Item Upgrade

As soon as Shane completed the retrieval of the loots, the zombie started turning into a dark blue light before shattering into many pieces and disappearing into the air. 

'So it really feels like a game… Even the splattered blood disappeared. How convenient.' Shane thought as he took note of the phenomenon that had occurred. 

Anyway, he also noticed that he gained quite a lot of loot from a single zombie! Furthermore, his water problem was already solved just like that!

'It's a good thing I stepped out of the safe zone. Now, the problem with water is solved.' Shane muttered as he couldn't help but appreciate how the zombie could actually provide so much…

"Ah, wait… That's my talent."

Shane muttered as he recalled his Complete Loot Talent! It must've activated passively during the loot retrieval!

Of course, he didn't immediately check the drops as he swiftly looked around to see if zombies were nearby. 

[ There are no zombies detected. ] 

Cloud suddenly spoke.

"Wait, that's right. I can just use you as my detection ability! Good work, Cloud. Let me know if there's an approaching zombie. Right, how much distance can you cover in your detection?" Shane asked. 

[ I can only cover 30 meters. ] 

"That's not bad… But I have 10 Perception Points with me. Does it only cover 10 meters?" Shane asked.

[ Yes. ] 

Cloud answered in confirmation, surprising Shane for a moment. After all, he was only guessing the equivalent value of Perception. 

Luckily, the A.I. also seemed to be aware of the stat points of Survivors. 

Anyway, now that he had Cloud, who could look out for him, he checked his Inventory. 

[ Inventory: Memory Spherex25, 1 Item Upgrade Crystal, 1 Zombie Core, 100mL Runner Zombie Blood, 500mL water, 1 Spirit Enhancement Bottle ] 

The first item that caught his eye was the 100mL Runner Zombie Blood. Cloud previously mentioned how the blood sample was needed to determine the type of virus affecting the zombies. With this sample, they could determine the possible mutations it could bring to a human.

Shane no longer hesitated as he took out the blood sample from the Inventory. 

Unfortunately, it didn't have a container, so the blood simply floated in front of him. 

As Shane was worried that it would just fall to the ground, Cloud seemed to have expected this as its green virtual screen appeared and absorbed the blood in an instant.

[ Blood Analysis has started. ] 

"How long will it take, Cloud?"

[ It could take 1 hour to 1 day, depending on the sample we have. ] 

"Got it… You can still function or detect the zombies while doing that, right?" 

[ Correct. ] 

"That's good to hear." Shane heaved a sigh of relief as he pulled out another item. As soon as the green crystal manifested, the Apocalypse System gave him a detailed usage description.

[ Item Upgrade Crystal: A crystal that can be used to provide a magic upgrade to one of the system-provided items. ] 

[ Hint: You must put the crystal and the selected item together and wait for the upgrade process. ] 

"Wow…" Shane was awed as he read the note carefully. 

With this discovery, the Gifts or items he received from his system would have their value multiplied!

The benefit of having more Gift Packs would be shown from here on! 

Shane was already imagining what kind of magic upgrade it could give his items. Perhaps his zombie-repelling shelter would come true with this crystal!

"But what should I choose?" Shane asked himself.

Since he only had one upgrade crystal, he had to select the most important of them. Three items immediately came to his mind.

They were his tent, his hatchet, and his revolver.

"If the tent upgrade would result in a Safe Zone, that's definitely the best option for me. However, if the upgrade will enlarge the tent or provide random effects like air conditioning or others, that's not a good choice." Shane said as he analyzed his options.

The revolver also seemed to be a good choice since the magic upgrade could give him magic bullets. However, if the upgrade was just for the enhancement of the revolver or even changing it to a pistol, then he believed that it would just be a waste of Upgrade Crystal.

In the end, he decided to choose the hatchet since whatever kind of upgrade it gives him, he believed it would help him kill zombies a lot easier.

With this in mind, he immediately acted.

He set the hatchet on the ground and placed the crystal on top. 

Then, as the hint noted, he waited for something to happen.

It didn't take a minute before the crystal glowed with a faint green light and melted into the hatchet. 

After a few moments, the hatchet transformed, or at the very least, it changed its color into black and became sharper. 

[ Upgrade Successful ] 

[ Common Hatchet has been upgraded to Uncommon Hatchet. ] 

[ Item Description is now available on the specific item. ] 

Shane smiled widely after seeing this notification. 

Without hesitation, he checked the description of this hatchet.

[ Hatchet ( Uncommon ): A small but sturdy axe that can chop wood and flesh with equal ease. It is light and easy to carry, and can be used in tight spaces. It can kill a crawler and walker zombie with a single blow to the head, but it may get stuck in the skull. It is also helpful for crafting and survival purposes.

Effects: +15% damage against Crawler Zombies. ]