Chapter 56 - Leveling Up
Two months later, the number of residents currently living in Undead Enclave Shelter is now ten people. It has been a long time and yet only five new survivors were found by Patrick, Kazuya, and Maria on their hunt in the wild however, they were already lucky to have met them as it makes the shelter more crowded.
With their presence, the shelter has become brighter a bit especially at night after everyone would come back from their exploration outside. Everyone was living quite in harmony as they were getting along with each other despite them just knowing each other. They also felt good with the idea that they were free to do anything that they wanted as long as they didn't do something that would harm the other residents and the shelter as a whole.
As they still had time before the tutorial ended, they all wanted to venture outside not only because they wanted to level up but because they had no choice since they needed Evolution Coins to survive and live inside the shelter. However, as they had become accustomed to such a way of living, some were now taking their chances outside to look for opportunities.
However, unlike the others, Zach was most of the time outside of the shelter with no specific time or days he would be back leaving all the work to Eun Ae. He could only do such a thing since his progress had become very slow as ordinary Undead were no longer enough for him and he needed bronze-class monsters in order to level up fast.
Also, Zach has come to learn the reason behind the headache he felt after fighting the Undead Soldier and it was due to him using up his Spirit so from then on he started to monitor his usage as having a headache during a fight would be a fatal weakness.
Right now, Zach was somewhere in the south of the shelter and he was currently in a place that looked like a swamp. He had already been out for three days away from the shelter but he still didn't plan on getting back because he was not only exploring the place but also to find his family whom he missed so much.
Looking closely, Zach was currently busy at the moment seeing him fighting against a new type of monster. Its appearance still resembled an Undead, however, unlike Glutton, the one he was facing right now was not fat though it was taller than an ordinary Undead. At the same time, it does not have the sharpened claws of the Reaper but instead, it has a huge hand that looks like a hammer.
While fighting, Zach's expression on his face wasn't showing any signs of concern as he continued to run and dodge the Undead who suddenly came running to him. In fact, he was traveling quietly when suddenly he was spotted by the hot-tempered Undead he was dealing with right now seeing it smashing everything with its hammer-like hands.
[Monster: Smasher
Monster Tier: 1
Monster Level: ???
Monster Classification: ???
Monster Skills: ???]
After using Appraisal, Zach came to know that it wasn't just a new type, but it was probably the same class as the Reaper and Undead Soldier which he labeled as a bronze-class monster, however, he has come to learn after observing that if you disregard its abnormal power, Smasher was slow, and it was giving him a lot of opportunities to attack.
…Boom…
…Creak….
Another tree was destroyed after being punched by the Smasher. It growled angrily as if it could tell that Zach was playing seeing him just moving without attacking back. Getting impatient, it was about to go berserk when suddenly it felt lost after not seeing Zach around.
On the other hand, Zach was already in an invisible state after using the other skill that he had. Not moving in his place, he continues to observe Smasher and only moves when it suddenly lowers its guard. As it was a swamp, he needed to be quick since even though he was invisible, his location might be spotted by the sound of his step in the water.
And as if the Smasher caught something, it immediately focused its attention on it and that was when it saw Zach below him. As if it was smiling, it immediately raised its hand ready to smash him but found itself growling in pain instead after one of its legs was cleanly cut off from its body.
Zach thought it was a great opportunity to end it but he immediately put his guard up after seeing an orange color Surviving Line flash in his eyes and there he saw Smasher's huge hand heading towards him. Blocking it with the sword he was using, the impact was strong but it only pushed him back a little.
"Your strength is no joke but it's not enough. Now, what are you going to do when you are kneeling like that?" Getting his composure back, Zach then looked at Smasher on the swamp. With a smirk, he then just headed to where it was to finally end it and see what he would get from it.
After that, the sound of Smasher growling in pain was the only thing that could be heard as if it was getting tortured. Only about thirty seconds later did the swamp become quiet seeing Zach sitting on top of the dead body of Smasher with many cuts all over it and its head was cut off.
Zach got three items out of Smasher and he immediately appraised them wanting to see their function as they were kind of new to him which was great knowing that for the past two months, he had only acquired a few new ones.
[Item: Savage Shield
Item Tier: 1
Item Rating: ???
Item Classification: ???
Item Function: ???
Item Evolution Requirement: 3 Evolution Stones]
[Item: Defensive Garment
Item Tier: 1
Item Rating: ???
Item Classification: ???
Item Function: ???
Item Evolution Requirement: 3 Evolution Stones]
Zach was no longer surprised about it since he had also acquired items with question marks in their descriptions. He then just also labeled them as bronze-class items for the time being so that he wouldn't get confused. On the other hand, he doesn't need to see the last item since it was the Bronze Core. Seeing the items, he felt like he was lucky, especially the Defensive Garment which might already complete his set of protective items on his body.
"Good. All my items were bronze class now." Zach said from which he looked at himself ranging from the boots he was wearing, the pants, gloves, arm guards, armor, and now the newly added garment which was in the form of a shirt.
[Item: Rapid Boots
Item Tier: 1
Item Rating: ???
Item Classification: ???
Item Function: ???
Item Evolution Requirement: Evolution can no longer be applied.]
[Item: Warrior's Trousers
Item Tier: 1
Item Rating: ???
Item Classification: ???
Item Function: ???
Item Evolution Requirement: Evolution can no longer be applied.]
[Item: Power Gloves
Item Tier: 1
Item Rating: ???
Item Classification: ???
Item Function: ???
Item Evolution Requirement: Evolution can no longer be applied.]
[Item: Steel Arm Guard
Item Tier: 1
Item Rating: ???
Item Classification: ???
Item Function: ???
Item Evolution Requirement: Evolution can no longer be applied.]
[Item: Battle Armor
Item Tier: 1
Item Rating: ???
Item Classification: ???
Item Function: ???
Item Evolution Requirement: Evolution can no longer be applied.]
Zach got the Rapid Boots from another bronze-class Reaper. Warrior's Trousers from a surprisingly bronze-class Undead. Power Gloves and Steel Arm Guards from a bronze-class Glutton, and lastly the Battle Armor from the Undead Soldier that he took down two months ago.
Looking at the sword in his hand. It was also a bronze-class item called Battle Sword that he got together with the Battle Armor. Now that he had a shield to pair with it, he felt like he was getting overgeared from all the items that he was wearing. To end things, he then just enhanced the item that he just got.
[Item: Battle Sword
Item Tier: 1
Item Rating: ???
Item Classification: ???
Item Function: ???
Item Evolution Requirement: Evolution can no longer be applied.]
[Item: Savage Shield
Item Tier: 1
Item Rating: ???
Item Classification: ???
Item Function: ???
Item Evolution Requirement: Evolution can no longer be applied.]
[Item: Defensive Garment
Item Tier: 1
Item Rating: ???
Item Classification: ???
Item Function: ???
Item Evolution Requirement: Evolution can no longer be applied.]
Zach took two months to acquire all the current items that he had but he was completely satisfied with all of them and now that he had a newly added item, he kind of curious as to what his status had become so he immediately opened his status window.
[Ding!!]
[Name: Zach Anderson
Tier: 1
Level: 26 (Progress: 58 %)
Class: None
Age: 19 (Lifespan:150 years)
Strength: 200 (+ 50)
Agility: 100 (+ 50)
Vitality: 70
Endurance: 70
Stamina: 70
Spirit: 25/150 (Replenish 1 Spirit every thirty minutes.)
Free Attributable Stat Points: 143
Active Skills (2/5): Appraisal, Stealth
Passive Skills (0/5): None
Pet/s: None
System Inventory (∞): Appraisal Skill Book, Steel Sword, Long Spear, Sharp Knife, Speed Boots, Protective Leather Pants, Strength Gloves, Heavy Axe, Bow, Arrow, Protective Arm Guards, Strength Boots, Stealth Skill Book, Bronze Core, Soldier Job Class Scroll, Battle Armor, Battle Sword, Chef Job Class Scroll, Sanctuary Portal, Rapid Boots, Engineer Job Class Scroll, Warrior's Trousers, Mechanic Job Class Scroll, Power Gloves, Steel Arm Guards, Technician Job Class Scroll, Savage Shield, Defensive Garment
Survival Inventory (2/10): Evolution Coin, Evolution Stone
Evolution Store
Evolution Coins: ∞]
"Though I couldn't see the description of the items, I could tell their effect while taking a look at my stats." Zach said as he looked at his status. Following that, he then just closed them thinking that it was now time to head back as he also missed the peaceful ambiance of the shelter and of course, Eun Ae's warmth as she finally tied the knot with him even after knowing that he already had many lovers back to where he came from.
With that, Zach then just put a sign on one of the trees around leaving a message that he was already in the area and giving those who saw them the opportunity to get back to his shelter. No longer planning to stay longer in the area, he then started heading back since he still had a long way to go.
However, something caught his attention when he was about to leave from which he immediately hid from one of the trees in the area after the place suddenly glowed in red indicating that something dangerous was coming. Waiting while breathing quietly, Zach saw something that widened his eyes as he never thought that he would finally meet other monsters aside from the Undead.
Zach saw the creature which if you would not mind its savage-looking appearance, sharp spikes from its back, steel-looking scales, and lastly its enormous size, then it really would look like a crocodile back on Earth. So, he immediately used appraisal to it wanting to know what it was.
[Beast: Steel Alligator
Beast Tier: 1
Beast Level: 55
Beast Classification: Ordinary
Beast Skills: None]
"It wasn't even a bronze-class beast, yet the system marked it as dangerous. Is there unique to them that differentiates them from the Undead? Or it might only be because it had a much higher level than I was?" Zach muttered as he stayed hidden and silent wanting to observe the Steel Crocodile seeing it moving closer to the body of the dead Smasher.
"What the fuck. It just ate the body." Zach said after witnessing the Steel Crocodile started munching the body of Smasher. He couldn't help but think that the Undead that they were killing all this time might be just the food of these beasts. Thinking about it, he couldn't help but feel a sudden rising of his hair.
It only takes a while before the Steel Crocodile finishes eating the Smasher from which it immediately crawls away probably still not satisfied as it also eats the body of dead Undead along its way before finally disappearing.
"That was scary but at the same time it was very useful information." Zach said after learning that there were monsters scarier than the Undead. Seeing that it was now safe, he then no longer planned on lingering around as he left while being careful if there were still beasts scattered in the area that might put him into a difficult situation.