Walking through the overgrown terrain, dagger at his side, wearing tattered pants he'd taken from a zombie, Matthew returned to the foot of the mountain in the midday sun.
Around the mountain were several zombies who approached Matthew, grabbing, scratching, and biting him, but he remained staring at the base of the mountain.
Footsteps...footsteps.
The Bone Zombie appeared with a menacing look.
The Bone Zombie created bone swords and hurled them at Matthew's legs, who staggered, never taking his eyes off the Bone Zombie despite his injuries.
The Bone Zombie roared angrily, throwing two blades at Matthew's head. Matthew swallowed the "monster's" pill in his mouth.
The bone blades shattered as they struck Matthew's forehead.
Matthew roared, barely maintaining control, flailing his arms, and the zombies surrounding him were torn to pieces.
Jump!
Matthew leaped toward the bone zombie and with a single, clean punch, he smashed its head open like a watermelon.
The pill's effect wore off, and the sounds of nature returned.
Matthew crouched down, searched for the bone zombie's teeth, and pulled out his own, swallowing them all at once.
[His teeth have been replaced with strong ones]
After receiving this notification, he began to bite into the tough skin of the bone zombie.
The sounds of crunching and chewing flesh filled the air. Hours passed, and Matthew swallowed every last bit of the zombie he had defeated.
[Host's bones have strengthened]
[Host's skin has strengthened]
[Zombie Commander skill acquired (Medium level)]
[Bone Blades skill acquired]
[Zombie: Rank C-]
Matthew lay down on the surrounding grass and weeds and gazed at the night sky above him.
"I need to be more careful. I don't want to keep losing my mind and my rank. I think I'll stay away from cities this time until I have a 'monster' pill with me. With a backup pill, I'll be able to face some threats.
[Coins: 5 brains]
"The bone zombie gave me three brains. I've also noticed that I only get coins when I eat zombies with power equal to or greater than mine."
Matthew didn't wait any longer and looked around to see if there were any zombies nearby.
Upon seeing two zombies, Matthew tried to give them orders, but it was impossible.
Then he began using his energy perception to try to influence the zombies with his own energy, but it was also useless.
After several attempts, he remembered that the bone zombie had pierced his legs with two swords in what seemed like an attack to paralyze him.
"If it had wanted me dead, it would have killed me on the spot." Then…
Matthew strained to grow two small white blades that sprouted from the palm of his hand.
He threw the blades at the two zombies.
After the zombies were pierced by the white blades, the system notified Matthew:
[You have established a connection with two F-rank and F-rank zombies.]
Matthew ordered the zombies to move away in different directions and attempted to establish contact with them.
"I don't know how it works, but everything the two zombies can perceive comes to my mind. It's like having a biological surveillance camera. I'll put this ability to good use."
Matthew ordered the two zombies to walk around the area, then he searched for more zombies, but was disappointed to learn that he could only establish a connection with three at the moment.
[If the host continues to increase their power, they will be able to control more zombies.]
"I'm some kind of necromancer," Matthew joked to himself, and two days later he left the mountain with the three zombies he controlled leading the way.
The zombies advanced through the weeds, roots, and trees, sometimes stumbling due to the uneven and unfamiliar terrain they were exploring.
"I need to be more careful. I won't go into another horde of zombies; I'll just observe from a distance. There are zombies too dangerous even for me," the morning breeze blew through the landscape dominated by Mother Nature, where the ruins of what must have once been houses could be seen.
"Damn, I just remembered I left my spear behind. Sorry. But I've gone too far to go back." Matthew continued walking. He had no maps now, nor was he in any hurry, so he simply walked and observed his surroundings.
A week passed, and he reached a clearing with thin grass that reached almost to his waist.
A one-meter-long snake slithered near his right foot, and he stepped on the head of the brown snake and began to devour it as they continued walking along that clear path from which a ruined residential area could be seen ahead.
It seems rational beings have abandoned the territories I've explored, or perhaps there are no survivors.
Matthew entered the residential area, whose paths were overgrown with plants and vines.
[Zombie Dog: Rank E-]
[Zombie Dog: Rank E]
[Zombie Dog: Rank E-]
[Zombie Dog: Rank E+]
Matthew spotted four zombie dogs. Without hesitation, he ordered his three zombies to attack the four dogs while he crafted two sharp "bone swords."