The Stitcher  

"Ding!"

"The Savior's Mission Activated."

Clark was momentarily stunned as a holographic screen suddenly appeared before him.

"Savior Mission System: Activated"

"Mission Information: Eliminate a Tier 2 Mutant [The Stitcher]"

"Mission Level: Dangerous!"

"Mission Time Limit: 240 hours"

"Mission Reward: Antidote Serum *3 (Cleanses the body of the zombie virus)"

"Mission Description: A dangerous Level 2 zombie will emerge in the LJ city area within 12 hours. Please eliminate it as soon as possible. If more than 240 hours pass, the zombie will transform into a Terrifying Level 3 form."

Before Clark could react, two pendant-like objects appeared in his palm out of thin air, feeling icy cold and heavy.

"Initial Mission Reward: Antidote Pendant (Gray Equipment) *2"

"Antidote Pendant (Gray Equipment): Carrying it will temporarily suppress the zombie virus. Usable for 240 hours."

"After the usable time expires, the pendant becomes ineffective and turns into a regular item, reusable (the countdown begins after use, pauses when removed)."

"Equipment Grades: Gray (Inferior) White (Common) Blue (Fine) ... Black (Apocalyptic)"

A flash of white light, and the pendants directly disappeared into Viola and Dirk's bodies, reappearing around their necks. The pendants were entirely silver, with a purple gemstone in the center.

Dirk, who had been struggling and roaring moments ago, collapsed as if he had fallen asleep after putting on the pendant. Viola, under the window, gradually regained her color after putting it on.

"Ding! Activate Savior's Exclusive Skill: Eye of Judgment"

"Eye of Judgment (Level 0) Activated: Opening the Eye of Judgment will continuously consume mental power. During the duration of the Eye of Judgment, you will gain detailed information about anything within your field of vision."

"Eye of Judgment (Level 1): ? ? ?"

"The next level of Eye of Judgment will be unlocked after completing the mission."

A flash of white light, and the information on the screen turned into a stream of information, flooding into Clark's mind like a deep-seated brand. He was momentarily distracted, and a chill covered his eyes.

Clark's pupils were instantly covered by a pale blue mist, as if undergoing a transformation. A faint golden light flashed in the depths of his eyes, and his vision sharply improved. The dim room became as clear as day, and even the slightest speck of dust in the corner was clearly visible.

Clark's heart pounded. The Eye of Judgment turned out to enhance his vision and display observed information.

In the apocalypse, the greatest danger is not weakness in strength but misjudgment of information. With the Eye of Judgment, one gains an advantage in the realm of information. In this apocalypse, it can be considered a highly practical auxiliary skill.

"Clark, are you okay?" Viola, leaning against the window, softly called out to the distracted Clark, her breath weak. After equipping herself, the wound on her neck was slowly healing. In Viola's clear, watery eyes, exhaustion and unease were evident.

Ever since Dirk and Clark exchanged messages three days ago, their bodies had been deteriorating, and 18-year-old Viola had taken on the responsibility of caring for her brother.

If it weren't for Clark's explicit instructions to Dirk to tie oneself  up on the third day to prevent him from harming others when he turned into a zombie, Viola might have met the same gruesome fate as the rest of the world – killed by her own brother, who had turned into a mindless zombie driven only by the desire to feed. During the outbreak, most humans died at the hands of their loved ones.

Clark subconsciously turned to look upon hearing Viola's voice. The automatically activated Eye of Judgment locked onto Viola.

"Name: Human (50% zombification)"

"Strength: 3"

"Agility: 3"

"Constitution: 2"

"Willpower: 6"

"Player Level: 0 (No danger, this creature is in the process of zombification.)"

"Player Weaknesses: Heart, head, spine."

"Player Skills: Cooking 1, Language Proficiency 2, Handcraft 1..."

"Player Equipment: Antidote Pendant (Gray)"

A plethora of other information cascaded like a waterfall. Viola's information appeared naked and terrifying to Clark once the Eye of Judgment was activated, with some details being particularly unsettling.

"I'm fine," Clark said with surprise but without showing any abnormality. He simply smiled gently, signaling to Viola not to worry about him.

Dirk remained unconscious. At this moment, Clark was Viola's only pillar of strength and couldn't afford to display any odd behavior in front of her.

Unlike the calm Clark exhibited, his inner turmoil was overwhelming! Countless questions swirled in his mind like storm clouds.

The Rescuer template, activated to grant him the highly useful Eye of Judgment, also happened to offer a reward that was tailor-made to save Dirk and Viola. It was truly designed just for him.

Clark quickly contemplated the meaning behind the appearance of the System. The savior. Who is it saving? Him? Or the people around him? Or perhaps the entire human race?

If it's the entire human civilization, Clark chuckled self-deprecatingly. He didn't have any Messiah complex or ambitions to shoulder the burden of human civilization. 

If it's about saving humanity, then this mysterious savior system probably got the wrong person. He only wanted to protect his loved ones, seek revenge, and survive and become stronger. As for the life or death of others, he couldn't care less. In his past life, he had seen enough of the ugliness of human nature and died because of betrayal. Towards others, he instinctively held mistrust and disgust.

Clark suppressed his thoughts and carefully observed Dirk's condition. Dirk, lying unconscious on the floor, had a slight rise and fall in his chest. Apart from the somewhat gruesome appearance due to the peeled skin all over his body, he looked like he was just asleep.

Currently, Dirk and Viola's conditions had stabilized. As long as they could complete the mission, the two who had seemed beyond saving would have a chance to survive.

Moreover, there were three vials of anti-virus serum. Clark was intrigued. If he deducted the doses for Viola and Dirk, it meant he would have an extra vial for himself. This serum could transform zombies back into humans, and its value in the post-apocalyptic world was immeasurable.

As for the mission, Clark was no stranger to it. After the apocalypse arrived in his past life, everyone had their own player interface, much like a game. The system would automatically assign various tasks to everyone.

The tasks Clark encountered in his past life were usually killing a zombie or obtaining a certain item. These tasks usually offered only a small food reward, nothing to write home about.

Originally, in his anticipation, the best outcome would be using the awakened blood to suppress the zombification in Dirk, ensuring his safety for as long as possible, and maybe rescuing him later when there was a chance.

Now, a perfect solution had unexpectedly emerged, which was a pleasant surprise. However, the time frame for the mission put immense pressure on Clark.

"Mission Information: Kill Mutant Zombies, Tier 2. Ten days until they become Tier 3."

Clark's face turned grave. The difference between Tier 2 and Tier 3 mutants was substantial. Perhaps a few awakened individuals working together or larger safe zones could resist Tier 2 mutant zombies with firearms.

But in front of Tier 3 mutant zombies, there would be no chance! It would be a one-sided slaughter. Tier 3 mutant zombies no longer feared conventional weapons. Swarm tactics were a joke in front of Tier 3 mutants. Just one of them could destroy an organized military unit, tearing apart tank armor with their bare hands, and regenerating their flesh and blood!

Time couldn't be wasted; there were only ten days. Dirk had been suppressed in his zombified state for this long. This meant Clark had to leave time for the return journey after killing "The Stitcher."

Nine days.

Whether it was to prevent "The Stitcher" from becoming more powerful as time passed or to leave enough buffer time, Clark didn't have much time left. Although the mission information didn't provide "The Stitcher's" location, Clark didn't mind. He silently took out a crumpled cigarette from his pocket.

In the dimly lit room, a faint flame flickered, casting alternating shadows on his face. Clark took a deep drag and exhaled slowly. The smoke swirled and dispersed.

"The Stitcher," in his past life, was the precursor to "Hatred." It was at the WD Square, inside that crowded shopping center where 30,000 people had gathered. After devouring those 30,000 people, it became the nightmare of the entire LJ city.