Chapter 8: A Fine Tang Broadsword
1014 Words
Lin Ziluo lifted the wooden plank with one hand.
A ladder leading downward appeared before him.
He leaned over and peeked below.
In the dim underground cellar, two zombies were clawing desperately at the ladder, trying to climb up. But the ladder was far too steep—no matter how much they struggled, they couldn’t get a grip.
Lin Ziluo chuckled.
“You guys really know how to hide.”
With that, he vaulted down without hesitation.
The cellar wasn’t very deep, so he had enough time mid-fall to adjust his posture.
As the two zombies opened their bloody jaws, waiting to tear him apart the moment he landed, Lin Ziluo shifted his weight, extended both legs, and kicked.
Bang! Bang!
Each foot slammed into a zombie’s skull, knocking both of them flat to the ground.
Using the recoil from the impact, Lin Ziluo landed lightly on his feet.
Without wasting a breath, his hands moved.
The dagger in his right hand pierced straight into the neck of the first zombie, pinning it down before it could rise again.
The word [Death] flashed above its head.
Meanwhile, the hammer in his left hand smashed into the second zombie, forcing it back down just as it struggled upright.
In a single motion, he wrenched his dagger free and drove it into the second zombie’s throat. The resistance was heavy—its flesh felt like old leather—but Lin Ziluo’s strength forced the blade through.
[Death]
“Phew.” He exhaled slowly.
Smooth, efficient, lethal—he had dispatched both zombies in just a few heartbeats, earning two points of experience.
Pulling the dagger free again, he finally realized why it had felt so sluggish. The blade had dulled. After cutting down so many zombies, it was a miracle the cheap knife had lasted this long at all.
With a faint shrug, Lin Ziluo tossed it aside.
“Let’s hope you drop me a weapon that’s actually worth using.”
Fighting barehanded was always an option, but it was unnecessarily troublesome.
Shoving the two corpses aside, he spotted the spoils.
A small glowing card.
And—a long, gleaming weapon.
His eyes lit up.
“No way… I must’ve been blessed by the loot gods.”
First, he picked up the card.
[Two Steaming Buns]
“Nice. Guess I’ll have some extra food to go with steak tonight.”
Then, with eager anticipation, he reached for the blade.
[Tang Broadsword – Bronze Grade]
A standard military weapon from the Tang Dynasty of the Dragon Nation. About seventy centimeters long, designed for armor-piercing and durability.
Stats: Strength +1; ignores 10% of enemy defense; durability regenerates slowly when out of combat.
Lin Ziluo laughed.
“Of course. A national specialty.”
In this world, loot adapted to regional characteristics. For the Dragon Nation, that meant Tang dao, guan dao, and mo dao. Over in the island nation, they got katanas and naginatas.
Though common later in the game—eventually purchasable in shops—getting a bronze-grade Tang dao this early was an absolute blessing.
Compared to that useless dagger, this was an entirely different league. Mid-range slashes, fast and brutal—his killing speed would skyrocket.
He stored the weapon in his inventory, climbed back up the ladder, and scanned the area.
Ten minutes remained before the first stage ended. Four zombies left to kill.
The entire inn was now clear, so he stepped outside.
The street was quiet, tucked away from the main road—perfect for the kind of shady inn this had been.
Six zombies wandered nearby, and further down, at a crossroads, a pack of seven or eight clustered together.
Lin Ziluo stomped lightly and whistled.
Ten years of fighting zombies had given him absolute control over sound. He could draw in only what he wanted.
Sure enough, the six nearby zombies turned and began shuffling toward him, while the distant pack stayed put.
Lin Ziluo unsheathed the Tang dao, waiting calmly.
The undead quickened their pace, drawn by the scent of fresh prey.
Instead of meeting them in the open, he retreated into the inn.
Not out of fear—quite the opposite. The narrow hallway at the entrance made the perfect choke point. No chance of being blindsided.
And as expected, the first two zombies lunged at the doorway—only to wedge themselves tight, shoulder to shoulder.
The rest behind them clawed uselessly, unable to squeeze through.
Lin Ziluo slapped his forehead.
“Right… forgot how stupid first-day zombies are.”
In his past life, he hadn’t left his dorm on Day One. By the time he encountered zombies, most were already Level 2—and much less idiotic.
He walked up to the two stuck corpses and “kindly” solved their problem.
Slash!
Two heads flew clean off, bouncing across the floor.
The Tang dao gleamed, spotless. No blood, no chips.
“Beautiful. This blade’s top quality.”
Even among identical weapons, quality varied. His dao was clearly crafted at the highest tier.
Good blade, good technique.
With a kick, he shoved the bodies aside to clear the way.
The next pair of zombies surged forward—and promptly got stuck as well.
“You four related or something?” he muttered.
Still, his dao cut them down in one stroke. Now four heads rolled neatly in a row at his feet.
[Congratulations, Player “Yazhi” has slain zombies. +1 EXP, +1 Gold.]
[Level Up! Player Yazhi has reached Level 3. +1 Free Attribute Point.]
[Next Level: 30 EXP required.]
“Nice. Level three already.”
Kicking the corpses aside again, he watched as the next zombie finally made it through the door unassisted.
Lin Ziluo almost laughed with relief.
“Finally, one with a shred of intelligence.”
Out of respect, he twirled his Tang dao, tracing a sharp arc in the air.
Then, in a single fluid motion, he cleaved through the zombie’s arm, angled the blade upward, and sliced through its jaw—splitting its face clean in half from chin to crown.
- Writer
