Just a second before he was about to act, Nathan felt a strange energy surge into his body. It was pure, warm, and oddly comforting, giving him the sense that his genes were evolving.
He clenched his fists, feeling the changes coursing through him, and muttered, "I can feel it, I'm getting stronger. So, killing zombies brings rewards? I wonder if this is just me or if others could feel it too."
After a moment of thought, Nathan confirmed that the energy wasn't harmful and continued swinging the axe at the next zombie.
In the time it took to drink a cup of coffee, he had already cleared out the zombies outside his door. Feeling refreshed, he leaned against the hallway wall, rubbing his sore arms, and couldn't help but smile bitterly. Killing zombies was hard work, but the rewards were worth it. The energy he absorbed had reached a threshold. If everything went smoothly, he estimated that killing a few dozen more zombies might elevate his genes to the next level.
He closed his eyes and thought, 'What will happen after collecting enough of this energy? Awakening special abilities? Becoming a superhuman? Anyway, first, I'll rest, then head to the supermarket for food, and hit the gun store to upgrade my gear!'
Feeling his arms less sore, Nathan found a large backpack in the room, packed the last piece of bread and a big bottle of water.
Standing at the doorway, he surveyed the room and said, "Farewell, home, sweet home. Thank you for your two days' service."
After bidding farewell, Nathan opened the pocket watch to stop time and swaggered out of the building.
On the street, he saw nothing but zombies. He swallowed hard and mustered the courage to walk forward. Standing in the middle of the zombie horde, he spotted a large supermarket.
"After I rest my arms and eat something, I'll come back to kill you bastards!" he muttered, suppressing the urge to chop down all the zombies on the street, and hurried towards the supermarket.
Just as he was about to rush in for a free shopping spree, he caught a glimpse of a woman waving for help from a building next to the supermarket. The time stoppage made it hard to see exactly what she was doing, but considering the apocalyptic setting, she was probably calling for help.
No matter what she was doing, the real taker of Nathan's attention was the only piece of fabric on her body, her underwear. 'I can't expose my pocket watch's ability. So, before I go to save her, I better get myself fed up and grab some new gear at the gun store first!'
After all, that woman looked pretty good from a distance. With a plan in mind, Nathan didn't waste any time and entered the looted supermarket. The chaotic scene in front of him told the story of how many times this place had been ransacked since the apocalypse hit.
He picked up an intact package of chocolate from a fallen shelf, found a few unexpired loaves of bread in another area, and grabbed two bottles of cola. Swiftly collecting the necessary supplies, he left the supermarket.
Throughout this process, he didn't make any unnecessary movements or check the warehouse or other areas. Even though he could stop time, this was still the post-apocalyptic world. One thing that should never be tested was human nature!
The gun store raid went more smoothly. Although the door was locked, Nathan easily entered through a smashed window.
Looking around, he sighed. "A fortress is often breached from within. These corpses were clearly shot before being eaten by zombies. One can only imagine the stories here. But for me, it's good news. No humans left means I can find some good weapons and gear."
As he muttered, he realized he had gotten used to talking to himself since arriving in this post-apocalyptic world. This habit wasn't a good sign.
After killing a zombie squatting in the ammunition room with an axe, Nathan, panting heavily, used his phone to light up the dim room and began to search.
First, he needed a gun, even just a handgun. Anyone who had seen Resident Evil knew that using a gun to shoot zombies wasn't as fast as using a knife to chop them. Especially for Nathan, who could stop time, a sharp long knife would be the best weapon.
But that didn't mean a gun was useless! A gun was fast within 30 feet and accurate within 10 feet. When facing humans, Nathan might encounter unpredictable situations, so even with the pocket watch, his top priority was finding a handgun for self-defense. Well, he had to admit he was also thinking about the woman upstairs in the supermarket.
After a bit of searching, Nathan found a handgun. "This will do. Low recoil and very convenient." Although he didn't recognize the model, after a few simple tests of the safety and firing, he was quite satisfied.
Since he could always come back for more powerful firepower later, he wasn't overly greedy. He put two boxes of bullets in his backpack and left the small room to find a more efficient cold weapon. At the same time, the old pocket watch suddenly closed, and time began to resume.
Upstairs in the supermarket, intern doctor Elara Vance was vigorously waving for help at the window. Although her physical strength was waning, the will to survive drove her to keep going. She hoped against hope that a good samaritan could pop up and come to her rescue. The zombies had already broken into Elara's home, and she was just one door away from being torn to pieces!