Chapter Seven: A Frightening Discovery

[Zombie Remnant Soul]
Type: Special Item
Function: Points toward the nearest elite zombie
Description: Zombies are a unique existence that defies the laws of nature. Their souls are forcibly detained within decaying bodies; even when the corpse falls apart, the soul remains trapped. Most ultimately vanish, returning to their place of origin, but a rare few manage to leave behind a formed remnant soul. Yet as the remaining ethereal body gradually disintegrates, its energy inevitably flows to the nearest elite zombie, beginning yet another cycle of imprisonment—or else, before dissolution, it is devoured by other zombies.

[Note: This item exists for only three minutes. Use promptly.]
[Note: This item cannot be taken out of the current assessment space.]

...

Ash crushed the remnant soul, and the gray soul energy automatically flew outside the ruined house. The two hurried after it, though speed was not much of a concern. Fortunately, the remnant soul’s flight path lay between two safe passageways, leading into a desolate grove rarely tread by humans.

They tracked the soul through the woods, finally watching it drift into a solitary building in the heart of the forest. Unlike the previous ruins, this villa was well preserved; its main structure remained intact. To possess such a residence in a wasteland settlement spoke volumes about its owner's former status.

Ash and the gradually tipsy Cup avoided approaching recklessly, for the building was surrounded by a throng of zombies. Soon, they saw a small, hunched zombie clutching the remnant soul and leaping out a broken window. Agile and nimble, it perched on a tree trunk beside the villa and, shaking the soul energy in its hand at a round figure lingering by the window, inhaled it gleefully.

Hee hee hee ha ha ha!

After absorbing the soul energy, the hunchback zombie wore a look of satisfaction, its mouth emitting strange laughter. Yet its behavior utterly enraged the figure behind the window.

Grrrr...

A sound like rushing water suddenly came from within the house. Sensing danger, the hunchback zombie jumped away at once. The next moment, the withered tree it had just perched on was sprayed with green fluid.

A pungent stench spread swiftly, drifting toward the wandering zombies. Suddenly driven mad, they rushed at the now verdant tree, tearing it apart with their dried hands until the green liquid fully evaporated. Only then did they cease their frenzy and resume aimless wandering.

The round zombie within the building, displeased at failing to kill its rival, wiped the green fluid from its mouth in frustration and retreated from the window, vanishing from sight. The hunchback zombie, meanwhile, had long since fled.

"Not easy to deal with."

Ash and Cup exchanged their findings and came to a less-than-pleasant conclusion.

...

Name: [Spitter] (Elite Zombie)
Health: 120/120
Attack Level: Average (13)
Defense Level: Weak (10)
Attack Speed: Normal
Alert Range: Normal
Skills: Bile Spit, Parting Gift, Viral Infection
Description: The Spitter is a unique zombie, having absorbed a vast amount of soul energy, granting it an unusually large physique. Eighty percent of its internal space is filled with corrosive bile. Any creature tainted with its bile will provoke intense stimulation in nearby zombies, causing them to violently tear apart anything contaminated.

...

Name: [Scalper] (Elite Zombie)
Health: 80/80
Attack Level: Average (18)
Defense Level: Weak (6)
Attack Speed: Very Fast
Alert Range: Normal
Skills: Frenzied Tear, Swift Pounce, Fear Release, Viral Infection
Description: The Scalper is a unique zombie, having absorbed a vast amount of soul energy, granting it an extraordinarily agile body. It always appears in unpredictable places, pouncing precisely at its target’s head, then using its sharp claws to pierce the skull.

...

Ash and Cup had expected to encounter only one elite zombie, but to their surprise, they faced two at once—and both were control-type monsters they least wished to confront.

The Spitter could mobilize zombies for a coordinated attack using its bile, while the Scalper directly stripped its targets of resistance.

If they faced only one, Ash and Cup were confident they could win. But now, with the Scalper missing and an unseen threat lurking, and with no certainty about when the Spitter might burst out from the building, the situation was fraught with danger.

After deliberation, they still decided to stay, mainly because finding elite zombies would likely take longer than defeating them. Although the assessment task did not explicitly require players to act swiftly, the sooner they entered the core area, the better.

Another important reason was that zombies, unlike Shadow Devourers, lacked collective aggression. Instead, they were sensitive to sound and drawn to various noises. Ash experimented by tossing stones, successfully luring out three zombies, which he and Cup dispatched easily—an arrow from her, a claw from him—without alerting the horde or the Spitter hiding in the villa.

Zombies’ actual attributes were only marginally better than enhanced Shadow Devourer larvae: thirty health points plus four defense was no match for the duo’s combined strike. Their attack power couldn’t penetrate the bioactive soft suit’s defense, and even viral infection was fully suppressed by the bloodvine product’s "virus resistance." Thus, with their power outstripping the challenge, Ash and Cup faced basic monsters without hesitation or fear.

Within just five minutes, Ash mastered the art of luring zombies with stones, slaying twenty in total. The zombie horde, numbering fifty, remained oblivious, shuffling along with heads bowed, clearly indifferent to everything around them.

But at that moment, another zombie remnant soul appeared.

Ash dispatched a zombie with a claw, immediately spotting a white soul drop. The soul energy attracted zombies far more than stones; the horde instantly became restless, charging toward where the white soul lay.

At this critical moment, Ash acted quickly, crushing the white soul beneath his foot and releasing its energy. Gray mist rose once again, but unexpectedly, it drifted not toward the villa, but to the grove behind them.

Hee hee hee ha ha ha!

A series of eerie giggles suddenly echoed, and Ash and Cup realized the Scalper had appeared behind them.

Rustling...

The sound of trembling branches arose before they could turn. Cup, knowing her defense was poor, rolled aside without hesitation. The Scalper, having locked onto her as its target, missed its pounce but tapped its toes upon landing, causing its hunched body to twist sharply toward Cup. Its enormous claws, larger than its head, were about to strike.

At that moment, Ash, quick-witted and reckless, lunged into the Scalper, forcing it aside and freeing Cup from danger.

Hee hee hee ha ha ha!

Despite its first attack being thwarted, the Scalper’s bizarre laughter persisted. Seeing its strike fail, it retreated at once; even a critical arrow shot by Cup couldn’t stop it.

"What a pity..."

Missing the chance to counter the Scalper left Ash regretful. The monster was simply too agile and hard to guard against. If not for Cup’s marksmanship, it would have escaped unscathed.

"This thing’s agility must exceed five points. To deal with it, we’ll have to devise a plan."

Ash pondered aloud, then he and Cup swiftly cleared the few zombies disturbed by the commotion, retreating to the grove and temporarily distancing themselves from the villa. The Spitter, apparently drawn by the strange laughter, appeared at the window again. With limited intelligence, it saw that only twenty or so minions remained and roared in fury, but the culprit had fled, and it had no way to pursue.

After a bout of impotent rage, the Spitter decided to leave the villa, leading the zombie horde to prevent further ambushes from Ash and Cup.

The two, having quietly returned to the edge of the grove, observed this from afar and made a seemingly reckless decision: they would seize the opportunity while the Spitter was gone to sneak into the villa. Amidst the ruins of this forbidden zone, the villa stood out so much that Ash and Cup could not simply ignore it. Moreover, by using the villa as a base, they might limit the Scalper’s ghostly movements.

Both Ash and Cup were decisive. Acting on their thoughts, they remained alert for another attack from the Scalper, circled halfway around the grove, killing a few zombies along the way, and finally reached the back of the building without incident. There, they found a shattered window and successfully slipped inside.

Then, the scene before them made both draw a sharp breath.

"Hiss..."

Because of the oppressive darkness, Ash and Cup had not seen the true state of the living room until now. After climbing in, they took a few steps and saw the walls fused with muscle, occasionally writhing. Tumors hung from the ceiling, thick veins dangling down. With each expansion and contraction of the tumors, powerful streams of blood surged through the veins, pouring into the floor and ultimately converging in a pit at the center of the living room.

Only then did they realize.

This villa... was alive.