top-tier equipment

"Ding, charging complete. Soul Scream usage remaining (1/1)!"

The system's melodious notification filled Clark with joy. He recognized the voice he had just heard—it was the voice of the black dragon! The little guy had finally awakened!

"Activate! Soul Scream!" Time seemed to freeze as the descending zombies, ready to pounce, appeared frozen in mid-air.

A ring-shaped shockwave instantly formed and rapidly expanded outward at a speed that defied everything. An invisible but substantial mental shockwave swept through!

"Bang! Bang!! Bang!" In an instant, the heads of tens of thousands of zombies exploded simultaneously, and a mist of blood and shredded flesh filled the air, drifting and swirling.

The second shockwave that followed was like the scythe of death, wiping out everything within a radius of forty meters. All enemies turned to dust.

Lynn felt her hair stand on end as an intense sense of imminent death washed over her. Although she had been untouched by the Soul Scream, the immense psychic pressure she felt was overwhelming.

Everything fell silent. The first floor of the mall, which had been overrun by zombies, was now completely empty. The zombie's roars had disappeared, leaving an eerie silence and dry mouths.

Even though she had witnessed the power of Clark's Soul Scream before, Lynn was deeply shocked by what she had just witnessed. The ground was covered in dismembered corpses, and due to the damage caused by the psychic shock, there was not a single intact piece of flesh to be found. The blood that rained down from the blown-up bodies felt like a scene from a meaty hell.

Clark wondered if the power of the black dragon's mental charge was somehow stronger than his own. But he didn't have time to dwell on it now. Since the little guy had awakened, he could ask him about it later.

"Don't dawdle; let's get out of here! How long until you can recover your mental strength and release the barrier?"

Without wasting a moment, Clark hoisted Arnold onto his back and pulled the still-shocked Lynn along as they made their escape.

There were still zombies jumping down from the upper floors of the mall, and Clark hadn't forgotten that there were three hundred thousand zombies outside on the plaza!

With such a commotion, if they attracted the attention of another mutant, it would be disastrous. He couldn't rely on the black dragon to recharge him again if they were surrounded by a sea of zombies once more.

The black dragon appeared utterly lazy, not turning back into a stone carving but instead winding around Clark's wrist as if it wanted to take a nap.

Before making their escape, Clark's spatial ring flashed with white light, and The Stitcher's corpse on the ground was instantly collected.

In the future, if they were to recruit an awakened individual with the talent for crafting equipment, just having this corpse would allow them to create at least two valuable items.

.....

On the circular highway, a black SUV sped by, ignoring the pursuit of scattered zombies. When it encountered the occasional zombie in its path, it plowed through without hesitation.

Loud music blared inside the car, and Arnold was shaking his head and grooving to the beat, a look of excitement on his face. His previously horrifying chest wound had completely healed, and he drove with one hand, looking carefree.

"Let me see you die!" Bang! Another zombie was sent flying into the sky at speeds exceeding 120 kilometers per hour. Arnold, with his booming voice, excitedly shouted, "For the love of me!" This exclamation left Marlene looking at her brother with a helpless expression.

Clark sat in the passenger seat, paying no mind, with the lazy black dragon coiled around his wrist, eyes closed, deep in slumber. Lynn, Marlene, and Sandra held onto the handrails in the backseat, fearing being flung out of the car.

Taking advantage of the quiet moments during the drive, Clark began to examine the gains from the explosion of The Stitcher, filled with eager anticipation.

As a peak Tier 2 mutant, The Stitcher's drops shouldn't disappoint. With a flip of his wrist, a bundle of gray-white thread appeared in Clark's hand.

"Item Name: Stitching Thread (White)"

"Item Effect: Can attach limbs of up to one tier higher difference to your own body, gaining attribute bonuses based on the type."

"Item Review: A unique item from The Stitcher, perhaps you can sew on another head for yourself."

It was an excellent item with a unique effect. Although its quality was only white, its effect was exceptional. Clark recalled The Stitcher's three bizarre heads, and if he could indeed sew on another head, it would mean gaining an extra life.

However, he decided it would be better to give this item to Arnold. After all, Arnold had lost his left hand, and this would be a perfect solution for him. 

While Clark could also use it, the enhancement gained from attaching the body parts of a Tier 2 mutant wouldn't be significant, unless it was from a Tier 3 entity, in which case it might be more useful.

As for adding another head? No, Clark had no intention of turning himself into a monster.

Yes, he could sew [The Stitcher]'s arm onto Arnold. Clark still felt a bit apprehensive when he recalled the lightning-fast punches from those massive fists. 

By doing this, Arnold's disadvantage of lacking damage output could be compensated for, and he wouldn't always have to be used as a meat shield.

Now, onto the next item, the Stitching Shell.

"Equipment Name: Stitching Shell (White)"

"Equipment Effect: Constitution +1, Defense increased by +10%. Can slowly regenerate flesh after being damaged."

"Equipment Special Effect: Immunity to attacks with a strength of 15 or less! Reduce damage from attacks with a strength of 20 or less by 20%! Reduce damage from attacks with a strength of 30 or less by 10%!"

"Equipment Review: The Stitcher's strong base defense, wearing it allows you to dominate the battlefield amid a hail of bullets!"

Wow, this was a little gem! Clark's eyes gleamed as he felt the texture of the thin, gray-white vest in his hand. It was the first time he had seen white equipment with additional effects, and although the attribute bonuses weren't high, the damage reduction effect could rival that of blue equipment!

Immunity to attacks with a strength of 15 or less? Clark's expression became somewhat peculiar as he remembered that Arnold had a strength of less than 15. In other words, even if an ordinary player obtained this equipment, Arnold could stand there and let them attack, and they wouldn't be able to inflict any damage.

The equipment possessed the rule-breaking power that came with the system's blessings, and it was simply unbelievable!

A typical handgun, when converted into strength, had only about 13 points, while a small-caliber assault rifle might have a bit more, around 16 points.

When translated, this equipment was equivalent to top-tier body armor, and it had self-regenerating capabilities. A single white piece of equipment could turn a mere mortal into a steel fortress. This was the power of equipment in the post-apocalyptic world.

Not to mention the two additional effects it had: reducing damage from attacks within 30 points. If he had had this equipment during the battle with The Stitcher, he wouldn't have been punched through the chest. Thinking back to the two bloodstones he had used up as soon as he obtained them, he couldn't help but feel a pang of regret.

This equipment was just right for him to use, to compensate for his high attack and low defense.

The unexpected top-tier equipment left Clark's face filled with joy as he eagerly examined the third item. Another little gem!