Chapter 86: Explore
"Awesome..." Shane muttered with an excited glint in his eye as he visualized the zombies falling before him. Not only the low-tier Zombies but also the mid-tier Zombies would surely be unable to withstand the might of his new weapon.
Turning his attention to the Electric Shock Blade, Shane felt a surge of excitement course through him. This blade crackled with blue energy, hinting at the powerful shocks it could deliver to his enemies.
The blade hummed softly, almost as if it was eager to unleash its electrifying potential on any zombie foolish enough to approach.
"Now… This feels a lot better." Shane thought as he recalled his early stages in the A.I. Rebellion Apocalypse. In that Apocalypse, he was only able to obtain this level of item in the Survivor Store during his fifth month in the Apocalypse.
This time, however, he got such an advanced weapon a lot earlier! Not even a month had passed!
Those vouchers had truly come in clutch…
"Let's see."
The hilt of the Electric Shock Blade was adorned with intricate circuit patterns, glowing faintly in the darkness of the tent.
Shane marveled at the fusion of technology and mysterious craftsmanship that made this sword a deadly marvel.
With a quick flick of his wrist, he activated the blade, causing arcs of electricity to dance along its edge, casting eerie shadows inside the tent…
'It's a pity I don't have sword mastery… However, maybe I can learn them naturally, just like the others. I should just try using it." Shane muttered.
As he held both blades in his hands, he knew that he was now armed not just with weapons, but with tools that would help him survive and thrive in the unforgiving world of the Zombie Apocalypse.
After some contemplation, Shane decided to give the Serrated Reaper Blade to Gene, the only person in the estate with Level 10 Swordsmanship Skill. It would be a wise decision if this knight had the best weapon with such a level of skill.
Of course, he planned to upgrade this first before handing it over.
Without hesitation, Shane decided to use his Item Upgrade Crystals to advance the Reaper Blade.
In any case, he only had to spend 10 Crystals to upgrade from Rare to Exceptional and 30 Crystals from Exceptional to Master.
After ritual of the upgrading process was completed, Shane immediately checked its current description.
[ Serrated Reaper Blade ( Master ): A powerful weapon that reaps through the undead with unmatched ferocity. Crafted from the finest steel and imbued with ancient runes, this blade is a symbol of death and destruction in the hands of a skilled warrior. It can cut through multiple zombies with a single swing, leaving a trail of carnage in its wake.
The blade's serrated edges drip with the blood of the fallen, instilling fear in the hearts of any who stand in its way.
Effects:
+90% damage against Crawler, Walker, and Runner Zombies, +20% against Spitter Zombies,+30% Critical Chance, +25% Attack Speed
Special Effects:
Reaper's Call: The blade resonates with the spirits of the fallen, granting the wielder increased strength and agility. It has a +120% chance of draining life from zombies to heal the player.
Cost: 100 Spirit Points
Death's Embrace: The Serrated Reaper Blade exudes a chilling aura that freezes zombies upon contact, slowing their movements and making them more vulnerable to attacks. It has a +80% chance of causing freezing damage.
Cost: 80 Spirit Points ]
"This is awesome…"
Shane's eyes lit up after seeing the effects.
The Reaper's Call and the Death's Embrace were sure important. The only thing he has to worry about was whether Gene could utilize these effects since the skill requires a lot of Spirit Points to use.
It was at this time he recalled to check the full description of the Electric Shock Blade that he purchased.
[ Electric Shock Blade (Master): A sword infused with electricity, delivering shocking blows to undead foes. This blade is capable of delivering devastating shocks to zombies, frying their undead flesh and leaving them twitching in agony. Its blue lightning arcs with each swing, illuminating the darkness of the Apocalypse with its dazzling display.
It has a +80% chance of stunning zombies temporarily.
Effects: +100% electric shock damage against all Zombies, +30% against Mechanized Zombie, +35% Critical Chance, +20% Attack Speed
Special Effects:
Thunderous Strike: The blade releases a thunderous shockwave upon impact, stunning enemies in its vicinity and disrupting their movements. It has a +120% chance of causing electric damage.
Cost: 100 Spirit Points
Surge of Power: The Electric Shock Blade channels a surge of electricity into the wielder, boosting attack speed and damage output for a short duration. It has a +100% chance of increasing attack speed and damage.
Cost: 110 Spirit Points ]
As soon as Shane read the description of the item and its effects, he immediately realized that there would be Mechanized Zombies!
A Mechanized Zombie means one thing: someone was definitely experimenting with these zombies and making them strong! He does not believe that these Zombies were strong enough to mechanize themselves!
"This…" Shane was stunned for a moment.
For others who were only thinking of surviving and killing as many zombies as they could, they'd just think that they would have tougher zombies to kill once they heard about the Mechanized Zombie.
It would just be a higher-tier Zombie for them, and it was just a part of the "game."
However, for Shane, who wanted to end the Apocalypse and not just survive, this might be a clue to end the Apocalypse.
Perhaps there was an organization "arming" these Zombies all this time!
"Mhmmm…" Shane paused for a moment as he considered this a serious matter.
What if the Zombies weren't mutating "naturally"? What if it wasn't an accident that Project Z failed and the people in the laboratory turned into flesh-eating monsters?
Shane couldn't help but shudder at this thought.
However, he knew that thinking about this now wouldn't help. After all, it wasn't even a month since he had been here. He still had a lot of things to learn about this Apocalypse.
As the morning unfolded, Shane and the rest of the group resumed their daily tasks. Gene and Mara focused on fortifying the walls, ensuring their defenses were sturdy against the undead threat.
Meanwhile, Harper and Leo dedicated their efforts to their craft.
Anna and Alexa made preparations to venture outside, accompanied by Cassius, their Super Soldier, and their loyal companion Lucky, the border collie.
Mr. Wadsworth set his sights on tending to the orchard, nurturing the plants and trees that sustained them within the compound.
With a plan to investigate the dilapidated manor for potential resources later, Mr. Wadsworth decided to do it later once one of the Super Soldiers was available.
Shane, on the other hand, felt compelled to explore a different section beyond the estate's boundaries this time.
Instead of heading to the Iron Mine, he thought of going back to the road where he had previously encountered the towering Giant Zombie.
He was eager to uncover any clues that might aid their quest to confront the mysteries of the Apocalypse.
***
Before leaving the estate, Shane wore his set of equipment. They were his Shadowmeld Tunic, Enchanted Chitin Plate, Shroud of Shadow Cape, Crawler's Grasp Gloves, and Crawler Fang Daggers tied on his waist for added effects.
As for his boots, they were still his Tier 4 Survivor Boots until he found something better.
Shane didn't forget to hand over the Serrated Reaper Blade to Gene…
As Shane handed over the Serrated Reaper Blade to Gene, a look of reverence and gratitude crossed Gene's features. He weighed the weapon in his hand, a glint of admiration in his eyes as he acknowledged the significance of this gesture from Shane.
"Thanks, Shane. I'll make sure to use this sword well and protect this place from the zombies…" Gene remarked, his voice tinged with gratitude for Shane's trust.
After all, he could easily tell that this weapon was really precious without looking at its description.
Shane nodded in understanding, silent amity passing between them as they prepared for their respective tasks.
"Take care of it, Gene." Shane replied as he set off on his way to the forest.
Soon, he was on the road and during this time, he intersected with three Walker Zombies. However, these low-tier Zombies were no match for Shane's honed skills at this point.
With swift work, he dispatched the undead with a single hit on each of their heads. His current stat points and weapons were just too high already.
As he drew closer to the site of his previous encounter with the Giant Zombie, a sense of tension coiled in the air… Although his Perception range didn't detect any enemies, he still decided to stop.
As expected, it didn't take long before Cloud, his faithful A.I. assistant, alerted him to the presence of Jumper Zombies. These agile zombies were leaping through the canopy with unnatural speed!
However, behind them was actually the Zombie he was searching for! It was the Giant Zombie!