Chapter 3: First Crystal, First Power
Jin moved through the city like a shadow, his three controlled zombies silently following him. With his Luck stat now at 2.0, he felt hopeful—this time, things would be different.
Ten zombies appeared near an overturned bus. Jin raised his hand.
"Attack."
His zombies charged like beasts. The battle wasn't long. Rotten bodies fell one after another.
1… 2… 5… 8…
Then, after the tenth zombie, Jin noticed a faint blue glow in its chest.
[Heart Crystal – E Rank] obtained!
Drop Rate Bonus Applied: Luck Influence.
Jin's eyes widened. "Finally."
He picked it up, feeling the warm pulse in the crystal. Suddenly, a blue screen appeared in front of him:
Absorption Options:
Absorb the Crystal Yourself Feed it to a Controlled Zombie (chance to evolve)
Jin hesitated. He could make one of his zombies stronger…
But then his fist clenched.
"No. I need to grow too."
He selected Option 1 — Absorb.
The crystal dissolved in his hand, spreading a strange warmth through his entire body. His muscles tensed, eyes sharpened, breath deepened. The system spoke:
Crystal Absorbed.
+3 Stat Points Awarded.
Stats Balanced.
[Jin – Zombie Controller]
• Strength: 4
• Agility: 4
• Intelligence: 4
• Luck: 2
• Control Slots: 3
• Stat Points Available: 2
Jin smirked. "So every time I absorb, I get stats..."
Without thinking, he dumped both points into Luck.
Luck increased to 4.0
He felt a strange shift around him, like the air itself was starting to bend in his favor.
"This... this is way better than I expected."
Night fell. The city was a graveyard, but Jin kept moving. His zombies cleared the path, and he finally reached the location marked as a possible shelter.
It was a reinforced underground parking lot, hidden behind a collapsed building. Using his controlled zombies, he cleared the entrance, dragged debris away, and secured the area.
[System Notification]
Mission Complete: Clear Safe Path to Shelter
+1 Control Slot Unlocked
Current Slots: 4
Jin grinned as he sat down inside the quiet shelter.
"I can control four now… Just the beginning."
As the moonlight glowed faintly over the apocalyptic ruins, Jin stared out into the darkness, ready for tomorrow's hunt.
He wasn't just surviving.
He was evolving.