Chapter 5 – Dark Zones and Death Counts
The metro tunnel was silent.
Not because it was safe, but because everything that could scream was already dead.
Kuro stood over the collapsed Executioner Unit, blood-drenched and still crackling with faint arcs of electricity. The glow of his latest kill hadn't even faded when he opened the map again.
Dozens more red clusters pulsed across the city. Some large, others small. All of them infected.
He turned to Yumi, who was already checking her supplies. "How's your stock?"
"Two more healing injectors, one burst stim, and I'm running low on chemical binders," she replied without looking up.
"Good enough."
He raised his hand.
"System. Highlight all major nest zones within five kilometers. Sort by density."
"Confirmed. Displaying 7 major nests. Estimated infected: 300–1200 per zone."
Kuro grinned. "Let's clear them. All of them."
They moved like hunters.
The first nest was inside a multi-level parking structure. Cars had been pushed into barricades, making tight channels that choked movement. Perfect for the infected to swarm. But also perfect for lightning.
Kuro climbed a van, raised both hands, and discharged a "Chain Nova" that spread through the entire level. Screams filled the air. Limbs dropped. Sparks rained.
By the time he descended, 230 corpses were twitching at his feet.
"Zombies killed: 1576 / 20,000."
He didn't stop.
They moved to the second zone: an abandoned shopping mall.
The infected here were faster, possibly early-stage carriers. Kuro was forced to rely on precision strikes — single-target attacks like "Arc Lancer" and close-range "Burst Slash" maneuvers.
Yumi boosted his focus with a nerve-enhancing serum, and they worked through floor after floor, slicing through the dead like fire through parchment.
"Zombies killed: 2103 / 20,000."
He noticed something strange. With every hundred kills, Bloodthirster felt… hungrier. His grip steadied more easily. Reflexes sharpened. It was almost like the weapon was adapting to him.
By the third nest — an overrun elementary school — Kuro had begun testing combos.
"Chain Storm, followed by Javelin Volley," he muttered.
Lightning spears fell like rain. The infected never reached the stairwells.
Yumi gasped, watching from behind a reinforced classroom desk. "That was... overkill."
"Overkill is just another form of insurance."
"Zombies killed: 2885 / 20,000."
The grind was brutal. Every fight took energy. Every dodge had to count. Even with Yumi's passive aura, Kuro was burning through his stamina.
At the fourth zone — a crumbling cathedral — Kuro faced his first elite variant.
Tall, robed in ragged priest cloth. Face half gone. Long claws, faster than the rest.
"Zombie Priest – LVL 18 – Enhanced Shriek Ability."
It shrieked once and stunned both him and Yumi.
Kuro bit his tongue hard to stay conscious. "System! Mute pulse!"
"Activated. Auditory dampening field online."
He blinked out of range, circling behind. With one clean slash and a burst of lightning straight into its spine, the priest fell.
"Zombies killed: 3417 / 20,000."
Kuro turned away to move on, then stopped.
"Wait…" He looked at the smoldering corpse. "System, can I still sell monster bodies in this fragment?"
"Affirmative. All defeated entities can be sold for IP unless explicitly noted. Current backlog: 5,000 corpses pending."
Kuro slapped his forehead. "I completely forgot about that! Sell all."
"Processing… IP gained: 26,500. Current IP balance: 26,670."
He grinned wide. "Now that's what I'm talking about."
Yumi raised an eyebrow. "What did you just do?"
"Let's just say I cleaned up the battlefield and got paid for it."
She snorted. "Remind me to ask you for a loan later."
At the fifth zone, something clicked.
Kuro stopped. Looked around. Tilted his head.
"System… is it just me, or am I getting faster?"
"Affirmative. Combat reflex adaptation engaged. Slayer Threshold approaching."
"Slayer Threshold?"
"Hidden title perk. Kill 5000 enemies within a single fragment. Temporary stat boost: Reaction +25%, Lightning Efficiency +15%."
His smile was thin, dangerous.
"Let's hit 5K."
The fifth nest was a nightclub — pulsing with moans and movement. Kuro burst through the ceiling skylight and unleashed hell.
"Zombies killed: 4379 / 20,000."
One final sweep with Bloodthirster.
"Zombies killed: 5000 / 20,000. Slayer Threshold unlocked."
He breathed deep.
Lightning wrapped around his arms like living armor.
Yumi touched his shoulder. "You're glowing."
"I feel it."
The grind wasn't just about numbers anymore. It was changing him.
And he was ready for more.