Astrea bent down and picked up the ring on the ground, checking its properties.
[Ring of Vitality] – Superior-grade equipment. An eternal ring imbued with a simple enchantment during its creation, designed to invigorate its wearer.
Attributes: Constitution +5 Passive Effect: Gradually restores vitality outside of combat. Set Bonus (1/2): Inactive
The Ring of Vitality and Ring of Energy were among the most cost-effective pieces of equipment during the early stages of the apocalypse.
In battles, minor scrapes and bruises were inevitable. As long as you didn't suffer critical injuries—like torn ligaments or severed limbs—you could usually recover most of your strength overnight, especially at lower levels.
However, this was still just superior-grade gear. Compared to the legendary, mythic, or even divine-tier items Astrea had previously wielded, its attributes barely measured up.
But Astrea knew exactly how to reacquire those top-tier items—the hidden quests and secret dungeons that led to them. Once the time was right, getting them back would be a simple task.
Without hesitation, Astrea slipped the Ring of Vitality onto his finger.
Ding! [Ring of Vitality equipped. Reminder: Survivors can wear up to two rings at a time.]
Astrea then allocated all 5 of his unassigned attribute points to Strength.
Base Attributes:
Strength: 20 Spirit: 15 Constitution: 20 Agility: 15
At lower levels, where skills were scarce, Strength was king—it crushed all the flashy tricks of weaker foes. The other stats were more than sufficient for now.
Outside, the reinforced door to Apartment 804 was barely holding up under the relentless pounding of the elderly zombie. The frame shook with each impact. Fortunately, most zombies had terrible senses of smell. They relied mainly on sight and sound to track their prey.
As soon as the noise stopped, the old zombie paused, standing motionless outside the door.
Astrea calmly retrieved the apartment key from Whitney's belt and turned the lock without a shred of panic.
The metallic clink caught the zombie's attention. It growled lowly, a guttural sound of hunger and rage.
Strike First!
Astrea suddenly flung the door open.
Their eyes met—a scrawny zombie in a torn basketball jersey stood on the other side, its body covered in deep gashes.
What the hell did Whitney do to you?
The zombie hissed and swung its mutilated claws straight at Astrea's face.
Astrea sidestepped with ease and stuck out his leg, tripping the creature with a light tap.
The elderly zombie stumbled forward, almost falling flat before barely regaining its balance. Unfortunately for it, the next step it took crushed Whitney's skull into a bloody mess.
Guess that evens the score...
Thrown off balance, the zombie tumbled headfirst into a pile of trash in the corridor.
Crash!
Cans, plastic bottles, and cardboard scattered across the floor in a chaotic mess.
Astrea seized the moment to scan the creature's stats.
[Weak Zombie]
Level: 1 Base Attributes: Strength: 6 Spirit: 15 Constitution: 6 Agility: 3
When humans zombify, their attributes receive a slight boost based on their original stats. Judging by that high Spirit stat, the old man must've had some serious energy when he was alive.
No wonder he had the stamina to harass me every damn day...
But 6 Strength and 3 Agility? That translated to slow movements and weak attacks—nothing Astrea needed to worry about.
The elderly zombie rose to its feet, clawing blindly at its head, which was now stuck inside a paint bucket. Incredibly, the bucket was green—a fitting touch.
Astrea wasn't about to waste this opportunity. In a flash, he dashed forward, bone cleaver in hand, and swung it straight at the zombie's neck!
The zombie wrestled the bucket free just in time, instinctively raising its arms to block the strike.
The cleaver sliced clean through both arms before losing some momentum, but it still severed the creature's jaw.
Even with only an upper jaw left, the zombie remained ferocious, lunging forward in a desperate attempt to bite Astrea.
Astrea didn't flinch. His second strike was already on its way. The zombie had no chance to evade.
The cleaver cleaved clean through, decapitating the creature in one swift motion.
The severed head sailed through the air and landed squarely inside the green paint bucket.
Looks like that's where you belonged all along...
Ding! You have successfully killed a Level 1 zombie. Gained 10 XP and 1 gold coin.
Astrea took a deep breath, his mind racing as he replayed the fight in his head.
Not good enough.
It should've taken only one swing to end that zombie, but it had taken two. He blamed it on his past life as a mage—close combat had never been his strong suit.
Kicking the corpse aside, Astrea noticed something else on the ground. Another drop.
This time, it was a Universal Capsule.
In the post-apocalyptic world, Universal Capsules were a lifesaver, essential to every survivor. They could store almost anything—small items like candy and soda, or large ones like seafood feasts and roasted whole lamb.
The capsule's usage was simple: press the button on top, and the stored item would appear instantly. However, it was a single-use item. Once the contents were retrieved, there was no way to put them back. Anything unfinished had to be manually stored in a wristband inventory.
According to the rules of this world, all pre-apocalypse food had rotted and decayed when the world fell. Survivors couldn't access safe zones or system stores to buy supplies until the seven-day beginner period had passed.
Until then, the only way to obtain essential resources was through zombie kills. There was no hiding from it.
Astrea examined the capsule's label.
[2-liter bottle of cola]
Everyone knew the survival basics: you could go seven days without food but only three days without water. In the apocalypse, a clean water source was worth more than gold.
Cola, however, served a dual purpose. Not only did it hydrate, but it also provided a quick boost of carbs, making it a highly valuable resource.
Astrea pressed the button. The capsule burst open, and a large, icy bottle of "Gamer's Elixir"—a fizzy treasure—appeared before him.
He chugged a few gulps, the sugary rush invigorating him. After a brief rest, he climbed up to the ninth floor.
Based on his memory, there were only two apartments on this level.
Sure enough, as Astrea approached the ninth floor's common area, he heard the unmistakable sounds of footsteps and guttural zombie growls echoing through the corridor.
Two of them? Great.
One was a Zombie Kid clinging upside down to the ceiling like a spider. The other, a Regular Zombie, was pushing an old baby stroller down the hall.
Astrea quickly checked their stats. The Zombie Kid had a notable 12 Agility, but the rest of its attributes were similar to any ordinary zombie. While their stats were slightly above a normal human's, they still paled in comparison to Astrea's.
As soon as the zombies caught sight of him, their excitement was palpable. They unleashed feral snarls and charged—one from above, one from the ground—rushing toward Astrea in a wild frenzy.
They looked fierce but were uncoordinated and sloppy.
That's the biggest flaw of regular zombies—they have no intelligence. Just mindless beasts driven by instinct.
"Click!"
Astrea didn't back away. Instead, he stepped forward to meet them head-on.
The Zombie Kid, being faster, reached him first. Without hesitation, Astrea swung his bone cleaver, slicing it cleanly in two with a single, precise strike.
A curtain of blood sprayed into the air, momentarily obscuring the regular zombie's vision.
As the second zombie stumbled through the crimson mist, all it saw was the glint of Astrea's waiting blade. The cleaver sliced through its neck in one fluid motion, decapitating it on the spot.
The more you do something, the easier it gets.
Astrea was becoming more and more adept at using the bone cleaver. His strikes felt natural now, almost instinctive.
Ding!
You have successfully killed a Level 1 zombie. Gained 10 XP and 1 gold coin.
Ding!
You have successfully killed a Level 1 zombie. Gained 10 XP and 1 gold coin.
With the system notifications ringing in his ears, Astrea checked his progress. He'd earned another 20 XP, leaving him just 60 points shy of reaching level 3.