Taking hold of another spear, he whistles again, attracting the attention of more dead from the ranks of Izanami, four to be exact. Three goo zombies, and one bulkier zombie like the one he had seen moments ago.
Wandering in a group. Snarling, Sin takes up one of the spears, launching it with strength against one of the goo zombies, piercing its skull in one hit, letting the green-black ooze fly from out of its head alongside bone fragments. "——!"
[SIDE MISSION MADE! FIRST SHOWDOWN YOU NEVER FORGET!
FACE THE BULKIER DEAD AND HIS STARTING UNDEAD WITHOUT TAKING DAMAGE!
OBJECTIVE:
• KILL THE FOUR DEAD WITHOUT TAKING DAMAGE
• COMPLETELY KILL THE BULKIER UNDEAD WITHOUT TAKING DAMAGE
• BULKIER UNDEAD CAN NOT BE THE LAST UNDEAD TO BE KILLED
• ONE UNDEAD SHALL RUN AWAY
REWARDS:
• 5 EXP
• RIB STABBER
• 5 SPIRIT ESSENCE]
Ignoring them is no longer an option, even if it is a bad starting weapon, a starting weapon is a starting weapon, which means it is better than the human tools at hand. Hwang Sin's heart instead of going calmer suddenly takes off, beating fast like an engine.
Adrenaline rose at the stakes at hand, to face a bulkier undead which his weapons wouldn't be good against. This system can have a sickly sense of humor when it wants to, the biggest threat cannot be dealt lastly. Thinking on the fly is essential if he wants to defeat them.
The bulkier one lets a blood-curdling roar, rushing forward with the remaining two zombies. Running like a madman as their ooze sprawls on the ground as they run. Sin snaps his tongue in annoyance.
Those things won't be easy to take down. "System, Immortal class skills I have available, now!"
Instead of rushing them this time around, he runs away, in circles, going around the dead as he does, forcing their underdeveloped mind to go on a wild goose chase. They outnumber him three to one, and have more than just a few tricks open their sleeve— the rotting goo is not just a trick of their appearance.
[IMMORTAL CLASS SKILLS AVAILABLE: PUNCH-KI BLAST, INNER FOCUS, CALM MIND, MEDITATION]
The only offensive skill is PUNCH-KI Blast, a close-quarters attack with bare hands. This may be why that mission will give a gauntlet. The dead continue to rush him, mindless and frenzied like rabid beasts.
Getting another cleaver on his other hand, he throws both of them at the skinnier goo zombies, hitting them in their heads as if the butcher knives were tomahawks, splitting their skulls asunder but not yet killing them, just stopping them in their tracks for a few moments.
The bulkier one continues to rush, letting a proud and violent roar as he does so. Their neck is too thick to cut, and their heads are thick enough to cleave through like the other two goo zombies. He will have to depend on a skill and see if its strength is enough to kill it.
Yet, there is always a strategy, a way to deal with them. The thick smell of rotting flesh and rot… 'Wait!' Staring at the goo tray, a cruel smile blossoms on his face. They are all rotting carcasses past the point of no return.
If they have a weakness, is that one. Tacking a cleaver, he includes himself forward as he runs, letting its blade hit against the ground and sparks of attrition fall, the monster getting closer and closer.
"Eat fire, you bastard!" With a heavy and rough swing against the ground, more sparks fall but towards the oozing body of the bulkier dead, hitting its "skin", quickly setting ablaze as the stronger undead becomes a match stick, burning up as the ooze and gasses on its body are set ablaze.
It tries to roar again, but the air is sucked into his inside alongside the flames, starting to burn it both inside and out at the same time.
The creature stops its advance, to struggle in pain as fire devours it. The other goo zombies step back, watching their kin be burned without trying to help or come closer— and instinctual knowledge that it will kill them if they get close to it.
The first sign of self-preservation they show. Closing the distance between them, getting in close quarters range against the bulkier dead. "Go back to hell, abomination." Energy fills his hands, as pop-ups appear
Despite the blades on its arms, Sin dances through them as the dead move wildly in pain, unable to even perceive he is there, a fatal exploit for its human enemy, who fully intends to use it.
[CONGRATULATIONS ON ACTIVING YOUR FIRST ACTIVE SKILL! PUNCH-KI BLAST!
30 POINTS OF CHI CONSUMED
TECHNIQUE ACTIVATED, YOUR NEXT TWO PUNCHES ARE ENHANCED WITH CHI]
It can only die if its head is destroyed, brain-pierced, or decapitated. In other words, it can't be decapitated because of its strong neck holding it in place despite the flames, but its head can be weakened, weakened enough to allow a crushing blow.
Aiming between its eyesockets, he let his middle and ring fingers slightly forward, to act as focal points of the punch. Like a piston, his fist hits two times at the weakest point on its skull, even if it is a monster, its base still is a human.
The weakest point of the human skull is right between the eyes. The spçot is hit for times in a row, two times by each hand.; The sound of bones cracking echoing, but surprisingly, was not of his hands. 'Endurance and chi come in clutch.'
Once again, he activates the ability
[30 POINTS OF CHI CONSUMED]
And hits it again, the flames consuming its body flickering because of the power and speed of the punches, arms coiling like springs and springing forward with extreme strength, bashing the skull at a focal point with great prejudice.
Its spot becomes weaker and weaker, as another four punches are launched, weak enough to be pierced— grabbing his second to last spear, Sin drives it forward on its cranium, piercing through the weakened spot, reaching its brain, and finally, killing it.
Because of is made of wood, its spear soon crackles ablaze. "You still have a utility." Kicking the corpse away, he throws the spear at one of the remaining goo zombies, setting it on fire too,m while its companion steps away from the two blazing bodies.
As if understanding that it too will die should it get too close to them. Getting his last spear in hand, he launches it at the eyesocket of the last non-damaged dead, piercing it and bringing down one more.
The last goo zombie, rolls on the ground, trying to put the fire out. Grabbing the cleaver which he used to start the fire, he walks to the last undead who flails against the ground in vain, trying to get rid of the fire consuming its body.
He swings the cleaver against its neck, severing it in one go, as the blade also shatters, letting the weapon become unusable. "All down for the count, now, where are my rewards?"
[MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! REWARDS:
• +5 EXP
• +5 SPIRIT ESSENCE
• RIB STABBER
COUNTING IN UNDEAD'S DROPS:
• 3 SPIRIT ESSENCE
• THICK SKULL
• THICK ARM
• 2 BLACK GOO
SPIRIT ESSENCE: 10/50
UNDEAD DROPS: 9/25
UNDEAD SLAIN: 6/50]
From thin air, appears a… strange sword which drops on the ground. As if a fusion between a sword, an army, and a crab's claws, an awkward form without a guard, having bladed ridges on the side inverse to the blade, while the tip is completely reminiscing of the upper claw of a crab.
An arm falls to the ground, like the bladed arm of the bulky zombie, as well as its cranium in a more intact state… and on the floor, two jars with the black goo of the zombies. It is appearing right on the floor instead of falling off.
From the bulkier dead, its arm and head had disappeared, while two of the normal goo zombies their goo had vanished. Picking up the jars, he stores them on the backpack right away, it will come in hand when they need to make fire.
While the arm and sword… they can be used for weapons. Tossing away the broken cleaver, he takes up the "[Rib Stabber]". He swings it a few times to get a feeling off the thing. Heavy, unbalanced, and with an atrocious weight distribution towards the "blade".
Lastly, he stores the skull. While it may be useless for now, he can make it a candle holder or something like that.
The arm is rigid but more balanced, believe it or not, than the [Rib Stabber]. "System, details about that latter, I've never used anything like that back in FERALR."
[RIB STABBER:
• AN UNORTHODOX SWORD, IT EXCELS AT BRUTAL CUTS AND SLASHES DESPITE ITS NAME
• ABILITY: WHEN EXPLOITING A WEAKNESS OR GAP IN AN ENEMY'S DEFENSE WITH A STAB, CRITICAL DAMAGE IS DEALT AT THE POINT AND ITS SURROUNDINGS, GIVING ESCALATING DAMAGE BASED ON THE DEF AND STA OF AN ENEMY
RARITY: RARE
LVL: 1]
If only it wasn't a tutorial drop, it would've been better as a weapon. The later you are in the game, the better the items are. In other words, a late-game normal item is better than a rare item of the tutorial in all aspects, even if lacks a special ability.
"You are very good, although. I will see if I can level you up for Harmatia later…" A very unlikely situation, given that sword's bad temper and rate, but one can dream about it. "HELP!, SOMEONE PLEASE HELP!"
People scream nearby, outside of the effective range of the crystal, but close enough that they may just find salvation from walking a few steps. "Go deeper in the park! There is a crystal there! it will keep you all safe, hold on, I'm going to save you!"
Like that, he rushes in the direction of the voices, strapping the blade arm at the side of the bag, while in his hands the better weapon, [Rib Stabber], is held. In a short sprint, he can see it. A man slightly older than him, probably of the same age as he was in his past life, and a girl the age of Hwang Sin's body.
A small group of four goo zombies close the distance between them, as the man sweats and gasps for air, holding a baseball bat. Analyzing him quickly, there is no damage done to him, which means things will be easier regarding recruiting them.
The girl shakes and trembles behind the man, standing behind him for a few steps, enough to not be a hindrance, but enough to clutch on him should something grab her from behind. In other words, enough to tell the man a silent message to quickly attack whatever is behind him.
By the looks of it, the one who screamed was the girl, given the tiredness of the man. "Come, you bastards! You won't take an inch!" Raising the baseball bat in defiance, he readies himself to stand against the monsters. "Yoon! Run away, You heard that guy! There may be other survivors deeper in the park! Run away, I will hold them back!"
"But Oppa! I… I can't leave you here—" He never was one for dramatic goodbyes or the likings, rather, he would run away faster than Dracula runs from a cross in this type of situation.
This is why rather than letting them finish their words, Sin jumps straight into the scene, wielding the [Rib Stabber] with a single swing of the heavy blade, the head of one of the goo zombies falls on the ground.
Then he thrusts forward in the other's head, piercing its cranium, before he kicks away at the creature, ignoring the goo getting on his shoes, there will be more pressing urges than the state of the shoes.
The creature's attention falls on him. "Run away, you two, to the center of the park. There will be a big crystal and two women there, say Hwang Sin sent you. I will deal with those stragglers."
With a good weapon, he can streamline it until the other quest is completed.