So that's where all the zombies went—they were hiding here?
Lucas Kane finally understood.
Most likely, there were survivors inside attracting the undead's attention. Combined with the constant background music from the mall, it had kept them from reacting to the noise downstairs.
Well then… time to get to work.
With his Tang blade in hand, Lucas surged forward. Lupo took a different route, pouncing toward the enemy from the side.
An Awakened at early Stage One, blessed with dual elemental talents, Lucas cut through ordinary zombies as if slicing through vegetables. They didn't even have a chance to get close before being cleaved apart.
With Lupo assisting from the flank, the dozens of zombies in their path were swiftly annihilated.
[Harvest]
Congratulations! You have obtained:
Energy Core ×24 +5 (Energy Evolution Talent bonus)
Mutant Fertilizer ×140
Clean Cloth ×60
Cash ×827
Mall Directory Map ×1
Storage Ring Fragment ×12
Broken Baseball Bat ×1
Dulled Kitchen Knife ×1
...
As usual, there were plenty of odd items. Broken gear was useless, so Lucas tossed it aside.
He unfolded the mall directory and scanned it:
Basement: Food Court
First Floor: Cosmetics & Baby Supplies
Second Floor: Clothing, Footwear & Children's Education
Third Floor: Gym Equipment & Bedding
Fourth Floor: Restaurants
Clothing was worth collecting—after all, he needed a change almost every day from fighting zombies. The blood stains never came out.
Furniture and bedding were also necessities. Perfect for a sweep.
Lucas deliberately avoided opening the children's education center. He knew there were survivors inside, but meeting strangers was a gamble. What if they begged to join him? He couldn't exactly kill them for refusing… he wasn't a murderer. Best not to interact at all.
With his Master Tailor skill, Lucas could craft any clothing he'd harvested before. He began raiding clothing stores, breaking garments down into clean cloth and storing them away.
An underwear boutique? Harvested.
A luxury suit shop? Harvested.
In the system's eyes, fabric was valued purely by surface area. Whether cheap or expensive, every garment was reduced to the same basic resource.
Then he spotted an outdoor gear shop and stepped inside out of curiosity.
Tents, sleeping bags, folding tables and chairs… night searchlights, portable cooking kits… even camping stoves. All of it was useful.
Testing a small children's tent, Lucas harvested it—Clean Cloth ×50. So tents could be broken down for fabric, though they couldn't be crafted afterward.
Better to just keep them whole.
[Loot Acquired]
Outdoor All-Weather Tent ×30
Picnic Mat ×50
Sleeping Bag ×25
Field Lighting Equipment ×10
Portable BBQ Kit ×10
Camping Stove ×20
Night-Vision Goggles ×5
100× Zoom Binoculars ×5
Fishing Rod ×20
With forty-eight storage slots, Lucas still had plenty of space left—about a quarter of it free, which was still the equivalent of a full storage ring for an ordinary survivor.
After sweeping the entire second floor, Lucas took the elevator up toward the third.
According to his prompts, the gym on the third floor housed a Level 2 Supply Crate—but the mall also contained several Type-II Mutant Zombies. None had appeared on the first or second floor, so they were likely gathered here.
As the elevator ascended, the stench of blood grew thicker.
Click-click-click-click…
That sound—Crawlers.
Lucas stepped onto the third floor and spun sharply, bringing his Tang blade down in a single, forceful slash.
Shhhk!
One clean stroke bisected a mid-leap Crawler before it could unleash its sonic attack. Its grotesque face was frozen mid-smirk as it fell lifeless.
Click-click-click…
Another one.
Was this their nest?
Shield raised, Lucas scanned the area. Three more Crawlers clung to the walls and ceiling ahead, moving aimlessly, occasionally clawing at the ceiling tiles and sending debris tumbling down.
Behind them stood a female zombie unlike any other he'd seen—nearly two meters tall, skin a sickly green, stomach grotesquely swollen. Shapes shifted and writhed beneath the taut flesh.
[Type-II Mutant Zombie: Broodmother. Capable of spitting highly corrosive venom and spawning spider-like creepers coated in the same substance. If I were you, I'd keep my distance.]
Lucas inhaled sharply.
Four Type-II mutants in one spot—and a new, dangerous variant among them.
Reckless fights weren't his style. Fortunately, the gym entrance was nearby. If he could slip in, grab the supply crate, and get out without drawing attention, that would be ideal.
Signaling Lupo, Lucas watched as the wolf pup shrank to its small form, easier to move unseen. Step by silent step, they slipped into the gym.
His hand was just reaching for the glass door to shut it when a new prompt appeared:
[See the wind chime above the door? Guess if zombies enjoy the sound of tinkling chimes.]