Lin An froze for a moment as a faint, shimmering curtain appeared before his eyes.
"Savior Mission System: Enabled."
"Mission Information: Kill the Level 2 Mutant [Stitcher]."
"Mission Level: Dangerous!"
"Time Limit: 240 hours."
"Mission Reward: Antitoxin Serum ×3 (capable of removing the zombie virus)."
"Mission Description: Dangerous Level 2 zombies will spawn in Linjiang City within 12 hours. Eliminate them swiftly. After 240 hours, they will evolve into Level 3 Horrors."
Before Lin An could react, two pendant-like objects materialized in his palm. Cold, heavy, and strangely solid.
What is this…?
"Task Initial Reward: Anti-Poison Pendant (Gray Equipment) ×2."
"Anti-Poison Pendant (Gray): Temporarily suppresses the zombie virus for 240 hours. Afterward, it loses its effect and becomes an ordinary reusable item. Timer activates on use and pauses when removed."
"Equipment Quality Levels: Gray (Poor), White (Standard), Blue (Excellent), Black (Doomsday)."
A flash of white light, and the pendants shot from his hand, embedding themselves around the necks of An Xia and An Jingtian.
An Jingtian, still thrashing violently, went limp as if asleep.
An Xia, sitting pale by the window, felt warmth returning to her face.
"Beep. Savior Exclusive Skill Activated: Eye of Judgment."
"Eye of Judgment (Level 0) activated: Consumes mental energy.
Provides detailed information about anything within sight.
Next level unlocks upon mission completion."
A surge of data poured into Lin An's mind, engraved like a brand. His vision dimmed briefly before opening to a sharp, golden clarity. Dust motes floated like tiny stars in the once-shadowed corners of the room.
This… enhances vision.
Lin An's heart thumped. In a world gone mad, the deadliest threat was not strength, but misinformation. With the Eye of Judgment, he had the advantage.
"Brother Lin, are you okay?"
An Xia's voice pulled him back. She leaned against the window, weak and anxious, yet alive. Without his careful planning—ordering An Jingtian restrained—she might have become another victim, slaughtered by her own brother's zombie instincts.
The Eye of Judgment automatically scanned her.
"Name: Human (50% Zombification). Strength: 3. Agility: 3. Constitution: 2. Will: 6. Player Level: 0. Weaknesses: Heart, Head, Spine. Skills: Cooking 1, Language Proficiency 2, Handicraft 1. Equipment: Anti-Poison Pendant (Gray)."
A torrent of other details flowed, unnervingly precise. Lin An forced himself to smile, concealing the storm inside. He was her anchor now.
His thoughts raced. The Savior template had chosen him, giving him the Eye of Judgment and rewarding him for saving the two. Tailor-made.
But who was he meant to save? Himself? Those close to him? Or all of humanity?
Lin An laughed bitterly. Humanity? He had no delusions of being a savior. His goal was survival, vengeance, and protecting those he cared about. Others could perish for all he cared. His previous life had taught him the ugliness of human nature, betrayal, and death.
Suppressing dark reflections, he turned to An Jingtian. The boy lay on the floor, chest rising and falling weakly. If not for the peeling, decaying skin, he would have looked merely asleep.
For now, both An Jingtian and An Xia were stable. Task completion meant hope—and three doses of priceless antitoxin. Deducting what belonged to the siblings, Lin An would have one dose for himself.
The mission was clear. He had faced this kind of system before in his previous life. Quests usually required killing zombies or acquiring items, offering small but vital rewards.
He had expected to suppress An Jingtian's zombification with awakened blood and keep him alive temporarily. But now, a perfect solution had appeared.
Yet the time limit pressed on him.
"Mission: Kill the mutant zombies. Within ten days, Level 2 will become Level 3."
Level 3 was a different world. Second-order mutants could be fought with coordination and weapons. Third-order… nothing could stop them. One was enough to destroy armies, tear through armor, and regenerate wounds.
Time was critical. Ten days left. An Jingtian's zombification suppression had to account for travel and preparation—so realistically, nine days remained. Every hour counted.
The location of the [Stitcher] was unknown, but Lin An didn't need it.
He pulled a crumpled cigarette from his pocket, lighting it in the dim room. The flickering glow illuminated his face, sharp and determined.
[Stitcher].
It was the predecessor of [Hatred] from his previous life. Located in Wanda Plaza, packed with thirty thousand souls. After feeding, it became a nightmare that swallowed Linjiang City.
Lin An exhaled, smoke drifting into the still air. Time was short, and the world was about to get even darker.