C9 Facing Zombies

Three days whizzed by, each ending with Lee Yuanhong crawling into bed, exhausted, and beginning with Yiling's noisy wake-up calls. Despite the fatigue, his efforts bore fruit, as his personal attributes had improved:

Health Points: 10, Magic Points: 20

Defense: 0, Spirit: 2, Attack: 2

Strength: 2, Speed: 2

Physique: 1, Wisdom: 5

His Strength and Spirit had seen a boost, enhancing his Attack and Magic Points in turn. Yet, Physique wasn't something that could be bolstered overnight. It was clear that persistent effort was necessary for any real improvement. After all, a higher Physique not only increased his Health Points but also his Defense—essential for survival.

Donning his makeshift paper armor, spear and shield in hand, and a pickaxe strapped on, Lee Yuanhong strode out of his room with a commanding presence. Yiling had informed him of a Level One zombie lurking near the unit's entrance, marking it as his next target. He also planned to check a nearby small shop for possible supplies.

Reaching the ground floor, he peered through the door's crack and spotted two zombies shuffling near the entrance, which posed a problem. Handling both at once was a daunting task, prompting Lee Yuanhong to concoct a cunning plan.

He silently opened the unit door, wedged a stone to keep one small door ajar, and jammed the other so it could only admit one person at a time. Next, he fashioned a tripwire by tying a rope between the handle of the closed door and the hinge of the open one. Anyone not stooping low would have to snap the rope to get through, but neither regular nor Level One zombies were known for their limbo skills.

Trap set, Lee Yuanhong got to work. He lobbed a stone at the closest zombie, hitting it squarely in the back. The creature turned slowly, sniffing the air and looking in his direction. Zombies had lost their sight, relying instead on hearing and smell to hunt. Lee Yuanhong's recent workouts, coupled with the lack of safe water, had left him with a distinctly masculine scent—a deadly lure for the undead. The zombie let out a low growl and staggered toward him in a lurching "zombie walk," while another, drawn by the noise, also started to close in.

Lee Yuanhong quickly retreated into the stairwell, lying in wait for the zombies to unwittingly spring his trap. As one approached the door, it was thwarted by the rope, its arms flailing in a futile attempt to reach Lee Yuanhong, unable to advance any further. Seizing the moment, Lee Yuanhong effortlessly thrust his spear into the zombie's eye socket, giving it a vicious twist and obliterating its brain. The first zombie hung lifelessly from the rope. A second one arrived, only to meet the same fate at Lee Yuanhong's hands.

Observing the dead zombie, now straining the rope to its limit and threatening to snap it, Lee Yuanhong mused, "Luring too many zombies at once isn't wise. This rope surely won't hold them back."

He set about removing the zombie corpses, resecuring the ropes, and repeating his cycle of luring, killing, clearing, and resetting traps.

After dispatching ten zombies, Lee Yuanhong was utterly spent. The spear's kitchen knife attachment was now completely ruined, and had it not been for the rope's intervention, the broken knife might have spelled disaster for him. Clutching a shield in his left hand and a climbing axe in his right, he gasped for air. It took a considerable effort for Lee Yuanhong to regain his composure. Determined not to falter, he resolved to take down the Level One zombies in one fell swoop, having already eliminated their lesser companions.

Approaching within ten meters of the Level One zombies, Lee Yuanhong repeated his tactic, hurling a stone at them before planning his withdrawal back to the safety of the stairwell. Unexpectedly, the Level One zombies moved with alarming speed. Realizing he was over fifty meters from the door and unlikely to reach the stairwell before being overtaken, Lee Yuanhong braced for a direct confrontation.

With focused calm, he awaited the zombies' charge. As they lunged, he lifted his shield to intercept their clawing assault. The impact sent him stumbling backward several steps, nearly toppling over. Lee Yuanhong had clearly lost the first exchange. The relentless zombies gave no quarter, pressing their attack without pause.

Lee Yuanhong knew better than to confront the zombie head-on this time. Raising his shield, he parried the creature's clawing attacks with its edge while nimbly sidestepping. His tactic proved effective; despite the zombie's increased speed and strength, it lacked its former agility. As a result, Yuanhong's maneuver caused the zombie to stumble, nearly falling over, sparking a new strategy in his mind.

Once more, the zombie wheeled around, growling and lunging at Yuanhong with outstretched claws. Yuanhong, sticking to his successful defense, deflected the force with his shield and sidestepped the onslaught. He then crouched down and, with a climber's pickaxe, struck hard at the zombie's knee joints. This time, the zombie couldn't maintain its balance and collapsed with a thud, face-first into the ground. Seizing the moment, Yuanhong pinned the creature's back with his foot to prevent it from rising, then swung the pickaxe down onto the back of its skull with ferocity. Fearing it might not be enough, he delivered four or five more blows until the zombie lay still. Panting heavily and wiping sweat from his brow, Yuanhong scanned his surroundings with caution. Fortunately, no other zombies or creatures were in sight.

With the threat neutralized, it was time to claim his reward. Braving the foul stench of zombie brains, Yuanhong cracked open the skull with his pickaxe. Donning the disposable gloves he had prepared, he reached inside the skull and, after some searching, extracted an oval-shaped object. After wiping it clean with the zombie's clothing, he beheld a white, crystal-like core with a liquid that seemed to flow within. The Crystal Core.

Yuanhong quickly stowed the Crystal Core in his inner pocket. His initial plan to visit the small shop was now on hold. The recent skirmish had drained him; pushing on could be dangerous if he encountered more zombies. Moreover, Yuanhong was eager to discover what lay within the mysterious space Yiling had mentioned.