Who... Are You Going to Kill?

North of Haima Security Shop, inside a residence, a handsome man who looked as though he had stepped out of a comic stood with flames burning on both hands. A charred Jumping Zombie lay before him.

He crouched down, thrust two flaming fingers into the Jumping Zombie's brain, pinched out a red crystal the size of a soybean, and slipped it into his pocket.

With a casual flick, he tossed down a spark, and the Zombie's corpse began to burn.

"So, according to Void, the energy contained in these crystals can not only replenish my mana bar, but might also awaken abilities in humans?"

"Mm-hmm. Got it. I'll save some to trade things with them. I'm hanging up—I can sense another Mutated Zombie ahead."

A gentleman did not stand beneath a crumbling wall, but a gentleman should also possess a righteous spirit and act without shame!

So Shen Jin was definitely getting involved in this!

But!

He could not rush or panic. He had to proceed steadily.

As Shen Jin checked the items in his inventory, he considered the safest possible approach.

Charging straight in and becoming the embodiment of justice was definitely out of the question. One look at that security guard's size and bulging muscles told him that his own scrawny frame was no match.

Since he had chosen the pickaxe in the first place, he naturally had to use his brain more.

Otherwise, wouldn't he be no different from those reckless brutes? Hm?

Then Shen Jin looked at his Newbie Quest and felt a headache coming on.

Personally kill 10 Zombies. Current progress: 0/10

There was definitely something wrong with this system!

How many Zombies had he buried with the Grand Earth Burial Technique? Not a single one counted as a kill?

Using the system's abilities did not count as personally killing them?

That was like smothering someone to death with a pillow, then being told that the pillow killed them, not him.

Could anyone find that convincing? No!

Pah!

Damn system, no sense of fair play!

If he had quest points from system rewards, he could definitely unlock powerful modules!

He would have so many more methods at his disposal.

Now was not the time to dwell on that. As Shen Jin inspected his inventory, a plan came to mind.

"From what I saw at Haima Security just now, there don't seem to be any Zombies on the second floor. The commotion I caused last time was probably so big that they were all drawn down to the first floor."

Based on that, Shen Jin devised a complete battle plan.

First! He definitely could not enter through the same entrance as last time. There would surely be a crowd of Zombies gathered there again.

Second! This operation had to be fast! He would stack Dirt blocks against the outside of the office building and enter Shang Qian's room on the third floor directly.

Finally! He had to be stealthy—and ruthless!

If he did not move, so be it. But once he moved, the heavens and earth would be shaken.

Using the previous exit as a reference, Shen Jin picked his position and broke through the ground.

No rush!

He plugged the opening back up with a glass pane and observed the terrain again.

Huh? Why was it so quiet?

After probing a few times, Shen Jin emerged and discovered that all the nearby Zombies had run to Haima Security Shop.

"Heaven is helping me."

From underground, Shen Jin picked his spot, held Dirt in his hands, and began stacking it beneath his feet.

I jump, I place, I jump, I place, I jump, I place.

Like that, stepping his left foot onto his right foot, Shen Jin made it all the way up to the third-floor window.

Luckily, this was only the third floor. The Dirt's support could hold up. If it had been any higher, he would have failed halfway up.

This was not like a game, where a single pillar of Dirt could support a floating island.

Once it got high enough, it would start swaying!

Seeing that the curtains had been drawn shut, Shen Jin sneered. "Watch me descend from the heavens like a divine soldier!"

He put all his iron armor back into his inventory, leaving only three layers of leather armor on. Otherwise, his movements would be too restricted.

Shen Jin took out his stun baton. This thing was useless against Zombies, but it was damn effective against people!

Lu Qiang's voice came from inside.

"You like bullying honest people, huh? You think I'm a coward, huh? Today, I'll show you just how hard I can be!"

Shang Qian cried out from inside, but her mouth was apparently covered, and only muffled whimpers came out.

Shen Jin frowned, but did not act rashly. Nothing substantial had happened yet. He could wait.

Wait until Lu Qiang had completely lowered his guard, then take him down in one strike.

"I'm taking the thing out of your mouth now. If you can keep from screaming, nod."

"Fine. Make me happy today, and I'll let you off the hook!"

Shang Qian did not shout. It would be useless at this point, and it might provoke Lu Qiang's viciousness instead.

"Impossible. If you dare force me, I'll bite it right off. I advise you to stop while you can. There's food and water here—you can take as much as you want. I'll pretend nothing happened anyway. No one else will find out."

Lu Qiang sneered. At this moment, he had gone completely mad. After so many years of being pathetic, Mad Qiang had returned.

"If your mouth dares move recklessly, I'll strangle you to death. Try me if you don't believe it."

Shang Qian was no coward either. "Maybe you don't know this, but when someone is close to death, their teeth clamp down even tighter. You couldn't pry them apart even with pliers."

Tsk... Damn, even Shen Jin outside the window felt a chill run down his spine.

The crazed Lu Qiang suddenly froze. A man's instincts sent a chill through his crotch.

Judging by Shang Qian's expression, she really might do it!

He stuffed the cloth back into Shang Qian's mouth.

"Hmph, then you'll still be played with like a bitch! This is what you get for looking down on people!"

Listening to the rustling inside, accompanied by Shang Qian's furious muffled sobs, Shen Jin knew the time had come.

Charge!

Shen Jin switched on the stun baton, smashed the glass with his pickaxe, and leaped inside.

The moment he landed, an unbearable sight filled his vision.

Shang Qian was tied into a single bundle, kneeling on the floor with her head resting against the bed. Her face was streaked with tears.

The exposed Lu Qiang stared in disbelief as Shen Jin rolled straight to his feet.

Bzzzt—

"You! Aaaah—"

Lu Qiang's whole body convulsed. Foam spilled from his mouth as he collapsed onto the bed.

With her back to the window, Shang Qian did not feel the pain she had expected.

Instead, she saw Lu Qiang collapse limply beside her as though he had gone stupid, his whole body trembling.

"Mm! Mm! Mm!"

That was even more terrifying!

Had someone else been hiding in the room? Friend or foe? Could this person also have some filthy intention?

Or had he just entered?

Shang Qian was terrified. This situation, completely beyond her control, made her realize her own helplessness for the first time.

She was only a beautiful woman, and beauty was not something to show off in the apocalypse. Instead, it could bring calamities like this.

Ever since the authorities had failed to send aid for so long and their food was nearly gone, Shang Qian had noticed that some of the men looked at her with bad intentions.

Even if it had not been Lu Qiang today, someone else would have done it.

If she survived, she would immediately take trustworthy people and flee this place. Shang Qian made a decision in her mind.

Shen Jin picked up a piece of clothing, covered Shang Qian's head with it, and said in a hoarse voice:

"Don't turn around. Stay as you are."

Shang Qian remained in the same position. At that moment, she unexpectedly thought of Little Dragon Girl.

He doesn't want me to know who he is? Old Wang? Little Zhao? Or Old Ma? I hope he'll be gentler.

Shang Qian resigned herself to it. Being humiliated once was still better than falling into Lu Qiang's hands. That man had gone mad!

Lu Qiang was trembling all over, his eyes wide as he continued staring at her.

Shen Jin dragged Lu Qiang away from behind. Since he had chosen to come here, he had naturally never intended to leave anyone alive!

A person like this was nothing but a tumor among humanity.

He took out the Fine Steel Longsword he had just picked up from his inventory, held it against Lu Qiang's neck, and said quietly, "You shouldn't have touched her."

What??? Shang Qian's eyes, which she had resignedly closed, snapped open.

Shen Jin's expression was cold. Once he made a decision, no matter how cruel it was, nothing could shake his resolve.

Those who committed evil deserved death!

Shen Jin swung his sword.

Trembling, Lu Qiang watched the sword above his head descend again and again. Its edge was sharp enough to cut through even the strands of hair drifting through the air.

"No! I don't want to die! I, Lu Qiang, have been pathetic for half my life. I can't die like this!"

"Move! Move already!!!"

Lu Qiang roared madly in his heart. Veins bulged across his face, and he bit until his mouth filled with blood.

Boom!

Lu Qiang heard a voice in his mind, one that seemed to come from every part of his body at once, as though the power hidden in humanity's genes had been unlocked.

The numbness and pain vanished.

Control over his body returned instantly, and countless unimaginable combat instincts filled his mind!

It was as if he had been born a warrior!

"Ha!"

Lu Qiang raised an arm and grabbed Shen Jin's wrist.

"Who are you going to kill?"

Here comes the bonus scene~~~ A tribute to myself