The sun vanished. The world didn't just get dark; it got heavy.
A crimson moon hung in the sky, casting long, bloody shadows across the university grounds.
Su Chen moved fast. He didn't run blindly. He moved in a crouch, sticking to the bushes, his eyes constantly scanning the data stream.
[Ambient Mana Density: Rising.]
[Monster Aggression: Increased by 50%.]
In the distance, a low rumble began. It sounded like thunder, but Su Chen knew better. It was the footsteps of thousands of undead. The Zombie Tsunami.
He needed a fortress.
He looked at the massive Library building.
[Defensive Rating: 40/100. Too many windows.]
He looked at the Gym.
[Defensive Rating: 60/100. Wide open spaces. Hard to defend alone.]
Then, his gaze landed on the Science Building. Specifically, the Chemistry Wing.
[Defensive Rating: 85/100.]
[Hidden Resource: Volatile Chemicals detected.]
"Perfect," Su Chen whispered.
He sprinted toward the glass doors of the Science Building. They were locked.
[Electronic Lock. Security Level: High.]
[Password: 1-9-8-4 #]
He punched in the code. The doors hissed open. He slipped inside and jammed a metal chair under the handles to seal it behind him.
The hallway was silent. The smell of antiseptic and floor wax filled the air.
Su Chen didn't relax. His [Eye of Truth] saw red dots moving on the second floor.
[Target: Acid Spitter Zombie (Level 4)]
[Target: Skeletal Warrior (Level 3)]
"Higher level monsters," Su Chen noted. "Good. More XP."
He didn't go upstairs to fight them yet. He ran straight into Lab 304.
It was a mess. Beakers were smashed on the floor. But the chemical cabinet was intact.
To a normal person, this was just a cabinet of dangerous liquids.
To Su Chen, it was an armory.
He opened the cabinet. Rows of bottles stared back at him.
[Sulfuric Acid]
[Potassium Nitrate]
[Sugar]
[Magnesium Strips]
A golden formula window popped up in his vision.
[Recipe Detected: Improvised Napalm Bomb]
[Ingredients: Sugar + Potassium Nitrate + Magnesium Fuse.]
[Blast Radius: 10 meters.]
[Damage: 500 Fire Damage (Continuous).]
[Crafting Success Rate: 100% (with Eye of Truth guidance).]
"500 Damage," Su Chen grinned. "That's enough to melt a Level 5 Elite."
He got to work.
He wasn't a chemist. He didn't need to be. The System guided his hands like an auto-pilot.
*Pour 50g of this.*
*Mix with 20g of that.*
*Insert fuse.*
In three minutes, he had created five glass jars filled with a thick, white paste.
[Item Created: Sticky Napalm Jar (Rare)]
[Effect: Explodes on impact. Sticks to targets.]
Just as he finished sealing the last jar, a loud crash echoed from the hallway.
CRASH.
The door to the lab splintered.
A creature squeezed through the frame. It looked like a human that had been turned inside out. Muscles exposed, no skin, dripping with green slime.
[Elite Monster: Flesh Golem (Level 5)]
[HP: 800/800]
[Defense: High (Physical attacks ineffective).]
[Weakness: Fire.]
Su Chen held the glass jar in his hand.
The Flesh Golem roared, a wet, gurgling sound. It charged, smashing lab tables aside like they were made of paper.
It was fast. Too fast for Su Chen to dodge in a confined space.
But he didn't need to dodge.
"Catch," Su Chen said.
He tossed the jar gently. It wasn't a fast throw. It was an underhand toss.
The jar hit the Golem's chest.
SMASH.
The glass broke. The white paste splattered all over the exposed muscle. The magnesium fuse sparked.
FOOM.
A blinding white light filled the room.
The explosion wasn't a concussive blast; it was a wave of pure heat. The napalm ignited instantly, turning the Golem into a walking torch.
"ROAAAR!"
The monster thrashed, clawing at its own chest, but the fire was sticky. It burned hotter and deeper.
[-50! -50! -50!]
Red damage numbers floated up like a fountain.
Su Chen stood behind a heavy overturned metal table, shielding his eyes from the glare.
The Golem took three more steps toward him, its arm reaching out to crush Su Chen's skull... and then it crumbled.
It turned into a pile of black ash before it could even touch him.
[You have slain a Level 5 Elite Flesh Golem.]
[XP +800.]
[Level Up! You are now Level 3.]
Su Chen walked over to the pile of ash. Something shiny was glittering in the remains.
[Loot Drop: Golem's Heart (Material)]
[Loot Drop: Skill Book - "Iron Skin" (Passive).]
Su Chen grabbed the book immediately.
[Iron Skin (Rank D)]
[Effect: Increases Physical Defense by 10%. Reduces damage from blunt attacks.]
"Passive defense skill," Su Chen nodded. "Essential."
He learned it instantly. His skin felt slightly tighter, tougher.
He walked to the window of the lab on the third floor. From here, he had a perfect view of the campus below.
It was a nightmare.
The "Zombie Tsunami" had arrived.
A black tide of undead was swarming the main quad. Thousands of them. They were crashing against the buildings like water.
And in the distance, the University Cafeteria was glowing like a beacon in the dark.
Su Chen zoomed in with his vision.
He could see the students inside. They were pressed against the glass, screaming. Brad was yelling orders, but nobody was listening.
The barrier of the Safe Zone was flickering.
[Safe Zone Durability: 15%.]
[Time until failure: 30 seconds.]
"They didn't believe me," Su Chen whispered.
He watched without blinking.
The first crack appeared on the cafeteria glass. Then the second.
SHATTER.
The Safe Zone failed. The lights went out.
The black tide poured in.
Su Chen saw the panic. He saw the carnage. It wasn't a fight; it was a feeding frenzy.
He didn't feel superior. He didn't feel happy. He just felt the cold confirmation of his own survival logic.
"Mercy is for the strong," Su Chen said to the empty lab. "And right now, we are all weak."
He turned away from the window. The show was over.
He had four Napalm Jars left. He had a secure building. And he had a whole night to hunt the elites roaming the hallways.
[New Quest Generated: Clear the Science Building.]
[Reward: Science Building ownership (Safe House).]
Su Chen spun his rusty pipe in his hand.
"Time to grind."