Demon Chapter

Chapter 2: Wirt’s Leg

Why should one wait for someone else to save Kane?

At first, Gavin Lin thought this way because he was familiar with this part of the game’s plot. Of course, that possibility was very likely—but the task didn’t prohibit others from saving Kane either.

That “someone else” could be anyone—including Gavin Lin himself.

If I rescue Kane in advance and then escape from here, would that still count as completing the task? And would I get an extra reward? Gavin wondered.

The idea sounded absolutely crazy—but it was undeniably tempting.

However, the demons outside were not to be trifled with. In the game, Gavin could easily dominate them with his well-equipped character, but in this reality, if he acted rashly, he’d be the one getting dominated—without a doubt.

Even so, rescuing Kane himself wasn’t impossible.

The key was thorough preparation—and an absolutely foolproof contingency plan. Otherwise, not only would he fail to save Kane, but Gavin himself might end up killed by those demons.

Since my attributes include a level system, does that mean I can level up like game characters? Only instead of experience points… it’s time!

Gavin summoned his personal panel again. The level field displayed “0,” and below it was a line of text:

“Leveling up to 1 requires 24 hours of time.”

His personal clock showed only two hours remaining—far short of the 24 needed. Those hours were essentially his remaining lifespan. Normally, who would willingly spend their life just to gain a level?

After all, even if leveling up made him stronger, it would also shorten his life. Of course, if he had plenty of time saved up, the situation would be different. It was like having money in the bank: the more you have, the more you can afford; with little or none, you simply can’t—or won’t—spend it.

Aside from leveling up, Gavin had another urgent priority: finding a weapon he could use in combat.

Let’s search this room first—maybe there’ll be something unexpected! he thought, immediately standing and carefully scanning the large chamber.

The room wasn’t big. Within minutes, Gavin finished his search. Though brief, he was meticulous—even uncovering a dozen coins hidden beneath a loose floorboard.

Holding the newly found coins, Gavin’s vision filled with a prompt:

“Coins: Quantity 12. Scene item. Can be exchanged for 12 minutes of time. Cannot be removed from the task world.”

So these coins could only buy time—and had no other use. Still, Gavin didn’t exchange them right away. He tucked them carefully away.

After confirming there were no other valuable items, Gavin walked to the rear window, gently pushed open the broken frame, peered outside, and quietly climbed out.

It was pitch black beyond the window.

On an open patch of ground stood several crude wooden crosses made of round logs, each with an unknown body bound to it. Some of the crosses—bodies still attached—were burning. The stench of rotting flesh mingled with the acrid smell of charred corpses, constantly assaulting Gavin’s nostrils and making him queasy. But he had no choice—he had to endure it.

Because near those burning crosses loitered groups of zombies—and fallen demons wielding sharp knives. If spotted, Gavin would soon find himself tied to a cross and roasted alive.

Crawling along the wall like a mouse, Gavin crept cautiously toward the church’s southwest corner. To avoid making any sound, he’d long since removed his shoes.

His reason for venturing out was clear: he knew the game’s lore well. In Tristram, there was one particularly notable corpse—

Wirt’s body.

Any Diablo player would recognize it instantly—it was legendary. From Wirt’s corpse, one could obtain a massive amount of gold coins, all exchangeable for time. More importantly, on that body lay something Gavin desperately needed right now:

Wirt’s Leg—a weapon.

After crawling dozens of meters along the wall, Gavin spotted a river ahead. And on the bank before it—just as expected—lay a body.

He knew at once: this was his target. Just like in the game, the corpse lay sprawled on the ground, surrounded by a pool of dried blood.

Gavin scanned the area, took a deep breath, crouched low, and reached toward the body.

The corpse was less than thirty meters away. A few zombies wandered farther off—but thanks to the distance, they hadn’t noticed him yet, continuing their aimless patrol.

Within seconds, Gavin reached the body safely. Crouching down, he touched it—and immediately received a prompt that filled him with relief:

“Wirt’s Body (Status: Untouched). Upon interaction, you will obtain all the ill-gotten wealth Wirt accumulated before death.”

A smile tugged at Gavin’s lips. He flipped the body over—and instantly, a cascade of golden coins spilled onto the ground. Alongside them tumbled a blood-stained wooden club.

The club matched the “Wirt’s Leg” from the game almost exactly: thick at one end, tapering to a thin handle, with a hollowed-out depression at the heavy end—looking, at a glance, remarkably like a toilet plunger.

Ignoring the coins for now, Gavin picked up the bloodied weapon.

“Wirt’s Leg — Weapon. One-handed. Damage: 2–8. Durability: 55–66. Mallet class — Fast attack speed. +50% damage vs. undead. Socketed (3 slots).”

Gavin exhaled in relief. At last, he had a weapon. Though in the game, Wirt’s Leg was mostly used for crafting and rarely wielded in combat, for Gavin right now, it was invaluable—because up to this point, it was the only weapon available to him.

Especially that “+50% damage vs. undead”—it practically made this a Zombie Killer.

Mission accomplished, Gavin’s face lit up. He prepared to gather the scattered coins—at a glance, there were hundreds.

But just then—an unexpected event occurred.

The nearest zombie suddenly locked onto Gavin, let out a low growl, and charged.

Gavin’s expression tightened. He was backed against the small river—nowhere to run. Fortunately, he now held a weapon. Perfect timing to test its power.

Gripping Wirt’s Leg tightly, he watched the charging zombie.

This was his first close look at such a monster. Its flesh was rotting, skin clinging like wax to bone, reeking of decay. A constant guttural groan issued from its throat—enough to unnerve any ordinary person.

Though Gavin was steadier, he still frowned, feeling a wave of nausea. Just then, the zombie lunged, arms flailing wildly.

Every muscle coiled, Gavin sidestepped sharply and swung Wirt’s Leg without hesitation.

Thud! The club smashed into the zombie’s face, driving it backward and splattering foul pus everywhere.

“Your strike dealt 2 damage to Zombie (Level 6)!”

A battle notification flashed in Gavin’s vision.

His pupils contracted. Level 6 zombie… and I’m only Level 0. The power gap was stark. Yet despite the danger, Gavin didn’t pause—not even to wipe away the flying pus. He kept swinging Wirt’s Leg, hammering the creature.

“Your attack dealt 4 damage (Critical Hit) to Zombie (Level 6)!”

“Your attack dealt 1 damage to Zombie (Level 6)!”

After three strikes, the zombie roared and lashed out with a sweeping arm.

Gavin dropped and rolled, barely dodging. Though the Level 6 zombie moved stiffly when walking, its combat speed was anything but slow—in fact, faster than an average human.

Truly a monster of Tristram, Gavin thought, eyes flashing with killing intent. He no longer saw a mindless corpse—but a true martial opponent.

And his goal was simple: kill it.

Back in the real world, Gavin had undergone three months of brutal martial arts training to assassinate Owen Xu. On day one, his instructor had beaten him senseless. By the final day, Gavin had returned the favor—leaving the man unconscious.

“You’re a freak—a total freak!” the coach had cursed afterward.

That assessment perfectly captured Gavin’s current skill level. And now, he treated this zombie like that instructor—though far weaker in comparison.

“Zombies are still people—they telegraph attacks. Watch their shoulders and knees, and dodge accordingly,” he muttered under his breath. Every muscle tensed, he seized the split-second opening after the zombie’s second swing. Ducking low, he drove a powerful kick into its knee.

BOOM!

It felt like kicking iron—Gavin nearly shattered his own leg bones. But the zombie’s knee cracked audibly, and it collapsed to the ground.

“Your attack dealt 8 damage to Zombie (Level 6) with Critical Hit bonus!”

Clearly, the kick had done significant damage.

Zombies, being corpses, needed time to rise after falling. Gavin used that window to unleash a flurry of blows with Wirt’s Leg.

Though the Level 6 zombie was strong, Gavin held the advantage: a weapon and superior combat technique. Anyone else in his place would’ve been dead already.

BOOM!

After a minute of fighting, the zombie finally landed a hit—its arm slamming into Gavin’s side with excruciating force.

“Zombie dealt 19 damage to you.”

Gavin’s face went pale. His health was only 30 points—he’d lost more than half in a single strike. A surge of primal danger flooded his senses, but he gritted his teeth, raised Wirt’s Leg with all his strength, and brought it crashing down on the zombie’s head.

The blow flattened the creature’s skull. With a final thud, the zombie collapsed.

“Your attack dealt 10 damage to Zombie (Level 6) with Killing Blow. Zombie HP reduced to 0. Target eliminated. You have earned a 30-minute time reward.”