Astrea's first instinct was to scan the opponent's stats:
[Mutated Zombie - Elite]
Level: 3 (Elite Tier)
Base Attributes: Strength: 25, Intelligence: 8, Constitution: 22, Agility: 15
The attributes were off the charts. A normal person wouldn't last more than a few moves against this monster.
But Astrea wasn't just any normal survivor. His own stats weren't far behind.
Just like survivors, zombies could level up by killing. Reaching Level 3 in such a short time was a testament to this zombie's brutal strength. However, its intelligence was lacking—it wouldn't even be a match for the grumpy old man downstairs. Clearly, this "big bro" was all brawn and no brains.
Still, while it wasn't at boss level, it was smart enough to outclass regular zombies. Mutated zombies had a solid loot drop rate, so this was definitely worth the fight.
Without warning, the mutated zombie charged straight at Astrea.
Astrea smirked, a hint of amusement in his eyes, and couldn't help but taunt: "Big bro! No wonder you mutated—you were a eunuch!"
This guy had been a manager for a streaming guild before he turned. Towering and muscular, but with one crucial defect—his manhood was practically non-existent. Even the strongest meds couldn't wake up that sleeping worm.
Hell, even birds would see him and joke, "Free meal tonight."
His inability to perform in bed had twisted him into an antisocial, misanthropic menace. As a human, he could barely suppress his darker urges.
But after turning into a zombie, the scraps of his remaining memories drove him to attack indiscriminately. He even seemed desperate to "fix" his issue by consuming others in hopes of a twisted kind of restoration.
This mutated zombie was a giant, a wall of muscle.
Astrea knew that his bone-cutting blade wouldn't easily pierce the zombie's head or heart. A one-hit kill was out of the question. He needed to cripple its combat ability first, then go for the finishing blow.
The zombie roared, a deep, guttural scream, and lunged at Astrea with the speed of a hurricane.
Its claws shimmered faintly with a sickly green glow as it threw itself at Astrea, arms wide in a deadly bear hug.
Just as the zombie's claws were about to make contact with Astrea, it suddenly froze, its entire body going rigid.
All of its attention locked onto Astrea's hand.
He was holding a strange jar etched with mysterious runes—a jar that, for some reason, had an irresistible allure for zombies.
Without hesitation, Astrea casually tossed the [Jar of Lure] behind the mutated zombie. Its body visibly faltered mid-attack, then twisted around in an unnaturally awkward position, as if possessed.
The lure of that jar was stronger than even the scent of living prey.
It wasn't particularly effective against bosses, but for common zombies like this one? It worked wonders.
Astrea took full advantage of the moment. He ducked low and, with a swift motion, brought his bone-cutting blade up in a powerful swing.
"Sss… BOOM!"
The first sound was the eerie hiss of his blade slicing deep into the zombie's thigh.
The second was the loud clang as the blade struck the femur and was deflected with a jarring force.
Using the zombie's own momentum against it, Astrea carved a massive gash in its left leg. The creature staggered but remained upright.
Astrea didn't push his luck. He retreated immediately, not risking a second strike.
Even so, his hands were trembling slightly from the impact. The bone-cutting blade had already been nicked and dulled before the fight, and just one clash with the mutated zombie had left its edge nearly ruined.
If Astrea hadn't maxed out his strength attribute, he wouldn't have even managed to break the zombie's skin.
For any human survivor, that strike would have been fatal.
But for zombies? It was only enough to cripple their mobility.
And that was all he needed.
The zombie's left leg muscles were severely damaged, slowing it down considerably. Even turning around became a struggle for the hulking monster.
Ignoring its injuries entirely, the mutated zombie hurled itself toward the Jar of Lure without a second thought. Zombies felt no pain. They didn't understand fear, hesitation, or self-preservation. As long as they had the slightest bit of energy left, they acted purely on instinct.
And right now, its instincts were fully consumed by that jar.
Astrea narrowed his eyes and shifted his grip on the blade, angling the handle for a perfect strike.
The moment the zombie lunged again, he struck.
With deadly precision, Astrea's blade came down hard on the creature's right knee.
"Crack!"
The bone-cutting blade struck with pinpoint accuracy, hitting the joint dead center. Sparks flew upon impact.
The zombie's right meniscus was shattered instantly, and its entire leg bent forward at a grotesque 90-degree angle.
With its support gone, the mutated zombie crashed heavily to the ground.
Even so, it refused to give up. Its claws dug into the dirt as it began to crawl, desperately inching toward the Jar of Lure, which was now just barely out of reach.
"Finish it while it's down!"
Astrea wasn't about to let this thing get another chance.
In a flurry of strikes, he swung his blade three more times. The final slash severed its neck completely.
Ding! You have successfully killed Mutated Zombie (Lv. 3). You gain 60 XP and 6 gold.
Ding! Level up! You have reached Level 3 and earned 5 free attribute points.
Ding! Talent 'Hand of Plunder' remaining uses: 2.
"Whew! Sixty XP, huh? Not bad—enough to hit Level 3 with 30 points to spare."
Hearing the familiar system notifications, Astrea finally allowed himself to relax.
To an outsider, the series of moves he had just pulled off would have seemed almost superhuman.
But for Astrea, who had survived in this apocalyptic hellscape for ten long years, it was just another day at the office. He knew zombie behavior inside and out after countless battles.
Still, his bone-cutting blade had paid the price. After those rapid strikes, the weapon's edge was severely chipped and rolled. It was practically useless now. With a sigh, Astrea tossed the broken blade aside.
"Earth-made weapons just aren't cut out for this..." he muttered.
Kicking over the fallen zombie's massive corpse, he spotted his reward: a supply capsule and a weapon.
"Not bad!"
Astrea picked up the capsule and examined it. The label read: [A Hearty Barbecue Feast (Serves 4)].
"Nice! Looks like tonight's dinner is sorted," he said with a grin.
His eyes then shifted to the weapon—a longbow.
"A bow and arrows, huh? Interesting!"
Astrea's eyes lit up with excitement as he picked up the bow. Without missing a beat, he cracked open a can of cola and took a few big gulps.
Then, wiping his mouth, he started carefully inspecting the weapon, eager to see what it was capable of.
[War Bow]: Superior Equipment
Description: A traditional longbow from an ancient nation. It boasts high draw strength, excellent efficiency, and respectable penetration and killing power.
Attributes:
Strength +2 Agility +3
Passive Effect: Ignores 10% of the enemy's defense.
Included: One longbow, 30 war arrows.
[War Bow equipped. Note: Only one ranged weapon can be equipped at a time. When using a bow or crossbow, there is a chance to recover arrows after defeating an enemy.]
"Nice! At least I've got a long-range weapon now," Astrea thought with satisfaction.
In his previous life, Astrea's awakened talent was Mage's Heart, which made him best suited for a mage class. Yet deep down, he had always wanted to be an archer. Because of that, he had studied archery extensively.
Astrea fired a few test shots at the wall, observing the bow's performance. The arrows struck with impressive speed and force, each shot smooth and precise. After a few more volleys, he stopped and retracted the remaining half of his cola into his storage wristband.
In a nearby bedroom, a man and a woman peered through a crack in the door, their eyes glued to the can of cola in Astrea's hand. They swallowed nervously, unable to hide their thirst.
The man gripped a bloodstained machete, roughly 70 centimeters in length. The blood had dried recently, forming a dark crust along the blade.
Behind him, on the bed, lay a grotesque sight: the naked corpse of a male zombie. The creature appeared to have been around forty years old before its death. It was grossly overweight, with a receding hairline.
Astrea instantly recognized the zombie's identity—it had been their stream's top-ranked supporter.
Unbeknownst to the pair in the bedroom, Astrea was already aware of their every move. Thanks to the Silver Bird Claw, his senses had completely mapped out the entire room's situation.