Chapter 6: Slaying the Licker

The setting sun cast golden rays over the chaotic city, adding a touch of melancholy beauty to the apocalyptic scene. On the sixth floor of an apartment building, a man dangled precariously from the security bars of a window, his life hanging by a thread. He was the wealthy merchant, his emotions swinging wildly from despair to hope and back to fear.

Suddenly, the sound of a door being kicked in echoed through the air. The merchant's eyes lit up with wild joy. It was him! The man who had left had returned! Sure enough, no one could resist the temptation of enormous wealth. As if injected with adrenaline, the merchant used his last ounce of strength to scream, "I'm still here! Save me! Ten million! Cars, women, whatever you want, I'll give it to you!"

However, Lin Yi remained deaf to these frantic cries. His gaze was cold, his movements clean and efficient. He punched through the fire safety glass and retrieved a bright red fire axe. The axe was nearly half his height, and as he swung it casually, it whistled through the air, as if proclaiming its sharpness.

"Ding, acquired Fire Axe (Common)" "Fire Axe: A weapon of average quality, prone to dulling."

The system's prompt sounded in Lin Yi's mind, but he paid little attention to it. Since the apocalypse game had begun, he would receive information prompts for any item he acquired. Unfortunately, whether it was firearms or artillery, there were only brief descriptions without any attribute bonuses. Only equipment unique to the apocalypse game would come with attributes and special abilities.

The merchant hanging from the window bars watched Lin Yi turn his back, seemingly waiting for something. His face turned pale, and he cursed inwardly. If he hadn't had the quick wit to use his belt to reduce the strain on his hands earlier, he would have likely lost his grip and fallen already.

"Thirty million! Don't be too greedy, if I die, you'll get nothing!" the merchant screamed at the top of his lungs.

Inside the window, the female zombie's face was already deformed from pressing against the bars. Her once delicate and small face had been squeezed into a long, narrow shape. The distance between them was now barely a fist's width.

"One hundred million! I'll give you one hundred million! Come and save me, damn it!" the merchant cried, tears streaming down his face, his desperation palpable.

As the female zombie struggled frantically, half of her body had forcefully squeezed onto his hands. The slimy feeling of decaying flesh against his skin nearly drove him to the brink of mental collapse.

Meanwhile, at the security booth, Lin Yi held the axe in one hand and tilted his head back to drink a stimulant he had taken from his spatial ring.

"Crack!" The test tube fell to the ground, shattering into pieces.

"Ding, Strength +1, Constitution +1, Agility +1" "Ding, Explosive power increased by 50%, Stamina and Impact Resistance increased by 30%, Attack Speed increased by 20%"

The effect was immediate. Lin Yi felt his heartbeat quicken instantly, the small molecular structure of the potion directly breaking through the blood-brain barrier. His heart pounded like a war drum, his muscles tensed, and the axe in his hand seemed to become lighter.

As expected of a highly sought-after potion from his previous life. As one of the few non-apocalypse items that could provide attribute bonuses, it was truly rare in this apocalyptic world. In his previous life, these potions had played a crucial role in Lin Yi's survival as an ordinary person, allowing him to protect Tang Wan's family. If he hadn't happened to carry a few bottles during their escape, he might not have even made it out of the city that day, let alone keep three people alive.

Feeling the surge of power within his body, Lin Yi's fighting spirit soared.

"Boom!"

The vehicles haphazardly parked at the entrance of the community suddenly flew high into the air, revealing a massive figure beneath.

The Licker had appeared!

The merchant, who had been screaming and cursing non-stop, suddenly fell silent as if his throat had been gripped.

Now's the time!

Without hesitation, Lin Yi took a deep breath, bent his legs, and the ground beneath his feet instantly cracked. His body spun like a fully wound top, rotating at extreme speed! Gripping the fire axe tightly with both hands, his entire body launched like a human cannonball, leaping four to five meters high, the axe blade gleaming blood-red in the sunset.

"Activate Power Burst!"

The ability from his awakened talent activated.

"Strength +2, Agility +2, Constitution +2, Will +2!"

A faint golden light instantly covered Lin Yi's entire body, and his strength, originally at 12 points, suddenly surged to 14 points. Explosive power filled his entire body.

Die!

Lin Yi roared, bringing the axe down with all his might!

The sharp blade, empowered by his immense strength, cleaved fiercely towards the Licker's head. Flesh exploded, and a chunk of meat half as tall as a person was completely severed, revealing the dark purple muscle tissue inside.

"Roar!"

The Licker howled in pain. Its massive body was knocked to one side by the axe blow, and a portion of its exposed skull was instantly sliced away.

Lin Yi's all-out attack, with strength far surpassing that of a 0th-rank Awakened, had nearly killed the Licker in a single strike!

"Boom!"

Giant claws slammed down, shattering a car body.

The Licker barely managed to support itself with its massive claws, instantly crushing the sedan beside it.

What a pity... couldn't finish it in one hit.

Lin Yi wasn't distracted by unnecessary emotions. When his first strike failed to kill, he quickly flipped away, nimbly avoiding the Licker's wild, enraged swipes. He carefully circled the Licker's enormous body at high speed, looking for another opportunity to land a fatal blow.

As the nightmare of many safe zones, the Licker had been studied extensively. Through countless painful lessons, people had discovered that although the Licker was extremely fast, it was slow to change direction. Its two pairs of giant claws, while giving it terrifying destructive power, also affected its agility when turning.

Knowing this, Lin Yi constantly changed positions, always staying in the Licker's blind spots. This kind of monster was not something that could be fought alone. Even for Awakened individuals, one would need to be at least 1st rank to barely contend with it.

The merchant hanging from the window stared blankly at the scene before him, his face filled with shock. The terrifying skin-peeling monster's appearance alone was enough to drive those with weak wills to the brink of insanity. The Licker was now in a frenzy, its sharp claws sweeping wildly in all directions. Metal car bodies offered no resistance to these claws, crumpling like paper. The scene was truly horrifying.

But more shocking to the merchant than the terrifying Licker was the fact that Lin Yi could actually engage such a monster in combat. At this moment, Lin Yi, who had only seemed skilled in the merchant's eyes before, now seemed to be on par with the monster itself.

Is this really a power that humans can possess?

"Boom!" "Boom!"

Cars were repeatedly thrown into the air, flying like missiles.

Lin Yi nimbly dodged the cars hurled by the Licker, then suddenly changed direction. The Licker had been attacking continuously for over a minute. The area in front of the community entrance had been cleared, with all the cars used as projectiles. However, with Lin Yi's agility boosted to 14 points after taking the potion, these attacks seemed futile.

No matter how high the damage, it means nothing if it can't hit the target. This fact undoubtedly made the Licker even more furious.

"Roar!"

The Licker lowered its body and roared. The injury from having half its skull sliced away began to show its effects. As it was forced to lower its posture, the brain tissue covered by regenerating flesh was exposed to Lin Yi.

Now's the chance!

Lin Yi took a deep breath, no longer conserving his energy. He took a step forward, narrowly avoiding the Licker's violent, angry slam.

"Power Burst"

Strength enhanced once again, his muscles igniting like explosives.

Turning back for a counter-strike!

Lin Yi's speed burst to the extreme, taking a few steps up the Licker's massive body and leaping high into the air. The muscles in his waist tensed, transmitting a violent force from his waist to his arms, and the fire axe in his hands suddenly swung in a full circle.

Smash it!

The force was like a mountain crashing down.

Meanwhile, in a certain room, a heart-stopping drama was unfolding.

On the mobile phone, the last message was from Lin Yi.

"Roar!"

On the chair, a man with his hands and feet bound growled in a low voice. The chair beneath him shook violently, as if he was about to break free. The chains rattled, producing a grating sound.

"Brother... I'm so scared."

An Xia lowered her head, unable to bear the sight of An Jingtian's face, where the skin had peeled off, leaving him looking like a bloody skeleton. After their parents' death, the only person she could rely on had become like this, and she was utterly helpless. This filled her with despair, her body trembling uncontrollably like a helpless small animal.

The clock on the wall ticked away. She occasionally turned her head towards the locked door, her eyes full of pleading. But outside the door, there was only the sound of zombies scratching at the iron door, and the footsteps she hoped for never came.

"Brother, you must hold on," An Xia choked out, "Brother Lin Yi will surely find a way to save you."

A glimmer of rationality flickered in An Jingtian's bloodthirsty eyes.

"Lin... An!"

The moment of lucidity vanished instantly. His voice was hoarse, but the name An Jingtian uttered could still be discerned.

An Xia suddenly raised her head, looking at An Jingtian with surprise and joy. This was the first time An Jingtian had spoken a complete word since the apocalypse began.

"Bang! Bang!"

Outside the door, the zombies, as if sensing the presence of a fellow creature, began to crash against it frantically. The iron door shook violently, deforming. They were responding.

After An Jingtian's moment of lucidity passed, he began to struggle wildly again. The chains rattled, and where they tightly bound his wrists, stark white bone was visible. The handcuffs that had been securely fastened showed signs of loosening.