Lin Xinghai's arms trembled—not from fear or nerves, but from sheer excitement.
He was a systematic person, and at this moment, a translucent screen shimmered before him. On it appeared a single choice:
Absorb the power of blood energy?
Did he even need to think about it?
"Yes!"
At once, a strange warmth seeped into his arm, flowing into his body like liquid fire. The sensation was uncanny, as if an unseen force poured straight into his veins.
He glanced at the zombie before him. The wound at the back of its head, which had still been oozing moments ago, had dried completely. Its skin turned deathly pale, drained of every drop of blood.
"This…" Lin Xinghai froze, pinching the wound with his fingers. Not a single drop of blood came out.
So the power of blood isn't actual blood from the corpse… but something drawn from it.
His heart pounded, but he forced himself to remain calm. Luckily, no one noticed his strange behavior. Zombie wounds stopped bleeding quickly, and their skin was pale to begin with—no one would think twice.
Then a clear chime echoed in his mind:
Ding! Congratulations, host. You have absorbed 1 point of blood energy. Attribute panel unlocked. Main quest initiated.
The light screen shifted, transforming into an attribute panel.
Host: Lin XinghaiConstitution: 7Strength: 7Speed: 9Blood Energy: 1Genetic Optimization: 9%
"Speed type?" Lin Xinghai muttered. He had no benchmark to compare himself with, so the numbers meant little. Still, the word speed caught his attention.
He scrolled down to the task section.
Main Quest: Collect 10 points of blood energy.Explanation: Blood energy is the foundation of strength. The more, the better.Reward: Unlock scouting.Progress: 1/10
Joy flickered across his face. Normally, such a task would be difficult. But here? Surrounded by corpses? It was practically free.
He moved quickly, experimenting as he touched another body. No response. Only when his hand brushed over a bleeding wound did the system activate.
So the power of blood isn't blood itself… but it's still drawn from blood.
Progress: 2/10.
Excitement surged. He crouched from one corpse to the next, and soon the bar ticked up to 7/10.
Just three more.
What he didn't realize was that Roger had been watching the whole time.
This first "lesson" wasn't just about making new recruits dirty their hands. It was an assessment of courage. Mercenaries lived and died by their nerve, and Roger had already been considering Lin Xinghai. Now he watched closely.
When Lin Xinghai stepped forward without hesitation to touch a corpse, Roger nodded in approval.
But when he touched a second, and then a third, Roger's brow twitched. By the fifth, the corners of his mouth twitched.
What is he doing? …Don't tell me this kid has necrophilia.
When Lin Xinghai leaned over the seventh corpse, Roger finally strode over.
"What exactly are you doing?"
Lin Xinghai froze. He had expected his odd behavior might draw suspicion, so he answered with the excuse he'd prepared, his tone steady.
"I was just curious. These zombies were clearly killed by bullets through the head. Why then cut open the back of the skull afterward?"
Roger blinked, surprise replacing suspicion. Most recruits were barely able to touch a corpse their first time, yet Lin Xinghai noticed details and sought answers.
His impression of the boy shot upward.
"Good. If you want to live in the apocalypse, that kind of insight is vital. As for why we cut the back of the head—"
"Don't tell me," Lin Xinghai interrupted. "I'd rather figure it out myself."
He needed the excuse to keep touching bodies, after all.
Roger paused, then gave a look of genuine approval. "Better than I thought."
Lin Xinghai quickly slipped away, relief washing over him, and hurried to the next corpse.
Not long after, the progress bar ticked to 10/10.
Ding! Quest complete. Scouting function unlocked. 10 free exploration chances awarded.
A new option lit up on his panel:
Exploration: Spend blood energy to scan a target's attributes. The stronger the target, the more energy required. Note: the first 10 scans are free.
His eyes gleamed. Then he noticed the main quest had updated.
Main Quest: Kill 100 zombies.Explanation: Tricks are temporary. True strength comes from battle.Reward: None.
"None? Are you kidding me?" Lin Xinghai's face darkened. Why bother completing it then?
But the system gave him no choice. Without progress, no new quests would appear. Sooner or later, he'd have to face the zombies himself.
Just as he sighed, he noticed something new on the panel:
Genetic Optimization: 9%+
The plus sign pulsed. Curious, he tapped it.
Consume 1 point of blood energy to improve genetic optimization?
His heart skipped a beat. Yes!
Warmth surged through his body, flooding his veins, strengthening every fiber of muscle and bone.
Constitution: 8 → 7Speed: 9 → 10Blood Energy: 9Genetic Optimization: 10%+
Excitement flashed in his eyes. A one percent increase in optimization raised his body stats directly.
"This power really is the foundation of growth!"
Without hesitation, he poured the rest of his blood energy into optimization. This time, fire seemed to blaze within him, tearing and reforging flesh and bone.
When the sensation faded, his panel had transformed:
Host: Lin XinghaiConstitution: 15Strength: 13Speed: 19Blood Energy: 0Genetic Optimization: 19%+
He stared at the numbers in awe. In just minutes, he had grown far beyond his original limits.
Looking at the uneven increases across his attributes, Lin Xinghai's eyes narrowed thoughtfully.
"This… isn't random. The system strengthens me based on my potential."
A smile crept across his face. The path forward was clear.