Lynn felt the rush of energy course through his body as he leveled. It was an exhilarating feeling, like liquid vitality flooding his veins. The influx of power seemed to awaken every cell, every fiber of his being.
Even though only his dexterity and intelligence attributes had been increased, he felt that with each level up, every aspect of his being underwent a transformation.
"Each time I level up, it's like being reforged into an upgraded version of myself," Lynn muttered, flexing his hands as the energy rush gradually stabilized.
Lynn manifested his status panel to examine the changes.
[Player: Temporary Number F0001]
Class: [Doctor lv4] (2%)
Talent: [Gemini Soul]
Attributes:
[Strength 10] [Dexterity 11] [Constitution 10] [Intelligence 11] [Perception 10]
Class Skills: [Cell Proliferation]
General Skills: [Evaluation lv1] [Swordsmanship lv1]
Equipment: [Zombie Slaying Sword]
[Attribute Points: 2] [Skill Points: 3]
Lynn's eyes drifted down to the available attribute and skill points he had just obtained. The temptation to immediately invest them tugged at his mind, but he pushed it down. Such resources were precious, especially during dangerous situation like this zombie filled hospital.
He looked over the mission's section of his status panel:
[Zombie Extermination]
[Side Mission: Kill 150 zombies, 121/150]
"There is nothing left to complete it, I wonder if there will be a continuation of this mission" Lynn muttered.
He shook his head, realizing he had been lost in contemplation. He needed to remain focused on their immediate goal.
Lynn strode over to where Alice was keeping watch.
"I'm ready to move again when you are," he said. "Let's keep clearing this floor before heading down."
Alice nodded. "Yes, we should comb through the rest of this level just to be thorough," she agreed. "We don't want any zombies at our backs."
Lynn tightened his grip on his sword. "I'm on the same page. Let's sweep them up."
The two continued navigating the maze-like corridors of the 4th floor. Guided by Alice's abilities, Lynn tracked down the remaining zombies scattered throughout the wing.
The process had become almost routine at this point. As soon as they came across any undead, Lynn swiftly eliminated them before they could react.
As his sword severed another zombie's head, Lynn paused to wipe residual blood spatter from his face.
[+1 Zombie Killed, 132/150]
Alice glanced around the now silent hallway. "It seems this one was the last zombie on this floor," she remarked.
Lynn lowered his sword, nodding. Their coordinated sweeps had proven effective. Methodically moving through each wing, they had flushed out the remaining undead until not a single zombie was left standing.
Aside from the lingering carnage and eerie stillness, the fourth floor was now clear.
"That should take care of them all," Lynn said. He closed his eyes and focused his senses, straining to pick up any traces of movement or noise. But he detected nothing aside from his own breathing and heartbeat.
Alice gave a curt nod of agreement as she surveyed the now deserted corridors surrounding them. "We were thorough in our purge," she said. "Let's do one final loop just to be certain, then we can move down."
Lynn gripped his sword tightly. "Sounds good."
The two began a final circuit through the maze-like halls and patient rooms. But their earlier battles had indeed depleted the undead ranks. No more zombies emerged to bar their path.
Before long, they arrived back at the central stairwell. Lynn glanced around one last time before declaring "The fourth floor is cleared."
Alice glanced at Lynn as they stood before the stairwell leading down. "Should we continue to the next floor, or stop here and rest for the day?" she asked.
Lynn considered for a moment. They had made significant progress clearing this floor of all zombies. Pushing forward would maintain momentum. But his body still felt the lingering effects of overexertion from the recent battles.
Ultimately, he decided rest took priority. "Let's stop here for today," Lynn said. "We've done enough, and could use the time to recover our strength."
Alice nodded, seemingly unsurprised by this decision. "Very well, we'll resume tomorrow then."
The two backtracked to a secured patient room they had scouted earlier as a temporary shelter. Once the door was firmly barricaded behind them, Lynn finally allowed his body to relax. He sank down onto one of the beds with a deep exhale, the day's exertions catching up to him all at once.
His muscles ached, and his movements felt heavy and sluggish now that the heat of battle had passed. Lynn knew the sensations would fade after some rest, but for now his body desperately craved recovery time.
He grabbed canned food and bottled water from the supplies, rationing out a portion for each of them. Alice accepted the provisions gratefully.
A silence settled between them then, both focused on their own recovering. After some time passed, Alice broke the stillness.
"You should get some rest. I'll take first watch tonight," she said.
Lynn started to protest. But Alice fixed him with a stern look. "You expended far more energy today during those battles. Plus, you had to heal yourself. I'll wake you halfway through the night so we can switch."
Too tired to argue further, Lynn conceded with a reluctant nod. He knew she was right - his body was utterly spent after being pushed to its limits. The zombie cores had restored some vitality, but nothing could replace actual rest.
Lynn prepared a space to sleep, clearing away debris and laying out a sheet. As he settled down, his eyelids already felt heavy, his mind and body eager for respite.
"Alright, wake me if anything happens," Lynn murmured tiredly.
"I will, now sleep," Alice replied. She took a seat near the barricaded door, crowbar resting across her knees as she began her watch.