Looting Resources

Adam took out a red crystal from his pouch and clenched it tightly in his palm. The small object felt cold against his skin, like ice touching a warm surface. But soon, the sensation changed—a wave of warmth spread from his hand, seeping into his body, permeating every muscle and tissue. 

"It's starting..." he muttered, feeling something familiar. 

The energy surged through him, strengthening every part of his being. It was almost as if a new, more powerful bloodstream was replacing the old one. A minute passed, and the crystal in his hand disappeared, completely absorbed into his body. 

Adam opened his pouch again and took out a transparent blue crystal. He knew its effect—it would enhance his speed. Meanwhile, the remaining yellow crystals would boost his defense. Without hesitation, he began absorbing them one by one. 

Thirty minutes passed. 

At the same spot, his pouch was now empty. All the crystals had been absorbed. 

"Hufttt..." Adam let out a deep breath, his body feeling lighter—stronger. He stood up, then jumped, relying solely on the strength of his legs. 

Swoosh! 

His body soared slightly higher than before. The movement felt... effortless. Almost weightless. 

"Amazing," he said, enjoying the sensation for a moment before landing back on the cracked asphalt. 

He opened the status panel before him. 

[STATUS PANEL] 

Name: Adam 

Attack: 17 

Defense: 13 

Speed: 11 

Evolution: Microbe King 

Skills: (Necrolysis), (Cell Regeneration) 

"More than 10 now..." he murmured in satisfaction before closing the panel, a single thought running through his mind. 

His gaze shifted into the distance, scanning the empty streets littered with zombie corpses. 

"That's enough for today. I need to complete the system's mission," he thought. Besides that, he also had to obtain the Viper Weapon available in his Job System's market. 

But before that... 

Adam's eyes turned to a row of shops along the street. Earlier, he had noticed that many buildings had not been completely looted. There had to be something useful inside. 

"First: food. After that, survival gear," he thought, moving toward a store across the street. A hardware store. 

He pushed open the half-broken door and stepped inside. The shelves were still stocked with various tools—saws, drills, hammers, and many others. But his eyes immediately locked onto one particular item: an aluminum cart with two large wheels. 

"This will do." 

Adam grabbed the cart with one hand—and was surprised. 

"So light?" he thought in disbelief. Before, lifting a cart like this would have required extra effort. But now, it felt as if he was only pulling an empty cardboard box. 

Adam narrowed his eyes. 

"If it's this light... why not take two?" 

Without hesitation, he pulled another cart. But this time, a new problem arose. 

"How do I tie them together?" His mind started searching for a solution. He glanced around and realized something: this was a hardware store. Everything he needed was right here. 

He quickly gathered nails, rubber straps, metal hooks, and several lightweight steel plates. Then, without overthinking, he got to work. 

With a hammer in his hand, he drove nails in, connecting the two carts with metal plates. His hands moved swiftly, utilizing his newfound strength to complete a task that should have been difficult. 

Ten minutes passed. 

Adam stood back, admiring his work. Three carts were now firmly attached—sturdy, stable, and ready to use. 

He wiped the sweat from his forehead and let out a deep breath. 

"Fyuuhh... done." 

A small smile appeared on his face, a sense of satisfaction from crafting something with his own hands. He then tossed a hammer and some basic tools into the cart—just in case they might come in handy later. Especially a few tool kits, which could be useful in various situations. 

Feeling satisfied with his haul, Adam stepped out of the store. 

Today was the first time he had truly looted—taking things without paying, purely to survive. 

He chuckled. "Hehehe... time to start the adventure." 

His voice sounded like that of a main character in a survival game—except this wasn't a game. 

The streets were full of obstacles—abandoned cars, debris, and the occasional rotting zombie corpse. However, with his newfound strength, none of that was a problem. 

A slight push from his arm was enough to move a car blocking the road. Even when pulling three carts at once, the large wheels rolled smoothly, as if carrying no weight at all. 

Not far from the hardware store, his eyes caught sight of a fabric and clothing shop across the street. 

"I need blankets and other supplies," he muttered. 

Without wasting time, Adam stepped inside. 

The store was silent, only the faint creak of the half-broken door echoing as he entered. The shelves were still full of clothes, though some were in disarray, likely from previous looters. 

He grabbed a few shirts, blankets, and some plain fabric. Not just for himself—he also had two women in mind, his soon-to-be employees. 

"The Job System said I need to provide for my employees. Well... this is a good start." 

Adam didn't take too much. After ensuring he had enough, he left the store and returned to his carts. 

"Next... food." 

His stomach started to signal hunger. The feeling crept in, reminding him that strength alone wasn't enough to survive. 

Adam continued his journey, pulling the three now partially filled carts. 

Every now and then, he stopped to pick up important items he found along the way—a kettle, plates, a watch, a raincoat, and various small tools that might prove useful. 

At this point, every item had value. 

And Adam knew—he had to take as much as possible before everything was gone.