Raze

"Travis has Dragon's Blood... Do you think he's related to you, Roan?" Raze softly asked the small creature beside her.

Standing at a mere 12 inches in height, the creature resembled a large green-scaled lizard with wings on its back. This baby dragon, named Roan, was Raze's loyal companion. Genderless and imbued with magical qualities, Roan was a remarkable being who helped her a lot during the past few days.

Perhaps, she wouldn't even find the courage to survive in the sewers if not for Roan's existence. Raze was only 18 years old and was never prepared for the concept of Apocalypse at all.

Luckily, Raze possessed the Dragon Knight Talent, a remarkable ability that granted her ownership of a baby dragon right from the start of the Apocalypse. This talent also bestowed upon her an affinity for swords, although she currently lacked the appropriate weapon to utilize this ability effectively.

Fearing for the safety of her small dragon amidst the zombie-infested world, Raze hesitated to leave her safe zone on the first day of the event. However, as her edible food dwindled, she had no choice but to venture out, relying on her dragon and Survivor Tools to fend off the undead.

"Kyu?" The baby dragon gazed at Raze, who was holding a torch.

It was unaware of her intentions beyond a few basic commands, such as chasing or killing a Zombie Rat.

"Nothing... Let's continue. We need to level up faster! I need to find that Item Upgrade Crystal. It seems that it could upgrade my pocketknife. It's already a bit dull, so I hope that Crystal will help me sharpen—" 

Before she could finish her sentence, the baby dragon darted off, signaling the discovery of a Zombie Rat.

Whoosh~ 

With lightning speed, the baby dragon returned with a Zombie Rat in its mouth, a creature half its size and no match for its strength.

"Ugh… I told you not to just run like that. What if there are too many of them?" Raze helplessly smiled at the dragon's impulsive action, but she still accepted the Rat and ended its suffering.

[ You have obtained 1 Experience Point ] 

[ Loots obtained: 1 Zombie Core, 20mL Zombie Rat Blood ]

'There's still no Item Upgrade Crystal. Does it only drop from humanoid zombies?' Raze mused as she looked at Roan.

"Open your mouth. I have some blood for you..." Raze said as the dragon immediately opened its mouth.

Then, Raze took out the blood from her inventory to feed her baby dragon. 

Well, the baby dragon seemed to be immune to the zombie virus and treated the zombie blood as a nutritious drink. However, for some reason, the dragon hated eating their flesh.

After this, Raze proceeded to explore the vicinity, dispatching six Zombie Rats along the way. 

Out of these, only 2 yielded Zombie Cores, while the rest offered rat tails, blood, stale bread, and water. Although not bountiful, these findings would sustain her for another day.

Soon, she returned to her starting area, a part of the sewer that had a discontinued tunnel.

At the center of it was a casket that she was using as her sleeping bed. She had no idea why it was there in the first place, but it was made of steel, so she felt safer whenever she rested inside.

Well, despite its mysterious presence, its robust construction offered her a sense of security.

After lighting a different torch, she settled down and shared her stale bread with Roan, who eagerly devoured it. 

In no time, both their meals were finished…

Then, Raze gazed at the floor covered in markings—the intricate map of the sewer she had been navigating.

"I should explore this area next... I hope I can find the crystal this time…" Raze contemplated, plotting her next route for exploration after she had rested.

***

In the meantime, the survivors who read the conversation on the chat board also started their search for the Item Upgrade Crystals. 

Lorna, the Survivor with a Rare Talent that guarantees a drop of Item Upgrade Crystal, had already shared what it could do to the system-provided items, so everyone was certainly excited. 

[ Lorna: The crystals may sound amazing, but remember that the items can still be broken. I have a rare-grade rope from my Survival Tool Gift Pack, but it's still broken by a Crawler Zombie! Right, don't underestimate the Crawler Zombies! They are slow and easy to kill, but their biting force is stronger than that of the Runner Zombies if they were given a chance! ] 

This was Lorna's final reminder before signing off. She probably had other things to do and no longer replied after sharing this.

Nevertheless, this made Travis and others look forward to the Item Upgrade Crystals. They were already considering which item they would upgrade once they found one.

***

On the other hand, Shane had already spent 10 Item Upgrade Crystals to advance his current Rare Tent to an Exceptional Tent!

[ Tent ( Exceptional ): A secure tent that can provide sanctuary and relaxation for the user. It is made of waterproof fabric and reinforced with steel bars and excellent ventilation. A survivor can use it to provide a comfortable resting place and store many items inside. It also provides a high resistance to weather and zombie attacks, reducing the damage and noise effect. 

Special Effect: 

Zombie Repellant: It repels weak zombies, making them less likely to approach or attack the tent. 

Cost: 1 Zombie Core every 3 hours ]