Upgrade Equipment

But what was behind the head shocked Zhu Yan even more.

He had struck too fast to even see what it was, instinctively assuming it was just an ordinary zombie.

But when the head hit the ground, the clean cut of the severed neck pointed straight at Zhu Yan’s face. Beside the spinal column were several scarlet, twitching flesh tentacles.

They resembled the “tree” from before, but in Zhu Yan’s eyes, they were even more horrifying.

When a normal person’s head is chopped off, the wound should face upward, not directly toward Zhu Yan’s face.

How could this thing be in that position—

“Holy shit!” Zhu Yan blurted out again.

Without a moment’s hesitation, he swung his military knife again, severing a long segment of neck with almost frenzied ferocity!

This time, Zhu Yan finally got a clear look.

It was a zombie, but one that seemed to be mutating in the direction of a turtle.

Its ribs had expanded into an exaggerated circle, nearly filling the entire corridor.

Its limbs and claws had elongated, like a water insect, and sharp, thick finger bones jutted out like blades from the decayed skin at its fingertips.

Beside this creature was a classroom torn to shreds. The steel classroom door had been reduced to a few twisted metal strips, lying pitifully in a pool of blood and grime along with bricks and plaster.

At that moment, one of its claws was still embedded in the wall, not yet pulled out.

Zhu Yan’s eyes swept over the scene quickly, and he had a rough idea of what had happened.

Before he arrived, this thing had probably been tearing through walls in search of food.

Then he came along, but he moved too fast.

The creature didn’t have time to react before the startled Zhu Yan lopped off its head with one blow.

Now, the enormous mass of rotting flesh had gone still.

Zhu Yan stared at the wriggling flesh buds at the neck wound and decisively activated his Telekinesis skill. With his left hand in his pocket, he reached into the creature’s chest cavity from a distance.

Not far behind him, inside a door, a group of players watched the surveillance mirror hanging there with some fear.

It was cramped in there.

It was supposed to be a six-person dorm, but every bed was packed with people, and many others stood on the floor or sat on desks. The air was thick with a mix of sweat and blood.

Rough estimates put at least twenty people in there.

“Damn,” one male player said in awe. “Who is this guy? He’s insanely strong.”

After all, that thing outside was their ultimate boss—a mutated zombie.

Originally, they had planned to follow Shen Zichen’s idea: observe its weaknesses first, then combine their strengths and fight as a team.

But now?

The whole group watched the thing destroy two rooms without spotting any weaknesses, and then, out of nowhere, this player drops in and chops it down.

And he struck twice in under three seconds!

That efficient?

“It’s probably Zhu Zeyu,” the player at the front said.

This guy had a somewhat square face with dark skin and a surprisingly muscular build.

But his features were sharp, with piercing eyes, and he didn’t look stupid.

“How do you know?” the male player asked with newfound respect. “Shen Zichen, I knew you weren’t simple. Don’t tell me you know Zhu Zeyu?”

“I don’t,” Shen Zichen shook his head.

“At this stage, only Yang Zhanbai’s dorm people would know the floor instructions.”

“But only Zhu Zeyu would have the strength to take down a monster like this.”

Shen Zichen’s eyes were still fixed on the mirror.

“It doesn’t look like this thing is completely dead. What’s Zhu Zeyu doing?”

In the mirror, the slender young man stood casually with his hand in his pocket, as if leisurely admiring the rotting monster.

After a few seconds—maybe nearly ten—the headless giant corpse, which had been standing all along, collapsed with a crash, shaking the floor beneath them.

Silence fell over the dorm for two seconds, followed by a burst of noise.

Someone asked in a trembling voice, “Are we… saved?”

Even Shen Zichen’s breathing was heavy.

“I don’t know,” he said. “Wait… There should be an announcement soon.”

Outside the door.

Zhu Yan deactivated Telekinesis and felt his left hand coated in sticky, gel-like flesh scraps.

Suspecting there might be surveillance nearby, he couldn’t wipe his hand openly without raising suspicion.

So he kept his hand in his pocket and strode away briskly.

Only when he reached a pile of rubble did he pull a pack of alcohol wipes from his ring and clean his hand thoroughly.

The Lazy Craftsman’s Shop he was looking for lay ahead.

Amidst a heavy stench of decay, in a wasteland littered with organs and flesh, stood a small, exquisitely decorated shop.

Its pristine cylindrical display window was spotless, showcasing a delicate silver carousel studded with gems that glittered under the warm lights.

A half-bodied corpse was struggling to crawl toward the window, its sharp claws raised as if trying to reach the clean door.

But the door soon opened, and a giant dragonfly strode out, kicking the corpse hard and sending it flying with a thud.

“Scram! You vile thing, don’t dirty my shop!”

Its legs were silver prosthetics.

They supported the dragonfly’s soft, red-spotted body, allowing it to stand like a human.

Zhu Yan felt a chill run down his spine. Then the dragonfly turned its head, its compound eyes locking onto him.

“Oh ho—oh ho!” it hesitated, then immediately mimicked a warm tone. “A distinguished guest!”

“Please, come in! Don’t just stand there—see if there’s anything you need.”

One of its wings buzzed comically, as if expressing welcome.

Zhu Yan stepped forward, gripping his military knife tightly.

“You’re the owner? What do you mean by ‘distinguished guest’?”

He asked coldly.

If this thing recognized him as a Hunter, he would have no choice but to silence it.

That identity might not be very safe around creepy creatures either.

A flicker of insight crossed the dragonfly’s eyes, as if it sensed his concern.

“I am, I am the owner,” it said.

It chuckled, rubbing its two insect legs together, and immediately shifted its tone.

“You’re dressed so neatly, so clean—you stand out completely here.”

It pushed open the glass-inlaid wooden door, inviting Zhu Yan to see the array of goods inside.

“You’re clearly my distinguished guest. Pick anything you like. I really like the look of you, so I’ll do my best to meet your requests.”

Zhu Yan nodded and showed the dragonfly the military knife in his hand.

“Can you upgrade this knife to level 15?” he asked. “Also, the broadcast said windows are about to appear. I’d like to reinforce our dorm’s windows, with the highest level possible.”