Chapter Seventeen: Scales

"Phew." Carter Hayes landed a precise kick on the mutated lizard's head before swiftly leaping to the upper level of the ladder. The dying struggles of the mutated lizard were not to be underestimated. Being able to accurately strike the lizard's head with one foot was evidently a stroke of luck.

"Hiss."

Just as Carter had anticipated, the machete was already lodged in its throat, and another blow to the head shattered its skull.

The excruciating pain from deep within the bones was unbearable even for such a formidable creature as the mutated lizard. Its sharp screams sent shivers down Carter's spine.

After a considerable struggle, the mutated lizard gradually ceased its movements. At this moment, what was once a neatly organized stairwell resembled the aftermath of an explosion, with dust, debris scattered all around, and walls showing deep cracks, on the verge of collapse.

"Is it dead?" Carter observed the motionless mutated lizard, remaining vigilant. He maintained his posture, ready to flee at any moment.

Descending the stairs slowly, most of the mutated lizard's body was covered by scattered rubble.

"It's really dead." After removing a stone from the scattered rubble covering the mutated lizard's head, Carter finally confirmed its demise.

However, the sight was somewhat gruesome. Fresh blood mixed with white brain matter oozed from its head, its eyes wide with resentment.

"Fortunately, this is just a stairwell." It was only at this moment that Carter's tense nerves relaxed.

Although it seemed like a simple kill, Carter calculated every move. If he had made a single mistake, being struck by the mutated lizard's tail once would have led to a gruesome end for him.

At the same time, Carter was also grateful. If the mutated lizard had not come down but stayed on the fifth floor, he knew he wouldn't stand a chance.

"I'm still too weak." Despite the victory achieved unscathed, Carter couldn't find joy. Yesterday, encountering the evolved zombie 'Green Corpse,' he realized his inadequacy in strength, and today's experience only intensified that feeling.

He had hoped to encounter the 'Corpse Beast' in the morning, but now the thought sent shivers down his spine.

The 'Corpse Beast,' similar in appearance to humans but far stronger than the mutated lizard, not to mention its speed. What was most terrifying was its agile movements.

"I must become stronger," Carter cried out inwardly.

After a brief rest, Carter rose to prepare to deal with the mutated lizard's corpse.

Without having checked the fifth floor, Carter dared not assume there was only one mutated lizard in this mall. It wouldn't be surprising if other monsters appeared. Carter approached the mutated lizard, ready to pry open its mouth. The knife was his only weapon, and having it in hand made him feel much calmer.

"Mutated creatures' bodies are excellent raw materials; they must not be wasted." Recalling the information he had read last night about mutated creatures, Carter was well-informed, especially about the scaled ones. Their scales, when removed, could be made into clothing, providing excellent defense.

With special processing equipment, teeth, tails, and other parts could be used to make good weapons.

"Scales must not be wasted." Carter glanced at his T-shirt, forming a plan.

Though his physical abilities had reached level five, his skin's defense against attacks was still weak. Even ordinary zombies could injure him.

However, wearing clothing made from the scales of a level fifteen mutated lizard would provide unparalleled defense. Even if he encountered a 'Corpse Beast,' he wouldn't have to worry too much about being scratched by its claws, let alone zombies below level ten.

Knowing the many benefits, Carter didn't want to miss out. After wiping the blood from the knife named 'Silence,' he exerted force to flip over the mutated lizard's body, weighing several hundred pounds. This exposed the lizard's white abdomen, the only part not covered by scales, and where Carter planned to start.

Cutting open the lizard's back would have been easy with 'Silence's' sharpness, but that would have wasted the scales. 

"Hiss~"

With a crisp sound, Carter's machete swiftly cut a long gash in the lizard's abdomen. Thanks to his increased strength and the sharpness of the knife, he soon peeled off the intact scales from the lizard's body, each piece measuring about three meters long.

"Clang."

Carter wanted to test how tough the scales were. He took out a fruit knife he carried and struck it forcefully. A clear sound rang out, indicating that the scales remained intact while the knife broke.

Considering Carter's current strength of over five hundred pounds, even a fruit knife could leave a mark on an iron plate. However, the mutated lizard's scales remained unscathed, shining as if untouched by the blade.

This attempt reassured Carter about the defensive power of the scales.

"It needs to be cleaned with water." Carter, upon seeing the remarkable defense of the scales, was eager to turn the scale, over a meter wide and over three meters long, into clothing.

Fortunately, although the entire city's electricity was out, there was still a certain amount of water in the pipes. Carter didn't dare to drink it, but washing away the blood and flesh remnants on the scales seemed appropriate.

Since the situation on the fifth floor was still uncertain, Carter decided to return to the fourth floor. After all, the battle with the mutated lizard just now had consumed a considerable amount of his strength. If he encountered another one on the fifth floor, he feared he wouldn't even have time to escape.

Soon, Carter washed the mutated lizard's scales clean and hung them in a clean place to dry.

"It's a pity to waste the power of the tail." Carter wasn't in a hurry to leave. Standing in the stairwell, he looked at the mutated lizard's body, lost in thought.

The terrifying attack power of the tail that the mutated lizard swung just now was still vivid in Carter's memory. Now, his gaze was fixed on the tail, measuring over two meters long.

The mutated lizard's tail was about the thickness of an arm, covered with dense scales. At the end of the tail was a bone blade about half a meter long, as wide as a palm, resembling a sword made of metal. The light it emitted made Carter realize its sharpness without the need for a test.

"Click."

Realizing the value of the tail, Carter's knife flashed, and the entire tail was cut off.

"Thrust." Holding one end of the lizard's tail, Carter exerted force to throw it against the wall. With a 'thrust' sound, the bone blade at the tail's end easily pierced into the wall.