On Lacquer Street, three infected sprinted in the same direction, moving with alarming speed.
Ahead of them stood a sharp-eyed man clad in black, wielding dual blades.
It was Zhu Jiu.
As the infected charged, Zhu Jiu remained perfectly still. To anyone watching, it might seem as though he had resigned himself to death—his eyes were even closed.
From the third-floor window of a nearby building, a woman in a white uniform watched the scene intently.
She had striking features—fair skin, a well-proportioned figure wrapped in her uniform, exuding a subtle allure.
Yet what stood out most were her eyes:
Clear.
Unyielding.
Resolute.
Her gaze held a strength that suggested nothing could break her spirit.
When she saw Zhu Jiu close his eyes, she let out a soft sigh.
"Another one who's given up," she murmured, shaking her head.
Since the apocalypse began, she had seen countless people fall to the infected.
Some struggled desperately in their final moments; others stood still and awaited their fate. To her, Zhu Jiu seemed to belong to the latter category.
"Even if he holds a blade, what's the point if he lacks the courage to swing it?" she whispered.
"Just another corpse-to-be."
But then, she froze.
Her clear eyes widened in astonishment.
At the very last moment—just as the infected were about to pounce—Zhu Jiu moved.
In a single, fluid motion, he stepped forward, his upper body leaning slightly, blades thrust forward.
The dual blades slashed in tandem, creating two half-moon arcs of silver light.
The brilliance of the blade's glow was breathtaking.
In the next instant, the three infected before him were torn to shreds.
"What…?"
The woman's lips parted in disbelief.
"This can't be!"
It was the first time she had seen anyone kill an infected.
And not just one—three, all at once, in a single, flawless strike.
"Humans… can be this powerful?"
Her chest heaved with excitement as hope flickered in her heart.
"If more people could become this strong…"
"Maybe humanity really could overcome these monsters."
"What technique was he using? It doesn't look like modern combat methods. It's more like something from ancient martial arts."
"Could ancient martial arts be better suited for fighting these creatures?"
She muttered softly to herself, analyzing Zhu Jiu's moves.
She watched as he entered the supermarket but made no effort to approach him.
"If he's here for supplies, he'll come back once he runs out of food," she reasoned.
"I still have enough to last two weeks. I'll observe him a bit longer. If he doesn't seem like a threat, I'll try to make contact."
"Interacting with him could benefit my research."
With that, the woman turned and walked into another room.
Inside, various instruments and test tubes filled with vibrant liquids cluttered the space.
She picked up a heavy notebook and began sketching and writing notes.
Her first drawing was of an infected, accompanied by detailed annotations:
Speed.
Attack patterns.
Behavior.
"This pattern is becoming clearer. I'll soon understand their habits," she murmured, turning the page to sketch another figure.
This time, she drew a man in black.
Short hair.
Sharp eyes.
A muscular build.
Dual blades in hand.
The image radiated explosive power.
It was Zhu Jiu.
Underneath the drawing, she added a note:
"Suspected practitioner of ancient martial arts. Exceptional combat ability. Defeated three humanoid zombie-like creatures in a single strike."
"Further observation required before attempting contact."
Meanwhile, Zhu Jiu had finished dispatching the three infected and was now stepping into the supermarket.
The system's voice echoed in his mind.
[Detected: Host has killed infected. Capturing dark energy…]
[Dark energy successfully captured. Host gains 3 points.]
He closed the supermarket door behind him, exhaled deeply, and sheathed his blades, satisfaction evident in his eyes.
"19 points," he muttered. "One more infected, and I can afford the Iron Shirt."
Just the thought of the Iron Shirt's effects ignited a burning eagerness within him.
He could barely wait to start practicing the external martial art.
But then he paused mid-step, his brow furrowing.
Something was wrong.
Earlier, when he had arrived, there had been the corpse of an infected near the entrance. Now, it was gone.
He distinctly remembered locking the door before leaving.
Sensing danger, Zhu Jiu tightened his grip on his blades and cautiously moved deeper into the supermarket.
The space wasn't large, and it didn't take him long to search every corner. Yet he found no one.
To his dismay, Duan Zeri's corpse was also missing.
In its place was a puddle of black, foul-smelling blood. The blood trail led to a door at the back of the store.
"Someone dragged the bodies away," Zhu Jiu concluded, his expression darkening.
The supermarket was his claimed territory. He wouldn't tolerate intruders.
Following the blood trail, Zhu Jiu soon reached the door.
"So, you're hiding here," he muttered coldly.
With a sharp swing, he slashed the door open.
"Bang!"
Kicking the door off its hinges, Zhu Jiu stepped into the room, blades at the ready.
"Come out, you coward!" he growled.
No response.
Then, in the corner, he noticed a little girl crouched with her back to him. She wore a pink dress, her shoulders trembling as though she were crying.
"A child?"
Zhu Jiu's brow furrowed in suspicion.
"How could a child have the strength to drag two bodies into this room?"
"Turn around," he demanded. "Let me see what you really are!"
With a roar, he swung his blade toward her.
Before the blade could connect, the "girl" dropped to all fours, moving with unnerving speed to evade him.
She turned to face him.
Her blackened face, pale eyes, and grotesque grin—her mouth stretched to her ears—were horrifying. Bits of flesh clung to her bloodied teeth.
She wasn't human.
She was an infected.
The pink dress was soaked crimson with blood, and at her feet lay dismembered remains—some infected, some human.
One of the corpses was unmistakably Duan Zeri.
"Beast," Zhu Jiu spat, his fury surging.
Though he had hated Duan Zeri, seeing another human reduced to such a state enraged him.
Fixing his gaze on the infected, Zhu Jiu's system interface displayed her attributes.
[Species: Agile Infected (Intact)]
[Tier: None]
[Origin: A failed human evolution after absorbing dark energy. By consuming human and infected flesh, it has grown stronger, gaining enhanced abilities, greater infection potency, and minor intelligence. Killing it will earn 5 points.]
[Danger Level: Tier 2 (Moderately Dangerous)]
"So, you have some intelligence," Zhu Jiu said icily. "That explains how you slipped away last time. But this time, you'll be my blade's offering."
He pulled out his crossbow, firing three bolts in rapid succession.
The infected leaped to the corner of the room, evading all three.
Just then, a clear sound of blade meeting air echoed.
"Clang!"
A silver arc of light flashed.
"Slash!"
The strike was precise and devastating, cleaving the infected—and the bed beneath it—in half.
[Detected: Host has killed infected. Capturing dark energy…]
[Dark energy successfully captured. Host gains 5 points.]
As the system's notification rang, Zhu Jiu turned to leave.
Then, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a small, black-glowing orb embedded in the infected's forehead.
"What's this?"
Curious, he used a plastic bag to carefully pick up the orb.
At that moment, the system's voice returned.
[Detected: Dark Energy Aggregator. Would you like to recover it?]