The campus felt different the moment Lin Ye stepped outside.
Inside the dorm building, the space had been narrow. The threats were limited. Everything was contained.
Outside, it was open.
Unpredictable.
Danger could come from any direction.
Lin Ye slowed his pace.
His eyes scanned constantly.
Left.
Right.
Distance.
Movement.
Every detail mattered.
A zombie wandered roughly ten meters ahead. Its clothes were torn, its body swaying as it moved without purpose.
Lin Ye did not rush forward.
Instead, he observed.
"Vision is poor. Reaction is delayed."
He picked up a small stone from the ground and tossed it lightly to the side.
The stone hit the pavement with a sharp sound.
The zombie reacted instantly.
Its head snapped toward the noise, and it began dragging its body in that direction.
Lin Ye nodded slightly.
"Sound-based tracking confirmed."
Basic.
Predictable.
Easy to exploit.
He moved forward quietly.
Each step was controlled, minimizing noise.
When he got within range, he struck.
The axe fell cleanly.
The zombie dropped.
[You have killed a Level 1 Zombie][EXP +2]
Lin Ye opened his status.
[EXP: 14 / 100]
"Still too slow."
He closed the panel.
If things continued like this, he would waste too much time on weak enemies.
He needed efficiency.
And more importantly, he needed information.
Lin Ye began moving deeper into the campus.
The further he went, the fewer survivors he saw.
Most had either fled or died.
The silence grew heavier.
Then.
A strange sound reached his ears.
Not a growl.
Not footsteps.
Something else.
A wet, tearing noise.
Lin Ye stopped immediately.
His body lowered slightly.
He moved toward the source, staying close to the wall.
When he reached the corner of a building, he looked around it carefully.
Then his eyes narrowed.
"…There it is."
About twenty meters ahead, near the campus convenience store, a figure crouched over a body.
It was eating.
But it was not like the other zombies.
Its movements were faster.
More deliberate.
Its back muscles shifted unnaturally beneath torn skin.
Its fingers dug into flesh with strength that exceeded that of normal zombies.
And its head.
Slowly lifted.
Its eyes were not completely white.
There was something darker inside them.
Awareness.
Lin Ye's grip tightened.
"Mutated unit…"
It had appeared earlier than expected.
In his previous life, these creatures showed up slightly later.
Which meant one thing.
"The evolution speed increased."
The creature stood up slowly.
It was taller than normal zombies.
Its arms were longer.
Its posture is slightly hunched.
Blood dripped from its mouth as it turned its head toward Lin Ye.
It had noticed him.
A low growl escaped its throat.
Different from the others.
Deeper.
More threatening.
Lin Ye did not move.
He evaluated.
Distance.
Terrain.
Escape routes.
There were obstacles nearby.
Benches.
A fallen bicycle.
Good.
"Test its speed first."
The mutated zombie suddenly moved.
Fast.
Much faster than normal zombies.
It closed half the distance in seconds.
Lin Ye stepped back immediately.
Not panicking.
Not rushing.
Just enough to create space.
The creature lunged.
Its claw tore through the air where Lin Ye had been standing a moment earlier.
"Speed is at least twice a normal unit."
Lin Ye's eyes sharpened.
"Strength likely increased too."
The mutated zombie turned again, preparing to attack a second time.
Lin Ye adjusted his stance.
This time, he did not retreat.
The creature lunged again.
Lin Ye moved at the last moment.
He stepped to the side and swung the axe toward its neck.
The blade hit.
But not cleanly.
The zombie's body twisted mid-motion.
The strike landed on its shoulder instead.
A deep wound opened.
But it did not fall.
The mutated zombie let out a sharp, angry sound.
It turned instantly and attacked again.
Faster.
More aggressive.
Lin Ye blocked with the axe handle.
The impact traveled through his arms.
Strong.
Definitely stronger than a normal zombie.
He stepped back again.
Creating distance.
"Not easy," he thought.
"But manageable."
This kind of enemy was dangerous for normal people.
But for him, it was an opportunity.
Higher risk.
Higher reward.
The mutated zombie charged again.
This time, Lin Ye did not aim for a simple strike.
He waited.
Watched its movement.
Tracked its center of gravity.
Then moved at the exact moment it committed to the attack.
He stepped inside its range.
Closer than before.
The axe rose.
Then came down with full force.
This time, the strike landed perfectly.
Directly into the skull.
A heavy sound echoed.
The creature's body froze.
Then collapsed.
Silence returned.
Lin Ye stood still for a moment, catching his breath.
Then.
The system voice sounded.
[You have killed a Mutated Zombie][EXP +15]
Lin Ye's eyes focused instantly.
"Fifteen…"
He opened his status.
[EXP: 29 / 100]
"Better."
Much better.
This was the difference.
Normal zombies were inefficient.
Mutated ones were worth the risk.
Then something else appeared.
A faint glow emerged from the corpse.
A small object dropped to the ground.
Lin Ye walked forward and picked it up.
The moment he touched it, information appeared in his mind.
[Basic Strength Crystal]
[Effect: Permanently increases Strength by +1]
[Can only be used once per type under Level 10]
Lin Ye's eyes sharpened.
"A stat item."
Rare.
Especially this early.
Without hesitation, he used it.
The crystal dissolved into light and flowed into his body.
A surge of energy spread through his muscles.
Stronger.
Noticeably stronger.
He opened his status again.
Strength: 12
Lin Ye clenched his fist.
"Good."
This was exactly what he needed.
Not just levels.
But direct stat growth.
He looked back at the mutated zombie's corpse.
"This is where the real progression begins."
From this point forward, the world would divide.
Those who could fight.
And those who could not.
Lin Ye lifted his head.
His gaze moved toward the deeper parts of the campus.
"There should be more…"
More mutated creatures.
More rewards.
More opportunities.
His grip tightened around the axe.
"This time…"
He stepped forward again.
"I'll take everything first."
The campus stretched out ahead of him.
Silent.
Bloody.
Full of danger.
And for Lin Ye.
Full of possibilities.