Chapter 15: One Against a Hundred

The Modu Sports Center—one of the city's landmark buildings—now loomed ahead. In the Apocalypse Game, such landmarks often host special events: hidden dungeons, merchant robots, wild treasure chests, and more. According to Alexander's information, the sports center housed a silver-tier wild treasure chest.

"Wild" meant it was scattered around for anyone to open, unlike boss chests which drop only after defeating a boss. Though boss chests contain higher-quality loot, they're much harder to obtain. Even a silver chest, however, guarantees at least one silver-tier piece of equipment or item—something that, at Alexander's current power, would boost his strength significantly.

With that in mind, Alexander decided to enter through a side door rather than the main entrance—where dozens of zombies were posted. At that moment, the ever-dutiful [Apocalypse Game Cheat System] suddenly chimed:

  "Ding, detecting that the host is about to enter the 'Modu Sports Center'."  "Ding, the sports center environment meets mission requirements."  "Ding, issuing task: 'One Against a Hundred'."

  [One Against a Hundred]: As an exceptional host, you must now demonstrate your might—kill 100 zombies (of any level) inside the Modu Sports Center.  Task Progress: 0/100  Reward: Draw one random normal cheat and one bronze-tier equipment.  Time Limit: 24 hours

"Ding, does the host accept the task?"

Alexander frowned. One hundred zombies! With most zombies on Day Two having leveled up to 2, they were considerably stronger than Level 1 creatures—and in the spacious sports center, any commotion could attract even more.

Originally, Alexander planned to avoid large zombie hordes and simply open treasure chests stealthily. But this sudden task… Fortunately, with a full day to complete it, he had enough time. Still, playing it safe, he asked, "What happens if I don't accept the task or if I fail it?"

"Ding, please rest assured: the Cheat System exists to enhance your gaming experience. Neither declining the task nor failing it will incur any penalty—in fact, you'll receive a consolation package of 100 coins."

Alexander was stunned. Even refusing a task would yield a consolation reward! With so many task-triggering locations at his disposal, he could easily earn coins regardless of his decision. Smirking, he decisively accepted the task. Completing it would net him a normal cheat plus a bronze-tier equipment—an enticing prospect.

"Ding, task 'One Against a Hundred' accepted. Best of luck, host."

After accepting, Alexander took a moment to study the interior layout of the sports center via its map. In his mind, he formulated a plan:

 – "I recall that the silver chest is in the third-floor warehouse…"  – "But time is short today; I'll first clear out some zombies on the ground floor."  – "Enter through the side door, then follow the safe corridor on the first floor."  – "I'll fight my way up to the second-floor infirmary—by around 8:00 when night falls."  – "There's a bed in the infirmary; I can sleep there tonight and resume my ascent tomorrow."  – "By midday on Day Two, I should reach the third-floor warehouse, open the chest, and then slip away by jumping along the building's edge."

With his route and tactics mapped out, Alexander wasted no time. His sharp Tang Blade materialized in his hand as he carefully pried open the side door's lock at the rear of the sports center. As he pushed the door open, a zombie—its face streaked with blood—stood motionless behind it.

As Alexander prepared to assess the situation, he couldn't help but mutter, "Damn, what luck—an opening kill! What are you doing here, zombie?" For a brief moment, man and zombie locked eyes. The zombie began to open its mouth as if to roar, but before it could utter a sound, Alexander acted decisively: he thrust the tip of his Tang Blade straight into the zombie's open mouth. The razor-sharp point pierced through, emerging from the back of its neck—silencing it before it could scream.

Immediately, Alexander drew the hammer with his other hand and delivered a powerful blow to the zombie's face, splattering blood everywhere. With the creature's ability to roar now extinguished, Alexander withdrew his blade and, with one swift slash, finished off the zombie lurking by the back door.

"DEATH" flashed above its head."Whew, that was close. Had it roared, I'd have had to retreat strategically since I wasn't fully prepared," Alexander sighed."But hey, that zombie was worth it—I gave it a special diagnostic with my Tang Blade; in a hospital, that'd cost a fortune."He chuckled to himself.

Then, as if fate were smiling on him, a cyan-glowing item appeared beneath the corpse. Alexander kicked the zombie aside and picked up the item—it was the [Super Flashbang], a one-use bronze-tier item that releases an intense white flash to blind anyone who sees it. The duration of blindness depends on exposure time and sensitivity.

"Sweet—this is a great tool! For tomorrow's invasion of the Li Estate, it's the ultimate crowd-control device," he mused, happily stowing it in his storage.

The rear door area now functioned as a small storeroom. To fully enter, Alexander needed to open the inner door of this storeroom. Feeling around the waist of a zombie, he soon discovered a key.