Summer stared blankly into the empty air, her crimson eyes twitching as she digested the strange voice in her head.
She did not know what a guide was, nor did she care much for long explanations. Her mind was simple and focused on finding things that tasted good.
Ignoring the system voice for the moment, she reached down and picked up the two items lying on the asphalt.
The Iron Brawler Gauntlets were heavy, forged from dark, rough metal that felt cold against her skin. She slipped them onto her hands.
They automatically adjusted to her slim wrists, snapping tight with a sharp metallic click. Next, she pulled off her worn shoes and put on the Swift Strider Boots.
The dark leather wrapped comfortably around her feet, feeling light yet remarkably sturdy.
As soon as both pieces of gear were equipped, a subtle current of energy flowed through her limbs.
She took a step forward and felt her body moving much more smoothly than before.
"Equipped," she rasped softly, testing her new boots with a quick bounce.
[Host has equipped Common Grade Gear: Iron Brawler Gauntlets and Swift Strider Boots.]
[Current Attributes updated with gear effects.]
Summer ignored the floating text again. She had a clear goal now. Her status screen had stated that she needed to kill ten ordinary zombies to complete her evolution requirement.
The giant feral zombie earlier had only unlocked her status interface, so her evolution count was still sitting at zero out of ten.
Driven by the desire to grow stronger and unlock whatever lay beyond her current weak state, she turned away from the alley and headed back toward the main road.
The city was in utter ruin. Fires burned in broken store windows, wrecked cars blocked every intersection, and the sky remained shrouded in an eerie, dark haze.
Groups of ordinary zombies wandered aimlessly through the streets, dragging their feet and groaning at the empty air.
To human survivors, this place was a living hell. To Summer, it was an all-you-can-eat buffet of evolution counts.
She spotted her first target standing near a cracked streetlight. It was a male zombie in a torn suit, staring blankly at a puddle of dark blood.
Summer moved with silent speed. Thanks to her high Agility attribute and her new boots, she closed the distance in a fraction of a second.
Before the male zombie could even register her presence, she activated the active ability of her gauntlets.
A shimmering, invisible aura shaped like a giant fist manifested around her hand. She drove her punch straight into the zombie’s chest.
BANG!
The force of the strike was ten times her base strength. The zombie’s upper torso exploded in a shower of dark blood and bone fragments, sending the rest of its body collapsing onto the pavement.
Summer reached into the fallen head, snatched the red core, and swallowed it whole.
[Ordinary Zombie killed. Evolution Progress: 1/10]
[EXP gained: +10]
Summer stared down at her hands in awe. This strength was so exciting. She got it merely by equipping the feral zombie’s drop.
What would she gain if she evolved? Her thirst for evolution doubled at that thought.
Without wasting any more time, Summer turned toward a group of three zombies wandering outside a bank.
They turned their clouded eyes toward her, drawn by the sound of the explosion, but they were far too slow.
She leaped into the air, using the power of the Swift Strider Boots to launch herself five meters across the street.
She landed heavily in the center of the trio, sending a sharp shockwave rippling outward through the asphalt.
The sudden impact knocked all three zombies off their feet, cracking their brittle legs.
Her eyes brightened in exhilaration as she dropped to one knee and struck with lethal precision.
Her dark claws sliced through the throat of one zombie, while her left gauntlet crushed the skull of another.
She pivoted on her heel, drove her boot heel into the face of the last, and ended all three lives in less than five seconds.
She quickly harvested their red cores, swallowing them one after another.
[Evolution Progress: 4/10]
[EXP gained: +30]
"Easy," she muttered, a tiny, satisfied smirk touching her lips.
Her confidence grew as she realized how weak ordinary zombies were compared to her. They had no intelligence, no speed, and no heavy equipment. They were mere stepping stones for her growth.
She continued her hunt down the avenue, sweeping through storefronts and alleyways like a pale reaper.
A fifth zombie, previously a delivery driver, was crushed against a brick wall by her invisible fist aura.
[Evolution Progress: 5/10]
A sixth and seventh zombie, wandering together near an overturned bus, were decapitated in a single sweeping slash of her hardened claws.
[Evolution Progress: 7/10]
By the time she reached a wide town square, she spotted three more zombies tearing into the metallic frame of an abandoned vending machine.
She did not waste time sneaking up on them. She sprinted directly down the center of the square, her dark hair fluttering behind her as her boots glided over the cracked pavement.
The eighth zombie turned around just in time to catch her flying kick to its jaw. The impact snapped its neck instantly.
She spun in mid-air, landing lightly on her feet, and slammed both gauntlets into the skulls of the ninth and tenth zombies simultaneously.
CRACK!
Both heads shattered under the crushing force of her enlarged, invisible hands. The bodies twitched once before falling limp onto the hard ground.
Summer let out a soft breath of air as she collected the final three red cores, popping them into her mouth like small candies.
The familiar cool energy washed over her dead veins, settling into her core.
Immediately, a loud, clear chime echoed inside her mind, far more resonant than any previous notification.
[Congratulations! You have fulfilled the requirements for evolution.]
[Evolution Progress: 10/10]
[Initiating Evolution Selection Interface...]
The world around her seemed to slow down as three massive, semi-translucent glowing panels expanded in front of her eyes.
Each panel displayed a distinct path, complete with descriptions and visual silhouettes.
Summer stopped in her tracks, resting her hands on her hips as she carefully examined the three floating options presented by the system.
[Option 1: Feral Berserker]
Description: Focuses on raw physical power, massive size, and destructive bone armor. Increases Strength and Constitution immensely, but sacrifices speed and aesthetic form.
[Option 2: Shadow Crawler]
Description: Focuses on extreme stealth, poison production, and ambush tactics. Transforms the body into a light, quadrupedal hunting form built for dark environments.
[Option 3: Zombie Girl]
Description: Retains and refines the humanoid female form while enhancing intelligence, cellular regeneration, and tactical command capabilities. Keeps high agility and unlocks unique racial traits.
Summer looked at the first option and immediately scowled. The silhouette showed a hulking, ugly brute reminiscent of the giant monster she had slain earlier.
She pouted her lips in disgust. She absolutely refused to turn into a giant, grotesque monster.
She skipped over the second option as well. The thought of crawling around on four legs like a strange spider sounded deeply unappealing to her.
Her crimson eyes locked onto the third option: Zombie Girl. The silhouette maintained her slim, agile body, looking clean, sharp, and powerful.
"This one," Summer said without a single second of hesitation, pointing her clawed finger at the third panel. "Zombie Girl."
[Host has selected Evolution Path: Zombie Girl!]
[Beginning evolution process...]
The moment the selection was confirmed, the energy stored inside her body surged violently.
A thick cocoon of dark crimson light erupted from her core, wrapping around her entire frame and lifting her a few inches off the ground.
Unlike the agonizing transformation that normal creatures underwent, the evolutionary energy felt soothing and warm.
Her broken ribs knitted back together seamlessly, her pale skin became smoother and firmer, and the dark veins on her arms faded into subtle, elegant patterns.
Her deep red eyes sparkled with a newly awakened layer of sharp intelligence.
The cocoon of light shattered into glowing particles, dropping her lightly back onto her boots.
A flood of new system notifications rolled across her vision.
[Evolution Complete!]
[You have successfully evolved into: Zombie Girl (Tier 1)!]
[You have gained Racial Trait: Undead Body]
Trait Effect: Unless your core is completely destroyed, your body can continuously heal and regenerate from any physical injury or severed limb over time.
[You have learned the Skill: Puppeteer (Level 1)]
Skill Effect: Allows the user to directly control up to five ordinary zombies at a time using mental threads. Controlled zombies follow all commands implicitly. The maximum number of controlled targets increases as the skill levels up.
Summer stretched her arms, feeling an incredible sense of flexibility and balance returning to her body.
She raised her right hand and focused her mind, sensing five thin, invisible threads of energy extending outward from her fingers.
She turned her head toward the far side of the square, where a mindless zombie was aimlessly walking around a trash bin.
With a flick of her wrist, she attached one of the mental threads to its head.
Instantly, the wandering zombie froze. Its dull eyes twitched, and it slowly turned around, facing Summer before bowing its head in complete submission.
Summer let out a bright, cheerful laugh, her sharp teeth gleaming under the dim sky.