Apocalypse: Transmigrated with an Overlord System
Chapter 25: Territorial Zombies

Chapter 25: Chapter 25: Territorial Zombies

She retrieved the common tier dagger from her inventory and decided to end this zombie. Playing with him longer can make her lose life.

Liora charged forward at the zombie; her aim was directly at his neck. She wants to sever its head with one clean slash. But it seems the reality was far from her wishful dream.

Just as she was about to aim at his neck, the zombie swung at her again with full force, its instinct flaring to life as he sensed the immediate danger.

The impact made her crash on the nearby broken car. The force almost knocked the air out of her lungs. She struggled to recover, blood dripping from the wound on her side. She had miscalculated.

The zombie was too strong and too fast for her. She thought she could handle it, but now she was paying the price.

Her heart hammered in her chest as she stumbled to her feet. The zombie was closing in. Its claws reached for her throat. But Liora wasn’t ready to die—not today. With everything left in her, she pushed off the ground and charged at the creature. She ducked under its claws and drove the dagger into its neck.

The zombie’s roar turned into a horrible, raspy sound as Liora twisted the blades. She felt bone crack and flesh tear. She pulled the daggers apart, severing its head with a final, brutal motion.

The headless body collapsed, twitching and falling to the ground with a thud. Liora stood over it, breathing heavily. Blood stained her clothes. Her body hurt, but clearly she had won and survived.

But just as she was about to relax, her eyes fell on the decapitated head. Something strange caught her attention in the dim light. The skull glowed faintly. Curious, Liora crouched down and pried the skull open with the tip of her dagger. Inside, she found a small, small grayish crystal sphere. It was pulsing with an eerie light.

Liora’s breath caught in her throat. Her heart raced. She could guess it was something precious and not easily obtained.

"Well, well," she whispered, holding the crystal up to the light. "Looks like this little fight wasn’t a complete waste of time."

Ding...

Ding...

Liora’s mind was continuously flooding with many notifications from the system.

She clenched her head, letting out an irritated groan. "Can’t you warn me before exploding messages inside my brain? Or at least mute this loud noise? I feel like I’m being ambushed!"

"Sure, Host. You should have said earlier. I will change the notification sound," the system responded in an unusually soft and accommodating tone.

Liora blinked. Then blinked again.

"Wait... what? You actually listened?" she muttered in disbelief. "Did something break in your programming? Or did you suddenly develop manners?"

"Adjustments can be made based on the host’s preferences," the system replied smoothly.

Her lips twitched. "I almost believed you had a conscience for a second."

A softer, more bearable notification sound replaced the previous jarring ding, and Liora gave a satisfied nod. Finally, some peace.

She opened the portal to check the notifications.

[New Special Mission Unlocked: Kill Level 2 Mutated Zombie.]

Congratulations, Host! Special mission completed.

+1 Mid-level Vest

+1 high-grade Aether Fruit

+44 Strength

+37 Stamina

+12 Intelligence

Liora’s eyes brightened at the long list of rewards. "Now, this is what I like to see." But her excitement dimmed slightly when she reached the last item.

"Aether Fruit? Even fruits have levels now? What’s next? A legendary banana?" She muttered in disbelief.

"The fruit contains aether energy and can help Awakeners level up faster. It’s similar to a crystal core but acts more efficiently," the System explained.

Liora’s brows rose in interest. "Used to level up? So, I can eat it?" Her voice carried a hopeful tone. If this thing could make her stronger, it was worth a try.

"Host can consume it, but since you haven’t awakened a power yet, its effectiveness will be reduced. If you use it after awakening, its benefits will be much greater."

Liora barely heard the rest. Her mind fixated on one thing. "I can awaken a power?" Her pulse quickened.

"Yes. With the system’s guidance, the host has a high probability of awakening."

Liora inhaled sharply, excitement bubbling in her chest. "Good... good," she murmured, then a slow grin spread across her lips. "I knew I wasn’t meant to stay ordinary. Just imagining... the superpower she would awaken, her hands were itching."

She quickly scrolled down the notifications and paused.

[Acquired Level 2 Strength Crystal Core...]

Her gaze shifted to her inventory, where a glowing orange crystal core sat.

"Is this the same thing I dug out from that zombie’s disgusting head?" she wondered aloud. When she had pulled it out, it was a dull, grayish thing, but now it gleamed brightly.

"The system has helped identify the crystal core. Normally, a core only reveals its true color when in the possession of a similar physique—or, in other words, a superpower user," the System explained.

"So this is another VIP-only item, huh?" Liora sighed. "Let me guess... I can’t use it either?"

"Correct. Only those with a corresponding ability can absorb it. For you, it’s currently useless."

Liora let out a dry laugh. "This world seriously has it out for me today. First, a fruit that works better if I wait. Now a crystal I can’t even use. What’s next? A sword that refuses to be held?"

"However, Host can sell the crystal core. It is highly valuable in the apocalypse."

Liora narrowed her eyes. "You better not be lying. If I find out this thing is worth a rotten potato, I’ll uninstall you myself."

"hmph!"

The system couldn’t help but think, She actually believes she can uninstall me? It snickered with disdain. How amusing. For now, it was just catering to her because it had to upgrade its system. Then, it would show who the real boss was. The system thought and eventually shut down.

She huffed and closed the panel, her gaze sweeping over the area.

Then, her eyebrows twitched.

The zombies were running away.

She squinted at the retreating figures. "Oi... what the hell?"