Slap!
A powerful, whip-like tongue slammed viciously against Rebecca's door, instantly reducing its durability by 7 points.
Even though it was a level-two door, it couldn't withstand repeated attacks like this.
"Ah! Stop hitting my door, please! I don't want to die yet! What did I do wrong to deserve this kind of torment?"
"Sob… Zore, please come save me! You promised you'd protect me!"
"If you save me, I'll sleep with you! You can do whatever you want!"
"Somebody! Help!"
Rebecca screamed in panic from inside, completely losing control eventually her cries turned into incoherent rambling.
Everyone has a different breaking point.
Being attacked by zombies trying to break down your door is the kind of pressure that would crush most people.
Just then, Leonard opened his door.
He wasn't driven by lust or any inappropriate desire.
He had his own reasons.
First, there were only two zombies in sight still within manageable range.
Second, someone in the admin group had just mentioned that killing mutant zombies at night guaranteed rare loot. Daytime didn't offer such high drop rates.
So, it was a gamble worth taking.
Taking the risk now meant being ready for greater challenges ahead.
Others survive on luck, he would survive on strength.
Leonard first cracked open the door slightly, peeking outside to confirm there were only two zombies. Then he fully opened it.
The long-tongued zombie was still hammering Rebecca's door.
Beside it stood a regular zombie.
Leonard decided to take out the weaker one first before dealing with the mutant.
With a determined heart, he dashed forward, sparks flying from his steps.
By the time the zombie noticed him, Leonard was already close. He launched a flying kick.
Bang!
The kick landed square on the zombie's head, knocking it back several steps.
Roar!
The zombie raised its arms and lunged at him.
Leonard raised his Exorcist Shield just in time.
The talismans on the shield flared red, repelling the zombie on contact.
The long-tongued zombie now joined the fight.
It gave up on Rebecca's door and lashed its tongue toward Leonard's waist with lightning speed, like a frog or lizard striking prey.
Leonard was yanked into the air and slammed hard into the ground.
Two hits, airborne and landing.
-30
-35
A total of 65 health points lost in one go!
Leonard only had 120 HP to begin with this attack nearly halved his life.
The damage was far beyond expectations.
Pain surged through his body. Blood gushed out. His vision blurred. But he didn't drop his weapon.
Grimacing, he swung his Madman Handsaw, hacking at the tongue wrapped around his waist.
He couldn't use the Blood Sigil Shield. The Blood Sigil had a cooldown after activation.
It had just triggered and now needed 15 seconds to recharge.
The handsaw slashed repeatedly, injuring the massive tongue.
The long-tongued zombie recoiled and retracted it, opting to pounce directly at Leonard instead.
Leonard rolled to the side, sprang up, and without clearly seeing his target, launched a three-hit combo.
Slash! Slash! Slash!
All three hits landed in close combat, pushing the zombie back.
Meanwhile, the regular zombie circled back for a flank.
Seeing the danger, Leonard ducked and darted through the gap, switching to his ultraviolet flashlight and flashing it backward.
A blast of purple light forced both zombies to recoil, covering their faces.
Leonard seized the opportunity and struck the regular zombie multiple times, finishing it off for good.
Now it was one-on-one.
Leonard held the flashlight as he backed away. Once the UV effect faded, he quickly pulled out a healing potion and chugged it.
In life-and-death moments, that stuff tasted like heaven.
The long-tongued zombie recovered and lashed out again. Its tongue slammed into the Exorcist Shield, dealing damage.
Leonard staggered back two steps but didn't rush in. He kept his distance, waiting for his cooldowns to reset.
The zombie pursued relentlessly, striking with its tongue again and again. Leonard blocked with either the shield or his spiked gauntlets.
Seconds ticked by.
One by one, his cooldowns refreshed. The icons lit up in his vision.
"You stinking zombie, let me show you what turn-based combat really means."
Leonard launched his counterattack, shield up front as he charged.
The shield glowed red again, pushing the zombie back.
Leonard closed the distance, swept the zombie's legs out from under it, and unleashed a furious combo with the handsaw.
"Die! Die! Die!!"
He fought like a madman, completely unhinged.
Any normal zombie would be long dead by now.
But this mutant stood up again, still ready to fight.
Its barbed tongue whipped at Leonard, tearing off a chunk of his flesh.
He didn't flinch, kept swinging the chainsaw.
They battled at close quarters, blow for blow.
Smash!
Finally, the handsaw cut deep into the zombie's skull, killing it at last.
The long-tongued zombie collapsed.
Three glowing items floated above its corpse, a medkit, a card, and a weapon.
Killing mutant zombies really did pay off.
Overjoyed, Leonard snatched up the loot.
[Acquired: Basic Medkit ×1]
[Acquired: Level 1 Talent Card - Iron Body]
[Acquired: Level 4 Weapon - Spring Iron Fist ×1]
A great haul from a brutal fight.
Before he could celebrate, pain surged again from his shredded flesh.
Leonard limped to Rebecca's door and knocked twice.
She hurriedly opened it and pulled him inside.
"Thank God you came to save me! I love you so much! You're lightning, you're light, you're my one and only miracle!" she cried.
Leonard ignored her, crouched down, and opened the medkit he just got.
Inside were four bottles of medicine and two rolls of bandages.
He began treating his wounds, now quite experienced at it.
Zombie attacks are poisonous, one or two hits might be fine, but repeated damage guarantees infection.
Sure enough, Leonard was now poisoned.
He took out an antidote, jabbed it into his body, and injected it.
Poison cured.
Then came the healing potion and some tightly wrapped bandages.
Leonard reviewed the battle in his mind.
It was a messy fight.
He'd lost composure against a mutant and had to use too many resources.
Sharpness is forged through repeated trials, not instant mastery.
He then picked up the other two items into his hands.