Lucas Kane was being bombarded with messages—some serious, some curious, and a fair number just trying to mooch. He had to filter through them all, identifying the genuine buyers from those just looking for free handouts or killing time asking about prices they never intended to pay. Even among the potential buyers, some were only there to haggle endlessly before walking away.
Frankly, if Ethan Cole hadn't stepped in and bought ten Precision Longbows in one go, Lucas doubted he'd have sold even ten by now.
Luckily, Jessica Moore had nothing but time. Trapped in the security office, she had no way out—but she did have internet, and Lucas had just the right task for her.
Instead of letting her idle away, he asked her to help sell weapons on his behalf. She could handle the negotiations and report back the deals. Once a price was agreed upon, Lucas would execute the transaction directly.
With this arrangement, he could both slay zombies for energy cores and earn more through weapon sales—two income streams, zero interference.
"This is what I call efficiency," he muttered with satisfaction.
"Watching that creature's movements isn't even a task. I'd do that anyway to stay alive," Jessica responded. "But selling the weapons? I'm all over it! I love bargaining!"
"Thanks... for trusting me," she added after a pause.
Lucas didn't respond with sentiment. "This isn't about trust. It's mutual benefit. Don't overthink it."
"Uh-huh, mutual benefit~ Got it! But still, thanks. Meeting you... was a stroke of luck."
This woman... Lucas sighed.
He explained the cost of producing each Precision Longbow, walked her through recent transactions, and gave her some price references so she could negotiate effectively.
With that done, he checked the time: 2:00 PM. Four hours until nightfall.
Could he make it to Skyshine University before dark?
Though the university was only 500 meters away, his current alleyway ran opposite its direction. No matter how many zombies he killed here, it wouldn't clear a path toward the school.
Time to relocate.
Lucas retraced his steps through the residential block, arriving at a pedestrian exit with a tall iron gate and a card reader. Swiping the Building 8 access card—Beep!—the smaller side gate unlocked.
But he didn't leave right away. He paused, listening.
Beep. Beep. Beep. The gate's rhythmic sound accelerated, warning it was about to close.
Groooan...
Two zombies stumbled into view, crawling out from behind a building.
They saw him—and suddenly charged like sprinters.
Back then, Lucas would've panicked. But now? He was a first-stage Awakened—strengthened in both genetics and energy. Their frantic sprint seemed slow, almost comical.
Just before they reached him, a low growl rumbled beside him.
Lupo.
The fluffy wolf cub instantly swelled to combat size and pounced. With a single bite, it latched onto one zombie's neck and flung it violently until its spine snapped.
The second zombie lunged, sinking its teeth into Lupo's side—but the dense fur absorbed the impact.
Lupo turned, his fangs sinking into the zombie's eye socket, piercing straight into the brain.
Two kills. Clean.
Lupo wagged his tail proudly.
"Good boy," Lucas praised, patting the massive wolf's furry head. The beast leaned in, clearly enjoying the affection.
"Harvest. Move."
Following the map, Lucas advanced toward Skyshine University. Between him and the campus lay a congested city block.
The road ahead was a mess. Cars jammed bumper to bumper, leaving no room for the heavy truck to pass.
No choice but to go on foot.
Lupo stayed in his enlarged form, alert and ready.
The map flagged two points of interest: a gas station 200 meters ahead—potential fuel cache—and a massive mall near the university gate. Malls meant food, supplies, even clothing.
He could rush directly to the university and confront the Crawling Mutant. But Lucas preferred caution.
If he stirred up the monster while leaving zombies behind him, he'd risk getting trapped.
Better to clear the area first.
They moved forward. Zombies dotted the road, wandering inside shop windows and along sidewalks.
Time for a test.
He wanted to see what two level-ups had truly done.
Lucas studied the layout. A flipped bus blocked part of the road, with several cars piled up beside it—an accidental barricade. But there was still a seven-meter gap to the right.
Lucas shoved a nearby car—creeeeeak—and it moved. One by one, he repositioned three more, then crouched, gripping one from underneath.
With a grunt and a crack of metal, he flipped it sideways.
A zombie wandered out of a nearby store, drawn by the noise.
Before it could react—snap!—Lupo struck again, killing it instantly.
Lucas nodded approvingly and pushed another car into position as reinforcement.
Soon, he had a solid barricade: a zombie-proof wall made entirely of vehicles.
With the battlefield prepped, Lucas glanced toward the rising chaos ahead.
It was time to clean house.