"It seems that we will have a new home, brothers..." Tieria said to his two companions. They were people he had summoned after using two Epic Recruitment Stones.
Finding these stones in the first week of the Apocalypse wasn't easy... He was simply lucky that the place where he had respawned was near a cabin in the woods. This cabin seemed to have been owned by a retired military officer because it still had a decent armory.
In any case, that cabin had a secret underground bunker where he was able to find these high-caliber weapons. It was unfortunate that hiding there wouldn't make him stronger or level up, so he had to always go out.
The only problem in the area he respawned was that almost all Zombies around were mid-tier! It had been tough for him when he was still a level 1 Survivor since he was heavily relying on his weapon to damage the Zombies to their death... Nonetheless, after getting used to the Sniper Rifle, he was able to become the first clearer of a Zombie Den and obtained an Epic Recruitment Stone.
The only casualty at that time was his left eye.
As for his second Epic Recruitment Stone, it was obtained from a Silver Treasure Chest that he had opened from the bottom of a lake.
"A new home, huh..." Hanzo, his first recruit, muttered after hearing Tieria's words.
He was a tall, muscular man with a rugged appearance. He carried a powerful assault rifle with a barrel slightly worn from so many battles. The rifle was equipped with a grenade launcher, making Hanzo a formidable force in both close and ranged combat.
"Are you sure about this, brother?" Argus asked.
He had a lean and agile figure with sharp features. He wielded a high-caliber sniper rifle, similar to Tieria's, but with a few rapid-fire modifications. Darius's rifle had a suppressor attached, allowing him to take out targets silently and efficiently.
Of course, aside from these main weapons, all of them also carried knives and pistols.
Hanzo grinned as he recalled the previous Clan that tried to take advantage of the three of them.
"I hope they aren't stupid."
Argus nodded, his expression serious. "As long as they don't make the same mistake as the last Clan we've joined."
Tieria chuckled, understanding their concerns.
"Lysandra seems trustworthy... Furthermore, if she had that advanced technology at her disposal, I'm sure she had strong people around her as well. In any case, she's definitely rich if she's selling those Prosthetics for about a thousand Zombie Cores each. This could be the fresh start we've been looking for."
Hanzo and Argus exchanged glances, their skepticism giving way to cautious optimism. "Let's hope you're right," Hanzo said, slinging his rifle over his shoulder.
Argus adjusted his sniper rifle, ready for whatever lay ahead. "We'll follow your lead, Tieria. Let's make this work."
Seeing that his brothers seemed fine with this arrangement, he then replied to Lysandra.
[ Tieria: I can agree with this offer as long as the Prosthetic Eye is really special, as you said. I'm currently near the Oblivion Marsh... The Gorge of Oath is in my north and the Sunken Castle in my west... Well, it's a three-day of travel. ]
[ Lysandra: Got it... I have a rough idea of your location. Unfortunately, I can't invite you unless we're close to each other. We are at Sector 15, and we're heading to Sector 20. We're planning to stay in our current area until the Boss Raid event starts. If you want to get the item now, we can still make a private trade, but you'll have to pay the transaction fee. ]
The two of them chatted for a little while as Tieria realized that Lysandra's current location was a secret.
After returning to the Inn and eating with Lysandra, Shane returned to his room and opened his Regional Chat.
Lysandra's Prosthetic sale had already died down and no one was talking about it anymore.
However, there was a subject that caught his interest...
As he read through the Regional Chat, he noticed a few people mentioning the mysterious Survivor Killer. It was a chilling story—a human hunting other humans instead of zombies. It doesn't seem too unnatural with the lack of resources, but they heard that this killer would torture these Survivors instead of just killing them.
The chat buzzed with speculation and fear as the survivors shared rumors and warnings about this monster-like human.
Some dismissed it as a mere story, while others claimed to have witnessed the Survivor Killer firsthand or their victims.
[ Alice: I heard they wear a black cloak with a coffin's emblem. This is probably a Clan and not just a single person. Most of my friends had disappeared already. They must be in Sector 15. Be careful. ]
[ Natalie: So they moved there already? I heard about them when they were still in Sectors 9 and 11. ]
[ Travis: I think it's just three people. One of them probably has Paralysis Talent, so you all have to be careful. ]
[ Raze: Do you know these Survivor Killers? ]
[ Travis: Probably... I think I tried to recruit them, but they looked nasty, so I sent them away. Then, the next Clan they joined in was completely eradicated a few days after they joined. I'm not sure if that's connected. ]
[ Raze: Can you tell us their names and appearance? ]
[ Travis: As I said, I'm not sure if that was them, so I don't want to tarnish their reputation. However, if that was their group, then you have to be careful of the Paralysis effect. ]
"Survivor Killer, huh..." Shane gently nodded as he read the intriguing topic.
In any case, he was safe within the Ivory Gear Shelter, surrounded by advanced technology and heavily-equipped guards.
Surely, this Survivor Killer wouldn't dare target a place like this.
Shane closed the chat, pushing aside his random thoughts.
He had more immediate concerns—the elixir he was about to create.
The Blood Alchemy Book lay open before him, its pages filled with various recipes to repurpose his collection of precious Zombie Blood.
"Titan's Roar Skill... I'm going to get you." Shane muttered as he prepared all the ingredients in front of him. He had even purchased a cauldron and various containers in the warehouse a while ago, to ensure that he had the best equipment in his first attempt in Blood Alchemy.
'Let's start...'
Following the instructions for making the elixir meticulously, Shane mixed the Juggernaut Zombie Blood and Giant Zombie Blood in a stone cauldron.
Then, the Ancient Oak Moss was drenched, infusing the mixture with its properties. He then ground the Corrupted Hearthstone into a fine powder and it was quite easy, thanks to his current strength. Soon, its dark energy blended seamlessly into the cauldron.