Chapter 19: The Zombie
Liu Weian carefully stored away the Corpse Poison. As potent as it was, it held little value for him. He had no interest in killing people—his target was monsters. The corpses of monsters could be exchanged for money, and he wasn't about to let them rot away.
The days that followed were quiet but fulfilling. Liu Weian spent day and night entrenched in the graveyard, relentlessly slaughtering every Rotting Corpse and Walking Corpse he encountered, all in pursuit of Strength Seeds. He averaged about 450 kills a day, with Rotting Corpses being the majority. As he ventured deeper into the graveyard, their numbers sharply declined, forcing him to scour the area just to find a few. It was exhausting work, but he treated it as training and didn't mind the grind.
As a well-known caravan, Pegasus Transport was efficient, though Old Li kept nitpicking and raised the transport fee by another 30 copper coins. Liu Weian agreed with a smile, silently calculating the days. In half a month, Black Ox and the others would revive. Maybe even sooner—ten days at most, he figured.
Over the past few days, he'd seen several previously "dead" players come back online. Thirty days was just an average. Those with stronger bodies and tougher spirits could come back in fifteen. Black Ox and his crew were physically robust, and they had been eating well under Liu Weian's leadership. Twenty days should be enough for them to get back online, albeit barely.
During this time, Liu Weian had opened many Flesh Pouches, acquiring several pieces of gear equivalent to his Blacklight Boots. According to Sun Lingzhi, gear that glowed black was the lowest grade—called Black Iron. Gear with a faint blue glow was the next tier up—Bronze. As for common gear like iron swords and machetes, they didn't even qualify—they were considered Whiteboard gear, completely ungraded.
Having connections to someone from a major family proved incredibly helpful. These were details Liu Weian wouldn't have learned elsewhere. Even someone like Black Ox might not know. And those who did know wouldn't share such information.
He had only found two Bronze-grade items, but they sold for over fifty gold coins, temporarily easing his financial crisis. A few days ago, he retrieved his documents from Zhou Xingchen—residence permit, ID card, diploma, medical record, birth certificate, and household registry. All forged, of course, but legally effective. Holding these six booklets in hand brought him immense comfort.
Without them, he was a rootless wanderer. With them, he felt grounded, like he finally belonged somewhere. He also left behind 120 gold coins for Zhou Xingchen to rush the paperwork for Zhao Nannan and her daughter. To afford this, he had cut back his daily intake to just 300 Strength Seeds for an entire week.
At dusk, Liu Weian called it a day. Old Li and his crew had already left. Their professionalism was questionable—they always complained the graveyard was too spooky and refused to stay a minute past sundown. Liu Weian often wondered: would they stick around for an extra 100 copper coins?
No one else came to this graveyard. Corpses littered the ground, but Liu Weian didn't bother cleaning up. He could collect them tomorrow—one night wouldn't spoil them. At worst, they'd turn into Rotting Corpses. Just as he pulled out the last Flesh Pouch, his body tensed. Something felt wrong.
There were no insects in the graveyard. It was always silent. But now, amidst the stillness, came a chilling presence—like the breath of autumn sweeping through desolate lands.
A powerful sense of danger surged over him. Without hesitation, Liu Weian dove to the ground. A sharp gust of wind brushed his back, icy as a snake coiling around his neck. A massive figure, even larger than a Walking Corpse, leapt over him and landed five or six meters away. It turned stiffly, puppet-like in its movements, yet lightning-fast. Then it drifted toward him.
Yes—drifted. It jumped so far and landed so silently that it looked like it was floating.
Thud! Thud!
Two arrows struck its body with the sound of steel clashing. The shafts shattered into dust. The creature barely slowed and continued its ghostly approach.
Liu Weian rolled across the ground, loosing an arrow each time he flipped. Eleven rolls, eleven arrows. He finally managed to drive the creature back. Leaping to his feet, he drew his bow tight—an unusually sharp vibration rang from the string.
Chain Arrow!
The arrows screamed through the air, crossing the seven or eight meters in an instant. The first shattered on contact. The second left only a shallow dent before snapping in two. Liu Weian's heart sank. Another Chain Arrow—just as the creature jumped.
The first missed. The second struck its face, causing a slight delay in its movement. It landed only four meters away this time.
Liu Weian bolted. He knew exactly what this thing was—a zombie. A real one: neither rotting nor decayed, its body like iron, swift and silent, bloodthirsty and most active at night.
Unlike Rotting or Walking Corpses, zombies were eerily clean. No mud, no rot. Their skin was dry and tinged with blue-black. Their nails were sharp, their fangs deadly. Arms outstretched, they could leap five or six meters. One had to wonder how such rigid limbs could be so elastic.
Liu Weian suddenly spun and loosed another arrow—straight at the creature's brow. It shattered. The zombie didn't even flinch. Liu Weian kept dodging in tight arcs, rolling on the ground. He looked completely battered, but it was the only way to evade the zombie's terrifying linear leaps.
For an archer to be forced into melee range—what a cruel irony.
His stamina drained rapidly. On one dodge, he was just a split second too slow. The zombie's arm slammed into him, launching him like a cannonball. He crashed more than twenty meters away, tumbling to soften the blow. Even so, it felt like every bone in his body had cracked. He could barely get up.
On the second hit, Liu Weian realized this couldn't go on. Endless evasion would only lead to a slower death. Gritting his teeth, he sprang up and aimed at the zombie's brow.
Chain Arrow!
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Both arrows hit. A finger-sized hole appeared in its forehead. Liu Weian was overjoyed—it was working! As the zombie landed, Liu Weian threw himself flat, legs coiling tightly before kicking hard at the zombie's abdomen. Pain shot through his legs like he'd kicked a steel plate.
Using the recoil, Liu Weian flew backward. The zombie's claws dug ten deep holes into the soil as it slashed, narrowly missing his foot. He jerked it back just in time. Rolling, arrow nocked, he fired again.
A deep vibration hummed from the bowstring as three more Chain Arrows screamed forward. Two struck. The last missed. The zombie screeched and suddenly appeared above him.
It had jumped after Liu Weian but caught up before he landed. That speed…
The pressure was suffocating, like a mountain collapsing on him. Liu Weian's face twisted in fear, but his eyes gleamed sharply. He released his bow—full draw.
A flash of silver. The arrow struck the zombie's brow and exploded. The impact halted it mid-air. In that fraction of a second, Liu Weian rolled aside. A gust of wind brushed his ears. A heavy thud followed as the zombie's arms embedded into the earth, cutting a gash through the dirt like tofu.
Liu Weian didn't expect such a fast reaction. One of its arms slammed into his waist. He screamed as he flew backward, blood gushing from a deep gash.
Seeing the blood, Liu Weian's expression changed. He twisted mid-air, fighting the pain, and fired two more arrows.
Chain Arrow!
The zombie soared toward him like it was rushing to meet death. Four arrows struck its brow in rapid succession. Blood bloomed. A small hole formed atop the skull.
CRACK!
Liu Weian crashed onto a rock the size of a human head. He heard the bone snap. His lower left leg was broken. Pain exploded through his nerves, washing over him like a tidal wave. Still, he gritted his teeth, drew his bow, and took aim.
As the zombie leapt again, he fired.
Shooting a jumping target was easier. Its movements were limited in mid-air.
The first two arrows were regular shots—both pierced the eyes. The zombie howled and surged forward with sudden speed. In that instant, Liu Weian's eyes blazed with cold fire. All his fury condensed into a final, killing intent.
Chain Arrow!
Like lightning splitting the clouds, the arrow plunged into the hole in the zombie's brow. With a screeching grind, the shaft shattered, but the triangular arrowhead burrowed deeper, grinding the zombie's brain to mush. It nearly exited through the back of the skull before stopping.
The zombie's momentum vanished. It dropped to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut. Limbs spasmed. It twitched for a full five minutes before finally falling still.
Liu Weian's nerves relaxed at last. Exhaustion surged over him like a tide. He collapsed.
Though every fiber of his being screamed for rest, Liu Weian didn't dare. He swallowed two Strength Seeds to recover a bit, then hobbled over to the corpse. Up close, he noticed—the zombie was young, likely under thirty. No wonder its grudge lingered and turned it into this monster.
After much effort, he extracted the Strength Seed from its skull. It was the size of a soybean, plump and perfect—almost appetizing. He stored it carefully, retrieved the Flesh Pouch, found a safe spot, and logged off.