Chapter 12: Creating a Safe Base

[Ding!]

[+15% experience]

Lynn checks the notifications on the panel and sees that he has gained 15% experience from performing the surgery.

"As expected, acting as a doctor is the main way to gain experience," he nods to himself.

After Lynn finishes reviewing the notifications on his panel, he stands up from his previous position and proceeds to exit the room.

As he steps out, he is greeted by the scene of destruction and horrors he previously created. The surroundings are littered with the lifeless bodies of zombies, their remains scattered and broken, serving as a grim testament to the battle that had taken place.

Despite the gruesome scene before him, Lynn remains composed.

"If I extract all the cores here, I wonder how much more I need before reaching the next level" Lynn muses

He starts extracting the cores from the normal zombies first. One by one, he carefully removes each core, gaining small boosts of experience with each extraction.

Then, Lynn approaches the brutish zombie corpse, its hulking form lying motionless on the ground.

Before proceeding to dissect it, Lynn decides to use [Evaluation]. Lynn focuses his attention on the brutish zombie and activates the [Evaluation] skill. Instantly, he receives a flood of information about the creature.

[Brawler Zombie]

[Evaluation: low-level undead creature. Possesses incredible strength and endurance. Core contains concentrated energy.]

"They are called brawler zombies" Lynn mutters. "If that is considered a low-level, I don't want to know what high-level looks like".

Brawler zombies, as Lynn had learned from his [Evaluation], were already incredibly strong and durable. Their cores contained concentrated energy, which could be extracted for a significant boost in experience. But if these were considered low-level, then what could he expect from a high-level zombie?

Lynn carefully extracts the core of the brawler zombie, using his zombie-slaying sword to cut through the thick, rotten flesh of the brawler which would be too difficult for a simple scalpel.

[Ding!]

[+10% experience gained]

Lynn checks his notification panel and sees that he has gained an additional 10% experience from dissecting this corpse to extract the brawler zombie's core.

As Lynn holds the core in his hand, he immediately senses the difference in size and energy compared to a normal zombie's core. The core is much larger than he expected, pulsating with potent energy and emitting a faint glow that illuminates his surroundings.

He wonders if there is a connection between the size of the core and the strength of the zombie. Perhaps, if a zombie devours enough nourishment, it can mutate and become stronger, resulting in a larger core with more concentrated energy.

Thinking about this idea, he can't help but feel a chill down his spine. If the zombies could evolve and grow more powerful, it does not bode well for their chances of survival.

Lynn takes a moment to check his experience bar.

[Player: Temporary Number F0001]

Class: [Doctor lv2] (59%)

Lynn sees that he is now more than halfway past the point towards attaining level 3. With the boost from extracting the cores of the defeated zombies. he has gained a significant chunk of experience.

"More than halfway to the next level already" Lynn mutters to himself.

After the loud battle that took place in this place, he doubts there are many zombies left wandering the halls of this floor. The horde that attacked him seemed to comprise most of the undead on the 5th floor, drawn by the commotion he caused earlier.

With so many zombies lying dead by his hand, the rest of the floor is likely deserted.

"I should clean out any remaining zombies and use this place as a safe base," Lynn decides.

His dexterity stat now sitting at 9, and he can move at remarkable speeds rivaling top athletes. He can efficiently clear out any remaining undead on the floor with a quick sweep that won't take much time.

As Lynn swiftly moves through the halls, he systematically clears out any remaining zombies on the floor. When he encounters a zombie, his sword flashes out in an instant, lopping off the head to destroy the brain. Lynn's heightened dexterity allows him to strike rapidly, not giving the zombies a chance to react. Any zombie he comes across is beheaded in an instant

In addition to clearing zombies, Lynn also takes time to search for any map that could help him navigate the hospital. He had noticed maps mounted on the walls that provided a detailed layout of the hospital floor, marking stairwells, room numbers, and points of interest.

Lynn memorizes the map, getting a better sense of the terrain. This could prove invaluable for navigating and fortifying the area.

After looping around the entire floor, Lynn feels confident he has killed any remaining zombies. An eerie silence hangs in the air with no signs of movement. Securing this zone gives Lynn a major strategic advantage, but he knows he must prepare for threats to come.

"I should take this chance to prepare while I can" Lynn mutters to himself.

Lynn begins fortifying by using debris to block stairwells. He drags heavy cabinets and furniture to barricade doorways.

Within an hour, Lynn has transformed the floor into a hardened shelter, barricaded and trapped against zombie incursion. But he knows the undead will find a way through eventually.

After fortifying the zone, Lynn does one final patrol, sword at the ready.

As Lynn's final patrol comes up empty of any remaining zombies, he walks by a rest area specifically designated for personnel where he notices a collection of medical books gathering dust on a shelf. His curiosity is piqued.

He takes a break to examine them more closely and realizes that they could be incredibly useful in the future.

Lynn takes one of the books and blows the dust off, coughing a little. He sits down and starts skimming through the pages. Complex diagrams of nerves, organs, and muscle groups fill his eyes. Chemical formulas and lists of medications and more swim before him.

"This knowledge may prove invaluable and useful" Lynn realizes.