Chapter 27: The Zombie Cat That Lost Its Mind

Chapter 27: The Zombie Cat That Lost Its Mind

The task "Revenge of the Betrayed Cat" now read:  Task Requirement: Kill the Zombie Cat  Task Reward: 100 Reputation, 500 Coins, 300 XP, one Bronze‑Grade item (reward optimized)  Time Limit: 24 hours (extended)  Task Penalty: None (no punishment for abandonment or failure)

"Ding, task modified."

Yazī couldn't help but mutter, "What the— even when I'm about to face a big battle, I still find myself checking the task panel." He scanned the panel with disbelief. "Is this still the apocalypse game I knew? Is this the same stingy task system that used to rip me off?" Before his rebirth, everyone knew the task system was a trap—high difficulty, severe penalties, and if you refused, you'd be punished. For ordinary people with a 1% drop rate, the rewards might look okay at first glance—but then you see who's on the other side. A Level‑9 Bronze BOSS!

In the early days of the apocalypse, not even dozens of people could complete such a task together. And if they did, they'd split the rewards so thinly that nothing substantial would remain.

But now, under the miraculous modifications of the Cheat System, this once‑pitiful task had transformed into a veritable treasure—reward-rich and free of any penalty.

"Accept task," Yazī declared decisively.

He'd already set his sights on the silver chest, and now this task was the icing on the cake. With no penalty for refusal, accepting the task was pure gain.

  "Ding, player 'Yazī' has successfully accepted task 'Revenge of the Betrayed Cat.' Please complete it within 24 hours."

Without further delay, Yazī shifted his focus back to the zombie cat. Ever since it had emerged, the creature had stood motionless, its blood‑red eyes glinting with a hint of mockery—its mind apparently viewing Yazī as nothing more than a plaything. To further provoke it, the zombie cat even licked one of its claws before settling down and squinting its eyes in a challenge. Its every gesture was a taunt.

Yazī, however, was not swayed by such provocations. Once he entered combat mode, he remained utterly calm. Anger or fear would only leave him vulnerable. So, he stood perfectly still—almost pretending not to see the zombie cat at all.

In a bizarre stalemate between man and cat, Yazī even pulled out his second‑hand phone and began idly reading a novel, as if nothing were happening. The zombie cat, its ears still alert despite its closed eyes, listened for any sound. When it heard nothing for a long while, it slowly opened one eye and peered at Yazī. Then it saw him—completely absorbed in his phone, a smile playing on his lips.

"Really?" the zombie cat thought, incensed. "I go out to rile you up, and you're happily playing on your phone? You clearly don't take me seriously!" Rage welled up within the creature. It hadn't realized that in provoking Yazī, it had instead become the target of his cold, calculating fury.

Without warning, the zombie cat began advancing silently toward Yazī. Its steps, as quiet as ever, brought it closer and closer until it was a mere ten meters away. Enraged, the zombie cat activated its skill "Phantom Pounce."

In one fluid motion, the zombie cat took two strides forward; all four legs accelerated, and in what seemed like a blurred afterimage, it lunged toward Yazī. "Die, human!" it seemed to hiss as its claws shot out toward his neck.

At that moment, Yazī—who had been absorbed in his phone—instantly reacted. With lightning speed, he swapped the phone for his Tang Blade and thrust it forward. In that split second, had the zombie cat continued its pounce, it would have slammed right into the tip of the blade!

The zombie cat's eyes flickered with a trace of regret as it realized it had been outsmarted. Yet there was no time to dwell on that. The cat's agility allowed it a brief adjustment; it turned its clawed paw to try to block the impending thrust.

But Yazī was equally nimble. As the zombie cat shifted its stance, Yazī pre‑empted its move—his mastery of reading opponents and predicting moves came into play. In less than two seconds, the Tang Blade and the zombie cat's pouncing claw met in mid‑air.

With a painful howl, the zombie cat leapt away at breakneck speed, frantically retreating back to the position it had occupied before its pounce. It glared at Yazī with pure resentment. At that very moment, blood was steadily oozing from its right forepaw—if one looked closely, its three original claws had been completely filed down! Those claws were the very essence of the zombie cat's combat power, and yet in the first clash with Yazī, it had lost an entire set of claws from its right forelimb!

Enraged, the zombie cat stared at Yazī, as this was the very first injury it had sustained since turning—and it considered that utterly unforgivable! With a wry smile, Yazī casually pointed at the three detached claws lying on the floor, as if to say, "Is that all you've got? Your claws are gone—come at me if you dare!" The insult was more than the zombie cat could bear. It bared its fangs in a snarl and charged once again.

Yazī simply shook his head; his seasoned gaze instantly read that the zombie cat had completely lost its wits. Its sprint now showed numerous flaws. Placing his Tang Blade horizontally across his chest in a defensive stance, Yazī braced himself—determined to teach the cat a far more painful lesson this time!