Chapter 4: Apocalypse! Killing and Leveling Up!

"…"

Just as she was about to strike at the incoming undead, Saeko Busujima suddenly shivered.

She felt an intense cold behind her.

Turning around, she saw a young man with short black hair and crystal-blue eyes staring directly at her.

The key detail: ice crystals were spreading outward from beneath his feet.

"If I eliminate these dozen or so undead, the trade will be complete, right?"

These words came from his mouth.

Saeko Busujima instantly realized that this man was Rei Ao, the group leader with whom she had made the trade.

[Ding! Would you like to start a livestream?]

At the same time, Saeko received a prompt.

Having already seen Rei Ao freeze a monster, Saeko Busujima calmly chose to start the livestream.

[Ding! Saeko Busujima has started a livestream!]

Looking at the undead creatures that had driven Saeko Busujima into this situation, Rei Ao's eyes sparkled with excitement.

[Name]: Undead

[Level]: Level 1

[Ability]: "Undead Virus"

Against such creatures, there was no need to hold back his strength.

"Let's see how strong I really am."

He stomped his foot.

*Crack! Crack! Crack!*

Ice crystals suddenly grew from beneath his feet, expanding outward like thorns.

"!!!"

Saeko Busujima felt a cold wind sweep past her.

In an instant, the dozen or so undead around her were pierced through by nearly one-meter-long ice crystals.

From above, it looked as if a giant, three-dimensional ice flower had bloomed on the ground.

"Is this a superpower…?"

Witnessing such power firsthand, Saeko Busujima couldn't hide her shock.

She even questioned whether this level of strength was truly possible for a human.

Frieren: "If you think of this as ice magic, it seems quite intricate."

Frieren: "Is this power released as easily as he wishes?"

Akame: "It feels similar to the power of Imperial Arms."

Stella: "Hmm, not bad, but it's nothing compared to my flames."

Those watching the livestream had various opinions.

However, Rei Ao paid no attention to them.

He was more curious about the abilities he had just gained.

As soon as all the undead were killed, the simple trade was completed.

[Ding! Trade completed!]

[Ding! You have acquired the ability: "Busujima-style Swordsmanship"!]

Instantly, knowledge of Busujima-style swordsmanship flooded his mind, and his entire body felt perfectly attuned to the techniques.

*Crack!*

Suddenly, a katana formed in his hand, made entirely of blue ice crystals.

Saeko Busujima watched in awe as Rei Ao flawlessly executed familiar Busujima-style sword techniques!

"So this is the trade reward?"

Although the swordsmanship didn't seem to provide much improvement for him, it helped him understand how trade conditions worked.

[Ding! As this is your first completed trade, you've earned an additional ability package!]

"Oh?"

Rei Ao's eyes lit up.

"Let's open it and see."

[Ding! You've acquired the ability: "Blessing"!]

「Blessing」: Grants a blessing, enhancing the recipient in a specific way depending on their nature.

"It seems like this ability is beneficial to others."

Rei Ao chose not to use it on Saeko Busujima.

After all, she wasn't particularly important to him.

He wasn't exactly a saint.

"I'll wait for another chance to test it."

Suddenly, he noticed faint glowing particles on the bodies of the dead.

With a thought, the particles flowed into his body.

"Hm?"

There was no discomfort, but he felt as if he had become slightly stronger.

A curious thought crossed his mind.

"Is this like leveling up by killing monsters?"

"Um… Group leader Rei Ao, thank you for your help."

At that moment, Saeko Busujima approached to express her gratitude.

For the first time, Rei Ao focused on the beautiful woman with long, flowing purple hair standing before him.

Sweat dripped from her delicate face, giving her an air of strength and elegance.

But what stood out the most was her striking figure.

Her school uniform seemed barely able to contain the impressive "bunny" that looked ready to burst free at any moment.

"No wonder it's called *Highschool of the Dead*," he thought to himself.

Saeko Busujima noticed Rei Ao's gaze lingering on her chest for a few seconds, but he quickly looked away.

"The trade is complete."

"However, I still have three hours left in this world."

"During that time, you can follow me, but I won't be protecting you."

He intended to kill more undead and further test his powers.

Saeko Busujima thought for a moment, then nodded.

"…All right."

She decided to follow Rei Ao.

"Please wait a moment."

She turned and entered a room, returning a short while later with a sharp, unsheathed katana.

She had come here specifically to retrieve this weapon.

"Hehe, well, keep up."

…

Rei Ao showed no signs of mercy toward Saeko Busujima.

He completely ignored her presence behind him.

Even when undead creatures charged at her, she dealt with them herself, using her katana to cut them down.

Meanwhile, Rei Ao fully unleashed his powers.

Any undead within a few dozen meters of him were instantly frozen into ice sculptures.

He also tested his strength to its limits.

How to describe it…

At full power, he could freeze an entire building or punch it down into rubble.

The commotion he caused was massive, leaving Saeko Busujima almost dumbfounded as she narrowly avoided getting caught up in it.

He had now reached Level 16.

It was clear to him now that killing these undead allowed him to level up.

So he became even more enthusiastic about it!

He no longer cared about the noise he was causing.

This part of the campus had become like a completely different world from the rest.

Everywhere Rei Ao went was covered in frigid ice.

The environment had been utterly transformed, resembling a world made of towering ice crystals.

"Hmm, looks like I've cleared all the undead in this area. Time to find another spot."