Chapter 18: Instant Kill, Recruitment

"Step forward."

"Downward slash!"

Lin Yi's bones crackled as he concentrated all his strength into his right hand.

As he swung his blade, it cut through the air with a fierce gust.

With power far beyond human limits, even the most basic sword technique appeared incredibly powerful at this moment.

"Roar!"

The Licker also lashed out with its claws, creating a stark contrast in size between the two combatants in the eyes of the onlookers.

"Crack."

The giant claw shattered.

The sharp blade continued its path, leaving a line of blood across the Licker's head.

Lin Yi's stride remained steady, moving straight ahead.

A moment later, the Licker's claw stopped just as it was about to touch Lin Yi's head.

Flesh separated from flesh.

The massive body slowly split in two.

Lin Yi silently walked through the Licker's divided corpse.

A second later, the sound of a heavy object hitting the ground echoed.

"Ding, player has killed a Level 1 mutant: Licker."

Waves of white light surged from the Licker's body and entered Lin Yi.

"Ding, level-up conditions met. Congratulations, player! Current player level: 1!"

"Ding, advancement conditions met. Congratulations, Awakened One! Current Awakened level: Tier 1!"

Two surges of power emerged from the void, instantly dissipating into Lin Yi's body.

Warm, comfortable.

An addictive pleasure washed away his fatigue.

"Ding, player level increased. Strength +1, Agility +1, Constitution +1, Will +1!"

"Ding, Awakened tier increased. Strength +2, Agility +2, Constitution +2, Will +2!"

A double boost in power!

Lin Yi greedily took a deep breath, feeling the increasingly powerful force within him.

Excellent! The collapsed black bear had already shrunk back to human form.

The bald man's Awakened ability was bear transformation, but it didn't last long.

Severely injured and near death, he could no longer maintain his bear form.

He clutched his severed arm, looking at Lin Yi with shock, as if seeing a monster.

Lin Yi's display of killing the Licker with one slash might have been shocking to others.

But it wasn't nearly as intense as the bald man's reaction.

He had fought the Licker and seemed evenly matched at first.

But after one unsuccessful strike, he exposed a weakness and was severely injured by the Licker's counterattack.

He knew very well that even if he had a hundred lives, he wouldn't last more than a few seconds against the Licker.

It was too strong.

"How... how did you do that?" the bald man asked, his throat bobbing.

As Lin Yi walked up to him as casually as if he were taking a stroll, the bald man's eyes were full of admiration.

"Hmm."

"Just slash down with the blade," Lin Yi replied casually.

Even before leveling up, his strength was already at 15. After activating his strength burst, it reached 20.

With such power, killing the Licker in one slash was perfectly normal.

The bald man: ...

Lin Yi smiled slightly, not minding the bald man's reaction.

"How are you feeling? Can you move?"

Lin Yi looked at his body. The huge wound that had pierced his chest was slowly healing.

However, his missing left arm had only stopped bleeding and showed no signs of regeneration.

This recovery speed was a bit fast, Lin Yi thought to himself.

It seemed the bald man was stronger than he had initially assumed.

Awakened Ones had superior physical qualities and decent recovery abilities.

But recovering so quickly from such severe injuries was unusual.

An ordinary person would have been long dead.

Was the beast transformation skill accompanied by enhanced constitution?

Perhaps it was related to his Awakened talent.

After transformation, his speed wasn't great, but his constitution was quite good.

He could be considered a decent tank.

Lin Yi made a mental evaluation of the bald man.

"I can move," the bald man nodded, struggling to get up from the ground.

"Hello, I'm Zhang Tie!" the bald man extended his right hand.

His voice was gruff, and his smile, though pained, was genuine and sincere.

"Lin Yi."

"Well, Brother Lin, thank you for saving my life," Zhang Tie said gratefully, his sincerity apparent.

If it weren't for Lin Yi's intervention, he would have likely ended up in pieces like his comrade.

"I really don't know how to..."

"We'll talk later," Lin Yi interrupted, glancing at the hospital entrance in the distance.

Many zombies were gathering in their direction.

"Alright!"

Zhang Tie didn't say more, keeping his gratitude in his heart.

As they passed by the muscular man's corpse, Zhang Tie quickly picked up the body parts and cradled them in his arms.

His eyes were red with emotion.

"My condolences," Lin Yi said, sensing Zhang Tie's sorrow.

He had brothers too, so he understood how painful this feeling could be.

An Jing Tian, An Ya...

Hang in there, I'm coming back! Lin Yi thought of the siblings in Yuan Xiao Community, his gaze determined.

They ran quickly.

Both being Awakened Ones, their speed far exceeded that of ordinary people.

In just a few seconds, they rushed into the hotel lobby.

"Brother Zhang!"

The dozen or so survivors who had escaped into the hotel earlier crowded around excitedly, asking after his well-being.

However, upon seeing the remains of their comrade in Zhang Tie's arms, their expressions turned sorrowful.

It seemed this group of people knew each other well.

Several older men took the remains from Zhang Tie's hands and silently placed them on a red cloth.

Lin Yi remained quiet, focusing on re-barricading the hotel entrance.

"Boom!"

A car weighing several tons was dragged into place by Lin Yi alone, blocking the main door.

The crowd turned at the sound, some looking fearful.

This fear was different from their fear of zombies; it was the instinctive awe ordinary people felt towards the powerful.

Zhang Tie seemed to be the leader of the group.

Noticing his companions' apprehension, he immediately introduced Lin Yi.

"This is Lin Yi, the man who saved my life," he said.

"As you all saw earlier, I'm only alive thanks to Brother Lin."

Zhang Tie finished speaking and bowed deeply.

The others, also full of gratitude, bowed to Lin Yi in unison.

Among the survivors, a young girl with teary eyes caught Lin Yi's attention.

She wore a baseball cap and a simple ponytail.

She looked young, about 17 or 18, dressed in sporty clothes that exuded youthful energy.

The girl had sweet features, clearly a natural beauty.

"Brother Lin, you saved my brother's life. Wei Wei will never forget this debt," she said earnestly.

Lin Yi smiled gently.

Wei Wei reminded him of Wen Ya.

Both were youthful and full of vitality.

Though Wen Ya was a bit more mature.

Wei Wei wiped away a tear and turned to Zhang Tie.

"Brother... your arm."

"It's nothing, Wei Wei. Don't cry," Zhang Tie said.

"We Zhang family members don't cry easily!"

Zhang Tie grinned, his face full of scars somehow managing to form a smile as he comforted the young girl before him.

Looking at the two, Lin Yi's expression turned a bit odd.

He had thought Wei Wei's surname was Wei, and that she was just calling Zhang Tie 'brother' like the others.

He hadn't expected them to actually be siblings.

One was as burly as a bear, with a face full of scars.

The other was petite, cute, and delicate.

Same parents, yet such a huge difference...

Zhang Tie seemed to sense Lin Yi's strange look. He suddenly took Wei Wei's hand and walked up to Lin Yi.

"Brother Lin, this is my little sister!" Zhang Tie said proudly.

Lin Yi: ....

With the addition of 15 new survivors, the number of people in the hotel had now reached 42.

The place was abuzz with chatter.

The hotel had been cleared out, and the survivors who had escaped death began discussing among themselves.

Those who had been trapped in the hotel eagerly asked the newcomers about the situation outside.

The answers were not encouraging.

Feelings of panic and despair spread through the crowd.

During the conversations, most people would occasionally steal glances at Lin Yi and Zhang Tie standing by the window.

"Brother Lin, are you saying you want me to join your team?" Zhang Tie turned his head to look at his companions behind him.

His voice was extremely loud, catching the attention of many listeners.

The crowd's eyes were filled with envy.

The newcomers might not know yet, but every survivor in the hotel had proposed joining Lin Yi's team, only to be completely ignored.

Seeing Zhang Tie being actively invited, some even felt a twinge of jealousy.

Lin Yi had killed the Licker with one slash.

With such strength, wouldn't following him mean an easy ride through this apocalypse?

Lin Yi nodded calmly.

Zhang Tie's character seemed decent.

As an Awakened One, he could have escaped first when facing the Licker, but he chose to cover the retreat for everyone else.

Looking at the people he brought, most were elderly, weak, sick, or injured.

At least from what Lin Yi had observed so far, this man seemed to have a sense of loyalty and righteousness.

In terms of ability, he was also quite good.

A physical-type Awakened One could share some of the burden during combat.

Zhang Tie laughed heartily.

"Brother Lin, I'm honored that you think highly of me."

"Forget about joining, I'd even give my life for you if needed!"

Without hesitation, Zhang Tie accepted Lin Yi's team invitation without even looking at the team information.

"Ding, Savior Team has a new member: 1, current members: 3."

"Team member Zhang Tie (Awakened One) gains 10% attribute bonus."

"Ding, team member Zhang Tie: Loyalty 70 (He won't betray you unless his bottom line is crossed)"

The last item was only visible to Lin Yi.

Lin Yi pondered thoughtfully, realizing that the initial loyalty wasn't fixed.

Zhang Tie's loyalty had directly risen to 70 points because Lin Yi had saved him, and he was straightforward by nature.

It seemed he was indeed as simple as he appeared, without much scheming.

"This is...?!" Zhang Tie's eyes suddenly widened in shock after joining.

"Welcome to the team," Lin Yi smiled faintly, realizing that Zhang Tie had felt his abilities being amplified the moment he joined.

"My goodness..." Zhang Tie exclaimed, smacking his lips in amazement.

"How did my strength suddenly increase!?"

"Damn, my constitution increased too?!"

"Agility, willpower, everything increased!"

"Cap... Captain Lin, what's going on?"

Zhang Tie felt the surge of power within him and became excited.

Lin Yi looked at the dumbfounded Zhang Tie with a slight smile.

The 10% attribute increase from joining the Savior Team might not seem like much, but it was significant when actually experienced.

Players would risk their lives to kill mutants just to level up once, and each level only added 1 point.

Awakened Ones had it better, but even they only gained 3 points per level.

The first few levels were fine, but as one progressed, the amount of spirit energy and number of mutants needed became terrifying.

Leveling up became difficult, and many people remained stuck at level 1 until death.

Based on the basic attributes of most Awakened Ones, this 10% increase equated to at least 1 point or more.

An increase of over 1 point was like being given a free level.

In the apocalyptic game, every single attribute point was incredibly valuable, so Zhang Tie's excitement was understandable.

"Consider it a benefit of joining my team," Lin Yi explained.

"However, it's also because you're an Awakened One with high base attributes that the increase is so significant."

Hearing that it was a benefit of joining the team, the crowd's breathing quickened.

Joining the team could make you stronger?

Awakened One? High base attributes?

Yu Shihao immediately understood why Lin Yi had recruited Zhang Tie.

His mind raced quickly, soon piecing together the connections.

Awakened Ones must be existences like Lin Yi and Zhang Tie, with strength far surpassing ordinary people.

Zhang Tie's strength increased after joining the team.

Was this true for all Awakened One teams, or was it unique to Lin Yi?

He looked at his player template for a long time but found nothing except attributes.

There was no team function to be found.

With this partial understanding, he pricked up his ears, afraid to miss any dialogue between the two.

However, Lin Yi didn't speak further.

He communicated with Zhang Tie through the team channel:

"Don't disclose our team's information to outsiders. You can mention the attribute bonus, but don't reveal the name or the team communication function."

Zhang Tie heard Lin Yi's voice in his mind suddenly, despite Lin Yi's mouth not moving at all.

It was like seeing a ghost in broad daylight.

"Un... understood, Captain!" he stammered.

Was this also a benefit of joining the team?

He tried to contact Lin Yi through the team channel, his eyes blazing with excitement.

He wasn't a fool.

Having served in the military and later worked as a bodyguard, he knew how important communication was.

Now that global communications had failed and landlines and mobile phones were useless, a means of private, real-time communication was extremely valuable.

The crowd had heard Zhang Tie's exclamation about his attributes increasing, and their eyes filled with even more envy.

Being able to join Lin Yi's team and increase one's strength...

Ah, why weren't they Awakened Ones?

Yu Shihao stood alone in a corner, surrounded by the sounds of amazement from others.

He clenched his fists tightly.

Awakened One!

I must become an Awakened One too!

After witnessing the terror of zombies and the Licker, his desire for power far exceeded what it had been before.

Yu Shihao's gaze was filled with longing and fervor.

Lin Yi is so strong, he must know how to become an Awakened One!

...

In a room on the 9th floor of the hotel.

Lin Yi, Zhang Tie, and Wen Ya looked out the window towards the hospital opposite.

"Zhang Tie, you said you escaped from the hospital. So, what's the situation there now?"

"Are there any beings similar to the Licker?"

Zhang Tie furrowed his brow.

"Captain Lin, as far as I know, there shouldn't be any living people left in the hospital now."

"There are at least 30,000 zombies inside."

"As for monsters like the Licker..."

Zhang Tie shook his head.

"We only encountered it when we were trying to escape in another direction after fleeing from the hospital's outer wall."

"Then it chased us all the way back here."

Lin Yi nodded. It was good news that there were no mutants inside the hospital.

The fighting space inside was too cramped, and being ambushed while deep inside would be troublesome.

"Are there any special situations inside the hospital, like large gatherings of zombies in certain areas?"

"Why were you in the hospital? And how did you awaken?"

Lin Yi continued to ask.

In his previous life, the [Skull Crusher's Hand] was deep inside the hospital, surrounded by a large number of zombies.

It was said that to obtain this equipment, several safe zones had joined forces, sacrificing a large number of people to break through the zombie circle.

He was also curious about how Zhang Tie had awakened.

In his previous life, he hadn't heard of any energy nodes inside the hospital.

After hearing these three questions, Zhang Tie thought for a moment before slowly saying:

"I was in the hospital accompanying my father for treatment before the apocalypse broke out."

"The apocalypse came so suddenly. For some reason, almost all the patients turned into zombies."

Zhang Tie's mood became somber.

He had watched his father turn into a zombie right after the apocalypse began.

Lin Yi patted his shoulder, understanding the feeling of helplessness as a loved one turned into a zombie before one's eyes.

He had experienced it too.

Patients turning into zombies was normal.

People with weak constitutions would show signs of zombification even before the apocalypse fully broke out.

Zhang Tie turned back to look at Lin Yi, forcing an awkward smile to show he was fine.

"After the patients turned into zombies, the doctors and nurses caring for them couldn't react in time."

"None of them survived."

Wen Ya shuddered upon hearing this.

"As for anomalies..."

Zhang Tie continued, "The entire hospital was uninhabitable, except for the pharmacy area, which was slightly better."

"I was lucky. My father's ward was on the second floor."

"There weren't many zombies, so I managed to run out and hide in the dispensary."

"The dispensary could be considered an anomaly, I suppose."

"As for awakening... I don't really know."

"I was hit by a flash of white light and then passed out."

"When I woke up, I found my strength had greatly increased. A player panel appeared with an 'Awakened One' symbol on it."

Lin Yi pondered for a moment.

Awakened in the dispensary? It seems this trip to the hospital should include a visit to the dispensary.

After finishing, Zhang Tie opened his personal information panel, showing it to Lin Yi without reservation.

"Player Information: Zhang Tie (Awakened One)" Player Level: 0 Awakened Tier: 0 Strength: 13 Agility: 12 Constitution: 15 Will: 12 Equipment: None

Awakened Talent: Bear Transformation (Transform into a Bone-Crushing Black Bear for a short time, greatly increasing constitution, slightly increasing strength. Enhanced defense and doubled self-healing ability.)

Tier 0: All attributes +2 (The limit for each attribute in ordinary humans is 10.)

Lin Yi was surprised by Zhang Tie's constitution.

To have an initial constitution of 15 right after becoming an Awakened One, plus an awakened talent that enhanced self-healing, no wonder he could recover so quickly even when severely injured and near death.

"Captain Lin, my constitution attribute is pretty good, right?" Zhang Tie noticed Lin Yi's surprise and showed a hint of pride.

Although he hadn't met other Awakened Ones, he had compared his attributes with others. While Lin Yi was extremely strong, Zhang Tie thought his strength might just be exceptionally high. When it came to constitution, he was still confident.

"By the way, Captain Lin, how much strength do you have?"

"That slash you used to kill that monster was incredibly powerful!"

Zhang Tie gave a thumbs up, sincerely praising Lin Yi.

Lin Yi opened his attribute panel and took a look.

"Strength: 20."

"..."

Zhang Tie fell silent.

It was too demoralizing.

But being an optimist, he quickly brushed it off. Or rather, he couldn't afford to dwell on it.

"Haha, my strength might not match yours, but when it comes to constitution..."

Zhang Tie, somewhat unwilling to give up, wanted to compare constitutions with Lin Yi.

This was his most confident attribute.

Lin Yi looked slender and fit, his body even appearing somewhat thin under his clothes.

For constitution, the higher it was, the more robust the body should be.

Like the muscular man who died earlier, his constitution was only 9 points.

Even if Lin Yi was an Awakened One, Zhang Tie thought his constitution would be at most 12 or 13 points.

Zhang Tie looked expectant.

"What's yours? Is it 13 points?"

Lin Yi smiled faintly.

"18."

Zhang Tie's laughter caught in his throat, his expression freezing.

He looked Lin Yi up and down, finding it hard to believe.

He never expected Lin Yi's constitution to completely overwhelm his as well!

Like a defeated rooster, Zhang Tie put away his last bit of pride and honestly stopped discussing attributes.

What a monster!

High strength and high constitution.

How were others supposed to compete?

Lin Yi shook his head slightly, finding Zhang Tie's continuous muttering somewhat amusing.

After all, he was now both a Tier 1 Awakened One and a Level 1 player.

With double attribute bonuses, plus having consumed two spirit energy plants, if his attributes couldn't surpass Zhang Tie's, his reincarnation would have been in vain.

Not wanting to further crush Zhang Tie's confidence, Lin Yi turned back to discussing the hospital.

"Since you were in the hospital accompanying your father for treatment, where do you think there might be the most zombies when the apocalypse broke out?"

Zhang Tie looked puzzled, not understanding why Lin Yi was asking this.

"Probably the orthopedics and emergency departments."

"There were a lot of traffic accidents right before the apocalypse broke out."

"When I passed by the emergency department, injured people filled the entire hall. Many couldn't be saved in time."

"That cursed place must have at least ten thousand zombies now!"

Ten thousand zombies in one building...

Zhang Tie looked through the window at the distant hospital and shuddered.

"Captain Lin, why do you keep asking about the hospital?"

Lin Yi smiled slightly, pointing his finger at the window towards the building with the Emergency Surgery sign.

"Tomorrow morning, we're going there!"