Annoyance flitted across Val's features.
The zombie wasn't quicker, but it was undoubtedly stronger and tougher.
To overpower it, Val swiftly allocated three points into Strength and three more into Agility.
[Your Strength has increased to 13 points!]
[Your Agility has increased to 13 points!]
An intoxicating rush of power surged through his veins, an alien yet exhilarating sensation that made him feel untouchable.
With this, Val felt more confident about facing it without a weapon.
With a savage growl, the zombie lunged again, launching a flurry of attacks. But Val moved with the precision of a martial artist, fluidly dodging its wild swings. Then, a well-placed stomp onto the creature's knee shattered the bone, causing it to buckle. He followed up with a powerful punch that rotated its head a grotesque 180 degrees.
Gahhhh!
The zombie turned around and glared at him with bloodshot eyes, bellowing in rage as it opened its mouth wide.
The second its mouth opened up, Val was provided with the opportunity he had been waiting for.
Blood tendrils with razor-sharp edges sprung from his palm, shooting into the creature's gaping maw. While its exterior was tough, the inner cavities were vulnerable. Inside, the tendrils whirled around, shredding organs into pulpy mush. One tendril penetrated the roof of its mouth, impaling its brain.
As a result, the roar faded to a gurgle, then silence, and then the once formidable zombie crumpled lifelessly to the ground.
[Ding! You've defeated a level 2 servants of the Corpse Devil. As a result, you get +10 EXP.]
"They say if there's a hole, there's a chance for a goal. Yet, no one tells you that beneath a hard exterior often lies a soft interior."
A month prior to his graduation from IronSpire Stronghold's most prestigious school, Val had thoroughly committed to memory the contents of the revered tome, "An In-Depth Study of Monsters and Malevolent Creatures of Eldrich."
That comprehensive reference book detailed the vulnerabilities and strength of all Level 2 zombies, among other nefarious beings.
Back then, many perceived his serious commitment to memorizing such an extensive volume as excessive. Even his mentors advised him to relax, urging him to forge lasting memories with peers before it was too late. Yet, he dismissed their suggestions.
Firstly, he considered himself too mature to engage in the frivolous pastimes of his contemporaries.
Secondly, he firmly held the conviction that knowledge equated to power and time had an unforgiving habit of slipping through one's fingers.
As a result, he made the most of his second life's fleeting youth, dedicating himself to amassing as much information as possible regarding the bizarre world they inhabited.
Indeed, the diligence he displayed in preparing for an uncertain future had proved invaluable. If not for his knowledge about level 2 zombies, he might not have defeated it so easily!
Anyway, nothing less was expected from Val, the unfeeling!
"Hmm… what's this light?"
A glint of light was flickering from the open cavity in the zombie's skull.
Val's interest was piqued.
"Let's see what it is."
Using a blood tendril, he deftly extracted the source of the glimmer from the decimated zombie's cranium. What he held was a gem-like object that resembled Topaz except for its unusual moldability. He could easily squish it between his finger. It was softer than boobs!
No doubt, this was a Level 2 Zombie Nucleus!
Zombies beneath this level didn't form nuclei, but Level 2 zombies had a fifty percent chance of producing one upon death.
Nuclei varied in type based on the type of Level 2 zombie, but given the topaz-like shape and soft texture, Val could deduce it was a Strength and Resilience Essence Nucleus.
Such a nucleus would boost the body's strength and resilience, providing amplified physical power and heightened resistance to damage. It would also reduce the likelihood of contracting any zombie-related infections. However, absorbing the nucleus was no walk in the park— it was a challenging process, and Val wasn't in a position to undertake such an ordeal at present.
Thus, he stowed the precious nucleus in the pocket of his black windbreaker for later use.
Then, Val stood up straight, his gaze lifting to meet the figure of a creature that seemed to have materialized from the shadows!