A Different Weakness
With a sharp hiss of movement, the Crawler lunged forward at a blistering pace, closing the distance to Lucas Kane in an instant. Its powerful limbs tore a deep gash into the chest of a zombie that happened to be in its path, sending rotting flesh flying.
So fast!
Lucas barely had time to raise his riot shield before the mutant was on him.
Thud!
The impact reverberated through his arms and chest, forcing him back two steps. The Crawler itself staggered slightly from the recoil, but the creature knew no pain—landing nimbly before immediately swiping with its claws in a flurry of three or four strikes.
The talons cut the air just inches from his face, the wind pressure making his skin sting.
A fierce opponent indeed, Lucas thought. No wonder an entire survivor squad was wiped out by just one of these things.
He retreated a few more paces, letting the mutant press the attack.
Frustration seemed to boil within the Crawler as every slash and lunge was either deflected or evaded with ease. With a snarl, it suddenly clamped both clawed hands onto Lucas's shield and wrenched itself upward, its twisted neck craning over the top.
A grotesque, distorted face loomed inches from his own.
Clatter… shriek!
The Crawler unleashed a piercing scream. The high-frequency sound stabbed into his eardrums, and a momentary dizziness washed over him. His grip faltered for just an instant—long enough for the mutant to rip the shield away.
Sensing an opening, it struck again, claws arcing toward his throat. Each talon was over ten centimeters long; even the lightest graze could slice his windpipe.
But Lucas's left hand shot up, catching the creature's wrist in a crushing grip. The Crawler's claws halted a mere few centimeters from his neck, straining uselessly against his strength.
Is this all you've got? he thought with a cold smirk. No wonder the system said I could easily beat you in open ground.
In a flash of insight, he understood the creature's advantage: its sonic shriek would be devastating in confined spaces, where echoes would amplify the disorienting effect. In such an environment, even the strongest survivor would be helpless.
Unfortunately for you, Lucas mused, you don't have human-level intelligence.
The Crawler, of course, understood nothing. All it knew was that its wrist felt like it had been set in stone. Frustrated, it shrieked again—
—but this time Lucas didn't let it finish.
With a single, clean motion, his Tang blade flashed and severed the mutant's head.
"You're too loud."
Whip!
The head tumbled away, but to his surprise, the Crawler didn't die. Its powerful legs coiled and kicked toward his chest in a lethal thrust—an attack that could disembowel a zombie with ease.
Still alive?
A system prompt appeared before his eyes:
[Crawler's central nervous system is not located in its brain, but in its spine. Destroy the spine to kill it completely.]
Got it.
He sidestepped the kick, his blade slashing again.
Shhk!
To his annoyance, the mutant's flesh was incredibly tough. His Tang blade bit halfway through the torso before lodging in bone.
Chhhhk— The headless creature let out a strange, rasping noise from deep within its body, thrashing violently in midair.
Tough bastard.
Lucas kicked it hard, toppling it onto the pavement, and yanked his blade free.
Sightless, the Crawler spun erratically across the ground, its talons gouging deep, meter-long scars into the side of a nearby car.
Lucas waited for the right moment. With both hands gripping the blade, he brought it down in a decisive strike, finishing the cut from before.
The steel edge cleaved through.
Gurrhhkk— The Crawler let out one last gurgle before collapsing.
The spine split in two, and the monster finally lay still.
So that's it… its weakness is different from the others.
Wiping the reddish-brown ichor from his blade, Lucas turned to check on Lupo. The wolf pup had already finished its own battle—ten or so zombies from the restaurant lay in twisted heaps. Most had been tangled together at the doorway, unable to move freely, making the fight quick work for the young beast.
And unlike humans, Lupo had no fear of the zombie virus. For him, feasting on the undead was simply fuel for growth.
Battle over. Time to harvest.
Lucas started with the Crawler.
[Harvest successful. Rewards acquired:]
– Energy Core ×50 (+10 bonus from Energy Evolution Talent)
– Accelerator Fertilizer ×5
– Evolver Blood ×1
– Toughened Hide ×3
– Sharp Claw ×2
New materials.
Focusing on each item, more system prompts appeared:
[Evolver Blood: Rare alchemical reagent. Highly recommended to collect in bulk.]
[Toughened Hide: Key material for crafting Energy Armor. Highly recommended to collect in bulk.]
[Sharp Claw: Key material for crafting Energy Weapons. Highly recommended to collect in bulk.]
Energy armor… energy weapons… He didn't have the blueprints yet, but it was clear these would be far stronger than his current Tang blade or longbows.
Next, he moved on to the ordinary zombies.
[Harvest successful. Rewards acquired:]
– Energy Core ×90 (+18 bonus from Energy Evolution Talent)
– Mutant Fertilizer ×530
– Bunny Girl Outfit ×1
– White Crane Cigarettes ×62
– Cash: $1,245
– Spoiled Food ×1
– Clean Notebook ×2
– Clean Briefcase ×1
– Carbon Pen ×6
– Universal Charger ×3
– …
His inventory still had space, so he stored everything away.
That's when he spotted it—an untouched vending machine on the sidewalk just beyond the restaurant.