Dark Apocalypse

Episode 14

Powerful 400%



It wasn't that he wasn't exhausted. From the moment he awoke in the prison, battling hordes of zombies, to his escape into the city, he had encountered hundreds, if not thousands, of the undead. For an ordinary person—someone who had just awoken from a coma, utterly clueless about how the world had fallen into this hellish state—his physical and mental strain had been immense.

Outside, the night remained impenetrably dark. Glancing at the watch he had scavenged from a corpse, Adam noted the time: just past 1 a.m. Dawn was still a long way off.

Though his strength had yet to fully return, Adam abandoned the thought of further rest. He made another round of the building, ensuring all was secure, before returning to his room.

Since waking around midday, he hadn't had a single moment to truly reflect on the drastic change that had occurred. How had the world transformed so completely in the time he'd been unconscious?

"What happened to this world while I was in that slumber?" he murmured.

Despite faint suspicions, Adam was still perplexed, and deep inside, he couldn't shake his concern for one particular person.

"I can't believe I'm still worrying about her..." he laughed, but the sound was chilling and hollow.

Almost a year had passed, yet the ache in his chest was as raw as ever, as if his heart were being torn apart. The events of that day were vivid, haunting his every thought. Even after three hundred days and nights, he could recall every moment, every detail—how he had been cast from paradise into the depths of hell.

What did that face mean to him now?

"No... I'm not worried about her," he muttered, clutching his chest so tightly his nails dug into his flesh. The pain was sharp, but he ignored it, relishing it instead. It was a stimulant, banishing fatigue and igniting his weary spirit.

He gathered his supplies: rations to last a few days, a revolver with ten bullets, and, most importantly, the sturdy steel pipe and combat gear that had become his greatest assets.

"The points are still too few..." He had made an effort to eliminate any manageable zombies along his path to this building, but opportunities had been scarce. As a result, his accumulated points were meager, far from enough to indulge in extravagant exchanges. Now, he had only 64 points.

After combing through the list of available one-star items, he decided against any immediate exchanges. Though some weapons and tools tempted him, they either had limited effectiveness or came with restrictions that made his trusty steel pipe more reliable.

"Better to save up for something truly crucial..." he thought, closing the exchange menu in his mind. He lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, feeling lost. What should he do next? The world, for reasons he couldn't comprehend, had turned into this nightmare—a true apocalypse.

The streets teemed with deadly zombies, and danger lurked in every shadow. He had no idea how long he could survive; perhaps tomorrow, he would meet the capricious God he so often cursed.

Today, he had slain countless zombies, but luck and the mysterious exchange system had played enormous roles. He knew his future survival depended entirely on that system.

"How much do you know..." he whispered into the silence.

"..." Only the stillness of the room answered him. No one else was there.

"I know you're there," he said again, as if addressing an invisible presence.

"W-well... I don't really know much..." After a moment of silence, a voice hesitantly replied, audible only to Adam.

"So, you've finally decided to speak," he addressed the entity within him: Xu Cai, the very system responsible for his strange abilities.

"I'm not the culprit here! If it weren't for me, you'd be long dead!" The voice sounded both indignant and aggrieved, knowing his thoughts as clearly as if they were spoken aloud.

"So, you're the reason for that gap in my memory, right?" A mirthless smile played at Adam's lips.

"..." The voice fell silent once more.

"You don't need to answer. I know. There's no way I could have survived unscathed under those circumstances. Thirteen zombies—any martial artist would have struggled. Yet I, a mere mortal, came out without a scratch. There's only one explanation: you intervened, Xu Cai."

"There's no harm done," the voice finally admitted. "I temporarily increased your overall abilities by 400%, allowing you to defend yourself in that instant. But since it wasn't a natural enhancement, your body paid the price. Losing consciousness was the cost."

Xu Cai's explanation echoed in his mind, and Adam's body trembled with excitement. A 400% boost in his abilities... He could only imagine the strength he'd wield. Enough to slaughter thirteen zombies effortlessly, without a single injury!

Excitement surged through him, his eyes glinting with hope. If he could achieve such power, his chances of survival in this new world would soar.

But his enthusiasm quickly waned. The thought of how many points it would take to sustain such a power increase was sobering. How many more zombies would he have to kill?

"It's a dazzling path, but an arduous one..." Still, until he found that person, until he saw her face once more, Adam would not allow himself to die. He was certain she was still alive somewhere in this desolate world.