Chapter 87: First Kill
As Shane ventured towards the forest, the familiar groans of the undead reached his ears. Three Walker Zombies shambled into his path, their decaying forms no longer as scary as they had been before.
Shane was now undeterred by their sight, but he was still unable to endure their smell for a long time...
With the Electric Shock Blade in hand, he knew he was more than a match for these low-tier zombies.
With accurate strikes and fast attack speed, Shane thrusts his blade.
Bzztt~
The blade's electric energy surged through the zombies, their bodies convulsing as the current overwhelmed them.
Each fell with a single, decisive blow, their heads severed from their bodies.
Shane's skill and the blade's power made short work of the threat.
As he continued on his way, the road that was previously used by the travelers became clearer and the forest along the way grew denser.
The shadows started going deeper as Shane approached the site of his previous encounter with the Giant Zombie.
He moved cautiously, his senses alert. Though his Perception range revealed nothing, his instincts told him to be wary.
Suddenly, Cloud, his A.I. assistant, broke the silence.
[ Warning: Three Jumper Zombies detected. ]
The alert was immediate.
Shane looked up just in time to see the Jumper Zombies leaping through the trees, their movements were unnaturally swift.
But behind them, the true challenge loomed—the Giant Zombie.
It was a hulking beast. Its massive form could be seen towering above the trees!
Shane didn't hesitate.
He wasn't sure if the Jumper Zombies were fleeing from the Giant Zombie or if they were all working together, but he knew very well that he should kill these Zombies!
He activated the Electric Shock Blade's Power Surge, the blade started buzzing with intensified energy. The expenditure of 110 Spirit Points was a small price to pay for the power it unleashed.
Whoosh~
The Jumper Zombies descended, but Shane was ready.
The blade moved with him, but it appears that he was using an axe with whom he was using the blade!
Well, it couldn't be helped since his Axe Mastery had already reached level 10.
His habit couldn't be easily changed.
The first Jumper Zombie met its end mid-leap, the electric shock stopping it cold.
[ You have eliminated a Jumper Zombie. ]
The second and third followed, each dispatched with a thunderous strike that left their bodies smoking on the forest floor.
[ You have eliminated a Jumper Zombie. ]
[ You have eliminated a Jumper Zombie. ]
Just like that, Shane killed the Jumper Zombies so easily. Even with his Master-Grade Hatchet, he wouldn't be able to kill them unless he managed to hit their brains.
However, with the blade's additional 100% Electric Damage to the Zombies, he was able to fry their brains even if he only hit their bodies!
"This is awesome…" Shane muttered as he knew that in the next Zombie Wave, he would be able to kill Zombies faster with this weapon. Perhaps, he would be able to unlock more hidden quests at that time!
As he was thinking of looting the items, the ground suddenly shook as the Giant Zombie moved.
Aaaaahhhh~
The Giant Zombie roared, a sound that made the earth tremble and shook the leaves from the trees.
"Can I defeat this guy?" Shane thought as he took a deep breath…
However, he really had no time to think about this since the Giant Zombie had already seen him after he killed the Jumper Zombies!
Shane gritted his teeth as he faced the Giant Zombie head-on. In any case, he believed that this Zombie was considered the area boss, similar to the Tyrant Zombie that Raze had killed in the sewers. He would have to kill this zombie eventually.
Hu~
Shane took a deep breath as he held his Electric Shock Blade tightly and waited for its attack!
He knew this battle would be fierce because of the Giant Zombie's formidable strength, but Shane's resolve was stronger… With his set of equipment, he knew that he had a chance as long as the Giant Zombie wouldn't remain standing or out of his reach!
The earth trembled with each step it took, and the air was filled with electric tension from Shane's blade. The other Shane, from his memories, had also fought against towering enemies in the A.I. Rebellion. These figures were obviously mechanized and controlled by Anima.
With this experience also imbued in his mind, he wasn't completely clueless about how to deal with such a being.
Boom!
Shane dodged a sweeping arm, rolled beneath a crushing blow, and delivered a series of rapid strikes to its arm!
However, it wasn't too effective against the Giant.
Shane knew he had to be smart to survive this encounter.
He activated the Shadow Blend of his tunic, melding into the shadows cast by the nearby trees. The Giant Zombie swung its massive arms through the trees, splintering trunks and sending a couple of birds scattering into the sky…
Shane had no time to be happy at the sight of real birds as he moved with haste, with the addition of his cape's Lesser Shadowmeld effect, he was like a ghost flitting through the destruction!
"This commotion will just attract more Zombies… I need to end this as quickly as possible." Shane thought as he asked Cloud to find the Zombie's possible weakness aside from severing its head or destroying its brain. After all, it was too high! His blade won't reach its head.
As for his revolver, he had a feeling that it would have difficulty piercing its body, and the bullets would just get stuck in its muscles.
Whom~
Shane then emerged from the shadows behind the behemoth but he was still a bit injured because of the various objects being thrown away everywhere from that attack…
Nonetheless, the Regeneration on his Chitin Plate worked to heal the scratches he had earned from that blow. It wasn't too much, but it was hindering his movement a bit, so he decided to activate the Regeneration effect.
He could immediately feel his strength returning as he continued to confront the enemies.
With a burst of speed granted by his equipment, he launched himself at the Giant Zombie's back. This was thanks to his Shadowmeld Tunic, which provides a 15% boost in his jumping strength!
Bzzt~
The Electric Shock Blade hummed with power, a beacon of blue light in the dim forest…
Shane struck, the blade's Thunderous Strike effect released a shockwave that rippled through the air.
Aaarrgghh!!!
The Giant Zombie roared in pain as the electric damage sizzled through its flesh, stunning it momentarily.
But the creature was resilient.
It recovered quickly, its massive arms swinging wildly to crush Shane. He rolled beneath a crushing blow, feeling the wind from the missed attack whip across his face.
Shane then delivered a series of rapid strikes to its arm, each hit accompanied by the sound of sizzling flesh and the smell of burnt rotten flesh.
The Giant Zombie turned, its eyes filled with a hunger for destruction. This was probably its first time being hurt by a small survivor!
It reached for Shane with hands that could crush stone.
Shane dodged again, using the agility his equipment afforded him. Yes, he was truly thankful for the Crypt Crawler Set that he obtained at the Iron Mine. The agility boost was indeed a lot better than having a boost in strength!
Shane moved freely and avoided each attempt of the Giant Zombie to catch him!
He needed to end this quickly.
Since his Spirit Points were draining, and he couldn't afford a prolonged battle. Although he still had about half of his Spirit Points, he still needed to be careful since there could more Zombies approaching them now.
With a roar of his own, Shane leaped high, propelled by his Tunic.
Time seemed to slow as he drove the Electric Shock Blade deep into the Giant Zombie's chest. Cloud actually suggested hitting the heart of the Zombie instead!
Graaarghh~
The creature's roar turned into a gurgle as the electricity coursed through its body.
Shane used his blade's Power Surge repeatedly! As the Giant Zombie struggled, its body convulsed, and Shane was thrown away, leaving the blade on the Zombie's chest still emitting electric damage!
As Shane dropped to the ground, he switched his weapon as he armed himself with his pistol.
However, he noticed that the Giant Zombie's movements became erratic, then sluggish, and then it stopped altogether.
Boom…
With a shudder that shook the forest, the Giant Zombie collapsed, defeated.
[ You have defeated a Giant Zombie ]
[ Congratulations! You are the first to eliminate Giant Zombie, a high-tier zombie! ]
[ Hint: Only the first elimination of each Mid-Tier and High-Tier zombie can provide special rewards! ]
[ You can select two rewards: Instant Experience Potion x5, Zombie Cores x70, Random Giftpack x3, 75% Discount Voucher x2, Item Upgrade Crystals x10, Incendiary Bomb x10 ]
Shane stood victorious, his breath heavy, his Spirit points almost diminished just from that battle...
However, as he saw his rewards, his eyes lit up in excitement.