Victor stared at the zombie shuffling toward him.
The creature dragged its left leg across the cracked road, producing a slow scraping sound against the asphalt.
Its skin hung loosely from its skull.
One eye was missing.
The other stared blankly forward.
Victor tilted his head.
"…Alright."
He looked down at himself.
Grey skin.
Rotting fingers.
Blood-stained clothes.
And still no penis.
Victor sighed.
"God really hates me."
System:
Correction. God is not involved.
Victor ignored that.
He pointed at the approaching zombie.
"So this guy has one of those cores?"
System:
Correct.
Victor cracked his neck.
"Alright."
He rolled his shoulders.
"Well this should be easy."
The zombie suddenly lunged forward.
Victor panicked.
"OH SHIT—!"
The creature slammed into him like a linebacker.
Both of them crashed to the ground.
Victor's head bounced off the pavement.
THUD
"FUCK—!"
The zombie clawed at his chest, its fingers digging into his flesh.
Victor shoved its face away.
"Get off me you ugly bastard!"
The zombie snapped its jaws inches from his face.
Victor punched it.
The punch landed with a dull thud.
The zombie didn't react at all.
Victor blinked.
"…That should've worked better."
The zombie immediately bit into his shoulder.
CRUNCH
Victor screamed.
"AAAH—!"
He kicked wildly, trying to throw the creature off.
The pain burned through his body like someone shoved a hot knife into his bones.
Victor's eyes widened.
"WHAT THE FUCK—?!"
He grabbed the zombie's head and pushed it away.
"WHY DOES THAT HURT?!"
System:
Devil's Curse active.
Victor grunted while wrestling the zombie.
"WHAT CURSE?!"
System:
Unlike normal zombies, you retain full pain receptors.
Pain sensitivity increased by 500%.
Victor froze.
"FIVE HUNDRED PERCENT?!"
The zombie bit him again.
Victor screamed.
"IM A FUCKING CORPSE WHY AM I FEELING PAIN?!"
System:
Devil's amusement parameter.
Victor wheezed.
"…That asshole."
The zombie clawed at his face.
Victor tried punching it again.
The zombie didn't care.
Victor headbutted it.
Bad idea.
CRACK
Victor's skull hurt.
The zombie didn't react.
Victor groaned.
"Why are zombies so damn durable?!"
System:
Because they are not idiots who charge enemies without strategy.
Victor glared at the invisible interface.
"SHUT UP!"
The zombie lunged again.
Victor rolled sideways.
They tumbled across the road like two drunk wrestlers.
Victor grabbed a loose rock and smashed it into the zombie's jaw.
CRACK
The zombie barely reacted.
Victor screamed in frustration.
"WHY WON'T YOU DIE?!"
The zombie tackled him again.
Victor's back slammed against the curb.
Then his head hit something hard.
A jagged piece of metal rod sticking out of the pavement.
Victor blinked.
The zombie lunged again.
Victor shoved it sideways.
The creature tripped.
Its skull smashed directly onto the metal rod.
CRUNCH.
The rod pierced straight through its head.
The zombie twitched once.
Then went still.
Victor lay there breathing heavily.
Rain began falling lightly around him.
After a moment…
Victor pushed the corpse off his chest.
"…Did…"
He looked at the dead zombie.
"…did I just win?"
System:
Combat analysis complete.
A pause.
System:
Victory achieved through accidental environmental interaction.
Victor sat there.
"…So basically luck."
System:
Correct.
Victor sighed.
"…Do I have plot armor or something?"
System:
Negative.
However… external probability manipulation cannot be ruled out.
Victor squinted.
"…That sounds suspicious."
Somewhere far away…
A certain Devil chuckled.
Victor looked down at the zombie corpse.
The system chimed again.
System:
Core detected.
Location: cranial cavity.
Victor groaned.
"You're telling me I have to dig through its skull?"
System:
Correct.
Victor sighed.
"This apocalypse sucks."
After several unpleasant minutes…
Victor pulled a small glowing crystal from the zombie's skull.
The core pulsed faintly with energy.
Victor examined it.
"Huh."
"Looks like a weird cough drop."
System:
Please do not attempt to dissolve it in tea.
Victor shrugged.
"Alright."
He tossed it into his mouth.
The moment he swallowed—
PAIN.
Victor dropped to his knees.
Energy exploded through his body.
Bones cracked.
Muscles twisted.
His skin crawled like thousands of ants were burrowing through it.
Victor screamed.
"AAAAAH—!"
The pain was somehow even worse than before.
System:
Core absorption successful.
Notifications appeared.
Strength +1
Agility +1
Zombie Evolution Progress: 4%
Victor gasped for air.
"…Okay…"
"That sucked."
Then he noticed something.
The bite wound on his shoulder was healing.
The rotten flesh was slowly reforming.
Victor blinked.
"…Wait."
System:
Devil's Blessing active.
Victor frowned.
"Blessing?"
System:
Each consumed core regenerates part of your damaged body.
Victor looked hopeful.
"…Including—"
System:
Penile regeneration probability: possible.
Victor pointed dramatically at the sky.
"THERE IS HOPE!"
System:
Please calm down.
Victor grinned.
Then another message appeared.
SYSTEM CARE PACKAGE RECEIVED
Victor blinked.
"…What?"
System:
Assessment: first combat performance was so pathetic that system intervention is required.
Victor stared.
"…Wow."
"Rude."
A small crate appeared beside him.
Victor opened it.
Inside were three items:
Beginner Core Scanner
Rusty Combat Knife
Basic Evolution Guide
Victor picked up the knife.
"Well…"
He looked out over the ruined city.
"Let's try not to die again."
Then five zombies slowly turned the corner.
Victor stared at them.
"…I spoke too soon."