Chapter 12: Equipment Enhancement Scroll
[Congratulations to player "Yazī" for successfully killing a zombie, earning 1 XP and 1 coin][Congratulations, you have advanced to Level 4 and earned 1 free attribute point][Player "Yazī" needs 40 more XP to reach the next level]
A blade glowing with a cyan light spun through the air, slicing forward. Meanwhile, an oblivious zombie barreled toward a living human not far off. The blade's arc cut through the air—and the zombie's blood-matted head tumbled to the ground. At the same time, a cyan item exploded from its body.
That wasn't the most important part. What was remarkable was that after reaching its maximum distance, the spinning blade made an impossible spiral turn and flew back toward Alexander. Another zombie, charging him from behind, never expected to be ambushed by a "returning blade." The spinning Tang Blade effortlessly sliced open the back of its neck.
[Congratulations to player "Yazī" for successfully killing a zombie, earning 1 XP and 1 coin]
Watching the word "DEATH" flash above the zombie's head, Alexander caught his Tang Blade with satisfaction.
"Whirling Slash is truly amazing," he marveled. The only regret was that his Spirit was still too low—resulting in a slightly long cooldown for Whirling Slash.
It was now 12:30 PM. Alexander had risen at 6:00 AM and left the inn by 6:30. He'd been out in the field for six straight hours. Although he had deliberately chosen deserted routes to avoid hordes of zombies, his spoils were exceptionally bountiful. Nearly thirty zombie kills had propelled him to Level 4, and under a 100% drop rate, he had looted almost thirty items. Compared to last night, today's fortune wasn't as overwhelming—but most of these items were essential supplies:• "A Clean Men's Shirt"• "A Serving of Kung Pao Chicken Rice"• "A Precision Timing Watch"… and so on.
Alexander stuffed them all into his inventory. He knew he now had enough provisions for three days. The watch, however, he immediately strapped onto his wrist. In the Apocalypse Game, keeping track of time was crucial—checking the time on his second-hand phone was too cumbersome, and once the city's power grid failed from lack of maintenance, there would be no way to recharge it. Among the other items, he also had another Reconnaissance Eye and a [Hidden Mask].
[Hidden Mask] – Bronze-Grade Item.When worn, it conceals your nickname, level, and basic information for 30 minutes; it can be used twice per day.
"This is pretty excellent," Alexander thought, and promptly placed the Hidden Mask on his face.
He then proceeded to pick up the items dropped by the two zombies he had just slain. One of them was a card reading: [A Serving of Ham Fried Rice with Shredded Pork]. Without hesitation, he stashed the card in his inventory. Next, he inspected a scroll glowing with cyan light.
[Equipment Enhancement Scroll] – Bronze-Grade Item.Use this scroll to enhance a bronze-grade piece of equipment. The enhanced gear will gain improved attributes. The first enhancement is guaranteed to succeed; subsequent enhancement success rates will decrease as the item's level increases.
A smile spread across Alexander's face—finally, something truly useful! Without hesitation, he activated the scroll on his Tang Blade.
[Enhancement successful: Congratulations, player "Yazī," you have obtained "Tang Blade +1"!]
[Tang Blade +1] – Bronze-Grade Weapon.A standard Tang Dynasty military knife from the Dragon Kingdom, approximately 70 centimeters in length. It retains its armor-piercing and durability features, and after enhancement, its attributes are even stronger.Attributes: +2 Strength; can penetrate 15% of the enemy's defense; successive slashes boost damage by an extra 10%; the blade gradually repairs itself after combat.
Now, the Tang Blade in Alexander's hand shone even more brilliantly under the scorching sun, its edge gleaming fiercely. He then allocated the one attribute point he'd just earned to Strength. By the second day of the apocalypse, Alexander's base attributes had reached that of an elite commando:
• Strength: 18 • Spirit: 17 • Constitution: 11 • Agility: 17
Feeling the vigorous power surging within him, Alexander's stomach grumbled unexpectedly.
"That's enough for now—time to rest a bit. If I hit Level 5 this afternoon, tomorrow I won't even need to search for dungeons; I can just challenge the big leagues directly," he mused.
His current direction was set: from the small inn to the Li Estate. Originally, he had planned to seek out a dungeon teleport array—since dungeons were the prime way to gain experience, food, equipment, and items in the Apocalypse Game. After all, there weren't nearly enough zombies around to farm.
Players could simply locate the numerous dungeon arrays scattered throughout the city to transport themselves to a waiting lobby, then choose the dungeon they wished to tackle. There were even special, individual dungeons that, while hidden, offered lavish rewards.
But Alexander now felt that his strength was increasing so rapidly that he didn't need to waste any more time waiting.
After a morning of trekking, he had already covered roughly one-third of the journey and reached a secluded side road. Besides the two zombies he had slain there, there were no living people in sight. The road was lined with low, modest houses—routes Alexander had deliberately chosen to avoid crowded areas. After all, on the second day of the apocalypse, only a handful would dare face zombies alone.
He randomly selected one such house, slashed open its door lock with a single stroke, and stepped inside. The interior was a chaotic mess—various items strewn about. It was evident that someone in the household had turned into a zombie, and the rest had scattered in panic.
Alexander did not let his guard down. The bloodstains on the floor and the peculiar stench told him that zombies still lurked within. Gripping his Tang Blade, he traversed the disordered living room and entered the corridor leading to the bedroom.
"GRRR."
Suddenly, a roar resounded from the room on his right. Two sharp claws burst through the wooden door and lunged at him. Alert as ever—with his Agility at a solid 17—Alexander dodged the two lethal claws in an instant. His Tang Blade swung downward, severing both claws. Meanwhile, the zombie on the other side of the door raged and pounded against it; the wooden door creaked under the relentless assault.
Without pausing to open the door, Alexander thrust his blade straight through it. The blade continued its trajectory, piercing the zombie's chest. Although a zombie's chest isn't its weak spot, the creature continued its frenzied assault. With its upper arms—now partially severed—flailing in midair, the zombie had no chance.
Alexander then kicked the door; the already battered wood came loose from its frame and crashed onto the bedroom floor, pinning the zombie underneath. Stepping forward, Alexander effortlessly decapitated the creature.
"OK, combat resolved," he murmured, relaxing as he returned to the living room. Sitting heavily at the dining table, he pulled out a thick stack of cards.
"Ah, so many items—I can't even decide what to eat," Alexander grumbled wryly. If those outside, still fighting for survival, heard him, they'd probably cough up three buckets of blood. But Alexander quickly devised a plan: draw cards.
He randomly drew four cards and activated them. Instantly, the dining table was transformed with steaming, aromatic, exquisitely prepared dishes. He grabbed a plate of shredded pork and sausage fried rice and began to eat with gusto.