Chapter 008: Crafting Blueprint: Zombie Claws!

The moment the announcement was made—the attacker was dead—the crowd of elderly onlookers, who had moments earlier volunteered to go to the police station to support the young man, fell silent.

In the end, it was the nurse, Aria, who chose to accompany Novak to the station to provide her statement.

Novak was a little surprised by her decision, but his expression remained calm. There wasn't even a hint of panic on his face.

Seated in the back of the police car, Novak closed his eyes and fell into deep thought. He had prepared for the worst outcome, but even so, he felt no regret.

The system's rewards had far exceeded his expectations. After killing the zombie—potentially the first of its kind to be killed by an evolved human—something extraordinary had dropped from the creature, something only visible to those who had evolved.

It was worth it. 

Novak opened his evolutionary space backpack, where a special item was stored.

It was a piece of parchment—not equipment, as he might have hoped. Although zombies can occasionally drop equipment, low-level ones like the one he killed rarely drop anything of value, even with bonuses to drop rates.

Still, Novak would gladly choose this over a basic piece of gear. In fact, even if it were an E-level or D-level item, he wouldn't trade it for what he had found.

In the doomsday forums of his previous life, there was a well-known saying: 

"Crafting blueprints might not create the strongest items at the same level, but the strongest items of any level always come from crafting blueprints."

Crafting blueprints were highly coveted in the Gods and Demons Trial Field. They contained instructions for creating various items—be it weapons, potions, or other equipment. As long as you gathered the necessary materials, you could summon the item from the void itself.

But the drop rate for these blueprints was notoriously low—not one in a million, but one in hundreds of thousands, even millions. Even with a tenfold blessing, the chance of obtaining one was slim to none.

His luck must be exceptional in this life. Novak smiled as he glanced at the blueprint:

——

[Zombie's Claw - Crafting Blueprint] 

- Weapon—Gloves (Grade E) 

- Description: The sharp claws, soaked in zombie venom and blood, possess unimaginable tearing power and a bizarre blood-sucking ability! 

- Crafting Requirements: 30 pieces of zombie nails! 

- Note: If you can see this, believe in yourself. You are the child of destiny, the master of the future, the ruler of the apocalypse—you are... the ultimate player in the doomsday!

——

The materials needed weren't difficult to obtain. After all, it was only an E-level weapon. Its rarity didn't come from its power but from the fact that the blueprint allowed you to craft the item indefinitely as long as you had the required materials.

Still, collecting 30 zombie nails before the full outbreak of the apocalypse would be quite the challenge.

Novak shook his head. For now, even he couldn't do much about that. 

His calm demeanor, however, seemed to mislead the policemen sitting nearby.

"Don't worry," one officer reassured him. "There's video evidence. You acted in self-defense to save someone. You should be fine."

Huh? Novak glanced at the officer in surprise.

Though he had spent decades surviving in the apocalypse, this was not yet the world where human life had lost its value. A man had still died, and even in self-defense, consequences were inevitable, weren't they?

Sensing Novak's confusion, the policeman continued, "This is a brand new virus. Have you seen those... zombies? That man was already dead before you acted. This wasn't your fault. You're just here to complete the formalities."

"Enough!" a stern voice interrupted. Another officer, seated beside him, shot a disapproving glance at his talkative colleague. 

Novak blinked, piecing things together. It seemed the countdown to the apocalypse had already begun, but the public had yet to be fully informed. De M-anila City was large, so this couldn't have been the first incident. Still, the authorities were likely trying to keep it quiet to avoid mass panic.

While the general public could only speculate, those working on the front lines—like the police—had a much clearer understanding of the situation.

No wonder they didn't treat him as a suspect, let alone put him in handcuffs.

The officer's reassurance proved to be true. Before nightfall, Novak had recorded his statement and detailed the encounter with the zombie, and after completing the paperwork, he was released without further issue.

Just as he stepped out of the police station, a familiar voice called out from behind.

"Are you okay?"

Novak turned to see Aria, the nurse from earlier. Now that she was unmasked, he got his first proper look at her face, and his eyes brightened with appreciation.

Her doll-like cheeks radiated youth and vitality—she was the kind of girl people couldn't help but like at first glance. Though her figure had already caught his attention, her face now sealed the deal.

For Novak, this was an unexpected bonus.

Smiling warmly, he responded with his usual charm: "I'm fine. What about you? Are you okay?"

Aria nodded quickly, her nervousness apparent. "Yes! I just... I wanted to thank you. Could I maybe treat you to dinner?"

Her heart raced as she spoke. This was the first time in her life she had ever asked a guy out. And looking at the man standing before her, Aria couldn't suppress the nervous flutter in her chest.

Seeing the hopeful, eager expression on the beautiful nurse's face, how could Novak, ever the gentleman, refuse?