"I've told you before about biological mutations. Mutated creatures might have crystals in their brains."
"The crystals come in various colors and have different functions. The purer and brighter the color, the stronger the function."
"Function?" Luo Luo didn't understand.
An Nuan continued to explain.
"In the beginning, mutated humans appeared naturally. Later, people discovered that some crystals could merge with humans, transforming primitive humans into ability users."
"Ability users can enhance their powers by merging with crystals. Those who could generate static electricity can now produce high-voltage electricity. Those who could create friction to make fire can now breathe fire, and so on. Their lifespans can even be increased."
"Ability users, like zombies, are categorized from Tier 1 to Tier 7. In the sixth year of the apocalypse, Tier 8 and Tier 9 were established."
Luo Luo curiously asked, "How strong are Tier 9 zombies?"
"I don't know. I encountered a Tier 7 once, and it was terrifying. Tier 9..."
*Heh, I'd rather die sooner!*
An Nuan didn't want to discourage Luo Luo with the truth.
But that was the reality.
She had died in her previous life before ever seeing an eighth-tier zombie, and she didn't want to see one in this life either.
As for Tier 9, let it remain a myth, never to be seen!
Luo Luo: "Since crystals are so powerful, why don't we collect more and use them on you?"
"It's not that easy. Crystals are rare. Mutated creatures may have crystals, but not always."
"If you're lucky, you might find enough after killing three hundred zombies. If you're unlucky... you might still not find any after killing a thousand or two."
"Besides that, crystals depend on their quality, size, and compatibility with the host."
"An ability user who breathes fire using a water-element crystal might just have their flames extinguished."
"There are too many variables with crystals. I still haven't figured out all their properties."
An Nuan stood up. She took out camouflage trousers from her spatial storage and put on her boots.
She wore a bulletproof vest and a modified neck guard.
It protected her neck while allowing movement and prevented zombies from biting her.
An Nuan put on a vest and then a jacket.
Although the temperature outside was very high, she couldn't wear short sleeves.
The mosquitoes and insects that thrived in the high temperatures were extremely potent, carrying deadly viruses.
Moreover, she didn't want to get scratched by a zombie.
When fighting zombies, not a single scratch was allowed – that was an ironclad rule!
An Nuan took out an electric baton and several long bone-cutting knives, along with two portable flamethrowers.
She tossed a set of equipment to Luo Luo.
"Put it on."
"What for?"
"We're going out to hack zombies."
An Nuan disliked being threatened and didn't want to go out to fight zombies.
But her vulnerabilities were known to the other party. If the information were sent out, she would be attacked by large numbers of humans.
If she didn't kill them, she would be doing herself a disservice.
If she killed too many, her reputation might suffer.
A human killer... sounded rather unpleasant.
An Nuan pondered for a moment and decided to go out hunting tonight.
The newly appeared zombies were mostly Tier 1.
Tier 1 zombies were slow and had average attack power.
In An Nuan's eyes, zombies of this level were equivalent to three-year-old children.
Still in the stage of being easily managed.
An Nuan took out her car from her spatial storage and, with Luo Luo, prepared to go into battle.
Two meows suddenly came from the back seat.
"Juanzi? Daizi? Luo Luo, did you bring them?"
Luo Luo shook her head: "It wasn't me."
"Never mind, I'll deal with these two troublemakers when we get back."
The internet system hadn't crashed yet, and the satellite system was still functional. An Nuan entered the address, and the navigation displayed a route.
Seattle First High School was a private boarding school.
Due to its elevated location, it hadn't been flooded by the torrential rain this time.
However, during the heavy rain, the entire senior year had been attending cram classes.
As it was a boarding school, the seniors were currently trapped inside.
If there were zombies in the school, the students' survival probability would be very low.
An Nuan wasn't in the mood to consider the lives of unrelated people.
She was merely thinking about how to help Luo Luo familiarize herself with combat quickly while ensuring her safety.
They arrived at the school's main gate.
An Nuan stopped the car and immediately heard a tragic scream from inside.
Luo Luo trembled in fear: "There are already zombies?"
"Don't you smell the scent of blood in the air? It's 3:30 AM. I estimate more than ten victims have already appeared."
"Holy crap! Zombies have a huge appetite, eating so much!"
"Do you need several dishes when you eat? It's similar for zombies; everyone's flesh and blood taste different."
Although An Nuan's words made sense, Luo Luo found the analogy unsettling.
It sent shivers down her spine.
An Nuan took out a muzzle and handed it to her.
Luo Luo: "...What do you want to do?"
Why was she giving her props from Japanese adult films!
Luo Luo hugged her chest: "Xiao Nuan, my interests are in men."
An Nuan: "..."
"What are you thinking! I'm afraid you'll scream uncontrollably when you see zombies. If I can't attend to you, you'll be in trouble. Put it on to prevent you from screaming wildly!"
"But this look is too..."
"Then wear this."
An Nuan switched to a different muzzle, one used for animals.
It was used to prevent animals from biting and from making noise at night.
After putting it on, Luo Luo still felt strange. It looked even more perverse...
An Nuan didn't want her zombie-slaughtering appearance to be seen. She put on a mask and got out of the car, walked through the academic building, and arrived at the sports field in front of the dormitory building.
She placed a Bluetooth speaker on the ground.
As a low-frequency sound wave spread, three zombies immediately rushed out of the apartment building.
"Watch."
An Nuan arranged Luo Luo. She spun the bone-cutting knife in her hand with flair, flicked her wrist, and decapitated a zombie.
She sidestepped a zombie's claws and raised her knife to block in front of her, giving it a slight twist.
She first severed the zombie's two arms, then smoothly brought the blade down, splitting the zombie's head in half.
"Be careful!"
As Luo Luo's voice fell, An Nuan tilted her head.
The bone-cutting knife spun around her head twice, cleanly and efficiently slicing the zombie's head into three or four pieces.
Something glittered within the shattered head.
"What good luck!"
An Nuan used the tip of her knife to pick out the crystal from the head.
One tea-colored crystal, two red ones. They were large, round, and very bright. Clearly, they were top-quality.
She had just killed three zombies and obtained three superior crystals.
This…
An Nuan was ecstatic!
Regardless of who was behind it, it felt like a player with God's eye, directing her remotely.
Thinking of a player with God's eye remotely commanding her to level up and fight monsters, An Nuan suddenly felt a surge of confidence.
She had a premonition that she could conquer the apocalypse this time!