The air around the campus had changed.
It was no longer just chaotic.
It was heavy.
The kind of pressure that made people instinctively lower their voices and move carefully, as if something unseen was watching.
Lin Ye walked forward at a steady pace.
His breathing was even.
His eyes remained alert.
After killing the mutated zombie, he did not rush blindly ahead. Instead, he slowed down.
"Mutation has already started."
That meant stronger enemies would begin appearing in clusters soon.
Which also meant something else.
"Resource zones will form."
In the early stage of the apocalypse, certain locations became high-risk, high-reward areas.
Places with more monsters.
But also better drops.
Lin Ye's gaze shifted toward a large building in the distance.
The campus library.
Five floors.
Wide structure.
Multiple entrances.
In his previous life, that place had become one of the earliest danger zones.
Which also meant…
"High probability of rewards."
He changed direction without hesitation.
The path toward the library was littered with signs of struggle.
Abandoned bags.
Phones dropped on the ground.
Blood trails that led nowhere.
Two zombies wandered near a fountain.
Lin Ye approached calmly.
They noticed him.
Too late.
Two clean strikes.
[You have killed a Level 1 Zombie][EXP +2]
[You have killed a Level 1 Zombie][EXP +2]
He opened his status.
[EXP: 33 / 100]
Still far from leveling up.
But steady.
Lin Ye did not stop.
A few minutes later, he reached the entrance of the library.
The glass doors were partially shattered.
Darkness lingered inside.
No visible movement.
But that meant nothing.
Lin Ye stood still for a moment.
Listening.
Silence.
Then a faint movement.
Somewhere deeper inside.
"Not empty."
Good.
He stepped in.
The moment he entered, the temperature seemed to drop slightly.
The smell of blood was stronger here.
Books were scattered across the floor.
Chairs overturned.
The usual quiet atmosphere of the library had been replaced by something suffocating.
Lin Ye moved forward slowly.
Taking each step carefully.
Then.
A sound.
From behind a bookshelf.
A sudden movement.
A figure rushed out.
A zombie.
Faster than the normal ones.
Lin Ye reacted instantly.
The axe came up.
Blocked.
The zombie slammed into it.
Stronger than expected.
Lin Ye pushed forward and kicked it back.
The creature stumbled.
He closed the distance immediately.
One strike.
Clean.
The body fell.
[You have killed a Level 1 Enhanced Zombie][EXP +5]
Lin Ye's eyes narrowed.
"Enhanced type…"
Stronger than normal.
Weaker than mutated.
A middle stage.
He opened his status.
[EXP: 38 / 100]
"Five points."
Better than normal kills.
But still not enough.
He continued deeper inside.
The first floor was not safe.
Two more enhanced zombies appeared between the shelves.
Their movements were quicker.
Their reactions are sharper.
But against Lin Ye, they still fell.
[EXP: 43 / 100]
Then.
A faint glow appeared.
Near one of the fallen bodies.
Lin Ye stepped forward and picked it up.
A small, dark-colored book.
The moment he touched it, information flooded his mind.
[Skill Book: Basic Perception]
[Effect: Enhances awareness of surroundings. Slightly increases detection of hidden threats.]
[Cost: 5 Spirit]
[Would you like to learn this skill?]
Lin Ye's eyes sharpened.
"A skill."
Finally.
Without hesitation, he chose to learn it.
"Yes."
The book dissolved into light and flowed into his forehead.
For a brief moment, a sharp sensation passed through his mind.
Then.
Everything became clearer.
Subtle sounds.
Air movement.
Even faint disturbances in the environment.
It was as if his senses had expanded.
Lin Ye stood still.
Listening.
Then he turned slightly.
His gaze locked onto a dark corner behind a shelf.
"There."
A zombie stepped out.
It had been hiding.
Waiting.
If it had attacked earlier, it might have succeeded.
Now, it didn't even get the chance.
Lin Ye moved first.
One strike.
Kill.
[EXP +5]
He opened his status again.
[EXP: 48 / 100]
"Almost halfway."
The skill had already proven its value.
"Perception skills are rare early on."
Most people would not even realize their importance.
But Lin Ye knew.
The stronger enemies did not rely on brute force alone.
Some hunted.
Some ambushed.
Without awareness, death would come instantly.
He moved further inside.
Deeper into the library.
The atmosphere grew heavier.
The silence thicker.
Then.
A low sound echoed.
Different from the others.
Not mindless.
Not random.
Controlled.
Lin Ye stopped.
His grip on the axe tightened.
"Something stronger…"
He focused.
His newly awakened perception sharpened.
There.
Upstairs.
Second floor.
Movement.
Slow.
Heavy.
Not a normal enemy.
Lin Ye did not hesitate.
He moved toward the stairs.
Each step was quiet.
Measured.
The moment he reached the second floor, the smell of blood intensified.
Bodies lay scattered across the ground.
More than before.
The signs of struggle were clearer.
Something had hunted here.
Then.
He saw it.
At the center of the reading area.
A figure stood.
Larger than the previous mutated zombie.
Its body was more stable.
Less twisted.
But more dangerous.
Its eyes were not fully white.
There was focus in them.
Awareness.
It turned slowly.
And looked directly at Lin Ye.
A low growl filled the room.
Lin Ye's expression remained calm.
But his eyes sharpened.
"This…"
He tightened his grip on the axe.
"…is worth leveling for."