Lex planted his feet firmly, shoulders squared as his eyes locked onto the three zombies standing before him, their presence filling the narrow space with an oppressive pressure that made the air feel heavier than it already was.
Two of them were entirely red, just like the one he had killed earlier. Their thick frames moving sluggishly as swollen muscles dragged decayed bones forward with an unpleasant scraping sound.
The third zombie, however, stood out immediately, its entire body blue from head to toe, leaner and lower to the ground, shifting restlessly like a predator waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
'So even zombies come in colors now,' Lex thought grimly, though a part of him could not help but feel that the universe was mocking him at this point.
Without wasting even a heartbeat, he dumped all three of his remaining status points into Strength, pushing it from seven straight to ten!
He barely understood how blood manipulation worked, and trusting an ability he could not control yet felt like a great way to die early. Raw strength, on the other hand, was simple, reliable, and did not require thinking under pressure.
The moment the points settled, power surged violently through his body, making his muscles tighten beneath his skin as if invisible cords were being pulled together.
His fibers compressed and reinforced themselves with raw, unnatural force, while his skin hardened slightly, gaining a dense resilience that made him feel heavier and sturdier all at once. The entire change took only a few seconds, but when it ended, Lex could feel the difference clearly.
That was enough.
The zombies lunged.
The blue one moved first, bursting forward in a blur as its feet slammed against the floor, crossing the distance far faster than the red zombie Lex had fought earlier. The speed alone was enough to make Lex instincts scream in warning.
'Fast,' Lex thought, immediately filing that away.
The blue zombie swung its arm with savage intent, fingers curled like claws, but Lex met the attack head-on. Their limbs collided with a heavy impact, and this time, strength decided the outcome instantly.
With ten points in Strength against the zombie's inferior power, Lex caught its arm and twisted sharply, bone shattering inside with a wet crack that echoed through the room.
The zombie screeched, its body convulsing, yet Lex did not relax for even a second.
That caution saved his life.
Despite its broken arm, the blue zombie lunged forward again, its jaw stretching unnaturally wide as it snapped straight toward Lex's neck with terrifying speed.
'What?! You are still going?' Lex thought as instinct took over.
He barely twisted aside in time, feeling foul breath and decayed heat graze his skin as the zombie's teeth closed on empty air.
"Careful," Victoria's voice rang out calmly from behind him, faint amusement woven into her tone. "If they bite you, you will end up like them."
Lex resisted the urge to reply with something sarcastic. Making noise now would only invite more problems, and he already had enough on his hands.
Before he could fully regain his balance, the two red zombies attacked at the same time, crashing in from both sides with overwhelming force. Their claws tore through the air as the floor shook beneath their charge, leaving Lex with no room for error.
He dropped low at the last moment, ducking beneath both attacks in one smooth motion, and as he rose, his fist shot upward with everything he had.
The punch slammed into the blue zombie's skull, crushing bone instantly as its head snapped back at an unnatural angle. The creature collapsed lifelessly to the floor, its body skidding forward slightly before coming to a stop.
A white orb rose from the corpse and flew straight into Lex's chest.
[You have gained level 1 zombie's existence codex.]
[Agility +2, Strength +1]
Energy surged through him, his movements sharpening as his body adjusted almost instantly. His steps felt lighter, his reactions quicker, until his speed reached the level of a trained Olympic athlete.
Lex's eyes snapped to the remaining two zombies.
The pattern was clear now.
Blue zombies were fast. Red zombies were strong.
They had stats.
And more importantly, they were not all the same.
'Good,' Lex thought. 'That means they can be dealt with.'
His gaze flicked toward the corner of the room, landing on the empty fire extinguisher he had used earlier. He grabbed it without hesitation, the cold metal settling firmly into his grip as he charged forward.
The first red zombie barely had time to react before Lex smashed the extinguisher straight into its head. Flesh split, bone cracked, and thick red fluid burst outward as the creature collapsed instantly, its massive body hitting the floor with a heavy thud.
The blood was dark and viscous, clearly no longer human, carrying the unmistakable stench of decay and mana corruption.
[You have gained level 1 zombie's existence codex.]
[Agility +1, Strength +2]
The final red zombie roared and rushed toward him blindly, guided only by sound and hunger, its heavy steps shaking the floor.
"It is your turn now," Lex said calmly, surprising even himself with how steady his voice sounded.
He hurled the fire extinguisher with all his strength. The zombie reacted to the tearing sound of air, twisting instinctively, but it was already too late. The extinguisher smashed into its skull with crushing force, staggering it backward in a spray of gore.
Lex did not slow down.
He leapt forward, caught the extinguisher midair as it bounced back, and brought it down with everything he had. The impact shattered the zombie's head completely, and its body collapsed lifelessly at his feet.
[You have gained level 1 zombie's existence codex.]
[Agility +1, Strength +2]
[You have reached Level 3.] [You have acquired 3 status points to distribute freely.]
Lex stood still for a moment, blood dripping steadily from the extinguisher as his breathing slowly evened out.