Arrival at the Convenience Store
The group finally reached the convenience store, a small shop with shattered windows and a partially torn metal shutter. The metallic scent of blood still lingered in the air, mixed with a faint mustiness. The floor was littered with debris, overturned carts, and unrecognizable bodies.
Still high on adrenaline after her fight, Katie turned to William and Flora, frowning.
— "Wait... Why did you only get 50 EXP points when I got 100?"
Flora shrugged, puzzled, while William raised an eyebrow, politely curious.
As usual, Mary remained calm and answered in a neutral tone:
— "Because part of their points was used, like Hayden's, to pay for the healing item that fixed Flora's ribs and broken arm. EXP points can be used as currency in the system's shop."
Katie blinked, taking a second to process the information.
— "Wait… You mean I could've bought something cool with my points instead of just saving them?"
— "You would've only had about fifty points to spend, and believe me, it wouldn't have made much difference," replied Mary with a hint of irony in her voice.
While they spoke, Katie reopened her interface and was surprised to see 200 more EXP points and a 30% increase in weapon mastery.
She narrowed her eyes, thoughtful.
— "That's nice… but I'm still far from what Lùdi Shui explained to me. Something's missing."
Hayden, already rummaging through the half-destroyed shelves, raised an eyebrow at her.
— "You're overthinking. Just keep practicing and you'll get your breakthrough."
Exploring the Convenience Store
They split up through the ruined aisles, methodically searching the overturned shelves.
Flora, looking near the refrigerators, let out a cry of surprise as she lifted a broken door.
— "Ah! Water! I found five bottles!"
She held them up proudly like a priceless treasure.
William, who was searching behind the register counter, found some abandoned wallets and opened them to find a few bills. He stared at them for a moment, then dropped them with a sigh.
— "Useless now."
Mary nodded.
— "Money has no value in this world anymore. Only useful items matter."
Katie found some snacks under a collapsed shelf and picked them up enthusiastically.
— "Hey, these are still good, right?"
Blue, always listening, suddenly chimed in.
— "Note that any food stored in the inventory does not expire."
Hayden raised an amused eyebrow.
— "Cool. So we can keep the food without worrying about expiration dates. Good to know."
After securing the water and food in their inventories, they decided to leave the convenience store and continue their exploration.
Heading to the Abandoned Hotel
Blue had suggested an abandoned hotel nearby. The sun was already beginning to set, painting the sky with reddish and orange hues.
But as they walked through the silent streets, a new group of zombies appeared on the horizon. About twenty staggering figures, with empty eyes and rotting flesh, slowly approached.
Hayden stopped and looked at William.
— "Your turn, Englishman."
William let out a light sigh, raised a tired eyebrow, and adjusted his glasses with his fingertips.
— "You could at least say 'please'."
Flora tapped her staff against her shoulder, clearly amused.
— "Come on, show us what you've got, Will~"
William slowly unwrapped the steel chain coiled around his arm and let it slide to the ground, the metallic sound ringing softly.
— "Fine. Let's get this over with."
Fight: William vs 20 Zombies
He stepped forward cautiously, analyzing the way the creatures moved. Some staggered slowly, while others seemed quicker, their jerky movements betraying greater ferocity.
The first zombie growled and lunged at him, but William spun his chain through the air—WHIP!—and sent it violently coiling around the creature's neck.
With a sharp yank, he snapped the chain tight, breaking the monster's neck with a sinister crack.
— "One down," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
More zombies gathered in a cluster, and he faced them without flinching.
He whipped the air again, the chain wrapping around one enemy's leg. A quick flick of the wrist sent the creature flying into a wall.
But as he pushed forward, he realized something: he wasn't used to handling so many enemies at once.
— "Damn it..." he muttered as three zombies tried to surround him.
He stepped back, but one suddenly lunged.
— SLASH! He instinctively raised his arm, but the creature managed to graze him, slightly tearing the sleeve of his hoodie.
— "Tch."
— "William, focus!" shouted Mary, watching the scene closely.
William gritted his teeth and, instead of retreating, surged forward. He gripped his chain tightly, then finally activated his technique: Constriction.
— CLANG! His chain shot through the air, wrapping around a zombie's waist.
He yanked it hard, compressing the monster with metal, its bones cracking under the pressure.
Taking advantage of the confusion, William spun, sweeping his chain through the air, capturing several other enemies.
— CRACK! Two more zombies were crushed to the ground, their rib cages exploding under the technique's power.
He caught his breath, cautiously eyeing the remaining creatures.
— "Alright, let's finish this."
He resumed his rhythm, chaining together precise strikes and deadly chokes until the last monster collapsed to the ground.
He calmly wrapped his chain around his arm, ran a hand through his slightly tousled hair, and cast a jaded look at Hayden.
— "Next?" he asked, slightly out of breath.
Hayden smirked and gestured with his chin toward Flora.
— "Your turn, sunshine."
Flora tapped her staff on the ground, an excited smile on her lips.
— "Oh, I've been waiting for this."
She stepped into the glowing red light of dusk, the zombies' shadows stretching across the cracked asphalt.
Fight: Flora vs 20 Zombies
As soon as the first zombie approached, Flora leapt forward, using her natural agility to dodge its attack.
— "Let's dance!" she shouted, starting to spin her staff faster and faster.
She activated her technique, Spiral, and in an instant, her weapon became a whirling storm.
— SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH
The staff traced glowing arcs in the air, creating an impenetrable barrier around her.
— CRACK! She slammed a zombie in the chest, sending it flying into a power pole.
But the zombies didn't slow down. Unlike she had expected, her whirlwind wasn't enough to keep them at bay for long.
One managed to slip under her attack, grabbing her arm.
— "Tch—!"
She tried to shake it off, but more were already approaching, forcing her to double her efforts.
— BAM BAM BAM She struck rapid blows, aiming for the knees to knock the creatures off balance.
But the constant effort of spinning her weapon so fast was beginning to wear her out.
Katie frowned as she watched the scene.
— "She's tiring herself out..."
Mary nodded.
— "Her technique is powerful, but it burns too much energy. She needs to adjust her pace."
Flora herself realized this mid-fight.
She took a deep breath, stopped Spiral momentarily, and changed her strategy: precise strikes instead of sweeping continuously.
— CRACK! She drove her staff into a zombie's skull, then spun to follow with a sharp horizontal strike.
Her flow became smoother, more efficient—alternating between defense and offense instead of wasting all her energy at once.
Eventually, the last zombie collapsed, and Flora stepped back, panting but satisfied.
She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand, cheeks flushed from the effort, and flashed a wide smile at the group.
— "Phew~! That was intense!"
William crossed his arms and nodded.
— "Much better in the second half. You adapted."
Hayden nodded approvingly.
— "Yeah, well done."
As the last rays of sun disappeared behind the horizon, the abandoned hotel finally stood before them—imposing and silent.
Their true trial was only beginning.
The Abandoned Hotel – The Samurai's Trial
Silence hung heavily as the group entered the main hall of the abandoned hotel. Once luxurious, the building was now a relic of the past, cloaked in darkness where only the orange glow of sunset dared to filter through the broken windows.
And there, 45 zombies stood, motionless, their silhouettes swaying slowly in the shadows.
A shiver ran through Flora, who crossed her arms over her chest.
— "Wow. Okay. That's… a lot now..."
William adjusted his glasses, calmly observing the mass of creatures.
— "Well… We might have a problem."
All eyes instinctively turned to Hayden.
He was already tightening his katana to his belt, sighing nonchalantly.
— "Yeah yeah, I get it. It's my turn, huh?"
Katie nodded, smirking.
— "It's your role, boss."
Mary, ever methodical, raised her drone, ready to scan the whole hotel with Truth Eye.
— "I'll check if there are more inside. Hold on, Hayden."
He cracked his neck, then briefly closed his eyes, exhaling deeply.
— "Tsk… Alright. Activation: Way of the Samurai."
The Blade Dance
As soon as the technique activated, a change came over him. His body felt lighter, his reflexes sharper, and his mind clearer.
He charged at the zombies without a moment's hesitation.
— SWOOSH!
His blade sliced through the air with fluidity, and in a single clean strike, he cut down three zombies with precision. Their bodies collapsed in silence.
Flora blinked, stunned.
— "Whoa. He's cutting them down like paper..."
William, arms crossed, watched with a hint of hidden admiration.
— "Impressive."
Katie couldn't take her eyes off Hayden, who moved with supernatural precision, chaining attacks without pause.
Mary, meanwhile, had activated her drone and was scanning the interior.
— "I see about twenty more scattered on the upper floors, but for now, Hayden's handling the main hall."
Meanwhile, Hayden instinctively alternated between basic techniques and Instant Slash.
With a calculated glance, he leapt back, then propelled himself forward at blinding speed, his blade tracing a deadly arc through the air.
— SLASH!
One zombie was cleanly decapitated, and Hayden immediately followed up with another strike, spinning to dodge a decaying hand that tried to grab him.
— "He's reading their moves ahead of time…" murmured Mary, impressed despite herself.
Flora began bouncing on the spot, excited.
— "Raaah! Makes me wanna fight too!"
William, still stoic, gave her a sideways glance.
— "You'd get killed instantly."
— "Tch, buzzkill!"
But as Hayden continued to cut down his enemies one by one, his breathing grew heavier, and his arm began to tremble slightly.