Chapter Twenty-Two: The Zombie Slayer (4/5)

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(While this is a new book, I hope for your recommendations, your favorites, and your member clicks.)

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A searing pain, a burning heat engulfed his whole body. After consuming the Restoration Elixir, Yang Fan felt as though flames licked every inch of his skin, and his body crackled with incessant sounds.

"According to your physical constitution, bloodline, and current condition, the Restoration Elixir has completely recalibrated your attributes. Henceforth, your attribute increases will always round to the nearest five."

Roughly ten minutes later, this voice resounded in his mind just as the agonizing heat finally faded. At the same time, Yang Fan discovered his entire body was sticky. Looking down, he saw his clothes coated in a layer of black grime, emitting a foul stench.

"This must be something like cleansing the marrow and washing the tendons," Yang Fan guessed inwardly. But before he could think further, a sudden cramp twisted his stomach—the inevitable result of the process.

With a nauseating sound, Zhu Liang wrinkled his nose and pointed outside: "There's a restroom to the left."

"Thank you," Yang Fan replied, dashing away as fast as he could. Even so, he couldn't help but let out a few more foul bursts on the way, prompting Zhu Liang to flee outside for fresh air as well.

—

Half an hour later.

Yang Fan emerged from the restroom, his face pale and his body drenched in sweat. Fortunately, there were tissues available, and he managed to clean himself up.

"What happened to you?" Zhu Liang asked, a little concerned at Yang Fan’s obvious weakness.

"It's nothing. I just need a bit of rest." Yang Fan slumped to the floor, beginning his recovery while simultaneously opening his status screen.

Era: Age of Peace

Planet: Earth, MZ1001 Solar System

Region: Southern Huaxia

Character: Yang Fan

Class: First Tier, Level 2 (Yanhuang Bloodline)

Constitution: 80 (mainly affects resistance and recovery, equivalent to 800% of an average person)

Strength: 100 (mainly affects offense and carrying capacity, equivalent to 1000% of an average person)

Agility: 110 (mainly affects reaction speed and movement, equivalent to 1100% of an average person)

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Intelligence: 70 (mainly affects special perception and calculation speed, equivalent to 700% of an average person)

Inner Technique: The Yellow Emperor’s Heart Sutra

Skills: Taiji Fist, Dual Cultivation of Yin and Yang, Power of the Gods, Divine Halo, Divine Shield

Equipment: Eye of the Zombie, Lady’s Portrait, Divine Cloak, Divine Crown, Thunderblade

Combat Rating: B (Ranks: SSS, SS, S, A, B, C, D, E, F)

Apocalypse Coins: 19

Talent: Save Point—Supreme Divine Talent. Description: Can save at any chosen moment, just like in a single-player game. After saving, there is a seven-day cooldown. After seven days, the system will randomly allow a return to any time between one and thirty days prior. (Since this is the first use of the save skill, there is no limit on how far back you can return.)

—

Yang Fan adjusted the cloak to appear as a plain black robe. It looked utterly unremarkable, giving no hint of its divine origin. The crown, however, transformed into a golden emblem on his brow, sparkling with dazzling light.

But upon reviewing his attributes, Yang Fan was stunned. His lowest stat was eight times that of a normal man—these were the attributes of a maxed first-tier! This... this was simply outrageous.

He was dazed for a long moment, then puzzled over the phrase "attribute increases will always round to the nearest five." To test it, Yang Fan removed the Divine Crown. Instantly, his intelligence dropped by 20 points, and all other attributes fell by 15. Upon wearing it again, his mind cleared, calculation speed soared, and his strength, constitution, and agility all increased. Removing the cloak, his movement speed dropped by 20, and all other attributes by 15.

Suddenly, Yang Fan understood: whether through growth or equipment, all attribute changes were rounded to the nearest five—there would be no odd numbers like 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, or 9 remaining.

It was essentially a "rounding" mechanism, as Yang Fan deduced from the attribute bonuses of his divine equipment. Originally, removing the crown should have cost him 24 intelligence, but now it only cost him 20—this was the effect of the new rule.

The realization filled Yang Fan with both surprise and delight. With these stats, he felt he could slaughter countless zombies. If he could reach level 5 within ten days, he need not fear mutated beasts. And if luck held and he reached level 8, he could begin to protect his companions from the final threat—the Insect Swarm.

With his blueprint and plans clear, even in his current weakened state, Yang Fan couldn’t help but smile.

The Yellow Emperor’s Heart Sutra required dual cultivation of yin and yang for practice, which Yang Fan decided to postpone for now. His stats were already strong enough. After about an hour, he had recovered significantly and stood, gripping his thunder-lit blade—it resembled a lightsaber.

"Roar." Several zombies suddenly charged up the stairs. Yang Fan was eager to test his power, but before he could act, Zhu Liang drew a bone knife and blurred into a shadow. With a few swift strikes, three zombies collapsed, their heads spinning through the air.

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"What gear and skills are those?" Yang Fan was mildly astonished. Zhu Liang’s stats were quite poor, but he had dispatched three zombies in an instant—he must have acquired some exceptional equipment and skills.

"Silver-tier bone knife, sharpness level 11, and Cat’s Shadow Step," Zhu Liang replied, a hint of long-lost pride flashing across his face.

"Not bad at all," Yang Fan said with a grin—a rather sly one, because he sensed four or five Mutant Zombies approaching, leading a horde behind them.

Sure enough, just a few seconds later, as Zhu Liang was about to shout in triumph, a Mutant Zombie appeared. Zhu Liang slashed desperately with his bone knife, managing to break the skin, but the blade couldn’t damage the mutant’s bones. The issue wasn’t sharpness, but lack of strength.

Attributes and equipment were directly connected. No matter how good the gear, without adequate stats, it was useless. A child wielding a cleaver could hardly defeat an unarmed grown man. Conversely, great strength alone couldn’t punch through a stone wall unaided.

In short, both equipment and attributes were crucial—neglecting either was fatal.

After two futile strikes, Zhu Liang shouted, "I can’t do it! I can’t!"

Yang Fan merely smiled and waited. Only when Zhu Liang was truly at his limit did Yang Fan surge forward. The Thunderblade flashed like lightning. To Yang Fan, the zombies’ movements seemed as slow as a lagging TV broadcast, each motion dragging.

With a ripping sound, the Thunderblade pierced a Mutant Zombie’s eyes; a twist, and blood splattered everywhere—the threat was ended.

Yang Fan swung the Thunderblade in a wide arc, slicing apart five or six zombies that had closed in. In a flash, he hunched low, channeling his inner energy to his feet, and kicked a Mutant Zombie’s head clean off. The Thunderblade cut through zombie flesh as effortlessly as tofu.

In mere moments, five or six Mutant Zombies and over a dozen ordinary zombies lay slain by Yang Fan alone.

Eight times the strength of an ordinary man.

All kinds of attribute bonuses.

The Thunderblade’s sharpness.

All of this made him a true zombie slayer.

"Unless I run into max-level zombies, or Mutant Zombies at level seven or eight, I can handle anything with ease." That was Yang Fan’s assessment of his own power...

(Um... a reader mentioned the story was getting a bit too fantastical. After reviewing, I agreed, so I’ve adjusted the attribute limits on the divine equipment. Thank you for your support! Also, please, I’m begging for more recommendations—the number today is nowhere near yesterday’s. My mood is a bit down, so I’m on my knees begging for your votes... And congratulations to our classmate for getting the girl after joining the group.)