John Young set a small, clear goal for himself: to level up to Level 5 within two hours. Using his trusty enemy radar, he surveyed the area. The western side had disappointingly few zombies, while the eastern side—toward the city center—showed a growing number of targets. Deciding to move east unless circumstances changed, John prepared for action.
Before heading out, he opened the map to identify the best location—specifically, the area most densely populated with zombies. From his pocket, he retrieved a small treasure box, dropped earlier by a teacup poodle zombie. This was no ordinary chest; it offered potential rewards based on its unique contents.
[Please select the specific content of 'Treasure Box (Teacup Poodle Zombie)']
[Option 1: ?]
[Option 2: ?]
[Option 3: ?]
[Option 4: ?]
[Option 5: ?]
Ignoring the treasure chest options for now, John climbed out of his window, scaling the exterior of the six-story apartment building effortlessly. Climbing a smaller structure like this was a trivial task for someone accustomed to scaling skyscrapers. Soon, he stood atop the roof, surveying his surroundings from a height of over 20 meters.
To the west, John spotted something peculiar: an expanse of green grass stretching to the horizon. Was this the "Goblin Plain" referenced in the equipment acquisition notes he'd come across? From his vantage point, it certainly seemed to fit the description.
"Looks like a classic plain," he muttered, observing the flat expanse. Plains, by definition, are low-altitude landforms, and the absence of hills or mountains confirmed his suspicion. This prairie seemed to be at the same elevation as the rest of Raccoon City, making it unmistakably a plain.
Turning his gaze northward, John noticed a towering giant tree. From his position, he could only see the massive trunk, as the canopy stretched beyond his field of view. To the south lay a seemingly endless range of khaki-colored mountains.
"This map is enormous," John muttered. "If I can see all of this just by standing here, who knows how far it extends?"
Calculating his movement speed—approximately 12 meters per second—he realized exploring even the immediate area within an hour would be impossible. While his speed had improved slightly from 10 meters per second, the increase wasn't enough to revolutionize his mobility. A goal like running 50 meters in 3.3 seconds still felt out of reach.
"Forget the tree and mountains for now," he decided. "Raccoon City's zombies are easier to deal with and perfect for grinding soul points. Once I level up, I'll check out the other areas."
Before diving into city exploration, John resolved to confirm whether the western prairie was indeed the Goblin Plain. Without hesitation, he jumped from the rooftop. Despite the 20-meter height, he landed smoothly, knees unbent, as though gravity itself had bent to his will.
The prairie was just a few hundred meters away—a quick sprint for someone of John's speed. He assumed a running stance and dashed forward, reaching the boundary between the grassland and Raccoon City within half a minute.
What he found at the border was strange: a sharp dividing line, as if someone had neatly spliced two separate terrains together. On one side, the city's tiled sidewalks and asphalt roads extended outward. On the other side, soft soil and vibrant green grass stretched as far as the eye could see. The transition was seamless yet unnatural, like the kind of visual bug you'd encounter in a video game.
"The Ash World's terrain really is unlike anything in the main world," John remarked. Though the bizarre geography intrigued him, he wasn't here for sightseeing. His sole focus was collecting soul points.
Crossing the boundary, he stepped onto the grassy plain. After running for about a minute, he came across a small, green-skinned creature sleeping on the ground. The monster was less than a meter tall, with pointed ears, yellowed teeth, and a comically oversized knife strapped to its back—one eerily similar to a weapon John had wielded before.
The creature matched the description of a Broadsword Goblin, a weak enemy ideal for farming soul points. Seeing one confirmed his suspicion: this was indeed the Goblin Plain.
"Well, that settles it," John said. "This is the Goblin Plain. I'll return here later after I've cleared out Raccoon City."
Satisfied, John turned back toward the city. The goblins would be easy prey later, given their tendency to travel in groups. For now, the zombie-infested streets offered more immediate opportunities for growth.
As he sprinted back to the urban sprawl, John activated his enemy radar. One of the more useful items in his inventory, the radar allowed him to scan for nearby hostiles. Unlike most equipment, the radar's functionality was locked to John's status, meaning it couldn't be damaged and could bypass its standard one-minute cooldown. This allowed him to refresh the radar every second, providing a near-real-time update of enemy positions.
This feature gave John unparalleled efficiency in locating targets. Without the radar, even a day's worth of searching wouldn't be enough to thoroughly explore Raccoon City. Despite its smaller size compared to larger urban centers, the city was still a vast, complex environment.