The number of zombies outside had dwindled to less than a hundred, scattered figures shambling aimlessly amidst the debris and garbage littering the ground.
An unexpected sense of desolation hung over the vast plaza.
Luo Jie avoided the wide main entrance. Consulting his map, he moved to the side of the Good Fortune City complex. Using the Black Ghost's inhuman height and strength, he had it hurl him onto a second-floor viewing platform.
This was the optimal route veterans had discovered – bypassing the dense hordes crowding the first-floor commercial street, saving crucial time.
Of course, such leapfrog tactics required intimate knowledge of the environment and enemies. Otherwise, it was a fast track to becoming trapped.
The viewing platform was the outdoor section of a café, roughly eighty to ninety square meters, cleverly divided into areas by lush greenery. Several zombies stood motionless under sun umbrellas. Sensing living prey, they stirred, their shuffling steps thudding unevenly against the wooden deck.
Crash—!
A corpulent male zombie knocked over a small bistro table, arms spreading wide like a grotesque parody of welcome. Its lower jaw was missing, leaving only a bloody, half-severed tongue dangling. How it planned to bite anyone was a mystery.
"Get lost—!"
Luo Jie snatched up a nearby folding chair. Pivoting at the waist, he swung it with all his might. The chair slammed into the zombie's left shoulder, staggering it. It tripped over the table leg and crashed face-first onto the deck.
Groooowl—!
The fat zombie struggled to rise. Luo Jie planted a boot on its back, flipped the chair, and drove one of its metal legs deep into the creature's skull with brutal force.
Two more lunged. No time to retrieve the chair. Luo Jie yanked over a square table, blocking one. He ripped a café-branded sun umbrella from its stand, using the canopy to shove the second attacker back until it toppled over the platform's edge.
Other zombies snarled, tangled in the planters. Luo Jie sprinted for the door, yanked it open, and slid inside the café.
The interior was worse. A dozen zombies crouched amidst the wreckage, feasting on shapeless corpses. A server-zombie, driven mad by the scent of blood, repeatedly slammed itself against the counter barricading its path.
No hesitation. Luo Jie vaulted the counter using a barstool. Grabbing a heavy coffee urn from the workstation, he brought it down with sickening force, shattering the server-zombie's skull.
CRACK!
The loud crash drew the other feeders. They abandoned their meals, drawn to the counter, but the chest-high marble barrier held them back.
Finally, a moment to breathe.
Luo Jie realized he'd overestimated himself. His plan was straightforward: reach the second-floor security office, gear up, and trigger the first hidden quest. But these zombies were tougher than anticipated. Improvised weapons – his "Jackie Chan arsenal" – wouldn't carve a path through the horde ahead.
Turn back to the first-floor shops? He dismissed the thought instantly. By his estimate, Sunglasses was likely already there. Turning back meant a direct confrontation. Sunglasses wasn't stupid; he'd connect the map seller to Luo Jie instantly.
So, where was the nearest source of real weapons?
His gaze snapped left. Through the café's corridor-facing window, bold traditional Chinese characters stood out among the English signage: "Zhao's Antiques & Curios."
He remembered the veterans' guides mentioning that Good Fortune City's best melee weapons were often found there. Getting in, however, was the problem.
The shop was built like an ancient Chinese pawnshop – thick iron bars, finger-width apart, covered every opening. Only one heavy security door offered access. Without the key, only C4 would open it – and Good Fortune City lacked that particular terrorist favorite. Finding the antique dealer meant finding the key. Finding the dealer meant accessing security footage. A perfect, frustrating loop.
Wait…
A mental block dissolved. He couldn't get in, but something else could.
The Black Ghost.
Its remaining fifty seconds of existence might not kill many zombies, but it could easily toss weapons through those bars.
IBM particles, like smoke, drifted down the corridor. The mummy-thin black figure solidified inside the antique shop's cage.
The moment it gained mobility, Luo Jie directed it towards the wall-mounted medieval weapon rack.
Crash! Clatter—!
Leaping up, the Black Ghost's foot caught a display shelf. It toppled, spilling antiques and junk across the floor.
"Huh?"
Luo Jie spotted something behind the fallen shelf – a hidden compartment holding a worn, long wooden case. Less than thirty seconds remained. Instinct took over. The Black Ghost clawed out the case and grabbed several weapons from the rack. It shoved everything – weapons and case – through the gaps in the bars.
Moments later, Luo Jie retrieved the haul from the corridor and laid it out: three weapons and the case.
Weapon One:
Knight's Mace
Type: One-Handed Blunt
Quality: F (Blue)
Level: LV1
DMG: 40
Skill 1: Skullcracker (Passive) - +20% DMG on headshots. Chance to Stun.
Desc: It's a stick. Hit the head. What's complicated?
Unlock Cost: 1,000 Points
Weapon Two:
Ranger's Hand-and-a-Half Sword
Type: Longsword
Quality: F (Blue)
Level: LV1
DMG: 40
Skill 1: Versatile Grip (Passive) - Switch freely between one/two-handed grip. Two-handed: +20% ATK SPD, +50% DMG.
Desc: A practical, elegant blade favored by medieval wanderers.
Unlock Cost: 1,500 Points
Weapon Three:
Executioner's Guillotine Sword
Type: Two-Handed Heavy Blade
Quality: F (Purple - Epic)
Level: LV1
DMG: 100
Skill 1: Decapitation (Passive) - +100% DMG on neck strikes.
Skill 2: Soul Sunder (Passive) - Damages ethereal targets.
Desc: An ancient Chinese headsman's blade, stained faint red by the blood of the condemned. Intricate ghost heads and runes adorn the guard, hinting at dormant Eastern power.
Unlock Cost: 5,000 Points
Luo Jie sucked in a sharp breath. The veterans' guides mentioned the antique dealer quest had rich rewards, but this rich? Two Blues and a Purple? That was nearly a third of a Level 1 instance's potential high-tier gear!
Finding them wasn't owning them. Without the Unlock Points, they were just eye candy. He only had 2,400 points – enough for one Blue. Giving up any felt wrong, especially the rare Purple Guillotine Sword. An old internet saying echoed bitterly: "Indecision isn't a disease. It's just being broke." Ouch.
"Fine. Let's see what's in the damn case first." Distraction was welcome.
He was intensely curious. Hiding implied serious value.
He lifted the lid. Two katana lay nestled on golden velvet, one black, one red. Unwielded, they radiated palpable, razor-edged menace.
Weapon Four:
Masterwork Sword: Fugu's Venom
Type: Katana
Quality: E (Gold - Legendary)
Level: LV1
DMG: 250
Skill 1: Seven-Body Cut (Passive) - +100% DMG vs. organic targets.
Skill 2: Gale Blade (Passive) - +50% ATK SPD, +15% ATK Range. Damages ethereal targets.
Skill 3: Swordmaster's Resolve (Passive) - Greatly increases resistance to mental effects. Immune to Fear.
Desc: The blade of Haohmaru, the Peerless Swordsman of the Gale. Legend claims a sliver of the Wind God's spirit is sealed within its steel.
Unlock Cost: 100,000 Points
Weapon Five:
Masterwork Sword: Ume's Venom
Type: Katana
Quality: E (Gold - Legendary)
Level: LV1
DMG: 250
Skill 1: Seven-Body Cut (Passive) - +100% DMG vs. organic targets.
Skill 2: Blood Drinker (Passive) - 5% of DMG vs. organic targets heals wielder. Each hit grants +2% Base DMG and +1% CRIT Chance for 60s (stacks 5x). Damages ethereal targets.
Skill 3: Curse Phantom (Passive) - Wielder projects a demonic shadow aura. Non-allies within 10m must pass a MENTAL RESIST check or become Feared (-10% All Stats, +100% Skill Cost).
Desc: The cursed blade of Galford D. Weller, the Murderous Demon. Accumulated grudges manifest visibly upon the steel. It whispers of becoming a true demon sword... lacking only one final catalyst.
Unlock Cost: 100,000 Points