With the soul points accumulated from slaying zombies earlier, plus the points gained now, John Young's balance of soul points had exceeded 300. This meant he was finally close to upgrading his level to LV.4, a prospect that filled him with anticipation.
Item Three
Option 1: Slow Decay (Quality E, Talent)
Option 2: T-Virus Vector (Evolution Failure, Quality F, Talent)
Option 3: Nervous Breakdown (Quality F, Talent)
"First, I was jealous that zombies had two talents, but now there are talents in treasure chests? The question is, what would I even do with these useless talents?" John muttered, his tone mixed with curiosity and frustration.
He reviewed the attributes of the talents, comparing them to the ones he had encountered in zombies before. The new addition, "Nervous Breakdown," seemed particularly bizarre. Its main effect included insomnia, depression, and mania, which enhanced the host's sensitivity to sound and light. However, the drawback was massive—it essentially gave the host the real-life condition of nervous breakdown, with no known treatment capable of reversing it. No injections, no medicine, no therapy. This effect was permanent, an ever-present reminder of a terrible choice.
Slow Decay Talent
Quality: E
Ability 1: Tirelessness – In zombie form, reduces decay rate by 90% and physical exertion by 90%.
Ability 2: Energetic – Increases physical stamina by 10%.
"Although these talents seem almost useless, I guess I'd better pick the highest quality one, Slow Decay," John decided. His reasoning? Despite being mediocre overall, the stamina bonus from Slow Decay had potential value.
Item Four
Option 1: 1 Soul Point
Option 2: 5 Soul Points
Option 3: 10 Soul Points
"Another 10 soul points," John said, his excitement bubbling. "If this keeps up, upgrading to LV.4 will be a breeze!" He began planning his next move, deciding to hunt the nearby streets and buildings now that he had already cleared the zombies from Happiness Grove Apartments.
Item Five
Option 1: 1 Soul Point
Option 2: 5 Soul Points
Option 3: 10 Soul Points
"Huh? Another 10 soul points? Does this mean I can get 30 points from one treasure chest? This feels almost too generous…" Doing some quick mental math, John estimated that if all ten chests yielded the same, he could collect a whopping 300 soul points just by opening treasure chests.
This revelation brought a rare smile to his face. After all, the monsters he had been fighting earlier—such as the one-star Level One goblins—were worth only three soul points each. That comparison hammered home just how valuable these treasure chests truly were.
John had nine treasure chests in total, with one left unopened—a drop from a zombie teacup dog. He planned to save that one for later, just in case he needed an emergency boost. Even so, his current soul point total was already sufficient for upgrading.
Soul Points: 384 (+250)
Surveying his loot, John began to tally the specifics. Among the nine opened chests, two had been dropped by police zombies, while the other seven came from various zombie types. Altogether, they yielded 250 soul points, increasing his total to 384 soul points.
His findings didn't stop at soul points. From the chests, John acquired the following:
12 Green Herbs
9 Red Herbs
2 Combat Training Safety Operation Manuals
Red Herb Attributes
Quality: Green
Type: Prop
Origin: Ash World, Raccoon City, Umbrella Company Laboratory Plantation
Effect: Slightly increases physical recovery speed.
Requirements: None
Score: 11 (Green items are scored between 11 and 30.)
Description: A genetically modified herb developed by Umbrella Corp during virus experiments. Known for its magical properties, its true potential is unlocked by mixing it with other herbs, as detailed in the laboratory work log… ▼Click to expand.
Having played survival horror games like Resident Evil, John already knew how this herb functioned. When combined with green herbs in a one-to-one ratio, the resulting mixture significantly boosted the healing effects of the original green herbs.
However, this wasn't a video game where you simply clicked a button to merge items. In reality, John wasn't sure how to combine the herbs properly. The in-game mixture looked like a powdery substance, but achieving that texture in real life seemed troublesome.
With limited tools and a stack of herbs, John decided to turn to his universal solution: Alchemy. If he succeeded, it would save him the hassle of manual mixing. And if he failed? Well, he had enough herbs to afford some trial and error.
"It's time to test alchemy's power again," John said, feeling a mix of excitement and trepidation. Breaking the process down, he formulated two simple steps:
Grind the red and green herbs into powder.
Combine the powders and roll them into a single, cohesive pill.
After activating his alchemy array, John watched as a red-and-green pill materialized at its center. The process reminded him of playing with clay in his childhood, and he couldn't help but chuckle at the memory.
Some might question why the pill wasn't yellow—after all, that's the color you might expect when red and green mix. The explanation lay in mystical principles. This alchemical method required the pill to retain the colors of its components, a requirement tied to their magical properties.
Once the pill was complete, John immediately inspected its attributes. Though he felt confident about the success of the process, verifying the final result was crucial.
[TL Note - I'm Under the assumption that the ash world and the main world intersect at the place where John entered so… thats why both apartments are called Happiness Grove… ]