I looked at Ella and asked,
"You'll join me, right?"
"Yes, Jefford. Through thick and mud—that's my promise, and I shall forever keep it," she said with a resolute voice.
Hearing her affirmation, I then glanced at Melianne and spoke:
"Melianne, can I entrust you to protect the subdivision for now?
Because me and Ella will go out and kill those bastard zombies nearby—reducing the threat they pose."
"Are you sure about this, Jefford?" she asked, worried.
"Yes, I'm sure," I replied, as Ella cast her direct buff towards me, instantly increasing all my attributes by 25%.
Just as we were about to leave the fortress, my father and mother called out to us.
"Good luck, you two. May you slaughter those horrendous monsters into a pulp."
"Yes, we will—and we will come back alive," we both answered with resolute and confident voices.
As we walked farther and farther from the fortress, I cautiously observed the surrounding buildings.
The once tall and lively structures of Hong Kong were now abandoned, shattered, and felt haunted. The foul stench of blood lingered in the air—yet surprisingly, there were no zombies in sight. Still, the silence felt eerie… especially knowing that a mutant—a zombie with a hunchback, long sharp fingers, and the ability to leap from rooftops and pierce our heads in seconds—was lurking somewhere nearby.
Thinking of that sent shivers down my spine and stirred worry in my heart for Ella.
But I had no choice.
I must exterminate the remaining zombies near the subdivision to lower the risk of civilian deaths… and to become stronger—for that dream I continue to chase.
As we walked cautiously down the street, I saw an event center with a bloodied poster that read:
"Welcome to the venue for the marriage of Jack Moyu and Jessica Mohan."
Seeing that the most important day of their lives—their wedding—had been destroyed by this apocalypse… I sighed in distress.
But that distress quickly turned into a growing fear and curiosity… as a haunting cry echoed from within the building.
A girl's voice—fragile, broken, and sorrowful.
"Is that… a zombie?" I whispered to myself.
"Or… a human?"
But then the system window suddenly appeared.
---
System: Special Mission
Objective: Set free the grieving voice from its despair.
Reward: Poison Embedded Dagger – Upgrade to Level 2
Failure: Its eerie cries will forever haunt your mind until death.
---
Seeing the special mission, I looked at Ella.
Using the telepathic connection born from our intertwined powers, I sent her a message:
"Prepare yourself. We're going in."
She received my message and quickly responded,
"Understood."
As we moved closer to the event center, the crying grew louder… and heavier.
Then I slowly peeked through the door—and there, I saw the heartbreaking reason behind the cries.
The once-beautiful venue, decorated for a wedding, was now a horror scene.
Blood-stained white tablecloths, shattered chairs, and a ruined altar.
At the center of the stage…
A zombie girl knelt on the blood-soaked floor. Her bloodshot eyes, pale decaying skin, and sharp fangs twisted in agony.
She clutched a rotting corpse dressed in a groom's tuxedo.
A gun lay beside them.
Seeing the scene…
I immediately understood.
The loud sobbing… was because of the death of her soon-to-be husband!
That grief was so strong it ignited something in me.
I needed to set her free.
I stepped forward into the venue, gripping two daggers tightly.
Then I rushed toward the sobbing zombie girl.
Seeing me, she immediately stood and unleashed a powerful sonic wave that forced me back a few steps.
But I didn't lose focus. I held her gaze.
She charged at me—
—and in that instant, my Close Combat Warrior class activated, doubling all my current attributes.
She slashed wildly—dozens of strikes within seconds.
But I managed to dodge every one of them.
When I saw a brief opening in her stance, I struck—
—piercing her chest!
But then she screamed with a voice far more powerful than the first,
hurling me through the venue wall and crashing me into the concrete.
Pain surged through my entire body—
but thanks to Ella's healing, I stood again.
Without hesitation, I charged her once more,
unleashing dozens of precise strikes.
At first, she managed to evade…
But as I focused my energy and honed my aim,
my blades began landing—
one after another.
She screamed in agony—
until my final blow pierced her skull.
Setting her free from despair.
A system notification appeared:
---
System:
Mission Complete
Reward Granted – Poison Acid Embedded Dagger [Level 2]
→ Attack Points (per dagger): 60
→ Passive: +0.50 Attack Speed per second
---
But just as I caught my breath…
A twisted laugh echoed behind Ella.
I turned—
And there it was.
The same mutant zombie.
The hunchbacked, ugly creature with razor-sharp claws…
Crouched behind her,
ready to pounce at her head.