Chapter 46: Advancement
“Right before I left, a coworker warned me about [The Trembling World]. The moment players reach level 5—that’s the true beginning stage of the game. No matter how many normal zombies the players kill, the maximum level they can obtain is level 4. To reach level 5, the requirement is to kill a colossal zombie.”
“It looks like this player was around level 4, and by killing the colossal zombie, he was able to advance to level 5. Then he should be feeling the beginnings of an awakened power, right?” Jiang JinYuan thought.
While hiding within a nearby building, Jiang JinYuan witnessed Liu Gan successfully delivering the killing blow to the colossal zombie. Uncontrollably, he felt extremely pleased, especially if Liu Gan would be willing to become his bodyguard. It looked like his journey to the main city’s interspatial laboratory would have a higher chance of success.
Liu Gan checked his level on his alloy watch; he was level 5. Aside from the increases in strength, speed, vision, and hearing, he felt that his limbs were all harder than before.
In addition, his alloy watch had an extra attribute on it written with two words: ‘mist armor’.
It was similar to the other attributes that had a green color. However, Liu Gan didn’t know he obtained this awakened power when he had advanced to level 5. He only wondered what type of armor the awakened power was, specifically if it was for physical or mental defense.
The only way to find out was to test it. Liu Gan used the short axe like a hammer to his arm. Apparently, he heard a ‘dong’ noise, but his arm didn’t feel anything like the smash of a hammer. The short axe rebounded backwards, and he only felt a tingling, numbing sensation.
Liu Gan tested the short axe on his chest this time. Just like when he had tried to hammer his arm, this time it also produced a ‘dong’ sound, and the short axe also rebounded backwards. The feeling was similar to wearing a metallic armor and having something smash into it. The point being that Liu Gan wasn’t actually wearing any metallic armor.
Liu Gan gave the attribute bar a closer look, and he found out that it was mostly green with a slight tint of red within it. It seemed like this ‘mist armor’ was pretty durable. Like the other attributes, the color would change from green to red and finally to black when it broke.
Liu Gan would have to wait for live combat to experience the full benefits of this skill.
After reaching level 5 and obtaining ‘mist armor’, Liu Gan was definitely happy. He felt like his power at level 4 was incomparable to his power level now. Simply speaking, when he would continuously swing the sledgehammer at level 4, he would tire out quickly, but now, he could easily swing it single-handedly without any tiredness at all.
In addition, when he had his backpack with the short axe, fire axe, and sledgehammer, it would exhaust him if he had to jump walls and climb with all this weight. So right before he engaged in combat, he dropped all the unnecessary gear for more mobility. Now that he was level 5, he could shoulder his backpack and gear and still easily climb and perform parkour. This mastery of weight showed that his body strength had increased significantly.
From now on he also had the protection of the ‘mist armor’. Even if he was careless and zombies ambushed him, his armor could absorb the damage. This was an invaluable asset that could improve his survival.
Once Liu Gan finished with the colossal zombie and investigated his loot, he walked over to LuLu and Pan Hua. He crouched down and saw Pan Hua’s injury. Pan Hua’s abdomen was ripped open with his intestines spilling out. Getting injured like this was definitely so severe that it left no hope of survival. Since the wound was created by the colossal zombie, it was undoubtedly infected. So after his death, he would also become a zombie.
“Boss…help me…. Just cut off my head….I don’t want…to become one of those zombies…” Pan Hua sighed as he told Liu Gan his concern. Pan Hua wanted his pain to end quickly because the suffering from having his abdomen torn apart was too much. But he wanted to keep his pride in front of his female idol, so he made up an excuse to Liu Gan.
“Fatty, no…” LuLu held Pan Hua’s hand while she cried loudly. She knew he was injured by that colossal zombie because of her. If it wasn’t for him, the person lying there with the stomach ripped apart would be her.
“LuLu…continue…surviving. Dying like this…would be too painful….It’s too real…I…don’t think…this is a game…” Pan Hua tried his best to explain to LuLu while enduring the pain.
“If this isn’t a game, what is it?” LuLu asked with a blank look.
“LuLu…sorry…I am…useless….After this…I…can’t…protect…you…anymore… ” said Pan Hua.
“You saved me; in my heart, you are already my hero.” LuLu said while crying her heart out to Pan Hua.
“LuLu…very happy…to be able to…meet you here….It is…a …beautiful…accident…” Pan Hua suddenly couldn’t feel the pain anymore. He was able to relax his frown and show LuLu a smile on his face.
“You will be okay; do you want me to sing you a song? I will sing to you…” While LuLu was holding Pan Hua’s hand, she seemed to think of something and started singing to Pan Hua.
『Hearing the winter’s departure』
『It took me years and months to realize』
『I think I waited and I look forward 』
『The future can’t be planned rationally 』
『…』
[TN: This is a legit song.]
“Boss…please… I beg you…one favor…” Pan Hua tugged Liu Gan’s hand. His consciousness started to waver, so he knew that he didn’t have much time left.
“Talk to me” Liu Gan said.
“LuLu…is a good female….Take her along….Don’t abandon her…please?” Pan Hua spewed blood from his mouth, as he gave Liu Gan a begging look.
“Sorry, that type of favor, I can’t promise that to you.” Liu Gan frowned.
“Then…teach her…how to kill…zombies…okay?” Pan Hua tried a different request.
“Kill zombies? Okay. That I can promise you. I will teach her for an hour. Once I am done, I will leave, so I hope she learns whatever she can during that time.” Liu Gan hesitated for a moment, before finally agreeing with Pan Hua.
Taking LuLu along with him was a task that he absolutely could not agree with. However, teaching her how to kill zombies was an easy task. At most, it would only delay him for an hour. That was acceptable to him.
As for this game, Liu Gan had thought of a few theories and hypotheses that he could test on LuLu’s body to help him survive longer in this world.
“Boss…you are a…good person…” Pan Hua smiled at Liu Gan. Then, he turned his head to look back at LuLu.