NOVEL SIMPLE Chapter 6: Pre-Death Habits
Chapter 6: Pre-Death Habits
Were there survivors?
Seeing the shattered remains of zombies in the stairwell, this thought flashed through Wu Heng's mind.
But after a closer look, he quickly dismissed the idea.
The way the zombies had been torn apart didn’t look like it was done by humans; it seemed more like they were ripped to pieces by some kind of monster.
Claw marks that had stripped the paint off the entrance door suggested something more beastly was in the stairwell.
It was as if a wild animal or monster was still lurking in the building.
"Damn!"
Wu Heng cursed again.
Yesterday the stairwell door was left open, and today there was an unknown monster.
It seemed his own unit had been the safest after all.
Clang, clang, clang!
Suddenly, the stairwell railing began to vibrate violently.
The sound quickly spread through the entire stairwell.
It was as if something was repeatedly striking the stairwell railing downstairs.
A sense of tension rose in Wu Heng's heart once again.
Gripping his weapon tightly, he whispered, "Let's go down."
Wu Heng walked in the middle of the group, heading downstairs.
Together, they moved cautiously down the stairs.
The sound of the skeletons’ footsteps was drowned out by the loud clanging against the iron railing.
No enemies were drawn out by the noise.
As they continued down, they encountered more broken and torn-apart zombie remains.
Wu Heng decided not to use Raise Skeleton yet; he wanted to see what was ahead first.
They reached the fourth-floor platform, where the sound of the iron railing being struck was coming from just below.
He repositioned the skeletons and cautiously peered down the next few flights of stairs.
A patchy, golden-haired lion-like zombie was clutching the railing with its front paws, wildly swinging its body.
It looked like a frenzied beast, venting excess energy on the iron railing.
"What's going on?"
Could animals be infected too?
And how did a lion end up in the stairwell?
As if sensing Wu Heng’s gaze, the swinging lion zombie suddenly stopped.
It turned its head and looked up at him.
Its shriveled lips pulled back to reveal sharp fangs, with bits of flesh hanging from its mouth.
This was no lion.
It was the pet Teddy that the building’s owner had.
Only now, its size had multiplied several times, and with its yellow fur, it didn’t look much different from a lion.
Even as a zombie, it hadn’t shaken off the habit of swinging its hips everywhere.
Grr~Roar!
The zombie Teddy let out a roar and charged upward.
Seeing it was just a Teddy, Wu Heng's tension eased significantly.
As the zombie Teddy rushed up, Wu Heng took two steps back and ordered, "Kill it."
Clatter!!
The skeleton soldiers raised their weapons and charged forward.
The zombie Teddy took two steps, then suddenly leaped, pushing off the wall to vault over the skeletons below.
It landed on the corner platform in one bound.
Swinging its paws, it sent several skeletons flying, then clamped down on another skeleton’s skull, shaking it furiously.
The powerful body rampaged across the platform, knocking down more skeleton warriors, who rolled down the stairs.
Then, the Teddy suddenly lifted its head and locked eyes on Wu Heng.
It leaped again, pouncing straight at him.
Wu Heng's expression changed as he raised his round shield, feeling a tremendous force crash into it the next second. He was sent flying backward.
He slammed into the wall behind him and then tumbled down the stairs, his helmet clattering against the steps.
The zombie Teddy wanted to pursue, but an iron sword came slashing down, stopping it in its tracks.
At the same time, the surrounding skeletons reacted quickly. Four or five of them jumped onto the Teddy's back, holding it down, while others hacked away with their kitchen knives.
They slashed wildly without any particular aim, causing tufts of fur and chunks of flesh to fall off.
The lion-like Teddy started to struggle fiercely, looking like a sticky rice ball covered in bones, crashing around wildly.
Wu Heng quickly got to his feet and adjusted his helmet.
He gestured with his hand, immediately commanding a few skeletons to stand in front of him again.
Bang~Clatter!!
The zombie Teddy slammed into the wall, the impact scattering the skeletons clinging to it.
It then leaped again, still targeting Wu Heng.
"Damn it!"
Wu Heng cursed, swiftly dodging to the side while crouching and thrusting out his iron spear.
The short spear training had paid off to some extent.
The iron spear struck the side of the Teddy’s chest, the blade sinking into its rotting body.
At the same time, a force traveled up the shaft, causing the spear to slip from Wu Heng’s grasp.
The Teddy landed lightly, the spear still embedded in its chest, now braced against the ground, piercing through its chest and out its left foreleg.
Dark, viscous blood flowed from the wound.
Wu Heng jumped back down a full flight of stairs and shouted, "Don't stop, kill it."
The skeleton warriors rushed forward again.
The damage to its body didn’t seem to be fatal to the zombie Teddy, but the spear piercing through its chest and foreleg was affecting its movement.
The left foreleg couldn’t support its weight, causing it to limp.
As the Teddy’s movements slowed, the skeleton warriors' attacks became more ferocious.
They continued to surround and assault it, covering its body with wounds.
When the Teddy was finally buried under the mass of skeletons, the sound of chopping flesh became continuous, and the system notifications followed immediately.
【Gained Experience +42.】
【Summoned Unit - Skeleton Warrior, Experience +20.】
Wu Heng lifted his visor and, ignoring the foul air, took deep breaths.
He never imagined a Teddy could turn into something like this.
Was it genetic mutation or some kind of atavistic evolution?
That’s how it’s written in novels, but he wasn’t sure if it was either of those.
Anyway, the Teddy had turned into a lion.
If it hadn’t been trapped in the stairwell, its huge size would have wreaked havoc if it ran around outside.
The zombie Teddy’s combat power far exceeded that of ordinary zombies.
It could rampage through a group of skeletons, proving its strength was not to be underestimated.
What was most terrifying was that it showed signs of intelligence.
Otherwise, it wouldn’t have kept trying to attack him.
If zombies had gained intelligence, could they still be called zombies? Wouldn’t that make them a new intelligent species?
He couldn’t figure it out.
But the thought wasn’t good news for him.
This battle also served as a reminder.
While gathering more skeletons, he needed to improve himself as well. Otherwise, if he got killed, no number of skeletons would be of any use.
After catching his breath, he stepped forward and pulled the iron spear out of the Teddy.
He cast 【Raise Skeleton】.
Summoning a large beast skeleton was something to look forward to.
【Summoned unit exceeds summoner's capacity, instability factors increased...】
As he cast Raise Skeleton, a warning message appeared.
Before Wu Heng could react, he felt his mental strength rapidly draining away.
His face changed at this.
Ordinary corpses rise instantly.
But this zombie Teddy was consuming much more mental strength, and the instability warning made him worry.
What if it attacked him after being summoned?
That would be the worst luck ever.
Soon, the Teddy’s corpse began to change.
The flesh melted like hot wax, and a canine skeleton slowly stood up.
Its stark white bones were thicker, and strange ghostly blue flames flickered in its hollow eye sockets.
【Skeleton Hound (Level 5)】