Inhabitant

"Mhmm… So it appears it's not a permanent or passive effect…" Shane remarked after perusing the item description of the Exceptional Tent. Although he found it disappointing that Zombie Cores were still necessary for its operation, given their current circumstances, the item remained valuable.

"Cloud, have you finished analyzing the blood samples I gave you?" Shane inquired from the comfort of his tent, where he awaited the drying of his attire.

[ Yes. I have compiled all the information pertaining to the zombies we have encountered thus far.]

"Oh? Let me have a look... I don't need the detailed analysis you provided previously. Just a concise overview of the zombies," Shane requested. 

Shortly after, the A.I. Assistant presented a summary of the information concerning the zombies he had encountered. 

[ Crawler: A zombie that has injured or lost its legs and crawls on the ground. It is slow and easy to avoid, but can still bite if someone gets too close. ] 

[ Walker: A zombie that walks on two legs, but with a limp and poor balance. It is faster than a crawler, but still not very agile or smart. It can be killed by a headshot or severe trauma to the brain. ]

[ Runner: A zombie that runs on two legs, with more speed and stamina than a walker. It is more dangerous and can chase down its prey, but it still lacks intelligence and agility. It can be killed by the same methods as a walker. ]

[ Spitter: A zombie that can spit a corrosive acid from its mouth, causing severe burns and damage to its targets. It can attack from a distance and avoid direct confrontation, but has a limited supply of acid and terrible movement ability. ] 

"Ohh… This time, it's a bit too concise, Cloud. Anyway, this is a good introduction…" Shane remarked before his eyes shifted to the clothes he was waiting to dry.

After he upgraded his tent, he still had eight Item Upgrade Crystals in his Inventory.

'If I upgraded them, will they become dry? ' Shane pondered, contemplating an experiment.

After some hesitations, he took out 2 crystals from his Inventory and decided to upgrade Tier 2 Survivor Jacket that was damaged by corrosion to Tier 3!

He followed the same process of upgrading, but to his surprise, 2 Item Upgrade Crystals weren't enough.

[ Insufficient number of Item Upgrade Crystal. ] 

[ Hint: Tier 2 Items require 5 Item Upgrade Crystals to advance to the next Tier. ]

Shane wryly smiled after seeing this, but he decided not to complain since that wouldn't do anything.

After taking out three more crystals, he continued with his upgrade. 

[ Upgrade Successful ] 

[ Tier 2 Jacket has been upgraded to Tier 3 Jacket. ] 

[ New Item Description is now available on the specific item. ]

[ Tier 3 Survivor Jacket: A solid and comfortable jacket that protects the upper body from zombie bites and scratches. It is made of leather and reinforced with black steel plates, and has several zippers and hooks for adjusting the fit and attaching items. It also provides moderate resistance to acid, ice, and fire effects. 

Special Effects:

Tough: +25% physical damage resistance. The jacket reduces physical damage, including pierce damage taken from zombies or other enemies. ] 

As soon as the upgrade was completed, Shane immediately checked the jacket that had changed its color. Aside from being fixed and dry, its appearance had also changed.

It was now a dull gray color that had a better design than the previous one. He no longer looked like a random soldier wearing this but a professional survivor in this apocalyptic world.

Shane then wore the jacket, and although it was heavier, his strength had already improved, so the difference wasn't noticeable at all.

After getting used to it, he checked his system Inventory.

[ Inventory: Memory Spherex25, 3 Item Upgrade Crystals, 20 Zombie Cores, 19L water, 1 Experience Potion, 12 Spirit Enhancement Bottle, 1 Acid Pouch ] 

"I need to collect more crystals." Shane muttered.

Shane, now also equipped with his pants and boots, which were still slightly wet from the downpour, stepped outside to begin his zombie hunt. 

However, he faced a new challenge—the darkness. In order to navigate and search for zombies, he would need to either create a torch or acquire night vision.

Fortunately, as the dark clouds dispersed from the sky, the moonlight illuminated Shane's surroundings, providing him with a serene light. 

Just as this happened, Cloud provided an update. 

[ Scanning the surroundings... ]

[ Scan complete. ]

[ 10 zombies detected. ]

[ 3 Crawler Zombies, 5 Walker Zombies, and 2 Runner Zombies. ]

"What? Where did these guys come from? Can they really just spawn randomly like a game?" Shane couldn't help but feel confused about the appearance of multiple Zombies at the same time.

Nevertheless, he wouldn't back down on this challenge… Since he was still full of energy after leveling up, he decided to go ahead and charge at the nearest zombie!

In the dead of night, Shane stealthily maneuvered through the dilapidated buildings of the estate.

His senses heightened as he moved closer to the lurking undead. Armed with his hatchet and fueled by his resolve to survive, he engaged in a relentless battle with the ten zombies that roamed the darkened manor.

Soon, the clash of metal and snarls of the undead echoed through the night as Shane fought with everything he had, determined to emerge victorious against the "low-tier" zombies.

Then, on the next day, the Title effect he had been waiting for was activated!

An inhabitant of the continent had finally arrived!