Chapter 06: Ding... Ding...
[Zombies don't die easily; either you have to thrust a dagger in their forehead or sever their heads.]
"But why... how could they still move after such bad injuries?" Liora muttered because she was sure every punch was enough to break a skull.
The system voice sounded again in her brain.
They have regenerating ability. They will recover in a short period of time.
"Damn! They are more resilient than cockroaches."
She cracked her knuckles and muttered under her breath, "Looks like another round of punching is going to start." Even as the zombies approached her, she couldn't help but add, "I hope you're keeping count of how many I've taken down."
"Ahem! Sure," the injured woman muttered with a roll of her eyes. She thought an expert had come to save her, but why did it look more like an overpowered child had come to save them?
Liora punched the nearest zombie and thought about the system's words to kill zombies.
She had to cut its head off, but she didn't have a sword or any sharp object, and her pitiful glass shard wouldn't do much.
Suddenly, an idea struck her mind, and she landed a heavy blow on the zombie's head.
Splash! The zombie's head splattered into a pile of mush, and its body landed on the ground with a thud. At the same time, the system notification sounded.
Ding...
[You have successfully eliminated a Level 1 Rotters Zombie.]
[Rewards Unlocked: +5 Intelligence, +10 Experience Points (EXP) +5 Strength.]
"Huh!" Her eyes widened as the familiar notification of the reward sounded.
"Are you telling me, with every zombie I kill, I get rewards with stat points?" Liora asked the system with a shaking voice.
[Not only stats, but if you're lucky, you'll get important stuff like food and clothing too, and some rare stuff.] The system's smug voice rang.
Liora's eyes widened in disbelief and excitement as the thought of rare rewards and food consumed her mind.
She felt thrilled about gaining stat points. A wicked grin spread across her face. Her heart raced with exhilaration.
"So you're telling me that all I have to do is smash their heads and I get stronger? This is too good to be true," Liora muttered to herself. She clenched her fists tightly.
The zombies continued advancing toward her. Their twisted bodies dragged closer with hunger and anger burning in their soulless eyes. Liora was not intimidated anymore. Instead, she felt a surge of determination.
"Alright, let's do this," she shouted. Her fiery red hair whipped around her as she charged into the horde.
The first zombie lunged at her. She met it with a punch so powerful that it crushed its head instantly.
Splash…
The zombie's skull shattered like a watermelon. Its body collapsed lifelessly to the ground.
Ding.
[You have successfully eliminated a Level 1 Rotters Zombie.]
[Rewards Unlocked: +5 Stamina +10 Experience Points (EXP) +3 Strength.]
[+1 successfully eliminated a Level 1 Rotters Zombie.]
[Rewards Unlocked: +5 Strength +10 Agility Points +3 health points.]
Liora barely took a moment to glance at the notification. She quickly moved to the next target.
Another zombie lunged at her. She delivered a spinning kick that sent its head flying clean off its shoulders.
Ding.
[You have successfully eliminated a Level 2 Rotters Zombie.]
[Rewards Unlocked: +10 Agility +15 Experience Points (EXP) +1 Health Potion.]
Her eyes sparkled as she saw the health potion icon flash on her panel. "This is amazing," she exclaimed. She punched the next zombie with renewed vigor.
Splash. Thud. Ding.
Each strike brought a new reward. The familiar sound of the system's notifications became music to her ears.
[+5 Strength.]
[+7 Agility.]
[+3 Intelligence.]
[+15 Experience Points (EXP).]
[+1 Dagger (Common Tier).]
Liora gasped as the dagger materialized in her inventory. Without hesitation, she summoned it and gripped it tightly in her hand. "Now we're talking," she said. She slashed at a zombie's neck with swift moves.
The zombie's head rolled to the ground. Another notification chimed.
Ding.
[You have successfully eliminated a Level 3 Rotters Zombie.]
[Rewards Unlocked: +20 Experience Points (EXP) +15 Endurance Points +5 Strength
+1 Bag of Rice.]
The rewards kept piling up. The pile of corpses around her grew steadily. Liora moved like a whirlwind. She smashed heads and severed necks with several punches and strikes from her dagger.
The injured woman and man watched in stunned silence. The fiery-haired girl destroyed the horde single-handedly with boundless energy.
"Is she even human?" the woman whispered. Her voice trembled.
"I don't know," the man replied. His grip on his hockey stick slackened. "But I'm not complaining. She's saving our lives."
Liora did not stop. Each zombie she killed brought her closer to leveling up. The system's endless rewards fueled her adrenaline. She laughed aloud. She punched another zombie so hard its body flew backward into the horde and created a domino effect.
"This is too much fun," Liora shouted. She twirled the dagger in her hand before stabbing it into another zombie's skull.
Ding. Ding.
[+5 Agility.]
[+2 Intelligence.]
[+15 Experience Points (EXP).]
[+5 Strength.]
[+10 Stamina.]
[+1 Rare Item: Reinforced Boots.]
Her excitement reached new heights as the words "Rare Item" appeared. "Boots. I got boots," she exclaimed. She hopped in place to test her newfound strength.
The zombies' numbers began to dwindle. Liora noticed the remaining ones hesitating as if they sensed the danger she posed.
"Oh no. You don't," she yelled. She charged forward and finished off the last few with dagger strikes.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
The system notifications came one after another. She was rewarded with more stats, items, and experience points. When the final zombie fell, silence filled the clearing. Only Liora's heavy breathing broke the stillness.
She stood amidst the pile of dead zombies. Her fists clenched, and her grin widened. "That was incredible," she said. She panted and wiped dirt off her cheek.
The man and woman cautiously approached her. Their faces were still pale with shock. The woman finally managed to speak. "What are you?"