Chapter 010: Coordinated Combat. (2)

Memphis glanced at the zombie whose head had been blown off, now lying dead on the ground, but his experience points remained at 125/150. He felt a slight disappointment. Although he had anticipated that using firearms might not yield resources, the reality was still a bit of a blow.

"The plan of leisurely leveling up with a machine gun is ruined..."

He couldn't help but smile wryly as he looked at the gathering zombies and angrily shouted:

"Then you all have to pay the price."

A bloody massacre ensued. In three minutes, Memphis killed 19 zombies, gaining 28 experience points and a piece of equipment.

"Ding! Speed Boots Lv2. Attributes: +3 Agility. Limited item, cannot stack with similar items."

Memphis's mouth twitched. Another pair of Speed Boots? This was too unlucky. He couldn't bear the disappointment and immediately sat down to put the boots on over his current shoes.

The futile effort brought no increase in agility, only some pain from the tight fit.

He had to remove the boots and throw them into his backpack.

"Allocate 3 points to Intelligence, 1 point to Stamina. Display attributes."

"Host: Memphis. Purebred Human.

Occupation: Commoner.

Level: 6 (Exp 2/300)

Strength: 17 (10)

Agility: 16 (10)

Stamina: 6/18

Intelligence: 10/18

Recovery: 11 (10)

Endurance: 11 (10)

Burst: 155%

Active Skill: Ice Manipulation (+2)

Passive Skills: Scout Vision. Enhanced Strength. Enhanced Agility. Enhanced Endurance. Enhanced Recovery.

Skill Points: 1

Potential Points: 0

Bright Coins: 193

Equipment: Machete Lv2, Speed Boots Lv2, Healing Bracelet Lv2, Apocalyptic Coat Lv3, Strength Ring Lv2, Night Vision Goggles Lv2."

"I'm ready for the challenge."

Mumbling to himself, Memphis turned and ran back towards the two vehicles.

He knocked on the window of the Ford Raptor and spoke to Amanda in a deep voice:

"Heal me."

Amanda had recovered 7 intelligence points and added 1 point to healing. As she used her ability, a green aura enveloped Memphis, instantly increasing his stamina by 6 points, bringing it to 12.

Seeing Memphis recover, Amanda said softly:

"My healing cooldown is now 4 minutes. Should we wait for another round?"

Memphis shook his head:

"No need, this is enough. If you use it again, you might faint."

Amanda blushed and lowered her head in embarrassment.

Memphis paid no mind to her feelings. After giving a few more instructions to the two, he ran to the Jeep nearby.

Even before he got close, he heard the faint sobs of a child:

"Mom, I'm hungry..."

And Kiley's helpless, distressed voice:

"Wait a bit, mommy will go out again to get food, okay? Winter, be good and wait a little longer..."

Knock, knock.

As the three of them talked, there was a gentle knock on the car window, causing the conversation inside to cease immediately.

Kiley and her two children shivered slightly. They were very traumatized by this sound, which had echoed for over an hour before Memphis arrived.

Kiley quickly grabbed the baseball bat and turned to look out. Recognizing Memphis, she sighed in relief and opened the car door, saying:

"I'm coming. Ah..."

In front of her was Memphis's hand, holding two packets of crackers. He had found them in the company office, not knowing to whom they had belonged.

Emotions welled up inside Kiley, her eyes moistening as she accepted the packets, her voice trembling with gratitude:

"Th...Thank you..."

She didn't know what else to say, only feeling that following Memphis had been the right decision so far.

She quickly gave the crackers to Justine and Winter, urgently instructing:

"Eat quickly, then sleep a bit. Don't open the door or run around, okay?"

After ensuring her children were settled, Kiley got out of the car, her voice tinged with apprehension:

"Is... Is it time to fight?"

Memphis, munching on a cracker, casually tossed the half-eaten bag to her and said:

"Eat something to gain strength... Yes, there will be a fight. Just stay behind me and focus. When I give the order, cast your lightning bolt immediately."

Kiley took the cracker, eating as she sighed. The crackers her family wouldn't usually buy now tasted incredibly delicious.

Hearing Memphis's instructions, she felt a bit relieved and nodded in agreement. She had seen his strength and knew that fighting alongside him was much safer than with Lionel and Amanda. Her biggest fear was something happening to her, leaving her children vulnerable.

Thinking of her husband who had died protecting them, Kiley felt a deep sorrow but forced herself to stay strong for her children.

Memphis didn't have time to worry about Kiley's feelings. He walked to the house and called out loudly:

"Jarred, are you ready?"

Three seconds later, Jarred's determined face appeared at the window:

"Memphis, I'm ready."

Memphis nodded:

"You go in first to draw its attention, and my companion and I will find an opportunity to finish it off."

Jarred agreed without hesitation:

"Got it!"

Both Memphis and Jarred preferred swift and decisive actions. After briefly discussing the strategy, Memphis led Kiley into the building.

"Hiss..."

As soon as they stepped inside, a rotten-faced zombie lunged at them. Memphis didn't flinch, swiftly slicing it down, then ordered:

"I'll clear the way, you follow and lock all the room doors."

His hostel had six floors, ten rooms on each floor, each room holding at least two people, sometimes four or five. If they all swarmed out, it would take too long to deal with them.

Memphis moved forward, slashing down zombies with precise strikes. Kiley followed quickly, locking all the room doors. Some rooms had two or three zombies still feasting on flesh, unable to react before being locked in.

Soon, they reached the second floor, and Memphis said in a deep voice:

"Fall back."

Kiley, her nerves already on edge, retreated to the stairs immediately upon hearing his command.

The second floor had even more zombies than the first.

A two-meter-tall zombie with a massive arm and several smaller ones approached them.

"Infectious Body Level 9, possessing great strength, capable of turning living beings into its kind."

"Infectious Body Level 4, capable of turning living beings into its kind."

"Infectious Body Level..."

Seven zombies, large and small, crowded the narrow hallway. Memphis wondered how they had leveled up so quickly.

"There must have been a lot of people eaten..."

He creator to himself as a two-meter-long ice spear formed in his hand, its tip gleaming sharply. With a swift motion, he launched it forward.

Thud!

The spear pierced through the eye socket of the large-armed zombie, skewering its rotting head. It died instantly, unable to make a move.

Compared to his initial struggles, Memphis, now at level 6, was significantly stronger.

Kiley, following behind, was stunned. It was a terrifying zombie-like that, but it was as weak as tofu against Memphis.

"You take the rear, pick up any items, then close the doors and follow me." Memphis instructed casually, stepping forward and slicing a level 2 zombie. He kicked a level 4 zombie to the ground and retrieved the ice spear, stabbing repeatedly to kill the remaining zombies.

Memphis continued his rampage, killing four more zombies and clearing the second floor before dispersing the ice spear.

"10 stamina, 8 intelligence left."

Taking a deep breath and waiting for Kiley to catch up, he spoke in a low voice:

"You stay on the second floor. When I call, run up immediately. It shouldn't take more than 2 seconds from the second to the third floor, or we'll all die. Understand?"

Kiley shivered and quickly nodded:

"Okay, be careful."

Memphis raised the machete to shield his chest and cautiously stepped onto the third-floor stairs.

Hiss...

A level 5 zombie, hearing the noise, turned its rotting face towards him. Memphis's swift slash beheaded it, leaving behind a yellow crystal.

Memphis's eyes widened, seeing this for the first time. But there was no time to examine it, as he yelled:

"Jarred, now!"

Jarred, waiting on the fourth floor, responded loudly. His body visibly enlarged, transforming into a giant over two meters tall with dark, metallic skin. He roared and jumped down to the third floor.

Screeches echoed like a child's wailing. Memphis counted to two and leaped up, witnessing a horrific scene.

Jarred, now a mountain-like giant with shredded clothes, wielded a bat and sword, swinging wildly. Jumping around him was a small, black figure with 10cm-long claws slashing furiously.

It moved incredibly fast, leaping two meters with each touch, constantly shifting positions, attacking the giant's body.

Despite being hit repeatedly, Jarred's thick skin prevented deep wounds, but he couldn't match the speed of the zombie.

"Speed Mutant Level 13 - F1, possessing high speed and sharp claws, capable of turning living beings into its kind." (F1 stands for Fast 1)

"Damn it, these zombies are evolving too quickly. How is anyone supposed to survive?"

Memphis cursed. Even with skills, equipment, and potential points, he had only 16 agility. The small monster had at least 30 agility!

The thought flashed through his mind as he formed an ice fan in his left hand, consuming 1 stamina and 2 intelligence points. He shouted:

"Kid, drive it this way."

Jarred, struggling against the relentless assault, mustered his strength, smashing the surroundings with his massive fists.

The creature, confined in its movements, leaped back towards Memphis.

Memphis gritted his teeth and swung the ice fan, releasing three blasts of cold air, spending 3 intelligence points. The freezing waves spread out rapidly.

Screeching, the F1 mutant twisted its body, dodging two blasts but getting hit by the third, shattering its left arm.

It howled and jumped back towards Jarred.

"Kiley!"

Memphis, now dizzy from the exertion, called out.

Jarred swung his sword, slicing into the wall, missing the agile F1 again.

Despite losing an arm and being off balance, the F1 was too quick for Jarred to hit, forcing it back towards Memphis.

But it stepped into a freezing patch on the ground, immobilizing one leg.

Kiley didn't disappoint. She quickly assessed the situation and, without waiting for orders, raised her left hand, fingers crackling with electricity.

Two lightning orbs, larger than empty soccer balls, appeared and fell towards the F1's head.

Sensing danger, it tried to dodge, but the orbs were too fast, striking it squarely. Its body convulsed, riddled with sparks, and large holes burned through its back and abdomen. Yet, it still lived.

However, its speed greatly diminished.

Memphis didn't hesitate, releasing another blast of cold air, consuming 1 intelligence point, freezing the mutant's leg solid.

Jarred, grinning ferociously, stepped forward and swung his black bat.

Thwack!

The F1 couldn't dodge in time and smashed its head into pieces.

Only then did Memphis breathe a sigh of relief, dispersing the ice fan and massaging his temples. He had only 2 intelligence points left.

"Disgusting creature."

He kicked the battered corpse, glancing at the two skill books, an equipment card, and a blood-red crystal it dropped. Sighing, he told Jarred:

"Let's go. We'll split these later."

Jarred, reverting from his giant form, scratched his head:

"Brother Memphis, you're awesome. Is she my sister-in-law?"

Memphis raised an eyebrow, scolding:

"Your thoughts are never as decent as your appearance. You wolf in sheep's clothing. This is Kiley, a friend."

Kiley's face showed a bit of unease as she assessed Jarred, feeling that this guy didn't seem as good as his appearance suggested.

Jarred, completely unbothered, grinned and said:

"Memphis, you don't have anyone, but I do. They're waiting in the room. How about you wait a bit? I still need to pack a few things and bring along your sister-in-law."

Memphis paused for a second, clenching his teeth. This bastard had brought girls home while he was out working. But he didn't bother arguing, nodding and saying,

"Hurry up. Also, get the black schoolbag from my bedroom."

Jarred immediately stood up straight, saluting military-style,

"Yes, sir!"

He quickly turned and ran upstairs.

Memphis watched his cousin's retreating figure, feeling a bit envious. A third-tier skill was indeed powerful, allowing a level 4 human to withstand a level 13 zombie. But it was just a matter of holding out until death; the zombie's stamina was endless, and if the fight lasted a bit, Jarred would be worn out.

From the recent battle, he understood even more the importance of speed and resilience. High speed could give him an edge over his opponent, and high defense could negate his opponent's advantage.

If Memphis had to face F1 alone, he still had a way to win. He could use the burst stat to increase his strength by 150% for 15 seconds, enough time to kill his opponent.

But unless it was the last resort, Memphis wouldn't use it. This was his trump card, not to be used lightly.

He picked up the spoils of battle and threw them to Kiley, saying,

"We'll divide these later."

Kiley carefully collected the items, quickly saying,

"I'll take whatever, just one item."

Memphis nodded slightly. Kiley was a good person, her nature ensured she wouldn't offend anyone.

Two minutes later, Jarred appeared with two women, making Memphis pinch his forehead.

This guy was even better than he thought.

Jarred extended his hand towards Memphis, introducing seriously,

"This is my cousin, Memphis Jackman, and this is Kiley. Memphis, these are Angela Mole and Belinda Palmer, the two girls pursuing me."

The two young women, full of youth, shyly and curiously greeted Memphis,

"Hello, Mr. Jackman."

Memphis had no words left, only able to sigh,

"Alright, this place is dangerous, let's go."

*Continue at M-E-G-A-N-O-V-E-L with the same name.