Lin An froze for a moment as a light screen suddenly flashed before him.
"Savior Mission System: Activated"
"Mission Information: Kill the 2nd Tier Mutant [Stitcher]"
"Mission Level: Dangerous!"
"Mission Time Limit: 240 hours"
"Mission Rewards: Antidote Serum x3 (Removes the zombie virus from the body)"
"Mission Description: A dangerous level 2 mutant zombie will emerge within 12 hours in the city of Linjiang. Kill it as soon as possible. If the time exceeds 240 hours, it will transform into its complete form: A horrific level 3 mutant."
Before Lin An could fully process the information, two pendant-like objects appeared out of thin air in his palm.
The items felt cold and heavy.
What is this?
"Initial Mission Reward: Antidote Pendants (Gray Equipment) x2"
"Antidote Pendant (Gray Equipment): Temporarily suppresses the zombie virus when worn. Usable time: 240 hours."
"Once the time ends, the pendant becomes useless and turns into an ordinary item. It can be reused (time restarts after wearing, paused when removed)."
"Equipment Level: Gray (Poor), White (Normal), Blue (Good), Black (Endgame)"
A flash of white light later, the pendants in Lin An's hand disappeared, only to reappear around An Xia and An Jingtian's necks.
The pendants were silver-white, with a purple gem embedded in the center.
An Jingtian, who had been struggling and growling, immediately ceased moving and collapsed to the ground, as though he had fallen into a peaceful sleep.
An Xia, under the pendant's influence, began to regain some color, her pale face slowly becoming more vibrant.
"Ding, Activating Savior Exclusive Skill: Judgment Eye"
"Judgment Eye (Level 0) Activated: When activated, the Judgment Eye will continuously consume mental energy. During its activation, detailed information of everything within sight will be revealed."
"Judgment Eye (Level 1): ???"
"The next level of Judgment Eye will unlock after completing the mission."
A flash of white light surged through the screen and flowed into Lin An's mind, searing the information deep into his memory.
For a brief moment, he lost focus.
A cold sensation washed over his eyes.
Lin An's pupils were instantly covered by a faint blue mist, as if they were being modified.
A brief flash of gold shone deep within his eyes, and his vision dramatically improved.
The dimly lit room now appeared as bright as day.
He could clearly see even the smallest specks of dust in the corner.
His heart skipped a beat.
Judgment Eye was a vision enhancement skill.
And it displayed the detailed information of anything he observed.
In the apocalypse, the greatest danger wasn't physical weakness.
It was the misjudgment of information.
With Judgment Eye, Lin An now had the upper hand when it came to gathering crucial intel.
This skill was extremely useful in this new world.
"Lin Ge, are you okay?"
An Xia, leaning by the window, weakly called out to Lin An, her voice shaky.
After the pendant was worn, the wound on her neck was slowly healing.
Her clear, water-like eyes were filled with exhaustion and unease.
If Lin An hadn't told An Jingtian to tie himself up on the third day to prevent him from attacking during the transformation, An Xia would have been killed by her brother, just like so many others around the world.
Zombies, driven by nothing but the hunger to feed, had no sense of reason.
During the apocalypse, most people were killed by their closest loved ones.
Lin An, upon hearing An Xia's voice, instinctively turned his head.
Judgment Eye automatically activated and locked onto An Xia.
"Name: Human (50% Zombie Transformation)"
"Strength: 3"
"Agility: 3"
"Constitution: 2"
"Willpower: 6"
"Player Level: 0 (No Danger, this being is in the process of transformation into a zombie.)"
"Player Weaknesses: Heart, Skull, Spine."
"Player Skills: Cooking 1, Language Mastery 2, Handicrafts 1..."
"Player Equipment: Antidote Pendant (Gray)"
... A flood of other information flooded Lin An's mind.
An Xia's details, under the gaze of Judgment Eye, appeared almost completely laid bare.
Some of it was rather terrifying.
"I'm fine."
Lin An was surprised but didn't show it.
He merely smiled gently, signaling An Xia not to worry about him.
An Jingtian was now unconscious.
For the moment, he was the only source of mental support for An Xia, and he couldn't afford to show any weakness in front of her.
Unlike the calm Lin An outwardly showed, his mind was in turmoil.
Questions surged in his thoughts, like dark clouds surrounding him.
The Savior Template.
Upon activation, it had given him the incredibly useful Judgment Eye, which coincidentally provided him with the tools to save An Jingtian and An Xia.
It was as if the system had been designed just for him.
Lin An quickly contemplated the meaning behind the system's appearance.
Savior.
Who was he saving?
Himself? The people around him? Or perhaps all of humanity?
If it was humanity as a whole...
Lin An sneered inwardly.
He had no aspirations to save mankind, nor any saintly inclinations.
If the purpose was to save humanity, then this mysterious Savior system had certainly chosen the wrong person.
He just wanted to protect those he cared about, take revenge, grow stronger, and survive.
As for the fate of others, he cared little.
Having seen the ugly side of human nature in his previous life, and having died due to betrayal, he now instinctively distrusted and disliked others.
...
Lin An suppressed his thoughts and continued observing An Jingtian's condition.
An Jingtian, unconscious on the floor, had shallow breathing. His body, though horrifying with skin and flesh peeling off, looked as if he were simply sleeping.
At the moment, both An Jingtian and An Xia's conditions were stable.
If he could complete the mission, the two of them would have a chance to survive.
Moreover...
Three antidote serums.
Lin An felt a stir of interest.
If he deducted the amount needed for An Xia and An Jingtian, that meant he could keep one for himself.
The value of such an antidote in the apocalypse was priceless.
As for the mission, Lin An wasn't unfamiliar with it.
When the apocalypse first began, everyone had received a player panel, and missions were issued automatically.
He had encountered tasks like hunting down a zombie or collecting certain items in his past life.
These tasks typically rewarded only a small amount of food—barely enough to be considered helpful.
He had originally expected to use his awakened blood to suppress the zombification and keep An Jingtian by his side, ensuring his safety for as long as possible before figuring something out.
Now, the perfect solution had appeared. It was a pleasant surprise.
But the time limit for the task placed immense pressure on Lin An.
"Mission Information: Kill the Mutant Zombie, Level 2, Will Evolve to Level 3 in Ten Days."
Lin An's expression grew solemn.
The difference between a Level 3 and a Level 2 mutant was profound.
Perhaps a few awakened individuals or a large safety zone could resist a Level 2 mutant zombie with firearms, but against a Level 3?
There would be no chance.
It would be an overwhelming slaughter.
A Level 3 mutant zombie would not fear regular weapons.
Human wave tactics would be a joke against such a creature—just one of them could annihilate an entire army.
Bare-handed, they could tear through tank armor, withstand small caliber firearms, and regenerate their flesh!
Time was running out.
Only ten days.
An Jingtian's zombification would continue to progress during that time.
This meant Lin An had to factor in the time to return after killing the Stitcher.
Nine days.
Whether to prevent the Stitcher from growing stronger with time, or to leave enough leeway for the return journey, his time was running out.
Although the mission didn't provide the Stitcher's location, Lin An wasn't concerned.
He quietly pulled a crumpled cigarette from his pocket.
In the dim room, the faint glow of the flame illuminated his face, flickering in and out.
Lin An took a deep drag, slowly exhaling.
The smoke swirled around him.
The Stitcher was the precursor to the Abomination from his past life.
It was in the Wan Da Plaza, within the shopping mall packed with 30,000 people.
After devouring them, it became the nightmare of all of Linjiang City.