The next day — afternoon, at the beach.
The sky was clear, brushed with streaks of gold and pale blue.
Luke stood by the shore, the water lapping close to his boots as he checked through his inventory one last time. He was leaving for months, so he needed to be prepared. Beside him, Selene, Jill, and Alice watched quietly.
Finally, Selene stepped forward.
"Take care of yourself out there," she said, her voice steady but softer than usual. "And don't do anything stupid."
Luke gave a faint smile. "I know. I'm not a kid."
Selene didn't reply. She just stepped closer and pulled him into a hug.
Next was Jill. She hesitated for a moment, then smiled and said lightly, "Take care of yourself while you're gone, alright?"
Luke nodded, wrapping her in a brief hug. "You too. Keep things running smoothly for me."
"Always do," Jill replied with a small smirk before stepping back.
Then Luke turned to Alice, his grin turning playful. "What about you? No goodbye hug?"
Alice chuckled, shaking her head. "You'd like that, wouldn't you?"
Even so, she stepped in and gave him a short, friendly hug. "Take care, Luke. Try not to blow up anything you shouldn't."
He laughed under his breath. "No promises."
When he stepped back, he looked at the three of them one last time.
"Then… so long," Luke said quietly.
A low hum of power filled the air as his figure lifted off the sand and shot upward, leaving a faint ripple behind. The three women watched him rise higher and higher until he vanished beyond the clouds.
For a moment, no one spoke.
Then Selene glanced at Jill. Both of them turned toward Alice.
Alice caught it instantly. "What?" she asked, brow raised. "Why are you two looking at me like that?"
"Nothing," Selene and Jill said at the same time, perfectly in sync.
Alice frowned slightly, suspicious, but the other two only shared a small, knowing smile.
***
On Luke's side.
The sky stretched endlessly around him — a boundless ocean of clouds glowing in gold and white. A faint blue shimmer wrapped around his body as telekinetic energy kept him suspended in flight, slicing through the open air with ease.
He was heading east.
Toward Asia.
That was his first goal.
The most populated continent — which now meant the most infected. More zombies, more battles, more EXP.
He smirked. "Asia it is," he murmured. "If there's one place to grind levels, it's there."
His destination was China.
He didn't expect survivors, not in major cities. Once the infection hit those crowded areas, it turned them into bloodbaths overnight.
Still, that was exactly where he wanted to go — where the numbers would be higher, where the system's rewards would multiply fastest.
"Oh, right," Luke muttered mid-flight, flicking his wrist as a translucent blue panel appeared beside him. "Before I start, I should add Alice and Jill to the companion module."
He scrolled through menus. Their profiles appeared with faint outlines beside their names
[Jill Valentine – Favorability: 90]
[Alice – Favorability: 70]
"Perfect." He selected both. "They'll get a bit of EXP from this run too. Not that they'll complain."
Another tab opened — his inventory.
[Hulk's Blood]
He paused, studying it for a moment. "Still waiting for the right time to use that one," he murmured. "Not wasting it on a warm-up round."
He swiped the inventory aside and opened the System Shop instead. The interface shifted, displaying categories of upgrades, items, and consumables. His eyes caught the one he wanted — highlighted with faint red text.
[EXP Multiplier Booster (5×)]
Cost: 10,000 SP
Luke grinned faintly. "Now that's what I'm talking about."
He didn't buy it yet — not until he saw the scale of what he was up against. "Once I'm in the middle of the horde, then I'll activate it," he decided. "Max efficiency."
He closed the panel, the glow fading as the wind roared past again. "Alright," he muttered, "first stop — Shanghai."
After five long days of flying,
Luke finally reached the Asian continent — the largest landmass on Earth, home to countless cultures, histories, and religions.
Once upon a time, it had been a thriving cradle of civilization. Now, it was just another graveyard under the gray sky.
He could've arrived in three days… if he hadn't gotten lost.
"Yeah," he muttered, sighing to himself. "Still can't believe I somehow ended up in Antarctica."
He floated above the clouds, crossing his arms. "That's what I get for not checking the map."
After a long detour and a literal U-turn across half the planet, he was finally where he meant to be — Shanghai.
***
A/N: For those who want to read ahead of the Webnovel schedule, you can read up to Chapter 132 on my Patreon.
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