“Food!” The burly zombie’s throat rumbled out these words, evidently treating David as its next meal. David glanced at it but didn’t take it to heart.
Though the zombies here were formidable, David’s strength as an 11th-level esper still allowed him to dominate the situation. Thus, a somewhat intelligent zombie like this one held little significance in his eyes.
Seeing that David ignored it, the zombie grew agitated. It let out an angry roar, and a few more zombies like itself closed in from behind.
This took David somewhat by surprise. He hadn’t expected this creature to realize it couldn’t beat him and call for backup. David surveyed the five imposing zombies before him, manifesting the Spatial Blade in his hand. He had already asserted his dominance here, so killing a few more wouldn’t matter. Perhaps doing so would help him establish his authority in the Wasteland World more quickly. Tensions escalated as both sides braced for a clash; the five zombies glared at him, their growls low.
Just as David was preparing to take the initiative, his peripheral vision caught sight of a thick fog and haze. He paused, his curiosity piqued, and turned his gaze towards the source. The fog quickly dissipated, revealing a somewhat dilapidated small wooden cabin in front of him.
David furrowed his brow, recognizing the cabin he and Fatso had seen in the Abyss Cemetery. But what puzzled him was how it suddenly appeared in the Wasteland World.
And where was that eccentric old man? While David pondered, the door of the small wooden cabin creaked open, and the guardian of the tomb emerged, hunched over.
David stared at the old man, a cautious expression on his face. He wouldn’t underestimate any figure of uncertain identity. As the old man walked out of the cabin, he first glanced at David, then turned his attention to the five zombies. His cloudy eyes suddenly emitted a strong light, resembling torches.
The sight caused the five zombies to react as if they had encountered a terrifying presence. After a pained howl, they collapsed to the ground motionless. Black blood seeped from their seven orifices, signifying their death. This surprised David, and he continued to scrutinize the old man. This was someone who could kill zombies with a mere gaze; he definitely possessed some remarkable strength.
As those five zombies died, the other undead creatures and monstrous beasts that had gathered around dispersed in all directions, The area fell silent.
The old man finally smiled with satisfaction, his expression still carrying an air of disdain. Slowly approaching David, he looked at him and said, “Kid, the Wasteland World is different from the end times. You’ll die here.”
The old man’s tone was incredibly flat, as if he were describing an utterly mundane matter to David. Taking advantage of the moment, David examined the man’s face. He noticed the deeply wrinkled face, his small stature, and particularly his cloudy eyes that exuded a sharp, keen color. Recalling how the old man had killed five zombies with a single glance, David realized that the old man’s power likely resided in his eyes.
“Whether I live or die is up to me. I don’t need anyone else to decide for me,” David retorted unreservedly. When deciding to enter the Wasteland World, he hadn’t once thought of dying here. Unexpectedly, the old man chuckled upon hearing this, then fixedly stared at David.
David felt a bit uncomfortable under the strange gaze, so he decided to turn around and leave. He needed to make the most of his time to complete the system’s tasks and quickly familiarize himself with this new world.
Seeing David preparing to leave, the old man nodded in surprise and spoke again, “Not bad, you’ve got some strength! It seems you’ve made the right choice coming to the Wasteland World. Perhaps you’ll gain something from it. Just remember, don’t show mercy to anything, and don’t trust anyone’s words. Otherwise, you’ll be digging your own grave.”
The old man’s tone was calm, as if he was imparting ordinary advice to David. He had initially thought this young man was just a kid who had stumbled into the Wasteland, which is why he had warned him to leave.
However, upon realizing David’s Level 11 strength, the old man understood that David was confident, which also earned him some respect from the old man:”For someone of your young age to reach Level 11 is quite rare,”
David replied, smiling as he turned to face the old man: “You mentioned not trusting anyone’s words, so you’re wasting time talking to me.”
The old man didn’t expect this young man to be so quick-witted. He suddenly felt a bit embarrassed, as David had instantly caught on to his intentions after their conversation.
David further emphasized, “If you have something to say, say it quickly. I need to make use of my time.”
The old man chuckled and took out something, “Wait a moment, take this compass. Consider it your chance.” He presented a bronze compass that was about the size of a teacup to David. “You’ll find it useful.”
David looked down at the compass. It had a slender pointer, entirely made of bronze, giving it the appearance of an ancient artifact. He immediately understood that this was indeed something valuable.
Looking back at the old man, who smiled kindly at him, David respectfully accepted the compass. After all, it was something offered to him, and there was no reason to refuse it.
“Thank you for your generosity,” David said with a bow.
The old man nodded and his smile spread through the wrinkles on his face. “Remember, in this world, you must be decisive and ruthless. If you need me, just turn the pointer of the compass clockwise three times, and I’ll appear immediately.” With that, he walked towards his small wooden hut. As he entered and closed the door behind him, he disappeared into the dissipating mist and fog.
Only now did David realize that the compass was detachable. As the mist cleared, he remembered that he hadn’t asked the old man for his name. However, he wasn’t concerned, as he was certain this old man would show up again.
The sun had risen high in the sky, but in the Wasteland World, it was as if the sun was veiled with a thin layer of gauze, making the world appear gloomy and dark.
Looking around, David saw no signs of any undead creatures, which made him a bit anxious. If he didn’t hurry and kill some zombies, he might not be able to complete the system’s task.
David wasn’t interested in the system’s rewards; he wanted to learn more about this world through completing tasks. Suddenly, he remembered the old man’s words and glanced at the bronze compass in his hand..