold also realized this and looked at Zoe and Angus. Although he wasn't particularly close to Angus, Zoe was his employee, and after spending so much time with Arnold and his wife, they had developed some feelings for her. He would certainly feel guilty if he left Zoe behind like this.
He looked at David with a pleading expression, and even his way of addressing him changed. "Um, David, can you bring Zoe and them along too?" David sighed inwardly. He knew it would turn out this way.
Arnold was a warm-hearted person with a kind nature. It was evident from the previous life when he gave David the chance to survive. David didn't want to trouble his brother from the previous life, with whom he had a close bond.
"Well, let's all go together. There's strength in numbers, and we can take care of each other," David said, not in a hurry to deal with Angus. He had ways to expose Angus's true nature. Ambitious individuals like Angus couldn't hide it for long. ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฐ๐ฃ๐๐.๐ค๐๐ฎ
Arnold and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief. They took David's quick agreement as a misunderstanding of his earlier intentions. Angus's gaze was erratic, occasionally glancing at Sally, and it was unclear what he was thinking.
After David and the others got into the car, David drove towards the residential area where he lived. He deliberately chose a road with fewer pedestrians. Nevertheless, they still encountered numerous crazed zombies running on the road. Panicked pedestrians were fleeing on both sides of the road, and there were corpses and blood everywhere, making one's heart race with fear.
Zoe and Sophie looked pale as they watched the situation outside the car window. Occasionally, reckless zombies charged towards the vehicle but were sent flying by David, splattering blood everywhere, causing both women to scream. Sally, sitting in the passenger seat, didn't react much
David drove the off-road vehicle recklessly, crashing through obstacles along the way. Even when faced with zombies blocking the path, he didn't slow down and instead accelerated to ram through them. Countless zombies foolishly approached, only to be violently thrown away by David's aggressive driving.
David knew he couldn't slow down. If the vehicle got surrounded and broke down, it would be even more dangerous. The windshield quickly became splattered with blood. Although David's intense driving terrified the passengers, he felt steady and accustomed to it. After all, in the apocalypse, speed limits and traffic lights were irrelevant.
David didn't have a driver's license. He learned to drive after the apocalypse began. As the vehicle passed through the city center, the number of zombies decreased. The people in the car breathed a sigh of relief.
Angus played with a sheet metal hammer he found near Arnold's shop, thinking to himself. He had picked up the long-handled sheet metal hammer as a weapon from a nearby auto repair shop.
Angus looked at Sally, who sat in the front passenger seat, and discreetly licked his lips. His eyes flickered, and after a moment of contemplation, Angus asked, "Sally, were you a celebrity before? I think I've seen you on TV."
Sally hesitated for a moment and replied, "No, I run a clothing business."
Angus laughed, "Then I must have mistaken you. I didn't expect you, Sally, to be so beautiful and also business-savvy. Truly talented and attractive."
Sally felt a bit embarrassed. "It's just a small business."
Angus continued, "David is really lucky to have such a beautiful and capable girlfriend." Sally's face blushed instantly as she discreetly glanced at David beside her. But David didn't respond or show any expression, leaving Sally slightly disappointed.
Angus noticed that David ignored him, feeling a bit annoyed. A barely noticeable hint of irritation flashed in Angus' eyes. Zoe's expression also became strange. She felt something was off with Angus's words, but she couldn't pinpoint what. She glanced at Angus with a trace of resentment, but Angus ignored her.
For a while, the atmosphere in the car became heavy, and everyone fell into silence. Arnold held Sophie's hand, anxiously gazing out the window, lost in thought.
After about an hour, David successfully drove the car back to his residential complex. The gate of the complex was wide open, and the security booth was abandoned. Bloodstains were scattered around, but there were no signs of zombies.
David drove the car into the underground parking garage. Perhaps due to the low population in David's residential complex, there were no traces of zombies in the underground parking garage. David found a spot close to the building entrance and parked the car.
Once everyone got out of the vehicle, they felt nervous again without the protection of the car. They anxiously looked around, afraid that a zombie might suddenly emerge from the shadows. "Let's take the stairs," David suggested.
If something happened to the elevator and they got trapped inside, it would be troublesome. At this time, there was no one who would come to their rescue. "I'll lead the way. I've had some training, and I can handle zombies if we encounter any," Angus volunteered, eager to take the lead. David smiled faintly, stepped aside, and gestured for Angus to go ahead.
Angus swaggered past David and walked ahead. As he passed by David, he lightly bumped his shoulder against David's chest, whether intentionally or unintentionally.
With his muscular body and a powerful sheet metal hammer in hand, he looked the part. David knew that Angus was trying to demonstrate his strength and subtly reinforce his position within the team.
Over time, Angus could potentially take over David's leadership position in the team. Angus was indeed a natural-born leader. Although David knew that Angus probably didn't understand power struggles, his actions were driven by vanity.
However, David had to admit that Angus had the qualities of a leader. David and Sally both lived on the 5th floor, with their rooms across from each other. They made their way upstairs, and fortunately, the hallway was well lit, avoiding excessive fear. Just as they reached the corner of the 2nd floor, about to reach the 3rd floor, they suddenly heard a low growl.
Suddenly, a zombie appeared in the hallway on the 2nd floor and rushed towards them. The zombie was wearing a black dress, likely a young woman in her former life. Angus tightened his grip on the sheet metal hammer, let out a roar, and charged forward. He raised the hammer and struck the zombie's head with a powerful blow.
The zombie, lacking intelligence, didn't dodge the iron hammer and lunged straight at Angus. "Bang!" With a crisp sound, the hammer smashed fiercely into the zombie's head, and it fell to the ground, blood staining the floor.
Angus's hands and body trembled violently. Under the influence of adrenaline, his heart raced, and his mind went blank. "Is it... dead?" He looked at the motionless zombie on the ground, then turned to look at the others. Angus's expression gradually changed from nervousness to triumph.
"Nice job, Angus. I didn't expect you to be so capable. Your well-built physique wasn't for nothing," Arnold praised.
Angus chuckled. "Hehe, thanks for the compliment, Arnold. This zombie wasn't much of a challenge. Since you were in the military, I bet you could handle it easily too."
Arnold smiled and waved his hand, indicating that he couldn't do it. Angus's gaze turned to David, seemingly with a hint of provocation. David wasn't surprised by this. After all, Angus was a local boss. If he didn't have this level of ability, he wouldn't be a gang leader.
Moreover, the current zombies weren't particularly strong, and ordinary people could easily kill them as long as they overcame their fear. Sophie also praised, "Angus, you're really strong. With you protecting Zoe, she'll feel safe."
Zoe also looked at Angus with admiring eyes, which made Angus feel gratified. His face showed even more pride, and he confidently said, "These zombies don't seem as terrifying as we thought. Everyone, rest assured, I'll protect you all." ๐๏ฝ ๏ฝ๏ฝ๐๐๏ฝ ๏ฝ.๏ฝ๏ฝ๐
Angus unintentionally glanced at Sally but was disappointed by her indifferent expression. Sally was curiously looking at David, who showed no intention of collecting crystallized energy.
"Does he want to keep it a secret?" Sally didn't say much. Since David didn't speak, she saw no need to say anything.
Feeling annoyed by Sally's continuous gaze, Angus turned around and continued leading the way with the sheet metal hammer. The group proceeded smoothly and didn't encounter any other zombies.
This wasn't surprising since most people stayed at home when the virus broke out. It was normal to have few zombies in the hallway. Soon, they arrived at David and Sally's doorstep.
"We're here. This is mine and Sally's home," David pointed to the two doors in the hallway and said to everyone. The building they lived in had four units, with Sally and David's house being opposite to each other, while the other two households were at the other end of the corridor.
David walked up to his own door, took out the key, and opened it. In an instant as he opened the door, he swiftly retrieved a large amount of supplies from the storage space and piled them up in the room. All of this was done silently, without anyone noticing.
David didn't want to reveal his abilities in front of Angus for the time being, so he summoned the supplies beforehand, avoiding the need to explain their source later. Moreover, David had other intentions for summoning these supplies.
After opening the door, David said to Arnold and the others, "This is my home. You four can stay here temporarily, and I'll stay at Sally's place." Arnold and Sophie quickly expressed their gratitude, but Angus furrowed his brow. He said to David, "There are two sets of rooms for the six of us, and you two are occupying one set while the four of us are squeezed into the other. That doesn't seem quite fair." ๐ทโฏ๐ญ๐ทโด๐๐ฎ๐ต.๐ธโด๐ถ
David's expression turned slightly cold. He knew that Angus was deliberately causing trouble. Angus probably thought that David was inferior to him and was starting to push his boundaries. He just didn't expect Angus to lose his patience so quickly.
David took two steps forward, coldly staring at Angus with a calm tone that carried a hint of chill. "There's nothing inappropriate about it. This is mine and Sally's house, and I'll live however I want. If you don't like it, you can find your own place."
Somehow, Angus found himself hesitating to meet David's gaze directly. He couldn't quite explain why, but David's eyes were not the fierce and menacing type. His gaze was calm like water, yet it gave off an intimidating sense of danger, sending shivers down one's spine.
For a moment, Angus doubted if he had misjudged David. David's tall and slender figure didn't resemble someone strong and formidable. When Angus first saw David, he was confident that he could take on three Davids single-handedly. But at this moment, for some reason, he was reluctant to meet David's eyes directly.
Seeing the tension between the two, Arnold quickly intervened to defuse the situation. "Angus, you're in the wrong here. This is David's house, and he's letting us stay. We should be grateful."
Arnold apologized to David with a smile. "David, sorry about Angus. He didn't mean it that way. He's just a hotheaded young guy. Don't take it to heart."
Arnold turned to Angus and said, "How about this, Angus? Sophie and I will take the secondary bedroom, and you can share the master bedroom with Zoe. How does that sound?"
Angus snorted coldly. "It's just a run-down house. What's so special about it?" Angus lifted a hammer and walked to the other end of the corridor, knocking on a door. "Hey! Is anyone there? Speak up! I'm coming in." After waiting a few seconds with no response, Angus directly swung the hammer at the door lock.
Angus continued hammering on the door, eventually breaking it open. Arnold and the others exchanged glances. Angus walked in casually, and after about ten seconds, he stood at the door and shouted to Zoe, "Zoe, come over here. There's no one inside, so we'll stay here." Then, Angus showed a disdainful expression towards David. "See that? It's not difficult to find a place to live in this building. You can keep your own house."
Zoe made an apologetic expression towards Arnold and Sophie, then she hurriedly went over to Angus. Angus pulled Zoe over and slammed the door shut.
Arnold awkwardly smiled at David and said, "That's just how he is. He's a bit hot-tempered, but he's not a bad person. Don't mind him, David. I'll talk to him later."
David simply said, "It's fine." He didn't even consider Angus worth paying attention to. However, he felt a bit regretful. Originally, he summoned those supplies in the room to tempt Angus. He didn't expect Angus to be so impulsive and choose a room for himself, which went beyond David's plan.
Angus was just too eager. He wanted to become the most influential person in the team as soon as possible. That's why he felt dissatisfied when David suggested that the four of them stay together.
In David's mind, he made an assessment of Angus: Although Angus had some strength, his thinking was average, and he acted too impulsively. He couldn't hide his thoughts at all. Such a person could lead a small group, but wouldn't achieve much in the long run.
"You all can go inside and take a look. If you need anything, just call me," David removed a spare key from the one in his hand and handed it to Arnold.
Arnold gratefully took the key and said, "Thank you. We really appreciate it." After Arnold pulled Sophie into David's house, they were instantly stunned by what they saw. David's room was filled with various supplies, such as canned food, bottled water, instant noodles, and sausages.
The room was packed with all sorts of supplies, almost filling up the entire space. "Oh my god," Arnold and Sophie were amazed. They never expected David to stockpile such a huge amount of supplies in his home.
David explained, "I saw some doomsday rumors circulating online a while ago, so I casually stocked up on some things. I didn't expect it to come in handy."
Arnold chuckled and shook his head. Stocked up casually? He wished he could be as casual as David. "David, you really have foresight."
Both Arnold and Sophie felt secretly grateful. It was fortunate that they chose to follow David. With all these supplies, they wouldn't have to worry about food for a long time.
David said, "You must be hungry. Take whatever you want to eat. Sally and I will go back to our room for now."
Arnold hurriedly said, "Okay, you two rest. If you need any help, just let me know."
David closed the door and said to Sally in the hallway, "Let's go." Sally didn't dare to look directly at David, and her cheeks were slightly flushed. She didn't understand what it meant for David to stay in the same room as her. Could it be... the meaning she had in mind?
Sally took out her keys from her pocket, and perhaps due to nervousness, she failed to insert them into the keyhole several times. She sneakily turned her head to glance at David. David was still looking out into the distance through the window in the corridor, maintaining his expressionless demeanor
Sally took a few deep breaths to calm herself down. After opening the door, she secretly glanced at David again. "At least this guy is quite handsome. It's not like it's impossible to be with him for the first time..." Sally's mind was filled with various thoughts, and her heart was racing uncontrollably. Two blushes remained on her cheeks for a long time, unable to fade away.
After entering the room, David looked around Sally's room. It was very clean, with all the furniture neatly arranged. The decoration style was minimalist, with a cool color tone dominated by black, white, and gray, which surprised David. He had expected Sally's room to be a typical girl's room, filled with stuffed toys and such.
After putting on a pair of slippers, Sally took out another pair from the shoe cabinet and handed them to David, apologizing, "Sorry, the house is a bit messy and I haven't had time to tidy up." Messy?
David looked at the neatly arranged furniture and spotless floor. If there was anything messy, it was the few books placed on the sofa.
"I didn't expect you to be so modest," David said as he put on the slippers and sat directly on the sofa, casually flipping through a book as if he were in his own home.
He glanced at the time on his watch; it was already past three in the afternoon. Normally, he should take this opportunity to kill zombies and collect mutant crystals. However, with the experience of living through another lifetime, David knew that today was not the right time.
Because on the evening of the apocalypse, the first batch of superpower awakenings would occur. Generally, the early awakeners were individuals with strong potential for superpowers. The earlier the awakening, the greater the potential.
Arnold, for example, awakened very late. He didn't manifest his powers until several months after the apocalypse. Generally speaking, those who awaken their powers later tend to have relatively weaker growth potential. Of course, nothing is absolute, and there are early awakened individuals who turn out to be useless, as well as late bloomers who are geniuses. Anything is possible.
Unfortunately, Arnold didn't have a chance to grow in his previous life, so David didn't know how powerful he could become. In his previous life, David didn't have the talent to become a superpowered individual, but this time was different. He had taken a genetic potion that greatly increased the chances of awakening superpowers.
David was looking forward to whether he would become one of the lucky ones in the first batch of superpower awakenings. When superpowers awaken, the brain experiences severe pain, which lasts for several minutes. That's why David didn't go out to hunt zombies.
During a battle, those few minutes of pain could be deadly and severely hinder his ability to act. David sat on the sofa, picked up a book, and leisurely began reading.
On the other hand, Sally was a bit perplexed. The current situation seemed to deviate from the plot she had imagined. David looked at Sally standing nearby and suddenly asked, "Can you cook?"
Sally hesitated for a moment and nodded. "Yes, I can cook a little."
David waved his hand, and some meat and vegetables appeared magically on the nearby table. "Let's have you prepare dinner tonight. I want to see your culinary skills."
Sally wasn't surprised by the food appearing on the table. She had already witnessed David's ability in the supermarket. Besides, she could tell that David wanted to keep his ability hidden from Angus and the others. ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐ง๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฅ๏ผ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฆ
Of course, Sally wouldn't pry; she was a smart woman who knew what to say and what not to say. Moreover, she was currently the only person who knew David's secret, and she felt somewhat pleased about it.
"Okay, I'll go prepare now," Sally said as she picked up the meat and vegetables from the table, getting ready to put them in the refrigerator.
"Don't worry, it's still early. Take a break." As soon as David finished speaking, a cat's meow suddenly sounded. David looked up and followed the direction of the sound. He saw a pure black cat coming out of Sally's room.
The black cat looked at David with a hint of confusion. Sally squatted down and gently touched the black cat's head. She explained to David, "Its name is Cola. I found it downstairs. When I found it, it was only palm-sized, but now it's already one year old."
David nodded and suddenly remembered something. When it came to pets, he realized that he had forgotten Little Black in the room. He quickly put on his shoes, opened the door, and knocked on the door across the hallway.
Sally was puzzled, but suddenly saw David returning with a dog crate. Inside the crate was a puppy that looked like a local breed. "Is this your pet? So cute," Sally curiously looked at the little puppy.
David nodded and said, "Yes, it's called Little Black." David took a bottle and mixed some goat milk powder to feed Little Black. He realized that Little Black had already opened its eyes, while earlier in the morning, it hadn't. Its body had also grown bigger and its bones were stronger.
David was surprised. Could it be undergoing mutation? This growth rate was astonishing. David held Little Black in his arms, and it recognized David's scent, appearing very excited.
Its little tail wagged like a motor, and it stuck out its tongue, licking David's hand non-stop. It seemed to be very hungry. When David put the nipple in its mouth, it immediately bit onto it and sucked eagerly, even biting through the nipple.
Seeing its appearance, David simply got an iron bowl and poured milk into it. Little Black wagged its tail and happily drank from the bowl.
After finishing the milk, Little Black felt satisfied and started exploring the house energetically, appearing very energetic. It soon noticed the black cat that was curiously staring at it. Little Black ran happily towards it, extending its nose as if wanting to sniff the black cat's scent.
Unexpectedly, the black cat gave Little Black a smack on the head. Although it didn't extend its claws, it had considerable strength, making a "smack" sound on Little Black's forehead.
"Ow!" Little Black let out a cry of pain and quickly ran away, hiding next to David's leg, looking at David with a pitiful gaze. It barked at David twice.
David glanced at it, shook his head, and ignored it, continuing to read the book in his hand. The black cat, moving lightly, jumped onto the sofa and sat next to David. It didn't seem afraid of David, just curiously looking at him with its eyes.
David also looked at it curiously. Somehow, he felt that the cat's eyes seemed very intelligent. "Is it just an illusion?"
"The eyes of this cat seem very clever." David stroked its fur, which was very smooth, and its bones and muscles were very strong. The black cat made a comfortable sound and turned over, exposing its belly to David. "Meow!"
Little Black became anxious and started barking loudly at the black cat. The black cat glanced at Little Black with a contemptuous look.
It was around six o'clock in the evening when Sally finished cooking. She brought the food to the dining table and softly called out to David, "We can eat now."
David closed his book and stood up to wash his hands. As David got up, Sally noticed that the black cat was sitting on top of the little puppy on the couch, pinning it down and preventing it from moving. The puppy whimpered helplessly under the weight of the black cat.
Sally exclaimed in surprise, "Coke, you can't bully others!" She quickly approached and lifted the black cat off, and the black cat wagged its tail, walking lightly to David's leg and stared provocatively at the little black puppy.
The little black puppy let out a pitiful cry, but didn't dare to make too much noise. Sally helplessly said to David, "Maybe I should keep Coke away. It seems to be unfriendly to your puppy."
David casually replied, "It's fine, let them play." The little black puppy is a mutant dog and quite tough, so a little beating won't bother it. Besides, the black cat's strikes weren't heavy. David wondered if the little black puppy understood his words as it gave him a resentful look.
After washing his hands, David and Sally sat down at the dining table. Sally introduced the dishes she had prepared, saying, "I made stir-fried green peppers with pork, minced meat with eggplant, celery stir-fried with meat, and a meatball soup." ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ๐.๐ฏ๐๐ต
David looked at the three dishes and the soup on the table. They were all home-cooked dishes and looked good. He picked up a piece of meat, tasted it, and his expression changed.
Sally nervously and eagerly looked at him and asked, "How does it taste?"
David remained silent for a moment and said, "Well, there is room for improvement."
Sally's face turned slightly embarrassed, and she also picked up a piece of meat to taste it. Her expression changed as well, "Uh, it seems a bit too salty... well, not just a bit, it's overly salty." Sally put down her chopsticks and lightly pinched the corner of her clothes, feeling embarrassed.
She hadn't cooked in a long time. Normally, she had a busy schedule with her career and mostly ate out. "I'm sorry, it's been a while since I cooked. It's a waste of ingredients." Sally's tone was full of guilt.
She also knew that at this stage, all food was precious. With zombies roaming outside, this catastrophe might not end anytime soon. The official emergency notice also urged everyone to conserve food and water.
She felt nervous, buried her head, and dared not look into David's eyes. But to her surprise, David didn't get angry. "It's alright, take your time. Let's have something else for dinner tonight." David had plenty of food stored in his storage space.
Since he had already decided to let Sally stay with him, it didn't matter if she wasted some ingredients to improve her cooking skills. Sally looked at David in disbelief, as if she couldn't believe that these three words, "take your time," came from someone like David. He showed no dissatisfaction or complaints about her wasting a table of food. He even seemed...gentle?
She couldn't reconcile the cold and ruthless David from the supermarket with the person in front of her. David pushed aside the dishes Sally made and took out some already prepared dishes from his storage space. There was Dongpo pork, Peking duck, West Lake vinegar fish, and a pot of chestnut stewed chicken soup.
The dishes were not only visually appealing and fragrant but also steaming hot, as if they had just come out of the pot. Sally was astonished. David took out a bottle of fine red wine and asked Sally, "Do you want to drink wine or something else?"
Sally hesitated and replied, "Either is fine."
David handed her a bottle of juice and said, "Then have some juice, it's healthier."
After a busy day, David was very hungry and started enjoying the delicious food on the table. Seeing Sally not touching her chopsticks, he curiously asked, "What's wrong? Doesn't it suit your taste?"
Unexpectedly, Sally's eyes suddenly turned red. "Thank you, David. You've been so kind to me."
David was speechless. Was this Stockholm syndrome? "Let's eat."
"Yeah..."
Angus had broken the anti-theft door in the room and blocked it with a cabinet. He also placed an upside-down glass bottle on the cabinet as a makeshift alarm. If someone pushed the door, the falling bottle would serve as a warning.
At this moment, Angus's stomach was growling, and he was extremely frustrated. He and Zoe searched through the room but couldn't find any food. It seemed that the owner of this house didn't live here regularly. The refrigerator was empty, and the furniture was covered in dust due to a long power outage.
Both of them hadn't eaten much all day and were now extremely hungry. Zoe thought for a moment and tentatively asked, "David and the others must have food. Should I go and ask them?"
Angus frowned. "Shut up! I can't bear to lose face. If you want to go, go by yourself and don't bother coming back to find me." Zoe felt wronged in her heart. She opened her mouth to say something but seeing Angus's gloomy expression, she ultimately remained silent.
Angus paced back and forth in the room, thinking for a while, and then opened the door. He cautiously looked around to make sure there were no zombies in the corridor. He walked to the door across from his room and knocked. "Anyone there? If no one's there, I'm coming in."
With no response, Angus picked up a hammer, ready to break in. Unexpectedly, a middle-aged man's voice came from inside the door. "No, no, someone's here. Don't do anything rash, or I'll call the police!"
The man sounded nervous. Apparently, the man on the other side of the door was aware of Angus's "breaking and entering" feat and was quite wary of him.
Upon hearing the voice, Angus instantly felt angry. "Damn, what bad luck." He looked at the staircase and hesitated about whether to go to other floors to search. But he was afraid that there might be zombies on other floors.
It was already dark outside, and the hallway was equipped with motion sensor lights. The lights stayed on for a short duration and needed sound to activate. It was possible that making noise could attract zombies. Although Angus was reckless, he hadn't reached the level of fearlessness. "Damn it, forget it. Let's talk about it tomorrow." Angus, carrying the hammer, dejectedly returned to his own room.
After securing the door again, Angus threw the hammer aside, feeling a nameless anger burning within him. He grabbed Zoe and lifted her horizontally, carrying her into the bedroom and throwing her onto the bed. He pinned Zoe down forcefully, but in his mind, he imagined Sally's face.
Sally's exquisitely beautiful face and perfectly proportioned figure, every frown and smile seemed to possess immense charm that lingered in his mind. But soon, he thought of David. The mere thought of David being with Sally ignited an uncontrollable rage in Angus's heart.
"i wonder what the two of them are doing now." Angus's anger grew stronger. He grabbed Zoe's neck with one hand, pressing her tightly underneath him, and roughly tore off her clothes with the other hand.
"Hey, be gentle." Zoe felt uneasy with his rough treatment but seeing Angus's gloomy expression, she didn't say anything more.
"Ah, honey, our barbecue restaurant that we worked so hard to start is gone, and we haven't even finished paying off the loan," Sophie said, holding a steaming bowl of instant noodles, her eyes filled with melancholy.
Arnold sat across from her, also holding a bowl of noodles, and he smiled helplessly. "You're still thinking about the barbecue restaurant? It's gone, let it go. At least we're still alive, and we don't have to worry about repaying the loan anymore."
Suddenly curious, Sophie asked, "Why do you think David helped us like this? He's not related to us, could he really have come just to get some barbecue sauce?"
Arnold also fell into contemplation. "I am no sure." He didn't really believe that David would take such a big risk just to get barbecue sauce. But they had only met David once, and it seemed unlikely that he came specifically to rescue them.
"But one thing is certain, David is definitely a good person, even though he may seem cold on the surface," Arnold continued. "We could tell from the way he helped us at the barbecue restaurant. Not many people would willingly get involved in that kind of trouble." Sophie nodded in agreement.
Arnold continued, "We must repay him properly. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't know how long we would have been trapped there." There wasn't much food left in Arnold's store, and with four people to feed, it would last them at most five or six days.
At this moment, they looked at the room filled with mountains of food and felt a strong sense of security. Both of them were grateful that they chose to follow David. ... Around 9 o'clock in the evening.
David stood by the window, gazing out at the lifeless city. Tonight, for the city of SJ, was still a sleepless night, just like before. Only this time, towering flames replaced the neon lights, and the streets were filled with dismembered limbs and blood instead of bustling vehicles and crowds.
Blood covered the entire city, and the streets were silent, except for the low growls of wandering zombies. David saw countless high-rise buildings light up with sporadic lights; he knew they were the lonely and helpless survivors. They were trapped in their own homes, waiting for official rescue that they didn't know when would come.
In his past life, David was in a similar situation, believing that he could wait for rescue at home. But later he realized that collecting food was easiest at the beginning of the apocalypse and became increasingly difficult as time went on. The zombies kept evolving, and various terrifying mutant creatures started to appear.
Mutant creatures were even more frightening than zombies. At least the evolution of zombies could be observed, but mutant creatures could mutate in various directions. David had seen a giant beetle the size of a tank that could release powerful and deadly electric currents. He had also seen a gigantic butterfly, the size of a mountain peak, flying in the sky, casting a shadow like a mythical bird. Mutant creatures appeared later than zombies, but they posed a much greater threat to humans.
"David, I've made the bed for you," Sally's voice came from behind David. Sally's house was a three-bedroom apartment. She had her own bedroom, and another bedroom was converted into a study. The remaining bedroom was usually vacant, only occasionally used by Sally's parents. So Sally offered the empty bedroom to David, complete with new bedding and sheets.
"Thanks," David replied with a grunt. "You should get some rest." Sally walked over to David, standing close to him. David could catch a faint scent coming from her.
"What are you looking at?" Sally asked curiously.
David was about to respond when he saw a flash of red in the sky. "It's happening," David whispered.
Following David's gaze, Sally saw that the sky suddenly turned eerie red. Above the dark clouds, it seemed as if the gates of hell had opened, filling the entire sky with a crimson hue.
The sky flowed with a faint red glow, as if the eyes of the Grim Reaper were overseeing the entire earth. Sally's mouth hung open as she stared blankly at the scene before her. David had witnessed this scene once in his past life. The appearance of this blood-red sky marked the awakening of the first batch of supernaturals.
After a while, Sally snapped out of her shock. "David, do you know how this disaster came about? I read online that it seems to be a viral leak."
David shook his head. "I don't know either." he genuinely didn't know. It was certain that there was a mysterious virus inside the zombies that could be transmitted. But if this disaster was solely caused by the virus, how could the strange red light in the sky be explained? What about the various superhumans with different abilities?
After the apocalypse arrived, scientists around the world, protected in their facilities, tirelessly researched zombies and superhumans. They wanted to unravel the secrets of the virus and understand the principles behind the constant evolution of superhumans and zombies. Unfortunately, until David's rebirth, he hadn't heard any news about progress in their research. Obviously, with the current level of human technology, the mysteries remained impenetrable. However, the David of his past life didn't care much about these things. All he wanted was to survive; he didn't have the energy to ponder over such matters.
However, in this life, after solving the issue of survival, David's curiosity about the cause of the catastrophe grew. He looked at his watch-it was 9:01 PM. Even after the red light appeared, he still felt no sensation in his body. "Could it be that even with the gene potion, I can't awaken my powers? It shouldn't be so unlucky, right?" David still felt a bit uncertain. The system described the gene potion as increasing the probability of awakening powers, not a guaranteed success.
Just as David was feeling anxious, suddenly, his brain was struck by a sharp, intense pain. It felt as if a thousand needles were piercing his mind, turning his brain into mush. The pain far exceeded David's expectations.
Even with his endurance, he couldn't help but let out a stifled groan, clutching his head in agony.
"David, what's wrong?" Sally hurriedly supported David, her face filled with panic. "Don't scare me, David. Wait, I'll call an ambulance for you..." As soon as the words left her mouth, Sally realized that there were no ambulances panicked, not knowing what to do.
"I'm fine..." David forced himself to endure the pain, trying to reassure Sally.
But , in the next second, Sally suddenly let out a scream. She crouched on the ground, clutching her head, with an expression of intense pain.
"My head hurts." Sally cried out in pain, her expression filled with agony, and she even fainted from the pain. Meanwhile, David had already recovered from the pain, which had come and gone quickly.
David looked at Sally who had fainted and was initially stunned, but soon a look of joy appeared on his face. Sally was also an esper? The probability of an ordinary person becoming an esper was not too high. Even the most ordinary espers were given special care in any base. Every esper had the potential for infinite growth and was a key force in fighting against mutated zombies and creatures. Unexpectedly, Sally turned out to be a potential esper.
David carefully recalled his previous life. At the time of the virus outbreak, he was trapped in his house for a while. But he never saw Sally, who lived opposite him, nor heard of anyone awakening as an esper in the neighborhood. "So, in the previous life, Sally had unfortunately died at the beginning of the apocalypse, right?" David remembered meeting Sally at the supermarket during the virus outbreak. So, most likely, she is dead at the start.
At that time, everyone in the supermarket wanted to escape, causing a congestion and stampede at the entrance, and only a few managed to get out. David refocused his attention on himself. When the pain in his brain subsided, he felt a warm current rising from his shoulders. This warm current spread throughout his body, making him feel as if he had just taken a hot bath. And at this moment, his body also had a mysterious power.
This power lurked in every corner of his body, and David could clearly sense it and manipulate it. David condensed this power at his fingertips, and a small area above his fingertips seemed distorted, as if the light itself had been twisted. "It's the power of space."
David was surprised. He never expected to become an extremely rare spatial esper. Generally speaking, the type of esper one awakened as was determined by their own potential. "Could it be because I have a huge storage space that I awakened the spatial esper ability?" Spatial esper abilities could be considered one of the rarest among all espers.
Spatial abilities not only had tremendous destructive power but also excellent survival capabilities. The teleportation ability of spatial espers made them elusive, and opponents could hardly touch them. Spatial espers were also among the few who were not afraid of giant hordes of zombies. Moreover, the destructive power of spatial espers ranked among the top in all esper abilities.
David had heard of a spatial esper who created a miniature black hole and killed thousands of zombies with a single strike. If there was any weakness of spatial espers, it would be that they were relatively weak in the early stages. In various aspects, early-stage spatial espers were weaker than other types of espers.
David opened the window, condensed the spatial energy in his hand, and then compressed and condensed it continuously, turning it into an incredibly sharp blade. This was the only skill that David currently mastered: the Blade of Space. And for a long time, this would be his only skill.
Unlike other types of espers, who could comprehend numerous skills at the first level, or obtain mutation crystals from zombies and creatures of the same type to absorb and potentially learn their skills, early-stage spatial espers could only comprehend one skill for each level. As for learning skills through spatial mutation crystals? Not to mention that spatial creatures and mutations were extremely rare, each one was also an incredibly powerful existence.
Even if they can't defeat humans, they can still use their own abilities to escape. They are not that easy to kill. Under David's mental control, the spatial blade slipped out and slid in a straight line, neatly cutting open a gap in the canopy outside the window.
When the spatial blade landed on the alloy canopy, it cut through it effortlessly as if it encountered no resistance at all. However, after flying for about ten meters, the spatial blade's energy was depleted, and it disappeared without a trace.
"This level of destructive power is acceptable," David nodded. After all, it was a spatial ability, and its killing power was quite impressive. However, the attack range is really small, only about ten meters. Moreover, the spatial blade has a very limited attack range, approximately the size of a sickle, requiring a high level of precision.
After releasing the spatial blade, David felt a portion of his energy being drained. He estimated that he could release the spatial blade about ten more times before his energy would be completely depleted. It seems that the consumption of energy by the spatial blade is exceptionally high.
However, David wasn't worried. After all, the late-stage potential of spatial abilities is infinitely powerful and is widely recognized as one of the strongest abilities. With the enhancement from the genetic potion he took, his own strength far surpassed that of ordinary people. Now, with the addition of his ability, he was even more formidable. David looked at Sally, who had already woken up, with a trace of tears in the corners of her eyes.
"What happened to me just now?" Sally touched her head and realized that the pain was gone.
David asked, "How about it? Did you feel a strange energy inside you?"
"A strange energy? I feel some warmth in my lower abdomen," Sally replied.
Sally stretched out her hand, and a small electric spark suddenly appeared in her hand, startling her. Startled, she shook her hand, and the electric spark flew out of control. Coincidentally, it landed on David. He twitched and instantly felt a surge of electricity.
Fortunately, it was just a small electric spark with average power, and his strong physique prevented him from being injured.
"Ah, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to," Sally panicked and quickly apologized.
"I'm fine,It seems you have an electricity-based ability, which is you okay? ." David's expression was somewhat helpless.
"An ability?" Sally was puzzled. She extended her hand, and the electric spark appeared again, crackling.
David was in a good mood; he had struck gold. Electricity-based abilities were extremely powerful, with both early and late-stage abilities being among the strongest in terms of attack power and range. ๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ซ๐๐๏ผ๐๐๐ข
David's gaze towards Sally became increasingly satisfied. He didn't expect that by impulsively bringing Sally along, he would gain an ability user. Soon, when Arnold awakened, his team would have three ability users.
With three ability users, they would be more than enough to guard a medium-sized survival base.
After explaining everything to Sally, David instructed her not to showcase her ability in front of others for the time being and to keep it confidential. Sally nodded in understanding.
Late at night, David lay in bed, holding a book in his hands, quietly reading. Sally was an avid reader, and their home had a collection of many books, which was a good way to pass the time. Although the internet was still working, David didn't feel like going online.
The internet was currently flooded with distress calls and reports about zombie disasters happening all over the place. As someone who had been reborn, David wasn't interested in this information. He had far more knowledge than the average person. As he read, David started to feel a bit tired. He closed the book, set it aside, and prepared to sleep.
"I should find some time to collect some mutated crystals while the storage reward is still multiplied by a hundred thousand," David planned. His plan was to clear out all the zombies in this neighborhood first and then leave. He didn't intend to stay in this neighborhood for long. Soon enough, the city's power system would collapse, and the water supply system wouldn't last much longer.
Living a normal life in these high-rise buildings would be extremely difficult after the power and water supply were cut off. "But this Angus is a troublemaker. I need to deal with him quickly," David thought. If it weren't for not wanting to create a rift between himself and the Arnold couple, David would have gotten rid of Angus a long time ago. He couldn't just tell the Arnold couple that he was reborn and knew in advance that Angus was a bad person.
David pondered his options when suddenly there was a knock at the bedroom door. "David, are you asleep? Can I come in?" It was Sally's voice.
"The door isn't locked, come in," David replied.
Sally pushed the door open, wearing a thin silk nightgown and holding a pillow in her arms.
"What's wrong?" David looked at her and already had a good idea of what Sally wanted.
Sally's face turned as red as a ripe apple. She held the velvet pillow tightly, her gaze drifting and unable to meet David's eyes. "Um, I feel a bit scared sleeping alone. Can I sleep with you?"
David sat up from the bed and walked over to Sally, looking at her seriously. "Are you serious?" If Sally hadn't awakened her powers today, David wouldn't have asked that question.
In this apocalypse, it was quite normal for women with exceptional looks to trade their bodies for the protection of a stronger individual. Women were a resource in this end-of-the-world scenario and had no ability to control their own destiny. Although it was a harsh truth, it was an undeniable fact.
For them, it was better to be by the side of a powerful person than to be captured and enslaved by others, right? David didn't mind having Sally by his side as an eye-catching decoration. However, Sally was currently a potential and limitless thunder-based esper, which in some way qualified her to be seen by David in a different light.
David hoped to develop her into a reliable ally rather than anything else. Sally met David's calm gaze, and at that moment, she felt as if his serene eyes were like an unfathomable vortex in the night sky, and she felt as though she was about to be drawn into it.
Her face flushed red as she gazed deeply into David's eyes, involuntarily taking a step closer. Sally leaned her head against David's chest, and he could feel her quickened breath and rapid heartbeat.
In a soft and tender voice, she said, "David... I like you..." David instantly knew that there was no need for him to say anything more. Although he never let his lower desires dictate his actions, it didn't mean he wasn't a man. He gently embraced her, inhaling the fragrance from her hair and feeling the warmth of her body against his.
Sally seemed to be electrified, as if her strength had been drained away, and she slumped in David's arms. ...
The next morning, David woke up early. As he opened his eyes, he realized that Sally was tightly hugging him from behind. He could feel her warm breath on the back of his neck. He gently removed Sally's hand and slowly sat up in bed, careful not to wake her.
They had been engaged in their activities for nearly two hours last night, so Sally must be exhausted and probably wouldn't be able to get up for a while. Although Sally was still in a deep sleep, a sweet and content smile adorned her face, as if she had dreamt of something wonderful.
David covered her with the blanket and tidied the sheets. As he looked at Sally's delicate and doll-like face, a strange feeling arose in his heart. Without thinking too much, David got dressed and quietly left the room. After freshening up, David didn't rush to have breakfast. He checked the time and estimated that the Arnold couple should already be awake by now.
He walked to the door, opened it, and peered into the hallway. Confirming that there were no zombies in the corridor, David walked to the adjacent door and knocked.
"Who is it? Is it David?" Arnold's voice came from inside the room.
"It's me."
"Just a moment, David." Through the door, David could hear Arnold's hurried footsteps, and soon enough, the door opened.
"Good morning, David," Arnold greeted him.
"How was your sleep last night? Did you find it comfortable?" David asked.
"It was great. We slept really well," Arnold replied.
Without further pleasantries, David went straight to the point. "I came over to talk to you about something important."
As soon as they heard the mention of an important matter, the expressions on Arnold and Sophie's faces turned serious. Arnold said, "David, go ahead. We're here to listen and follow your arrangements."
Sophie looked at David curiously and asked, "What about Sally? She didn't come with you?" Sophie and Arnold tacitly avoided mentioning Angus and Zoe. Yesterday, David had a small conflict with Angus, but after discussing it, they decided to stand by David's side.
After all, David was the one who saved them. David replied, "It's alright, Sally hasn't woken up yet. I'll talk to her later." Pausing for a moment, David continued, "What I want to say is, although we still have an adequate supply of resources for now, no one knows how long this disaster will last. And the situation doesn't seem very optimistic at the moment, so I think we need to conserve our food."
Arnold and Sophie nodded, indicating their agreement. "So, I plan to allocate a fixed amount of supplies every day. What do you think?" David asked.
Arnold quickly responded, "David, we'll follow your lead. These supplies were originally yours, so it's up to you to decide how to distribute them."
David nodded and said, "Good. One of you should go and call Angus and the others. I'll give them some food as well."
A hint of surprise flashed in Arnold and Sophie's eyes. They thought that after yesterday's incident, David would exclude Angus and the others. They didn't expect David to be so generous. "Alright, I'll go and call them," Arnold quickly said.
When Arnold told Angus and Zoe that David was looking for them, Angus was initially planning to refuse. However, when Arnold mentioned that David wanted to distribute some food to them, Angus hesitated.
Zoe persuaded, "Angus, why don't we go and see? You haven't eaten anything all day yesterday." Angus fell silent. Not only him, but Zoe hadn't eaten anything all day either.
Angus had originally planned to go outside today to see if he could find some food. However, when he looked out through the window in the morning, his heart sank. The streets were filled with wandering zombies, and there were dozens of visible zombies with the naked eye. If he were to go out now, he would likely be surrounded and torn apart by these zombies.
If things continued like this, he and Zoe would probably starve to death. "Fine, let's go and take a look," Angus finally decided after wrestling with his thoughts. Arnold breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the two of them agreeing. Deep down, he hoped that everyone would come together and overcome the difficulties.
In his view, they were all in the same boat, and there was no need to create conflicts over trivial matters. Accompanied by Arnold, the two of them walked through the corridor and arrived at David's house. "David, Angus and Zoe are here," Arnold announced as he led them into the room.
As Angus stepped into David's house, his face immediately changed. He glanced around in astonishment, realizing that the room was piled high with food. Angus, who had been hungry all day, couldn't help but have a gleam in his eyes upon seeing the abundance of food. Zoe was equally astonished. Neither of them had any idea that David had hoarded so much food in his home.
David sat at the table and pushed a bag forward. Inside the bag were four packs of instant noodles and four sausages. David had carefully considered the quantity. Although it seemed like a considerable amount at first glance, it would only be enough to keep the two of them from going hungry. It wouldn't truly satisfy their hunger.
Normally, an adult would consume over 2,000 calories even if they were sitting idle all day, while these food items would provide a little over 1,000 calories when divided between the two of them. David spoke to them, "Given the current situation, I hope everyone can unite."
Angus looked at David, his expression slightly grim, his thoughts unknown. David continued, "I can let go of what happened yesterday, but I hope that in the future, you can follow my arrangements. If you agree, take this food. If you think it's unnecessary and want to go it alone, I won't force you." Angus clenched his fist, feeling torn inside. He did need food, but taking the food meant he would have to bow down to David.
It was even more unbearable than being slapped in the face. He didn't think he was weaker than David. in fact, he believed he was stronger in many aspects. Seeing a stunning beauty like Sally by David's side had already fueled his jealousy. Now, even the food was completely in David's hands. Zoe looked at Angus expectantly, waiting for his response. After a silence of about ten seconds, Angus suddenly relaxed his clenched fist.
"Fine, I agree," he said, walking up to David and picking up the bag of food.
David told him, "If there are no special circumstances, food will be distributed every morning at 7 o'clock. Remember to come and collect it."
Angus' face stiffened. "Understood." Seeing Angus's disgusted expression, David found it amusing.
He knew that Angus must be furious inside. Angus was a strong-willed person who cared about his reputation. Now he had to bow down to David for a few buckets of instant noodles, and in front of everyone. David knew that Angus wouldn't easily swallow his pride.
After Angus left, David said to Arnold and Sophie, "There's nothing else. I'll go back to my room for now."
Arnold asked, "David, do we have any plans for the future? Is there anything we should arrange?"
David thought for a moment. He had plenty of things to do next, but none that Arnold and Sophie could help with. "Not at the moment. Let's wait at home and see if the authorities will send rescue teams."
Of course, David was just saying that casually. He knew that rescue was unlikely. The official military was overwhelmed with their own tasks and had no spare capacity to save civilians.
Their priority was rescuing high-level officials, elites from various industries, and especially scientists in the fields of biology and virology.
After David left, Arnold sighed. "It seems that David is actually cold on the outside but warm on the inside. Even though Angus defies him like that, he doesn't take it to heart. Not everyone can have such tolerance."
Sophie also sighed. "Ah, I'm just worried about Zoe. Angus has a bad temper, and Zoe might suffer because of him."
David distributed to Arnold and Sophie one pack of biscuits, one chocolate bar, three buckets of instant noodles, a large bottle of water, a can of fruit, and a can of meat per day. They even worried that they wouldn't be able to finish it all. This wasn't exactly food rationing. But Angus and Zoe only had instant noodles to eat.
Arnold also sighed ,he knew that Angus had a problematic personality. Zoe was a girl with a good character, reliable and hardworking, and both Arnold and Sophie liked her. If it weren't for Zoe, Arnold wouldn't have spoken up for Angus yesterday.
In Angus' room... "Damn it, who does he think he is?" Angus kicked a chair, sending it flying five or six meters away. "He wants me to remember to come and collect it. Who does he think he is? The boss?"
Zoe spoke up, trying to persuade him. "Let it go, Angus. After all, it's their food. It's already generous of him to give us a portion." Even though Zoe was on Angus' side, she thought David had already done his best.
If David wanted to, he could completely ignore their well-being. After all, David didn't owe them anything. But Angus clearly didn't think so. He grabbed Zoe by the collar. "You're siding with him? Damn it, you're my woman, and you're taking his side?" He pushed Zoe to the ground. "Then get lost. Go with him. Why are you following me?"
Tears instantly welled up in Zoe's eyes. "Angus, that's not what I meant." She approached and grabbed Angus' hand, but he forcefully shook her off and pushed her to the ground again. "Leave me alone."
Angus grabbed the bag of food and walked into the bedroom, slamming the door shut and leaving Zoe outside alone. Zoe walked up to the door, trying to open it, but found it locked. She stood there, tears streaming down her face.
David said goodbye to Arnold and returned to Sally's house. Sally was still asleep, so David decided to make himself breakfast. He went to the kitchen and took out two Angus steaks, preparing to cook a black pepper steak.
First, David used the back of a knife to tenderize the steaks. This is done to loosen the meat fibers, resulting in a tender and juicy texture and better flavor absorption during marination.
After tenderizing the steaks for nearly three minutes, David proceeded to marinate them with salt, onion juice, sugar, red wine, and black pepper. While marinating, he took out two large bottles of milk from the storage space and heated them in a milk pan. He poured the heated milk into two cups and fried a few eggs on the side. By this time, the steaks were almost done marinating.
David placed a piece of butter in a pan and waited for it to melt before adding the steaks to be seared over high heat. The purpose of high heat is to quickly sear the surface of the steaks, sealing in the moisture. When the steaks were almost done, he poured the remaining marinade over them and covered the pan with a lid, simmering them over low heat.
After a few minutes of simmering, David estimated that they were ready. He uncovered the lid, took out the steaks, and placed them on a plate, drizzling them with the sauce. The enticing aroma filled the air, and David cut a small piece to taste. The flavor exceeded his expectations, with the center of the steak being pink and tender, and the juices rich.
David had used high-quality steaks, and even with a simple cooking method, he was able to create a delicious and appetizing meal. He placed the fried eggs and steaks together on a plate, and added some sliced tomatoes and pickles for presentation. His mouth-watering breakfast was now complete. Looking at his creation, David gave himself a perfect score for this homemade breakfast. The steak was flavorful, tender, and visually appealing, easily rivaling those served in professional Western restaurants.
In the past, David wasn't skilled in cooking, but in the month leading up to the apocalypse, he started experimenting with cooking to ensure he wouldn't have to eat poorly in the future. He even spent money to receive remote guidance from a professional chef online. This led to significant improvement in his culinary skills within a short period.
At this moment, Sally woke up and came out of her room, coincidentally seeing David busy in the kitchen. "Mmm, it smells so good. What deliciousness are you making?" she exclaimed.
David walked out of the kitchen holding two steaks,he say: "Pan-seared steaks. I made one for you too," Sally looked at the steaks, emitting steam and a rich aroma, and her eyes lit up.
"Wow, they look amazing!" Sally approached David and hugged him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "Thank you."
David could clearly sense that Sally's gaze towards him seemed different today. When she looked at him, her eyes sparkled with love.
Having been accustomed to wandering alone in the apocalypse, David felt a bit uncomfortable with suddenly having a woman by his side, looking at him with such affectionate eyes. He looked at Sally with a tinge of disgust. "Did you brush your teeth? Don't come kiss me."
"Hmph, you're rejecting me? Then I definitely want to kiss you," Sally said playfully. When David wasn't paying attention, she hugged him again and pecked his cheek twice. She held onto him tightly, just like a koala, refusing to let go.
David showed a helpless expression. Since becoming a superpower, Sally's physical abilities had also improved significantly. Although they were just playing around, when she hugged David, he could clearly feel that her strength was much greater than that of an ordinary person.
With this level of power, with a little training in combat skills, she could easily take down several adult men. Superhumans were like that, not only possessing special abilities but also having overall physical superiority over ordinary people.
"Stop fooling around and eat breakfast. I have something to do later," David said.
"Hehe, understood," Sally said, finally letting go of him and heading to the bathroom to freshen up.
David sat down at the dining table and started enjoying his breakfast. Although it was just a simple meal, it made David feel grateful. In his previous life, he often went hungry to the point of feeling dizzy and blurry-eyed, sometimes going for days without finding anything to eat. It couldn't compare to the present, where he woke up to such a lavish breakfast.
"This is the life," David couldn't help but exclaim. After they finished breakfast, Sally volunteered to wash the dishes. Meanwhile, David took out his phone and started studying on a map app, preparing to find the next stronghold.
After Sally finished washing the dishes, she sat down next to David. "By the way, what do you have to do later?"
David didn't plan to hide it from her. "I'm going out to collect some mutant crystals."
Worry appeared in Sally's eyes. "Then I'll go with you. There are so many zombies outside, and I'm a bit worried if you go alone."
After awakening their superpowers last night, they experimented with their abilities in the room. Being a new awakened individual, David didn't have much experience either. However, fortunately, after awakening, it was as if his abilities became his instincts, and he could almost use them skillfully.
Sally, on the other hand, could already control lightning proficiently. With the intensity of the lightning she released, instantly killing an adult or a zombie was a piece of cake. However, David decisively refused her offer.
"No need, there's something else I want you to do," David said, taking out 30 mutant crystals from the storage space and placing them on the table. With their current strength, they could absorb about 30 mutant crystals in a day. Absorbing more crystals would put an additional burden on their bodies, and the body needed some time to digest that energy. However, for newly awakened ordinary superhumans, whether they could obtain 30 mutant crystals in a day was already a question. The probability of finding crystals in a zombie's head was about one in three.
David had killed nearly a hundred zombies in the supermarket to obtain 35 mutant crystals. Newly awakened superhumans not only had less energy in their bodies but also recovered slowly. Usually, after releasing their abilities about 10 to 20 times, their energy would be depleted, and they would need a long time to recover. Moreover, it wasn't guaranteed that every time they used their abilities, they could kill a zombie. So, a superhuman who could collect ten mutant crystals in a day was already considered very strong.
However, David's backpack contained a whopping 3.6 million mutant crystals, so he wasn't worried about running out. These mutant crystals would allow him and Sally to quickly improve their strength in the early stages and create a gap between them and other superhumans.
David said to Sally, "You stay at home today and absorb these mutant crystals. Then, practice your lightning ability."
Sally asked, "Don't you want to keep some for yourself? I don't need that many." Last time, Sally had spent quite a while digging in the supermarket to collect 35 crystals. However, David had just given her 30 mutated crystals, which surprised Sally.
David didn't tell Sally about the storage space. His identity as a reincarnator and the existence of the system were his biggest secrets. He wouldn't reveal a single hint, even to someone close to him. "You don't have to worry about that. If you need more crystals, just ask me," he said.
Sally felt deeply moved by his words. David thought for a moment and continued in a low voice, "There's one more thing. I want you to keep an eye on Angus." Hearing the name "Angus," Sally furrowed her brow.
"Speaking of Angus, I always feel like he's not a good person," Sally remarked, and David smiled, acknowledging that Sally's intuition was quite accurate. Sally then asked, "You don't trust him either?"
David nodded, saying, "That's right. That's why I need you to watch over him. If he causes any trouble, you don't have to show him any mercy."
Angus was definitely no match for Sally. The gap between an ability user and an ordinary person was like an insurmountable chasm. The combat ability of an ordinary person was simply laughable in front of an ability user. David's concern was not for Sally but for Arnold and Sophie.
"Yes, I understand. Don't worry," Sally assured him.
David has given Sally just about enough instructions He stood up, put on a backpack, and prepared to leave. The backpack contained some food, water, and medical supplies. Of course, he used the backpack to conceal his true intentions. Although he had storage space, he didn't want to reveal it casually. "Then I'll get ready to leave."
Sally stood up and hugged David. "Come back soon, okay?"
David patted her back. "Don't worry, I'll be back as soon as possible. Oh, and remember to feed the dog for me." Speaking of the dog, David looked at Little Black, who was still fast asleep in its doghouse.
To his surprise, Little Black had grown significantly overnight. Its growth rate was astonishing. The original dog cage was barely able to contain it. As its size increased, Little Black no longer had the round and cute appearance it had before. It now looked more like a genuine wolfhound.
"Arf?" Little Black seemed to sense someone looking at it. When it opened its eyes and saw David, it just turned over and continued to sleep.
"Little Black is growing so fast," Sally exclaimed, amazed by the change in its size.
David said, "It seems like it has undergone mutation, just like us."
Sally was astonished. "Animals can mutate too? Does that mean they can develop abilities as well?"
David chuckled. "That's my guess. Otherwise, how could a dog grow so quickly?" David didn't explain further, knowing that Sally would gradually learn more in the future.
"Given its size, it should be able to eat meat now. You can try feeding it some meat today," David suggested to Sally, hoping that Little Black would develop a favorable impression of her. After all, Little Black was the number one combatant on the power rankings in SJ City.
After finishing the instructions, David bid farewell to Sally and opened the door to leave. As he walked to the middle of the hallway, he suddenly heard the sound of a woman crying from Angus' house. Since taking the gene potion, David's physical abilities, including his hearing, had improved. Additionally, with his awakened abilities, his overall physical qualities had further enhanced.
Although the sobbing was faint, David's exceptional hearing caught it. "What is Angus up to now?" Clearly, it was Zoe's crying.
David frowned. Usually, he wouldn't bother with such matters. However, he could tell that the Arnold couple took good care of Zoe. After hesitating for a moment, David decided to see what was going on. He walked up to Angus' door and gently knocked.
"Who is it?" Zoe seemed startled from inside the room.
"It's me, David." Upon hearing David's voice, Zoe let out a sigh of relief. She approached the door and opened it halfway, timidly looking at David.
"David, is there something wrong?" Zoe lowered her voice. "Angus is sleeping. Are you here to see him?"
David could sense that Zoe was somewhat afraid of him. He guessed it was because Zoe didn't want Angus to know she was talking to him.
Shaking his head, David replied, "I'm not looking for him. I heard you crying and came to see what's going on." As David spoke, Zoe seemed to recall her sorrow, and tears started flowing again.
"It's okay. We just had an argument. He took the food to the bedroom and locked himself in, not letting me in," Zoe explained. David noticed a red handprint on Zoe's face. "Did he hit you?"
Zoe showed a panicked expression and quickly shook her head. But seeing David's serious expression, she knew she couldn't hide it and nodded. "It's my fault. I disturbed him while he was sleeping."
David couldn't believe it. Zoe was quite timid. Not only had Angus hit her, but he also hadn't given her any food. David couldn't understand why she would still defend Angus.
Shaking his head helplessly, David told her, "Go and stay with Arnold and Sophie. I have an empty room there. Let them prepare some food for you, and tell them I instructed them to. You'll live there from now on. If Angus tries to bother you, let me know."
To David's surprise, Zoe showed a conflicted expression. She looked back at the bedroom where Angus was and then at David. "I'm sorry, David, but I still want to stay with Angus."
David was amused by her response. "Do you have a problem with your brain? He hit you and didn't give you food, yet you still want to be with him? Do you think he will treat you like a human if you keep sacrificing yourself?"
Zoe lowered her head, wiped away her tears, but remained silent. Seeing her attitude, it seemed like she had made up her mind to stick with Angus. David was speechless and didn't know what else to say. As they say, a pitiable person can be quite detestable. Since Zoe was so resolute, David no longer wanted to bother with her. It was her own choice.
"Never mind, do as you wish." David turned around to leave, but after some thought, he reached into his backpack and took out a few bread rolls and a bottle of water, placing them in the cabinet Angus used to block the door.
He gave these food items out of respect for Arnold. After setting down the food, David turned around and walked away, no longer paying attention to Zoe.
"Thank you..." Zoe watched David's departing figure, her expression somewhat complex.
After David left, he smoothly descended the stairs along the corridor. The hallway was quiet, and David didn't find any trace of zombies. If someone didn't know, they would have thought that the building had already turned into an empty one. However, as David descended the stairs, he occasionally heard some faint sounds coming from various rooms.
David knew that those were the survivors hiding in the rooms. Zombies were sensitive to sound, so they stayed at home quietly, not daring to make too much noise. As soon as David walked out of the unit door, he immediately encountered two zombies.
When these two zombies saw David, they became excited instantly, like beasts seeing their prey. They roared and rushed towards David. Watching their movements, David was slightly surprised. In just one night, these two zombies' movements seemed much more coordinated than the zombies he encountered yesterday. ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ท๐๐๏ผ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ
The zombies he encountered yesterday seemed a bit sluggish, as if their limbs couldn't keep up with their brains. But today, they could run like normal people. Moreover, their nails seemed to have grown longer, appearing quite sharp. "The speed at which these zombies are evolving is even faster than I imagined."
In the previous outbreak, David mostly stayed at home during the initial period and didn't notice these subtle changes in the zombies. David extended his hand, but this time he didn't summon his alloy warblade. He simply condensed the power of space in his hand, forming a spatial blade rapidly.
David launched the spatial blade, distorting the surrounding light with the space, making the spatial blade appear like a semi-transparent sickle. As the blade swept through, one zombie's head was instantly cleaved in two, and its body lost momentum, falling heavily to the ground.
David's hand didn't stop, and he summoned another spatial blade, slicing the other zombie's head in half as well. Within a few seconds, he effortlessly killed both zombies.
"Not bad, this spatial ability is quite useful in combat." It not only had strong destructive power but was also safer than close-quarters combat. David took out a mutated crystal and held it in his hand, slowly absorbing the energy within the crystal. This was a technique he discovered last night for using the mutated crystal.
When a portion of the energy in his body was consumed, the energy absorbed from the mutated crystal would be prioritized to replenish the energy in his body. The excess energy would then be used to enhance the user's strength. In other words, the mutated crystal could be used to some extent as a "mana regeneration" item. However, at this stage, this usage was quite luxurious. David estimated that he was probably the only one doing this for now. Well, he had millions of crystals in his backpack anyway, so there was no need to be stingy.
David walked up to the corpses of the two zombies and skillfully opened the skin on their foreheads. He found only one mutated crystal in each of the two zombies, and David stored the crystals in his storage space.
[You obtained 1 mutated crystal, 100,000 times critical strike effect!]
[Congratulations, you obtained 100,000 mutated crystals!]
After receiving a 100,000-fold critical strike, a mutated crystal directly turned into 100,000 crystals, leaving David with a satisfied smile. No matter how many times he repeated it, the feeling of a 100,000-fold critical strike was always exhilarating.
"I can't waste time; I need to collect more crystals today." David continued walking towards the residential area. There were many wandering zombies in the neighborhood, but they were relatively scattered, unlike the clustered groups on the streets.
As long as David was careful not to attract too much attention from the zombies, it was relatively safe. When he was in the supermarket, nearly a hundred zombies couldn't pose a threat to him. Now, with awakened abilities, these zombies would find it difficult to pose a threat to him...
Angus woke up from his sleep and looked out the window, realizing that it was just early evening. He reached for his pocket instinctively, only to remember that he had already smoked his last cigarette.
"Damn it!" Angus felt extremely annoyed without cigarettes to satisfy his craving. He absentmindedly threw the lighter onto the table. On the table, there were two leftover buckets of instant noodles, with a few cigarette butts mixed in with the soup, emitting a strange smell. Angus stared blankly at the ceiling.
"No cigarettes, no food, nothing." He felt agitated and started to have random thoughts. Somehow, he started thinking about Sally again, picturing her beautiful face and alluring figure.
"A woman like her, if I could have her even once, it would be worth dying for." Angus became more and more restless as he thought about it, so he took out his phone and started browsing videos. The internet was still accessible, but now it was flooded with information about zombies and doomsday.
Suddenly, a video caught Angus' attention. In the video, several seemingly deranged men were torturing a woman in a room. The woman was completely naked, her body covered in blood and flesh, continuously begging and screaming. The more the woman screamed in agony, the more excited the men became. They laughed manically, torturing the woman in various cruel ways.
The leading man among this group called himself "Knife Brother." There were two disheveled women beside Knife Brother, their necks adorned with dog collars, chained to Knife Brother's chair like dogs. Knife Brother directed the filming phone towards himself.
He revealed a cruel smile to the camera and pointed at the woman, saying, "This is the consequence of not listening to me." After saying that, he commanded his "brothers" to throw the woman from the upper floor. The woman pleaded in vain, but a group of people hoisted her up like a pig.
They opened the window and directly threw her from the high-rise building. Judging from the video, it was at least seven or eight stories high. The woman let out a heart-wrenching scream, followed by a loud crash from below, abruptly ending her screams. In the room, Knife Brother cheered, and others joined in the cheering, looking completely like a group of lunatics.
The zombies downstairs seemed to have smelled the scent of blood and quickly swarmed in, submerging the woman's body. Angus watched the video with a pounding heart. "Damn, how can such a bloody video be uploaded so openly?" Perhaps it was because there were no longer people responsible for managing and maintaining the websites after the disaster. Such violent and bloody videos were openly displayed on the website's homepage.
"Wait a minute, the background in this video looks so familiar."
At the end of the video, Knife Brother spoke to the camera, saying, "I am Knife Brother, an esper. I welcome ambitious brothers to join my team and conquer the world together. We have cigarettes, alcohol, and women here. Looking forward to the brothers' joining." Finally, Knife Brother left his address below the video.
Angus looked at the address left by Brother Knife and felt surprised. The address Brother Knife left turned out to be the same neighborhood where he currently resides, the same neighborhood where David and Sally live. And Brother Knife's place is just one building away from David and them.
"No wonder it looks so familiar. It's right next to us. But what exactly is a psychic?" Angus continued to look at his phone, and most of the comments below the video were insulting Brother Knife. They called him inhuman and worse than animals. But Angus didn't feel the same way. On the contrary, he admired Brother Knife to some extent.
Since childhood, Angus had admired tough characters in TV shows and movies. Those gangsters who would do anything for their brothers, fearless and invincible, were idols in Angus's mind. But Angus was expelled from school in junior high because he frequently got into fights.
After entering society, Angus fantasized about creating his own success through his toughness. However, due to lack of education and skills, he struggled in society. His former school friends gradually moved on to higher education and stopped contacting him. The enormous gap made Angus feel miserable all these years.
Angus was captivated by Brother Knife's videos. He opened Brother Knife's homepage and watched a video titled "Recruiting Heroes from All Over." In the video, Brother Knife was shirtless, revealing his muscular body. He effortlessly twisted and snapped a U-shaped lock into two pieces.
Brother Knife casually tossed the broken lock aside, clapped his hands, and pointed at the camera, saying, "Brothers, the world has changed. This is the worst of times, but also the best. The victors reign, the losers suffer. Join my team, brothers. We'll fight together in times of trouble and share in good fortune. A man should make something of himself now and not cowardly hide at home like a waste."
Brother Knife's tone was domineering, his actions bold. He waved his hand and said, "Brother, remember this. It doesn't matter if you're a corporate executive, a big boss, a celebrity, or a billionaire... None of that matters here with Brother Knife. Understand? In Brother Knife's world, strength is king. If you're a dragon, you bow to me; if you're a tiger, you lie down for me."
Brother Knife's videos mainly showcased his astonishing strength, with the purpose of recruiting more allies. Many of his videos were explicit and gruesome, causing discomfort. Similarly, each video left Brother Knife's contact information and address below.
Angus suddenly felt a sense of enlightenment. "Yeah, what kind of world is this? Why should I cower here eating instant noodles?" When he thought about having to face David every day, take orders from him, and depend on him for food, he felt pathetic.
Who was David to put on a show in front of him? A weak loser like him, how could he have a woman like Sally? Why? Just because he stockpiled some food and had a house? So what? In the current world, even the law no longer exists, and property deeds are just pieces of paper.
The supplies in that house, and Sally, who said that everything should belong to David? In an instant, Angus felt that he understood everything. He was excited, and countless ideas flooded his mind. He carefully considered these bold ideas and formed a plan in his mind.
Angus sent a friend request to Brother Knife and added a message: "Hello, Brother Knife. I have some important information to disclose to you." After successfully sending it, Angus sat up on the bed, grabbed the two remaining buckets of instant noodles from the table, and walked out of the couldn't wait to shout: "Is Zoe here?"
Angus searched the room and found Zoe lying in another bedroom, instantly relieved. Zoe was an essential part of his upcoming plans, and if she ran away, his plans would be ruined. Zoe sat up on the bed and looked at Angus, a hint of nervousness in her eyes. Angus sat beside Zoe, wearing an apologetic expression, and gently embraced her. "Zoe, I'm sorry for this morning. I didn't mean to do it. I was in a terrible mood at that time, and I couldn't control myself. I truly regret it now that I've calmed down." Zoe was somewhat surprised. She didn't expect Angus to come and apologize to her.
Angus looked at Zoe earnestly. "Can you forgive me? I promise I won't do it again in the future."
Zoe was deeply moved. "Well, I know you didn't mean it."
Seeing Zoe easily forgiving him, Angus immediately smiled. But soon, his smile froze on his face when he noticed several pieces of bread on Zoe's bedside table. "Where did this bread come from?" His expression immediately turned sour.
"It... it was given to me by David. I ate two, and the rest is for you," Zoe replied.
A shade of darkness flashed in Angus' eyes, but he quickly forced out another smile and gently caressed Zoe's head. "Why keep it for me? You should eat it yourself. It's my fault for not being capable enough and letting you go hungry. Don't worry, I won't let you starve again."
Zoe was overwhelmed by Angus' gesture. She didn't understand why Angus suddenly had a change in character, but she speculated that perhaps Angus had matured through the events of the past two days. Looking at the man before her, who made promises to her, Zoe's heart was filled with happiness and joy. She was grateful that she had chosen to stay by Angus' side.
"Are you hungry? I'll go make instant noodles for you," Angus fondly touched her head and headed to the kitchen with a bucket of instant noodles. As Angus turned away, his face instantly became incredibly dark.
"Damn you, David! I haven't even laid , and yet you managed to seduce my woman. It seems like you really think highly of yourself, huh?" Angus seethed with anger, his fist clenched tightly, veins bulging. However, he quickly came to his senses.
"Forget it, I just plan to take advantage of this bitch." Next, Angus proceeded to make instant noodles for Zoe, followed by giving her a shoulder and back massage, portraying himself as a good man. After Zoe finished eating the instant noodles, Angus carried her to the bed.
In the midst of Zoe's shy gaze, Angus removed her clothing. Suddenly, Angus pulled out a few ropes and a roll of duct tape. "Darling, how about we play something exciting today?" he said, preparing to tie Zoe's hands with the ropes.
Initially, Zoe had some resistance, but considering how good Angus had been to her earlier, she hesitated. "Okay, but just this once," she reluctantly agreed.
Soon enough, Angus had tied Zoe's hands and feet with ropes, and he sealed her mouth with duct tape. Just as he finished securing Zoe's limbs, his expression immediately changed, and the tenderness in his eyes vanished. He slapped Zoe across the face with a loud smack. "Fuck you, you damn bitch, seducing other men behind my back."
"Waaah!" Zoe suddenly realized something was seriously wrong. She started struggling violently, but her hands and feet were bound, leaving her with no means to resist.
Angus grabbed her by the throat and delivered two punches. "So, you enjoy seducing men, huh? Later, I'll make sure you have a damn good time."
"Brother Knife, someone sent a message saying they have important information to disclose to you." Brother Knife was lying on a lounge chair with his eyes half-closed, looking relaxed. Two women were massaging and kneading his legs beside him.
Upon hearing the man's words Brother Knife sneered and reached out to touch one of the women's thighs, saying, "Important information? Bullshit! Ignore it."
Brother Knife didn't take the message seriously. Ever since he posted those videos online, his private messages were flooded with insults from countless people, with all kinds of vulgar and offensive language. As for those who genuinely wanted to join him, there were hardly any.
Brother Knife had been troubled by this matter for the past few days. He originally planned to establish his own team and make a name for himself in this post-apocalyptic world. However, his "career" had come to a standstill. After recruiting over twenty subordinates, he couldn't find suitable candidates anymore. Moreover, he was now facing a shortage of food.
They had thoroughly searched the entire building, robbing innocent survivors of their food and women, killing many men in the process. But with over twenty people under his command, in order to gain their loyalty and maintain his image as a righteous and generous leader, Brother Knife never withheld their food, ensuring they were well-fed every day.
"At the current consumption rate, the food will be depleted in about ten to twenty days." Brother Knife felt somewhat worried. There wasn't much food left in the residential complex, and he didn't dare to venture outside to the supermarkets or convenience stores.
"It seems we'll have to explore the other buildings when the time comes." Going to the other buildings meant risking encounters with zombies. Brother Knife was a strength-enhanced superpower, and he wasn't afraid of zombies himself, but his subordinates didn't possess his combat abilities. If he were to lose the subordinates he had painstakingly recruited, it would be a significant loss.
While Brother Knife was lost in thought, the man next to him spoke again. "Brother Knife, but this guy sent a photo and said he wants to offer his girlfriend to you."
"Oh?" Brother Knife's interest was immediately piqued. "That's impressive. Show me."
"Okay." The man quickly handed his phone to Brother Knife. Taking a look, Brother Knife saw a photo sent by the other person. It was a selfie. The photo depicted a tall and muscular young man who appeared to be around eighteen or nineteen years old, but he was completely bald with large tattoos covering his arms. Behind him was a young girl completely naked, tightly bound to a bed, her mouth sealed with duct tape, and her eyes swollen from crying.
Below the photo, there was a self-introduction from the sender: "Hello, Brother Knife. My name is Angus, and I want to join your team. This is my girlfriend, and I'm willing to offer her to you as proof of my loyalty in joining your team." Angus also included his address, and to Brother Knife's surprise, Angus lived in the same residential complex, just one floor apart.
Brother Knife's eyes lit up. "This kid is not bad. He's strong and ruthless. A talented individual." Brother Knife carefully looked at the girl in the photo and commented, "As for this girl, she's average-looking, but her figure is decent. She seems quite young, probably not older than eighteen."
Brother Knife is not lacking women at the moment. The number of women he has been with in the past few days surpasses the total in his entire life. However, the thought of these women being someone else's girlfriends still stirs some restlessness in his heart. Playing with someone else's girlfriend? That sounds somewhat exciting.
So he sent a message to Angus: "Do you have any major news to share with me?" On Angus's end, he was surprised to see that Brother Knife actually replied to his message, and he felt a sudden excitement.
Angus wasted no time in sharing the situation on his end with Brother Knife, especially the information about David hoarding food. He exaggeratedly described it, saying, "That kid has filled up the entire room with food. It could probably last them for several years without any issues."
Just a few seconds after Angus sent the message, he immediately received a reply from Brother Knife: "Wait for me, bro. I'll bring some people over right away. If there really is that much food like you said, I'll give you a great credit and make you a core member."
Upon seeing Brother Knife's response, Angus was filled with excitement. Little did he know, on the other end, Brother Knife was equally thrilled. He had been worrying about the shortage of food, and unexpectedly, Angus provided him with such crucial information.
"Even the heavens are helping me, hahaha." Brother Knife was in a great mood, and he quickly said to the people around him, "Brothers, gather everyone. We've got work to do." ...
As the sky gradually darkened, David checked his watch and saw that it was almost 7 PM. Dozens of zombie corpses lay before him, all of them with their heads severed by the Spatial Blade.
Along the way, David didn't hesitate to use his crystallizations, releasing Spatial Blades while replenishing his energy with mutant crystallizations. It felt like having unlimited firepower, freely unleashing the Spatial Blades and bombarding the zombies. As he continued to use the Spatial Blades, his psychic abilities were also being trained and improved in the process.
David's control over spatial power greatly enhanced. Not only did his accuracy improve, but while the Spatial Blades flew, he could slightly control their direction and adjust their flight trajectory to track targets. This significantly increased David's skill hit rate. Moreover, David felt that his energy level had also increased.
From initially being able to release only ten Spatial Blades, he could now release around twenty before exhausting his energy. The attack range and destructive power of the Spatial Blades had also greatly increased, from ten meters to the current twenty meters. With such rapid progress, he estimated leaving many newly awakened psychic ability users far behind.
Today, David alone consumed nearly a hundred mutant crystallizations in battle. Where could an ordinary psychic ability user obtain so many mutant crystallizations? He was very satisfied with his gains today. Not only did his strength greatly improve, but he also collected over a hundred mutant crystallizations. Under the system's ten-thousand-fold critical strike, those hundred-plus mutant crystallizations turned into over ten million.
David couldn't even imagine how he would use up so many mutant crystallizations. However, resources like mutant crystallizations were something he would never consider too much. "That's about it, time to head back home."
After a day of battle, despite replenishing his energy with mutant crystallizations, he was starting to feel tired. Moreover, nights were dangerous, and in poorly lit areas, there was a risk of zombie ambushes. David didn't want to end up in a difficult situation.
In Angus's house, it was crowded and bustling with people. Over twenty men of different ages and appearances were in Angus's living room, smoking and chatting. They were all Brother Knife's subordinates.
Angus enthusiastically chatted with these people, trying to become familiar with them. The men were polite to Angus, mainly because of his strong physique, giving him a tough image. Moreover, they had heard that Angus provided Brother Knife with a very important piece of information.
Anyone with keen eyes could tell that Angus's position in the team would definitely not be low in the future. It was possible that Brother Knife might even appoint him as the second-in-command. After about ten minutes, the bedroom door opened, and Brother Knife came out with his pants on, accompanied by a few of his men.
In the bedroom, Zoe lay on the bed with empty eyes, staring at the ceiling. Her gaze was hollow, and dried tears stained the corners of her eyes. Her body was covered in bruises, and there were bloodstains everywhere on the sheets. Zoe lay motionless on the bed, and if it weren't for the slight movement of her chest, she would have looked like a lifeless person.
Angus flattered, "Brother Knife, how about it? Did you have fun?"
Brother Knife smirked and patted Angus's shoulder. "Not bad, thanks for the hospitality, Angus. Everyone had a great time."
Angus smiled and said, "Brother Knife, don't say that. We're all brothers now. Brother Knife is being too polite."
Brother Knife's satisfaction with Angus grew as he looked at him. He tightened his belt and said, "Alright, let's get down to business."
But Angus suddenly stopped Brother Knife, wearing a mysterious expression, and said, "Brother Knife can I discuss something with you?"
Brother Knife halted his steps. "Oh? What's the matter? Just tell me, brother!"
Angus had a sly smile on his face. "Well, Brother Knife, do you remember that David I told you about? He has a pretty girlfriend, and I've been interested in her for a long time..."
Brother Knife burst into laughter and gave Angus a look of understanding. "Oh, that's it? No problem! Once we capture that woman, for the first three days, no one is allowed to touch her except for you. That's what I say."
Angus was extremely excited in his heart and smiled profusely. "Thank you, Brother Knife! Thank you, Brother Knife!"
"Let's go then, I'll lead the way!" Angus took the lead and walked towards David's house with the others.
Suddenly, the group noticed a young man with a handsome face standing in the corridor. The man held a completely black knife in his hand and looked calmly at the group of over twenty people in front of him.
"David, why is it you?" Angus immediately recognized that the man in front of him was David.
Angus felt a sense of unease seeing the knife in David's hand, wondering where he got such a weapon. And how did he inexplicably appear in the corridor?
Looking at Angus, who was mixed among the crowd, David furrowed his brow. When he went upstairs earlier, he heard a lot of noise and footsteps coming from Angus's room, which made him feel that something was off. Now, there were more than twenty people crowded in the narrow corridor, and Angus seemed quite familiar with them.
After some contemplation, David had a rough idea of their intentions. Just as he suspected, Angus spoke to the man beside him, Brother Knife, saying, "Brother Knife, this is the David I told you about. He has stockpiled a lot of supplies in his house."
Angus pointed to the door behind David. "The supplies are in that room. The adjacent unit is where David and his girlfriend live. I haven't been inside, but I assume there are also considerable resources there."
Brother Knife nodded and took a couple of steps forward, pulling out a solid iron rod from his waist. He warned, "Kid, listen carefully. Drop your knife, and I might spare your life. "
The gleaming long knife in David's hand made the people behind Brother Knife wary, so they hesitated to approach him. While this group of people had no qualms about bullying the weak, when it came to a real fight with weapons, they were somewhat cowardly.
Brother Knife also understood this and knew that he had to personally deal with David. At this moment, Arnold and Sophie heard the commotion outside the door. They opened it and came out, only to find David confronting more than twenty people. Arnold asked, "David, what's going on?"
From a distance, Brother Knife laid his eyes on Sophie when he saw Arnold and Sophie. He assessed her from head to toe and said with a grin, "Heh, this girl looks pretty good. Petite figure, just my type."
Sophie seemed frightened by Brother Knife's gaze and quickly hid behind Arnold. Arnold protected her, his expression darkening as he drew a folding knife from his pocket.
Meanwhile, Sally's room door opened, and she also saw David and the others in a standoff with a group of menacing men, including Angus. When Brother Knife saw Sally come out, his eyes went wide open.
Brother Knife swore that he had never seen such a beautiful woman in his entire life. She was even more stunning than those female celebrities on television screens. He nudged Angus. "Damn, Angus, my brother, is this David's girlfriend you were talking about?"
Angus chuckled, "Yes, Brother Knife, that's her." Brother Knife instantly regretted agreeing to Angus earlier.
However, since he had made that commitment in front of so many people, it would be difficult to back out. He patted Angus on the shoulder and said with a smile, "You've got good taste, my boy. This woman is indeed exceptional, but she's yours for the first three days. After that, she's mine."
Angus felt disappointed inside. He had hoped to keep Sally for the long term, but he had already anticipated this outcome. With a woman as beautiful as Sally, how could Brother Knife let her slip away?
Angus flattered, "Of course, Brother Knife has the final say." The two of them seemed to disregard David and the others completely, discussing their.
Sally was infuriated to see these two men openly discussing her "ownership" in front of her. She turned to David and asked, "David, what's going on?"
David replied calmly, "Angus betrayed us. He brought these people to rob us of our supplies. That man who looks like a pig should be their leader." David could have easily dealt with these people, but he chose not to act in order to let Arnold see the true nature of Angus.
Indeed, Angus didn't disappoint David. He quickly revealed his true colors. Although David didn't know where Angus found these henchmen, it didn't matter to him.
"Damn, who are you calling a pig?" Brother Knife was furious after hearing David's words. He didn't expect that even facing the surrounding of over twenty people on his side, David and his group dared to act so arrogantly. "Just wait for me, kid. I'm going to break your legs and make you watch as your woman gets played with."
Others chimed in, cursing as well, "Brother Knife! Take him down!"
"The brat's about to meet his end, yet he still talks tough."
"Brother Knife, get him!"
Originally, Brother Knife was somewhat wary of the long knife in David's hand. But at this moment, he was provoked by David. How could he lose face in front of so many underlings?
He raised an iron rod and charged straight at David. Brother Knife's gaze turned extremely fierce in an instant. "Once I strike you with this iron rod, I'll definitely smash you into a pulp!"
Brother Knife was supremely confident in his own strength. He believed that no one could withstand his blow. Just a few steps away from David, he suddenly moved. Brother Knife only saw a blurry figure flash by. Before he could even make out the opponent's actions, he felt a heavy blow to his chest, as if he had been struck by an iron hammer.
The iron rod slipped from Brother Knife's hand and fell to the ground, making a crisp sound. Meanwhile, he was sent flying by David's punch, landing among the crowd behind him.
Brother Knife's massive body instantly crashed into a group of people, and Angus was the first to bear the brunt. He was nearly knocked unconscious by Brother Knife's obese frame. However, Angus didn't dare to complain and quickly joined the others in helping Brother Knife up. "Brother Knife, are you okay?"
Struggling to get up from the ground, Brother Knife looked somewhat disheveled. He gazed at David with a terrified expression. The power behind David's punch was horrifying. Mind you, Brother Knife was an awakened individual with a power-type ability, yet he was directly punched away by David, completely defenseless. If it weren't for his strong physique as an awakened being, that punch might have taken half his life.
Moreover, David's movements were incredibly fast just now. If David had used a knife instead of his fist, Brother Knife would likely be dead by now. "Could it be that this kid is also an awakened individual?" Brother Knife was filled with post-event fear. Cold sweat kept pouring down his back, and he instantly realized that he seemed to have gotten into big trouble.
Everyone, including Angus, had a strange look in their eyes as they looked at David. They had witnessed Brother Knife's strength, which was like that of a humanoid monster. And yet, David was able to send Brother Knife flying with a single punch. What kind of terrifying power was this?
At this moment, David had already returned to Sally's side and said to her, "Deal with these people. It's a good opportunity to test your lightning intensity. Leave Angus to me."
Sally nodded. Brother Knife and Angus had been disrespectful to her earlier, and she had been holding back her anger. She reached out her hand, and electric sparks flickered within her grasp, emitting a crackling sound.
Brother Knife's face immediately changed. "Damn! This woman is also an awakened individual, run!" He didn't expect that this seemingly beautiful woman was actually an awakened individual, and furthermore, the most destructive type of elemental awakened individual.
Just last night, Brother Knife came across a lot of information about supernatural beings online. Due to the awakening of abilities in many individuals, there was intense discussion online. Overall, the number of supernatural beings is very small, with only a few people awakening their abilities. Among the supernatural beings, those with abilities related to strength, agility, and physical enhancement are the most common.
On the other hand, elemental abilities and certain special types of supernatural beings are relatively rare. Brother Knife thought that although his ability was not powerful, it should be enough to dominate a small area. Little did he know that he would be so unlucky to encounter such a powerful supernatural being on his first encounter.
At this moment, Brother Knife didn't care about his reputation anymore. He relied on his physical prowess as a supernatural being and ran faster than everyone else. He just wanted to leave this place as quickly as possible. However, no matter how fast he ran, how could he be faster than the speed of lightning? ๐๐๐๐๐ค๐ซ๐๐ก.๐๐ค๐
Suddenly, Sally released multiple bolts of lightning from her hand, and countless dazzling electric arcs flew towards the crowd. This is a characteristic of her lightning-based ability: with sufficient energy, she can simultaneously attack targets from multiple directions. Unlike David's spatial blade that cuts directly, lightning-based abilities are more effective when facing a large number of zombies.
When the lightning from Sally hit the people, their bodies immediately began convulsing madly, falling to the ground and quickly losing their vitality. The whole process lasted only a few seconds, and Sally's move instantly killed more than twenty people, filling the corridor with a smell of burnt flesh. Due to David's instructions, Sally spared Angus's life, as he was the only one not struck by lightning.
Angus was completely frightened. He sat on the ground, looking at the charred bodies around him, his eyes filled with terror. He dared not escape, fearing that any movement on his part would lead to the same fate as Brother Knife and the others. Arnold and Sophie beside him were also stunned, as they had never expected Sally to be so powerful.
David slowly approached Brother Knife and stood beside him. Brother Knife's body was still twitching slightly, his face filled with fear. He truly deserved to be called a Physique of the superhuman, as he hadn't died completely yet. David stabbed him in the heart with a knife, ending his life.
The sight of David's strike made Angus shudder in fear. He looked at David before him, feeling an immense sense of unfamiliarity. In his mind, David had always been an ordinary person, just someone who had been lucky enough to stockpile some supplies. But now, this David standing in front of him for the first time made Angus experience genuine fear from the depths of his heart.
David ignored Angus and used his knife to make a cut on Brother Knife's forehead. When the tip of the knife touched something hard, he flicked it with the tip, and a crystal was taken out from Brother Knife's forehead.
"As expected, there's a crystal." This crystal seemed slightly larger than the ones produced by ordinary zombies. David had heard before that supernatural beings, like zombies, also produce crystals. However, unlike zombies, supernatural beings have a 100% chance of producing crystals, not just a one-third probability.
Just like the mutated crystals from zombies and strange beasts, the crystals from supernatural beings can enhance the user's abilities when absorbed, and there's a certain probability of learning the skills of the other person.
However, Brother Knife doesn't seem to be particularly strong, so David doesn't expect his crystal to be much stronger than those from ordinary zombies. David cleaned the crystal and put it back in his storage space.
[You obtained one mutated crystal, critical hit multiplied by 100,000!]
[Congratulations on obtaining 100,000 mutated crystals!]
After storing the mutated crystal, David's gaze shifted towards Angus. The icy coldness in his eyes made Angus couldn't help but shudder, as if he had fallen into an icy cave.
David asked in a cold voice, "Where is Zoe?"
Angus hurriedly replied, "She... she's in the room. Let me take you there." Angus quickly got up from the ground and led the way.
Arnold, Sophie, and the others followed, their faces filled with worry, as if they had a bad premonition. They all followed Angus to his room. Angus stood at the bedroom door with his back to everyone, his hand hesitating on the doorknob. After a moment, he gritted his teeth and finally made up his mind to open the door.
As the door was pushed open, everyone frowned. They saw Zoe lying naked on the bed, covered in bruises and scars, with bloodstains on the sheets. Her hands and feet were bound, and her mouth was taped shut. It was unimaginable what kind of torture she had endured.
"Zoe!" Sophie's eyes immediately turned red, and she rushed forward to untie the ropes around Zoe's hands. Sally also hurriedly came forward to help. She took off her jacket and covered Zoe's body.
"Zoe, what happened to you?" Sophie's voice trembled with tears as she looked at Zoe's miserable state. Zoe, who had been numb and hopeless, finally showed some signs of life when she saw Sophie and the others. She hugged Sophie and burst into tears.
"Sophie, Angus is not human. He brought a group of people back and they took turns violating me. They... they even said they were going to kill Arnold and David and take away your supplies."
Suddenly, Zoe realized that David and the others were unharmed and appeared here. "You... you're all okay?"
Arnold's anger flared up when he heard this. He rushed forward and kicked Angus in the body. Angus was kicked against the wall and let out a muffled groan, showing a pained expression.
Arnold flipped him over and mercilessly punched him in the face, one punch after another. "Angus, you beast! You're worse than a pig or a dog!"
Angus's face was covered in blood from Arnold's beating, but he didn't dare to fight back. He cried out, "Arnold, please stop, they forced me. If I don't agree to their demands, they said they would kill me."
Arnold didn't stop his actions at all, instead, he hit even harder. "You dare to lie! I'll fucking kill you."
Angus's appearance in the hallway didn't look like someone who was forced. David stepped forward and stopped Arnold, pulling him up. Then he searched Angus's pockets and found his phone. He first checked Angus's calls and messages, and then looked through his communication apps.
After a thorough search, David finally found the chat records between Angus and "Knife Brother" on a video app called "titok".
He handed the phone to Arnold, who, after reading it, couldn't help but curse out loud, "This is what you call being forced? This fucking bullshit is what you call being forced?!"
He stepped forward and stomped on Angus several times, feeling unsatisfied. Then he grabbed a stool and ruthlessly hit his head a few times. Angus was beaten half to death, muttering, "Please, stop... stop... I really was forced..."
Sophie closed the bedroom door and, together with Sally, helped Zoe put on clothes. Zoe weakly got off the bed, her steps unsteady. Sophie couldn't help but feel heartbroken, supporting Zoe and shedding tears uncontrollably. She had always treated Zoe like a younger sister since their time at the barbecue restaurant, and seeing Zoe in such a state was like a knife to her heart.
After dressing Zoe with Sally's help, Sophie and Sally led her out of the bedroom. David glanced at them and sighed. "You two go back for now. Arnold and I will handle things here."
Zoe suddenly walked up to David, choked with sobs, and said, "David, I'm sorry. If only I had listened to you and lived with Arnold and Sophie, I wouldn't have ended up like this. It's all my fault."
David sighed, his expression complex. He had tried to convince Zoe earlier, but he hadn't been able to persuade her. He never expected Zoe to be so devoted to Angus. But what surprised him even more was how cruel Angus had been to a girl who loved him so deeply.
"Go and rest," David didn't know how to comfort her. What had happened to her was too cruel for a young girl, and he could only hope that time would heal the wounds in her heart. Sally and Sophie led Zoe out of Angus's room.
David said to Arnold, "Why don't you go and rest for a while too? Your hand seems injured. I'll deal with him." Arnold beat Angus too hard, injuring his own hand in the process. His knuckles had split open, and blood kept dripping.
"I'm fine, David." Arnold's eyes were bloodshot as he glared at Angus like a ferocious beast selecting its prey. "I want to slaughter this animal with my own hands." Arnold pulled out a folding knife and walked slowly toward Angus.
"Arnold, no! Don't kill me! I beg you!" Angus, lying on the ground and beaten half to death, was suddenly filled with fear. He used his hands to crawl and roll backward, trying to escape. But Arnold and David blocked the doorway, leaving Angus with nowhere to run.
At that moment, two women's screams came from outside the door. "Ah! Zoe!"
David and Arnold rushed out upon hearing the voices. However, all they saw were Sophie and Sally. Zoe was nowhere to be found. Sophie sat on the ground, her face full of despair, while Sally looked pale and stared downstairs.
Arnold hurriedly helped Sophie up, and David asked Sally, "What happened? Where's Zoe?"
Sally's voice trembled slightly. "Zoe... she jumped off the building."
David glanced down through the internal window of the hallway and saw a gruesome scene below, wrinkling his brow.
"What do we do, David?" Sally's voice was tinged with a sob, and her body trembled uncontrollably. David embraced her, gently stroking her back.
Suddenly, David heard footsteps behind him. He turned around and met Angus's panicked gaze. Angus quickly turned and ran, seemingly attempting to escape.
David casually threw a spatial blade, instantly severing one of Angus's legs. "Ah!" Angus let out a scream of agony and fell to the ground. Clutching his severed leg, he cried out in pain, "My leg! My leg!" ๐๐๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๐๐๏ฝ.๏ฝ๐๐
David patted Sally's shoulder. "You and Sophie go back first." Sally nodded, helped the distraught Sophie, and walked back into the room with her.
Sophie appeared completely lost, clearly deeply affected by the situation. Arnold stood up, glaring at Angus, clutching the folding knife tightly, and slowly approached him.
David stood aside and watched as Arnold approached Angus, making no attempt to stop him. He wasn't worried that Arnold would get himself into trouble. Angus didn't have any weapons and had lost a leg.
If Arnold could be killed so easily, he wouldn't have lived long enough to meet David in their past lives. David remembered when he first met Arnold in a previous life, back when Arnold hadn't developed any special abilities yet. However, even at that time, Arnold had already demonstrated superior combat skills compared to ordinary people.
David knew that Arnold had served in the military before, but he wasn't sure which branch. Despite Angus's physical strength, losing a leg had completely robbed him of his will to fight. Sometimes, physical strength wasn't the decisive factor in determining the outcome of a battle.
"Arnold, please spare me. I won't dare to do it again," Angus pleaded, crawling backward with tears and snot mixing together, looking utterly miserable.
Arnold didn't respond to him. When he was just a few meters away from Angus, he suddenly accelerated. He rushed forward and pinned Angus down, straddling him. Angus began to struggle, but Arnold had the upper hand in terms of position. With Arnold on top of him, Angus couldn't exert any force. In addition, with his leg severed, it was even more difficult for him to generate power from his lower body, completely unable to break free from Arnold's control. ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ค๐ซ๐๐.๐๐ง๐
Arnold punched Angus in the nose with his left hand, causing Angus to cry out in pain. Taking advantage of the moment when Angus closed his eyes in pain, Arnold revealed a small folding knife in his right hand and ruthlessly stabbed it into Angus's chest. Seeing Arnold's precise stab, David's eyes lit up. The timing of that stab was perfect, bypassing Angus's ribs and accurately piercing his heart.
Such a skillful stab could only mean that Arnold had a deep understanding of human anatomy. When David met Arnold in their previous life, it was already some time after the apocalypse had begun. At that time, David thought that Arnold's abilities had been honed only after the arrival of the apocalypse. Now it seemed that Arnold had been formidable from the very beginning.
He wasn't just a chubby barbecue restaurant owner on the surface. David began to wonder what level of power Arnold would possess once he became an extraordinary being. Arnold slowly pressed the knife further into Angus's heart, and various emotions flickered in Angus's eyesโresentment, fear, and unwillingness. He struggled desperately, trying to push Arnold off his body. But the moment his heart was pierced, his strength began to rapidly fade away.
The anger in Arnold's eyes gradually dissipated, leaving only a coldness, like that of an indifferent executioner. He and Angus locked eyes, witnessing the gradual disappearance of Angus's life slipping away from his grasp. Finally, Angus lost all his strength, his hands fell weakly, and his face still bore an expression of terror.
At that moment, David felt as if he could sense Arnold going through a transformation. This was a process that everyone who managed to survive in the apocalypse had to go through. With the disappearance of civilization, order, morality, and law had all vanished, and humanity had returned to a state of savagery. It was a struggle for existence, survival of the fittest! To survive, one had to adapt to all of this. This was the apocalypse, and no one could stay out of it.
Arnold sat up from Angus's corpse, his adrenaline slowly fading away, and his body began to tremble slightly. David walked to the window in the hallway and glanced down. Perhaps it was the smell of blood emanating from Zoe's body that attracted the surrounding zombies. The zombies in the neighborhood had already been cleared out by David, but now a new group emerged from somewhere.
David lifted Angus's body and threw him directly from the upstairs window. "Let's deal with these bodies as well." Looking at the scattered corpses on the ground, David decided to throw them down from the building and let the zombies take care of them. It was the most convenient option. He didn't want these bodies to decompose and stink up the floor he lived on.
Arnold remained silent. He quietly put away his folding knife and started helping David move the bodies. One after another, they threw the bodies down to the ground. The impact of the bodies hitting the ground produced a dull sound that seemed particularly jarring in the quiet neighborhood.
After they finished their work, the hallway returned to its empty state, just like before. Only the bloodstains on the ground and the lingering smell of burning indicated that what had just happened was real. After throwing down the last body, Arnold sat down on the ground, looking somewhat exhausted. Suddenly, he asked David, "David, do you have cigarettes?"
David was taken aback since he remembered that Arnold never smoked. He himself didn't smoke either, but he had stored many cigarettes in the storage space. Although David found it hard to understand, cigarettes were a valuable commodity in the post-apocalyptic world, so he had collected some.
David took out an expensive pack of cigarettes and handed it to Arnold, along with a lighter. Arnold leaned against the wall, and behind him was the spot where Zoe had jumped.
With trembling hands, Arnold tore open the cigarette packaging, took one out, placed it in his mouth, and lit it. "Cough, cough, cough!" He started coughing violently, the experience he had just been through leaving him with mixed emotions. He had taken too strong a drag. "This cigarette really burns the throat. David, sorry for wasting your cigarette." Arnold threw the cigarette to the ground and extinguished it with his foot, returning the remaining ones to David.
"No worries." David took the cigarette. He didn't smoke anyway, and if it weren't for the large storage space, he wouldn't have bothered hoarding them. Arnold stared ahead with empty eyes, murmuring, "I knew Angus wasn't a good person. Sophie and I had warned Zoe before, but Angus was her first love, and she couldn't let go."
As he spoke, Arnold's eyes became slightly red. "Zoe's mother was in poor health, and she worked hard to earn more money for her mother's medical expenses. She was such a responsible and sensible child."
David didn't know what to say. He wasn't good at comforting others. He knew that Zoe's death was a shocking and difficult-to-accept event for Arnold, Sophie, and Sally, who had never experienced the apocalypse. But David had long grown accustomed to it.
If it weren't for the apocalypse, the worst outcome for Zoe would have been getting dumped by Angus and feeling sad for a while. But that's how the apocalypse wasโanyone's emotions and dreams were hardly worth mentioning in this world. The cruelty and brutality of humanity were magnified to the fullest in this chaotic era, and foolishly kind-hearted people could easily pay with their lives.
"What the hell is all this?" Arnold suddenly broke down emotionally. He held his head, grabbing his hair forcefully, and started crying. But to David, his reaction was quite normal.
At the beginning, the overwhelming feeling that countless dead bodies and a city full of zombies brought to people was fear. It was only when their loved ones died right in front of them that they could truly experience how cruel the apocalypse really was.
At night, David, Arnold, and the others sat together, and David explained to Sophie and Arnold what abilities were all about.
"So, you're saying that Brother Knife is also an ability user?" Arnold asked.
"That's right," David replied. He picked up a tissue from the dining table and casually stored it in his storage space, then took it out again. The others noticed that the tissue in David's hand suddenly disappeared and then reappeared.
"I awakened a spatial ability. I can store lifeless objects in another space and retrieve them whenever I want," David explained. With his spatial ability as a cover, David no longer needed to explain the storage space to others.
David told them that he awakened his ability a month before the apocalypse arrived. So he started stockpiling various foods and resources in large quantities. That way, everything that followed could be explained.
Arnold and Sophie looked amazed. "How can we obtain abilities then?" Arnold asked with a longing expression. The events of today had a great impact on him. He realized that if it weren't for Sally and David's intervention, he and Sophie wouldn't know what fate awaited them. In such chaotic times, if they didn't have enough power to protect themselves and those around them, they would become helpless prey.
But David shook his head. "For now, it seems that only natural awakenings are possible." David didn't tell Arnold that ordinary people could also become ability users by consuming crystals. Because the probability of an ordinary person becoming an ability user through crystal consumption was probably less than one percent.
Although David had heard that consuming crystals dropped by higher-level zombies or mutant creatures could increase the success rate of becoming an ability user and reduce the probability of death, it was only hearsay. Once the awakening failed after consuming the crystal, the brain would immediately die, turning the person into an irrational zombie.
For ability users, even if they ate mutant crystals like candy, it didn't matter. At most, they would have too much energy to absorb. But compared to swallowing, David preferred to absorb the energy from the crystals through skin contact. In the end, both methods yielded the same effect.
David only told Arnold and Sophie that consuming mutant crystals might turn ordinary people into zombies but didn't tell them that it might awaken abilities. He was mainly afraid that the two of them would make reckless decisions in pursuit of power. Besides, based on his previous life, Arnold would eventually become an ability user, just a little later. So there was no need for Arnold to take such a risk.
As for Sophie, David estimated that she was probably an ordinary person. It was highly unlikely to have all four members of a team as ability users. Just picking up Sally was already incredibly lucky for David. He couldn't expect all four of them to become ability users.
"Oh, I see," Arnold's expression seemed a bit disappointed.
David comforted him, "Don't think too much about it. Everyone has a chance. Let's eat first." With a wave of his hand, the dining table was instantly filled with delicious food, all retrieved from his storage space.
There was a variety of chicken, duck, fish, and meat on the table, as abundant as a Chinese New Year feast. Looking at the steaming dishes on the table, David's appetite soared. He hadn't eaten all day, and now he was starving.
David picked up his chopsticks and started eating heartily. Since becoming an ability user, his appetite had become exaggerated. His body needed a sufficient amount of energy to strengthen his physique and replenish his energy. The other three initially had no appetite, but seeing how deliciously David was eating seemed to have infected them, and they also picked up their chopsticks and started enjoying the food.
In no time, the table full of delicacies was devoured, leaving nothing behind. After dinner, Arnold and Sophie returned to their own house, leaving only David and Sally in the house. Sally was cleaning up the bowls and chopsticks, preparing to throw them away, while David sat in front of Sally's computer.
He wasn't planning to surf the internet. Nowadays, the information online was basically worthless. He opened the map software and searched for the location of a cold storage facility. After a search, he finally located a cold storage facility owned by a company called "Hao Cai" (Good Food). This company was the largest cold chain logistics company in SJ City.
The company used cold chain transportation to supply fresh vegetables, fruits, meat, and staple foods like rice and oil to various supermarkets and restaurants in SJ City every day. The cold storage facility was where Hao Cai stored the food. All the food would be transported here first for storage before being distributed to various supermarkets and restaurants in SJ City. If nothing unexpected happened, there should still be a large amount of food in the cold storage that hadn't spoiled yet.
"Tomorrow will be the second day. The system gave an additional three-day ten-thousand-fold material crit bonus," David thought. He had used the first day to collect mutant crystals, and now he had over ten million of them in his storage space, which was more than enough. So David planned to gather some more food next. Although the supplies in his storage space were already enough for several lifetimes, who would complain about having too much?
If he collected supplies bit by bit from various supermarkets in the city, it would be too slow, and there were still many zombies in the city. To save on land rental costs, the cold storage facility was located on the outskirts of SJ City, where even buses were rare. It could be imagined that there wouldn't be many zombies in the surrounding area.
"It looks like I have to make a trip there tomorrow," David made a decision in his mind. He was about to close the computer when he heard Sally's exclamation from the living room. He also heard a few cheerful barks. "David, come and see, Little Black...!"
David quickly went to the living room and saw Little Black wagging its tail, bouncing around Sally, looking very excited. When it saw David, it barked at him a few times, its proud expression seemed to say, "Look at me, look at me!" Little Black opened its mouth and spewed out a blazing green flame into the empty space in front of it. "Hmm? Green flame?" ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ก.๐๐ค๐
In his previous life, David had heard that Little Black's flames were extraordinary. Once the flames touched even a tiny bit of someone, they would spread like maggots on bones, burning the whole body, making it difficult to extinguish. However, David didn't expect the flames to be green in color, giving a somewhat eerie feeling. No wonder others gave it the nickname "Hellhound."
"Not bad, it seems you've also awakened," David crouched down and patted Little Black's black is very receptive, wagging his tail happily.
After being patted on the Little Black head by David, Little Black ran over to Sally and rubbed against her leg. David had heard that ordinary animals would experience a significant increase in intelligence after awakening as mutant beasts. Little Black indeed seemed much smarter now. It appeared to recognize the close relationship between Sally and David, which was why it tried to please Sally.
Sally felt delighted and crouched down to pat Little Black. "You're such a clever little fellow. It looks like I didn't feed you in vain today." After showing off in front of both of them, Little Black called out to the black cat on the sofa a couple of times, its eyes filled with pride and showiness. However, the black cat paid it no attention.
Seeing that the black cat ignored it, Little Black jumped onto the sofa. It lifted its head and spewed a flame toward the ceiling, seemingly showing off to the black cat. Just as it was flaunting its power, David grabbed its nape and lifted it up. "No more breathing fire inside the house, got it? If you burn down the house, I'll definitely give you a beating."
Little Black seemed to understand David's words and let out a pitiful sound. Sally said to David, "This little one has a huge appetite. I fed it five kilograms of meat today before it got full. I can't believe such a small belly can hold five kilograms of meat."
David replied, "Well, it's normal for mutant beasts to have a big appetite. I'll put more food in the fridge for it in the future and try to keep it well-fed." He wasn't worried about Little Black's large appetite. Even if it ate ten kilograms of meat a day, David could afford to feed it. However, it was somewhat nostalgic to think that Little Black's living conditions as a dog might be better than those of most people. He took out around fifty mutant crystals from his backpack and put them all in Little Black's food bowl.
In the post-apocalyptic world, mutant beasts were not united. Different types of mutant beasts often fought each other. Some mutant beasts would also hunt and kill mutant zombies, with the sole purpose of obtaining the mutant crystals in their brains. These crystals could rapidly enhance their strength.
Upon seeing the crystals in the food bowl, Little Black's eyes sparkled. It vigorously rubbed against David's leg a few times and then rushed to the food bowl without delay, swallowing several mutant crystals whole. David noticed that it stopped after swallowing about thirty crystals. It seemed that like human mutants, there was a limit to the number of crystals they could absorb each day.
After swallowing thirty crystals, Little Black guarded the remaining ones in the food bowl, resembling a miser protecting its treasure. Unexpectedly, the black cat suddenly jumped off the sofa and approached Little Black.
"Coke, what are you up to?" Sally felt worried seeing the black cat seemingly wanting to pick a fight. After all, the current Little Black was a mutant beast. If it sprayed Coke with fire, it would be disastrous. Before she could intervene, Coke suddenly turned into a black shadow, as fast as an arrow, and swiftly passed by Little Black.
David and Sally were instantly amazed. "Such incredible speed!" David considered himself not slow, but the black cat's speed was much faster than his. In the next moment, the black cat had already retreated from Little Black's side and returned to the sofa. Only then did the oblivious Little Black notice that its food bowl was gone. It looked up and saw the bowl under the black cat.
"Woof woof woof!" Little Black became anxious immediately and barked repeatedly at David, sounding completely aggrieved. However, David's attention was focused on the black cat. Only mutated beasts would be interested in mutated crystals; ordinary animals would not react to them. Considering the speed of the black cat earlier, could Cola also be a mutated beast?
David sat down on the sofa and asked the black cat, "Are you also interested in these crystals?" It was unclear if the black cat understood David's words, but instead of eating the mutated crystals in the dog bowl, it walked over to David and rubbed against him with a slightly resentful look in its eyes.
David instantly understood its meaning and took out several dozen mutated crystals from the storage space and placed them next to the black cat. The black cat happily meowed and started purring. It crouched down and picked up the mutated crystals one by one, swallowing them gracefully, with much more elegance than Little Black.
A glimmer of surprise flashed in David's eyes. "So, this black cat is indeed a mutated beast."
Sally was stunned. "Ah? Is Cola also a mutated beast?"
No wonder they didn't realize it before. Cola didn't resemble Little Black at all. Its appearance showed no visible changes, just slightly more robust than before.
David returned the dog bowl to Little Black, and Little Black hurriedly grabbed its own bowl and ran to the corner of the living room, hiding it in the wall corner and protecting it with its body. Then, Little Black yawned and fell asleep right away.
David had heard that after consuming mutated crystals, mutated beasts would absorb energy while sleeping. Looking at Little Black in this state, the energy of the mutated crystals seemed to be taking effect. Even in its sleep, Little Black tightly guarded its bowl. Seeing this, David shook his head.
"This silly dog, can't you see that others despise your bowl?" Although Cola snatched Little Black's bowl, it didn't eat any of the crystals. David speculated that Cola was just jealous and didn't really want to eat the crystals in Little Black's bowl.
However, David was still very happy. Most mutated beasts that had lived with humans for a long time became loyal to their masters after evolving. Unless their owners had treated them poorly or abused them in the past, with their intelligence, they would become even closer to their owners, actively staying by their side and protecting their safety.
Adolf from the previous life was such a lucky example. Now, both of these mutated beasts had a good relationship with David, and they absolutely adored David because he had their favorite mutated crystals. This was truly great news for David...
In Sally's room, in the late night, a sweaty Sally snuggled in David's arms, and David hugged her from behind. After the long ordeal they had just been through, both of them were slightly exhausted, and David felt a wave of drowsiness come over him.
Half-asleep and half-awake, Sally suddenly called out softly, "David."
"Hmm? What's wrong?"
Sally snuggled closer to David, pressing her entire body against his chest. "I feel so lucky to have met you."
David guessed that Sally must have witnessed Zoe's ordeal, which made her appreciate her current situation. If it weren't for David, How will she end up any better than Zoe?
David shook his head and said seriously, "No, it should be said that meeting you is my luck." David wasn't just being polite; he genuinely felt that way. It was only because he had randomly decided to bring Sally along that his team now had an electrokinetic ability user and a mutated beast. Wasn't that lucky enough?
Sally was deeply moved upon hearing David's words. She buried her head in David's embrace, her face filled with a blissful expression of happiness.
The next day, Sophie just woke up and saw Arnold doing push-ups in the living room.
"45, 46, 47... Ah, I can't do it anymore. It's been a while since I last trained," Arnold gasped for breath, lying on the floor.
Curious, Sophie asked, "Honey, what are you doing?"
Arnold replied, "I heard people online saying that people with good physical fitness are more likely to become superhumans. I need to work hard too."
Sophie smiled and said, "Ever since you left the army, you've gained quite a few pounds. Now you're thinking about exercising, but it might be too late."
Upon hearing this, Arnold became dissatisfied. "Ha, you look down on your husband, huh? Then let me tell you the story of how I won first place in the Army Martial Arts Championship back then."
Sophie covered her ears and said, "I won't listen, my ears are tired from listening." ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ง๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น๏ผ๐ง๐๐
Arnold stood up and reached out to remove her hand covering her ears. "No, you have to listen. This time I'll tell you some different details."
"I don't want to, you always say that."...
In the hallway, David, who was about to leave, heard the playful banter between Arnold and Sophie and smiled with relief. It seemed that after a night had passed, both of them were in a good mood, which was the best outcome. Zoe was no longer with them, but the survivors had to continue moving forward. It was meaningless to immerse oneself in sorrow.
David had his car keys in his pocket and walked downstairs along the stairs. To his surprise, he encountered several zombies in the hallways on each floor. He speculated that these zombies were attracted by the corpses thrown down last night.
David glanced downstairs and confirmed that the more than twenty bodies thrown down yesterday had disappeared without a trace, not even a few bones left. These zombies must have inadvertently wandered into this building. When the zombies noticed David, they rushed towards him like mad.
David didn't hesitate and released successive spatial blades to kill each of these zombies, then collected their crystals. After a whole day of fighting yesterday, David felt his strength improving rapidly. "At this rate, I should be able to level up to a Level 2 superhuman soon." Superhumans were categorized into levels 1 to 10 based on their strength, and beyond level 10, there were King-level, Emperor-level, and the legendary Saint-level.
The reason for this level classification was because there were natural barriers within the energy channels of superhumans. Whenever a superhuman's strength reached a certain level, they would break through these barriers and enter the next realm.
Some said it was unlocking the meridians, while others said it was unlocking genetic locks. Regardless, these barriers were real and any superhuman could sense their existence. Each breakthrough brought a tremendous increase in strength for the superhuman and the possibility of comprehending new skills.
However, in David's past life, he had witnessed the most powerful superhuman himself, and he was only at level 7. That level 7 superhuman had effortlessly destroyed a large base with just one move, leaving a deep impression on David. If a level 7 superhuman was already that formidable, how terrifying would superhumans above level 10 be? As for the legendary "Saint-level" superhumans, David had never even heard of them, and he even doubted if superhumans of that level truly existed.
If they did exist, their power would be incredibly terrifying. Along the way, David easily killed all the zombies he encountered and arrived at the underground parking lot. The Jeep he had rented was still parked there. David took out the keys, started the vehicle, and saw that it hadn't suffered much damage. It still looked intact.
Suddenly, David remembered something. "Oh, how could I forget about this car?" He opened the car door, got out, and stored the entire SUV in the storage space.
[You obtained one SUV, critical hit damage multiplied by 100,000! ]
[Congratulations! You obtained 100,000 SUVs! ]
Indeed, even vehicles were considered resources by the system. In this way, even if the car was damaged, he wouldn't feel distressed since he had 100,000 backup vehicles. After making a copy, David summoned another car and got back inside. Although he wasn't familiar with the location of the cold storage, the vehicle's GPS navigation system was still functional for now.
David checked and found that the cold storage wasn't far away, about a twenty-minute drive. However, with zombies filling the city, David had no choice but to take a detour, avoiding areas with a high concentration of zombies, which would likely take more time.
On the way, David drove recklessly, hitting any zombies that dared to block his path. Since he had plenty of spare vehicles, he didn't care if the car got damaged. Occasionally, he could hear cries for help from the roadside, and there were even bold survivors who wanted to stop his car.
David ignored them and simply accelerated past them, treating them all like zombies. Who knew what these people would do after stopping his car? Along the way, David took detours, avoiding areas with many zombies, as well as roadblocks caused by broken-down vehicles and obstacles. The twenty-minute drive took him forty minutes, nearly twice the expected time.
The location of the cold storage was in an industrial park. As he entered the industrial park, the surroundings suddenly became quiet. With vast space and few people, David hardly saw any zombies along the way. After all, there weren't many workers in this area, and the zombies from the city center hadn't reached here yet.
David easily found the location of the cold storage. The entrance gate of the cold storage was adorned with a stone plaque that read "Good Dish Cold Chain Transport Co., Ltd." The gate was forcefully opened by David's car, and he drove inside. The first thing that caught his eye was an empty space. On both sides of the empty space were two huge warehouses, with several trucks parked in the distance. The warehouse entrances had many small platforms, likely used for loading and unloading goods from these trucks.
If David's guess was correct, these two warehouses should be where the food was stored. He decided to check the warehouse on the left first. He drove his car to the left warehouse, and there were four large characters written on the entrance gate: Warehouse No. 1. David got out of the car, walked to the gate, and saw a small map posted on it, indicating the warehouse's area divisions.
David approached and took a look. The left side was the frozen storage area, the middle was the refrigerated storage area, and the right side was the room temperature storage area. After some consideration, he decided to go and check the room temperature storage area first.
Following the directions on the mini-map, David walked towards the ambient storage area. "Strange, how can there be no one in this place?" David felt curious. Near the warehouse, he hadn't seen a single survivor, let alone a zombie.
In theory, although this place had fewer people, there should at least be a few zombies around. "Could it be that the company happened to have a day off on the day of the zombie outbreak?" However, David quickly dismissed this idea because cold chain transportation companies usually operated year-round.
The various supermarkets and restaurants in SJ City purchased large quantities of fresh food every day, so it was unlikely for this cold storage facility to take a break. Nevertheless, the absence of even a single zombie here seemed somewhat eerie.
Soon, David arrived at the ambient storage area of Warehouse No. 1. The rolling shutter door of the warehouse was half-open, about half a person's height. Just below the partially opened shutter door, David discovered half a leg bone. He moved the bone with force, and it was clear that it was a human leg bone.
David carefully examined the bone and quickly concluded that the owner of this bone had definitely not been killed by a zombie. The flesh on the bone had been gnawed clean, and if it were a zombie, it wouldn't have been able to clean the meat so thoroughly.
Bending down, David observed closely. The leg bone was covered in various small bite marks, resembling the bite marks of some small rodent. These bite marks looked fresh, and there were also fresh traces of blood remaining. David speculated that the owner of this bone should have died no more than a day ago.
"Could it be mutated rats?" Looking at the bite marks, David couldn't think of any other creature besides rats. Although any animal had the possibility of mutation in the post-apocalyptic world, the most common animals in the city were cats, dogs, and rats, weren't they?
David thought of a rat plague that had occurred in the official refuge base established by the SJ City authorities in his previous life. Thousands of mutated rats invaded the official base and completely destroyed the stored food in the warehouses. Although these rats were eventually successfully eliminated, the base paid a great price.
The mutated rats not only killed many survivors but also took the lives of several esper abilities. The most deadly aspect was that they carried various viruses and bacteria, making much of the remaining food inedible. Many survivors in the base died due to the rat epidemic.
Withdrawing his thoughts, David walked up to the rolling shutter door and raised it with his hand, causing it to make a rattling sound. As if in response to David's action, a rustling sound came from inside the warehouse.
"Indeed, there's something inside!" David pushed open the rolling shutter door, and the outside light instantly illuminated the dark warehouse, revealing a scene that made his scalp tingle. The warehouse was stacked with various bags of rice, flour, and cooking oil, and these bags were now crawling with a dark mass of rats.
These rats were startled by the sound and started scurrying around. They formed a dense mass, numbering at least a thousand, and looked extremely eerie. Moreover, these rats were larger than ordinary rats, with red gleaming eyes, appearing quite horrifying. Clearly, they were a group of mutated rats.
The bags of rice and flour in the warehouse had been completely ruined by them. Many of the bags containing rice and flour had been bitten, with leaks everywhere. David also caught a strong stench of rat droppings, which was nauseating.
It appears that these mice have made this place their stronghold, freely eating, drinking, and defecating here. David instantly understood why there were no traces of zombies or humans in this area. With this group of mutant mice around, even zombies would be gnawed down to their bones.
After a brief panic, the mice finally noticed David's presence. They seemed provoked by the presence of this outsider David and began emitting shrill cries. Dozens of mice that were closer to David charged towards him.
"These mutant mice are indeed fierce." It was evident that these mice were not afraid of humans at all and were even actively attacking David. Not wasting any time, David quickly summoned his armor. He raised his hand and consecutively threw out several spatial blades, splitting the leading mice in half and killing them on the spot.
However, the remaining mice had already reached David and he had no choice but to fight them head-on. With each swing of his blade, he killed one of the mutant mice. But with their large numbers, small bodies, and agile movements, more than a dozen mice had climbed onto his body in an instant. These mice were like mad creatures, crazily biting and gnawing at his armor.
David's armor was made of special materials, so even with the sharp teeth of the mutant mice, they could only leave scratches on it. David grabbed a few mice that were crawling on him and threw them to the ground, causing the mice to emit squeals of pain.
David quickly realized that he couldn't continue to engage with these mice. If he did, he would likely be surrounded by the group. The dozen or so mice attacking him were just the advance party. If the rest of the mice swarmed in later, even with his sturdy armor, it would eventually be breached.
Seeing the swarm of mice behind him becoming restless, David didn't hesitate any longer and turned around, sprinting towards his off-road vehicle. He managed to remove the dozen or so mice that were still diligently gnawing on his armor.
"Stop biting. Your teeth are already broken, yet you're still trying to gnaw." David couldn't help but sigh at the ferocity of these mutant mice. One of them even had its teeth completely broken, yet it still fiercely gnawed at David's armor, displaying an indomitable spirit.
David grabbed the mice and threw them forcefully onto the ground, causing them to bleed profusely and die instantly. He glanced back and fortunately, the mutant mice inside the warehouse hadn't followed them out.
"It seems these mice have a strong sense of territory." These mutant mice had no shortage of food and drink within their territory, so there was no need for them to provoke other creatures. However, once someone entered their territory, they would fiercely attack the intruders. After killing the dozen or so mice on him, David picked up the corpse of one of the mice and used a small knife to open its scalp.
Indeed, beneath its scalp, there was a mutant crystal, although it was very small, roughly one-third the size of a zombie mutant crystal. Nevertheless, every little bit counts. David stored the crystal in his spatial storage. As for the remaining mouse corpses, David didn't rush to dispose of them. He simply opened the car door and got in. With the large number of mice present, he alone wouldn't be able to handle them. He had to go back and bring reinforcements
At noon,Arnold was sweating profusely as he lay on the floor. He felt sore all over and had no strength left in his body. He had been exercising at home all morning, and now his stamina was almost depleted.
If it weren't for his spontaneous decision to exercise today, he wouldn't have realized how much his physical fitness had declined. In the past, running ten kilometers was a breeze for him, but now doing a few push-ups and sit-ups felt like a matter of life and death.
Sophie, seeing Arnold exerting himself so much, looked at him with concern and wiped his sweat with a towel. Arnold gasped for breath and sighed, "Ah, I'm getting old. I can't compare to how I used to be."
Sophie chuckled, "You're only 23. What do you mean by 'getting old'? You've just been lazy and gained some weight in the past couple of years."
Arnold felt embarrassed by Sophie's blunt comment, and his face turned red. "Enough, can't I have some dignity?"
While the two were chatting, they suddenly heard a knocking sound at the door. Arnold immediately became alert and asked, "Who is it?" He swiftly got up from the floor and picked up a long knife that was placed on the table. The knife was given to him by David yesterday, along with a set of armor for self-defense.
A voice of a stranger came from outside the door, "Hey, brother. I'm your neighbor, living on the same floor. I mean, the one across from the unit that Angus broke into."
Arnold suddenly realized that this floor had four households. The unit Angus broke into was vacant, but there was someone living in the opposite unit. However, that family had always kept to themselves and showed no intention of interacting with David and the others.
David and the others also had no desire to proactively get to know the neighbors, so they were surprised when the person suddenly came knocking on their door. "What can I do for you?" Arnold's voice carried a hint of caution.
As he spoke, Arnold looked through the peephole of the reinforced door. He saw a well-dressed man standing at the door. Though he appeared well-groomed, his disheveled hair and weary face indicated that he was in a poor mental state.
Accompanying the man was a timid little boy hiding behind him. "I'm sorry to disturb you, brother. I didn't want to be so shameless as to ask for your help, but my son hasn't eaten anything for a long time. I'm afraid he'll have problems if he continues to starve. Could you please give my son some food? I don't mind going hungry myself; I only beg you to give my son something to eat."
Arnold immediately understood the man's purpose. If his assumptions were correct, this man must have been at home on the day of Angus's betrayal and heard about the whole incident. Obviously, he had learned about David's household having a considerable amount of supplies.
If it were just the man alone, Arnold might have refused without hesitation. However, seeing the pitiful little boy standing outside the door, Arnold's thoughts wavered. After a moment of contemplation, he sighed and said, "Buddy, I'm sorry, but I can't help you. I'm just a guest here, and nothing in this house belongs to me. I can't make that decision. You should try asking someone else."
Arnold still chose to refuse the man. After experiencing what happened with Angus, he found it difficult to trust others completely. Moreover, the man in front of him was a stranger. Unexpectedly, the man knelt down in front of Arnold's door. With tears and snot streaming down his face, his voice trembled as he pleaded, "Please, brother, if you can give my son something to eat, I'm willing to do anything for you. I can transfer all the money from my card to you."
Arnold looked at this man several years older than him, calling him "brother" while begging to feed his own son, and he felt uneasy. The man wore a branded watch and was dressed in upscale clothing, indicating that he was once economically well-off before the apocalypse. However, after the apocalypse, the money in his bank account became meaningless digits. In order to provide a meal for his son, he was willing to abandon his dignity and kneel before Arnold's door, pleading desperately.
Sophie's heart softened, and she tugged at Arnold's sleeve. "Honey, why don't we share some of our food with them?"
David allocated a lot of food to Arnold and Sophie every day, more than they could consume. "Sigh, these are David's provisions. Although they are allocated to us daily, we can't just give them away freely."
Arnold was torn inside. Outside the door, the sight of his father crying made the little boy start crying as well. "Daddy, I'm not hungry. Let's go back."
The man hugged his son tightly. "Son, it's Dad's fault. Dad is sorry for letting you go hungry." Hearing the conversation between the father and son outside the door, Arnold felt a lump in his throat.
Suddenly, he recalled his former sergeant in the military. After he retired, the sergeant was stabbed multiple times while trying to do a good deed. The criminal escaped, and the girl he had saved also disappeared. The sergeant was left disabled for nothing.
But when Arnold visited him once, the sergeant said he had never regretted it. He thought to himself, "Ah, how did I become like this? Oh well, let me give them my food. I can endure hunger for a day." Arnold walked into the living room and grabbed some cookies, canned food, instant noodles, and other items.
The strange man is outside the door,When the man saw no response from inside the room, disappointment appeared on his face. He was about to get up and leave when the door suddenly opened. Arnold stood at the doorway, handing him a bag of food. "This is the only time. I can't help you next time."
The man's face lit up with excitement. He quickly said, "Thank you, brother! Thank you so much! You're my savior!" Arnold felt somewhat uncomfortable with the man's demeanor.
"No problem, just go back quickly and don't attract any zombies."
"Yes, yes, you're right, brother." After the man left, Sophie noticed the heaviness on Arnold's face and grabbed his hand.
"Honey, I'll give you some of the food later. I have a small appetite." Arnold smiled helplessly. "It's not about that. I'm thinking about how to explain this to David." The two looked at each other, sighing deeply.
Meanwhile, Sally, who had been watching the man and his child leave through the peephole, finally breathed a sigh of relief. She witnessed the whole thing but didn't intervene or stop Arnold.
Sally was just following David's instructions to protect the safety of Arnold and Sophie. As for the matter of Arnold giving food to the man, she planned to tell David the truth later. Just as Sally was preparing to return to the kitchen to continue cooking, she heard familiar footsteps in the hallway.
Sally looked through the peephole and a flash of surprise appeared on her face. It was David who had returned. David had just reached the door, took out his keys, and before he could open the door, Sally opened it in advance. She embraced David tightly and gave him a big hug. "You're back!"
When David came back, Cola, who was sleeping on the couch, ran over to greet him. Cola vigorously rubbed against David's leg and they seemed very close. Ever since David gave Cola several crystal treats, it has become extremely affectionate towards him. David picked Cola up from the floor and examined it, growing more satisfied the longer he looked. Cola had a robust physique and sharp claws, clearly a skilled hunter for catching mice.
David said to Sally, "I'll borrow Cola for a bit and take it out for a walk."
Sally hesitated for a moment. Although she didn't know what David was planning to do with Cola, she replied, "You don't even need to ask me; it seems like Cola is more attached to you than to me. It feels like you're its owner." There was a tinge of jealousy in Sally's tone.
David chuckled and said, "No worries. I'll let you feed it some mutant crystals next time, then it will be close to you."
Saying that, David took out another mutant crystal and handed it to Sally. "You stay at home today and continue absorbing the crystals, aiming to break through to Level 2 as soon as possible."
Sally took the crystal and nodded obediently. "I got it."
David walked over to the corner of the room where Little Black was curled up, sound asleep. Its body had grown even larger, and its bones were thicker and stronger. It looked like it had reached the size of a medium-sized dog. It seemed that the mutant crystals it absorbed yesterday had produced excellent results.
The dog cage was no longer able to accommodate Little Black, so it had developed a habit of sleeping in the corner of the room. David lightly kicked Little Black's sleeping hindquarters. Little Black opened its groggy eyes and looked at David. When it saw David holding Cola in his arms, it immediately let out several jealous barks, sounding quite anxious.
David said, "Little Black, come with me. I'll take you out for a walk."
Little Black instantly perked up upon hearing that. It had been nearly suffocating staying at home these past few days. Typically, dogs need to be walked every day, especially energetic ones like Little Black. But it had been cooped up at home these past few days, without a chance to go out, and it was feeling extremely restless. Moreover, there was a cat in the house constantly eyeing it, making it difficult for it to move around freely. Little Black immediately started bounding around, spinning in circles around David, looking extremely excited.
Sally said, "Are you going out again? I was just about to make lunch."
David shook his head. "Don't worry about me. I have things to take care of. I'll come back to eat tonight." With that, David prepared to leave with the cat in his arms. Just as he opened the door, the door across from him opened as well.
Arnold, who was behind the door, saw David holding a cat in his arms with a dog by his side and was momentarily stunned. He smiled and nodded at David as a greeting. Then, with a solemn expression, Arnold said, "David, let me confess something to you."
Seeing Arnold's serious expression, David thought something bad had happened. "What's the matter?"
Arnold told David about giving food to the man earlier. After a moment of contemplation, David said, "I didn't think it was such a big deal. The food's on me. You two don't have to go hungry."
However, David continued seriously, "But I have to mention something to you. Today is only the second day of the zombie outbreak. Think about it, even if they are starving, Father and son won't starve to death? Their house can't be completely devoid of food, right?"
Arnold suddenly wore a look of realization. "Now that you mention it, something seems off."
David shook his head. When people don't have food, as long as there is water, they can survive without any issues for at least ten to twenty days. If their physical condition is better and they have more body fat, it's even possible to survive for over a month.
Arnold was just too kind-hearted, and seeing the other party using the child as a shield softened him. If any other teammate did the same, David would have kicked them out a long time ago. But there was nothing he could do; after all, Arnold had saved David's life in a previous life.
In this apocalypse, David only had this one truly loyal brother. And he understood that the end of the world had just begun, so it would take Arnold some time to adjust his thinking.
Although David wasn't sure about the true intentions of this father and son, in the apocalypse, he always speculated about strangers with the worst possible intentions. "Be careful around this guy. If he comes again, don't open the door."
David's intuition told him that something was off about this man. But he wasn't particularly worried because they had Sally, the esper. No matter how many ordinary people came, Sally could handle them.
"Yeah, we understand," Arnold felt somewhat guilty in his heart. He knew that he had done a good deed with unintended consequences this time. And the fact that David showed no resentment only increased his guilt. ๐๐๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๐๐๏ผ๐๏ฝ๏ฝ
"Alright, enough talking. I'm going out," David hurriedly walked downstairs with the cat in his arms, and Little Black followed behind wagging its tail. Watching David's departing figure, both Arnold and Sophie were stunned. "Is David taking the dog for a walk?"...
Inside the room, a man in formal attire handed a packet of biscuits to the little boy beside him. "Clare, go ahead and eat." This man was Clark, the person who had just asked Arnold for food.
Clark took two biscuits out of the box and put them in his mouth, then handed the remaining biscuits to the little boy beside him. "Dad, I'm not hungry."
Clark nodded at the little boy and patted his head. "Go play."
The little boy hesitated, as if he had something to say to Clark. Clark asked with concern, "What's wrong, Clare? Do you want to tell Dad something?"
After a moment of hesitation, the little boy finally spoke up, "Dad, you told me lying is wrong, but we still have so much food at home."
Clark smiled and patted his head. "Good boy, lying is wrong, but now we're trying to survive. When your goal is to survive, whatever you do is right." The little boy nodded, seemingly understanding.
"Go play," Clark affectionately patted his head. Clark went to the bathroom and neatly groomed his hair in front of the mirror.
" It seems the information I heard yesterday was correct. This family indeed hoarded a lot of supplies." Yesterday, Angus and that Brother Knife were shouting loudly at Clark's door, and Clark even heard a woman crying.
Clark was curious at that time and pressed his ear against the door to eavesdrop on the commotion from the other side. In reality, it couldn't be considered eavesdropping because the voices from the other side were loud, and Clark easily heard their conversation. He also learned about David hoarding a lot of supplies in his house.
"That guy named David must be incredibly powerful. More than twenty people couldn't even defeat him." Clark had also learned about espers from the internet in the past few days, and he speculated that David might be one of those legendary espers.
"The food in the house won't last long. I need to think of a solution. What should I do?" Clark fell into deep thought.
David drove towards the location of the cold storage. A cat and a dog sat in the back seat, with Cola dozing off and Little Black constantly looking out through the window.
Little Black was curious about everything outside the window. Whenever it saw zombies chasing vehicles, it would let out an alerting bark and desperately scratch at the window. It seemed like it wanted to go down and fight those zombies.
With a cat and a dog in the car, David felt a sense of balance. Having both a cat and a dog was the goal of many people's aspirations. David looked at Cola through the rearview mirror and asked, "By the way, Cola, what ability do you have?"
"Meow?" Due to the language barrier, David's attempt to have a conversation with the cat failed. But he was genuinely curious about what abilities Cola possessed. Although he knew that Little Black was undoubtedly a powerful mutant beast, Cola had only demonstrated extraordinary speed so far.
"Could it be physical enhancement?" Judging from Cola's speed, it seemed to lean towards physical mutation. With its agility alone, it could already defeat most Level 1 esper. That was why David brought it along. Many mutant beasts were not inferior in strength to espers.
In the apocalypse, humans were not the favored side. About an hour later, David arrived at the industrial park again, this time without using navigation and found the location of the cold storage with ease.
David parked the car next to Warehouse No. 1. As soon as he opened the car door, Little Black burst out like an untamed wild horse and frolicked in the open space. However, it quickly stopped and alertly sniffed in the direction of Warehouse No. 1, clearly sensing something unusual.
Little Black suddenly barked a few times towards Warehouse No. 1 and then looked at David, as if giving a warning.
Cola also jumped out of the car and looked towards the location of Warehouse No. 1, its gaze vigilant. David noticed all the reactions of Little Black and Cola. "Mutant beasts are indeed sensitive. They've detected abnormalities so quickly."
He waved at Little Black and Cola. "Follow me." Cola obediently followed behind David, and Little Black stopped its playful antics and walked beside David, its eyes fixed on the direction of the room temperature warehouse.
David led the cat and the dog to the entrance of the room temperature warehouse. Little Black barked even louder this time, looking excited and agitated, staring at the rolling shutter door inside.
David lifted the rolling shutter door, and the warehouse was filled with mutant rats once again. As the sunlight streamed into the warehouse, the mutant rats instantly became frenzied. Especially when they saw Cola and Little Black, they regarded them as formidable enemies. The mutant rats squealed loudly and launched a direct attack, rushing towards David like a black tide.
"Go, Little Black, Cola, show me your strength." After hearing David's command, Little Black became extremely excited and took the lead to charge out.
"Silly dog, don't get surrounded. Use your fire breath, why are you charging in?" David felt helpless. No wonder they say that dogs meddle in the affairs of mice. Little Black's enthusiasm for catching rats was even higher than that of a cat.
Little Black had originally planned to charge into the group of rats, but after hearing David's words, it calmed down. It stopped not far from the front of the rat group and spewed a green flame towards the mutated rats, instantly engulfing the leading troops of the rats in flames. When the fire dissipated, it turned out that hundreds of rats had been burned to white bones, demonstrating the terrifying power of this green flame.
David was also amazed at this scene. No wonder Adolf became the top-ranked esper in the SJ City Rankings with just a dog in the previous life. The power of this green flame was indeed a bit exaggerated, instantly incinerating the flesh and blood of the rats.
In the previous life, David had heard that the flames from Little Black had a special burning effect on flesh and blood. Once it touched a bit, it would spread throughout the body. Unless the flesh and blood were completely incinerated, the flames would not extinguish. ๐๐๐๐ฃ๐ค๐ซ๐๐ก๏ผ๐๐ค๐ข
Because of the characteristics of Little Black's flames, many powerful espers died miserably under its flames. It was said that only one esper survived after being hit by small black's flames. In order to prevent the flames from spreading throughout his body, he severed his left hand, thus saving his life.
After small black spewed out a flame and killed the rats, its wild nature seemed to awaken. It ran excitedly, keeping a distance from the rat swarm while continuously spewing flames. With each flame, dozens or even hundreds of rats were burned to ashes.
On the other hand, Cola, seeing small black's performance, didn't want to be outdone. It also charged out, moving as fast as lightning. Just as David thought it was going to engage in close combat, he discovered a fluctuation of energy emanating from Cola. As an esper, David was extremely familiar with energy fluctuations, and this was a precursor to releasing esper abilities.
Cola summoned several dark shadows, which fell onto the rats, enveloping them like a black mist. Although these shadows had no attacking power, they completely blocked their vision. The rats were suddenly plunged into darkness and couldn't see anything. They became a group of headless flies, panicking and running amok in the warehouse, occasionally bumping into obstacles around them.
Coca-Cola charged into the group of blinded rats, like a tiger among sheep, starting a one-sided slaughter. Its claws were extremely sharp, comparable to swords. With each swipe of its claws, a rat would meet its end. Some rats tried to attack Cola by relying on their sense of smell. However, Cola was too fast, and all their attacks missed, posing no threat to it. David looked on with a surprised expression.
"Shadow-type esper?" Shadow-type espers were almost as rare as spatial-type espers. Unexpectedly, Cola possessed this kind of ability. He had heard that shadow-type espers were always elusive and had extremely mysterious attack methods, making them a difficult type of esper to deal with.
Watching Cola kill in the midst of the rat swarm, David suddenly remembered something from the previous life. He had heard about a famous "Shadow Cat Demon" in a large base in City D. The entire base provided it with delicious food and drink, fearing to upset it. This "Shadow Cat Demon" was the most powerful presence in the entire base. Moreover, this City D was located right next to SJ City.
"Could that Shadow Cat Demon be Cola?" Just as David was surprised, the cat and dog had already gone berserk in the rat swarm. Within just two or three minutes, several hundred rats had already died at their hands. David watched with a sense of satisfaction. They were much more efficient than he was.
"Indeed, you two are professionals when it comes to catching rats."
Within a few moments, with the power of Cola's shadow abilities, the small black mouse in Warehouse No. 1 completely vanished into the warehouse. Looking at the mess on the floor, David became more convinced. Cola was indeed the shadow cat monster.
Cola walked over, rubbing against David's leg. David chuckled helplessly and crouched down. Just as his hand was about to stroke the cat's head, the little black creature presented its head to him. In response, David's hand landed on the small round head of the black cat.
The cat purred softly, its face filled with contentment. Watching this scene, Cola quickly became dissatisfied and made a growling sound towards the little black creature. Observing the standoff between the cat and the dog, David sighed helplessly. "Cola, do you know about the shadow cat monster?" he suddenly asked. Cola froze in place, then looked at him with a puzzled expression.
In the next moment, David stood up and gazed inside Warehouse No. 1. "Crazy, how could I possibly communicate with Cola?" With those words, he beckoned to the cat and dog and headed towards the warehouse.
The deeper he went, the stronger the putrid smell became. These mice had clearly been surviving here for quite some time. The scattered white bones on the floor showed how formidable these mice were in terms of their attacking power.
With each step David took, he crushed a bone. The bone instantly snapped in half. Black? Normally, both the inside and outside of bones should be white. However, on this bone that broke in half, David discovered that the broken part was black. ๐๐๐๐๐๐๏ฝ ๏ฝ๏ผ๐๏ฝ๐
"Why is this thing black?" David muttered to himself, about to crouch down and examine it closely when he suddenly heard a cry from the little black creature. He quickly looked up, only to see the small black cat continuously barking in one direction, while Cola behind him became alert.
David hurriedly collected the bones in front of him, intending to examine them carefully later. After storing them away, he walked forward cautiously towards the direction the cat and dog were on guard. Warehouse No. 1 had many containers, and what was inside those containers was unknown, but this place was definitely not conducive to combat.
As he moved forward, he gradually heard the sound of someone eating. The sound was urgent and hurried, as if it were a person who hadn't eaten anything for over ten days. Could there be people here? In this warehouse full of mutant mice, could there still be humans?
Soon, David's eyes revealed the answer. In a larger container, a thin and emaciated zombie was bowing its head, crazily gnawing on something, emitting an extremely foul odor from the entire container.
David stood just outside the container, but it seemed that the zombie hadn't noticed him. Even the recent cries from the small black cat didn't divert its attention. Ever since entering Warehouse No. 1, there had been white bones everywhere. For this zombie to survive here, it must possess great strength.
Quietly, David moved away to the side. It was best not to provoke this zombie. After searching for a while, David finally found a whole box of food in Warehouse No. 1. However, the surroundings of this box were filled with the corpses of these mutant mice! The bodies were piled together, flattened as if they had been stepped on, and they stuck to the ground, shriveled.
Seeing this scene, David couldn't help but furrow his brow. The countless corpses around him reminded David that obtaining this box of food was not that simple. But this was a whole box of food, a lifesaver in the midst of the apocalypse.
There was no way David would give up. Just as David took his first step forward, Little Black went crazy and let out a loud roar. The next moment, without hesitation, Little Black spewed a mouthful of fire! David quickly turned around! When he saw the figure in the air successfully dodging the flames of Little Black, he was instantly on edge! It was the same zombie that was eating inside the container just now!
At this moment, the zombie landed steadily on top of the highest container, its hands and feet firmly on the ground, resembling a crawling creature, staring intently at David.
This zombie seemed to have rushed over while still eating, with a human hand hanging from its mouth. Crack! The zombie stared at David, and seeing that David didn't move, it continued to eat the hand right in front of him! Just because the zombie didn't attack David didn't mean he was safe! He couldn't let his guard down. In a place like this, even a momentary lapse of vigilance could cost him his life!
David quickly summoned his armor, and with a few clicks, his whole body was enveloped in armor. Today, he had to secure the box of food behind him! David glanced at the zombie gnawing on the hand, calmly retreated, and approached the box step by step.
The zombie saw David's actions, swallowed the last bite of the hand, and roared loudly at David! The next moment, seeing that David had no intention of stopping, the zombie lunged forward. With a swoosh, the zombie charged at David at an incredible speed.
Bang! The zombie collided with David's armor head-on. It barely took a few steps back, vigilantly staring at David.
David breathed a sigh of relief. Luckily. The armor was sturdy enough. He couldn't even see a trace of this guy's movement at the speed he just displayed. It was unbelievably fast! Cola, as a supernatural being with shadow abilities, was already considered very fast. But unexpectedly, this zombie was several times faster than Coke! Since this guy couldn't break through the armor, he could just keep an eye on it and take the food away.
With this method in mind, David began to execute it in coordination with the attacks of Little Black and Coke. What surprised David was that this guy didn't pay any attention to the attacks from Little Black and Coke at all! It evaded their attacks while relentlessly attacking David! With every step David took, he felt a tremendous impact from behind.
If it were anyone else, they would have fallen countless times already! But what frustrated David was that his armor, no matter how strong, couldn't withstand the repeated impacts from this guy!
"This is bad." Sensing the changes in his armor, David felt uneasy. He turned around and without hesitation, he raised his hand and threw several spatial blades at the zombie charging towards him again!
The spatial blades were extremely fast, and the zombie clearly didn't expect David to counterattack. It hesitated for a moment and swiftly dodged, but still got hit by one blade. The zombie stood in place, its right arm slowly oozing green blood. "Why is it green?" David looked at the color and felt somewhat uneasy.
The green liquid slowly dripped from the zombie's arm wound and fell to the ground. David stared at the green liquid for a long time, unable to react immediately.
In the previous world, there were zombies with green liquid, but that was about a month after the disaster. How could the zombies mutate so quickly just on the second day after the disaster?
A roar snapped David back to reality, and he quickly looked up. The zombie's gaping mouth was dangerously close, and he swiftly raised his hand, launching several spatial blades in an instant. Unfortunately, all the spatial blades missed their target.
The speed of this zombie was incredibly fast! David's body moved, his eyes desperately trying to keep up with the agile movements of the zombie. He tightly clenched his fingers, searching for an opportunity to release the spatial blades. The other zombies outside had not yet mutated, and the consequences would be unimaginable if this mutated zombie was released here.
The System's Spatial Critical had only a little over a day left, and collecting the Mutated Crystals from mutated zombies was undoubtedly a great opportunity. David's eyes lit up as he called out to Little Black and Cola. "Little Black, Cola! Attack!" Little Black let out a howl and unleashed flames towards the zombie's figure. The zombie moved quickly, and despite Little Black's intense efforts, its attacks could only chase after the zombie's shadow.
Meanwhile, Cola made a move and instantly appeared in front of the zombie. Without using its special ability, it lunged at the zombie's face, catching it off guard. The zombie never expected Cola to be so fast. In the split second of its astonishment, Little Black's flames were already dangerously close from behind.
Now's the time! Seeing the zombie about to dodge, David didn't hesitate for a moment and flung his spatial blade directly at it. One spatial blade accurately sliced through the zombie's neck, while the rest pierced through its abdomen.
The next second, Little Black's flames covered the zombie perfectly. In just a blink of an eye, a strong smell of burning flesh filled the air, causing David to furrow his brow. Cola managed to reach David's feet a split second before Little Black, leaning against it and emitting a low growl. Little Black, who missed the opportunity by a hair's breadth, looked at the scene with resentment, but didn't dare to approach and could only complain in a resentful tone from a distance.
David lifted Cola and crouched down beside Little Black, rubbing its head. "You both did a great job." Little Black satisfiedly nuzzled David's palm with its head, and its voice became more pleasant. When David put Cola down, it glanced quietly at Little Black.
He walked towards the charred remains of the zombie. On the ground, there was only one green-glowing mutated crystal lying quietly. Not even a trace of the zombie's body or ashes remained.
This zombie was different from the mutated zombies David had encountered before. Although this zombie had mutated, its intelligence was much lower compared to the mutated zombies from the previous world.
One could say it had none at all. David picked up the mutated crystal, and with a thought, the green crystal disappeared from his hand.
[You have obtained one Intermediate Mutated Crystal, Critical Hit Multiplier: 100,000x! ]
[Congratulations! You have obtained 100,000 Mutated Crystals! ]
David heard the notification and felt delighted. This mutated crystal was much larger than the previous ones he had collected. The effect of this intermediate mutated crystal was equivalent to a thousand low-level crystals. Moreover, these colored intermediate crystals, when absorbed by superhumans, had the potential to trigger new abilities. With little time left for the ten thousand-fold critical hit, if he could encounter mutated zombies during this remaining time, it would undoubtedly be a great benefit.
With little time remaining, David approached the shipping container and gently lifted the lid. Upon opening it, he saw a whole box of canned meat, rice, bread, and more in front of him.
With a thought, the entire box of non-perishable food disappeared in the next second. At the same time, the system issued a prompt.
[You obtained 50 cans of fresh meat, ten thousand-fold critical hit in effect! ]
[Congratulations, you obtained 5 million cans of fresh meat! ]
[You obtained 50 pieces of bread, ten thousand-fold critical hit in effect! ]
[Congratulations, you obtained 5 million pieces of bread!]...
The non-perishable storage area was not particularly large, and it didn't take long for David to finish exploring it with Small Black and Cola. He planned to go to the frozen storage area next, where he expected to find more food to fill their stomachs. If lucky, there might be another wave of ten thousand-fold critical hits.
As David and his companions passed by the shipping container where the mutated zombie had stayed before, he glanced inside and unexpectedly saw the corpses of several mutated rats!
"This guy eats mutated rats?" David recoiled in disgust and averted his gaze. In the refrigerated storage area, David easily found two containers of inventory. Looking at the frozen food inside the containers, he wasted no time in collecting them.
Finally, he arrived at the frozen storage area. The doorknob was covered with a thin layer of frost, indicating that the temperature inside was much colder than the refrigerated area. David exerted some force before managing to open the door.
As soon as he opened the door, a cold wind blew in, causing him to shudder involuntarily. Small Black and Cola, following behind him, also sensed the temperature and huddled shivering behind David.
With each step, David felt as if he was walking on ice. Due to the catastrophe, all the personnel in Warehouse No. 1 had perished, and naturally, no one controlled the temperature here. The further he walked, the colder the air in the entire area became. However, the colder it was, the rarer the presence of the mutated rats. These rats, despite being mutated, couldn't withstand the cold temperature.
Small Black couldn't bear it any longer and let out a low growl. David turned to look and couldn't help but smile at the sight of Small Black and Cola trembling. "You two wait for me outside."
Upon hearing this, Small Black and Cola hesitated for a moment. Although they wanted to accompany David, they couldn't endure the temperature inside. In the end, they reluctantly returned the way they came. Even if he left Small Black and Cola outside, David had nothing to worry about. The strength of these two companions was extraordinary.
David continued walking towards the end. The cold in this place was nothing for his physical fitness. When he reached the end, he pushed open a door in front of him. Inside the room, he immediately saw boxes of fruits, vegetables, and a considerable amount of dairy products.
As he was about to leave after clearing the room of food, he caught sight of an inconspicuous medical box in the corner.
In the post-apocalyptic world, food is undoubtedly crucial, but survival requires more than just food; it also requires medicine. In this harsh living environment, many people do not die because of zombies but rather due to illness.
Taking advantage of the 100,000-fold boost, David needs to find more medicine. He picked up the medical kit from the corner, but before he could open it, the entire room he was in began to shake violently! An earthquake? Impossible. This city hasn't experienced an earthquake in hundreds of years.
On the contrary, David felt that it was more like something massive walking. With a thought, the medical kit disappeared from his hands.
[You obtained a medical kit, and the 100,000-fold boost is in effect!]
[Congratulations, you obtained 100,000 medical kits!]
David didn't pay much attention to the system's words. He pressed himself tightly against the door, and at the moment the system's voice sounded, he saw something outside the door! He nervously swallowed a gulp of saliva.
The feet outside the door were bare, stepping on the ground, causing violent tremors in the refrigerated storage area with each step. David only caught a glimpse of the owner of those feet for a second and dared not look any further.
It was a combination of a human and an animal, with the lower half of the zombie being human while the upper half resembled a rat! Even in David's previous life, he had never seen something like this so early on.
He stayed close to the wall, waiting for the thing outside to leave. After what seemed like several minutes, the thing finally departed. David didn't dare to let his guard down as he cautiously walked out.
In the corridor, every step the zombie took left a footprint. But due to the temperature, the footprints were quickly covered by frost. That's why David hadn't noticed the zombie when he entered.
On the opposite side of the door David came out of, there was another door, but it was locked. David looked around, confirmed that the zombie wasn't nearby for now, and his hand touched the lock. He pulled it forcefully, and the lock broke. David pushed open the door and entered.
At the moment he entered, he understood why the zombie had a human and rat-like appearance. The room in front of him was like an operating room with a surgical table in the center. On the table lay a corpse and a rat's carcass nearby. And on the table, there was also a syringe, halfway inserted into the corpse's hand, as if someone had left in a hurry.
David closed the door behind him and walked to the front of the surgical table. The corpse on the table was a normal human corpse that hadn't undergone any mutations. The syringe in its hand contained green liquid. Even more bizarrely, the corpse hadn't decayed yet! Every piece of skin on it was intact.
David didn't observe any further and instead focused his attention on some boxes in the room. They might contain medicine. With this possibility in mind, David walked towards the boxes. When he opened them, his eyes brightened! Indeed, they were medicines! ๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐ค๐๐๐.๐ฃ๐๐ฉ
Inside the boxes were bottles of medicine, and in the next moment, all the medicine bottles in the boxes were stored in David's space. Likewise, these medicine bottles were also multiplied by the 100,000-fold boost! As David stood up and turned around, ready to leave, the entire room shook violently once again.
This guy is not easy to deal with. While this zombie may have intermediate crystals on its corpse, David's current abilities are still too weak. It would be too difficult for David to face this intermediate zombie alone.
Just as David was planning to quietly wait for the zombie to leave, he heard the footsteps of the zombie approaching the room where he was. David looked around and quickly hid behind the boxes. Several boxes were stacked together, perfectly blocking David's entire figure.
As David hid, the door was suddenly slammed open. The zombie rushed in and immediately noticed the corpse on the operating table. Its eyes lit up and without hesitation, it pounced on the corpse.
David remained silent, listening to the sound of chewing. He patiently waited without any sense of urgency...
It had been a while since David left the house. During this time, Arnold and Sophie stayed at home without any unusual occurrences. Until now, they heard a series of knocks on their door from outside.
Bang! Bang! Bang! "Is anyone home?" Sophie, lying in Arnold's arms, was startled by the knocking sound. You see, zombies have good hearing, so they didn't dare to speak too loudly at home, afraid of attracting zombies.
"Honey, what..." Sophie showed a frightened expression.
Arnold, on the other hand, stood up and reassured her, "I'll go check it out." With that, he picked up a long knife nearby and walked to the door.
Arnold looked through the peephole, and his expression became complicated. Standing outside the door was the son of the stranger who had come asking for food earlier.
"Kid, why aren't you at home? What are you doing here?"Arnold asked cautiously.
Tears welled up in the corners of the boy's eyes as he spoke and wiped them away. "Uncle, my dad collapsed at home, and I don't know what to do. Can you help me check on him?"
Sophie walked over and happened to hear the conversation. Looking at the boy outside the door, she felt sorry for him. "Honey, what should we do? He's probably the only one left in his family."
Arnold looked at the boy and hesitated. Moreover, the boy was crying outside the door, and at any moment, he could attract zombies and get torn apart.
He wanted to help, but David's words kept lingering in his mind. What if this was a deliberate trap by that man? But this was still a child! Would parents really put their own children in danger? Arnold gritted his teeth and opened the door. "Kid, let's go and check on your dad. Stop crying." As he spoke, the boy sniffled and nodded.
"Honey, I'll go with you," Sophie held onto Arnold's clothes and whispered. Arnold couldn't bear to let Sophie go with him.
He gently patted Sophie's hand, turned around, went back into the room, put on the armor left by David, and said to her, "Stay at home and wait for me. If I don't come back, don't open the door."
With that, Arnold closed the door, took the long knife, and followed the boy. Sally, across, saw everything through the peephole.
Sally silently watched the entire process through the peephole. Arnold was equipped with the armor and long knife given by David, and she would only intervene if absolutely necessary.
On Arnold's side, he followed the little boy all the way back to his house. The boy opened the door, and Arnold cautiously entered, but there was no one inside the house, let alone a fallen man.
"Where is your father, young man?" Arnold turned to ask the boy. However, the boy closed and locked the door behind him. With wide eyes, he pointed to a room beside them and said, "He's in there."
Arnold frowned as he looked at the boy. He had mostly figured out that this was a trap. Using a child as bait, were they still parents?
Arnold squatted in front of the boy and asked in a low voice, "Tell me the truth, young man. What did your father tell you?"
The boy looked at Arnold, about to say something, but before he could speak, Arnold noticed the boy's gaze slowly shifting upward. Not good!
Alarm bells rang in Arnold's mind. He quickly moved aside, and the next second, a chair smashed into the spot where he had been standing a moment ago.
"Father!" The man clearly disregarded his son's safety. He didn't even pause to care about his son when the chair hit the boy's hand. The boy was hurt and immediately started crying.
"Don't cry!" After reprimanding the boy, the man turned around and stared fiercely at Arnold.
"What do you want?" Arnold stood up cautiously, on guard.
The man's lips curled slightly as he looked at the armor on Arnold's body, clearly underestimating him. He took out an iron rod hidden behind the door and threatened Arnold, saying, "Give me all the food in your house, and I'll consider sparing you. How about that?"
The man greedily eyed Arnold, but Arnold's face darkened. "I helped you before, and yet..." David was right, in the apocalypse, no one can be trusted.
With a sneer, the man said, "If I still had food, do you think I would come begging to you?" Without further ado, the man raised the iron rod in his hand and swung it towards Arnold!
The iron rod struck Arnold's armor, and he only felt a slight weight on his shoulder, nothing more. However, the man couldn't hold onto the rod anymore; his entire hands were trembling uncontrollably.
"Ah!" The man let out a roar and grabbed a fruit knife from the table, stabbing it towards Arnold's eyes!
Arnold was a retired soldier and had undergone numerous training drills on how to deal with knife-wielding criminals. In just a few moves, he quickly subdued the man on the ground.
"Brother... Brother! I was wrong! I was wrong!" The man cried out in pain as Arnold pressed him down. Knowing he couldn't win against Arnold, he quickly begged for mercy. Arnold coldly listened to his pleas.
At the thought that if he killed the man, the child would be left without a father, Arnold wouldn't hesitate to kill this treacherous man. On the battlefield, men like him would only betray their comrades!
Betrayal was something Arnold couldn't tolerate the most! With a cold expression, Arnold released the man. As he was about to walk out the door, he heard a clang from behind.
Arnold slowly turned around and saw the little boy holding a small knife, thrusting it towards his back...
In the room where David was, a loud noise suddenly came from it. He trembled all over and cautiously poked his head out. When he saw what was in front of him, his eyes widened!
On the operating table, the intact corpse that should have been devoured by zombies actually stood up! The violent noise from earlier must have been the zombie being kicked aside. The zombie glared angrily at corpse on the table.
The zombie let out a roar, and the next moment, sharp claws appeared on its hands! It lunged at corpse on the table. Just as its claws were about to tear corpse apart, the body lightly jumped and landed behind the zombie.
Another kick. The zombie was once again sent flying! But this time, the zombie collided right where David was looking. David's mouth twitched as he saw the zombie move, but the next moment, it was firmly stepped on by corpse! ๐๐๐๐ง๐ผ๐๐๐ฅ๏ผ๐ฐ๐จ๐บ
corpse had left footprints on the zombie's body! David clearly saw bite marks on corpse's shoulder. After being bitten by the zombie, corpse should have turned into a zombie as well.
But why... David widened his eyes suddenly. The body had already dealt with the zombie!
He swallowed his saliva, already prepared to attack with his spatial blade. corpse looked at the dead zombie under its foot, repeatedly stomping on it in apparent dissatisfaction. After crushing the zombie's flesh, it finally lifted its foot.
corpse slowly turned around and locked eyes with David. It was a male body, and from its appearance, it seemed to be in its teens. If it were still alive, it would have been a young person just starting college life.
To David's surprise, the corpse glanced at him as if disdainful, without attacking, and walked out directly.
David stood up and looked at the departing figure of the corpse, feeling puzzled. "What is this? It came back to life, but everything seems different from the previous life."
The appearance of the mutated zombie ahead of time and this corpse. Is there a connection between the two? Could it be because he disrupted the outcome of the previous life and did something different before the disaster struck? David shook his head. The fact that the body didn't attack him was a good thing. He couldn't defeat this corpse; it was too powerful.
David turned around and walked back to the incapacitated zombie. He lightly slashed its forehead with a small knife, revealing an intermediate crystal inside. Like the previous one, this crystal had a faint green color. After storing it in his space, the crystal duplicated into a hundred thousand.
When David walked out, Little Black and Cola saw him and hurriedly ran over. The cat and dog trembled as if they had seen something extremely frightening.
David, accompanied by them, left Warehouse No. 1, and the body had disappeared without a trace. Just as David was driving back to their residence and had just walked upstairs, he saw Arnold descending the stairs with a vacant look, And the long knife in his hand was covered with bloodstains...
"David?" Arnold's eyes were empty as he looked up at David. David was slightly taken aback by Arnold's gaze.
In the previous life, Arnold had always been in the same state as he was now. "What happened?" David asked. ๐ฏ๐๐ฑ๐ป๐จ๐๐ฒ๐ฅ.๐ผ๐ฟ๐
Before Arnold could answer, Sally opened the door and walked excitedly towards David. "You're back."
As Sally approached, preparing to embrace David, she accidentally locked eyes with Arnold and shuddered.
David sighed. He had a rough idea of what had happened. He patted Sally's shoulder and whispered, "Take Little Black and Cola back first."
Sally didn't hesitate and immediately agreed. As David listened to the sound of Sally closing the door, he took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket. It was the same pack he hadn't finished the last time he gave one to Arnold.
In the midst of the apocalypse, he was either on the road collecting supplies or hunting zombies. The pressure was overwhelming, and he thought, why not give it a try?
Arnold also looked at the cigarette David handed him, hesitated for a moment, and then approached. He had choked last time due to nervousness, but this time he wouldn't embarrass himself.
The two leaned against the fence. Arnold put the cigarette in his mouth, glancing at David cautiously before taking a puff. This time, he didn't choke on the cigarette.
David exhaled a puff of smoke and turned to look at Arnold, who also exhaled smoke. "Tell me."
Arnold took a drag from his cigarette, recalling the scenes from earlier. "David, you were right. This disaster has come, and no one can be trusted. I... I killed that man and his child with my own hands!" As he spoke, Arnold's voice grew quieter.
Arnold hadn't intended to harm the family. They were about to let them go. But the man fought desperately, insisting on keeping Arnold. The man was no match for Arnold, and by the time Arnold knocked him down again, the man was already half-dead. He even called his son to hold onto Arnold tightly.
Arnold had wanted to pull the little boy away, but the man's next words shocked him. "Brother, I can't even feed my son with the little food we have. Can I trade my son for food?"
Upon hearing those words, Arnold exploded. He forcefully pulled the little boy away, approached the man, and put an end to his suffering. Such a father, even if the little boy had stayed with him, would eventually abandon him. Arnold had initially thought of adopting the little boy with Sophie, but when he dealt with the man, the little boy rushed towards his own blade.
Arnold finished recounting the events and exhaled a smoke ring slowly. "David, that's how it happened."
David nodded and gently patted his shoulder. "It's alright. Just rest well. There will be many more incidents like this in the future."
David lifted his foot and walked towards the room where the man resided. Arnold followed him closely. Upon entering, David saw the bodies of the man and the boy. He frowned at the sight of blood scattered on the floor. "Zombies will come soon. You should go back."
With those words, David bypassed the corpses and walked into the room. Arnold didn't leave, nor did he respond to David's words. He stood guard at the door with his machete in hand. David paid no attention to Arnold's choice and carefully searched the room. It didn't take long for him to discover a large box of food hidden inside. The box contained various eatables and drinks. With a wave of his hand, David stored them all in his space.
[You obtained 30 loaves of bread. Critical hit bonus: 100,000!]
[Congratulations! You obtained 300,000 loaves of bread!]
[You obtained 5 cans. Critical hit bonus: 100,000!]
[Congratulations! You obtained 50,000 cans!]
The voice of the system kept ringing in David's mind. He didn't stay in the room for long and quickly left the place with Arnold. Less than a minute after they left, a dozen zombies rushed in and devoured the two corpses in the room, leaving only bare white bones behind.
After finishing their meal, the zombies roamed around the entire building for a while before eventually leaving. David stayed in the room where Arnold and his wife were. He raised his hand and released a considerable amount of food and drink.
Both of them stood there in astonishment. "David, with so much food, we won't have to worry about eating and drinking, right?" Arnold exclaimed.
However, David shook his head. "These things are only temporary. The disaster has just begun. It's good to collect as much as we can now. But in a month, the zombies will undergo a complete mutation. By that time, it will be extremely difficult to find food. There isn't much time left for the 100,000 critical hit bonus, so he must collect everything he can during this time."
Suddenly, the sound of pounding came from outside the door. Sophie trembled and hid behind Arnold. Arnold was about to go and check, but David stopped him.
David looked at him and shook his head. At this time, the zombies had just finished devouring the father and son. Whoever was outside the door might not be human, but more likely a zombie.
But the next second, a voice filled with age came from outside the door. "Is... anyone there?" The voice was extremely eerie, sounding like an old man's voice, but within each word, there was a hint of a young woman's voice. The two voices intertwined, giving a chilling sensation.
Arnold looked at David, about to say something. But David calmly raised his index finger and placed it in front of his lips. If they made a sound, whatever was outside would rush in the next second, exposing them.
David had encountered talking and communicative zombies before, but it was something from the previous life and hadn't appeared this early. It increasingly felt like the situation was beyond his understanding. If these zombies appeared so early, who knew what even more terrifying things might appear in a month?
After a while, the sound outside gradually faded away. David cautiously walked forward, confirmed that there was no one through the peephole, and then breathed a sigh of relief. "Remember, if someone else knocks on the door, don't open it."
After leaving those words behind, David departed and returned to Sally's home. As soon as he entered, Sally rushed towards him and tightly embraced him.
David gently stroked her beautiful hair and carried her to the couch. "How was it? Did you absorb it well?"
Sally smiled proudly, stood up, and extended her hand. Lightning coiled around her fingers, obediently forming various shapes as she pleased. The lightning was highly responsive.
"New abilities haven't been discovered, but I'm getting better and better at controlling this lightning," Sally said while playing with the lightning at her fingertips.
"Not bad." David supported his chin with his hand, looking satisfied with Sally. It only took about thirty low-level crystals to control the lightning so smoothly. If she used an intermediate crystal, the consequences would be unimaginable. However, it was a pity that each supernatural ability corresponded to a specific color, and Sally's lightning attribute was represented by the color purple.
The crystals they found today were all green, which was not suitable for Sally to absorb. Even if she absorbed them, it would be like absorbing air, having no effect at all.
Green crystals... If David remembered correctly, those belonged to the healing category. Just like in the previous life, healing abilities and individuals with healing powers were extremely rare. If a team had a healer with supernatural abilities, that team would be almost invincible. The healer would be treated as a treasure, even as a tool.
In the previous life, David had witnessed a healer with supernatural abilities being treated like a slave by an organization, trading crystals for their healing powers. In the end, the healer didn't last long and died.
David had considered adding a healer with supernatural abilities to his team. However, he had never found such a person. If he ever encountered someone like that, he would want to keep them hidden, let alone exposing them to the public eye.
"What are you thinking about?" Sally looked at David, who seemed lost in thought, and walked over to hold his arm.
David shook his head. "Nothing."
With that said, he took out fifty low-grade crystals and handed them to Sally. "Continue absorbing these."
Sally paused for a moment, looking at the fifty crystals in her hand. Just by going out for a while, David could collect so many crystals. How strong was David exactly? ๏ฝ๐๏ฝ๏ฝ๐๏ฝ๐๏ฝ.๐๐๏ฝ
"Okay." Sally immediately agreed and turned back to her room, holding the crystals. She needed to become stronger quickly so that she wouldn't hold David back in battle.
After Sally went back to her room, David squatted down in front of Little Black. He caressed its furry coat and put a few crystals in its dog bowl.
Cola approached stealthily,When Little Black saw the crystals in the dog bowl, before it could feel happy, it noticed Cola's posture and quickly protected its own bowl, staring at Cola with doggy vigilance. Cola glanced at it nonchalantly and then rubbed against David's ankle, making a purring sound.
Looking at the cat and dog's behavior, David smiled helplessly. Having this cat and dog as companions in the world of the apocalypse was not boring. He took out a dozen crystals and handed them to Cola one by one.
Cola happily meowed and started eating. It received more crystals than Little Black, as David wanted to see if Cola was truly the shadow cat demon. Little Black, on the other hand, looked at the amount in its bowl, then glanced at Cola's portion, and reluctantly started eating, feeling unhappy as it lay on the ground.
Several crystals, Cola quickly finished eating them. But David looked at Cola and wondered why it didn't look satisfied after consuming several crystals, Cola showed no reaction whatsoever.
"The demand is really high." David silently commented to himself as he watched Cola rolling on the ground.
He took out twenty crystals again. When Cola saw the crystals, it pounced on them directly. Startled, David exclaimed, and the crystals in his hand scattered on the floor.
"What's wrong?" Sally, inside the room, heard the noise and opened the door with concern. At that moment when the crystals scattered on the ground, Cola moved, and all the crystals had already been eaten by it!
"Such speed." David was dumbfounded watching Cola. He knew Shadow Cat Y?kai was fast, but this speed was so swift that he could barely even see its shadow. The last time he saw Cola's speed, it wasn't this fast. It seems that absorbing those several crystals was indeed very effective.
"Cola!" Sally exclaimed and hurriedly ran up to it, but David stopped her.
On the ground, Cola finished eating the twenty crystals at once, curled up on the ground, emitting a faint white light. It was worrisome because Cola seemed to be in great pain, its whole body trembling slightly.
Cola had been with Sally for quite some time, and seeing this scene, Sally couldn't help but feel worried. David glanced at Cola and comforted Sally, saying, "It's okay, Cola is absorbing the crystals."
After hearing David's words, Sally nodded, and her furrowed brows relaxed. After eating the crystals, Little Black quickly fell asleep. David stayed by Cola's side for a long time, but it still hadn't finished absorbing them. In the latter half of the night, David gave up observing and went back to the room to rest with Sally.
The next day, a loud noise woke David and Sally, who were still resting. Startled, David immediately got up from the bed, swiftly stood by the window, and cautiously peered out with one eye.
A nearby house had been blasted open? This commotion attracted countless zombies in the vicinity. With a single glance, David saw that zombies from a wide range were swaying and heading towards the explosion site.
"This is..." Sally murmured as she looked at the explosion site.
"It's hard to say, maybe it's the work of superhumans," David speculated.
"Help! Is anyone there? Is anyone inside the house?" accompanied by a woman's screams, there was a series of knocking sounds on the door. Sally and David exchanged glances and walked to the door. Through the peephole, David saw a young woman followed by a zombie staggering along.
The woman was pounding on David's door like a lunatic, and the zombie behind her was getting closer and closer. "I know you're inside, please, please open the door and let me in!"
David just silently watched the scene, without making any response. He wasn't a saint, and there was no need to save , she was an insignificant person.
Sally remained silent as well, following David. She was learning more and more, especially about human nature. Several minutes passed, and the woman continued to pound on the door frantically. However, the zombie behind her remained motionless, just standing a short distance away, watching the woman's actions.
In the next second, the woman's neck made a cracking sound, and the corners of her mouth curved upwards at an alarming angle, lifting all the way to the position of her cheekbones. Even the skin on her body began to rapidly decay, but not a single piece of flesh fell off. There were even a few pieces of flesh hanging loosely on her body without detaching.
Indeed, she wasn't human. David calmly watched. Just as the woman was about to leave, she turned around and went to knock on Arnold's door again.
"Is anyone there? Open the door..." This time, the woman's voice sounded extremely sad. If it were someone else, they might have opened the door out of compassion. But David continued to watch, his hand tightly gripping the doorknob. He wouldn't open the door, but that didn't mean Arnold wouldn't.
Arnold was a retired soldier, and his sense of justice always remained within him. Hopefully, he had learned a lesson from the incident with the father and son. After a few minutes, the woman looked at Arnold's door, then glanced at David's door with a tilt of her head before finally leaving. David looked at Arnold's firmly locked door and couldn't help but feel satisfied.
In the apocalypse, the only person you can truly rely on is yourself. With a single thought, David saw the unfinished task in his taskbar.
[Task: Apocalypse Reserves!]
"The apocalypse is approaching. Please collect as many usable resources as possible and store them in the emergency storage space! During this task, all resources you store will receive a 100,000x critical boost. Remaining time for the task: 0 days, 15 hours, 1 minute."
Looking at the precise countdown, David furrowed his brow. It wouldn't be easy to go out and search for supplies within this time frame. The recent explosion had attracted the attention of the surrounding zombies. Going out now, David could easily find himself surrounded by dozens of zombies with a single careless move.
"David, are you there?" Arnold's voice came in a low whisper from outside the door. David looked through the peephole, confirmed that it was Arnold, and then opened the door. Arnold walked in, already wearing the armor David had given him and holding a long knife in his hand.
"what are you doing?" David asked, puzzled.
"David, today I'm going out with you," Arnold said earnestly.
Going out together wasn't a bad idea. It would allow Arnold to gain more experience and increase his combat effectiveness. David nodded and agreed. He turned to Sally and gave her a few instructions, asking her to temporarily stay with Sophie until they returned.
Cola was still asleep when they left, so David didn't bring Cola along. He only brought Little Black with him. Little Black looked at David not bringing Cola and was quite happy. It bounced along with David in excitement as they left. After the group had left, Cola, curled up inside the house, slowly opened its eyes. Its eyes emitted a faint green light. Cola let out a low purr, stood up, stretched lazily, and leaped lightly, disappearing outside the room.
This time, David planned to visit the largest central hospital in the city. Interestingly enough, the central hospital was located next to the site of the explosion.
"David, are there usually this many zombies around?" Arnold, sitting in the passenger seat, couldn't help but ask as he watched the zombies being knocked aside along the way.
David glanced at him calmly and shook his head. "Just a small portion," he replied, stepping on the accelerator, increasing the speed of the car.
Behind their car, there were still many zombies chasing after them. However, their speed was far inferior to David's, and they were quickly left behind. Without a target, the zombies wandered aimlessly on the streets.
Central Hospital. Both of them were startled when they saw the sign hanging half off the roof. The once bustling central hospital had turned into a terrifying place after the disaster struck. David parked the car not far away and locked it up.
"David, did those zombies enter that shop?" Arnold pointed to a small store next to the hospital.
That store happened to be the location of the explosion. But miraculously, the explosion had demolished the surrounding shops, yet that particular store remained unscathed.
David didn't pay much attention to it. The fact that no zombies entered the hospital was a good thing. Taking advantage of the zombies outside being completely focused on that small store, David successfully entered the hospital with Arnold.
Inside the hospital, everything was in chaos, with machinery strewn about on the ground. Seeing the corpses of zombies on the floor, David didn't hesitate and led Arnold around them, heading straight to the pharmacy. As they approached the pharmacy's entrance, they discovered that the door couldn't be pushed open, and even the windowsills were locked.
Considering the timing of the zombie outbreak, the pharmacy shouldn't have been closed. Could there be someone inside? Just as David was contemplating this, Arnold and he exchanged a glance and, using his long knife, Arnold directly cleaved open the door in front of them.
"David, this knife of yours is really good!" Arnold's eyes lit up, looking at David with excitement.
David nodded, showing no surprise, but rather an expected reaction. As they stepped into the pharmacy, a sense of danger immediately struck. David swiftly dodged a sudden attack!
"Human... you're humans!" A nearby doctor trembled, holding a surgical knife, pointing it at David and Arnold. Since the zombie outbreak, he had been hiding in the pharmacy, afraid to make a sound. Over the past three days, he had only eaten a piece of bread and drank a bottle of water. It was because he didn't make any noise that he managed to evade the wandering zombies outside.
David frowned and glanced at the doctor, then began scouring the pharmacy for medications.
[You obtained 10 bottles of ibuprofen, critical boost in effect:100,000x!]
[Congratulations, you obtained 1 million bottles of ibuprofen!]
[You obtained 20 bandages, critical boost in effect: 100,000x!]
[Congratulations, you obtained 2 million bandages!] ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐ง๐ผ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ฅ.๐ป๐ฒ๐ญ
Arnold watched as the medications disappeared from David's hands without feeling surprised. The doctor, on the other hand, holding the surgical knife, felt a sense of wonder at David's actions. Since the zombie crisis erupted, all his common sense and knowledge had been turned upside down. Everything he was witnessing in front of him seemed like a dream.
Unfortunately, it wasn't a dream. After David thoroughly looted the entire pharmacy of medications, he wasted no time and prepared to leave with Arnold.
"Take... take me with you," the doctor put down his surgical knife and spoke up.
David didn't stop, he walked out without hesitation. The door of the pharmacy had already been smashed by Arnold, which meant destroying one of the doctor's only means of escape. Arnold, feeling guilty about it, stopped and stood at the entrance of the pharmacy. David sighed, patted Arnold's shoulder, and whispered, "I don't bring just anyone with me, understand?" Arnold trembled and nodded.
"Go and search for more medications," David said, and he entered the pharmacy once again. Arnold didn't hesitate either, he listened to David's words and started wandering nearby.
The moment David stepped into the pharmacy, he had an additional low-level crystal in his hand. When an ordinary person consumes a crystal, they either turn into a zombie or gain superhuman abilities. There was no need for him to keep useless individuals by his side.
A primary crystal dropped to the ground , The doctor looked at the milky white crystal on the floor, feeling confused. "What... What is this?" he trembled and asked.
David responded calmly, "If you want to come along, eat this."
"Eat... Eat this?!" The doctor was surprised, but he dared not speak too loudly, restraining his voice.
David silently looked at him. The doctor had no choice. He had no companions here, and outside were all zombies. If he didn't eat the crystal, he would be eaten by the zombies outside.
Looking at the crystal on the ground, the doctor swallowed his saliva and reluctantly picked it up. "If I eat this, can I go with you?" he asked tentatively. He was not stupid; he could tell that these two intruders had the ability to protect him. As long as he clung to their legs, he wouldn't have to worry about surviving in this environment. And they must have food!
The doctor gritted his teeth and quickly consumed the primary crystal in his hand. Gulp. The crystal went into his stomach, and he expected something to happen. However, after a minute passed, he didn't feel anything unusual.
The doctor's eyes lit up, and he immediately started laughing. Excitedly, he said to David, "Hahaha, I... I'm fine. Can I go with you now?"
David looked at the doctor and sighed silently. "What a waste of my crystal." As he spoke, a spatial blade appeared in David's hand.
"What are you doing? You can't go back on your word!" The doctor looked at the item in David's hand, showing a fearful expression. Just as he was about to run away, he suddenly realized that his vision became extremely 's figure in front of him became extremely blurry, and then his hands, feet, and his entire body started losing control.
The next moment, he let out a roar that didn't belong to him. David looked at the zombie in front of him, swiftly decapitating it, rendering it motionless. He squatted in front of the zombie and lightly cut open its forehead, taking out a primary crystal. "Not everyone is lucky."
[You obtained a primary crystal, critical hit of 100,000 in effect!]
[Congratulations, you obtained 100,000 primary crystals!]
After completing everything, David walked out. After a few steps, he encountered Arnold who was coming back. Arnold had made a good harvest, with his backpack filled to the brim. Once they returned and stored everything in the space, they would have a substantial amount of supplies. Arnold looked at David, noticing there was no one else behind him, and understood everything without saying a word.
"Let's go," David said, leading the way. He looked at the zombies on the ground, which suddenly stopped moving. ๐ฃ๐๐๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ท๐๐ญ๏ผ๐๐ณ๐จ
David slapped his head and turned to Arnold. "Open their foreheads and take out the crystals."
As he spoke, David squatted down and skillfully took out one crystal after another. Arnold was slightly stunned, looking at the numerous zombies on the ground, and followed David's lead. In no time, the two of them collected nearly a hundred crystals. David looked at the crystals on the ground, and with a thought, all the crystals entered the space.
"David, are we pick up leaks?" Arnold looked at David's actions, slightly surprised.
[You obtained 98 primary crystals, critical hit of 100,000 in effect!]
[Congratulations, you obtained 11,800,000 primary crystals!]
Listening to the system prompts one after another, David felt very satisfied. This trip was definitely worth it! At this rate, whether it was for himself, Sally, or Little Black Cola, leveling up rapidly was just a matter of a few clicks.
With these thoughts in mind, David took out a crystal from his hand and threw it to Little Black beside him. Little Black lightly jumped and bit down on the crystal that David threw, swallowing it.
David watched as Little Black consumed it and felt satisfied. Currently, as long as Little Black and Cola didn't eat too many crystals, they could absorb them without needing to sleep. Bringing them along while leveling up was a perfect solution.
Outside the hospital, David could see many zombies heading towards a small shop. But strangely, once these zombies entered the shop, they never came out again. Moreover, there was a strong stench of decay permeating the air. These zombies seemed to be different from them; they walked straight ahead without any hesitation.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, David led Arnold and Little Black into a nearby general store. It was evident that the store had already been looted, with empty shelves and a few of them even collapsed on the ground. The whole store looked extremely messy.
"David, what is this..." Arnold started to speak, but David had already walked in. Since these people had looted things in the chaos, they couldn't return empty-handed now. The two of them, along with the dog, continuously moved around the store, not even leaving out the tiniest corners. Finally, they found a few abandoned candles in a small corner behind the counter.
"David, just a few candles," Arnold held up the candles in his hand, feeling helpless.
Although it was just a few, in David's hands, with a critical hit of 100,000, these candles were no longer just a few.
Without saying a word, David directly took the candles from Arnold's hand. With a thought, he stored the candles in the space.
[You obtained 5 candles, critical hit of 100,000 in effect!]
[Congratulations, you obtained 500,000 candles!]
Listening to the system prompts, David nodded satisfactorily. Candles were still very useful under certain circumstances.
Looking at the empty store, David led Arnold and Little Black out. But just as they stepped out of the store's entrance, David suddenly stopped.
"David, should we go back inside the store?" Arnold whispered, slowly stepping backward.
In front of them, the zombies that should have been heading towards that store all turned to look in David and the others' direction.
David calmly summoned his armor and looked at the approaching zombies. There weren't many of them, so dealing with them was no problem. David clenched his fist and flexed his muscles.
"Don't panic, let's go!" Fortunately, the number was not large. Once the numbers increased, it would be really difficult to deal with them. As soon as he finished speaking, David charged forward with the spatial blade in his hand!
"David is so fierce!" Arnold looked at David charging forward and was momentarily stunned. The next moment, Arnold shouted, "David, I'm coming too!"
Little Black barked and followed Arnold, charging forward as well. The flames it spewed instantly incinerated a large number of zombies. Fortunately, they were all low-level zombies, so this number wasn't enough to pose a threat. In no time, David, Arnold, and Little Black had taken care of all the zombies.
Looking at the corpses of zombies scattered on the ground, David's eyes lit up. These bodies were full of crystals! It was truly a fruitful harvest!
A slight smile appeared on David's lips as he called out to Arnold, who was covered in rotting flesh, beside him. "Quick, dig out the crystals from their foreheads. While the other zombies haven't arrived yet, let's collect all the crystals from these corpses. It's our current task."
"Okay, got it." Arnold gasped for breath, observing David who didn't seem to be out of breath at all, and couldn't help but wonder what he did before. Facing so many zombies and not even breathing heavily afterward... It seemed like he needed to step up his training!
With that in mind, Arnold mustered up his courage and started collecting the crystals from the zombies on the ground, following David's lead.
Just as Little Black was about to pick up a crystal from the ground to secretly devour it, a pair of feet suddenly stomped on it. Startled, Little Black jumped aside. The feet directly crushed the crystal. Little Black growled at the person, expressing its dissatisfaction.
"Hey, Little Black, you're so ugly and fierce. Be careful, big brother might stew you and eat you." The man laughed and spoke to Little Black.
Hearing the voice, David looked towards the man. Behind the man were several fierce-looking youths who were picking up the crystals from the zombies David had defeated. David and his team worked so hard to defeat the zombies. These people actually want to come over and pick up the leak?.
David let out a cold snort and stored the crystals he held in his hand into his storage space.
[You obtained six primary crystals. Critical hit effect active: 100,000! ]
[Congratulations, you obtained 600,000 primary crystals! ]
"Boss, look at that person's backpack on his back." One of the man's lackeys nudged his arm and pointed at the backpack behind Arnold. It was filled with things and seemed quite abundant and eye-catching.
A slight smirk appeared on the man's lips as he beckoned his lackeys and walked towards Arnold's position. "Hey!" The man crossed his arms and stood in front of Arnold with an imposing stance. "What's in the backpack behind you? Show it to us."
Arnold frowned and took a step back. "I advise you not to mess around." He tightly gripped his long knife. However, these people showed no signs of panic upon seeing his actions.
The next moment, the man called one of his lackeys, a bespectacled young man, to step forward. "Brother," he whispered.
The man nodded and gave a signal to the lackey. "This one's up to you."
The young man glanced briefly at Arnold and furrowed his brow. "Brother, this is just an ordinary person. Do we need to be so harsh?"
As soon as he finished speaking, the man kicked the young man. Despite the kick, the young man didn't bend his leg and stood straight in place. "Stop with the bullshit. When I tell you to attack, you attack. Finish the person off and grab the belongings."
Gritting his teeth, the young man remained silent. He looked up at Arnold and apologized, "Sorry, it wasn't intentional." With that, the young man moved swiftly and appeared behind Arnold.
"No!" Arnold scolded, instinctively clutching the backpack behind him. The young man's hand had just grabbed Arnold's backpack and was about to exert force, but he didn't expect Arnold's reaction to be so quick. Seizing the opportunity while the young man was momentarily stunned, Arnold swiftly turned his body and his knee quickly struck the young man's abdomen.
"Ugh!" The young man's pupils widened as he hastily jumped back a few steps.
"Damn it! If you dare to lose, your little girlfriend might not make it!" the man's voice came through.
David stood nearby, listening to these words with disdain in his heart. No wonder this situation seemed strange. It turned out they were exploiting this young man's weakness. However, this person was actually an esper, and he seemed to possess shadow abilities similar to Cola.
With that in mind, David's mind flickered. Holding the Blade of Space in his hand, he swiftly launched an attack, slashing towards the man's neck. Before anyone could react, the man's head had already fallen off. ๐ซ๐ฎ๐น๐ทโด๐ฟโฏ๐ต.๐ฌโด๐ถ
"Boss!" The first lackey to react shouted loudly, his eyes filled with fear. Nobody had seen David's actions.
The young man stood there in confusion, gazing at the rolling head on the ground, unsure of what to do.
Arnold looked at the dispirited young man and quickly approached David. "David, what should we do next?"
David glanced at the corpses of the surrounding zombies. They had collected most of the crystals from the zombies' bodies, but there were still many zombies nearby. When the head fell, the surrounding zombies must have already caught the scent. It was time to leave.
In the next moment, David's ears heard the sound of zombies approaching. He summoned the car and quickly sat in the driver's seat. "Get in."
As he spoke, Little Black barked and agilely jumped into the car. Arnold glanced at the bewildered young man standing still, then turned to David. "David, that kid is also an esper. Maybe he can join us."
Listening to Arnold's words, David had considered the possibility. However, there was no guarantee that he wouldn't betray them. According to what the man had said, his girlfriend was still in their hands.
David twisted the car key, and the car hummed to life. Arnold quickly got into the car. Just as they were about to drive away, the zombies swarmed out, rushing towards those men.
"Ah!" Subsequently, cries of agony rang out. Just as several zombies were about to devour the bewildered young man who was frozen in place, David drove the car and ran over them.
"Get in," David kicked open the passenger seat, coldly saying to the young man. A shadow esper, if cultivated properly, would be a formidable force here.
As for this person, he could be tested for a while. If he proved unsuitable, David had the capability to kill him on the spot.
The young man stared blankly at David. David clicked his tongue and said indifferently, "If you want to save your girlfriend, get in the car."
As if the word "girlfriend" was his switch, upon hearing that, his eyes finally showed a reaction. He nodded, quickly grabbed the car door, and leaped inside.
As soon as the young man got in the car, David quickly started the vehicle and sped away. The men left behind in the area were not as fortunate. Among them, besides having physical strength, they had no other ability to fight against the zombies. Faced with a large number of zombies, it didn't take long for them to be devoured like snacks.
David looked through the rearview mirror and saw that there were still many zombies relentlessly chasing the vehicle they were in. Every now and then, a few zombies would suddenly appear from the front and pounce on them. The car's tires crushed the zombies' heads, flattening them, and exposing the crystals on their foreheads.
David sighed regretfully as he looked at the shiny crystals in the rearview mirror. If it weren't for the large number of zombies, he would have considered getting out of the car and scavenging for more. After the car drove away, a zombie picked up the exposed mutated crystal.
The zombie looked at the object in its hand and tilted its head in confusion. Then, it unexpectedly took a bite! After swallowing the crystal, its face turned red, and its decaying flesh started falling off. It growled lowly and squatted down in extreme pain. Soon after, the zombie's body began to expand.
In the next moment, the zombie exploded with a bang! The other nearby zombies heard the noise and turned their heads in curiosity. Upon realizing it was not a human, they shifted their attention back to the car. Inside the car, the young man looked out the window as they passed by one deserted house after another, furrowing his brow.
He looked at David, who was driving, and spoke up, "Can you help me rescue my girlfriend?" David glanced at the young man in the rearview mirror and said indifferently, "I don't do things without expecting something in return."
In this zombie-infested world, no one would help an unrelated person without reason, and David had his own motives for helping this young man. His Shadow-type ability was very useful.
The young man furrowed his brow and replied, "Name your price, and I'll agree to it."
Straightforward enough. David couldn't help but appreciate this person's character. He just didn't expect that the leverage he had was the young man's girlfriend.
David smiled faintly. The car continued driving until they reached an area where there were no zombies. With a sudden brake, David drifted the car.
His hands rested on the steering wheel as he looked ahead and said, "Regardless of anything, promise me first, and then I'll help you rescue your girlfriend."
"Regardless of anything." The young man hesitated.
After a few seconds, he nodded in agreement. Guided by the young man, David drove to the place where the other man and his group resided.
By the time they arrived, it was 5:09 in the afternoon. There were only a few hours left before the end of the Ten Thousand Critical Hits enhancement. Since it was a base, the food stored there would not be scarce.
As soon as the three men and the dog got out of the car, the young man reminded them, "There are quite a few people inside, and my girlfriend is locked in the innermost room."
"Let's go inside," David said cautiously, glancing around. If they stood around chatting for too long, they might attract zombies.
The other two nodded and walked inside. Just as they took a step forward, a clicking sound was heard, and a small handgun was aimed at David's temple.
"A gun!" David looked at the gun pressed against his head but didn't feel afraid; instead, he felt excited.
As long as he obtained a gun, it would multiply into a hundred thousand once in his inventory. Even the guards at this base had guns, and there would be no shortage of firearms inside. If he could get his hands on all of them, David would have a mobile arsenal!
"Who are you people?" the man at the entrance questioned. He hesitated slightly when he saw the young man.
" kid, what are you doing here? Weren't you with the boss?" the man interrogated. ๐๏ฝ ๏ฝ๏ฝ๐๐๏ฝ ๏ฝ.๏ฝ๏ฝ๐
The young man stepped forward and calmly replied, "The boss asked me to bring these two people back first."
With that, the man scrutinized David, expressing his doubt, "Newcomer? You seem average." As he spoke, he slowly lowered the handgun. He walked behind the young man, without a word, and lifted the young man's sleeve.
Then, he took out a syringe from his pocket and injected it into the young man's arm. The young man watched the whole process but only furrowed his brow. Afterward, the man took a new syringe and approached David. Like the young man, he lifted David's sleeve.
David watched as the serum was slowly injected into his skin, but his body didn't feel anything amiss (immune to toxins). Arnold was also injected with the serum. The three followed behind the man cautiously. Arnold leaned close to David's ear and whispered, "David, this serum..."
David remained silent and silently shook his head. He hadn't figured out the composition of the serum yet, but for now, it seemed harmless. The next moment, when David saw that everyone inside was holding a gun, he was truly amazed.
[Mission: Apocalypse Reserves! ]
"The apocalypse is imminent. Please collect usable resources to the emergency storage space. During this mission, all resources stored will receive a critical hit boost of a hundred thousand times. Time remaining: 0 days, 6 hours, 1 minute."
David glanced at the transparent panel in front of him and then refocused his attention. The remaining six hours were more than enough. He wanted all the firearms here! Firearms were extremely valuable in the apocalypse, not only for self-defense but also as a means of exchange. With firearms, he could say that he had taken a step toward becoming a king in this world.
"What are you looking at? Get lost!" One of the men, uncomfortable with David's stare, scolded him directly.
The man leading the way approached, blocking David's path, and said in a calm tone, "You're new here, be careful."
Upon hearing the words "new here," the man who scolded David's face darkened, and he fell silent. He turned his head, and the leading man warned David, "Don't stare randomly."
The man glared at David and continued walking ahead. David didn't say anything but quietly followed behind the man. For some reason, his body began to feel a bit warm.
Is it because of the serum he received just now? When he turned his head to look at the young man, the young man showed no reaction, and even Arnold was the same.
Is the serum only effective on him? It shouldn't be like that. David lowered his gaze and pondered for a moment. When he raised his gaze again, he had already arrived in front of a room door.
"Go in." The leading man glanced at David and coldly said to the young man. The young man's eyes lit up upon hearing this, and before entering the room, he intentionally glanced at David a few more times.
There were many rooms here, and it seemed that the entire building had been turned into their base. The room in front of them was Room 303. "Hey, you two, come with me," the leading man said coldly.
He glanced at the little black dog that had been following them all the way and impatiently asked, "Is this the dog you brought back?"
"What's the use of this thing? Isn't it just for stewing and eating at the critical moment?" The leading man spoke and saw the little black dog snarl in discontent, prompting him to sneer.
He muttered, "Quite spirited." The man turned around and continued to lead the way.
The little black dog quickened its pace and walked up to David, rubbing against him with its furry body. It let out a low whine. David reached out and patted it, whispering, "It's okay, little black, we'll endure a bit longer, and we'll make you happy later." The little black dog seemed to understand David's words, wagging its tail happily. ๏ฝ๏ฝ ๏ฝ๐๏ฝ๐๐๐.๐๐๏ฝ
The group continued walking forward until they finally stopped at Room 309. The leader turned around and said, "I don't know why the boss chose you, but from now on, you can only listen to us here. You'll stay here, and once you collect twenty crystals, you'll get your guns."
As he spoke, the man proudly swung the gun in his hand. "See this? I collected thirty crystals for this. You'll make do with twenty! Now scram!" With that, the man snorted and walked away.
"David, what do we do now?" Arnold asked as he saw the man completely leave their sight. David remained silent, and a few more men appeared in their line of sight.
The men glared at them and then entered Room 308. The entire building had an unknown number of people and firepower. Engaging them head-on might lead to victory, but they would also sustain injuries. It would be better to make use of other means...
With that in mind, David turned around and opened the door to Room 309. As the door opened, a foul stench filled the air. "Th-those are zombies?" Arnold looked at the bodies lying in the room and spoke slowly.
David furrowed his brow. In the center of the room, there were two zombie corpses. What was horrifying was that the decaying flesh on these corpses had been dug out, leaving only a few rotten pieces of meat clinging to the bones, barely holding on.
David walked inside and closed the door. The two of them squatted beside the zombie corpses. The marks on the corpses didn't resemble bite marks; they looked more like they had been cut off with a blade. Could it be that these people here were eating zombie flesh?
However, David quickly dismissed the thought from his mind. In the previous world, even supernatural beings turned into zombies after eating zombie flesh, let alone ordinary people. What were these people doing with the rotten flesh of zombies?
[Task: Doomsday Reserves! ]
[The doomsday is approaching. Please collect as many usable resources as possible and store them in the reserve space! During this task, all the resources you store will receive a 100,000 times critical boost. Remaining time for the task: 0 days, 5 hours, 0 minutes.]
After an hour had passed, the system issued a warning sound. David stood up and walked towards the door. He couldn't waste any more time here; there were still many machines waiting for him to collect.
Arnold saw David leave and hurriedly followed suit. Room 303 was not arranged like Room 309. The interior of Room 309 was furnished for normal human living, while Room 303 only had a bed, a chair, and a small cabinet. Compared to the other rooms, Room 303 was the smallest, barely the size of a bedroom.
The young man sat on the only chair, holding the hand of the girl on the bed. He trembled and said, "Darling, it seems like we have a chance to escape."
On the bed, the girl's hands and feet were bound by chains. Tears slowly streamed down from the corners of her eyes, her gaze vacant as she stared at the ceiling.
Suddenly, the girl spoke, "I... I don't have the strength anymore."
Upon hearing these words, the young man trembled all over, his hands holding the girl's hands shaking. "No, you can still survive!"
The young man stood up in excitement, and the chair fell to the ground. He gasped heavily, his chest rising and falling. The next moment, his expression calmed down, transforming into a face filled with apology. "I'm sorry, I forgot. You don't like it when I act like this,"
he quickly said as he helped the girl up from the fallen chair. When the young man held her hand, a faint green light shimmered in the palm of the girl's hand. This power slowly flowed into the young man's body, unconsciously healing the injuries within him.
"David, over here," Arnold stood in front of Room 201's door and waved to David.
David walked over to Room 201. The two of them looked inside through the window. Many people were sleeping in the room, and within this room, numerous boxes of military equipment were stacked. There were about ten boxes in total! David's eyes lit up.
He squatted beside the little black dog, patting its head gently and saying, "Little Black, it's up to you now. Do you understand what I mean?" As he finished speaking, he pointed towards the door of Room 201.
The little black dog jumped happily, and as it walked towards the door, David and Arnold took cover in a nearby location. In the next moment, a burst of flame spewed out from the little black dog's mouth! Instantly, the door of Room 201 was charred, and even the person leaning against the door was engulfed in flames.
"Ah! Fire! Fire!" The people in Room 201 shouted.
David stood aside and quickly beckoned to the little black dog. The little black dog looked dissatisfied but still walked over to David. Once the commotion started here, the zombies outside would immediately come over. They needed to act fast, take away these military supplies, and then rescue the young man and his girlfriend. Today's task would be completed. After the two of them and the dog found a safe spot, footsteps could be heard in the stairwell.
"Hurry up! Move everything out from inside!" the man who was leading earlier shouted. The surrounding comrades watched as the fire grew larger, and none of them dared to move forward. The man scolded and kicked two men inside directly!
The man watched as only one or two of his comrades moved things out, and he shouted in frustration, "Damn it! Hurry up, all of you!" If these ten boxes of weaponry were burned, he wouldn't know how to explain it to the boss when he returned.
But why hadn't the boss returned at this time? Just as he was thinking, someone ran up from downstairs, their face covered in blood, and shouted at the man, "N... Not good! The zombies are charging in!"
The man's heart trembled. "Damn it, they chose this time to come!" After a brief hesitation, he said to the people nearby, "You must move the things out."
Then he turned to the man who had delivered the message. "You come with me, we'll stop the zombies!" After saying that, the man quickly ran downstairs. The man who delivered the message hesitated for a moment, unable to say what he wanted to say. Once the two men left, David, who had been hiding nearby, had a sudden idea and came out. "I'll help!"
He said loudly, and as his hand lightly touched one of the boxes of weaponry that had been moved out, his consciousness shifted, and it instantly stored the items in his space. Even if he walked directly away now, no one would notice. Moreover, he had only run over, right?
[You have obtained one box of weaponry. 100,000x Critical Strike in effect! ]
[Congratulations, you have obtained 100,000 boxes of weaponry! ]
Listening to the system's prompts, he became even more excited. It was just based on the number of boxes; he hadn't seen what was inside yet. With this 100,000x Critical Strike, he wondered how much he would ultimately gain.
Ignoring the flames around him, David rushed in directly. In the first second of entering the room, as soon as he touched a box of weaponry, it was instantly stored in his space. As the people in the room rushed out, David quickly stored the second and third boxes in his space.
"Brother, are you okay?" The man who had just rushed in saw David standing still and asked with concern.
David lowered his head and said softly, "I'm fine."
He was about to die of happiness. As soon as these three boxes of weaponry entered his space, they instantly turned into 300,000 boxes of weaponry!
"That's good then. These flames are really strange; not even water can put them out." The man spoke while picking up a box of weaponry in front of him. He looked at the boxes in the room and expressed doubt.
"We've already moved so many boxes, I don't know why they're still rushing us." Watching the man run out, David silently stored another box of weaponry in his space, and then moved one out.
David placed the weaponry on the ground and casually stored another box in his space. Arnold, who was nearby, had already noticed all of David's actions, and he couldn't help but twitch his mouth. "David, aren't you afraid of being discovered with such blatant actions?"
In this back and forth, David had already stored six boxes of weaponry in his space. The remaining four boxes had also been completely moved out by them.
"Weren't there supposed to be ten boxes? Why are there only four?"
"Yeah, what's going on?"
"How is it possible that there are only four boxes when the flames didn't even reach the boxes inside?"
"Maybe they're still inside. Hurry and go in and find them, or the boss will kill us!"
Just as everyone was puzzled, the person who delivered the message from downstairs rushed up. "Quick! Go down quickly." Before he could finish speaking, the messenger's face suddenly changed, and his neck made a cracking sound. The next moment, he turned into a zombie!
"Damn it!" With a curse and a bang, someone holding a gun blew off the zombie's head. The crystallized object on the zombie's forehead fell off, and the person who fired the gun picked it up and called out to his comrades behind him, "Don't bother with the remaining six boxes, go down and help!"
With that, David pretended to follow them downstairs, but instead, he walked at the back of the group and stored all four remaining boxes in his space!
[You have obtained four boxes of weaponry. 100,000x Critical Strike in effect! ]
[Congratulations, you have obtained 400,000 boxes of weaponry! ]
Listening to the system's voice, David was very satisfied. He, along with Arnold and Little Black, arrived at the door of Room 303. As the door was opened, David raised his hand, and his small knife immediately blocked the incoming attack. The young man recognized David and quickly withdrew his hand. "Are you here to rescue us?"
David didn't answer his question but looked at the girl lying quietly on the bed. The girl was wearing a white dress and was bound by chains, looking very disheveled. David raised his hand, and the chains around the girl's wrists and ankles were instantly undone. "Put them on and let's leave quickly."
With such a commotion, the downstairs area was already filled with zombies. Moreover, it was nighttime, and the sound of people being killed by zombies downstairs would attract even more zombies. It wouldn't be long before no one downstairs would be alive. The young man lifted the girl and followed behind David and the others.
As soon as they reached the stairway door, they encountered several zombies head-on. Little Black opened its mouth, and the zombies were instantly turned to ashes. Taking advantage of this opportunity, David summoned a vehicle and sat in the driver's seat.
Arnold quickly opened the vehicle and jumped in. "Kid, give me your hand!" He reached out his hand to the young man. Biting his lip, the young man held the girl around the waist with one hand and grabbed Arnold's hand with the other, using the leverage to jump onto the vehicle.
At that moment, dozens of zombies swarmed in. The car windows were quickly closed, and numerous zombies pounded on the windows frantically. Sitting in the driver's seat, David couldn't see anything in front of him.
"Hold on tight!" David shouted, pulling the handbrake and pressing the accelerator to the maximum. The next moment, the car rushed out at top speed.
Outside, a man who was fighting the zombies suddenly turned his head and came face-to-face with the car that had just driven out. His eyes brightened, thinking the car would stop. But it didn't. Before he could say anything, the car ran over him.
"David, there seemed to be a living person standing in front just now," Arnold looked back. He saw numerous zombies gathered in the spot where the car had run over someone, burying their heads to feed on something. David glanced at the rearview mirror indifferently without answering.
At this moment, he didn't care whether they were living or dead. In the back seat, the young man held the girl. However, the girl's eyes had remained closed ever since they left the bed. ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ป๐ผ๐ฏ๐๐น๏ผ๐จ๐ซ๐ด
"Kid, How's your girlfriend...?" Arnold glanced at the girl in the young man's arms and asked casually.
Upon hearing Arnold's words, the young man clenched his fist secretly, then relaxed it. "She's fine."
Arnold nodded without asking further. David, sitting in the driver's seat, silently watched it all.
David drove the car and returned with the two of them downstairs. They looked out of the car window and noticed that there were already over a dozen zombie corpses lying silently on the ground downstairs.
[Quest: Apocalypse Reserves! ]
[The apocalypse is imminent. Please collect as many usable resources as possible for the contingency storage space! During this quest, all resources you store will receive a critical hit bonus of 100,000 times. Time remaining for the quest: 0 days, 3 hours, 0 minutes.]
The system's voice suddenly rang out. The group got out of the car, and David stored the car away. He then proceeded to dig out the crystals from the foreheads of the dozen or so corpses using a knife.
One sound after another, the crystals dropped to the ground. David kept digging while Arnold picked up the crystals behind him. The young man held the girl and silently watched behind the two of them and the dog.
"David, there are a total of twelve." Arnold spoke and handed the collected crystals to David.
David nodded and accepted the crystals. While digging the crystals, he could still smell the burnt scent lingering on the zombie corpses. These scents didn't seem like they were caused by flames, but rather as if they were charred by lightning.
These dozen or so zombie corpses were probably the work of Sally. With a thought, David made the twelve crystals in his hand disappear.
[You obtained 12 primary crystals, 100,000 critical hit bonus in effect! ]
[Congratulations, you obtained 1.2 million primary crystals! ]
After putting away the items, David slowly walked up the stairs. Just as he stepped onto the stairs, he heard low growls coming from upstairs. The walls of the entire stairwell were covered in zombie blood and decaying flesh.
When did Sally's abilities become so terrifying? Soon, as he reached the top of the stairs, he instantly knew his guess was wrong. As soon as the group reached upstairs, their bodies froze in place.
In front of them, a massively built zombie held a small-sized zombie in its hand and tore it apart. It held the zombie without hesitation, tearing off chunks of rotting flesh. After tearing them off, it examined them carefully. Only when it saw that the flesh was good did it eat it. Watching this scene, David's heart trembled.
This zombie was conscious! Just as he was thinking this, the zombie swallowed the flesh and slowly turned its gaze toward David and the others. When it met David's gaze, it didn't behave like a regular zombie, charging towards them upon seeing humans.
Instead, this zombie smiled at David! Its mouth awkwardly curved upward, revealing its yellowish-white teeth.
David shivered and quickly summoned his armor, holding a alloy battle blade in his hand, remaining vigilant.
Why would intelligent zombies appear at this time? Today was only the third day since the disaster broke out, and only ordinary-level zombies should be appearing.
It wasn't just the zombie in front of them; even the corpse in Warehouse No.1 earlier. Where did it go now? Soon, David dismissed his thoughts and focused on the zombie in front of him.
This zombie hadn't appeared for long. They had encountered only ordinary-level zombies on their way back. If they were lucky, this zombie was a mutated one. In the next second, David's left hand moved, and several spatial blades appeared around his left hand.
The young man on the side looked at the spatial blade next to David's hand, slightly startled. He was also an esper like himself? David pointed his hand towards the zombie, and several spatial blades swiftly pierced out at an incredible speed. The zombie looked at the spatial blades, while David observed its dodging movements, his eyes instantly lit up. When the zombie dodged the spatial blades, its lower body moved first, while its upper body seemed sluggish, delayed by a second.
As a result, two spatial blades pierced through the zombie's upper body. "Ah!" The zombie held its wounds in pain, emitting a scream that sounded strangely human.
Inside the room, since David left with Arnold and Little Black, Sophie had been staying with Sally. Even if there were any movements outside the door, they didn't go out. The zombie's wail happened to reach Sophie and Sally's ears.
Sophie was startled and instinctively grabbed Sally's arm, afraid. "Sally, is there someone outside?"
Sophie treated Sally like her own dear friend, just like an older sister. Sally understood Sophie's kindness and naturally treated Sophie well.
Sally gently patted Sophie's hand and comforted her. "Sophie, don't worry. We're waiting for David and the others to come back in the room. The zombies won't come in." Sally appeared calm on the surface, but she was actually very alert.
Outside the door, David and Arnold had already engaged in a fight with the zombie. Little Black watched the two fighting the zombie and didn't know whether to breathe fire or not. It paced back and forth, looking anxious.
The zombie's movements became faster and the coordination between its upper and lower body improved over time. This was a bad situation for David. While attacking the zombie, he also paid attention to its injuries.
The zombie appeared covered in wounds, but its one vital spot was well protected. Arnold gritted his teeth and rushed forward, tightly embracing the zombie.
"David!" Arnold shouted, and David, wielding an alloy war blade in his hand, decisively swung it towards the zombie's neck! The zombie instantly panicked. It never expected Arnold to recklessly hold onto it. At the moment it saw David's alloy war blade coming down, it didn't struggle but chose to bite Arnold.
No good! David thought. He quickly conjured a spatial blade with his left hand. It was too late! There was no time to throw the spatial blade now. He didn't expect the zombie to go for Arnold. Even if he distorted space, he couldn't make it in time. Just as the zombie was about to bite Arnold, the figure of the young man suddenly appeared behind the zombie. He swiftly raised his hand and with a swift motion, the zombie's head dropped to the ground with a thud.
David halted his action, and Arnold quickly let go of the zombie, wiping off the filth on his body with disgust. "David." Arnold wiped while walking over.
David looked at him with a deep gaze, then turned to the young man and asked, "What's your name?"
The young man glanced at the girl leaning against the wall not far away and calmly replied, "Brian." Brian finished speaking and walked towards the direction of the girl.
By this time, the girl had already awakened. Her lips were pale, and she looked extremely exhausted. But she made an effort to speak. "My name is Lily."
Lily had fair skin, with straight long hair falling on her chest. Her face was pale, and her melancholic eyes expressed a sense of sadness. The corners of her mouth slowly curled up, and a cold voice spoke again, "Thank you for saving us."
As she finished speaking, Lily's hand slowly intertwined with Brian's hand. David looked at Lily, feeling an indescribable sense of familiarity. It felt like he had seen this person somewhere before. Familiar, yet unfamiliar.
"David, this kid said his girlfriend's nickname includes the character 'mei'..." Arnold leaned in close to David's ear and whispered.
Before David could respond, Lily smiled and calmly said, "My nickname includes the character 'mei,' and Brian calls me that." As she spoke, her hand touched Brian's palm, and his tightly furrowed brow relaxed.
Upon hearing Lily's words, David's eyes brightened. A nickname with the character 'mei'-why did that sound so familiar? In the previous life, there was a girl in his team who had such a nickname. She joined the team later, and instead of telling them her nickname, she insisted on being called 'xiao mei' .
And that girl happened to be a healing-type esper. Having a healing-type esper in the team was highly valued. But the good times didn't last long. At that time, the crystals needed for healing abilities were in short supply. In a wave of zombies, xiao mei sacrificed herself. Several other brothers also died in that wave.
David carefully observed Lily once again, and when he saw the faint mole beside her eye, he became even more certain. Although Meimei from the previous life didn't have that mole when she joined the team, David saw it clearly one night when he caught her secretly crying. It seemed like she covered the mole with something.
Feeling David's gaze on the mole beside her eye, Lily felt slightly uncomfortable. She walked behind Brian as if to say something, but David spoke first. "You're a healing-type esper, aren't you?"
As soon as the words fell, both Lily and Brian's expressions turned solemn. She was shielded by Brian, who spoke cautiously, "What do you want?"
Seeing Brian's protective stance, David faintly smiled. "If I wanted to take your girlfriend away, I would have done it already. I don't need to wait until now."
Brian's face froze. He wanted to say something, but Lily cautiously peeked out from behind him and asked in a low voice, "I'm a healing-type esper. What do you want?"
"Lily!" Seeing Lily expose their identities, Brian became anxious. But when his eyes met Lily's, he immediately faltered.
How interesting. David watched their interaction and shook his head helplessly. He turned around, walking and saying, "Follow me."
Brian and Lily exchanged glances for a few seconds, and in the end, Lily took the initiative and asked Brian to follow. Before leading the two into the room, David squatted in front of the zombie he had just killed and took out the mutated crystal from its forehead.
Considering the tremendous power and the burnt smell of lightning, David speculated that this particular zombie was of the lightning attribute. He gently cut open its forehead with a knife, exposing a purple crystal.
David felt delighted and quickly took out the purple crystal. It was indeed of the lightning attribute! Unfortunately, this zombie seemed to have just mutated and had forgotten to use its lightning ability when things got intense. The purple crystal, once absorbed by Sally, would give her a considerable boost.
With a thought, David stored the purple crystal in his space.
[You obtained a mid-level crystal, critical hits increased by 100,000! ]
[Congratulations! You obtained 100,000 mid-level crystals! ]
[Quest: Apocalypse Reserves! ]
"The apocalypse is approaching. Please collect usable resources to the best of your ability and store them in the emergency storage space! During this quest, all resources stored by you will receive a 100,000x critical hit bonus. Remaining quest time: 0 days, 1 hour, 0 minutes." ๐ฏ๐๐ฑ๐ง๐จ๐๐๐ฅ.๐ผ๐ฟ๐
There was only one hour left for the 100,000x critical hit bonus. In this final hour, he wouldn't be able to collect much.
"You are a spatial esper," Lily's voice suddenly sounded.
David didn't turn his head, just made an affirmative sound and stood up, leading the two into the room.
"David!" Sally's eyes lit up as she saw David return. She quickly walked towards him and hugged his arm.
The next second, when she saw Lily entering the room, her expression immediately turned wary. But in the second after that, when Brian walked in and held Lily's hand, Sally visibly relaxed.
After closing the door, David took out a green mid-level crystal from the space. Lily and Brian's eyes widened when they saw the green crystal.
Before Lily could finish speaking, David silently put the crystal away. He had thought that he would have to wait a long time before he could use the healing crystal, but it unexpectedly came to him with a rare healing esper.
Even without a healing esper, David's team was already strong. Having a healing esper would make them even stronger. "I can provide you with the crystal, but my condition is that you and your boyfriend must be loyal and follow me."
After David finished speaking, the expressions of the two suddenly changed. Lily's face alternated between pale and red, and she tightly clenched her clothes corner, showing hesitation. However, just like healing crystals, healing espers were also rare. Even in their previous organization, they didn't have any healing crystals. If they refused David now, they might never have another chance.
"But..." Lily frowned and glanced at Brian.
Brian gently patted Lily's hand and whispered, "It's okay, leave it to me."
Turning his head, Brian said to David, "We also have a condition."
David raised an eyebrow and said, "Go ahead."
"You can't treat Lily as a slave," Brian's words came out, and Sophie immediately added, "Young man, how could we possibly treat a girl as a slave? You and her can stay with David."
Sophie's words didn't reach Brian's ears; he wanted to hear David's answer himself. And David simply smiled and agreed, "No problem."
David wouldn't treat a healing esper as a slave. Upon hearing his response, Lily and Brian didn't show excessive happiness but nodded calmly. "We will stay, and in return..."
Brian's words were interrupted by David. "You can choose any room around here. As for food and other supplies, they will be distributed every day at 7 am unless there are unexpected circumstances."
"You guys find a room and remember not to leave this building," David said, handing over a healing crystal. Brian glanced at the crystal and swallowed the words he wanted to say.
Lily looked at the crystal in Brian's hand and gently tugged at his sleeve, whispering, "Let's go. It's already good enough to have obtained the crystal. They wouldn't dare to think too much about food and shelter. We've learned enough from the previous organization; they're reluctant to trust anyone too much."
David watched the two leave the room, then turned to Arnold. "Let's bring them some food tonight, enough for two people." Arnold nodded. After giving a few more instructions, Arnold returned to the room with Black and Sophie.
As soon as they opened the door, the system's prompt sounded.
[Mission: Doomsday Reserves! ]
["The doomsday is approaching. Please collect as many usable resources as possible and store them in the emergency storage space. During this mission, all the resources you store will receive a hundred thousand times critical hit. Time remaining: 0 days, 0 hours, 0 minutes. "]
[Mission Complete!] ๐๐ฒ๐๐ง๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐น.๐ผ๐ซ๐ด
"Congratulations on completing the mission. Please choose whether to open the completion reward package."
As the voice fell, a transparent panel appeared in front of David. It had two options, "Yes" and "No." David continued walking forward and chose "Yes" in his mind.
"Congratulations on receiving: 1 dose of gene-enhancing potion, 1 pair of night vision goggles!"
He was familiar with the gene-enhancing potion, but did the night vision goggles work just as their name suggested? He didn't have to worry about the darkness at the moment, as regular zombies had poor eyesight. However, with the appearance of mutated zombies, the night vision goggles came in handy.
Opening the inventory, he found the pair of night vision goggles right there. With a thought, the goggles automatically fitted onto his eyes. With the goggles on, David looked out the window. What seemed pitch black before now appeared as bright as day in his eyes, perfectly clear.
David took a few steps forward and leaned against the window, sticking his head out to look at the nearby tall building. He could clearly see a zombie standing on the building not far away.
Sally was curious about David suddenly putting on the goggles. It seemed that David's spatial abilities were quite convenient. Even the goggles could be worn directly on the eyes without needing to put them on manually.
Just as Sally was about to walk up to the window and say something, the night vision goggles happened to catch the sight of the zombie looking in their direction.
"Don't move," David said in a calm voice, quickly hiding himself below the window as well.
"Ah?" Sally was startled for a moment but quickly followed David's actions.
She watched David's nervous demeanor and was about to move towards him when a sound came from above her head. Something was at the window!
At that moment, right above Sally's head, outside the window, the zombie that should have been on the tall building suddenly appeared. It looked into the pitch-black room and tried to reach out and open the curtains, but the curtains were on the inside. The zombie let out a dissatisfied growl and wandered outside the window for a while before finally quieting down.
Sally listened to the noise above her head, not daring to even breathe. She remained on high alert, fearing that the zombie would break in directly.
After what seemed like an eternity, David stood up. He carefully looked towards the tall building again, and the zombie had returned to its original position. David breathed a sigh of relief and closed the curtains.
Seeing things at night was something he hadn't experienced in his previous life. This zombie seemed to be on guard duty, and if it noticed anything suspicious, it would likely notify its companions. Countless zombies would then flock towards their location. The night was indeed too dangerous. The growth rate of the zombies had been increasing rapidly.
David looked at Sally and reached out to pull her up. Sally's legs were weak, and she struggled to stand with David's help. But just a few seconds after standing up, she slumped softly towards David.
"David," she murmured his name.
David made a sound of acknowledgment and directly cradled her in his arms.
With the night vision goggles on, David had unimpeded vision in the dark room. After gently laying Sally on the bed, David took out a candle and lit it, placing it by the bedside.
"You went out for a while and actually found candles?" Sally exclaimed in delight.
David gently stroked her head and whispered, "Not only did I find candles, but I also got something good." As he spoke, David took out a crystal imbued with lightning powers. A crystal emitting a faint blue glow came into view.
Sally exclaimed, "This crystal is so beautiful!" Without realizing it, she reached out her hand towards the crystal imbued with lightning. For some reason, this blue crystal had been enticing her to absorb its power.
David observed Sally's actions but didn't stop her. Instead, he handed her the crystal. As soon as Sally's hand touched the crystal, it began emitting a blue light that gradually enveloped her body. She slowly closed her eyes and absorbed the energy from the crystal in her hand. Soon, Sally's forehead and body began sweating profusely. David took out a towel and carefully wiped away the sweat. After a while, Sally's complexion started turning pale, and she let out a painful groan.
"Ah!" Sally screamed, and David's heart skipped a beat. He quickly covered her mouth with the towel. If her scream attracted nearby zombies and David wasn't there, Sally would become their snack. Sally tightly bit down on the towel, curling up on the bed. She held her stomach and sweat had soaked the entire bedsheet.
David looked on nervously but was powerless to help. This was something Sally had to experience during the absorption process, and he couldn't do anything for her. About half an hour passed, and the voice of the system resounded.
[Congratulations, you have obtained a Level 2 Lightning Ability User. Now, the second task is being released!]
[Task: Crystal Storage!]
[There is one month remaining until the first major zombie outbreak. Please collect as many mutated crystals as possible and form your own team during this time. All the resources you store during this period will receive a hundred-fold critical boost. Task remaining time: 29 days, 21 hours, 5 minutes.]
Listening to the task announced by the system, David's eyes lit up! A hundred-fold critical boost? Though it wasn't as enticing as a ten-thousand-fold boost, it was still enough!
The term "first major zombie outbreak" got David lost in thought. In his previous life, he had only managed to survive for five years before dying. The zombie outbreak five years later was simply unbeatable. In this life, however, he wanted to see what the scene of the major zombie outbreak would be like. Lost in his thoughts, David turned to Sally, who had already finished absorbing a purple crystal. She took deep breaths, feeling the changes in her body, and her eyes sparkled. ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ง๐จ๐๐ฒ๐น.๐๐จ๐ฆ
"David, I think..." Sally's voice reached David's ears, and he turned to look at her.
"Finished absorbing? Any changes?" David asked, his face filled with anticipation as he looked at Sally.
Sally's face turned slightly red, and she nodded as she got up from the bed. She slowly raised her hand, and a sizzling sound emanated from it. Sally's gaze suddenly became sharp, and in the next moment, lightning surrounded the television in the living room!
"Boom." Sally whispered a word.
The television in the living room was instantly blasted by lightning, turning into a pile of dust on the floor. David was shocked to witness this! Telekinesis! This meant that Sally's mental abilities were becoming stronger. Being able to attack through objects could be the best solution if someone were taken hostage.
David thought to himself, already looking forward to seeing the results if Sally absorbed more lightning crystals.
Immediately, David took out thirty lightning crystals from the space and placed them on the bed.
"These are for you. Take your time to absorb them," he said as he stood up, patting Sally's shoulder, who was still in astonishment. He whispered, "Don't absorb them all at once. It would be too much of a burden for you. Take it slowly, no need to force yourself."
Hearing David's words, Sally nodded with lowered eyes, feeling happy inside. She watched as David walked out and then turned her attention to the crystals on the bed. She needed to absorb them quickly so that she could go out with David!
Sally absorbed two crystals in one breath. She immediately sat cross-legged on the bed, experiencing waves of pain and burning sensations coursing through her body. Afraid of making a sound, she half-opened one eye and grabbed the nearby towel, covering her mouth.
The pain on her body was unbearable, and Sally couldn't help but occasionally let out cries.
Outside the room, David walked out and closed the door behind him. Little Black approached, rubbing against David's leg. Looking at its appearance, David smiled helplessly. "Alright, I'll feed you now."
With that, David took out thirty crystals and placed them in Little Black's bowl. It was then that he noticed the cola was gone! He hadn't even realized when it had disappeared, as all his attention was on the night vision goggles provided by the system. David anxiously waited for a few seconds, and suddenly, a meow came from the window.
Upon hearing the sound, Little Black quickly swallowed the crystal it was eating and then protected its bowl. Seeing Little Black's actions, David could guess that it must be Cola outside the window. He approached, wearing the night vision goggles, and carefully lifted a corner of the curtain. Once he confirmed it was Cola, David opened the window.
As soon as the window opened, Cola jumped in lightly. Once inside the room, Cola walked proudly towards Little Black. David hurriedly closed the window curtains and looked at Cola. It was already lying next to Little Black, disdainfully looking at it. Cola's fur had regained some of its brightness.
Where had Cola been during this time? David wondered as he walked over. He crouched down, reaching out to touch Cola's head. Cola followed the position of his hand and rubbed against it. Little Black looked on unhappily, deliberately crunching on the crystals in its bowl.
Cola paid no attention to the noise and continued to enjoy rubbing against David's hand. After a while, David didn't find any wounds on Cola's body. Well, how could a shadow cat possibly get injured when it went out?
David took out thirty elementary crystals. As he watched Cola contentedly eating them, David stood up. There was only one month left, and it would be great if he could find various types of ability crystals during this time.
However, these crystals were all on mutated zombies, making it quite difficult to deal with them. According to what he knew, the first group of awakened ability users would have the Five Elements, Strength, Speed, Space, Shadow, Healing, Lightning, and the rarely awakened Time.
The timeline had changed after his rebirth. Arnold survived in this life, and David gained abilities early. The butterfly's wings were starting to make subtle adjustments. The second group of ability users would awaken after a few months. There were many different types of abilities among the second group, too many to count. However, relatively speaking, the abilities awakened in both batches couldn't be compared.
In the previous life, David encountered mutated zombies for the first time after the first group of ability users awakened. But this time, it was happening too quickly.
While David was pondering, knocking sounds came from outside the door. David looked through the peephole. It was Brian, holding Lily in his arms. Brian knocked a few times, and when no one opened the door, he lowered his voice and said, "It's me, Brian." With those words, the door in front of him finally opened.
At the moment Brian's eyes met David's, a hint of blame flashed across his face but quickly disappeared. After closing the door, Brian placed Lily on the sofa.
David looked over at Lily on the sofa. Her lips were pale, and she was trembling, with a pale complexion and sweat all over her body. Her brows were furrowed, and she looked as if she was on the brink of death. "Are the crystals you gave her really effective?"
Brian clenched his fist, gritting his teeth and speaking in a low voice. Seeing Brian's restrained appearance, David couldn't help but chuckle. Was he afraid of him? David sat down on a nearby chair, crossed his legs casually, and said, "I just picked them randomly. The crystals are indeed real, but whether Lily can survive or not depends on her own fate. Not everyone can bear the power of ability enhancement after absorbing the crystals."
"You!" Brian moved, his fist about to swing towards David.
The next second, lightning was all around Brian, burning him to ashes if he even moved! Sally fingers around the lightning, slowly out of the room, said faintly. "You can't touch him."
Sally coldly looked at Brian, and with a slight movement of her hand, the lightning around Brian approached him even closer. As long as he made a slight move, he would touch the lightning surrounding him.
Brian nervously swallowed his saliva. In terms of speed, the Shadow ability was definitely not inferior to the Lightning ability. However, Sally was now a Level 2 Lightning ability user, and dealing with Brian, a Level 1 Shadow ability user, was more than enough.
"Young man, you're really anxious," David said calmly. Sally walked towards David and stood behind him.
Brian looked at the two of them, clenched his fists tightly, and gritted his teeth, saying, "If anything happens to Lily, I will make sure you pay!"
Just as the three of them were deadlocked, Lily, lying on the sofa, slowly opened her eyes. She looked at Brian, surrounded by lightning, and nervously called out to him, "Brian."
Brian heard her voice and turned around excitedly. However, as soon as he moved, he immediately touched the lightning surrounding him.
"Ah!" Brian was instantly struck by the lightning all over his body! He held his injured arm and fell to the ground, sitting there paralyzed.
Sally didn't expect Brian to really move, and when she saw him injured, she quickly retracted the lightning. "I... I didn't mean to," she said in a low voice. ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ท๐ฆ๐ญ.๐๐๐
David gently patted her back, comforting her, "It's okay, it's not your fault." While comforting Sally with his words, his eyes remained on the fallen Brian.
Brian had marks of electric burns all over his body. Lily's heart tightened, and she immediately moved. She fell off the sofa and dragged her weak body towards Brian.
Just as she held Brian's hand, a gentle green light spread from her body to Brian's body. As the green light spread, it miraculously healed every wound on Brian's body. In no time, all the injuries on Brian's body disappeared.
"What is this, David?" Sally looked dumbfounded at the scene.
David explained, "This girl, like you, is also an ability user, and her ability is healing."
She was like a nurse. A Level 2 healing ability user could already heal so quickly. It was unimaginable what earth-shattering changes would occur when she reached Level 10.
Brian stood up slowly and quickly lifted Lily. The last time he saw Lily use her ability was in the previous building. At that time, Lily and he had just demonstrated their abilities in front of that group of people for the first time. Since then, Lily had been treated like a slave, constantly healing them.
that group of people wouldn't let Lily go ,until Lily was no longer able to release her healing power. It was because Lily was under their control , Brian wasn't capable of taking her with him, so Brian had to be controlled by them. And the substance they used to control Brian was that vial of reagent.
Brian's eyes were filled with tears of excitement. Lily looked at him and smiled helplessly, reaching up to wipe away the tears from the corners of his eyes. "Why are you crying? I'm perfectly fine."
Brian made a nasal sound, then carefully placed Lily on the sofa. He turned to David and bowed deeply. "Thank you."
David raised an eyebrow. In the apocalypse, saying thank you seemed childish. He supported his chin with both hands and spoke slowly. "I don't need your thanks. I just want you to remember what I told you both." After exchanging a few words with Brian and Lily, David let them return to their own room.
The next day, David and Sally were sleeping embraced on the bed when the first light of day broke, and the sound of irregular knocking on the door echoed through the room. Xiao Hei and Ke Le stood alert behind the door, prepared for battle.
David instantly opened his eyes, sitting up. This sound made his heart unconsciously beat faster. His intuition told him that this definitely wasn't the sound of someone knocking on the door.
Sally, who was sleeping beside him, also woke up. She hurriedly put on her clothes and exchanged a glance with David, remaining on guard. David touched her hand, gesturing for her to wait inside the room, while he cautiously went outside.
David waved to Xiao Hei and Ke Le, and the cat and dog moved aside, preparing for what was to come. With a thought, the armor in the room was summoned and covered his body the next second. He wore the armor and held an alloy sword in his hand. When David looked outside through the peephole on the door, he saw nothing. Something wasn't right. How could there be no one?
David carefully looked outside, feeling a chill run down his spine. He quickly shifted his gaze to the window! The curtain had been opened a small slit at some point, and a pair of eyes were fixed on his, seemingly saying, "I've found you." David's whole body froze, and the next moment, the window suddenly shattered!
Inside the room, Sally's body trembled, and she quickly got out of bed and rushed out. When she saw the zombie standing at the window, she was instantly disgusted. This zombie's body, whether on the upper body, arms, or thighs, was filled with muscles, and its appearance was almost indistinguishable from a normal person!
The only difference was that the muscles on its body were like rotten flesh, emitting a nauseating odor. The zombie curled its lips and climbed down from the window. With every step it took, it left a bloody footprint on the ground. Its gaze was fixed on Sally, as if it had found some delicious food!
David slowly moved to Sally's side, but before he could say anything, the zombie's body was already in motion! Seeing this scene, David quickly raised the alloy sword in his hand, blocking the zombie's body. The clash between the sword and the zombie emitted a metallic sound! David's hand trembled, and he took a few steps back.
"David, are you okay?" Sally quickly supported him.
David panicked and said, "Quick, don't hesitate, use your lightning!"
As he spoke, the zombie pounced again! In the instant that David evaded, he swiftly threw out several spatial blades! However, the blades only left a few scratches on the zombie's body and didn't penetrate!
This was a level 3 or higher zombie!
Level 3 zombie! Whether it's physical fitness or attack power, it exceeds that of an ordinary person. Currently, David's level has not reached the high level of Level 3, so he can only face an inevitable defeat when dealing with it! In the previous life, David could only think about how to escape when faced with such a situation. But now it's different, he has a powerful assistant.
"Little Black!" David shouted, and Little Black barked, opening its mouth and spewing flames towards the zombie's position!
Little Black's flames easily dealt with ordinary zombies, but it was unknown what effect it would have on a Level 3 zombie. However, the Level 3 zombie wouldn't let Little Black spray it so easily. As soon as the flames were released, the zombie quickly dodged to the side. Coke meowed and charged at the zombie. In an instant, Coke appeared on the left side of the zombie. The zombie raised its hand to grab it, but in the next second, Coke appeared on the right side of the zombie! The zombie was torn between trying to catch the elusive Coke and dodging Little Black's attacks, and it began to struggle.
A good opportunity! David felt delighted, and he quickly grasped several spatial blades in his hand. He turned his head and looked at Sally, who was looking at him. They exchanged a glance, and Sally immediately understood David's intention.
With a thought, several lightning bolts instantly surrounded the zombie. "Gather!" Sally murmured, and the lightning quickly tightened around the zombie!
At the same time, David swung the spatial blades he held in his hand! Just when everyone thought they would succeed, the zombie raised its hand and opened a spatial door, walking through it!
A door? Could it be... Before David could react, Sally shouted, "David, be careful!" David's back felt a chill. Almost instinctively, he rolled to the side, but even though he was fast, he was still heavily hit from behind, as if being punched. ๐๐๐ฅ๐๐ฐ๐ฃ๐๐.๐ค๐๐ฎ
David rolled to the side and vigilantly looked at the zombie in front of him. He reached back and touched the spot where he had been struck. It was burning hot, but fortunately, he had his armor on, so he didn't suffer any damage. This armor was amazing; it could even withstand the attacks of a Level 3 zombie. But feeling the heat, he feared that if it were a Level 4 zombie, it would be unable to withstand the attack.
The corners of the zombie's mouth curled up slightly as it stared at David with a greedy gaze, just as it had looked at Sally before. In the eyes of an evolved zombie with the same level of ability, an ability user of the same level was like a great tonic. If consumed, it would greatly enhance its own level.
And this zombie was just like David, an ability user of the Spatial element. Just then, the door of the room was knocked twice. The sound entered David's ears, and he trembled.
This time, it definitely wasn't a zombie! It was a person! He only hoped it wasn't Arnold. In the previous life, Arnold died protecting him, and in this life, he didn't want to witness that scene again.
David clenched his teeth, gripping his alloy sword tightly in his right hand and squeezing in the air with his left hand, summoning several spatial blades. Almost simultaneously, Sally cooperated with David's movements and discreetly covered the ground beneath the zombie with lightning. The zombie looked at David charging towards it with a contemptuous gaze. It raised its hand, about to easily grab David. Suddenly, a sizzling sound came from below.
The zombie's pupils dilated, and it suddenly looked down at its feet, but it was already too late. Sally shouted and exerted her maximum power. With a swish, the lightning at the zombie's feet formed a cage-like structure, engulfing the zombie with electric currents!
The zombie was electrified and let out a loud roar. It hadn't lost consciousness yet but struggled to create another spatial portal to escape.
David saw its movements and shouted, "Trying to escape?!"
Immediately, David activated his spatial blades. With a swish, he chopped off the zombie's limbs and head! The zombie's head fell heavily to the ground. Seeing this, David quickly approached, holding the zombie's head with his alloy sword and lightly sliced open its forehead. As the skin on the forehead was cut open, a crystalline object shining with platinum light came into view.
"So, this is the spatial crystal?" David murmured. Only when he took out the crystal did the zombie truly die. It was his first time seeing a spatial crystal. The light emitted from it was actually platinum-colored. With a thought, David stored the crystal in his spatial storage.
[Congratulations, you have obtained one intermediate-level crystal, critical strike multiplier in effect! ]
[Congratulations, you have obtained one hundred intermediate-level crystals! ]
Hearing the final number, a hint of regret appeared in David's eyes. If it were a hundred thousand times critical strike, he would have had a hundred thousand spatial crystals by now. With a sigh, David shook his head helplessly.
[Congratulations, host. You have reached the S+ level standard for resource reserves. Your storage space is upgrading! ]
[Congratulations, host. Your storage space has been upgraded from 100 million cubic meters to 200 million cubic meters! ]
[You have received a reward: System upgraded to Level 3! ]
System upgrade? David was stunned. Just as he was puzzled, a sudden surge of heat enveloped his body. After the intense heat subsided, a piercing pain spread throughout his body. David held his stomach and slowly squatted down.
Sally was caught up in the joy of defeating the zombie when she noticed David's condition. The smile on her face froze instantly.
"David!" She hurriedly approached and supported David.
Just as she was about to help David into the room, zombies suddenly appeared at the window that had been broken during the fight. The noise from the battle must have attracted the zombies. Upon seeing the zombies, Little Black jumped out and stood in front of them, opening its mouth. A burst of flame engulfed the incoming and the stacked zombies below, reducing them to ashes.
"We can't stay in this room," Sally thought, so she had no choice but to take David to Arnold's room.
As her hand touched the door of the room, Cola approached and rubbed against her feet.
"Cola?" Cola lightly leaped and opened the door for Sally. As the door opened, zombies were already waiting outside.
When the zombies saw Sally, they all charged towards her. Sally's heart tightened, and she instinctively took a step back. Cola barked and leaped into the air. With a few swift movements, the heads of the zombies in front of them all fell to the ground.
In less than a second, more than a dozen zombie heads thudded to the ground. Cola was standing by Sally's feet, licking its lips. If it weren't for the bloodstains on Cola's claws, Sally would have seriously doubted whether the zombie heads at the door had actually fallen by themselves.
"Cola is so fast!" Sally exclaimed in her mind. Taking advantage of the zombies' lack of mobility, Sally quickly supported David and walked to Arnold's door across the hall.
Thud, thud, thud. "Sister Sophie, it's me, Sally," Sally knocked on the door while suppressing her voice. At this moment, Sally's footsteps were all on zombie corpses, and the floor was covered in bloody footprints.
A voice came from inside the room, and after a few seconds, Arnold, wearing armor and holding a long knife, opened the door. When Arnold saw Sally supporting David, his eyes lit up, and he quickly opened the door wider.
"Sally, come in." After the door was fully open, Arnold finally saw the trail of zombie corpses in the corridor. Could it be that Sally had killed all these zombies? That was too impressive!
Arnold, with a shocked expression, was about to close the door when a dark figure quickly darted inside.
"What the hell!" Arnold was startled and took a closer look. It turned out to be Blackie. He patted his chest while closing the door.
Sally carefully placed David on the sofa. David's forehead was covered in sweat from the pain, and Sally felt sorry for him. She quickly grabbed a tissue and gently wiped the sweat off his forehead.
"What happened to David?" Arnold approached and asked with concern. Looking at the dense sweat on David's forehead, Arnold thought of the terrifying scene outside the door and curiously asked, "Sally, did you do all those zombies outside?"
As he spoke, Coke, lying on the ground, twitched its ears. Sally continued wiping the sweat off David's forehead and answered Arnold's question. "It wasn't me, it was Cola."
"Cola?" Arnold looked suspiciously at Cola lying on the ground. Since when did Cola have this kind of ability? Just as he was puzzled, David, lying on the sofa, slowly opened his eyes. The moment he opened his eyes, David felt a wave of headache.
"David!" Sally helped David up, shouting his name excitedly. David glanced at Sally and then looked around. This was his home, right? Thinking of that, the scene of fighting zombies just now flashed in his mind.
The system has been upgraded. David's eyes lit up, and he called out the system.
[Ding! ]
[System upgrade is 10% complete. Please wait patiently.]
Only ten percent left? David was stunned. But the pain in his body had completely disappeared, and he could even feel the changes within himself. Especially in terms of physical fitness, he had become even stronger. David stood up from the sofa and nodded lightly at Arnold and the others. "Don't worry, I'm fine now."
Arnold breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. I thought something happened to you."
David was about to speak when the system's voice suddenly sounded.
[Ding! ]
[System upgrade complete! ]
[Congratulations, the system has been upgraded to Level 3.]
[Newly developed feature one: Automatically identify the attributes of acquired items.]
[Newly developed feature two: Can have a tenfold critical strike outside of mission states, but cannot overlap with mission critical strikes.]
[Newly developed feature three: To be discovered.]
Identify the attributes of acquired items? That's really good. David didn't know much about supernatural abilities, so this feature was important to him. But as he read the next two features, his face darkened. These two features were rather useless, and David felt like he was being fooled.
Especially feature three, which was labeled as "to be discovered." David silently withdrew his attention from the system and turned to Sally in front of him. "Let's go back and take a look."
Sally nodded and thanked Arnold before following David out of the door and returning to Sally's home. David's face darkened as he looked at the shattered window with a large hole. It was no longer suitable to stay in this house.
David turned his gaze to the zombie corpses on the ground. He couldn't figure out how this particular zombie had discovered that someone was living in this room. After contemplating for a while and unable to come up with an answer, he could only shake his head and start tidying up the room.
"We can't stay in this room anymore. We need to find another one," David said as he tidied up. Sally nodded and joined in the cleaning. It was easy to clean up the room; as long as David had a slight thought, he could store everything in his own space.
Sally watched as David finished cleaning the room in less than half an hour. "You cleaned up so quickly," she said in astonishment, holding her suitcase. ๐๐๐ ๐ฃ๐๐ซ๐๐ก.๐๐๐ฉ
David nodded lightly and gently touched Sally's suitcase with his hand. With a gentle thought, her suitcase was instantly stored in his space.
[Detected...]
Before the system's prompt could finish, David directly dismissed its option. "Let's go." David reached out his hand and grabbed Sally's hand, surprising her. They walked towards the door. He chose a location not too far away, where an elderly couple had planned to stay. When they arrived at the door, it was closed but not locked.
David pushed lightly, and the door opened. He quickly checked and found that the lock on the door was intact. It seemed that this elderly couple had opened the door and run out in fear during the zombie outbreak.
After the two entered, they locked the door. The room was neatly arranged, as if it was regularly cleaned. On the cabinet, there were the elderly couple's wedding clothes, and beside them, there was a household register. David picked up the household register and found that the couple had a son named Charles. It seemed like quite an artistic name.
In the previous life, before the zombie outbreak, this elderly couple had taken care of David. David paid attention to their affairs, but he never knew they had a son. After all, David had never seen their son visit them. David put the household register back, took out the luggage from his space, and placed them in their usual positions.
"Leave it to me, I'll take care of it," David said as he took the items from Sally's hand and placed her aside. Then, he took out some ingredients and placed them on the table, saying to her, "If you really want to help, why don't you study your cooking skills?"
After all, Sally's cooking skills didn't seem that great. Blushing slightly at David's remark, Sally murmured, "Last time was definitely a mistake."
However, David was willing to believe in her and gave her another chance. This time, she had to perform well and not waste David's ingredients.
Determined, Sally stood up and carried the ingredients into the kitchen. While David finished arranging everything, Sally continued to work in the kitchen. David took a chair and placed it behind the door, blocking it with the chair.
Then, David sat on the sofa and took out the spatial artifacts. He had been wondering since the system upgrade if the duplication could be doubled again. Thinking about it, he started the process.
However, when he tried to store the duplicated artifacts back into the space, the system didn't provide any prompts. It seemed that the system wasn't foolish enough to let him exploit this loophole.
He had to obtain crystals the proper way. David sighed and took out the crystals from the space. Looking at the five crystals in his hand, he started absorbing them one by one, without any hesitation.
When he absorbed the first crystal, he felt a resistance from his body against the foreign energy. But as he absorbed the second and third crystals, the resistance within his body began to accept the power of the crystals. Soon, as David absorbed the last crystal, a tremendous change occurred in his entire body. ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐ง๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฅ๏ผ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ฆ
In the kitchen, Sally had been recording the cooking process with her phone. She looked at the boiling dish in the pot and carefully tasted it with a spoon after blowing on it. Satisfied, she turned off the stove and transferred the dish to a plate.
This time, David would surely be pleased with the dish. Filled with anticipation, Sally carried the dishes and walked out of the kitchen. As she reached the living room, she saw David sitting motionless on the sofa. She placed the dishes on the table and approached David. Just as she stood in front of him, David finished absorbing the crystals and opened his eyes.
"David?" Sally called his name softly, looking at him. David looked up with joy and embraced her.
David had reached Level 3! Just by absorbing five spatial crystals, he had advanced from Level 1 to Level 3. Although he had fewer than a hundred crystals left, if he continued at this rate of advancing two levels for five crystals, he would easily reach Level 10.
But the next moment, David dismissed this thought. Things couldn't be that easy. He released Sally from his embrace, looked at her apologetically, and lightly kissed her cheek. "I've reached Level 3," he whispered.
Sally froze midway through playing with her hair, unable to believe what she was hearing. Meanwhile, David raised his hand and lightly pinched the air beside him, opening a spatial door. He could tear open a door with a wave of his hand in any situation, and this door could lead to any place within ten meters of his sight. With another wave of his hand, the door disappeared.
This skill is perfect for both escaping and launching unexpected attacks on enemies,Sally looked at David's actions in surprise and said, "Isn't this similar to that zombie?" She didn't finish her sentence, but David nodded.
Sally smiled and quickly pushed him to the dining table. "This is what I made today, please taste it," she said, handing David a pair of chopsticks.
David smiled faintly and accepted them. Under her gaze, he picked up a piece of beef in front of him. As the beef entered his mouth, the smile on David's face stiffened.
Concerned, Sally immediately asked, "What's wrong? Did I make it too salty again?" David bit into the beef and slowly raised his head to look at her, then smiled and said, "It's perfect."
David was teasing her, and Sally's face immediately turned red. She hummed and lightly patted David's shoulder, saying, "If you tease me again, I won't cook for you next time!"
Hearing this, David couldn't help but want to laugh, but he quickly appeased Sally, saying, "Okay, okay, I won't tease you anymore."
He put down the chopsticks and leaned closer to Sally's ear. "It tastes really delicious this time," he whispered, lightly blowing on Sally's ear. Seeing her scold him playfully, David couldn't help but feel a strange sensation. It felt as if they were not in a post-apocalyptic world, but living a normal life as a couple.
If the zombie outbreak hadn't occurred, would he be with Sally? David shook his head, dispelling the thoughts from his mind. He stood up and served a bowl of rice for Sally. They took turns serving each other food, and soon they finished the dishes on the table.
[Quest: Store Crystals! ]
[One month left until the next major zombie outbreak. Please collect mutated crystals and form your own team during the remaining time. All resources you store during this period will receive a 100x critical hit bonus. Time remaining for the quest: 29 days, 10 hours, 0 minutes.]
Looking at the top right corner, the system's notification and the remaining time were displayed. It was time to go out and collect crystals. David stood up. "I'm going out for a while." After giving a few instructions, he was about to leave with Cola and Xiao Hei. However, Sally quickly walked over and hugged him from behind. Sally buried her chin in the nape of his neck and gently pleaded, "Can I go out with you this time? I don't want to stay home alone."
David paused for a moment. He had originally planned to take Brian with him. The purpose was to test Brian's character and whether he could be used for a long time. Bringing Sally along was not a bad idea either, considering she was already at Level 3. It was time to take her out for real combat. David turned around and embraced Sally, whispering, "Alright, I'll take you with me."
Seeing David agreeing, Sally was about to feel happy. But the next moment, David handed her a set of armor.
Looking at the armor in her hand, Sally was momentarily stunned, unsure of what David was up to. In her memory, she had never seen this type of armor before. The armor was dark blue in color, soft to the touch, and completely different from ordinary armor. Even with a glance, she could faintly see a radiant glow emanating from the armor.
"Find some time to dismantle this Winged Armor. The mysterious feather silk inside might be helpful for your electric abilities," David explained briefly. Sally obediently nodded and put the Winged Armor in the bedroom.
David approached Brian's door and lightly knocked. He whispered, "It's me."
After a moment, the door clicked and opened. Brian's head poked out, but before he could speak, David said, "Get ready, we're going out."
"Going out?" Brian furrowed his brows. He wasn't opposed to going out, but he was worried about leaving Lily behind.
Following up, David added, "Bring Lily to Arnold's place. Let Arnold and Sophie take care of her." Brian hesitated for a moment, seemingly trying to remember who Arnold was. But soon, his expression settled, and he nodded, turning back into the room. When he came out with Lily, it was already two minutes later.
David arranged for Arnold and his wife to take care of Lily and asked them to help her replenish her physical abilities. As an esper, Lily required a high level of physical fitness when using her abilities.
Ever since Lily experienced that painful torment last time, her body had become weak. She couldn't even reach half of her previous physical capabilities. This was the main reason why Brian had always taken such good care of Lily. As an esper, he didn't want to see Lily lose her physical strength, as it would be painful for him.
"David, don't worry, we've got it covered," Arnold patted his chest and smiled.
David nodded. Considering that Sally and he would be leaving, leaving no strong espers behind, he decided to leave Little Black behind.
Before leaving, Little Black clung to David's leg, reluctant to let him go. Helplessly, he left behind five crystals, and only then did Little Black agree to his departure. This guy was just too greedy. The streets were filled with wandering zombies, but they were all low-level zombies that held no allure for David.
What David was looking for were the mutated zombies. Only mutated zombies were more likely to carry the crystals that espers needed. Cola quietly nestled in Sally's arms, while Sally kept her eyes focused ahead. Whenever a zombie emerged, David drove past them expressionlessly, directly running them over.
In the back seat, Brian supported his chin with one hand, gazing out the window, lost in thought. David drove the car and arrived at the entrance of a building. The group got out of the car, and David swiftly retrieved it. He turned to face the approaching low-level zombies and calmly said, "Let's go inside." ๐ท๐ฎ๐น๐โด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐.๐ฌ๐ธ๐
With that, David took the lead and entered the building. Sally and Brian quickly followed suit, and once inside, they closed the door, leaving the pursuing low-level zombies outside.
David looked at the familiar building and sighed. If it weren't for the apocalypse, he might still be working peacefully in this building.
This building was the tallest in SJ City, and standing on the top floor allowed a panoramic view of the entire city. However, reaching the top floor was not easy as the building had already been occupied by zombies.
David calmly watched as dozens of zombies swarmed towards the first floor. He summoned his armor without panic and quickly drew his alloy sword. He stabbed a nearby zombie in the heart, temporarily disabling it for a few seconds.
With a swift motion, David pulled out the sword, precisely cutting open a wound on the zombie's forehead. A crystal fell to the ground.
David swiftly picked it up and with a thought, it disappeared into his storage space.
[You obtained one primary crystal, critical hit multiplier activated! ]
[Congratulations, you obtained one hundred primary crystals! ]
[Attributes: None.]
David's lips curled slightly upon hearing the attribute notification. Sally and Brian quickly joined the fight. Dealing with zombies was much easier for superhumans compared to ordinary people, especially with two third-level superhumans present!
Sally stood in place, manipulating lightning to attack the zombies. A single strike from her lightning caused a zombie to collapse. Cola let out a cry and swiftly swiped its claws across the fallen zombie's forehead, causing another crystal to drop.
The coordination between David and the cat was excellent, and they quickly dispatched a dozen zombies. Brian's efficiency was slower, but he managed to kill nearly ten zombies. He glanced at David, his face filled with astonishment. Near David, the corpses of the zombies had piled up like a small mountain, and the putrid blood constantly pooled on the ground, forming a dark pool of blood.
Brian swallowed nervously, completely impressed by David's immense strength. After killing a zombie, he turned towards the entrance of the staircase's secure passage. Just as he was about to push the door to the second floor, David furrowed his brow, and in an instant, he was by Brian's side.
"Move!" David shouted loudly, pushing Brian to the side. At the same time, he leaped away from the door.
What's happening? Brian looked at David in confusion, not knowing what was going on. And at that moment, a loud noise suddenly rang in his ears as the door of the secure passage was shattered, and wood chips flew everywhere! Following that, a group of zombies rushed out from the broken door with a menacing appearance.
Amongst these zombies stood an extremely tall and savage-looking one. Its flesh had long decayed, and the putrid blood continued to seep from its rotten body. Its head had half of its skull missing, with only two eyeless sockets and a torn mouth remaining. It turned its eye sockets, finally fixing its gaze on David.
The towering zombie emitted a piercing sound towards David, as if it had spotted its prey, its eyes filled with a desire to kill. David looked up, his brows furrowing involuntarily. He noticed that this creature had an eye, a brown crystal eye. Under the faint sunlight, the crystal emitted a subtle radiance, instantly catching David's attention. Judging from the color and texture of this crystal, he knew it was not an ordinary one. It might even be a new type of crystal he had never seen before. While David was contemplating, the towering zombie suddenly moved its feet and appeared in front of David in an instant.
"Be careful!" Brian and Sally shouted loudly. Only then did David react, Secretly say not good! Just as he was about to wield his alloy short sword, the towering zombie slowly raised its hand and pointed directly at David's forehead.
Thump. David watched as the hand was raised high, his mind urging him to move, but for some reason, his body wouldn't respond!
[Ding! ]
[Detected one Shadow Crystal! ]
[Ding! ] ๐๐๐๐ง๐ผ๐๐๐ฅ๏ผ๐ฐ๐จ๐บ
[Detected one Mental Crystal! ]
Two crystals!
Not only a Shadow Crystal, but also a Mental Crystal! The voice of the system sounded just in time, pulling David's consciousness back. He quickly stepped back, grabbing Sally's waist and pulling her aside! The zombie heavily smashed its fist on the ground, producing a loud noise and thick smoke. When the smoke cleared, a large hole had appeared on the ground. If that punch had landed on David, he would have been crushed. No matter how many armors he wore, they wouldn't be able to save his life.
David released Sally only to find that the zombie had already started moving. Oh no! David frowned, unable to react in time. He directly opened a spatial portal and disappeared with Sally in an instant. Just a second after they left, the zombie appeared in their previous location and once again swung its fist heavily!
Boom! A deep pit appeared right in front of them. Meanwhile, David and Sally emerged from another spatial portal not far away.
"David, what do we do?" Sally asked anxiously, standing behind David with a serious expression. The strength of this zombie far exceeded her imagination. The terrifying punches earlier made her realize the danger. However, David's face remained calm. He had seen too many zombies and knew that each one had a fatal flaw. At the same time, he remembered the moment when the tall zombie pointed at him earlier. It felt like his mental consciousness was being controlled by the other party.
After thinking for a moment, David understood that the tall zombie possessed the ability to control the minds of others using the Mental Crystal. It could manipulate a person's consciousness in a short period of time to create an opportunity for attack. However, David quickly discovered a loophole in this ability. It could only control one person's mind at a time, and the duration of control could be influenced by external sounds.
It was the system's voice that had helped David break free from its control just now. Thinking of this, David looked up at the tall zombie again. It still stared at David with a provoking expression on its face. Brian had arrived by David's side at this time. "This zombie's strength is too terrifying. I'm afraid... we're no match for it."
David, still expressionless, tightly gripped the alloy dagger in his hand and said to Brian, "Listen to my commands later!" After speaking, he opened a spatial portal and rushed towards the tall zombie, causing Brian and Sally to become even more nervous. David chose to engage in close combat with such a terrifying opponent? Even so, Brian stared at David with utmost concentration, ready to attack at any moment.
A crack tore open in the void, and David raised the alloy dagger and stabbed it towards the tall zombie's chest. David's goal was simple: to confirm once again if his speculation was correct. If it was true, then his plan could be executed perfectly. Watching David approaching, the tall zombie's mouth stretched open in a torn smile, seemingly mocking David's insignificance. Then, it raised its hand again and pointed at David's forehead.
David felt a buzzing sound ringing in his ears, and his entire body immediately stiffened in mid-air. However, he wasn't anxious. Instead, he invoked the system in his mind.
[Ding! ] As the system's voice sounded, David's body became agile again, but the tall zombie's fist also appeared before his eyes. Without much thought, David performed an aerial somersault, evading its strike.
After landing, David said to Brian, "The opponent can control human consciousness, but I have a way to counter it! When it raises its hand, you strike!"
"Sally, use your electric power to cover Brian!" David calmly stated his plan.
It can be said that in this plan, David placed himself in the most dangerous position. Even though he could use the system's voice to break free from the tall zombie's mental control, if he hadn't called upon the system in time, the zombie's fist would have unhesitatingly landed on him. Victory or defeat hung in the balance.
Among the three present, only he possessed such reaction speed and ability. As Brian listened to David's explanation, he immediately understood. He hadn't expected the strength of this zombie to belong to the mental category, posing such a terrifying threat to superhumans. If it weren't for David continuously engaging with it earlier, he and Sally would likely have become lifeless bodies lying there. At the same time, he knew that David's arrangement was meant to ensure their safety.
Unable to help it, Brian looked up at David's back, a feeling of gratitude spreading within him. After pondering for a moment, he had originally intended to say something, but David, like a gust of wind, charged towards the tall zombie once again. This time, David's speed was extremely fast, and in the blink of an eye, he reached the front of the tall zombie. Watching David, the tall zombie raised its fist once again and aimed it at David's head!
"Boom!" A loud boom resounded as David jumped several times, leaving the original spot and appearing behind the tall zombie. Raising the alloy dagger, he thrust it towards its back. The alloy dagger instantly penetrated the tall zombie's body, and a putrid blood flowed out.
The tall zombie roared in anger, evidently completely provoked by David's attack. It swiftly turned around, raising both fists, intending to deliver a heavy blow to David!
"Be careful!" Sally shouted to David with a worried expression, her heart racing. David looked up at the enormous fist descending from above and quickly opened a spatial portal, disappearing from the spot. Just as he reappeared, the tall zombie's fists struck the ground, creating two deep craters.
"Roar!" It let out another furious roar, glaring at David intently. Due to its anger, the brown crystal that served as its eye began to emit a stronger glow. David knew that he had completely enraged this creature. It might soon use its abilities to control his own body. Sure enough, the tall zombie slowly raised its finger once again.
Seeing this, Sally didn't hesitate and directly waved both hands toward the tall zombie. "Boom!" A purple lightning bolt instantly exploded from the top of the tall zombie's head, striking its skull and raising a thick white smoke. The tall zombie seemed to feel some pain, turned around, and stared fiercely at Sally. Then it let out a low growl and began to charge towards her.
David glanced in surprise at the unexpected effect of Sally's lightning attack. He nodded silently and quickly shouted to her, "Keep using the lightning attack!" Sally nodded, tightly clasping her hands together. Sweat glistened on her fair face as she concentrated, her forehead covered in a thin layer of perspiration. However, just as she was about to unleash a new lightning strike, the towering zombie grabbed a nearby iron table and hurled it forcefully towards her.
Reacting swiftly, David opened a portal using his spatial manipulation ability and flashed to Sally's side, pulling her aside. This prevented Sally from releasing her lightning attack in time. Taking advantage of the opportunity, the towering zombie took menacing steps and charged towards Sally and David. Brian, seeing the situation, raised his seven blades to hinder its movement, giving David some time to react.
However, the towering zombie was a Level 3 zombie, and Brian was not capable of dealing with its strength. As soon as Brian reached the towering zombie, he was knocked down by a powerful punch. Fortunately, he was only hit by the force of the punch, or else he would likely have met his end there. It was at this moment that David regained his composure and recalled the significant impact of Sally's lightning attack. He improvised his plan.
He decided to let Sally take charge of the main attack while he searched for an opening around the towering zombie. It was crucial to avoid its mental control. Even though the towering zombie was only a Level 3, its strength was amplified by the dual crystals. That's why David had been eyeing the brown crystal in its eyes. If he could get hold of it, the towering zombie's power would weaken significantly.
David took out a primary crystal and had Sally consume it in advance to ensure she had ample energy later. Sally nodded and quickly moved to the side to start absorbing the crystal. By this time, Brian had also gotten up from the ground and stood next to David. "What's the plan now?" he asked, knowing he couldn't match the towering zombie's strength and putting his hopes on David.
"First, buy Sally some time," David said in a deep voice. The spatial blade materialized in his hand. Without wasting any words, David once again charged towards the towering zombie. But this time, he didn't intend to confront it head-on. With Brian's assistance, they continuously harassed the zombie. The real showdown would begin when Sally finished absorbing the crystal.
The spatial blade struck the towering zombie's shoulder, producing a crisp sound as the blade scraped against bone. The towering zombie raised its hand, preparing to unleash its mental control. David quickly performed a backflip, disappearing from its sight. Brian followed David's lead, constantly jumping around the zombie, waving his blades.
After a moment, Sally finally finished absorbing all the crystals. At this moment, both her physical and mental strength had reached their peak. Gazing at the towering zombie, which was engaged with David and Brian, Sally let out a soft shout. Suddenly, a lightning bolt thicker and more robust than before materialized in the void! The lightning snaked through the air, directly striking the towering zombie's shoulder!
Another thunderous roar echoed as the lightning forcefully tore a large gash in its shoulder, causing black blood to spray out like a fountain. David silently nodded, not expecting Sally's awakened lightning ability to be so formidable.
Brian also stared at Sally in astonishment, unable to conceal his amazement. The towering zombie reached out and touched the bloodied wound caused by the lightning. The blood seemed to agitate it, making it growl softly. It stared intensely at Sally, quickly raising its finger and pointing it towards her.
"Get out of the way!" David shouted and threw the spatial blade in his hand. The tall zombie had no choice but to dodge David's attack by turning his body. But at that moment, his finger suddenly pointed strangely at David.
"Oh no!" David cursed inwardly. He hadn't had a chance to prepare. If he was controlled by the tall zombie at this moment, given the distance between them, he believed he wouldn't have time to dodge.
Just then, Brian leaped over from the side and stood in front of David. Instantly, the tall zombie's finger pointed at Brian's forehead. Brian felt as if his body was immobilized, unable to move no matter how hard he tried.
At the same time, the tall zombie's fist appeared in front of Brian's eyes with no room for evasion.
"Boom!" Brian was struck hard in the chest by the punch! He flew up in the air like a kite with a broken string and landed heavily on the ground. He felt his body scattered, filled with pain. He struggled to stand up, but as soon as he got up, he fell heavily to the ground again. His lower leg had fractured from the previous fall.
David's brow furrowed. Clearly, Brian had just defended against the tall zombie's mental control for him.
"Meow!" Coke, who had been by Sally's side, suddenly let out a low growl and rapidly expanded its body! With a light leap, it arrived in front of the tall zombie and joined the fight. Sally no longer hesitated and lightning bolts kept exploding above the tall zombie's head one after another. In just a moment, it forced the tall zombie to kneel on the ground.
"A perfect opportunity!" A murderous intent flashed in David's eyes as he prepared to raise the spatial blade for a deadly blow!
But at that moment, the glass door of the building slowly opened. A pale corpse walked in mechanically. The three of them were startled by the sudden appearance of an inexplicable corpse. The corpse glanced at David and walked to the tall zombie's side.
"Roar!" The tall zombie roared at the corpse, and Coke in front of it also gradually shrank. The corpse's face gradually turned red, and its head slowly turned backward, while its body remained motionless in place. The tall zombie's head twisted 360 degrees!
The corpse stood beside the zombie, raised its hand, snapped its fingers, and thudded. The tall zombie's head rolled to its feet. It squatted down slightly, and its finger lightly brushed the forehead, revealing a crystalline object emitting a faint yellow light.
Wearing oversized shoes on its feet and holding the crystal in its hand, the corpse walked toward David. This corpse was incredibly powerful. David looked at the corpse, unable to move a muscle. The corpse approached him, brought its face close, sniffed David, and then its eyes brightened and its mouth slightly curved upwards. Subsequently, it handed the mental crystal it held to David!
Looking at the offered crystal, David was momentarily stunned. Why would this corpse give him the crystal? While contemplating, David's hand involuntarily reached out and accepted the crystal from the corpse's hand. As soon as David's hand touched the corpse's hand, he felt a chilling coldness. The mental type! The only ability that can control people is in the mental aspect!
David was deeply shocked. He maintained his outstretched hand until the corpse left, and then he regained control of his hand. Breathing a sigh of relief as he watched the disappearing corpse, David lowered his gaze to the mental crystal in his palm, full of doubt.
Is this corpse an enemy or a friend? If it's an enemy, a slight movement of its hand could instantly kill David, but if it's a friend, what is its intention? With a thought, David stored the two crystals in his hand into the spatial storage.
[You obtained one intermediate crystal, critical hit multiplier in effect! ]
[Congratulations, you obtained one hundred intermediate crystals! ]
[Attribute: Shadow type! ]
[You obtained one intermediate crystal, critical hit multiplier in effect! ]
[Congratulations, you obtained one hundred intermediate crystals! ]
[Attribute: Mental type! ]
Immediately after, David settled Sally and Brian on the side to rest. Then he began digging out the crystals from the fallen zombies one by one. Taking advantage of the fact that the surrounding zombies had been eliminated and no new ones would come for the time being, he quickly collected the crystals from the ground.
[You obtained one hundred and sixty primary crystals, critical hit multiplier in effect! ]
[Congratulations, you obtained sixteen thousand primary crystals! ] ๏ฝ๏ฝ ๐๏ฝ๏ฝ๐๐๏ฝ.๐๐๏ฝ
[Attribute: None.]
Then, David hurriedly went to collect the crystals at the entrance of the building.
[You obtained sixty primary crystals, critical hit multiplier in effect! ]
[Congratulations, you obtained six thousand primary crystals! ]
[Attribute: None.]
David hadn't even seen how that corpse outside the door had acted, but a large number of zombies outside the door had already fallen.
That corpse was really strong, and David collected the crystals. He originally planned to go upstairs and take a look, but after this battle, their fighting strength had been weakened.
David didn't know the situation upstairs, and he hesitated to continue going up with the injured. "Let's go back for now," David said to Sally and Brian.
"Are we just going back like this?" Sally took a step forward and spoke. David glanced at Brian and nodded, and Sally understood what he was worried about, so she held back her words.
"Let's go," Sally replied with lowered eyes. She had thought she could accompany David to collect more crystals, but unexpectedly, they encountered such a tough situation shortly after coming out. Ultimately, it was because her strength was not enough. She needed to go back and absorb more crystals!
David approached and helped Brian up. "About that..."
Brian spoke softly, "Thank you."
Listening to Brian's gratitude, David didn't say anything. He just kept supporting him and moving forward. David drove the car and took everyone back home.
As soon as they opened the door, Lily turned her head and saw Brian's injuries. The smile on her face instantly froze. "Brian!"
Lily ignored her own weakness and hurriedly ran to Brian's side. She crouched down and immediately noticed his severely broken leg, causing her eyebrows to furrow.
"Lily." Brian looked at Lily's appearance, wanting to comfort her, but she interrupted him.
"Don't worry, I can heal you." Lily said, closing her eyes. She placed her hands on Brian's leg, and with a focused mind, a faint green light emitted from her hands.
David crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, silently watching. Lily's healing ability was only at level two, and Brian's injury was a broken bone. Could she heal it?
As David thought, Lily's healing ability at level two could only stop Brian's bleeding and heal the surface wounds. However, for the deeper injuries within the bone, her current abilities were still insufficient.
"What should we do?" Lily tried again and again to heal Brian's leg, but it was in vain.
Seeing Lily's expression, Brian felt sorry and said, "Lily, it's okay, just a minor issue." As he spoke, Brian gently rubbed Lily's hair.
"But..." Lily hadn't finished speaking when David, who was standing beside them, calmly took out two healing crystals. "Absorb them."
David said coldly. He still held some doubts about this couple. Two crystals would test whether Lily's healing abilities could level up. Even if they did level up, would a third-level healing ability be able to treat deep bone injuries?
Tears welled up in Lily's eyes as she bit her lip and took the crystals handed to her by David. "Thank you," she said through gritted teeth, expressing her gratitude.
Turning her head, Lily said to Brian, "Wait for me, I'll be right back." Brian nodded in response.
Lily held the two crystals in her hands and walked into a nearby room. Just before she entered the room, she unintentionally glanced back at Brian. When David looked in Lily's direction, she had already closed the door. ๐๐๐๐๏ฝ๐๐๐.๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ
David squinted slightly and glanced at Brian. Then, he tugged on Arnold's sleeve and took him to the side. "I'll go back for a while. If something seems off or if Lily comes out having healed Brian, let me know immediately."
As soon as David finished speaking, Arnold's face turned serious for a moment, and he agreed to David's request. David returned home with Sally, a cat, and a dog.
"I'm sorry..." as they entered, Sally gently tugged at David's clothes and whispered.
David turned his head, looking puzzled at Sally. He held her face in his hands, gazing at her with concern. Sally's presence gave him a different feeling in this post-apocalyptic world, something he had never experienced in his previous life.
Sally looked up at him with a pitiful expression, and then she hugged David directly. "It's all my fault. If I were stronger, we wouldn't have had to come back so soon."
Hearing her words, David chuckled helplessly. He rubbed Sally's head tenderly and said softly, "What are you talking about? It's not your fault." After that, he held Sally horizontally in his arms and carried her back to the room, carefully placing her on the bed and covering her with a blanket.
Sitting by the bedside, David said, "Just rest well for now and don't push yourself too hard." He gently brushed his hand over Sally's forehead, feeling a tingling sensation in his heart.
Sally's eyes were tinged with a faint red color as she softly responded, "Mm." If the apocalypse hadn't come, perhaps there wouldn't have been a chance for him and Sally. Once Sally fell asleep, David left the room. He didn't close the door, fearing that something unexpected might happen.
After leaving the room, David sat on the sofa in the living room and took out ten spatial crystals from his space all at once. The room was devoid of any light due to the curtains blocking out the outside. The white glow emitted from the spatial crystals in David's palm was more intense than yellow. Without hesitation, he absorbed the ten spatial crystals, one by one.
David didn't feel any discomfort after absorbing the ten crystals. Could it be that he had reached a limit? David was stunned for a moment, then took out forty spatial crystals at once. He only had a total of one hundred spatial crystals, and he didn't know if he would encounter any spatial mutation zombies after consuming them all. It was only when he absorbed twenty crystals that David's body reacted.
David cried out in pain. He clutched his abdomen and rolled to the ground, sweating profusely on his forehead within a minute. It hurt so much. This time it was even more painful than before. It felt like it was going to take his life directly!
In agony, David covered his stomach and bit his lip, refusing to make any noise, afraid of disturbing Sally who was resting in the room. After about half an hour, the pain in David's body subsided. He took a deep breath, stood up, and twisted his body, which immediately produced cracking sounds.
"Feels good." David sighed and looked at the remaining twenty crystals on the sofa. He speculated that he hadn't reached the limit yet.
The next moment, David picked up the crystals from the sofa and continued absorbing them. This time, each time David absorbed one, his bones made cracking sounds. With each crystal absorbed, it felt as if his body was being scraped by a knife. As long as there was no limit, David was determined to absorb all the remaining twenty crystals!
David absorbed the crystals one by one, and his whole body was drenched in sweat as if he had been through a great ordeal. His face was flushed, and his arms had turned red. His legs were completely immobile, and he couldn't even move them slightly.
David continued to endure the pain until he absorbed the remaining twenty crystals. After the last crystal was absorbed, David suddenly felt a huge relief, and his whole body relaxed.
[Ding! ]
[Your spatial ability has been upgraded to Level 4. Activating System Discovery Function 3.]
[Function 3: Know Yourself and Others.]
[Can detect one's own condition and the physical qualities, ability types, and levels of others, etc.]
[Usage limit per day: 3 times]
David was momentarily stunned by Function 3, but quickly shifted his attention to himself. His hands were trembling slightly, and the muscles on his arms were very pronounced. He had greatly improved in terms of physical fitness.
David's mouth curled up slightly. The feeling of being Level 4 was different. But what about his skills? With a thought, David held a spatial blade in his hand. He walked up to the window, leaned against it, and carefully lifted a corner of the curtain. There were already many zombies on the street, and soon David's gaze fell on a large-sized zombie.
"System, scan." David summoned the system.
With a beep, a panel-like object appeared in front of David.
[Level 4 Zombie]
[Attribute: Lightning]
[Skills: Unknown]
It was indeed a mutated zombie! David's heart stirred, and he gently moved the spatial blade in his hand, aiming through the open corner, and shot it at the Level 4 zombie! In less than three seconds, the spatial blade pierced through the zombie's forehead. A glowing crystal dropped from its forehead. The spatial blade instantly took the life of the Level 4 zombie!
Impressive! David was amazed. Just as he was about to pick up the lightning crystal, a confused zombie walked towards it. It picked up the crystal from the ground and held it in its hand!
What's this? David's gaze followed the zombie. The zombie kept walking forward and disappeared into an alley, out of David's sight.
In the room, Sally felt a chill all over her body. She sat up from the bed, gasping for breath as she looked around. She had been having a suffocating dream, and since the apocalypse, she only felt at ease when she slept with David. She lay back down, but as soon as she closed her eyes, all she could see were zombie faces.
Unable to sleep, Sally reluctantly sat up. She looked around the dark room and felt a sense of emptiness. A pair of slippers was placed by the bed, but she didn't put them on. Instead, she stepped on the floor directly. She touched the wall and walked out slowly. David had pulled open a corner of the curtains, allowing a beam of light to enter.
"David?" Sally spoke softly.
David heard the voice and turned his head. He closed the curtains and walked towards Sally. "Why are you awake?"
As he spoke, David embraced Sally, and Sally gently held onto his back, resting her chin on his shoulder, taking a deep breath. Suddenly, Sally felt something and exclaimed, "You've leveled up?"
David smiled faintly and released Sally from his embrace. He nodded. "Just now, I reached level four." Sally's face showed a hint of regret. In the short time she slept, David had surpassed her by one level. After hesitating for a moment, Sally reached out her hand to David. "David, I think I can do it too."
David paused for a moment, then took out ten crystals from the space and placed them in her hand. "Take it step by step," David advised.
Sally tightly gripped the ten crystals and walked back into the room. She had to become stronger so as not to burden David.
Meanwhile, in CJ City, inside a rented house, a woman stood in high heels. Her face was heavily made up, and she wore professional attire with the top buttons undone, revealing a glimpse of the undergarment. She stood by the window, holding a cigarette between two fingers, exhaling smoke rings. "These zombies are changing faster and faster" she said casually, her gaze fixed on the zombies outside the window.
Behind her, a man sat on the sofa, holding the TV remote control and impatiently pressing the buttons as it made a crackling sound. The woman turned around, looked at the man coldly, and said, "This damn TV is broken like this, can't you be quiet?" With disdain in her eyes, she glanced at him and crushed the cigarette butt on the nearby table. She crossed her legs and sat on the edge of the bed.
In the room, a figure slowly emerged from the shadows. He reached out his hand, took the remote control from the man, and placed it aside. "Danny, stop fidgeting. Your sister is already looking down on you."
Danny, as the man was called, was stunned, looking at his empty hand, he sighed. He casually replied, "It's been a week, not watching TV, not knowing what's happening outside. What else can we do? All we do all day is kill these zombies, and our supplies are running low."
Snap! The woman, with her legs crossed, lightly kicked the pile of crystals beside her. Although the room was filled with a small mountain of crystals, they were all low-level ones. Danny glanced in the direction of the sound, meeting the woman's gaze. He helplessly pulled the corners of his mouth, shrugged his shoulders, leaned back on the sofa, and muttered.
"It's just the way it is." The man standing next to Danny patted his shoulder, seeing the awkward atmosphere and quickly spoke, "Don't argue. At this time, we should go out and gather supplies." ๐ฏ๐๐ฑ๐ป๐จ๐๐ฒ๐ฅ.๐ผ๐ฟ๐
The man stretched lazily, yawned, and picked up a small knife from the side. He took the lead and walked out of the room. The woman picked up seven pieces from the bed, lifted her skirt that covered the shoes, and inserted the seven pieces into the slots next to the shoes.
Danny looked at the two of them and sighed helplessly. He packed his belongings while picking up a few crystals from the floor and stuffing them into the backpack he carried on his back. Muttering something under his breath, he walked out of the room. After they left the room, an elderly person sat in a rocking chair and slowly opened their eyes.
After Sally returned to the room with the ten crystals, she began to absorb them. The door was not closed, and David sat on the living room sofa, observing Sally's condition.
"Meow." Cola walked over and rubbed David's ankle with its head.
"Hey, Cola." David said and picked up Cola. Seeing Cola looking pitiful, David smiled helplessly, guessing that the little guy was probably hungry. With a thought, he took out ten shadow crystals from space and placed them in front of Cola. As soon as Cola saw the crystals, its eyes lit up.
David smiled faintly and put Cola down. Just as he settled Cola, Little Black hurriedly walked over. While David was giving crystals to Cola, Little Black had been watching eagerly. If Cola had something, how could it be left out? Little Black made a low humming sound in dissatisfaction and imitated Cola by rubbing its head and body against David.
"These two troublemakers." David complained and took out twenty primary crystals. So far, he hadn't come across any zombies with the same attribute as Little Black. If he could find zombies with crystals on their foreheads and collect them, Little Black's upgrade would probably be even faster.
When Little Black saw the crystals, it quickly ran and brought its own dog bowl. It carefully placed it on the ground and watched as David put the crystals into the bowl. After happily spinning a few times, Little Black finally started absorbing the crystals.
After about an hour, the cat and the dog in the living room had absorbed the crystals and fallen asleep. When David looked towards the room, Sally had finished absorbing all ten crystals in front of her. She was now exhausted and fell asleep on the bed.
David stood up and walked into the room. He carefully picked up Sally again, placed her back on the bed, and adjusted her sleeping position. After covering Sally with a blanket, he walked out.
Just as he stepped out of the room, he heard a knocking sound on the door, accompanied by Arnold's voice, "David, it's me."
David walked over. Unbeknownst to David, just a second before the knocking sound, Cola, who was sleeping on the sofa, slightly opened its eyes. As soon as David opened the door for Arnold, Cola closed its eyes again.
"David." Arnold's eyes lit up when he saw David. David nodded and let Arnold in. After entering, Arnold relayed the task David had given him, "That Lily, even after coming out, couldn't heal the injuries of that young man."
Listening to Arnold, David nodded. It was expected that the injuries couldn't be healed. It seemed that a few crystals weren't enough for an upgrade. If there had been an upgrade, Lily could have easily healed Brian's minor injuries with a flick of her finger. But for now, Lily couldn't upgrade yet. David's gaze turned indifferent, then he looked at Arnold.
The second batch of awakenings is also approaching, and it's time for Arnold's werewolf attribute to emerge. "If anything feels off lately, come find me promptly," David said. Arnold hesitated. What could possibly make him uncomfortable? Although he didn't understand what David meant, he nodded in agreement.
Ten days quickly passed. During this time, David had been hunting zombies outside. However, all the zombies he encountered were low-level ones, and he had only seen three second-level zombies. Even those three zombies had primarily low-level crystals.
"David, come and see Arnold's condition!" The knocking on the door continued. David woke up abruptly from his sleep, opened the door at a fast pace, and raised a finger to his lips to silence Sophie's voice.
After David had cleared out most of the nearby zombies recently, he couldn't guarantee that zombies wouldn't come from elsewhere. It was better to be cautious. Sophie looked at the red tint in David's eyes and lowered her voice.
"David, something's not right with my husband."
Arnold's transformation had started early in the morning? Did the second awakening time vary from person to person? David nodded and carefully closed the door, following Sophie back inside their home. As soon as he entered, David was startled by the mess on the floor.
And there was Arnold, kneeling on the ground. He looked extremely distressed, and even his hands had begun to transform into claws.
"David," Arnold spoke with a hint of a wolf's tone. Seeing this, David felt that something was off. In the previous timeline, he hadn't witnessed Arnold's awakening. On the day Arnold awakened, David had gone out for a while, and when he returned, Arnold told him about it.
Sophie stood beside them, furrowing her brow, seeking David's help. "David, look at Arnold's condition, please help him." ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ญ.๐ฐ๐ณ๐
Seeing Arnold's painful expression, Sophie was deeply concerned. She had tried to approach him but was growled at and pushed away. Arnold struggled and insisted that she call for David's help, so she went to fetch him.
David frowned. He couldn't help with this task. He could only guard the door. If anything unexpected happened, he could intervene.
Arnold's awakening this time was completely normal. Becoming an Awakened was a necessary path for him.
"Sophie, don't worry. Arnold will be fine. I'll stay here and keep an eye on him," David reassured her. He sat down nearby, just a few steps away from Arnold.
Arnold started to transform into a full werewolf, lifting his head and letting out a howl. As Arnold completely transformed and became uncontrollable, he began attacking things around him.
After half an hour, Arnold gradually regained his senses. He looked around at the chaotic environment and froze. Then he turned his head and looked at David sitting calmly beside him. He spoke, "David, I..."
Before he could finish his sentence, David stood up with a gratified expression and said to him, "Congratulations, you have successfully awakened."
"I... I awakened successfully!" Arnold exclaimed excitedly. He had finally awakened! Seeing everyone around him with superhuman abilities, he often felt useless to David. It made him eager to join them. Now, he had finally awakened! It was fantastic!
Arnold lowered his gaze and looked at his werewolf state. He quickly went to find a mirror and returned shortly with a furrowed brow. "But, David, how can I revert this?"
David sighed and said, "Focus your consciousness and think about returning to your original form."
Arnold nodded, closed his eyes, and furrowed his brow. After a while, his werewolf form gradually receded.
When Arnold's werewolf form completely receded, he looked at David with excitement and said, "David, I did it!" David looked at him and coughed lightly.
Sophie, who was nearby, looked at Arnold, and her expression turned slightly concerned. Arnold touched his head and glanced down, immediately blushing. When he had just transformed into his werewolf form, all the clothes he was wearing had already been completely torn!
Now he stood in front of David and Sophie completely naked. "I... I'll go put on some clothes!" Arnold said and quickly ran off. ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๏ฝ.๐๏ฝ๏ฝ
This version of Arnold was unlike the previous one. In the previous life, Arnold had just awakened his werewolf abilities when he was destroyed by the horde of corpses. The current Arnold was more than capable in terms of physical strength and crystal supply.
After Arnold changed into new clothes and came out, David planned to take him out to gain some experience and test his werewolf abilities. He immediately discussed this plan with Arnold, who readily agreed. After arranging Sophie to share a room with Sally, David prepared to take Arnold out.
"David," just as they closed the door, Lily's voice came from behind. David and Arnold turned around to see Lily supporting Brian as they walked slowly towards them. Brian's injuries had mostly healed during this time, and he had no problems walking normally. Over this period, the two of them had interacted with David's group and realized that David didn't intend to treat them as "slaves." Their impression of David had improved significantly. After all, they were benefiting without having to exert much effort, which still bothered them a little.
Lily gently pinched Brian's arm, and he stepped forward, saying to David, "David, are you going out? Take us with you." Brian still had some injuries, but it was time for Lily's healing magic to be used in practical combat situations. Healing magic was like having a mage in the team.
"Let's go," David said, leaving a brief remark before turning and leaving. The two brightened up and quickly followed.
Arnold walked alongside David and approached him, whispering, "David, that young man still has injuries. Are you sure about bringing him along?" As he spoke, Arnold flexed his muscles, showing off his strength. "David, with these muscles of mine, I can easily take on ten zombies at once."
Watching Arnold's actions, David smiled faintly. "They will eventually have to cooperate with us. Taking them along is helping them." While the current zombies were only at the primary stage, it would be beneficial to take them out for some experience. It was likely that when the zombie outbreak reached its peak, they would be able to hold their ground.
Arnold nodded in agreement, finding David's words reasonable. In this apocalyptic world, only by becoming strong themselves would they have a chance to survive.
David was helping them. With the group in tow, David didn't need to drive. They made their way from the apartment to the central square. Arnold had already transformed into his werewolf form, and he looked at the corpses of the surrounding zombies with an excited expression. "This is amazing!" Previously, he had to hack at zombies one by one, but now that he had become a werewolf, a single swipe was enough to make a zombie's head explode. Arnold shouted and rushed towards the new wave of approaching zombies.
David stood in place, holding a dozen spatial blades in his hand, and shot them into the horde of zombies. Within moments, dozens of zombies were impaled by David's spatial blades, hanging on the wall like skewered kebabs. He threw another spatial blade straight towards a zombie's forehead! When the spatial blade touched the crystal, the crystal fell off the zombie's forehead with a resounding sound.
Brian still had injuries, but David lent him an alloy combat knife. As long as he avoided any sudden movements that would aggravate his joint injury, his wounds wouldn't relapse. Brian swiftly dispatched a dozen zombies with the alloy combat knife.
"Ah!" Lily stood in place, and suddenly a zombie rushed towards her from behind. She screamed in fear. In the next second, Brian flashed in front of her and thrust the alloy combat knife without hesitation. Taking advantage of the few seconds when the zombie lost mobility, he quickly retrieved the crystal from its forehead.
"It's alright," Brian gently reassured Lily.
Not far away, Arnold finished off the zombies in front of him and couldn't help but mutter. He walked up to David and complained, "This couple really makes others envious."
David, picking up crystals from the ground, replied, "If you say that, I might have to tell Sophie." Upon hearing this, Arnold quickly shut his mouth and hummed a tune to himself. Just as the group was about to finish up, Arnold suddenly shouted.
"Hey!" The "old man" running over from the side heard Arnold's voice and without thinking, directly picked up the crystals from the ground and consumed them!
"Not enough, one isn't enough!" The old man murmured while picking up two more crystals from the side. After consuming the two crystals, he finally showed a satisfied expression. Within moments, the old man's body began to transform into that of a young man.
Arnold looked dumbfounded at this scene. David, on the other hand, wasn't concerned about the transformation but rather the fact that this person had eaten the crystals they had worked hard to obtain, and three of them at that. Just as the man had transformed into a young person, a zombie rushed out from a nearby alley at an incredible speed.
"Come on, I'm not afraid of you now!" The man looked excited as the zombie charged towards him. Immediately, he picked up two crystals from the ground and stuffed them into his mouth. In the next second, his figure grew as tall as the zombie!
Boom! The man collided head-on with the zombie. He fiercely thrust his elbow into the zombie's abdomen, causing the decaying flesh to burst open, leaving a large hole!
"Roar!" The zombie let out a roar, opening its blood-filled mouth, ready to bite the man. Just as the zombie was about to bite him, the man moved, not only avoiding the zombie's mouth but also dislocating its jaw with a backward strike!
"That won't do." The man laughed.
Immediately, he swung his fist, punching through the zombie's body, creating a large hole. As his hand was about to grab the zombie's forehead, the zombie suddenly disappeared from its original position. When it reappeared, it was already behind the man!
"Damn it!" the man shouted as he turned around, only to be struck by the zombie's fist. "Ah!" With a scream, the man was sent flying.
Boom! The man's enormous body crashed into a nearby building, causing it to collapse. "Damn, this guy is so strong?" The man's face displayed an expression of disbelief. He coughed up blood, barely managing to stand with his hands supporting the ground. Before he could stabilize himself, the zombie quickly charged towards him.
"So fast!" the man exclaimed in shock. He quickly rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the zombie's attack. Before he could react, the zombie launched another attack! The man's heart tightened, and he clenched his fist, blocking the zombie's punch head-on. The decaying flesh on the zombie's fist instantly exploded. Taking advantage of the moment the zombie's fist broke, the man delivered a powerful kick to its body.
In the next second, the zombie was sent flying backward! As the man regained his balance, his body suddenly shook. It wasn't good; time was running out. Oh no, he couldn't defeat this thing on his own! While he was thinking, the zombie had already risen slowly and was charging towards him with great speed. He was in trouble.
"Damn it, why aren't those guys here yet!" the man complained. Boom! He raised his hand and took a blow from the zombie. In his panic, he noticed David calmly picking up crystals from the ground!
This guy. While the fight was intense on this side, he was completely disregarding it and picking up crystals over there? The man's face darkened, and he forcefully pushed away the zombie in front of him. He shouted loudly towards David, "Hey! Little brother, lend a hand!"
The voice was loud, and David naturally heard it, but he chose to pretend not to. David calmly continued picking up the crystals one by one from the ground.
"Hey!" the man scolded. He could clearly feel his body gradually returning to its original size. In less than a minute, he would revert to being a normal human. At that time, he would undoubtedly become the prime target for the zombie!
"Hey, it's just crystals! Help me, and I'll give you as many crystals as you want!" the man shouted loudly. If David didn't help him soon, he was afraid he would really die here! ๐ฏ๐๐ฑ๐ง๐จ๐๐๐ฅ.๐ผ๐ฟ๐
Upon hearing the man's words, Arnold glanced at him disdainfully. His eyes were filled with contempt. "David, how did this cowardly person survive in the apocalypse?" he said to David.
David listened and smiled faintly. He stood up straight, turned around, and walked towards the man. He took a few steps forward, and the man's eyes lit up when he saw David's movement. Wasn't he moved by the crystals? Just as the man thought David was going to help him, David merely walked a few steps, picked up the crystals from the ground, and stored them in his space.
[You obtained a primary crystal, critical hit effect multiplied by 100! ]
[Congratulations on obtaining 100 primary crystals! ]
[Attributes: None! ]
David looked around, making sure he had picked up all the we crystals, before he answered Arnold :"Not only did he take crystals, but he also absorbed them right in front of we, consuming we things, and now he wanted we help? It was simply an absurd request."
Arnold sighed helplessly and said, "But David, he seems to be in trouble." Following Arnold's words, David looked at the man. Indeed, the man's body had started shrinking, and the zombie in front of him had a smug smile on its face.
The man looked despairingly at the zombie in front of him and cursed, "Damn it!" At that moment, he completely reverted to his normal human size.
At the same time, a figure quickly approached, and three gunshots echoed through the entire square. Hearing the sound, the man was initially startled but eventually smirked. "Finally, you're here!"
Upon saying that, the man saw a woman walking out from the side, holding a gun. Following her was a man who shouted at him, "Danny, you're too fast!"
Danny helplessly smiled at him. "It's kind of slow" , He then touched his sore arm and complained, "If you guys had come any later, I would have died here."
The man smiled, tossed a primary crystal in front of Danny, who caught it and immediately consumed it without hesitation. The woman in front, holding her gun, fired a few shots at the zombie's forehead.
Bang! The zombie moved its body and evaded the bullets. "Shadow element? Interesting," the woman said, with a smirk on her face. She put away her gun and took out a dagger hidden beside her shoe. Turning to the man, she said, "Stop chatting, let's get to work." The man nodded, took off his glasses, and placed them on the ground. When he looked up again, he seemed like a different person, with a fierce and ruthless gaze. The two of them quickly engaged with the zombie.
Relieved, Danny sat down beside the glasses. He took out a chocolate bar from his pocket and started eating it while turning his head to look at David. David stood in place, hands in his pockets, silently observing the fighting scene in front of him.
Arnold stood on the side, watching the two fighting the zombie, and kept sighing in admiration. "This girl is really fierce, isn't she? Not only does she pack a punch, but her aura is also so fierce. She must have a background in martial arts." Listening to Arnold's words, David silently nodded in agreement.
After about five minutes, as the two were about to defeat the zombie, David walked over to a cola , crouched down in front of it, and whispered a few words. Then, the cola made a meowing sound and gently leaped away, out of everyone's sight. When David returned to Arnold's side, Arnold curiously asked, "David, what did you say to the cola ?"
For some reason, it seems so excited from its appearance. Could it be something thrilling? Arnold scratched his head in confusion. David smirked mysteriously at Arnold and said, "You'll find out soon enough."
As soon as he finished speaking, a loud rumble came from ahead. The giant zombie fell to the ground. "That was fast!" Arnold exclaimed in surprise. Not far away, the woman approached and lightly cut open the skin on the zombie's forehead with a dagger. Just as she was about to extract the crystal inside, suddenly, a shadow flashed like lightning and disappeared! When the woman looked again, the zombie's crystal had also vanished! The woman gave an angry cry!
The woman angrily looked back and locked eyes with David, who was patting Cola's head. And in Cola's mouth, it held the crystal of the zombie!
"[Detected crystal of the Shadow element! ]"
Cola obediently placed the crystal in David's palm. David's heart stirred, and the crystal in his hand was stored in his pocket dimension.
[You obtained one Intermediate Crystal, Critical Hit x100 in effect! ]
[Congratulations, you obtained one hundred Intermediate Crystals! ]
[Attribute: Shadow element! ]
What was lost must be reclaimed. David ran his hand through Cola's fur, satisfied. Arnold, who was watching the scene, was dumbfounded. So, this was what David had asked Cola to do. But it seemed like the other party was quite angry. ๐ซ๐ฎ๐น๐ทโด๐ฟโฏ๐ต.๐ฌโด๐ถ
Arnold slowly turned his head towards the woman. She was not just angry; her gaze was fixed on David as if she wanted to kill him. "Return the crystal!" the woman scolded. However, David acted as if he hadn't heard and turned to leave.
Just as David turned around, a dagger swiftly attacked him from behind! David glanced lightly, slightly tilting his head to dodge the dagger.
Clang! The dagger flew and slammed into an iron door, deeply embedded several centimeters. Looking at the dagger, David calmly said, "Your people took my things, so I took something from you. Isn't that fair?"
With those words, David turned his head and gave a cold glance at Danny, who was sitting on the ground. The woman angrily turned her head towards Danny. "What is going on? We've been out for a day, and we've encountered only low-level zombies along the way. Finally, we encountered a mutated zombie, and even if we defeated it, someone took the crystal away. How can I swallow this anger?"
Danny awkwardly smiled. "I just took a few of their low-level crystals." The man walked to Danny's side, picked up the glasses from the ground, and put them back on. He calmly said, "It was a few of them."
Danny stammered, "Maybe four, I don't remember." Seeing that the woman was about to explode, Danny hurriedly added, "It was a critical moment for me. If I hadn't consumed those crystals, I would have died!"
"Who asked you to arrive so late?" Danny muttered softly, afraid to speak out loud.
"You useless piece of trash!"the woman scolded. Then she turned to David and said, "It's just a few low-level crystals. Give us back that crystal, and we'll return the low-level crystals to you!"
After speaking, the woman directly threw six low-level crystals from her pocket onto the ground. David stood with his hands in his pockets, disdainfully saying, "I want only this one."
As soon as he said that, the woman exploded, "You brat, do you think I'm a pushover?" The woman swiftly moved with extreme speed and charged towards David.
As the woman was about to reach David, David calmly tore open a spatial rift beside him and stepped inside. In the next second, he appeared next to Danny. Cola was licking its paws on his shoulder. The woman's fist swung empty, and when she looked at David again, her gaze became even more vigilant. "Are you an esper?"
David stood behind Danny and coughed lightly. Startled by the sound, Danny jumped. He quickly turned around and discovered David standing behind him. The man with glasses instinctively took a step back and observed David, saying, "You are an esper with the Spatial element, right?"
David didn't want to waste time with them. He had collected enough today, and it was time to go back. With his hands in his pockets, he turned to leave. "Stop right there!" The woman, Monica, had somehow retrieved her dagger. She scolded and charged forward with the dagger in hand.
The man with glasses pushed his glasses up his nose and shook his head helplessly, saying softly, "Monica, you're no match for him. Come back."
Monica, who had already charged halfway, froze upon hearing his words. "Damn it." She stayed in place, tightly gripping the dagger in her hand, watching as David and his group walked away in the distance.
After David and his group completely disappeared from sight, Monica let out a deep breath. With a solemn expression, she turned around and walked over to the man's side.
"How powerful is he?" Monica asked coldly.
The man pushed his glasses and said, "He is a fourth-level esper with the Spatial element."
"Fourth level," Monica muttered.
Upon hearing the man's words, Danny exclaimed in surprise, "Fourth level! If he's such a powerful esper, then why didn't he help me when I asked for it earlier?"
The man turned his head and looked at Danny as if he were looking at a fool. After Danny took his crystal, still expected him to help? Wasn't that wishful thinking? "Not just him, even the people around him are not ordinary," the man said, lowering his head.
When David and his group were present earlier, he saw a Healing esper on the scene. There was also a Shadow esper and a werewolf. Even that cat, licking its paws, was not someone they could mess with.
"For the incident in CJ City, we should report it," the man shrugged and turned to leave.
"When are we going back?" Monica asked, lowering her head and touching the dagger in her hand.
The man glanced at her and reassured, "Don't be impatient. You can't defeat him so easily." Upon hearing this, Monica's hand paused, and she sheathed the dagger next to her shoe. She nodded and quickened her pace, walking ahead.
"If we don't leave soon, the zombies will come again." The man's mouth slowly curled up, and he hastened his steps. Seeing the two of them in a hurry, Danny fell silent for a moment and then jogged over to the man's side, asking in a low voice.
"Brother, when will you lend me your glasses?"
"Get lost."
"Okay then."
On the way back, David remained silent. In his mind, he kept speculating about the identities of the three individuals he had just encountered. It was evident that they belonged to an organization. During the fight earlier, David noticed their skilled coordination. So he made a mental note of their appearances. Perhaps there would be opportunities for further contact in the future.
Before going upstairs, Brian watched David's figure and pondered for a moment before quickening his pace. "David," he cautiously spoke up.
David didn't turn around but responded as he walked, "Let's talk when we get back."
Brian nodded and continued walking with his head down. After they entered the room, David didn't go to his own room but followed Brian and Lily into their room.
After the door was closed, Brian and Lily skillfully placed chairs behind the door to prevent any unexpected situations. David sat on the chair with one hand resting on the table, silently observing as the two of them finished handling their tasks. Once they were done, they exchanged a glance and sat down.
Brian looked up and met David's gaze, hesitating for a moment. Seeing Brian's hesitation, Lily covertly nudged him with her elbow. "Got it," Brian said in a low voice to Lily.
Then he turned to David and said, "David, I wanted to ask you for some crystals. Not just for myself, but for Lily too."
As David heard this, his fingers rhythmically tapped on the tabletop. He raised an eyebrow and scanned both of them.
"Oh?" During this time, it was a kind of probation for them, and if they made any wrong moves during this period, David wouldn't keep them around.
Brian pursed his lips and continued, "Brother, we want to get stronger and continue following you without being a burden."
The idea was good, but David wondered if it was genuine. He nodded and then turned to Lily. "And what about you? Do you think the same?"
Lily nodded quickly when asked. "I think the same. David, you're getting stronger, and if we don't get stronger too, we won't be able to stay by your side. Besides, you saved us..."
Brian spoke a few more words afterwards, but David didn't pay much attention. Those words were just tired clichรฉs. David silently stared at the two of them, their hands intertwined, biting their lips nervously, afraid to meet David's gaze.
After a few minutes, two crystals, one for Shadow and one for Healing, appeared on the table with a soft clink. "Take them," David said as he stood up.
Both of them were pleasantly surprised. They quickly expressed their gratitude. "Thank you, David!"
David raised his index finger to his lips, signaling them to be quiet. They nodded, immediately closing their mouths. David looked at them for a moment and sighed. "I hope you don't disappoint me." With those words, David turned and left. ๐๏ฝ ๏ฝ๐๐๐๏ฝ ๐๏ผ๐๏ฝ ๏ฝ
Although David tried to help Brian and Lily as much as possible, he still had a trace of wariness towards them. In this apocalyptic world, there were too many deceitful people. And considering what the two of them had experienced before, they naturally had a deeper sense of cunning than ordinary people.
Even so, David didn't reveal any of his thoughts. His top priority was to improve his own strength. Only by becoming stronger could he treat those with ulterior motives as nothing more than clowns.
After David left, the fear on Lily's face vanished in an instant. She held the crystals in her hands and sighed. "He only gave us two. Can it make me level up?" With that, Lily slumped onto the sofa.
Brian hurriedly approached and massaged Lily's shoulders. "Be content. David is very cautious, so getting two crystals is already good enough for us."
Hearing Brian's words, Lily could only sigh helplessly. She initially thought that their performance by David's side in these past few days would be enough to deceive him and obtain more resources for their team. But today, they were denied as soon as they asked. Although the healing crystal in her hand was valuable, it didn't satisfy her appetite.
As awakened individuals in this post-apocalyptic world, the two of them had been infiltrating various small team organizations. Their goal was to gain access to these teams and seize all of their resources for themselves. With their excellent acting skills, they had been quite successful so far. That was also why they were able to awaken their abilities.
Brian and Lily made up their minds to deceive David and obtain his resources by any means necessary. Once they succeeded, they planned to flee together and continue their scamming activities. The thought of it felt exhilarating.
"If we manage to deceive David and get all his resources, our strength will definitely increase significantly," Brian said, massaging Lily's shoulders. "After all, in this apocalypse, strength is everything. We will become the most powerful awakened individuals in the apocalypse."
Both of them had a greedy look in their eyes. This was also why Brian had helped David fend off the mental control of the towering zombie before. Once they gained David's complete trust, they would seize the opportunity. They fantasized about dominating the post-apocalyptic world and relished the idea.
"Heh heh heh, I didn't expect my dear David to be so ruthless. I like it!" Brian imagined David's figure in his mind and smirked with disdain.
Outside the door, David exuded a cold aura as he listened to their conversation. At his feet lay a corpse of a zombie. Coincidentally, a zombie had approached when he was about to leave earlier. After dealing with the zombie, he had overheard their conversation before he could leave.
As he listened further, David's expression gradually grew darker. These two had deceived him quite a bit. David smiled self-mockingly, collected the crystals from the floor, and turned to leave the room.
Sally was chatting with Sophie when the door suddenly opened. She became instantly alert. "Let me go check." She stood up and walked toward the living room. When she saw David, her sense of vigilance immediately dissipated.
"David!" Sally called out and hugged him. Sophie, who heard the sound, also came out. "David, you're back. Is everything alright?" Before she could finish her sentence, David nodded.
"Arnold is already home. Let me take you back." Sophie, being an ordinary person, could be in danger in the building, as there could be zombies. Last time, Sophie came alone to find Arnold and luckily didn't encounter any zombies.
After escorting Sophie back, David and Sally leaned against the sofa, cuddling. "Did you gain anything on this outing?" Sally leaned against David's chest and whispered.
David lowered his head and gently caressed her cheek. "I gained quite a few crystals." But compared to the massive critical hits before, it was still far off. David's consciousness stirred, and a transparent panel appeared before his eyes.
[Quest: Store Crystals! ]
[There is one month left until the first major zombie outbreak. Please collect as many mutated crystals as possible and form your own team. During this time, all the resources you store will receive a hundredfold critical hit bonus. Remaining quest time: 18 days, 6 hours, 5 minutes.]
Mutated crystals? David was momentarily stunned as he looked at the information on the panel. His warehouse had plenty of basic crystals, but mutated crystals with different attributes were scarce.
Finding new blood for his team in this chaotic world was incredibly difficult. David furrowed his brow. The person in his embrace moved and sat up. David lifted his gaze and met Sally's eyes. Sally didn't say anything but simply reached out and smoothed David's furrowed brow.
"A furrowed brow adds a few more years to your appearance," Sally whispered, suppressing her voice.
Sally's fingers gently brushed David's forehead as their eyes met. She swallowed nervously. Just as she hesitated for a moment, David suddenly leaned in and kissed her.
"Um!" Sally widened her eyes in shock, then slowly closed them, holding onto David tightly as they gradually immersed themselves in the moment.
The next day, as the sun rose, David opened his eyes. He got up and leaned down to plant a kiss on Sally's tired face. After putting on his coat, he left Little Black at home and walked out with cola . There was still some time before the zombie outbreak would occur, and even with a hundredfold critical hit, he wanted to make the most of this time to collect more crystals.
As for Lily and Brian, at least they hadn't done anything harmful to the team's interests yet, so they would be kept for now. When more suitable people came along, if these two didn't confess, they could be discarded.
Today, David went out alone, accompanied only by his cola. He intended to try his luck on his own. Before he even reached the staircase, a captivating figure caught his eye.
David frowned, concealing a spatial blade up his sleeve. At the staircase, Monica stood impatiently, wearing a black dress, her brows furrowed. She had been waiting at the door for an hour, even before dawn. She had taken care of several zombies attracted to the area. Hearing footsteps, she turned to see the person she had been waiting for.
"Long time no see," Monica forced a smile on her face despite her internal displeasure, waving at David. However, David just glanced at her and walked past her without a word.
That brat! He actually ignored her? Monica's mouth twitched, feeling annoyed at David's departing figure.
"Hey!" Monica raised her voice.
A few zombies slowly approached from the side. Before Monica could act, David swiftly threw his spatial blades, instantly killing them. He then took out his alloy battle knife and skillfully removed the crystals from the zombies' foreheads.
Monica watched his actions from behind, feeling disdainful. "Is that all you care about, crystals?" David ignored her and finished collecting the crystals, putting them into his spatial storage.
[You obtained four primary crystals, critical hit multiplier in effect! ] ๐๐๐๏ฝ๐๏ฝ๐๐.๐๐๐
[Congratulations, you obtained four hundred primary crystals! ]
[Attributes: None! ]
As he took a step forward, Monica warned, "Even if you collect so many, do you know that there's a limit to how much one person can absorb in a day?"
David replied calmly, "I know." After speaking, he continued walking ahead. Watching David's retreating figure, Monica didn't know what to say. This brat gave her a sense of mystery. Throughout the day, Monica quietly followed behind David, occasionally speaking a few words to him, but he didn't respond to any of them.
David was like a crystal addict, constantly collecting without stopping. Even if a Level 3 zombie suddenly appeared, David's Level 4 ability made it easy for him to deal with it. Throughout the entire journey, Monica didn't make a move, maintaining the role of an onlooker.
Until nightfall, David had a thought and put on a pair of glasses over his eyes. Instantly, the scene he saw became as bright as daylight. Monica looked at the glasses that David suddenly wore and curiously asked, "Where did you get those glasses?"
David sighed. "You're really annoying." Monica's face darkened upon hearing this comment, and she closed her mouth.
David had no intention of leaving yet. Remembering something, he walked towards the location of Warehouse Number One. As he entered the warehouse, there was no terror like before; instead, it was surprisingly peaceful. Accompanied by that, however, was a strong stench of decay. The floor was covered in the bodies of mutated rats.
Monica looked at the scene, disgusted, and covered her nose. She was about to say something but remembered what David had said earlier and decided to keep her mouth shut. As they entered Warehouse Number One, David had a clear goal in mind and walked straight towards the cold storage area. The cold storage area was as icy as before. He made his way to the end of the room, pushed open the door, and walked right in.
The room was arranged the same way as last time, with the wall still bearing the zombie that had defeated David. He walked forward, noticing the fallen reagent on the ground, and picked it up. The reagent in the test tube was half injected, with half of the blue liquid still inside. Last time, this syringe was inserted into the arm of the zombie.
David always felt that this reagent could be the key to the revival of that corpse, but why didn't the corpse take it away? Instead, it was left behind. Was it intentional, or was it forgotten?
David stared at the reagent for a long time before putting it away in his storage. One second, two seconds, three seconds.
This time, David didn't wait for any prompts from the system. Could this thing really be different? It seemed like he had received some incredible news, as David's heartbeat suddenly accelerated.
Monica stood aside, watching David's expression change repeatedly since he picked up the reagent. She was puzzled and about to speak when David turned around, bypassed her, and walked out. Helplessly, she had no choice but to follow him.
An hour later, the corpse stood in front of the operating table, staring at it without shifting its gaze. Suddenly, it kicked over the table, searching for something in the entire room. In the end, it didn't find what it was looking for. As it was about to leave, its gaze fell on the lock of the room's door. It reached out and closed the door, then picked up the fallen lock from the ground, forcefully pressing it back onto the handle. The lock firmly attached to the door handle as if it had been welded on.
At night, David became even more cautious in his actions. Zombies were more formidable in their movements during the night compared to during the day. Therefore, when David intended to lead people out, he wouldn't choose nighttime. "I'm going back. Are you coming with me?" David asked in a low voice as he leaned against an obstacle.
Monica replied, "Have you thought about what I told you today?" Upon hearing this, David paused. It seemed that he hadn't taken anything the person said to heart today.
Monica looked at David's bewildered expression, and her mouth twitched again. This guy had taken everything she said today as nonsense.
Helplessly, Monica spoke up. "The three of us are from the same organization. We have already reported your situation to the organization, and they invite you to join us."
"Did you hear me clearly?" Monica impatiently said.
"Oh," David responded casually and turned his head to continue walking forward.
Monica was stunned. Invitation, and all he said was 'oh'? "Hey, kid, don't you even want to ask about our organization?" ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฐ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ญ.๐ค๐๐
Hearing Monica's words, David whispered, "What's the name of your organization, and what benefits would I get if I join?"
Monica nodded with satisfaction. This was the normal response. "You don't need to know the name, but as for the benefits, like I said, there aren't many talented individuals like you. As long as you come, we will do our best to provide you with whatever you need. What do you think?"
That's it... David sighed and replied, "Thanks, but no thanks."
Monica stood frozen in place, shocked. David turned around and suddenly noticed a zombie standing behind Monica. He swiftly threw out his spatial blade. Monica saw David's action and quickly rolled aside! Was this guy trying to kill her?!
When she looked again, she realized that David's spatial blade wasn't aimed at her but at the zombie behind her!
Monica swallowed nervously as she watched David collect the zombie crystal. It was close. If it weren't for this guy, she might have lost her life due to a momentary lapse of concentration. A momentary lapse was a big taboo! Monica regretted her mindset and stood up again.
"Thanks," she said, walking over to David and handing him a primary crystal. David glanced at the primary crystal in Monica's hand, raised an eyebrow, and accepted it. He was quite reasonable.
"You're welcome. Consider it even," David said, waving the primary crystal in his hand.
"Back already?" A man sat in a chair, holding a cup of tea and looking at Monica, who had just returned.
Monica responded with a faint "Hmm" and sat down next to him. "So, did he agree?" the man asked.
On the couch, Danny quietly lowered the book in his hands and looked at the two people on the table. Monica shook her head. "He refused me."
The man smiled calmly, as if he had expected this outcome. Hearing Monica's words, Danny burst into laughter. "Wow, there's actually someone in this world who rejected our Monica sister."
As the words fell, Monica glared at him. "Even if any of you go, it would be useless," Monica coldly snorted and said.
Creak... Creak... The rocking chair in the corner suddenly started moving, and the three of them became tense. The old man in the rocking chair picked up the cane beside him and slowly stood up from the chair.
"Abraham, how come you're up?" the man said respectfully.
The person known as Abraham smiled and said, "I'm not that old. If it weren't for that experiment, I would still have the same appearance as all of you." As he spoke, he pounded his body, and it made cracking sounds. He comfortably stretched his back with a yawn.
"I'm going out for a while," Abraham said, leaning on his cane and slowly walking out.
After he left the house, Danny finally spoke up. "I heard that during that experiment, Abraham captured many people with abilities..." Before he could finish, Danny noticed the look in the man's eyes and quickly shut his mouth.
"Don't mention it again next time," the man said.
"Alright," Danny agreed and kept his mouth shut.
Meanwhile, David returned home late, and Arnold, concerned, had put on armor and grabbed a sword to go outside. Just as he stepped out, he ran into David who had just come back.
"David?" Arnold's eyes lit up. "You finally came back," he said as he approached him.
David looked at his posture and asked, "Where are you going?"
Arnold smiled and pulled David into the house. "You don't know, Sally was so worried." As soon as David entered the house, Sally rushed towards him. She looked up at David with a slightly annoyed expression, still showing the urgency in her eyes.
"Why did you stay out for so long?" Sally patted David's chest.
Seeing Sally's appearance, David couldn't help but feel sorry for her. He gently touched Sally's head and said, "But I'm back now, right?"
After saying a few words, David took Sally back to the room. It took a lot of effort to calm Sally down before the two of them finally went to sleep. In the middle of the night, David couldn't sleep soundly. Since the apocalypse, his sleep had become fragile. After several failed attempts, he couldn't fall asleep and had to get up. He took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.
David gently opened a slit in the curtain and looked outside. In his previous life, he never had the chance to smoke at night and enjoy the scenery like this. Either he was collecting resources or being chased by zombies with Arnold. Unfortunately, they were eventually overwhelmed by the zombies.
As David pondered, he blew out a smoke ring. When he looked downstairs, he suddenly saw the figure of an old man. The old man had white hair and was slowly walking forward with a cane. There were constantly zombies trying to approach him, but they seemed to fear him and didn't dare to take another step closer.
This old man... David only pondered for a moment when the old man suddenly turned around and looked at him! As their eyes met, David felt something was wrong and quickly pulled down the curtain.
Downstairs, Abraham looked at the descending curtain with a faint smile. This kid has good vigilance. He turned around and walked outside. Raising his hand, he snapped his fingers. Bang! The surrounding zombies instantly exploded one after another in place!
If David had witnessed this scene, he would definitely have the system check Abraham's level. However, when David lifted the curtain again, Abraham had already gone far away. David wore his night vision goggles and looked at the scattered bodies of zombies on the ground, his brow slightly furrowed.
It was obvious that the old man's strength was not low. He scanned the area but couldn't find the old man . David reluctantly let the curtain down. If he had been a bit earlier, he could have witnessed the old man in action and used the system to check his level. Unfortunately, at the moment the old man looked at him, the expression in his eyes was clearly unfriendly. Was he an enemy or a friend?
"Brother, Abraham is back," Danny gently poked the sleeping man and whispered. The man abruptly opened his eyes and sat up. He went outside and indeed saw Abraham on the rocking chair.
Although Abraham's eyes were closed, his mind was still alert. The man was about to speak, but Abraham, lying on the rocking chair, spoke first. "Go back and sleep. This kid is quite good. It's better to be a friend than an enemy."
The man was shocked to hear Abraham's words. He was the first person to receive such high praise from Abraham.
"Did you hear me clearly?" Monica impatiently said.
"Oh," David responded casually and turned his head to continue walking forward.
Monica was stunned. Invitation, and all he said was 'oh'? "Hey, kid, don't you even want to ask about our organization?" ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐ฐ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ญ.๐ค๐๐
Hearing Monica's words, David whispered, "What's the name of your organization, and what benefits would I get if I join?"
Monica nodded with satisfaction. This was the normal response. "You don't need to know the name, but as for the benefits, like I said, there aren't many talented individuals like you. As long as you come, we will do our best to provide you with whatever you need. What do you think?"
That's it... David sighed and replied, "Thanks, but no thanks."
Monica stood frozen in place, shocked. David turned around and suddenly noticed a zombie standing behind Monica. He swiftly threw out his spatial blade. Monica saw David's action and quickly rolled aside! Was this guy trying to kill her?!
When she looked again, she realized that David's spatial blade wasn't aimed at her but at the zombie behind her!
Monica swallowed nervously as she watched David collect the zombie crystal. It was close. If it weren't for this guy, she might have lost her life due to a momentary lapse of concentration. A momentary lapse was a big taboo! Monica regretted her mindset and stood up again.
"Thanks," she said, walking over to David and handing him a primary crystal. David glanced at the primary crystal in Monica's hand, raised an eyebrow, and accepted it. He was quite reasonable.
"You're welcome. Consider it even," David said, waving the primary crystal in his hand.
"Back already?" A man sat in a chair, holding a cup of tea and looking at Monica, who had just returned.
Monica responded with a faint "Hmm" and sat down next to him. "So, did he agree?" the man asked.
On the couch, Danny quietly lowered the book in his hands and looked at the two people on the table. Monica shook her head. "He refused me."
The man smiled calmly, as if he had expected this outcome. Hearing Monica's words, Danny burst into laughter. "Wow, there's actually someone in this world who rejected our Monica sister."
As the words fell, Monica glared at him. "Even if any of you go, it would be useless," Monica coldly snorted and said.
Creak... Creak... The rocking chair in the corner suddenly started moving, and the three of them became tense. The old man in the rocking chair picked up the cane beside him and slowly stood up from the chair.
"Abraham, how come you're up?" the man said respectfully.
The person known as Abraham smiled and said, "I'm not that old. If it weren't for that experiment, I would still have the same appearance as all of you." As he spoke, he pounded his body, and it made cracking sounds. He comfortably stretched his back with a yawn.
"I'm going out for a while," Abraham said, leaning on his cane and slowly walking out.
After he left the house, Danny finally spoke up. "I heard that during that experiment, Abraham captured many people with abilities..." Before he could finish, Danny noticed the look in the man's eyes and quickly shut his mouth.
"Don't mention it again next time," the man said.
"Alright," Danny agreed and kept his mouth shut.
Meanwhile, David returned home late, and Arnold, concerned, had put on armor and grabbed a sword to go outside. Just as he stepped out, he ran into David who had just come back.
"David?" Arnold's eyes lit up. "You finally came back," he said as he approached him.
David looked at his posture and asked, "Where are you going?"
Arnold smiled and pulled David into the house. "You don't know, Sally was so worried." As soon as David entered the house, Sally rushed towards him. She looked up at David with a slightly annoyed expression, still showing the urgency in her eyes.
"Why did you stay out for so long?" Sally patted David's chest.
Seeing Sally's appearance, David couldn't help but feel sorry for her. He gently touched Sally's head and said, "But I'm back now, right?"
After saying a few words, David took Sally back to the room. It took a lot of effort to calm Sally down before the two of them finally went to sleep. In the middle of the night, David couldn't sleep soundly. Since the apocalypse, his sleep had become fragile. After several failed attempts, he couldn't fall asleep and had to get up. He took out a cigarette from his pocket and lit it.
David gently opened a slit in the curtain and looked outside. In his previous life, he never had the chance to smoke at night and enjoy the scenery like this. Either he was collecting resources or being chased by zombies with Arnold. Unfortunately, they were eventually overwhelmed by the zombies.
As David pondered, he blew out a smoke ring. When he looked downstairs, he suddenly saw the figure of an old man. The old man had white hair and was slowly walking forward with a cane. There were constantly zombies trying to approach him, but they seemed to fear him and didn't dare to take another step closer.
This old man... David only pondered for a moment when the old man suddenly turned around and looked at him! As their eyes met, David felt something was wrong and quickly pulled down the curtain.
Downstairs, Abraham looked at the descending curtain with a faint smile. This kid has good vigilance. He turned around and walked outside. Raising his hand, he snapped his fingers. Bang! The surrounding zombies instantly exploded one after another in place!
If David had witnessed this scene, he would definitely have the system check Abraham's level. However, when David lifted the curtain again, Abraham had already gone far away. David wore his night vision goggles and looked at the scattered bodies of zombies on the ground, his brow slightly furrowed.
It was obvious that the old man's strength was not low. He scanned the area but couldn't find the old man . David reluctantly let the curtain down. If he had been a bit earlier, he could have witnessed the old man in action and used the system to check his level. Unfortunately, at the moment the old man looked at him, the expression in his eyes was clearly unfriendly. Was he an enemy or a friend?
"Brother, Abraham is back," Danny gently poked the sleeping man and whispered. The man abruptly opened his eyes and sat up. He went outside and indeed saw Abraham on the rocking chair.
Although Abraham's eyes were closed, his mind was still alert. The man was about to speak, but Abraham, lying on the rocking chair, spoke first. "Go back and sleep. This kid is quite good. It's better to be a friend than an enemy."
The man was shocked to hear Abraham's words. He was the first person to receive such high praise from Abraham.
Abraham looked up at the man and spoke again, "Encountering someone with such power, I really don't know if it's a lucky thing or not. Don't just stand there, hurry up and find a way to improve your strength. Otherwise, when the day comes and we truly become enemies with that kid, we'll likely be in a difficult situation." ๐๐๐๐๐ค๐๐๐๏ผ๐๐ค๐ข
Listening to Abraham's words, the man's brow remained tightly furrowed. He hadn't expected this young man to bring such a potential crisis to them. He nodded and left Abraham, returning to his own room. Sitting in the room, the man turned his head to look outside the window, and a cold gleam appeared in his eyes.
Watching the man's departing figure, Abraham let out a soft sigh and then turned his gaze back to the night outside. His cloudy eyes looked towards a distant building that faintly appeared in the darkness. Then he glanced at the wandering zombies on the street. "That kid is really a good seed. I hope I can extract that power in time. Otherwise..."
Abraham shook his head gently, recalling the aura emitted by David earlier. Without hesitation, he stood up and realized that the others were in their own rooms. He pushed open the door and walked towards the building.
Early in the morning, as soon as David opened his eyes, he smelled the aroma of food. "Growl..." his stomach started growling. Getting out of bed, he casually grabbed a piece of clothing and put it on, then headed for the kitchen.
At this moment, the sunlight outside was shining on David through the French windows. Feeling the long-lost warmth, David's mood inexplicably lightened. After all, due to the apocalypse, this world was mostly covered by dark clouds, making warm sunlight a scarce commodity.
Clearly, it had become a rare commodity in this world. He arrived in the kitchen, where Sally, dressed in pajamas, was busily working. Her petite figure, accentuated by the soft pajamas, was enchanting.
Watching Sally skillfully stir the eggs in the pan, David smiled. He approached Sally from behind and hugged her. Her faint fragrance immediately entered his nostrils.
Sally turned her head and smiled at David's handsome profile. "Why did you get up so early? Go back and sleep a little longer. I'll call you when the food is ready."
Sally playfully tousled her hair, then turned her head and lightly kissed David's lips. For Sally, the pursuit of three meals a day and the changing seasons were the only pursuits she had in this post-apocalyptic world.
"You cook so deliciously. I can't wait," David said as he looked at the golden fried eggs. Hearing his words, Sally smiled happily. One of David's hands was tightly holding hers, while the other skillfully stir-fried the food in the pan. Even the simplest home-cooked dishes became delicious and appetizing in Sally's hands. So, most of the team's meals were taken care of by Sally alone.
Actually, Sally's cooking skills were not always excellent. It was just that with the arrival of the apocalypse, various ingredients became scarce and demanding. Every time she cooked for the team, she cherished these hard-to-come-by ingredients. Over time, Sally became adept at preparing various home-cooked dishes that were not only easy to make but also had great taste, aroma, and appearance. Everyone who tasted her dishes would excitedly give her a thumbs-up.
"Alright," Sally said as she turned off the stove. David listened and released his grip around her waist. Watching Sally plate the food and then turn to walk towards the dining room, David quickly took the plate from her hand and placed it on the table.
Sally smiled gently, enveloped in a sense of happiness. The two of them sat at the dining table, and David served a bowl of steamed rice in front of Sally. "You've worked hard. Please eat," David said with a smile.
Sally murmured in agreement and began to eat. As David looked at the appetizing dishes on the table, he couldn't resist any longer. He picked up his chopsticks and picked up a piece of meat. When the meat entered his mouth, his eyes lit up. Before he could even exclaim, a shrill scream suddenly came from the entrance. "Ah!"
David furrowed his brow slightly. Sally also turned her head towards David at the first moment, whispering, "That sound seems to be Lily." David nodded, agreeing with her guess. That sound was not just similar to Lily's, it was Lily's voice.
Just as David set down his utensils, they heard a series of knocks on their door. "Help! Help!"
"David, please save me!" Lily's voice became more and more desperate, as if she had encountered some danger. Sally became nervous all of a sudden, preparing to get up and investigate.
"No need to worry. Sit down and enjoy your meal. We shouldn't waste such delicious food," David said, looking up at Sally. Then he nonchalantly picked up a piece of spare rib and put it in his mouth.
"But..." Sally looked at David's calm and unruffled expression, not a hint of urgency, wanting to say something. But as soon as she opened her mouth, David reached out and pulled her back to her seat. David smiled, shook his head, and gestured for Sally to continue eating without saying anything more.
Helpless, Sally could only pick up the glass of milk in front of her with a puzzled expression. David had long known about Brian and Lily's conspiracy. So, he naturally understood what they were planning this time. He wasn't in a hurry, quietly sitting there, listening to Lily's cries for help.
After calling out for a while, Lily saw that David still hadn't made any movement to open the door. A wicked expression suddenly appeared on her face. She hadn't expected David to be so heartless, not even opening the door for her. Last night, she and Brian had planned for the whole night, intending to strike a heavy blow to David this time, giving them an opportunity to seize all the supplies.
So early in the morning, Brian quietly lured over hundreds of zombies here, with the goal of using the zombie horde to besiege them, rendering David and the others defenseless. At that time, she and Brian could directly take action and make their escape. But now, the rampaging zombies outside were slowly approaching her. However, David remained motionless. This made her feel a sense of urgency.
Upon hearing Lily's screams, Arnold and Sophie in the other room were also taken aback for a moment. However, they quickly relaxed. "These young people, making such a racket in broad daylight," Sophie sat on a chair and glanced at the door, expressing her dissatisfaction. Arnold nodded in agreement, sitting in front of Sophie. "The terrifying thing about doomsday is human nature."
When Lily and Brian had first arrived, the circumstances were already suspicious. As they recalled the scene when David brought them here, they felt something odd. Combined with Lily and Brian behavior on regular days, they didn't even have the thought of opening the door to inquire. In their view, David not coming forward must have a reason.
Since that was the case, they didn't need to lend a helping hand. After all, David held a much higher position in their hearts than Brian and Lily. However, after waiting for a while, Lily continued to scream incessantly. The banging on the door grew louder, and even Brian joined in. This made Arnold furrow his brow.
Not to mention that it was disturbing David and Sally, it probably attracted quite a few zombies in the vicinity as well. So, Arnold said to Sophie, "I'll go out and see what they're causing a fuss about."
After saying that, Arnold stood up and opened the door. Brian and Lily still had anger on their faces. They had been pounding on David's door for so long, clearly indicating that he didn't care about them at all. Just as Brian was about to burst into a tirade, he turned his head and saw Arnold standing at the door. He quickly hid his expression of anger and instead showed panic and fear. Running up to Arnold, Brian swallowed and said, "Help! There are suddenly many zombies outside. Lily and I barely made it here alive!"
At this moment, Lily stopped banging on David's door and stood beside Arnold. "Arnold, I don't know how we angered David. He still hasn't opened the door for us. If it wasn't for you showing up in time, the two of us would probably be dead in the hands of the zombies soon," Lily said, tears streaming down her face.
Watching their pitiful and panicked appearance, Arnold showed no sympathy on his face. On the contrary, he wore a grim expression because he had heard the underlying blame in Lily's words. He wasn't the only one who caught on; Sophie, who was slowly walking up behind, also picked up on it. "Is it necessary for you to make such a loud commotion early in the morning and disturb everyone's rest, even if there are zombies around? It's not like you need to make such a ruckus."
Sophie didn't give them any leeway in her words. In her opinion, David was their backbone, and every decision he made had its own reasoning. She would never allow anyone to insult him. ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ญ.๐๐ฆ๐ก
Seeing Arnold and Sophie's unfriendly expressions, Lily paused for a moment. A trace of killing intent flashed in her eyes, but she quickly covered it up with tears. Brian also lowered his head, doing the same. In all the times they had wandered in various small groups, when had they ever been subjected to such humiliation?
However, if they revealed any flaws now, all the effort they had put in early in the morning would be wasted. So, regardless of the circumstances, they had to wait for David to appear. "We're really sorry for the inconvenience. The situation was urgent, and we had no choice but to disturb everyone," Brian apologized with remorse.
Then he looked towards David's room, puzzled, and asked, "Is David not in the room? Wait, I just smelled the aroma of food coming from inside the room." He knew David must be inside the room, so he asked knowingly, wanting to use Arnold and Sophie to lure him out.
Just as he finished speaking, the door to David's room slowly opened. David then walked out with Sally.
"Are you two looking for me?" Sally asked Brian calmly, looking at him.
Seeing David come out, both of them felt relieved and quickly walked over, saying, "David, you finally came out. There are suddenly a lot of zombies outside, and we need to find a way to deal with them quickly!"
As Brian spoke, he secretly examined David's expression. When he saw David raise his head and look outside the door, a barely perceptible smile appeared on his lips. Brian knew that David had taken the bait.
Quickly, Brian gave Lily a secret signal, indicating that she should act according to the original plan. Lily took a glance at the approaching zombies at the door. David nodded slowly and said, "You're right, but... I'll leave these zombies for the two of you to deal with."
Saying that, David threw a crystal on the ground, gesturing for them to pick it up and consume it. Seeing the scattered crystals on the ground, Brian and Lily were stunned in place.
What does this mean? They couldn't believe that David would ask them to deal with these zombies. Shouldn't it be him leading Arnold and others to hunt and take advantage of the situation?
Arnold and Sophie were also puzzled but remained silent, watching Brian and Lily.
"David, the two of us are incapable of dealing with so many zombies. It's better for you to take action. It's a good opportunity for us to learn," Brian realized and quickly waved his hand, suggesting.
David smiled faintly after hearing that. He had already guessed what these two had in mind, but he wasn't in a hurry because he wanted to see how they would play along. It was like watching a free show. "So if you consume these crystals, your strength will increase. Isn't that what you want?" David said with deep meaning.
Brian hesitated for a moment, looking at David in disbelief. Lily clenched her teeth and quickly bent down to pick up the crystals from the ground. "Thank you for the crystals, David, but these crystals are not enough for the two of us to consume." Lily wasn't picky and decided to try and ask David for more.
Sally, seeing this, immediately furrowed her brows. "Hehehe, since that's the case, then improve your strength in real combat," David said with a smile.
At the same time, zombies outside the door continued to rush in. The frontmost zombie turned its eyeballs and, with a piercing friction sound, stared at the group. David exchanged a glance with Arnold, who understood his intentions. Arnold grabbed Brian and rushed towards the zombie. "Come on, true strength is honed in battle!"
Before Brian could react, he was pulled by Arnold and brought in front of the zombie. The zombie growled lowly and opened its mouth, biting towards Brian's neck.
"Uh-oh!" Brian startled, quickly lowered his body and leaped to the other side, narrowly avoiding the zombie's attack.
"David, Brian was injured not long ago and hasn't fully recovered. I'm afraid he..." Lily looked at Brian, who was fighting hard, with a worried expression, and said to David.
David nodded, pondered for a moment, then turned to look at her and said, "Makes sense. Then you go help him!"
During their conversation, a zombie rushed towards David. David swiftly dodged to the side, causing the zombie's target to instantly shift to Lily. Lily screamed and immediately ran towards Sophie. "Sophie, sister, please save me!"
Sophie glanced at her and slowly walked over to David and Sally's side, completely ignoring her plea for help.
Lily was immediately dumbfounded by the sight of the approaching zombies. She stared at them blankly, and her anger started to burn within her. She hated David, and she hated everyone here. She swore to find an opportunity to kill them all!
But her immediate priority was to deal with the zombies in front of her. Just as she was at a loss, Brian swiftly rushed towards her after evading an attack from a zombie.
"Open up quickly!" he shouted at Lily, and the seven blades in his hand instantly pierced the back of the zombie. A black, putrid smell instantly filled the air. Watching Brian kill the zombie in front of him, David nodded with a smile. More and more zombies poured in from outside, to the point where even Arnold joined the fight.
Brian protected Lily while facing off against wave after wave of ferocious zombies. Soon, he was nearly exhausted. He secretly kept an eye on David, his gaze filled with a murderous intent. If it weren't for the fact that they hadn't obtained the supplies yet, he would have rushed up and killed the guy long ago.
Watching the two of them in a sorry state, David shook his head. He knew that the people in this world were strange and unpredictable. Everyone had their own agenda, making this eerie and ever-changing world even more dangerous.
For those who had designs on him, he would slowly torment them. He knew that if he wanted someone dead, he had to drive them to madness first. When they were on the brink of insanity, that would be the starting point of their death. In David's eyes, Brian and Lily were approaching that point. He even began to take some interest in them.
As more and more zombies appeared, Arnold also began to struggle. David gestured to Sally, and she nodded in response before rushing into the midst of the zombie horde. David continued to watch Brian and Lily's poor acting skills. With Sally joining the battle, the entire battlefield underwent an obvious change in an instant.
Sally wielded lightning bolts that resembled dancing dragons, constantly striking at the zombies. The sound of thunderous explosions and the agonized cries of the zombies rang in everyone's ears. Under Sally's manipulation, the lightning bolts simultaneously hit the zombies, and in the blink of an eye, a large number of zombies fell to the ground. David looked at Sally and nodded in satisfaction.
Brian and Lily finally had a chance to catch their breath. They sat in place, breathing heavily. When they saw Sally standing there, constantly unleashing lightning, they were shocked! They hadn't expected Sally to be so formidable, instantly dealing with the zombies they had struggled to attract.
At the same time, Brian looked at David. When he noticed David smiling at him, he awkwardly smiled back and then stood up from the ground. He walked over to David's side. "David, will Sally get hurt?" he asked, furrowing his brow and pretending to be concerned.
Implicitly, he wanted to get David involved in the fight so that he and Lily would have a chance to plunder the house. ๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐ซ๐๐.๐๐ง๐
David shook his head. "To her, these zombies are like ants. I'm not worried at all. The reason I let Sally join the fight is that I know the power of her level-three ability. Thunderstrike,It's immensely powerful. These low-level zombies are no match for her. Even if anything unexpected happens, I can step in and deal with it at any time. Additionally, I want her to gain some practical experience through this opportunity and improve her own strength."
Upon hearing David's words, Brian was completely helpless. As long as David was around, he and Lily couldn't make a move. So, he could only helplessly furrow his brow and glanced at Lily behind him. She wore a gloomy expression but had no solution either. David noticed their expressions and simply smiled faintly, not bothering to look at them again.
Soon, Sally and David managed to kill all the zombies. The air became filled with a foul smell. At this moment, David walked slowly to the center of the battlefield, with the system's voice continuously sounding in his ear.
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining one primary crystal! ]
[Congratulations to the host for triggering a hundredfold critical hit and obtaining one hundred primary crystals! ]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining ten intermediate crystals! ]
[Congratulations to the host for triggering a hundredfold critical hit and obtaining one thousand primary crystals! ]
After this battle, David stood there and gained tens of thousands of crystals. He couldn't help but smile as he looked at Brian and Lily. If it weren't for them attracting so many zombies, he probably wouldn't have obtained this much loot. Meanwhile, the two of them could only awkwardly smile, trying to conceal their inner anger and disappointment.
After clearing the battlefield, everyone returned to the bedroom. "David, we were impulsive today. We're really sorry," Lily spoke up first.
David simply smiled and looked at her. "Just rest at home, Lily. I'll take Brian out."
After saying that, he glanced at Arnold and Sally again, gesturing for them to keep an eye on Lily. They silently nodded. Brian didn't know what David had in mind, but to conceal their true identities and plans, Brian had no choice but to follow David outside. The two of them walked in silence on the street, one in front of the other.
The cold wind on the street howled in their ears. When they reached a row of houses, David stopped and looked towards a corner, then spoke up, "Come out, hiding in the dark is not a good habit."
Upon hearing David's words, a figure in the darkness hesitated. He had hidden in the farthest corner, relying on the concealed wall. However, he didn't anticipate that David had night vision goggles, allowing him to see everything clearly.
Danny listened to David's words and his face darkened. He reluctantly held the back of his head with both hands and walked out. "Can you see me?" Danny said, glancing at the glasses David was wearing. He vividly remembered that the last time he saw David, he didn't have these glasses. Could it be that his glasses were the same as his brother's, capable of...
With these thoughts in mind, Danny took a few steps forward, appearing in the sight of both of them. Brian became wary upon seeing him, but Danny simply glanced at him casually and smiled, "Bringing someone along this time, huh?"
David didn't answer him but shifted his gaze to a convenience store. The store's doors and windows were intact, and even the entrance was locked, looking undamaged. In this apocalyptic world, it was rare to see a shop in such good condition.
"Hey, can you let me try on your glasses?" Danny approached David and asked.
David hesitated for a moment. Why did this person immediately fixate on his glasses? "No, you can't," David directly refused.
Danny showed a hint of disappointment and then asked, "That's fine if you won't give them to me. Just tell me what your glasses can do." As he finished speaking, Danny's eyes showed anticipation as he looked at David.
The function of glasses? David lifted his eyelids and glanced at Danny, but he didn't directly answer his question. Instead, he looked at the window of a small shop and pushed his glasses up on his nose. With a calm expression, he said, "You're thinking too much. These are just ordinary glasses."
As David finished speaking, he shifted his gaze towards the small shop. Danny heard his words but clearly didn't want to believe them. If what David said was true and these were just ordinary glasses, then David must be nearsighted.
With that in mind, Danny became even more curious about David's glasses. He approached once again and whispered to David, "If you tell me the purpose of these glasses, I'll give you ten crystals. How about that?" Saying this, Danny touched the crystals in his pocket.
David glanced at him indifferently, then turned his head again. Crystals? He was indeed lacking crystals, but what he lacked were crystals with superhuman abilities. He had as many of these basic crystals as he needed. He didn't know how many he had obtained during the time of the tenfold critical strike.
David looked at the small shop, intending to go inside and take a look. He started moving and walked to the entrance of the small shop. "Crystals won't do the trick. Last time, I asked for some crystals, but I have to get them back."
Watching David's actions, Danny rubbed his head and murmured discontentedly, "If he won't tell me, there will be a chance for me to find out."
As he finished speaking, Danny walked forward and followed behind David. David reached out and touched the lock on the door of the small shop. The lock was fastened from the outside. It was uncertain if there was anyone inside.
David held the lock in his hand and looked at it for a couple of seconds. However, Danny couldn't wait any longer. He stepped forward and took the lock from David's hand. Then he took out a small iron wire. "It's just unlocking a lock, such a simple thing..." As Danny spoke, he manipulated the wire, and with a clicking sound, the lock opened.
The lock fell to the ground with a sound. Looking at his masterpiece, Danny turned around proudly and said to David, "How about it? I helped you once, so shouldn't you tell me about your glasses?"
Upon hearing this, David gave him a disdainful look. "I never asked for your help." Immediately after, David cautiously pushed open the door of the small shop.
Creak... It's unclear whether it was due to being closed for too long, but when the door was pushed open, it made a creepy sound. Then, a gust of cold wind blew out. David felt a shiver, and goosebumps appeared on his arms. Brian hissed and rubbed his arms.
Danny, who was following behind, had already positioned himself behind Brian. He carefully looked inside, and the environment inside the small shop was intact, without any signs of zombie invasion. The shelves were still filled with food, and on the counter, there was a person crawling.
David furrowed his eyebrows slightly, turned around, and closed the door. Such a good place couldn't be accessed by zombies. "Look for things and block the door." David said to Brian in a calm tone. ๐ฏ๐๐ฑ๐ง๐ผ๐ฏ๐๐น.๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ
Brian nodded and in the darkness, he placed some heavy objects behind the door. Meanwhile, David walked towards the counter. He quietly approached the counter and looked at the person lying there. He clenched his teeth and was about to reach out his hand when Danny walked over.
Noticing Danny's arrival, David quickly changed his mind and retracted his hand. He turned his head and pointed at the person in front of the counter.
Danny was taken aback for a moment and it took him some time to notice the figure on the counter. "Someone?!" he exclaimed, covering his mouth in surprise.
Without waiting for David to answer, Danny reached out his hand towards the figure. His fingers tapped the person's arm. No response on the first try, nor on the second.
Danny and David looked at the person, speculating whether they were dead. Finally, after Danny poked once more and was about to give up, the person made a hesitant sound.
"Uh..." The person rubbed their eyes, partially opening them as they sat up straight. "Who's there?" Perhaps due to not having spoken for a long time, their voice had become hoarse, making even talking quite difficult.
When they saw the two people standing in front of them, they were initially confused, but their eyes lit up, and they excitedly got up from the counter. They extended their hands, wanting to shake hands with David, but David evaded and instead, the person reached out and shook hands with Danny. Danny looked at the man with confusion.
"I've been trapped here for a while. It's too dangerous outside, and I can't get out on my own. Please, take me away from here. I'm on the verge of collapse in this confined space!" The man's gaze towards Danny grew increasingly excited, as if he had grasped a lifeline.
Danny looked at the scattered trash on the ground and the man's disheveled hair, suddenly understanding. At the same time, he sensed the presence of superhuman abilities from the man. He asked, "Are you an awakened superhuman?"
As he spoke, he withdrew his hand from the man's grasp with some disdain. Upon hearing Danny's question, David also looked at the man with curiosity. As a superhuman, he was fully capable of killing zombies. So why would he be hiding alone in this place?
However, David soon realized the reason. The aura emitted by the man was extremely weak, indicating that he had recently awakened and had not yet grasped the intricacies of his superhuman abilities.
Indeed, the man scratched his head and said, "I awakened my abilities unintentionally three days ago, but there was no one to guide me, and I don't know how to use them. I can only use some simple self-defense abilities for now."
Danny nodded. Looking around, he asked again, "Do you know what's happening outside these past few days?"
"Yes, I know. I heard terrifying sounds at the door last night, as well as cries for help from humans."
David glanced at the man. He knew that those must have been scenes of zombies attacking humans. "What's your name?" David asked calmly.
The man hurriedly replied, "Duke."
As the two of them chatted, David turned around and began to observe the environment inside the store. It was a small family-owned shop, and there weren't many supplies on the shelves. Some food had already been opened and the packaging was discarded on the floor. Several bottles of drinking water were already empty, indicating that it wouldn't sustain the man for much longer.
David couldn't help but feel that this guy was somewhat lucky. Being trapped here with food and drink was relatively comfortable compared to other survivors. At the same time, David noticed clear signs of the skylight on the roof being opened. Presumably, the man couldn't bear the oppression and wanted to escape through the skylight. However, the level of danger outside eventually made him hesitate. David glanced once again at the slightly excited expression on the man's face.
David didn't know if he could trust this person's words. Perhaps he had been deceived by Brian and Lily too many times. David now had doubts about anyone he looked at, questioning the authenticity of their words.
Duke felt uncomfortable under David's gaze. After hesitating for a moment, he spoke up, "Bro... you... looking at me like this makes me uneasy."
David responded with a faint "Hmm" and then shifted his gaze to the room door behind the counter. He walked towards the door and stood in front of it after a few steps.
Before he could open the door to go inside, Duke approached him, smiling, and said, "This is where I've been sleeping for over two months, so it's a bit messy."
Saying that, Duke personally opened the door for David. Inside the room was filled with clutter. However, in the middle of the mess, a small cleared space had been organized, big enough for one person to sleep. In that space, there was only one pillow and a thick blanket.
"Damn apocalypse, damn zombies! Once I fully master my abilities, I'll definitely kill all these beasts! Otherwise, I wouldn't have been suffering here!" Duke looked at the environment inside and instantly recalled the hardships he had endured during this period. He vented his frustration. But David treated his words as if they went in one ear and out the other. His so-called heartless boss should have died a long time ago. Where was the chance for him to seek revenge?
David walked inside and inspected the boxes placed in the room. When he opened them one by one, he discovered that they were all stocked goods from the convenience store! On the floor, a box of trash was sitting in the corner. The packaging of the garbage inside the boxes was identical to the food on the store shelves.
Duke walked in and sighed. "If it weren't for the food and water here, I probably wouldn't have survived. Even so, I only eat one meal a day, barely making it this far."
David still ignored his words. Instead, Danny walked in and gave him a thumbs up. "Brother, you're the god of luck in this chaotic world!"
"God of luck? Chaotic world?" Duke was confused.
Then Danny reached out and placed his hand on Duke's shoulder. He led Duke to the side and began explaining the outbreak of the zombies in detail.
Meanwhile, David continued to explore the room, extending his hand and storing all the remaining supplies in his space. Although the supplies were not abundant, they were still precious in the apocalypse.
After a while, all the remaining supplies in the room had been stored in David's space. He turned his head and looked at Duke, who was shocked by Danny's words, before leaving the room. The stock in the room has been collected, and the shelves are next. The supplies on the shelves are also not much, and they are some basic living supplies.
David looked at the supplies with a flicker of thought.
[Ding! ] ๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ท๐๐๏ผ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ
[Congratulations, you've obtained 10 rolls of toilet paper, critical hit multiplier in effect! ]
[Congratulations, you've obtained 1,000 rolls of toilet paper! ]
[You've obtained 20 candles, critical hit multiplier in effect! ]
[Congratulations, you've obtained 2,000 candles! ]
[You've obtained 30 bars of soap, critical hit multiplier in effect! ]
[Congratulations, you've obtained 3,000 bars of soap! ]
Just as Duke was still immersed in panic and fear after listening to Danny's words, he turned around and noticed that the room and the supplies on the shelves had suddenly disappeared. Confusion appeared on his face. What just happened? In the blink of an eye, these things vanished into thin air. He looked at David perplexed and asked, "What happened to these supplies?"
David looked at him with a faint smile. "Sorry, I took all these things." The reason for doing so was that David wanted to test what kind of person this guy named Duke really was.
Upon hearing David's words, Duke's expression immediately turned dark. He had assumed that David and Danny would take him away from this cursed place. In that case, these supplies would have no use for him. But now that they hadn't mentioned anything about leaving, if he continued to stay here alone without supplies, how would he survive?
"Then you need to give me an explanation." Duke looked at David, his meaning implied.
David understood his intention but didn't answer directly. Instead, he smiled slightly and said, "That's the law of survival in the apocalypse. You need to learn to adapt."
At that moment, Danny walked over to David with a bitter smile and whispered, "This guy has his eyes on you now. I tested him earlier, and there shouldn't be any major issues."
During their conversation, Danny had been observing Duke's micro-expressions. When he noticed that Duke had a look of surprise and confusion the whole time, Danny nodded subtly.
"This is the real reaction of a normal person who has been trapped here for several days." Danny was saying this when Duke clenched his teeth and pulled out a long sword from the shelf. Holding the sword, he looked at David and said, "Either you take me out of here, or you return all my supplies! Otherwise, I'll fight you like a man, even if it costs me my life!"
Hearing Duke's words, David was slightly surprised. He didn't expect this guy to have such spirit. Just then, they heard a chaotic shuffle of footsteps outside the door. David frowned, knowing that the nearby zombies had been attracted by their presence. He coldly replied to Duke, "You overestimate your own strength. In my eyes, you're not even my match."
As soon as he finished speaking, Duke didn't hesitate and swung his sword towards David. "Let's see about that!" Danny shook his head helplessly. Just as the sword was about to strike, David raised his foot and kicked Duke hard in the abdomen, causing him to double over in pain, clutching his stomach on the ground. "I told you, you're not worthy."
David looked at him, having already grasped a basic understanding of this guy. When he kicked Duke, he could clearly feel that he had charged purely relying on brute force. He hadn't even activated his special abilities. It seemed that he hadn't fully grasped the mysteries of his powers, confirming David's suspicions.
"You guys... are bullying me!" Duke sat on the ground with a mournful face, throwing the sword aside. He looked like a wronged little girl.
"Heh, brother, this is the current state of the outside world. You're still considered lucky to have encountered us today. If you come across others, forget about these supplies, your life would probably be in danger." Danny spoke to Duke at the right moment.
Upon hearing Danny's words, Duke's mood calmed down a bit. At that moment, the footsteps of the zombies outside the door became clearer and clearer. The group became cautious, afraid to make even the slightest noise. However, David abruptly opened the door and immediately saw a horde of zombies preparing to surround them. Each zombie bared its teeth, emitting a decaying odor that filled the air. David turned around, his gaze filled with profound meaning, as he stared at Duke.
David looked at Duke, who seemed frustrated but couldn't quite get angry, and found it quite amusing. As the zombies approached, he raised an eyebrow and said to Duke, "Zombies are coming. Aren't you going up there?"
With those words, David glanced at the approaching zombies. Nearly fifteen of them charged towards Duke upon seeing him.
"Damn it!" Duke cursed loudly and disdainfully raised his middle finger at David. , then wielding his long sword, he decapitated one zombie after another. David crossed his arms and leaned calmly against the door. Many zombies looked in their direction, and as they charged straight towards them, Brian stood before David, holding a long knife.
Whenever a zombie approached, Brian swiftly struck, cleanly severing the zombies' heads. It was Duke's first encounter with so many zombies, and his stamina quickly diminished. Within a few minutes, he started panting heavily. "Why are there so many of these damn zombies?"
Duke's strength finally gave out, and he leaned his sword against the ground, barely supporting his body. He turned his head and met David's smile. His lips twitched. Was this guy mocking him? Anger surged within Duke, and he quickly regained his composure.
David, looking at Duke's expression, sighed helplessly. He lightly flicked several spatial blades with his hand, swiftly stabbing towards the zombies around Duke! The few zombies behind Duke, who had not been dealt with, were all eliminated by David's spatial blades. When Duke turned to check, there were already several corpses lying at his feet.
The surrounding zombies were quickly dealt with. When Duke dealt with the last zombie, he was covered in zombie blood. There were even pieces of decaying flesh hanging from Duke's body. He looked down at his dirty clothes and frowned.
Duke raised his hand, shaking off the rotten flesh from his clothes in disgust. He never expected that he would end up dealing with zombies and even be covered in the stench of decay.
He looked towards David, about to speak, but David took a step forward, bypassed him, and walked towards the way back. "Hey," Duke caught up and called out, following David's side. "What about my supplies?"
Before he could finish his sentence, David calmly said, "If you haven't killed enough yet, feel free to raise your voice a bit more!" ๏ฝ๐๐๐๐๐๐๏ฝ.๏ฝ๏ฝ ๏ฝ
Duke was stunned by his words. Did he just kill those zombies in the store? After a few seconds of daze, David had already walked away. Duke looked over and instinctively wanted to shout.
Remembering what David had said, he quickly covered his mouth. Then, he hurriedly caught up, walking alongside David and whispered again, "My supplies... Can you at least give me some back? I can't just watch myself starve to death here alone, right?"
Hearing this, David glanced at him and replied, "Your supplies? Is this store yours?"
Duke was taken aback. This store wasn't his. He was just an employee, a humble worker who happened to take refuge here during the apocalypse. He would probably have become a lifeless body in the apocalypse if not for finding shelter here. But on the other hand, he hadn't seen anyone in this store, so even if he claimed it was his, no one would suspect.
"It's mine," Duke lied.
David faintly smiled, "Since you're the owner of the store, how could you not know that the skylight on the ceiling was welded shut and couldn't be opened? If you're going to lie, at least come up with a better reason."
Duke's face darkened after hearing David's words. In the next second, he pointed his sword directly at David and said, "Just give me back my supplies, or else I'll take action."
At this moment, Duke was truly anxious. If he was left alone in this place, he had no idea how to survive. He knew the value of life at this moment and how precious it was, something that everyone aspired to.
David stopped and slowly turned around. Duke's sword was pressed against his throat, but there was no trace of fear on David's face. What would happen even if the sword was pressed against his throat? As long as he died, all the things Duke had taken from him wouldn't be able to return to their original place. That's why Duke didn't dare to harm him.
David stared into his eyes and said, "You want to try it?" As he spoke, David was about to take a step forward. Duke watched his movement and panicked, instinctively taking a step back. After all, he was just an ordinary citizen. Where would he have ever killed someone with a knife?
"Don't you want to live?" Duke scolded. Just as he finished speaking, a loud noise came from a nearby building.
Boom! Following that, the floor-to-ceiling window upstairs suddenly shattered, and a figure fell straight down. Coincidentally, the figure landed exactly where David had been standing.
David looked up and his mouth twitched. He didn't want to get involved. Just as David raised his hand, Duke thought he was going to catch the falling person. But in the next second, David opened a portal next to him and walked right into it.
Huh?! Duke was shocked as he watched David's actions. As the falling person got closer and closer, he gritted his teeth and reached out his hand. Not far away, David emerged from the portal. He silently watched as Duke reached out his hand, and he rubbed his temples with a headache. Duke is like Arnold in character.
And in the next moment, Duke's hand stably caught the falling person. The person seemed weightless as they landed in Duke's hand. Just as Duke was bewildered, the person in his hand suddenly turned their head and looked at him.
The "person" in his hand revealed a wide smile, showing a set of big white teeth. The corners of its mouth reached up to its eyes. Occasionally, an unknown liquid dripped from its mouth, emitting a nauseating smell.
"Oh my god!" Duke's face darkened, and he shouted loudly. He quickly let go of the thing in his hand and took several steps back. "How disgusting..." There was still some of the liquid that the thing had vomited on his sleeve. The liquid had a green color, resembling snot, which was extremely disgusting.
Duke disgustedly took off his jacket, revealing a white vest underneath. His figure was very good, and the vest outlined his entire body in an attractive way. Danny stood next to David and admired Duke's physique.
Meanwhile, David had his hands in his pockets and his gaze fixed on the zombie. The zombie's appearance resembled that of a young girl with long hair covering her face. The wind occasionally blew her hair, revealing the horrifying look underneath.
The zombie's body was bent like a spider, with all four limbs supporting it on the ground, as it stared intently at Duke's movements.
At the same time, from the decaying odor emanating from it, David faintly detected a hint of disinfectant smell, which puzzled him. Could it be that this creature had escaped from a previous laboratory experiment?
The combination of zombies and animals. How is that possible? Just as David was distracted, the zombie quickly charged towards Duke! At that moment, Duke, who already had the previous sword in his hand, fiercely stared at the approaching zombie. "I thought it was a person, turns out it's a zombie!" Duke said angrily.
"My coat is expensive!" he scolded, waving his sword and actively thrusting it towards the zombie. Just as the sword was about to pierce the zombie's body, the zombie suddenly leaped! The entire figure of the zombie jumped onto Duke's head, and that wasn't all!
The next second, from the zombie's mouth, it actually spewed out spider silk! The spider silk spread towards the surrounding buildings, quickly forming a large web above Duke's head. Duke looked up and his pupils widened in shock. "How is this different from the previous zombie? How can this zombie also spit out silk?"
Just as Duke sensed that something was terribly wrong, David gave Brian a signal with his eyes. Brian nodded, holding a long knife, and in the next second, he disappeared from his original position. When he reappeared, Brian had already cut off the silk on Duke's head with his sword! The surface of his sword was covered in densely packed white threads. With the destruction of the web, the zombie lost its balance and fell directly from the silk net.
"Roar!" It angrily roared at Brian as if reproaching him for destroying the web it had just woven. Spider webs are a spider's home. Brian's actions were equivalent to destroying its home. With the zombie's roar, its eyes turned bloodshot, and it slowly stood up. Its entire body was covered in silver-colored fuzz. With a closer look, it looked even more like a spider. The zombie made a move and quickly charged towards Brian.
Seeing this, Duke shouted, "Brother, I'll help you!" With that said, he held his sword and rushed towards the zombie.
David stood not far away, frowning as he watched the fight between the zombie and Brian, as well as Duke. This was the combination of a spider and a zombie. If Little Black were here, as long as it could spray a little on the zombie, the zombie would instantly be burned to death. Why go through all this trouble now?
"Aren't you going to help?" Danny, who had somehow taken out a lollipop and was sucking on it, supported the back of his head with both hands as he watched the fight in front of him.
David glanced at him and asked, "Do you guys take turns to watch and follow me every day? Is that fun?" Just as he finished speaking, Danny hurriedly explained, "We're just concerned about you. If you're in any danger, we can help you immediately, right?" Hearing this, a slight smile appeared at the corner of David's mouth.
Danny looked at his smile and felt a chill. "Why... why are you smiling?" he asked.
David replied, "I'm in trouble right now. Are you going to help me or not?"
Oh no, Danny's face turned dark. If only his words had a retract function, he would definitely take back what he just said. Didn't he just dig a hole for himself? "You're not in danger at the moment," he said, looking away and slowly moving his feet. ๏ฝ๏ฝ ๐๐๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ ๐๏ผ๐๐๐
David chuckled. "Isn't it right in front?" he said, then pushed Danny forward into the open space gate. Immediately after, another space gate appeared in front of the zombie!
"Bastard!" Danny exclaimed as he narrowly dodged the web that was spat towards his face. The three of them quickly engaged in combat with the zombie. Meanwhile, David took out a pack of sunflower seeds from the pocket dimension, stood aside, and enjoyed the fight. Munching on the seeds, he watched the battle unfold. What a delightful spectator experience...
Inside the room, Arnold was lying on the bed with Sophie. Their clothes were partially removed when they were interrupted by a knock on the door. "I'll go check," Arnold said, looking at Sophie's flushed cheeks. He hastily put his clothes back on and walked out.
Sophie sat up, dissatisfied, and began to put her clothes back on. As she approached the door, Arnold cautiously opened it. To his surprise, it was Lily who had come looking for them. Lily stood outside the door, peering in. She didn't see Brian's presence.
"What do you want?" Arnold asked.
Just as he was about to let Lily in, David's warning from last time flashed through Arnold's mind. It immediately made him change his mind, and his expression turned colder.
"Arnold, have you seen Brian? I can't find him," Lily furrowed her brows and asked.
"Brian?" Arnold pondered for a moment, then shook his head coldly. "I haven't seen him. It's dangerous outside. You should go back quickly." With that, Arnold was about to close the door.
However, Lily took a step forward. Seeing that the door was about to slam into Lily, Arnold quickly opened it again. "Arnold, I'm alone in the room, and I don't have any means to protect myself. Can I... come in?"
As Lily said those words, Sophie happened to come out of the room. Sophie paused for a moment and met Lily's gaze. Seeing Sophie, Lily walked in, smiling as she took hold of Sophie's arm. "Sophie, I want to eat what you cooked."
Remembering what happened last time, Sophie's face remained expressionless as she responded, "Weren't you looking for your boyfriend? Why do you suddenly want to eat?"
Hearing this, Lily hesitated for a moment, then replied with a smile, "Yes, but he should be fine." She then placed her hand on her stomach and looked at Sophie with a pitiful expression.
"But, Sophie, I'm really hungry," Lily said. Arnold glared at her, then turned to look at Sophie, who furrowed her brows and deliberately kept her distance.
Since the incident with the previous zombie, both Sophie and Arnold had become more cautious of Brian and Lily. Unexpectedly, this time Lily had come to them voluntarily, and she seemed particularly enthusiastic. After a brief thought, Sophie reluctantly agreed.
"Fine, I'll make something for you," Sophie said, giving Lily a meaningful smile. She then turned and walked into the kitchen. Lily smiled at her and then turned to look at Arnold.
Biting her lip and appearing hesitant, Lily walked up to Arnold. "Arnold, thank you for letting me in."
Looking at Lily, Arnold felt like she was different from the Lily he had just met, yet still the same. As Lily took another step forward, Arnold bypassed her and said, "No need to thank me. Just keep your distance."
Before Lily could respond, Arnold spoke first, "I'll go help my wife. Don't wander around. Just sit on the sofa and wait." With that, Arnold glanced at her and walked towards the kitchen.
As Arnold walked inside, Lily closed her slightly opened mouth and her expression changed completely.
Lily sat down on the sofa, her gaze fixed on the kitchen door. Inside the kitchen, Sophie was making noodles when she heard Arnold's voice behind her. "Let me do it."
Arnold walked up to Sophie, reaching out to take the kitchen utensils from her. Looking at Arnold's figure, Sophie asked in confusion, "why did you come in?"
Arnold put the chopped green onions into the pot as he replied to Sophie's question, "It's not safe outside."
Ever since David mentioned it, that girl Lily's gaze had changed, and just now, it felt like she was flirting with him. If he stayed outside for a few more minutes, who knows what that girl might do. Arnold sighed at the thought. Sophie observed Arnold's expression and approached him, leaning closer to his ear, she whispered, "Husband, that Lily girl really seems to have some issues. she was so affectionate with her boyfriend, One minute she was worried about finding him, but the next she turned to me and said she wanted to eat my noodles."
Arnold turned his head, about to say something, but his eyes caught a glimpse of a figure standing outside the door. His heart skipped a beat, and calmly, he gently tugged at Sophie's sleeve, signaling her to look outside. Sophie looked puzzled, but when she saw the figure outside the door, she was almost scared.
"Wife, you should continue cooking. Lily wants to eat what you make," Arnold said, giving Sophie his place.
Sophie nodded and took over the role of the chef.
Meanwhile, Lily stood outside the kitchen, listening for only a few seconds. She was unaware that someone inside could see her. After not hearing any useful information, she turned and left the kitchen door.
Boom! David, munching on his sunflower seeds, watched as the zombie caught Brian's fleeting trace and punched him, sending Brian flying into the nearby wall. The impact created a deep dent in the wall. This guy really doesn't know how to adapt. David sighed while tossing the sunflower seed shells into the trash bin he had brought out. Danny, who was fighting the zombie, noticed David's leisurely demeanor and the fact that he had a chair to sit on. Why was David so relaxed? Just as Danny glanced at David, the zombie in front of him quickly charged, and Danny quickly dodged the attack. ๐๐๐๐๐ฐ๐ฃ๐๐ญ.๐๐๐
"Damn it!" Frustrated with his torn clothes, Danny furrowed his brow. He looked at the zombie and silently took out a crystal from his pocket, swallowing it directly.
In the next moment, when he moved again, his speed was several times faster than an ordinary person's! David watched Danny's actions and raised an eyebrow. Not bad, that speed is impressive. Then he saw Danny already behind the zombie's neck.
Danny pulled out a knife and held it against the zombie's neck, his lips moved slightly. The next second, the zombie's head rolled off and fell to the ground.
David stood up from his chair and watched as Danny was about to extract the crystal from the zombie's head. He opened a spatial portal and walked in. Immediately, he appeared beside Danny.
David reached out his hand and took the crystal first as Danny was focused on cutting open the zombie's forehead. Danny's smile froze when he saw the crystal being taken suddenly. He turned to look at David's previous position and then spoke to David beside him.
"I dealt with this zombie, give me back the crystal," Danny said, extending his hand towards David. However, David silently stored the crystal in his spatial storage.
[You obtained a mid-level crystal, Critical Hit x100 in effect! ]
[Congratulations, you obtained 100 mid-level crystals! ]
[Attribute: Spider Mutation! ]
David smiled satisfactorily at the Spider Mutation attribute. However, Danny was highly displeased with that smile. Before Danny could finish his sentence, David cut in, "Weren't you protecting me just now?"
"Protecting you?" Danny was taken aback. It was true that he had said that before. But what did that have to do with the crystal? David continued, "Since you were protecting me, the crystal should rightfully be handed over to me." Hearing this, Danny was left dumbfounded. Damn, he fell for it!
David looked at Danny's darkening expression, smiled, and then took out a low-level crystal, handing it to Danny. "Consider this protection fee."
Exchanging a mid-level crystal for a low-level one? Danny twitched his lips. Seeing Danny's disdainful look, David frowned. "Fine, I'll take it back." He was about to retrieve the low-level crystal.
Danny quickly reached out his hand and took the crystal from David. "I never said I didn't want it." A low-level crystal was better than nothing. Danny sighed helplessly as he held the low-level crystal in his hand.
"Hey, food!" Duke walked over with an annoyed expression. He had just lost a jacket, and now, if he couldn't retrieve his food, how would he survive in this apocalyptic world?
To his surprise, David just glanced at him and said, "Food? How much are you gonna pay for it?"
Duke furrowed his brow and said, "Give me back everything that was in the store just now."
Hearing this, David rubbed his chin and pondered for a moment. "Well, the price might be quite high."
"Price?!" Duke was shocked. "It wasn't yours to begin with. How dare you talk about the price with me?"
David smiled lightly. "Well, it wasn't yours either, but once it's in my possession, it naturally becomes mine, right?"
With those words, David looked at Duke hesitatingly. He had his hands in his pockets and added, "However, I see that you don't have any money right now. I can give you a way to have a place to live and food to eat. How about that?"
A place to live and food to eat. Duke looked at this cunning person in front of him. Could he really offer such good conditions? Duke looked at David with a mixture of belief and doubt and asked, "What are the conditions?"
David looked at Duke and smiled. This was the time when he needed manpower. Lily and Brian were already in an untrustworthy stage, and Brian had come out today to make him believe in him.
As for what Brian and Lily were thinking, David didn't know. But as long as their actions were harmful to his team, he would eliminate them without hesitation.
With these thoughts in mind, David looked at Duke. In his eyes, Duke was like a newborn baby, just beginning to understand and navigate this world. It wouldn't be difficult to bring someone like him under his wing. David's lips curled slightly as he said, "Work for me."
Duke was stunned, wondering what this meant. He was about to say something when David preempted him, adding, "Of course, if you're not willing, I suggest you go feed the zombies right now."
Those words hit Duke, and his face turned dark. "I can survive without these supplies!" he wanted to say. He believed he could still make it. However, as he looked around the surrounding buildings, he trembled. After the recent battle, he had somewhat understood the power of the zombies. When he peered into the buildings, he swallowed hard. Smoke filled the air, and only a flickering street lamp illuminated the scene. Inside the buildings, numerous eyes were fixed on the four of them, as if watching prey, waiting for the right moment to strike. These eyes were both high and low. ๐๐ฆ๐ฅ๐๐ฐ๐ท๐๐ญ.๐๐ฐ๐
Duke turned in a circle and realized that he had weapons, which allowed him to fight against the zombies. However, even the lowest-level zombies, if there were enough of them, would eventually overwhelm him. He would surely die here.
"Have you made up your mind?" David said, and with a thought, a vehicle was summoned from his storage space, appearing before them.
"A car?!" Duke exclaimed. Seeing this, Danny and Brian had already gotten into the car. Based on their previous experience, Danny knew that when David brought out a car, it meant they were going to escape.
David looked at Duke without responding. He simply glanced at the time, waiting for Duke's answer. As soon as the car appeared, the surrounding zombies began to stir, as if they were about to charge out.
If Duke didn't provide an answer within three seconds, David would get in the car and leave, and countless zombies would flood out. Duke would undoubtedly become one of them. Watching the seconds tick on his watch, David silently counted down in his mind, "3, 2, 1..."
At the moment he reached "1" in his mind,Duke wavered. "Fine," he said through gritted teeth, clenching his fist. In the end, he compromised. David nodded, turned around, and quickly got into the car.
"Roar!" As soon as David jumped into the car, hordes of zombies surged forward! Countless zombies, young and old, even those as young as toddlers, charged out. David shouted at Duke, "Stop standing there! Get in the car!"
With that, David swiftly started the car, its engine roaring. At the moment the car began to move, Duke grabbed onto it and jumped on. He held onto the exterior of the vehicle, with a zombie's hand tightly grabbing his clothes. "Damn it, my clothes were just ruined earlier. They can't be ruined again!" If they were ruined, he would have nothing left to wear!
Duke picked up his sword and decisively chopped off the zombie's hand that had grabbed his clothes! But in an instant, before he could get inside the car, more and more zombies rushed forward, grabbing onto his clothes once again.
"Darn it! Is there no end to this?" Duke gritted his teeth and directly took off his shirt. "Here, take it all if you want!" The zombies grabbed at his clothes, losing their balance and falling backwards. Seizing the opportunity, Duke didn't hesitate and quickly got into the car.
Bang! He swiftly closed the door. Thud. An arm of a zombie fell into the car. "So persistent." Duke shivered, clutching his arm, and disdainfully glanced at the arm on the floor. David, sitting in the driver's seat, looked at him through the rearview mirror before focusing on driving.
David quickly stepped on the accelerator, and within an hour, they were back downstairs. After getting out of the car, David used his mind to retrieve the car and store it in the space.
Rubbing his arm, Duke looked up at the building in front of him. "This is..." Before he could finish his sentence, David and the others had already started walking towards the building. Duke quickly moved and followed them.
When David reached Arnold's room door, he remembered something and turned to look at Danny. "Why are you following me?"
Danny smiled, hands in his pockets. "I'm just here to protect you, aren't I?"
Suspicious, David muttered to himself, "You shouldn't come in, just leave quickly." With that said, he knocked on the door. "It's me."
Footsteps could be heard from inside, and soon Arnold opened the door. "David!" Arnold's eyes lit up, and when he turned his head, he noticed Danny following behind David, as well as Duke with his bare arms.
"Come in," David said calmly. Duke quickly moved and was the first to enter. Brian followed closely behind. Just as Danny was about to go in, David stepped in before him, and without hesitation, he closed the door.
Danny looked at the closed door in front of him and chuckled helplessly. "Quite vigilant." He sighed and turned to leave. Just as he turned around, his pocket buzzed. He took out his phone and impatiently answered the call from Monica. "Monica, what's up?"
"Is it done?" Monica coldly asked. There was a zombie's roar from the other end of the phone, but it abruptly stopped after just two seconds.
As Danny spoke, he walked forward. "It's done, but it failed."
Inside the room, when Lily heard the commotion, she put down her chopsticks and looked up. However, her first glance wasn't at Brian but was drawn to the shirtless Duke. Duke was clearly someone who exercised regularly. Whether it was his chest muscles or his abs, there was no flab on his body. Such a physique would make any girl marvel at its perfection.
Lily swallowed nervously. She was captivated by the sight, even David didn't notice the way she was observing. After two seconds, she snapped out of it. Instead, she stood up and walked towards Brian, linking her arm with his, and scolded, "You, where did you go today? I woke up and couldn't find you anywhere."
Lily appeared to be holding Brian's arm, but her gaze secretly glanced at Duke beside them. On the other hand, Duke couldn't help but get goosebumps when he accidentally made eye contact with Lily. It didn't feel good to be stared at while not wearing a shirt. He then looked at David and said, "About that..."
Before he could finish his sentence, David sat on a nearby chair and asked Brian, "When you came out, didn't you say anything to your girlfriend?" David intentionally emphasized the words "your girlfriend" to remind Lily that she was Brian's girlfriend.
As expected, when Lily heard these words, her face immediately darkened. She instinctively lowered her head and hurriedly explained, "Oh... I remembered now. Brian did tell me before, I just forgot..." Her words made Brian swallow the words that were on the tip of his tongue.
"Is that so?" David looked at Brian, whose expression had changed, and nodded. At that moment, the atmosphere in the room froze for a moment. David spoke first, "Well... Since back, you take your girlfriend and rest."
Lily looked up at David and hurriedly said, "David, I have something I want to ask you." As she spoke, she started walking forward. And as she walked, she purposely leaned towards Duke's position, with impure intentions.
David stood up, and just as Lily pretended to twist her ankle, he positioned himself directly in front of Duke. Lily glanced over and quickly straightened up. She twisted her foot forcefully, feeling a sharp pain in her ankle.
Lily cried out in pain and fell to the ground. "Ouch!" Lily lay on the ground, frowning as she touched her ankle.
"Lily, are you okay?" Brian quickly approached and helped her up. David exchanged a glance with Arnold, and Arnold went to the door, cautiously looking outside through the crack.
"Shh." Arnold raised his index finger to his lips. The people in the room saw Arnold's gesture and closed their mouths, quieting down. Through the peephole, he saw zombies gathering outside. Although most zombies had poor eyesight, their hearing was extremely sensitive.
"Groan, groan..." The zombies wandered aimlessly, occasionally twisting their heads. When they looked in this direction, Arnold quickly crouched down to prevent the zombies from seeing his eyes through the peephole.
Lily covered her ankle, cold sweat slowly trickling down her forehead. She looked up and glanced at David, unable to help but snort. Just because of that snort, the silence that was about to prevail outside the room disappeared.
The next moment, a sudden noise erupted. Bang! Arnold's back hit the door, and with the sound, he felt a push from behind. Something was pounding on the door from the outside! Bang! Three consecutive knocks on the door made everyone inside the room nervous.
David remained calm, sitting in the chair, his gaze constantly observing Lily's facial expression. When Lily looked at him, he found it amusing how her face alternated between blushing and darkening. This girl was still very young. The outside of the door quieted down, and Arnold relaxed the tension he was bearing against the door. However, he didn't leave the door. He continued to lean against it, afraid that the zombies might surprise them. If the zombies invaded the room, it would be rendered useless.
Lily looked at Arnold leaning against the door, hesitated for a moment, and her eyes flickered. Just as she was about to say something, David's hand moved slightly and whoosh, a spatial blade firmly pressed against her throat.
Gurgle. Lily looked at her throat, nervously swallowed a mouthful of saliva. She turned her head and met David's gaze. David supported his chin with one hand and held the spatial blade with the other.
If Lily dared to make any more noise at this moment, David would not hesitate to eliminate her! Lily lay in Brian's arms, and he lowered his gaze to see David's spatial blade. Lily's hand tightly tugged at Brian's clothes. Brian looked on calmly, without any reaction.
Damn it! Lily clenched her teeth tightly, and in an instant, she openly showed her anger in front of David. Outside the room, a zombie leaned against the door, its head conveniently avoiding the peephole. It sniffed in confusion, then raised its hand and tapped the door in front of it. When there was no response, it stood up and left.
At night, Brian and Lily had just returned to their room when Lily raised her resentful gaze and stared at Brian. "What's wrong?" Brian asked.
"Why didn't you help me when you just stood there?" Lily's words carried a hint of anger. She didn't expect David to hold the spatial blade against her in front of Brian. In that moment, she felt the proximity of death. What made her even angrier was that Brian didn't say a word throughout the whole incident. He just stood there, letting David manipulate him. If this got out, how could she, Lily, face others? ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ๐๏ผ๐๐๐ฎ
Looking at Lily's anger, Brian smiled faintly, reached out and rubbed her head, and explained softly, "If both of us were exposed, we wouldn't gain any advantage in front of David, no matter what. In that case, forget about resources, even our lives would be in danger. I was trying to create an illusion for David, to make him relax his guard against me. This way, I can always find an opportunity."
Listening to Brian's explanation, Lily fell silent for a moment, then nodded. She admitted that Brian's words made sense. If they both revealed their true identities in front of David, it was highly likely that they would be completely wiped out. They had been undercover until today, and they had to ensure that at least one person could continue the mission.
"That David is so despicable!" Lily paused and rubbed her arm, speaking fiercely.
Brian smiled again. "David may be arrogant, but soon those arrogance will be ours."
Now that he knew David suspected them both, Brian wasn't worried. He knew he still had an ace up his sleeve, and that was Sally.
Lily was well aware of David and Sally's relationship, even though Sally was a level three lightning-based esper. As long as she used some strategies, she could easily manipulate Sally.
Deception was an essential tactic in Brian's mind, and he had plenty of tricks up his sleeve. Unfortunately, he hadn't used them in the right place. But before using that strategy again, Brian planned to present David with a new game.
This game is very simple, it's about domestic violence. He plans to regain David's trust once again through Lily, even though he knows David is full of suspicion towards them. But what if the two of them join forces to stage a tragic play?
Brian shared his ideas with Lily and assured her that he wouldn't be too harsh if they started acting. However, as soon as Lily thought about David's abundant resources, she nodded. She was willing to do anything to get hold of those supplies.
Glancing at the time, Brian knew he shouldn't waste any more time. This time, he focused his target on the newcomer, Duke. To make the act more convincing, they intentionally created some noise in the room. Lily even shed a few tears. Once all of that was done, it was late at night.
Opening the door and walking into the hallway, Brian quietly approached Duke's room. When he heard only faint snoring inside, a smirk appeared on his face. He then took out a wire and skillfully inserted it into the lock. At the same time, he placed a towel on the doorknob to prevent any noise when opening the door and startling Duke. After the door was unlocked, Brian signaled Lily, who sighed and stealthily entered Duke's room.
The night passed quickly, and the next morning, Brian woke up early, knowing that a good show was about to begin. He walked into the bedroom, drank a glass of water, and finished it in one gulp. At the same time, he heard a few knocks on the door from outside. He smiled, set down the glass, and walked towards the door. Without hesitation, he opened it because he knew it was Lily knocking.
Indeed, when Brian opened the door, he saw Lily in disarray. Her eyes were red from crying, and her face appeared swollen, evoking a sense of pity. All of this had been prearranged by Brian. Satisfied, he nodded and led Lily towards Arnold's room.
"What's going on?" David, who was called by Brian to Arnold's room, sat on a chair, watching Lily faintly weeping on the sofa, and asked.
Inside the room, Duke looked bewildered, observing this scene. Lily sniffled, turned to Duke, and tremblingly said, "I... I just... entered the wrong room."
"He... he..." Before Lily could finish her sentence, everyone's gaze shifted towards Duke.
Duke hurriedly explained, "No, when I woke up, she was already on my bed, and..." He didn't finish the rest of his sentence.
Last night, Duke noticed that David had placed a bottle of cocktail in his food. For Duke, it was like a regular beverage that wouldn't make him drunk. He had only consumed two bottles before falling asleep. But when he woke up the next day, he found someone else in his bed! That person was Lily, and she was completely naked. What surprised him even more was that when Lily came in last night, he didn't feel a thing!
Just as Lily was about to move, he swiftly covered her body with the blanket and immediately jumped out of bed. Even more shocking was the fact that he was left with only his underwear! He hadn't taken off his clothes last night! Just as he was feeling that something had distorted his perception, Lily woke up. After Lily woke up and tearfully said a few words to him, she ran out before he could ask any further questions.
Instead, he was called out by David, leading to the current situation. Duke pinched his brow and met David's gaze. "Brother, I really didn't do this."
" My underwear is still on, and if something like that were to happen, clothes would need to come off... I'm not that kind of person."
David stared at Duke's expression. At this moment, he believed Duke even more. As for Lily... a thought about Lily's intentions from yesterday flashed through his mind.
Then, David stood up, walked over to Duke, and put his arm around his shoulder, leading him to the side. "Did you really not..." He didn't finish his sentence before Duke explained, "I really didn't do it."
David smiled helplessly and said, "I was asking if you really didn't hear her come in."
Duke hesitated for a moment and shook his head. "No, I didn't hear a single sound!"
David lowered his gaze, pondered for a moment, and patted Duke's shoulder. "I understand."
Turning around, David glanced at Lily and said calmly, "You can go back now."
Lily tightly grasped her clothes and gritted her teeth, glaring at David. When David met Lily's gaze, he couldn't help but smile. Then, he walked over with his hands in his pockets and leaned down, looking at Lily. ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐ฏ๐๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ญ.๐ค๐ฐ๐
Lily claimed that Duke had laid hands on her, but there were no visible scratches on her body. Regardless, wouldn't Lily resist? David stared at Lily's collarbone for a few seconds, and Lily hurriedly tugged at her clothes to cover her collarbone.
"David... What are you looking at?" Lily said nervously.
David straightened up and said, "These little tricks might work on others, But for me, you should give up. Brian, take her back."
If it weren't for the fact that Lily was a healing-type person, David wouldn't have let her stay until now. Lily hesitated for a moment, then looked at Brian, who reacted in the same way. He didn't expect his flawless and secret plan to be discovered by David so quickly. Helplessly, he could only pretend to be angry, glared at Duke, and left with Lily.
"David, is this really the right thing to do?" Duke walked over and asked. David sat down, rubbing his finger joints.
"She deserves the consequences," David said with a smile.
"Ah," Duke sighed and casually sat down next to David. "Am I too young? These young girls are much more scheming than me." As he finished speaking, he turned his head and looked at the others who were staring at him. "What I said is all true."
David smiled, stood up, and without saying a word, returned to his own room. Duke stayed at Arnold's place and started chatting with Arnold.
At night, David suddenly opened his eyes upon hearing a sound. The sound came from upstairs. There shouldn't be anyone upstairs!
"David... What was that sound just now?" Sally opened her eyes, rubbed her eyes, and sat up straight. Seeing David sitting there without answering her, just as she was about to speak again, David grabbed her hand. At the same time, thumping sounds came from upstairs once again, followed by the sound of things falling.
No, there clearly was someone upstairs. David became tense. He let go of Sally's hand, uncovered the sheets, and summoned his armor, preparing to go upstairs and see what was happening.
"David." Sally grabbed his hand and furrowed her brows.
David turned his head, caressed Sally's head, released her hand, and held it in his own palm. "Wait for me here, okay? I'll be right back."
Before Sally could reply, David walked out of the room, grabbing Little Black who was sleeping and heading outside. As soon as David left, the commotion upstairs became even more frequent.
Sally's body tingled, and she tightly covered herself with the sheets. "Meow." Cola jumped onto the bed, stepping on the sheets and slowly walked up to Sally's side. It glanced at Sally, then turned around and lay down next to her. Looking at Cola, Sally gently stroked it, as if telling Cola not to be afraid because she was there.
"Don't worry, I'll protect you no matter what happens." Saying that, Sally hugged Cola in her arms.
After David walked outside, Little Black opened its eyes drowsily, realizing that it was being carried by David, and made a mumbling sound. It seemed like a complaint, yet also a sign of happiness. Seeing Little Black wake up, David gently put it down.
David held an alloy battle sword in his hand and made his way to the upstairs room. As soon as he reached the room, a scream came from inside."Ah!" David listened to the sound and furrowed his brow.
"Ah! Get lost!" Just as David was contemplating, screams echoed once again inside the room. Shortly after, low growls could be heard from the staircase. The zombies had arrived.
"Little black." David crouched next to Little black, patting the dog's behind, and pointed towards the staircase. "I'll leave these things to you."
With that said, Little black barked and slowly made his way towards the staircase. As Little black reached the stairs, stared at the approaching zombies and unleashed a mouthful of flames without hesitation! Meanwhile, David leaned against the door, holding a steel battle sword in his hand. He swung the sword while listening to the commotion inside the room.
Soon, Lily's voice seemed to be muffled, followed by the sound of something being thrown to the ground. After a while, cries could be heard coming from the room. Occasionally, a few zombies would climb in through the balcony. However, they were all low-level zombies, and David quickly dealt with them using his spatial blade.
Half an hour later, click. Just as David finished dealing with a zombie, the door behind him suddenly opened. Brian walked out from inside, and his peripheral vision caught sight of David, causing him to chuckle lightly. But quickly, he concealed the smile and replaced it with a cold sense of anger.
He turned to look at David, preparing to say something. "David..." Before he could finish his sentence, David's gaze shifted past him, towards the room. The room was in chaos, with everything that was once neatly arranged now scattered on the floor. Various random items lay strewn about. The only figure was bound tightly with ropes, sitting on the ground. Her mouth was stuffed with a cloth.
Lily's hair was a tangled mess, and there were even bruises on her body, giving her a disheveled appearance. She turned her head and saw David's figure. "Whimper!" Her eyes brightened, and she crawled towards the door with great difficulty.
David shifted his gaze, landing on Brian. He calmly said, "Take care of this." With that, David turned around and left.
"Ugh!" Lily, seeing David leave, struggled to stand up. She took a step forward, but her legs gave way, and she fell to the ground again. Watching David walk away, Brian hurried over to support Lily, who was in pain.
"Why hasn't this trick worked?" Lily said with a cold expression. To make David believe, she even inflicted a few wounds on herself. She thought that would make David truly believe her. But she never expected him to be so heartless and have Brian Take care of this.
"He truly is an unforgivable guy!" Brian also looked helpless. This time, they had endured all the suffering for nothing.
Click. David returned, locking the door. "David, what happened upstairs?" Sally looked at David cautiously and asked.
David lifted a corner of the blanket and lay down. Before he closed his eyes, he noticed the cola lying on the bedside table and reached out to embrace Sally. With one hand gently patting Sally's back and the other stroking her head, he whispered, "It's nothing, just two cats playing upstairs and attracting the zombies."
Listening to David's words, Sally half-believed. She murmured in agreement and closed her eyes in the soothing lullaby of David's voice. At the same time, images of what had just transpired between them replayed in his mind. He couldn't help but feel sorry for them. They had schemed and plotted tirelessly, but in the end, it was all in vain,They brought it all on themselves. ๏ฝ๏ฝ ๐๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ ๐๏ผ๏ฝ๏ฝ๏ฝ
David has never regarded people like Brian and Lily highly. In his eyes, they are merely two clownish figures. The reason David kept them around was to see what other tricks they had up their sleeves. Perhaps they would continue concocting melodramatic schemes and acts of self-sacrifice. That would be quite entertaining for David. After a faint smile appeared on his face, David began to fall asleep.
The next day, as David was about to leave with Duke, they passed by Arnold's room, and David heard a faint voice coming from inside. Despite being quiet, David's hearing abilities surpassed that of an average person.
"only need one today?" Arnold was taken aback but still handed Brian a portion of food. Although he had retired from the military, he could still detect a faint smell of blood from Brian.
"Thank you," Brian said, expressing his gratitude, and left the room with the food. By the time he stepped out of the door, David and Duke had already left. If he looked down the hallway now, he could still see David and Duke, with Little black following behind them.
"Bro, is this the dog you raised? Why is it so big?" Duke looked at Little black, raising a question. He had seen large breeds of dogs in his life, but David's dog seemed mutated or something.
Before David could answer, a zombie lunged towards Duke. "Roar!" The zombie opened its gaping mouth, ready to bite Duke.
"Youโ" Duke was about to thrust his long sword forward ,Suddenly a flame of fire went faster than the sword, turning the zombie in front of him into ashes!
"What the hell?" Duke looked at Little black in astonishment. "No way, this dog is so powerful?" This flame actually incinerated the zombie, leaving only crystallized remains!
Duke was excited, his eyes shining as he observed Little black up and down. Meanwhile, Little black, under his scrutiny, wore a proud expression on his dog face.
Watching the interaction between Duke and Little black, David shook his head helplessly. He picked up the crystallized remains and stored them in his spatial storage.
[You obtained a primary crystal, critical hit multiplier in effect! ]
[Congratulations, you obtained one hundred primary crystals! ]
[Attributes: None! ]
A faint smile appeared on David's face, but the next moment, the sound of the system notification rang out again.
[Ding! ]
[Quest: Store Crystals! ]
[There is one month left until the first major zombie outbreak. Please collect mutated crystals and form your own team during this remaining time. All resources you store during this period will receive a hundredfold critical hit multiplier. Time remaining for the quest: 10 days, 10 hours, 5 minutes.]
Ten days, David frowned. Time passed quickly, and the original twenty-nine days had now become only ten days. And his team, the available combat power, amounted to only seven members! And two that I can't trust. One of them, a newly awakened junior esper.
Feeling a headache coming on, David rubbed his temples and glanced at Duke, who was still sizing up Little black. Before he could finish his sentence, David's ears twitched, and he heard the sound of high heels approaching from behind.
Swish! David tightly gripped his alloy war blade and swiftly turned around. The alloy war blade stopped precisely one centimeter away from Monica's neck. Monica looked at the alloy war blade and smirked with satisfaction. Then, she noticed Duke not far away. "Not bad, new companions in just a few days," Seizing the opportunity, she asked, "I wonder if you have..."
Before she could finish her sentence, David retracted his war blade and coldly interrupted, "Not interested."
Watching David's back, Monica silently wiped away a red mark on her neck. "There's something you'll definitely be interested in," she said, stepping on her high heels and catching up to David's pace.
Duke heard the voice and looked over. He raised an eyebrow and straightened his posture. What a beauty! Monica's figure had everything one could desire, exuding the charm of a mature woman.
Gulp, Duke swallowed a mouthful of saliva. David glanced at him and said, "Stop staring. She can knock out three of you with one punch."
"What?" Duke looked at David with a bewildered expression, questioning him with his eyes. Such a stunning beauty, could she really knock out three guys with just one punch? Not to mention three guys, even if she asked him to go through fire and water for her, he would gladly do it! ๐๐๐ฑ๐ป๐จ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐น.๐๐จ๐ฆ
David looked at Duke's infatuated expression, disdainfully rolled his eyes at him, thinking he had no future. David walked forward, patting the head of Little black, and left with the dog.
Monica followed behind, and Duke quietly approached her, hesitantly speaking, "Beauty, can we exchange contact information?"
Upon hearing Duke's words, Monica turned her head and gave him a cold glance. Duke froze in place, dumbfounded, watching Monica walk away. "She, she actually ignored me?"
Duke's face darkened for a moment, but then he raised his eyes, filled with surprise. "The beauty finally paid attention to me!" Duke was thrilled, almost jumping up to cheer. He hurriedly caught up, shamelessly staying by Monica's side without saying a word, silently observing her. David, who was walking in front, turned back and was at a loss for words.
This guy, isn't he afraid of death? Though Monica's a beauty, But her face was already showing disgust. Not only that, even Monica's tightly clenched hands by her side showed her restraint towards Duke's behavior. David looked at Monica, fearing that Monica might lose her temper later and feed Duke to the zombies.
The group continued walking, and based on David's memory, they arrived at a large wholesale market. The name of the market was shattered into two halves on the ground, but it could still be vaguely seen that it was the "Duty Wholesale Market."
The Duty Wholesale Market was the largest wholesale market in the city. It had a wide variety of food, drinks, clothing, and daily necessities. However, no one knew how much remained in the market after the outbreak of the zombies. As the group entered, immediately a foul smell assaulted their senses.
"Oh damn, what's this smell?" Duke disgustedly pinched his nose, then he looked at Monica beside him.
Seeing that Monica had no reaction, he asked with concern, "Beauty, do you want..."
"Get lost." Before he could finish his sentence, Monica coldly interrupted him. David, holding his nose with one hand, continued walking forward. The entire market floor was filled with bones and sticky fluids. One could imagine the horrifying scene that had taken place here.
The wholesale market itself is a gathering place for people, and when the zombies broke out without any psychological preparation, the people in the market were like food in a pot, waiting to be devoured by the zombies one by one. What's strange is that David had walked through almost half of the wholesale market, but hadn't seen a single zombie. Did they hide or was there another conspiracy?
Just as he was thinking, Duke's voice came from beside him, "This is strange. Why is it so quiet here?" David nodded, realizing that Duke had also noticed the abnormality. The two continued to wander around the wholesale market for a while and then stopped at the entrance of a clothing store. The glass windows and doors of the shop were shattered, and the sign had fallen from the front, covered in dust.
Duke took the lead and went in. Soon, he came out holding a brand new camouflage suit. "Wow, this camouflage suit is great, and it's a military modified version!"
"Wearing this suit, combat power is maxed out!" Duke unfolded the suit and showed off to David.
David looked at Duke's excited expression and smiled faintly. He wasn't focused on these clothes right now, but rather on the surrounding environment, filled with vigilance. In his mind, he believed that abnormal situations must have hidden dangers.
Seeing David's reaction, Duke quickly put away the camouflage suit and packed it into his backpack. The two continued to survey the surrounding area. Suddenly! David looked towards an alley not far away. In the corner of the alley, an old person with white hair was crouching on the ground, trembling.
Slowly, the old person sensed movement beside them and turned to face David. When she saw David, her eyes lit up as if she had seen a glimmer of hope. "Young man, please help me," the old person said, struggling to stand up.
As the old person rushed towards David, he stepped back cautiously. The zombies had been outbreaking for so long, how could an old person with white hair survive for so long? Was it due to luck? Or was she hiding in this corner?
David didn't believe that the old person in front of him was human. Even if she was human, her intentions couldn't be pure. As he stepped back, David took out an alloy combat knife from his space.
The old person's eyes darkened as she noticed the combat knife in David's hand. She stopped in front of David and looked at him with a pleading expression. "Young man, please help Grandma. Grandma hasn't had anything to eat for a long time." Her voice was old and hoarse, evoking a sense of pity.
David looked the old person up and down and suddenly saw a trace of bloodstain on her. It was on the edge of her clothes, almost imperceptible unless carefully observed. "Old lady, you..."
Before David could finish his sentence, Duke walked over with a cry. He patted David's shoulder and whispered, "She's just an old lady. What are you afraid of?"
David had intended to say something, but Duke had already walked towards the old person. David smiled lightly. He wasn't afraid at all. Since Duke wanted to take the spotlight, he could give it to him. It could be seen as a test as well.
David stood with his hands in his pockets, watching Duke's actions. Duke slowly walked over to the old person. He circled around them, then propped his chin on his hand and furrowed his brow as he observed them. After a moment, he shook his head in confusion and asked, "How did you manage to survive all by yourself for so long?" Hearing Duke's question, David nodded inwardly. He didn't expect this guy to be so vigilant and notice something strange about the old person.
"I've been scavenging here. Otherwise, I, this old bone, would have perished long ago," the old person said, starting to cough violently. At the same time, they discreetly glanced at Duke.
"Tsk tsk tsk, didn't expect the old lady to have some skills. Since that's the case, you can continue scavenging here!" Duke dropped these words and turned away, his gaze towards David becoming serious.
The implication was that Duke was telling David that the old person was not normal. Of course, David could see the oddity in the old person, but he simply nodded slightly and didn't say anything. He wanted to see what Duke would do next.
"Young man, you must be a compassionate young lad. Please save me!" The old person said again when they saw Duke leaving, their expression showing a hint of anger.
However, Duke seemed to ignore their words and continued walking ahead as if he hadn't heard them. When it came to this mysterious old person, Duke wouldn't easily offer his help. This was also consistent with the survival rules David had told him at the very beginning of the apocalypse.
"Hey, young man?" The old person muttered and slowly turned their head to look at Duke.
"Just a moment ago, I praised you for having a compassionate heart. Why did you run away?" The old person said, straightening their body. They looked at the indifferent expressions of the people in front of them and knew that they couldn't continue the charade. Slowly, the hunched posture disappeared, replaced by a tall figure.
Then, she extended her hand and touched her own face. Rip! The wrinkled face was torn off, revealing a beautiful female face. The woman disdainfully discarded the old person's skin to the side and looked at Duke. "I was so close to succeeding. How did you figure it out?"
Duke looked at her, his face still serious. He calmly said, "The hands of the old person aren't as delicate as yours." He had assisted too many elderly people and seen enough to know that an old person's hands would never be as fair and tender as a woman's.
The woman listened and paused. She raised her own hand and looked at it, satisfied as she touched it. "Even so, it doesn't matter because you all will die here next." As she spoke, the woman sharply scanned David and the others. She raised her hand and snapped her fingers. After a second, the sounds of zombie roars echoed through the air.
"This is bad." David quickly turned around, and the exit behind him slammed shut. Meanwhile, the woman had vanished, but the old person's skin remained on the ground.
"I'll come back for you later and turn your faces into masks!" The woman's voice resounded from above.
David looked up and his eyes widened. Behind the woman stood a zombie! And that zombie had its arm wrapped around her waist! Clearly, the zombie had carried her up there! Why would a zombie...
"Hey!" Just as he was thinking, Duke's reprimanding voice suddenly came in his ear. When David turned his head, a zombie was standing less than a meter away from him. Slowly, the zombie's head began to slide down. With a thud, the zombie's head fell heavily to the ground, emitting a dull sound.
David took out his alloy combat knife and calmly retrieved a crystal from the zombie's forehead. ๐๐๐๐ฏ๐๐ท๐๐๏ผ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ
[You obtained a primary crystal, critical hit bonus in effect! ]
[Congratulations, you obtained one hundred primary crystals! ]
[Attributes: None! ]
"Hey." Duke walked over as David stood up. He ruffled his hair and looked at David, who was slightly opening his lips, and said triumphantly, "I know, no need to thank me. I'm just repaying you for saving my life last time."
The words David wanted to say couldn't come out as he looked at Duke's expression. After holding it in for a few seconds, he finally said, "You're insane."
With that said, David disregarded Duke's darkened face and looked around. With a glance, he saw nearly forty to fifty primary zombies. But Monica, at this moment, was nowhere to be found. A smirk formed on David's lips, He still had to thank the woman from earlier for summoning the zombies. She was practically delivering a gift to him!
"Little black!" David shouted. All forty to fifty primary zombies turned their gaze towards him.
"Roar!" In an instant, all the zombies' attention was focused on David! Before the zombies could reach David, Little Black barked and jumped in front of him, opening its mouth wide. A burst of flames spewed out, instantly incinerating dozens of zombies at the front! After the zombies were burned to ashes, only the crystals remained.
Listening to the wonderful sound, David's gaze gradually became greedy as he looked at the remaining zombies. "Hey, take one more step forward, and you won't have that pretty face anymore."
The woman sat in a chair with her legs crossed. She had changed her clothes by now. At the moment, she was wearing a light blue dress, and there was a slit along the edge, revealing her long, white legs. Behind the woman, a junior zombie was massaging her shoulders. There was another zombie by her side, serving her tea.
Monica stood not far away and turned to look at the woman. "You are a mind controller, a second-time awakened with extraordinary abilities. Your awakened ability is control, without limitations on the objects you control. The extent of your control depends on the power of the awakened person."
As the words fell, the woman's expression gradually turned cold. She clenched the tea cup tightly, and the veins on her hand bulged. "What is your purpose?" she asked warily, looking at Monica.
Monica replied indifferently, "You are worthless, I have no interest in you."
The woman became angry upon hearing Monica's words. She forcefully threw the tea cup at Monica, but Monica easily dodged it by leaning slightly.
Seeing the woman's face turn red, Monica said, "Trying to show off in front of me? Don't you have any estimation of your own abilities?" She sneered and turned to leave.
With a swish, the woman stood up from the chair. "Attack! Tear her apart!" The surrounding zombies obeyed the woman's command, swiftly charging towards Monica.
Monica calmly walked forward, and when the zombies were less than a meter away from her, with a swish, she took out her weapon. Smash! All the zombies behind her fell down!
Monica leaped lightly, even though she was wearing high-heeled shoes, she landed behind the woman without making a sound.
The gun was pressed against the mind controller's temple. Feeling the cold hardness of the gun, the woman's alarm bells rang loudly in her mind. Before she could speak, Monica spoke first, "Retract your little tricks, or the consequences won't be as simple as a threat."
The woman nervously swallowed and glanced at the zombies. The next moment, the zombies lowered their heads and walked towards the dark corners.
"Are you... satisfied?" the woman asked fearfully.
Monica retracted the gun and coldly said, "Your arrogant personality will soon teach you a lesson. If you don't believe me, I'll give you a chance to stay alive! Don't forget to thank me properly when the time comes." With that, Monica turned around and left with a smile.
The woman watched Monica's figure and gritted her teeth. "Bitch!" She clenched her fist tightly, and the veins on her hand bulged. "Just you wait, I'm not someone to be trifled with. I will show you how formidable I am! "With that in mind, the woman, with a slight smile on her lips, turned and walked into the darkness.
Meanwhile, on David's side, he hadn't finished killing yet when the remaining zombies suddenly turned and fled.
"Finished collecting." Duke held dozens of crystals with his clothes and handed them to David.
David withdrew his gaze and turned his head, only to suddenly see Monica standing behind them at some point. Where had this woman just gone? Why did she appear right after the zombies left? While thinking about this, David's hand touched the crystals in Duke's arms.
[You have obtained 50 primary crystals. Critical strike chance: 100x.]
[Congratulations, you have obtained 5,000 primary crystals! ]
[Attributes: None! ]
Listening to the system prompts, David nodded silently. Over the past few days, he had collected a considerable number of crystals. The crystals in the system's inventory were now stacked like a small mountain. According to the system's prompts, the time until the first zombie outbreak was getting closer. He had to use these crystals to form his own team to ensure a foolproof approach to the zombie outbreak.
With that in mind, David called out to the system in his mind. "System, how much time is left until the mission is completed?"
[Ding! ]
[Mission: Store Crystals! ]
[There is one month remaining until the first zombie outbreak. Please use the remaining time to collect as many mutated crystals as possible and form your own team. During this period, all the resources you store will receive a 100x critical strike bonus. Remaining mission time: 7 days, 10 hours, 5 minutes.]
Seven days, the final seven days. His team was still like rubbish at the moment. Would they really be able to survive on the day of the zombie outbreak? It wasn't just him who needed to level up, but every person in the team. Only when everyone became stronger would there be a chance of surviving the zombie outbreak.
Lost in his thoughts, David patted Little Black's butt. "Let's go, Little Black." Little Black let out a whimper, seemingly unhappy about David patting its butt, but still followed David and moved forward. As they passed by Monica, David paused for a moment, glanced at her intentionally or unintentionally, and continued walking forward.
Duke jogged over and said to Monica, "Beauty, would you like to join us?"
Monica gave him a disdainful look and walked ahead, surpassing him and standing behind David. Seeing Monica's actions, Duke thought Monica was impressed by his charm, and a smile quickly appeared on his face. "Beauty, wait for me."
Duke wanted to shout out, but afraid of attracting zombies, he could only suppress his voice and run forward while calling out, looking back at David, Monica, and Little Black who were still standing in place, gazing at the sky.
"What are you looking at?" Duke scratched his head and looked up at the sky. In that moment, he was shocked. Before entering, the sky was still normal. But now, the sky was filled with boundless blood-red color, and the colors reflected on the ground had turned into a blood-like crimson. The most terrifying thing was the sun hanging in the sky. It was slowly being covered by the blood-red hue until the sun was completely devoured.
"Oh no," David muttered as he looked at the scene. The first time he saw this scene was during the first mutation of the zombies. But before that, he had already encountered many mutated zombies.
"Roar!" Without much time to think, a zombie suddenly leaped from behind. The overall appearance of the zombie was no different from a regular one. But as its body emerged in the blood-red sky, it began to undergo changes. The zombie's body emitted a series of cracking sounds.
"Oh my god, what is this..." Duke didn't finish his sentence.
David had already summoned the car. Instead of focusing on the zombie, he sat in the driver's seat. "Get in the car!" he shouted.
Monica sensed something was wrong as she watched the changes happening to the zombie's body. She quickly turned around and got into the car. Duke was dumbfounded, staring at the zombie. It wasn't until Little Black gave him a fierce kick and he fell to the ground that he reacted.
"Damn!" Just as Duke got into the car and closed the door, the zombie crashed into it! It was so fast that after being exposed to the light, its speed was more than three times that of a regular zombie!
David watched the zombie relentlessly chasing them through the rearview mirror. Seeing that the zombie was about to jump onto the car, he released one hand and quickly tore open a portal in front of the car. With determination, he drove into the portal! The car entered the dimensional gate, and the zombie missed its target. The next moment, the car appeared in a distant location, far away from the zombie.
"What's going on?" Duke muttered.
Monica's gaze remained fixed on the window. On the streets and squares, many zombies were being illuminated by the red light, gradually undergoing changes. However, some zombies, despite being exposed to the light, remained at the basic level and didn't undergo any transformation.
Watching this scene, Monica muttered to herself, "Red light... It came so soon?" She recalled Abraham's previous speculation that before the first zombie outbreak, red light would appear on the horizon. However, she didn't expect to see it so soon.
David also stared at the awe-inspiring red light, his brow furrowed. He had already seen the red light in his previous life and knew its power. Not only could it cause some zombies to undergo significant evolution, but it could also incinerate humans into fireballs. Its terrifying power haunted all superhumans.
However, Duke, wearing a curious expression, looked at the red light and said, "I wonder what humans will become after being illuminated by the red light."
David chuckled lightly and said, "It will make you taste the fear of death in an instant. By then, you will become one of the zombies in this world."
As David spoke, both people in the car turned to look at him. Meanwhile, Out the window, a man was running. The red light shone on the face of the man, with an expression of great excitement. He thought it was a step towards further advancement, but he didn't realize it was just the first step towards becoming a zombie.
David gestured for the two to look outside the window. When Duke and Monica looked out, the man had already started to burn. After the combustion, he turned into a zombie. In the end, he could only remain as a basic-level zombie. Even under the illumination of the red light, he couldn't further evolve into a mutated zombie.
The red light this time is like a awakening for humans. Zombies standing under the red light are equivalent to choosing a trial, and the red light will select suitable zombies for upgrades. Upgraded zombies will have special abilities, while those not chosen will remain as basic-level zombies.
David drove quickly back downstairs. He drove the car inside and only opened the door when he could safely exit without being illuminated by the red light. Standing in the stairwell, he looked up at the red light in the sky, furrowing his brow. He didn't know how long this red light would last or if it would be the same as in his previous life.
However, regardless of the circumstances, David knew that the most important thing for him now was to enhance his own strength. Only by improving his strength could he fearlessly face anything in the apocalypse.
David had a thought and decided to park the car. "Beauty, we can't go out right now. You should stay here for a while!" Duke said to Monica.
However, Monica's gaze remained fixed on the red light in the sky. This matter had to be reported to the organization, along with the conversation she overheard in the car.
Slowly, Monica shifted her gaze to David who was standing beside her. This person seemed to know a lot. In the next second, David turned his head and coincidentally met Monica's gaze. Just for a second, David voluntarily averted his eyes and took the first step up the stairs.
"Beauty?" Duke extended his hand and waved it in front of Monica. Monica looked at him calmly and nodded. Just as David had said, if they were to go out at this moment, they would turn into zombies. So, she could only stay here for now.
As David went upstairs, before reaching the top, a man slowly descended the stairs. The man had dark circles around his eyes, bloodshot eyes, an unshaven face, and looked exhausted. Surprisingly, David lived on the same floor as this person, yet he had no recollection of him. They exchanged a glance and then both averted their eyes.
The man passed by Duke and the others. Duke glanced at the man and asked David, "How come I didn't know that there are other people besides us in this building?"
David nodded but didn't pay further attention to Duke's words. However, Duke's next statement reminded him again. "But wait, didn't you say that after the red light shines on us, we all turn into zombies? That guy doesn't seem to be affected at all!"
"Not affected?" David turned his head in surprise.
Duke nodded and pointed in the direction the man had left. "I saw him walk into it." David quickly ran to the corridor and looked outside, just as Duke had described. The man from earlier was walking under the red light without undergoing any changes. It was as if the red light had no effect on him at all. This was a situation David had never encountered before.
Who exactly was that man? David rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. Due to Duke's proactive nature, he wanted to take Monica back to his room to protect her. In the end, David entrusted Monica to Sophie, instructing Arnold and Sophie to take good care of their distinguished guest. Before Duke left, he gave David an annoyed glare, as if David had interrupted his romantic endeavors. ๐๐๐ ๐๐ค๐๐๐ก๏ผ๐ค๐๐
David chuckled helplessly and instructed everyone not to leave the house until the red light subsided.
Returning home, as soon as David stepped inside, he didn't see Sally's figure. It was only when he entered the room that he saw her. Seeing Sally lying on the bed, he realized something at that moment. His heart tightened suddenly, and he quickly turned around.
"What?" David flipped Sally over, and her forehead was covered in dense cold sweat, even soaking her clothes. Beside Sally, a few crystals lay quietly on the bed. Combining the crystals with Sally's appearance, David figured out most of what was happening.
Everyone had a limit to how much they could absorb, and Sally was breaking through that limit! David took a tissue and carefully wiped the cold sweat off her forehead. Gently laying Sally back down, he held her hand and stood guard by her bedside.
After an uncertain amount of time, despite the strange sky outside, the room remained shrouded in darkness behind the curtains, with the view unchanged.
Sally slowly opened her eyes and, upon waking up, looked at the ceiling, unable to distinguish whether it was day or night. She was about to move when she noticed someone by her bedside.
David tightly held her hand and, sensing her movement, opened his eyes. "Awake?" he asked.
Sally looked at him, a bit confused. "You're back?"
David nodded and approached her, embracing her tightly. "Breaking through the limit is very dangerous. You were too reckless." Hearing David's words, Sally smiled and hugged him back. "I think it's worth it. I just wanted to try."
As the words fell, David released her and had a displeased expression on his face. "It's too dangerous. Don't do something like this again."
If she had failed in breaking through, what David would be holding might have been a lifeless body. Sally's heart warmed at David's gaze.
"You were worried about me?" Sally leaned closer, playfully asking.
David playfully tapped her nose and said, "I was scolding you."
As Sally smiled, she quickly planted a kiss on David's lips. "Consider it a reward for your concern."
David looked at her, momentarily stunned. He licked his lips that had just been kissed and then hugged Sally tightly again. The two of them fell onto the bed together.
After three hours of intimate connection, David, shirtless, looked at Sally, who had fallen asleep. He gently kissed her forehead and considerately covered her with a blanket before leaving the room.
David sat on the couch, and with a thought, he took out forty primary crystals from space. He looked at the forty crystals shimmering before him.
Without hesitation, David consumed all of them in one breath. He covered his chest and fell to the ground in pain. After about half an hour, David slowly stood up from the floor. Having absorbed all forty crystals, he instantly felt refreshed and clear-headed. However, there seemed to be no sense of fatigue.
Could it be... David's eyes lit up, and he took out ten more crystals. Looking at the crystals, he swallowed his saliva. Each additional crystal he consumed carried an element of risk. If he made a mistake, when Sally woke up, she would see a lifeless body.
With these thoughts in mind, David picked up the first crystal and began absorbing it. After finishing one, he felt no discomfort at all. David felt delighted and continued to absorb the remaining crystals. "The tenth one."
Looking at the last crystal in his hand, David gritted his teeth and absorbed it. Suddenly, his eyes widened, and his body made a loud noise.
Thump! His heart suddenly trembled! David clutched his chest and fell to his knees. "Hoo... hoo." He gasped for breath, mouth wide open, taking in large gulps of air. Drip! Sweat dripped from his forehead onto the floor.
In the room, the sound of David's heavy breathing could be heard clearly. At this moment, his heart rate began to accelerate. Thump, thumpโthe sound of his heart echoed in David's ears, unusually clear and alert.
Suddenly, David's heart tightened, as if a needle had pricked it. He bit his lip, suppressing any sound, and naturally fell to the ground.
[Ding! ]
[Host's physical body detected undergoing a qualitative change, which can greatly enhance the host's own strength! ]
[Duration: Ten minutes! ]
After the system prompt, a progress bar appeared before David's eyes, showing 50% completion.
"Damn it!" David gritted his teeth and uttered these words. He was in excruciating pain, but instead of complaining about it, the system gave him a progress bar, allowing him to visually see how much longer he had to endure this agony.
David couldn't help but clench his teeth even tighter, tightly gripping his fist as he endured the intense pain.
(Ding! ]
[Final tempering of the host's physical strength and power is in progress, estimated time: three minutes! ]
Upon hearing the system's words, David's face darkened. Just when he thought he couldn't be more tormented by the pain in his body, the system managed to infuriate him. Two minutes later, as the progress bar reached 99%, it was only one percent away from completion. Terrifyingly, the progress bar suddenly stopped moving!
The next moment, David's body made a loud cracking sound. At the same time, the progress bar reached 100%.
(Ding! ]
[Congratulations, you have upgraded your spatial ability to level four and unlocked a new skill! ]
[Level Four Spatial Skill: Telekinesis! ]
[Take anything from space: Spatial ability users can use their minds to manipulate space and take an object they have seen through the gaps in space. However, remember, you can only use it three times a day! ]
Level four spatial ability? Take anything from space? David was momentarily stunned. Soon he realized that at this moment, his spatial ability had reached the same level as the system. In other words, his spatial ability had become much stronger. After understanding this, David looked at the "Take anything from space" on the panel and nodded in satisfaction. Literally, this skill was very convenient for him, especially when it came to retrieving rare crystals.
Suddenly, a sound came from upstairs. David furrowed his brow but didn't pay it any attention. He walked to the window, pulled up a chair, and carefully lifted a corner to see the still vivid red light outside, as if there was no sign of it subsiding.
"Abraham, what is..." The man looked at the situation outside the window and asked in confusion.
Abraham tightly gripped his cane, nervously looking at the red light outside. "Close the curtains. No one is allowed to go out today without my permission." ๐ฏ๐๐ฑ๐ป๐จ๐๐ฒ๐ฅ.๐ผ๐ฟ๐
As soon as he finished speaking, Danny, holding a lollipop, chimed in. "But Monica went out this morning."
"Where did Monica go?" Abraham frowned and asked.
Danny casually replied, "She went with David."
Upon hearing the name David, Abraham's brow slowly relaxed, saying, "If she's with David, then it's fine. You two stay here and don't go out." After speaking, Abraham leaned back on the chair behind him.
The man approached and said, "Abraham, I don't understand. Why is Monica safe when she's with David? "Before he could finish his sentence, Abraham glanced at him lightly and replied, "Because he has the power."
The man fell silent upon hearing Abraham's words. After a few seconds, he nodded and turned back to his room. Danny sat on the sofa, watching the man's retreating figure, and smiled: "Brother is angry again. He always gets angry when it comes to David."
Saying that, Danny tilted his head back and looked at Abraham, who had closed his eyes. "Abraham, is David really stronger than my brother? I think he's just cunning ."
Listening to Danny's words, Abraham didn't say a word. He closed his eyes, sleeping or awake. Danny looked at Abraham in silence for a few seconds. Then he sat up straight and continued eating the lollipop in his hand.
Back in the room, David realized that Brian and Lily hadn't been doing much these past two days, so he went to Arnold's room to inquire about them. When Arnold heard David asking about the two, he thought for a moment and said, "They have been inside the room all these days, Even a meal only needs one serving."
"Yeah, I don't know what they've been up to," Arnold added. He had been curious to find out, but he remembered David's warning and decided to let it go. He knew that if anything went wrong, David would be the one to clean up the mess. The world was already chaotic enough, and he didn't want to add any more trouble for David.
Listening to Arnold's words, David knew that these two guys were still trying to play the sympathy card. So he thought for a moment, smiled, and walked up to their room door. He reached out his hand and knocked on the door, "Knock, knock, knock!"
Upon hearing the knocking, Brian immediately jumped off the couch in the room and quickly tied Lily up in the corner with a rope: "Act pitiful later. This time we must make David fall for it no matter what!"
While binding Lily's hands and feet, Brian instructed her. Lily nodded and a look of misery appeared on her face.
Listening to the faint conversation inside the room, David raised his foot without hesitation and kicked the door. "Bang!" The door was forcefully kicked down by David, and he walked in. Brian, who was standing in front of Lily, turned around upon hearing the sound.
Seeing the scene before him, David smiled knowingly. He didn't expect these two to be so dedicated, always prepared with props for their performance. As soon as Lily saw David entering, she desperately tried to shout for help. However, Brian had gagged her mouth with a cloth, making it impossible for her to speak clearly.
At this moment, Brian stared at David coldly and said, "Our business doesn't concern you!" This was part of Brian's calculated plan to reverse the situation.
"Oh?" David listened to Brian's words and nodded silently. "Concerned? If I were concerned, you wouldn't be alive in this world. Don't forget, you're not even worthy of being my opponent," David glanced at him disdainfully.
At the same time, he looked out the window. The noise from earlier had already attracted a considerable number of zombies.
Brian was clearly infuriated by David's words. He had been unable to succeed in front of David all this time, and his pent-up anger made him loathe David even more. Now, hearing David's words, he couldn't hold back any longer. "I told you, our business is none of your concern!" Brian shouted at David and pointed his finger at him.
This action completely enraged David. He had never liked being pointed at by others, so he shook his head helplessly, swiftly drew his alloy short knife, and rushed towards Brian like a gust of wind.
"You..." Brian looked at David in disbelief, and in the next moment, he collapsed to the ground like a puddle of mud. Clearly, David ended his life with just one knife. As Lily watched Brian die in front of her, she trembled uncontrollably. This outcome was completely unexpected for both of them. At that moment, the sounds of the struggle, combined with the scent of Brian's blood, attracted a large number of zombies towards their location.
The zombie opened its blood-stained mouth, revealing terrifying, jagged teeth that made Lily instinctively step back in fear. She couldn't understand why David, at this moment, still hadn't turned around to look at her. Little did she know, David was standing just behind the nearby wall. The zombies were slowly making their way up the stairs, and David couldn't retreat completely. Fortunately, these zombies were not targeting him, so he remained quietly leaning against the wall.
As Lily let out a scream beside him, the zombies rushed into the room where they were. The scream didn't last long, but in those few seconds, Lily exerted all her strength to cry out. After about half a moment, the sound of the zombies slowly faded away.
David cautiously peeked out and breathed a sigh of relief. The zombies were gone, leaving only Brian and Lily's partially open door swaying back and forth. David let out another breath and walked forward. The door was covered in fresh bloodstains. He pulled out his alloy combat knife, prepared for any unexpected situations. He placed a hand on the area inside the room that wasn't splattered with blood, exerted a gentle force, and the door creaked open slowly. ๐ฏ๐๐๐ป๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฅ.๐๐ผ๐ฆ
Once the room was fully revealed, the scene inside was nauseating. Brian and Lily's bodies were nowhere to be seen; they had probably joined the majority of zombies and left. If he was lucky, he might see their transformed appearances in future zombie hunts. The floor inside the room was splattered with blood everywhere; there wasn't a clean spot to be found. Among the blood, numerous strands of hair were mixed in.
Furthermore, David could see a disgusting mixture of flesh fragments and blood. Even David felt a bit uncomfortable witnessing this scene. Just as David turned around, he met Monica's gaze. Monica stood there calmly, wearing high heels and crossing her arms.
David rubbed his forehead and asked, "How did you get up here?"
Monica looked at David and tossed her hair. "What's wrong? Any objections?"
David smiled faintly. He naturally knew Monica's strength as a formidable woman, but he didn't pay much attention to her either. The reason he asked was to prevent her from causing unnecessary trouble for him here. During the battle of doomsday, women sometimes only served to distract people. Who knew Monica would be so arrogant, seemingly full of confidence in her abilities.
David glanced at her, his lips curling up with a hint of amusement, and then he lightly clucked his tongue and walked away with his hands in his pockets.
The red glow in the sky had already diminished significantly, and the sun was slowly emerging. Judging by the situation, the red glow would likely completely recede within an hour. Monica stood in the corridor, looking up at the changing sky. After hesitating for a moment, she still spoke up.
"Abraham said this red glow won't go away." Just a short while ago, Monica had reported this matter, and they had come to this conclusion. She wasn't worried about staying here indefinitely; rather, she found the sudden appearance of the red glow very peculiar.
"It won't go away?" David looked at Monica with confusion. From Monica's words, he caught a crucial keyword. He had never heard of this person called Abraham.
"Is Abraham your leader?" David asked, questioning her. Monica turned her head, glanced at him, and remained silent before walking downstairs.
"How petty of you to expect me to be a part of the organization without even telling us that" David grumbled as he walked downstairs.
As David was walking down the stairs, he suddenly caught sight of a familiar figure. It was the man who was illuminated with red light and did not react. The difference this time was that the man was wearing a hat, which was pressed down so low that only a glimpse of his chin could be seen, as if he did it intentionally. The man's hands hung by his sides as he slowly descended the steps, stooped over.
Arnold's room was on this floor, and Monica had already left the staircase. For some reason, when David saw the man's appearance, he felt a sense of alertness. He couldn't let the man walk out of the staircase directly. Taking advantage of the situation, David continued to walk a few more steps downstairs.
Just as the man passed by David, a low voice reached his ears. "The red light will never cease." Thump! David's heart trembled, and he quickly turned around to look at the man. Their eyes met. In the next second, the man slowly raised his hand. His hand was not like that of a normal person, it resembled a withered branch, with only skin and bones remaining. He lifted his hat slightly, revealing his face with dark circles under his eyes.
Immediately after, the man looked at David and slightly opened his lips. Before he could speak, both of them heard footsteps. The man's face changed, he tightly closed his mouth, gave David a mysterious smile, lowered his hat again, and turned away.
"Wait..." David stepped forward, but before he could catch the man, Duke's voice came from behind. "What are you doing here?" Duke looked at David and questioned him.
At the same time, the man had just passed Duke and continued walking upstairs. Seeing the man's figure, David frowned, and his pace quickened.
A thought suddenly flashed through David's mind. Could it be that the red light had some enhancing effect on that man? Lost in thought, Duke approached and tapped David's shoulder. "What are you thinking? Go back. The zombies are coming."
Duke reminded him in a low voice, although his gaze was lowered, he kept a close eye on the approaching zombies. David didn't finish speaking, he just glanced at Duke lightly and walked away. The two of them returned to the room where almost everyone was present, except for Cola and Xiaohei.
"Why are we all gathered here?" David entered the room and asked puzzled.
Arnold glanced at everyone and asked, "David, what should we do about Brian and Lily?" Arnold knew very well about the abnormal behavior of the two, and now the situation around them was becoming increasingly dangerous. For the safety of everyone, he felt that he had to reveal everything about the two.
David understood Arnold's words, nodded, and casually said, "Brian is already dead. As for Lily, I believe she will continue to plot against us."
Upon hearing David's words, the people present were momentarily stunned, but then their expressions returned to normal. In their eyes, Brian's death was deserved, and Lily had brought her own misfortune upon herself. Hearing what David said, David revealed the actions they had taken in the past two days and their intentions.
"Damn, I didn't expect them to repay kindness with enmity!"
"Yes! It was David who saved them in the first place."
"The human mind is so complex. Thanks to David's timely discovery, otherwise we would have been in a terrible situation because of them."
The group began to discuss indignantly, while Sally sat beside David, tightly holding his hand, her expression filled with anger. If it weren't for David, they would probably have become wandering survivors in the apocalypse, or even dead.
At that moment, Monica walked over to the window near the door and raised her head to look inside the room, where the curtains were not completely closed. When she saw the scene before her eyes, she was instantly petrified! Without hesitation, she shouted loudly at the people in the room, "Run!"
"Run!" With a loud shout from Monica, she swiftly opened the door and rushed out, agile and quick.
David's heart skipped a beat as he also felt a strong presence at that moment. Without any hesitation, he immediately took care of everyone and urged them to run. The people inside the room finally realized something was wrong and rushed towards the door. Just as the last person, Arnold, dashed out, there was a loud noise from inside the room. It seemed like something had broken the window and rushed in!
David picked up an alloy short knife and approached the door. The closer he got, the heavier and clearer the breathing sound became in his ears. Something had entered. He turned his head and looked at Monica.
Monica furrowed her brows tightly, already gripping a seven-headed weapon, in a state of alertness all over her body. Although she had only faced this woman in front of her three times, given the current situation, she knew it was no joke.
Sally had also walked up to David's side by now. She glanced at Monica beside her and raised her hand, causing several purple lightning bolts to leap from her fingertips. The lightning flickered, appearing powerful. Monica was slightly surprised but continued to cautiously watch ahead.
David also tightened his grip on the alloy short knife and stood guard next to Sally. Just when everyone was tense, there was a crackling sound from inside the room, indicating movement. David turned his head and waved his hand at Arnold. Arnold nodded and went ahead, patting Duke's shoulder before walking with Sophie towards the back.
This time, Arnold understood David's silence very well. Immediately after, David lowered his gaze, patted Sally's shoulder, and gestured towards the room. His unspoken meaning was for Sally to leave this place first. After all, they didn't know what kind of monster was in front of them, and he had to protect Sally's safety.
Sally glanced at David, then looked at Monica beside her. She resolutely shook her head. David gave a helpless smile, knowing that Sally was getting stubborn with Monica. He decided not to say anything further, just lowered his head and quietly told her to be careful.
Sally nodded, and the purple lightning on her fingertips began to snake around. David had great confidence in Sally's abilities. As a third-level electrokinetic, she was capable of confronting most of the zombies. Monica watched this scene, raising an eyebrow.
Just then, a hand suddenly reached out from the room and grabbed the doorframe! Monica's heart trembled, unable to react in time.
Just as the hand was about to reach her, David raised the alloy short knife and fiercely swung it at the hand. Instantly, a severely decayed hand was severed and fell to the ground. Then Sally conjured a bolt of lightning in the air, directly reducing it to ashes.
Monica finally breathed a sigh of relief, and her gaze at Sally became serious. She hadn't expected Sally's reflexes to keep up with David's pace and that her strength seemed to be on par with her own.
At this moment, Arnold had led everyone to close the room, leaving only David, Sally, and Monica in the corridor. The low growls of the zombies occasionally echoed. David had already realized that the zombie was nearing the door!
"Follow up with my attack later and unleash your lightning!" David whispered to Sally.
Sally nodded with a smile. Then David turned to Monica and said, "Let's fight side by side this time. Let me see your strength."
Monica rubbed her arm and raised an eyebrow at David, implying that he should just watch. So the three of them continued to wait at the door for the appearance of the zombie. But the zombie seemed to be playing hide-and-seek with them. After more than ten minutes, there was still no sign of it, which instantly furrowed David's brow. If this continued, they wouldn't know the zombie's location and couldn't launch an effective attack.
Monica made a bold decision. She quickly reached into the room, attempting to draw the attention of the hidden zombie. David watched her actions, tightly gripping the alloy short knife in his hand.
Before Monica could fully retract her hand, the zombie inside the room suddenly protruded its head. When it saw Sally and David, its mouth split open. "Found you."
David's whole body stiffened! At the moment the zombie raised its hand, he swiftly embraced Sally's waist and quickly pushed her away!
When David stood steadily in the corridor, holding Sally, the zombie had already stepped out, and its hand had created a large pit where they had just been. ๐ฃ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐ท๐๐๏ผ๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ
"This zombie just spoke?" Sally stared at it in disbelief, not expecting that a zombie could speak and that it sounded so fluent, almost like a normal human.
David observed the zombie closely. It appeared no different from an ordinary zombie, but after experiencing the red light, its size had increased several times. It was even taller than the room's doorway.
"This zombie is not low-ranking, be careful," David whispered. It was more than just not low-ranking. This zombie's stage seemed to have mutated a second time on top of being a mutated zombie itself. Otherwise, how could it speak? How could it suddenly attack?
An intelligent zombie was quite troublesome to deal with! The zombie looked at the chattering pair in front of it, imitating the appearance of humans, and licked its lips. "Food, food..." it muttered, then in the next second, it charged towards David and Sally's position!
"Attack!" David shouted at Hong and Sally. Immediately, he summoned his armor and wielded the alloy war blade, firmly blocking the zombie's attack with his hand!
"Crack!" Sally raised her hand, and a dazzling lightning bolt appeared above the zombie's head. Her gaze was determined as she focused her consciousness, rapidly striking the zombie with several bolts of lightning!
"Ah!" The lightning struck the zombie, causing it to cry out in pain, taking a few steps back. The areas where the lightning hit its body emitted wisps of burnt smoke.
"Lightning!" The zombie touched the painful areas and roared in anger. turned and looked at Sally, In the next moment, the zombie rushed forward.
Oh no! David quickly tore open a spatial rift beside Sally and used telekinesis to push her inside. Sally only felt a force pushing her, and when she appeared again, she found herself inside the room!
"Sally?" Arnold looked at the sudden appearance of Sally in front of him, surprised. Then, as if realizing something, he quickly asked, "What's happening outside?"
Meanwhile, Sally stood still, looking around the room. How did she end up being sent here directly? Did David's abilities level up again?
Outside the room, David watched Sally disappear and let out a sigh of relief. He was just testing his luck, but unexpectedly, his abilities had also advanced with the arrival of the fourth level.
"Where is she?" The zombie became even angrier when it saw the person vanish. In the next moment, it disappeared and reappeared behind David at an incredible speed.
"Hey!" Monica, who had been waiting for an opportunity, raised her gun and quickly aimed at the zombie behind David, pulling the trigger.
Bang! The bullet accurately hit the zombie's eye. "Ah!" The painful cry of the zombie came from behind David. David quickly turned around, glaring fiercely at the zombie in agony. He could sense that the aura and reactions of this zombie were different from ordinary ones, and it was even faster.
Is this the zombie's second awakening? Taking advantage of the zombie's pain, David quickly distanced himself from it. The corridor was not suitable for a fierce battle. If things escalated, the entire building might collapse.
But outside... David looked up at the sky. His pupils dilated. When did the red light recede? As the zombie recovered, and before it disappeared again, David rushed out while shouting, "Go downstairs and fight!"
With that, Monica saw David jump directly from the corridor! Fortunately, it wasn't a high floor. Plus, considering David's current physical condition, jumping down from the corridor was no problem for him at all.
David landed and rolled with the momentum before swiftly getting up. He turned his head, and Monica followed suit, carefully jumping down from the balcony.
David looked at Monica's relaxed appearance and couldn't help but feel some doubt in his heart. What did this person do before the zombie outbreak? Ordinary people couldn't possibly have such skills.
Monica noticed David observing her and frowned. Then her gaze fell on the zombie behind David. She raised her hand, aimed, and pulled the trigger. A series of fluid and smooth movements.
David turned around and looked at the zombie whose left eye had been hit upstairs, but now it was completely unharmed. He frowned, wondering what kind of supernatural zombie this was. Just as he was thinking, the system immediately provided him with an answer.
[Ding! ]
[Detected one crystal each of the metal and defense attributes! ]
Metal and defense attributes? David's eyes lit up. The metal attribute alone was already valuable. And now there was an additional defense attribute. It was like adding riches to wealth and icing on the cake.
David licked his dry lips, touched the alloy war blade in his hand, and saw the gleam in the zombie's eyes. As the zombie was about to launch an attack, David curled his lips, lightly squeezed and held several spatial blades in his hand. Then, he raised his other hand and tore open a spatial rift next to him. He shot all the spatial blades into the rift!
Whoosh! When the spatial blades reappeared in his line of sight, they had already shot out from behind the zombie! The zombie felt a chill behind its back and quickly turned around. Seeing several spatial blades coming towards it, it widened its eyes. As it tried to quickly dodge, it narrowly avoided one or two spatial blades, but the rest of the blades pierced straight into its body.
"Ah!" The zombie's eyes were filled with bloodshot veins. Sharp claws suddenly appeared in its hands, and in the next second, it disappeared from its original position. David felt a chill behind him and instinctively pulled open a spatial rift to rush into it. At the moment he entered, the zombie's claws barely missed him!
When David appeared in the next location, the zombie's figure moved again. It teleported once more behind David, seemingly never-ending. He narrowly dodged the zombie's claws and jumped away to a nearby spot. The zombie roared and quickly charged towards him again.
"Hey!" Monica nervously shouted, continuously pulling the trigger and shooting at the zombie's head, bang-bang-bang! If something happened to the person the organization wanted in her hands, it would be troublesome. Several bullets hit the zombie's head, but it didn't cause any damage. The zombie's head, at this moment, was as hard as iron, blocking the bullets.
The sound of the bullets falling on the ground reached David's ears, and his gaze shifted to the gun in Monica's hand.
The zombie was already charging towards them. David scolded and entered the spatial rift once again. When he came out, a box of military equipment had appeared beside him. He turned to Monica and said, "Everything is here, it's up to you!"
With that said, as the zombie was about to reach them, David tore open a spatial rift and walked into it. The zombie's attention was entirely focused on David, and it didn't notice the things he had moved out.
David deliberately led the zombie to a distant location, while Monica carefully approached the box of military equipment that David had brought out.
Monica hesitated for a moment as she looked at the box from the outside. But when she opened the military supply box in front of her, she was left speechless. Inside, there were indeed firearms, and even hand grenades!
Monica looked at them and swallowed nervously. She couldn't help but wonder if this person was a walking arsenal. She turned her head and looked at David, who was controlling the zombies, and found herself at a loss for words.
Quietly picking up a rifle, Monica aimed at the back of the zombie and fired, "Bang! Bang!" The sound of the rifle was much louder than that of a handgun. And the rifle had much greater power. The shots hit the zombie and caused damage. The bullets penetrated the zombie's body.
Without delay, Monica quickly grabbed a hand grenade, pulled the pin with her teeth, and rolled it towards the zombie's feet.
"What the hell? Is this woman disregarding my life?" David watched as the hand grenade rolled towards him, and his heart trembled. Instinctively, David turned around, skillfully tore open a spatial rift, and rushed in for his life.
At the moment when David's spatial rift disappeared, the zombie reacted. Just as it was about to leave, the hand grenade at its feet exploded! Bang! The hand grenade exploded! The zombie didn't even have a chance to scream; its entire body was blown apart! There was a black mark on the ground where the grenade had exploded.
As David stepped out of the spatial rift, he happened to witness the scene. He let out a long breath and looked at the two crystals on the ground, picking them up.
"[You obtained one medium crystal, critical hit chance increased by 100%! ]
[Congratulations, you obtained one hundred medium crystals! ]
[Attribute: Metal! ]
[You obtained one medium crystal, critical hit chance increased by 100%! ]
[Congratulations, you obtained one hundred medium crystals! ]
[Attribute: Defense! ]
Listening to the system's prompts, David smiled satisfactorily. He looked down at the dark ground and exclaimed, "There were even hand grenades,Those guys at the Armory were truly rolling in wealth!"
Monica approached holding the rifle. She glanced at David indifferently. This was the first time she had encountered such a powerful zombie. She didn't expect that in the end, it would be destroyed by one of David's hand grenades.
Pinching her brow, Monica pondered for a moment before asking, "Do you sell these?"
David turned his head and looked at her. "Sell?" His eyes lit up as he thought of another way to obtain crystal rewards. Organizations like the one Monica belonged to shouldn't be lacking in ability crystals, right?
With that in mind, David cleared his throat lightly and said, "They can be sold, but the price depends on whether you can afford it."
Monica nodded calmly and replied, "There should be no problem with the price."
Upon hearing this, David couldn't help but smile. After saying a few words, Monica's face darkened.
After hesitating for a moment, Monica said, "I need to discuss this with my colleagues."
David smiled: "You better get back before there's any red light" With that, he looked up at the sky. The sky was calm, The red light is gone,with the sun hanging high. Monica nodded, handed the rifle to David, and turned to leave. ๐ฃ๐ฆ๐ฅ๐๐ฐ๐ท๐ฆ๐๏ผ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ต
Watching Monica's departing figure, a slight smile formed at the corner of David's mouth. She could be his major client! If he maintained a long-term cooperative relationship with her, his resources in the apocalypse might become more and more abundant.
There are still many weapons in the space. David's team is small and naturally doesn't need so many weapons. It's better to sell them and make a more comfortable living. Otherwise, these weapons will just gather dust in David's space.
After Monica walked away, David didn't stay downstairs for long. The red light had just disappeared, and there were probably many awakened and upgraded zombies by now. If he stayed downstairs, more mutated zombies would come looking for him as a tasty meal.
Thud, thud. David returned to the front of his room and knocked on the door. "It's me," he said calmly. David turned around and glanced at the state of the room behind him. The door had already been smashed by the zombie, and the threshold was in shambles.
Taking advantage of no one coming to open the door, David walked into the room. It was also a mess inside, with furniture and ceilings destroyed. Inside the house, there was the food David had brought for Arnold's family. Just as he entered, Sally happened to open the door.
"David?" Sally looked at David's back and cautiously stuck her head out, looking around hesitantly before finally stepping out. She followed David's back and entered the house. As soon as she entered, she was stunned by the mess in front of her for a few seconds.
After David entered the house, he walked straight into the room with a clear goal in mind. When he saw the intact food, he used his telekinesis to collect all the food into his space. The room was beyond salvage, but at least the items were still there. It was not a total loss, but it was a pity that his home was ruined.
Thinking about it, David sighed and turned around, only to meet Sally's gaze. Thump! David's body shook, and he placed his hand over his heart. "When did you come over?" Sally looked at David's reaction and chuckled, covering her mouth.
David never expected to be startled by her. Sally looked at David's reaction with delight, finding it even amusing. And David, seeing her like this, helplessly said, "Stop laughing. We can't stay here. Let's go back first."
As he spoke, he walked forward, took Sally's hand, and walked outside. As they walked out, they noticed the door was left open. David turned his head and glanced at Sally. Sally's gaze looked somewhat flustered, and she quickly lowered her head. After entering the house, David closed the door behind them.
"David, are you alright?" Arnold saw David and quickly walked up, his face filled with concern. David shook his head. "I'm fine."
Hearing David's words, Arnold looked him up and down, and just as David said, there were no injuries on his body. Arnold heaved a sigh of relief. "I told you, David couldn't possibly have any problems."
Arnold smiled and looked at Sophie, but before Sophie could speak, Duke, who was leaning against the wall with crossed arms, spoke first. "Arnold, you weren't like this just now. You were really worried about David's condition and said you wanted to go out and help."
As he finished speaking, Arnold's ears turned rare red, reproaching him, "You, how could you bring up my business?"
Duke tugged at the corner of his mouth, shrugged, and casually glanced at David before turning his head away. David, observing the two of them, smiled and said, "Stop messing around, we might need to find a new base soon." The recent events have been overwhelming, and this building is already on the verge of collapse. No matter how sturdy the building is, it may not withstand the relentless attacks of the zombies.
"A new base?" Arnold questioned with a puzzled voice. David looked at him and nodded.
Immediately after, Duke supported his head with both hands and said, "In this situation, how are you going to find a intact house? Both the buildings and houses have been destroyed by the zombies."
David wanted to lead everyone to find a new base, but it's not that easy. Moreover, the zombie outbreak is imminent. If they don't find a new base before that, they might not be able to withstand the upcoming outbreak.
David pondered for a moment, his gaze becoming solemn. "I will figure it out, so don't worry."
Duke glanced at David without saying anything and silently looked out the window. ๐๐ฆ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฃ๐ฆ๐.๐ค๐ฐ๐ฎ
"you're back," a man turned his head and saw Monica, who had just entered the room, and said softly.
Monica made a sound of acknowledgment and asked, "Where's Abraham? I need to talk to him."
Monica looked at the empty rocking chair with confusion"Abraham never leaves the room, so why is he not here when he returned today?
Before the man could answer, Danny spoke first. "Abraham? As soon as the red light outside disappeared, he went out, probably went back for a while."
"Went back?" Monica was slightly shocked.
Abraham has been with them for a long time and has never left their side. Now that Abraham is gone, it indicates that something serious has happened. But without Abraham, there's no way to discuss the matter concerning David.
Monica furrowed her brows. The man glanced at her and asked, "What happened?"
Monica turned her head and met the man's eyes. After hesitating for a moment, she decided to speak up. "That guy earlier, he has weapons."
"Weapons?" Danny exclaimed, standing up in disbelief. He looked at Monica with an incredulous expression. "He really has weapons?"
Monica gave him a disdainful look and continued speaking to the man. "He mentioned that he's willing to sell them to us, but the price..." Monica hesitated for a moment. Because the price David quoted was simply outrageous.
The man said, "But go ahead and tell me."
Monica nodded and replied, "He says he needs 10,000 primary crystals from us in exchange for a box of weapons."
Upon hearing this, Danny sprayed the water he was drinking out of his mouth. "Ten thousand?!" The man turned his head and stared at him sharply.
Danny swallowed his saliva and closed his mouth. The man remained calm and asked, "Is there room for negotiation?"
Ten thousand is definitely not a small number. It's almost unrealistic for them to gather ten thousand primary crystals so quickly. David is being extremely demanding. The man's gaze shifted, adjusting his glasses on the bridge of his nose.
"I haven't asked yet," Monica spoke up.
The man nodded and said, "I understand. Abraham doesn't know about this yet, but I think I can talk to him and see if we can get a lower amount."
"Why is the red light appearing again?" Danny stood by the window and suddenly exclaimed.
Danny looked at the scene outside the window and voiced his confusion, "The red light just disappeared, and now it's back again."
The man and Monica exchanged glances upon hearing his words, then they both stood up and walked to the window. They lifted a corner of the curtain, and indeed, it was as Danny described.
Outside the window, the sun that used to hang high in the sky and illuminate the ground was now covered by red light. The entire ground was bathed in an eerie red glow, making them more vigilant.
Danny's eyes lit up as he looked outside the window. Downstairs, there was someone who seemed unfazed by the red light and walked out. As soon as the red light touched his body, it immediately burst into flames. It started with his shoulders, then spread to his entire upper body, lower body, until the blazing flames engulfed him entirely.
"Ah!" The person let out a scream before dying, ultimately turning into a zombie. Humans under the red light seemed to be cursed by some kind of evil. Even death became a luxury, as they could only transform into decaying corpses.
Danny let the curtain fall and glanced at the two who were still looking outside the window. He crossed his arms and walked over to the sofa, opening a bag of potato chips.
Upon hearing the sound, Monica turned to look at him and said, "What's the situation? Only you can still eat."
Danny put a chip in his mouth and chuckled, "The body is the capital for survival."
Before Monica could respond, the man patted her shoulder and shook his head. Then he whispered, "The matter of the firearms may have to be delayed for a while. We can't go out as long as the red light persists."
With those words, Danny chimed in, "Yeah, Abraham told us to stay put when the red light appears before he left."
The man nodded towards the red glow, and Monica turned to sit down. She sat on the bed, crossed her legs, her gaze distant and lost in thought.
Meanwhile, outside a building, before the red light illuminated the area, Abraham had already stepped into the building. Abraham turned around, looking at the crimson sky, furrowing his brow. Then, he leaned on his cane, took out a small card, and swiped it on the card reader by the door.
Drip! The card reader made a faint sound. With a click, the revolving door of the building started to operate. Abraham followed the revolving door and walked inside...
"David, this red light..." Arnold also noticed the red light outside the window.
"The red light?" David paused for a moment, then hurriedly walked over. He lifted the curtain and was shocked by the sight outside the window. Indeed, there was the red light. Why did it appear again?
In the previous era, the red light only appeared once, and its duration lasted less than a day. But now, it kept coming and going, and they didn't know when it would happen again. After pondering for a moment, David addressed everyone in the room:"For now, let's make do and stay here."
Everyone listened without complaints. David nodded and distributed several primary crystals to everyone for absorption. As soon as they received the crystals, their eyes brightened, and they immediately began absorbing them.
Inside the room, everyone except Sophie was an ability user. When Sophie didn't know what to do, David suggested, "Sophie, why don't you go check on Arnold?"
It was Arnold's first time absorbing primary crystals, so it was good to have someone watching over him. Sophie nodded, her face filled with excitement, and followed behind Arnold. As everyone started absorbing the crystals, David placed ten more primary crystals on the table.
After completing everything, David sat on the sofa with twenty primary crystals in front of him. As he looked at the twenty crystals, he felt a bit troubled. So far, the spatial crystals had not appeared. If he could obtain one, it would have an exponentially greater effect.
When David picked up the first crystal, the red light from outside the window seeped through the curtains, casting a faint red glow. Looking at the faint red light on the ground, David suddenly remembered the man's words: "The red light never ceases."
David carefully pondered this sentence. He wanted to know what it meant. Who was that person and what was their identity? Lost in thought, David felt fortunate that the faint red light didn't affect anyone inside the house.
Shortly after, David began absorbing the crystals one by one. He quickly absorbed all twenty crystals. Just as he finished absorbing them, David let out a sigh of relief, stood up, stretched, and then heard Duke's groaning. He paused and turned to look at Duke.
At that moment, Duke was clutching his stomach, curled up on the ground, beads of cold sweat constantly forming on his forehead. His lips had lost their normal color, replaced by It's pale lips. David glanced at him but didn't approach. He walked over to Little Black, stroked the Little black circling around him, and smiled. "Are you hungry?"
Little Black seemed to understand David's words and jumped towards him, saliva almost dripping onto the floor. David smiled and put a dozen crystals into the dog's bowl. Little Black was quite satisfied as it turned around and started eating.
David shifted his gaze and focused on Cola. Looking at the sleeping Cola, he felt that there were many secrets hidden within it. He approached and placed some crystals in front of it. Then he sat on the sofa. After a few moments, when everyone was almost finished, Sally was the first to approach.
"I'm done." Sally said, her face slightly flushed, as she sat down next to David.
"How about you? Do you feel anything?" David asked.
Sally shook her head. "No upgrade, but I feel much stronger in terms of my overall physical condition. That's enough. Physical fitness is still crucial."
Before David could speak again, Arnold excitedly walked over. He stood in front of David, full of excitement. "I feel a surging energy inside me. Does that mean I've leveled up?"
With those words, Arnold couldn't wait to demonstrate it to David. Rip! As Arnold transformed, all his clothes burst open! Looking at Arnold in his werewolf state, David nodded in satisfaction. The werewolf's figure had grown even taller.
"David, I can now easily jump several stories high, and look at my muscles!" Arnold said, exerting all his strength, revealing one developed muscle after another. ๐ฏ๐๐๐ป๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ฅ.๐๐ผ๐ฆ
As Sophie couldn't help but exclaim, "Amazing," David watched and echoed, "Impressive." Seeing that everyone was almost done, David stood up and tried to reach out and pat Arnold's shoulder, but he couldn't reach. Seeing this, Arnold silently crouched down.
