Nights of 72 hours

Pyroclastic Technique: Wielding a one-handed sword or staff, this targeted incantation unleashes a fiery orb upon one's adversary, inflicting scorching damage (50 + 1 * mental prowess). Alas, one must endure a 30-second cooldown and possess a minimum of 10 mental fortitude to execute such a display of arcane pyrotechnics.

"magic abilities?"

Ming scrutinized the skill description: a single-target, directional magical attack.

Directional meant it wasn't a guaranteed hit on the selected target but rather a trajectory-based approach. This made it somewhat lackluster, only really effective against lumbering, low-level zombies. In a fight against humans, a simple sidestep could easily dodge an incoming fireball.

He continued reading:

[Healing Spell: Equip a one-handed magic sword or staff to cast this single-target healing ability, slightly restoring the target's stamina and stopping minor bleeding. Ineffective against mutated viruses. Requires a mental power of 10 to use.]

"Hmm..."

Ming mulled it over but ultimately abandoned the healing spell.

It was a decent ability, particularly for stamina restoration. After all, humans weren't gods, and exhaustion was inevitable. In a dire situation, this could be a lifesaver.

However, he was too impoverished to afford it, and it wasn't an immediate necessity. He flipped back to the Charged Arrow skill, purchased it, and began to learn.

After mastering Charged Arrow, Ming skimmed the trading channel's chat and found no helpful information. It was sparse, unsurprisingly, as the apocalyptic game setting still disoriented most players.

: "Brothers, the first chapter is about to begin! When the trading hall reopens, it'll be my time to ascend to godhood!"

: "Another one's gone mad."

: "Another one's gone mad +1."

City O Mayor: "Citizens of City O, I am your mayor, Tornuti. Stay home and do not venture outside. Our city's leadership is working on a rescue plan."

: "Friends, if I jump from a 35-story building, will I still feel pain?"

: "Everyone, my name is Calvino. I'm trapped in a mall bathroom in our city, surrounded by zombies. I think this is the end for me. I was just about to propose to my girlfriend... sob."

"..."

As expected, helpful information was scarce, but heartfelt confessions were abundant. It made sense – people who realized they were nearing their end would naturally want to express their deepest thoughts while they still could.

Ming glanced at the time: 5:40 PM, just 20 minutes before nightfall. There should be enough time to defeat the Spider-Woman outside.

He closed the apocalyptic trading hall, and the holographic screen before him vanished. He checked his quiver, now partially restocked with crossbow bolts.

Boom!

The fire door caved under a tremendous force, causing Ming to stumble forward. An impressive display of Spider-Woman's 35 endurance and 30 strength, she tore a gaping hole in the door.

Roar!

Spider-Woman squeezed through the opening.

Whoosh!

Ming spun around, hastily firing an arrow that narrowly grazed Spider-Woman's face.

As the first attack failed, he retreated, reloading his crossbow.

Hee-hee~ Spider-Woman's body traced a semi-circle, swinging her neck chain with the half-zombie attached, and launched another attack.

Unruffled, Ming dodged to the right. Having sparred with her before, he'd grown familiar with her attack patterns. She'd first swing the half-zombie, followed by a charge of her own. Ming's prediction proved accurate as she lunged toward him.

Ming sidestepped to the left, easily avoiding her attack, and raised his crossbow to fire. The Charged arrow required three seconds to charge fully, but with Spider-Woman relentlessly pursuing him, he had no such opportunity.

Whoosh~ He released the bolt, this time not aiming for her head. The target was too small and agile for a one-shot kill, so he targeted her torso instead.

Thud!

The arrow lodged in her left chest, causing no substantial damage.

Whooosh!

Spider-Woman, unfazed by the injury, swung her 'meteor hammer' again and simultaneously lunged forward.

"Same old tricks." This time, Ming's evasion was even more fluid, and he reloaded and fired his crossbow in one swift motion.

Clang!

The bolt hit Spider-Woman's chest. Oddly enough, his shots kept gravitating toward her chest, which baffled him. He swore he didn't do it on purpose.

Ding~ The crossbow's knockback effect was triggered.

Boom!

Spider-Woman, who had just charged forward, was knocked back, flying through the air and crashing into a wall with a resounding thud.

Opportunity!

In that instant, Ming raised his crossbow and activated his skill – Charged Shot!

A pale blue glow enveloped the crossbow, the luminous orb shrinking by the second, growing brighter.

second

Hee-roar!!

After being knocked back, Spider-Woman scrambled to her feet, baring her fangs at Ming before lunging forward again.

seconds

She leaped into the air, her clawed hands outstretched, her grotesque face revealing sharp tusks.

seconds

Boom!!

Just as Spider-Woman's claws neared Ming's face, he unleashed the Charged Shot. A bolt enveloped in blue light shot out, striking her squarely in the chest – it was such a large target it was difficult to miss. She froze in place, her expression, and gazed blankly as she stared at the human who once again aimed the crossbow at her head.

At that moment, Spider-Woman's eyes widened in disbelief as she watched him pull the trigger again.

Clang!

Ding~ Level up to 5, all attributes +1, and bonus points +1.

:09

Ding~ Level up to 6, all attributes +1, and bonus points +1.

The arrow flew, embedding itself in her forehead, the arrowhead protruding from the back of her skull. Her large, pale green eyes remained open as she collapsed to the ground, a hint of defiance lingering in her gaze.

The heck, did zombies have emotions now?

Ming stepped forward, aiming at Spider-Woman's head for a follow-up shot.

Clang, clang, clang...!!

He fired seven or eight times before finally stopping.

Ding~ Completed killing the elite monster, the Love-Crazed Spider-Woman. Reward: Experience +100, Apocalypse Coins +100. Ding~ Killing an elite monster grants Experience +50, Apocalypse Coins +35.

Ding~ Level up to 5, all attributes +1, and bonus points +1.

Ding~ Level up to 6, all attributes +1, and bonus points +1.

Ding~ Level up to 7, all attributes +1, and bonus points +1.

Three levels up in a row!

Ming's spirits instantly lifted. Killing those ordinary zombies earlier had leveled him up from 3 to 4, and the experience reward from completing the elite monster task and the experience from the kill had astonishingly leveled him up three times in a row.

Buzz, buzz, buzz~

Three beams of light erupted from the Spider-Woman's corpse.

Two white, one blue.

"Blue?"

Ming was taken aback, not expecting a blue card to drop from killing an elite monster.

This was just too awesome!

He quickly stashed the three cards in his brain domain storage, checked the time—17:55—and tore off a piece of cloth to drag the Spider-Woman's corpse out of the fire door, using the cloth as a barrier.

He was partly worried that the corpse would rot and stink after a while, but he also couldn't shake the feeling of disgust having it around.

The fire door was still usable, albeit with a larger gap. After chaining the door shut, it should hold up for a while. Done with the inspection, he returned home.

:00.

Buzz~

Boom!!

A bell toll echoed thunderously.

[Dear surviving players, congratulations on entering the first chapter of the Apocalypse Game, the 72-Hour Night]

[To reiterate, this round of eternal darkness is merely that—darkness. Apart from electricity, communication, and modern technology, including firearms, being unusable, the rest of the environment will remain unaffected]

[ Without sunlight, temperatures may drop, but the Earth's core is hot, and 72 hours won't usher in an ice age. Just make sure to have some extra clothing on hand]

[Once again, a reminder: After entering the 72-Hour Night, mutated creatures will be completely unsealed, their abilities one or even several times more potent than during the day]

[Naturally, with higher risks, come higher rewards. The first chapter will also introduce achievement tasks. Complete these tasks to earn generous rewards]

[In addition to achievement tasks, hidden tasks will also appear randomly. However, hidden tasks are more difficult; failing them will result in corresponding penalties. Please exercise caution when accepting them.]

[A friendly tip: The Apocalypse Trading Post will open every 23.5 hours for 0.5 hours. Please be mindful of the opening times, so you don't miss out on opportunities to improve yourself]

[A friendly tip: Half an hour before the 72-Hour Night ends, the second chapter of the Apocalypse Game will be announced]

[Lastly, we wish you all the best, and remember, there's always more than one zombie lurking behind you!!]

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[Nightfall]

Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!

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