Survival in the Apocalypse: Max Level Drop Rate with Abundant Resources

In the stinking little house, Shen Xi squatted in front of the iron cage, staring at the small, rotting corpse curled up in the corner.

The golden light of the Eye of Truth slowly flowed in his pupils, seeing through the modified body called "Lord." Three talents, two epic-level and one legendary-level, two gold-level skills, and a body completely modified by the secret arts of the Witch Clan—this was simply a perfect machine born for slaughter.

"That old bastard Gu Changsheng spent over a hundred years creating you, only to have it all go to waste for me."

He stood up and stretched his stiff shoulders. The side effects of the bloodlust had completely subsided, and although his injuries remained, he had regained most of his strength. His ribs throbbed slightly, and the wound on his hand was still bleeding, but none of this affected his movements.

Slavery Contract, Tier 2.

It can enslave two corpse-type monsters that are no higher than its own level, making them permanent servants. The enslaved monsters share 80% of the player's attributes, can grow alongside the player, and obey all commands of the host.

Currently enslaved: 1/2.

Mingying took up one spot, and the other spot remained empty.

Shen Xi looked at the motionless little corpse in the iron cage, a satisfied glint in her eyes.

"It's you."

He reached out and opened the iron cage door.

The lock on the iron cage was easily broken; perhaps the runic lock was only designed for rotting corpses. The moment Shen Xi's fingertips touched the layer of black mist emanating from the iron cage, a bone-chilling cold spread from her arm to her entire body, the same feeling she had when she pushed open the door of the hut earlier—rotten, ancient, and carrying a deathly stillness that had slumbered for millions of years.

But this time, the moment the chill seeped into his skin, the anti-toxic effects of his immortal body automatically activated. A bluish-purple light flashed beneath his skin, and the chill was instantly broken down and absorbed, transforming into a faint warm current that flowed into his body.

"Wow, even this stuff can be used as a supplement?"

Shen Xi raised an eyebrow, no longer hesitating, and pulled open the iron cage door.

The iron gate creaked loudly, its sound particularly clear in the quiet little house.

He bent down and crawled into the iron cage.

The space inside the iron cage was very cramped, only about a meter square, and Shen Xi could barely turn around inside. The little rotting corpse was curled up in the corner, less than half a meter away from him.

Upon closer inspection, the little creature's appearance becomes even more shocking.

Its pale, almost translucent skin revealed a dense network of veins beneath. These veins weren't the normal red of a human, but a strange, dark purple, as if contaminated by something. Its body was emaciated, its ribs protruding, and a small heart inside its chest beat slowly, each beat accompanied by a flicker of dark red light.

Its head was tilted to one side, and its messy hair covered most of its face, revealing only its pointed chin and pale lips.

Its eyes were closed, its breathing weak, like a lifeless shell.

But Shen Xi knew it was pretending to be asleep.

Stop pretending.

Shen Xi spoke calmly.

The little rotting corpse didn't react; it remained curled up in the corner, motionless.

Shen Xi smiled.

"Since you don't want to wake up, then I'll wake you up for you."

He reached out, fingers spread, and grabbed at the little rotting corpse's neck.

The speed was neither too fast nor too slow, and the force was neither too light nor too heavy. He wasn't using his full strength; he just wanted to test the little creature's reaction.

Just as his fingertips were about to touch the little corpse's neck...

Those tightly closed eyes suddenly opened.

His scarlet eyes were like two rubies tempered in flames for a thousand years. They lacked the murky madness of ordinary corpses, possessing only an almost eerie purity and calmness.

At that moment, the small, decaying corpse's body underwent a strange change.

Its spine seemed to suddenly lose its support, and its entire body twisted to one side like a snake. The bones made a crisp "crackling" sound, the joints reversed, the muscles folded, and the body, which was originally curled up, stretched into a straight line in an instant, sliding out along the bottom of the iron cage.

Shen Xi's hand grasped at empty air.

His fingertips brushed against the little corpse's neck, only touching a few tangled strands of hair.

At the same time, a slender claw emerged from the side, its five jet-black nails gleaming coldly in the darkness, heading straight for Shen Xi's arm!

The speed is astonishing!

The claw's trajectory was extremely cunning; it didn't attack in a straight line, but rather drew a strange arc, cutting in from the side of Shen Xi's arm and heading straight for the gap in her elbow joint.

That area is one of the most vulnerable parts of the human body. If it is hit, the entire arm will instantly lose its strength.

But Shen Xi was faster.

He didn't even glance at the claw; he simply flicked his wrist and raised his arm less than an inch.

At that close distance, the sharp claw grazed his forearm, the nail tearing his sleeve and leaving three shallow white marks on his skin, without even drawing blood.

"Not bad, not bad."

Shen Xi did not give chase, but withdrew her hand, squatted down, and looked at the little rotting corpse with great interest.

At this moment, it had retreated to another corner of the iron cage, its body curled up into a ball again, its scarlet eyes fixed on Shen Xi. Its breathing was weak, its heartbeat slow, but the killing intent emanating from its very bones made the air inside the iron cage seem thick and sticky.

"As expected of the corpse that old guy painstakingly created, it is indeed powerful."

Shen Xi gave a heartfelt exclamation.

This little creature is only level 14, and its stats aren't particularly high, but its combat instincts and body control are even stronger than many level 20+ boss-level zombies. Its dodge and counterattack just now were fluid and seamless, executed in one smooth motion without any unnecessary movements.

More importantly, it knows how to be patient.

It had been "asleep" the whole time, and it had been observing Shen Xi the whole time, but it waited until Shen Xi made the first move before launching a counterattack. This kind of patience and judgment is not something an ordinary corpse can possess.

"Unfortunately, you've run into me."

A smile appeared on Shen Xi's lips.

He stopped testing the waters and directly entered the Dominion System with a slight thought.

[Slave Contract - Tier 2]

Number of slaves that can be enslaved: 1/2

[Use the Enslavement Contract on the target "Corpse - Shadow Corpse (Level 14 Gold - Modified)"?]

"use."

Golden light burst forth from Shen Xi's palm, instantly illuminating the entire iron cage.

Love science fiction? Come discover more exciting content!

Countless golden chains shot out from his palms, piercing through space and heading straight for the figure huddled in the corner! These chains were as thin as hair, yet they exuded a chilling aura of majesty. Each one was covered with densely packed runes, shimmering with a pale golden light in the darkness.

The little rotting corpse's scarlet eyes suddenly widened.

It sensed it.

The power contained in those golden chains was irresistible to it.

But it did not sit idly by and wait for its demise.

Its body underwent another bizarre transformation, its spine bending, its joints twisting, and its entire body slithering wildly through the iron cage like a snake. It moved with incredible speed, leaving afterimages in the confined space as it tried to evade the golden chains that bound it.

A chain shot out from the side, which it dodged by tilting its head. The chain grazed its ear and struck the bars of the iron cage with a crisp clang.

The second chain fell from above, and it shrank, becoming half a head shorter, as the chain flew over its head.

The third one, the fourth one, the fifth one...

It was like a mudfish, frantically weaving through the gaps in the chains, each dodge precise and perfectly timed.

But there were too many chains.

They surged in from all directions, densely packed, sealing off the entire space of the iron cage.

Finally, a chain wrapped around its ankle.

Its body suddenly stiffened.

Then, a second chain wrapped around its wrist, a third around its waist, a fourth, a fifth, a sixth...

Golden chains wrapped around its body layer upon layer, binding it up like a rice dumpling.

[Enslavement progress: 10%...20%...30%...]

The little corpse struggled more and more violently.

Its body writhed wildly within the chains, its bones cracking and snapping, and dense, dark purple lines appeared on its pale skin. These lines writhed beneath the skin, as if resisting the corrosive power of the golden chains.

Its mouth opened, and it let out a sharp hiss.

The sound wasn't loud, but it was extremely piercing, like scratching glass with a fingernail, or some kind of ultrasonic wave. The sound waves echoed in the narrow iron cage, making Shen Xi's eardrums buzz.

[Enslavement progress: 40%...50%...60%...]

The little corpse's struggles began to weaken.

It wasn't that it didn't want to struggle, but rather that the majestic power of the golden chains was invading its body, suppressing its instincts, and dismantling its resistance.

The dark purple patterns began to fade, changing from deep purple to light purple, from light purple to pale pink, and finally disappearing completely. Its body gradually relaxed, its bones stopped cracking, its muscles stopped spasming, and even its scarlet eyes began to soften.

[Enslavement progress: 70%...80%...90%...]

Finally, 10%.

Shen Xi increased his mental energy output, and golden light surged from his palm, pouring into the chains.

The little corpse's body trembled violently, then fell completely still.

It stopped struggling and howling, and just quietly curled up in the chains, its scarlet eyes staring at Shen Xi with a blank look in them.

[Enslavement Progress: 100%!]

[Enslavement complete!]

[Congratulations, host! You have successfully enslaved one Level 14 Golden Modified Corpse!]

The golden chains slowly dissipated.

The little corpse, its body losing its support, collapsed limply to the bottom of the iron cage, curled up in a ball, and gasped for breath. The marks left by the chains on its body were fading at a visible speed, and its skin returned to that eerie bluish-white color.

Shen Xi stood up, looked down at it, and nodded in satisfaction.

"Next, it's time to give you a name."

"Your talent is the Shadow Body, which excels in stealth and assassination, the exact opposite of the Light Shadow."

"One in the light, one in the dark."

"From today onwards, you will be called 'Shadow'."

The little rotting corpse huddled at the bottom of the iron cage, its scarlet eyes fixed on Shen Xi, without reacting.

Shen Xi didn't care. With a slight thought, a semi-transparent light screen unfolded before his eyes.

[Generating player panel...]

Nickname: Shadow (Enslaved State)

Level: 14 (Experience: 357/1200)

Strength: 148, Spirit: 148, Agility: 148, Constitution: 148

Free attribute points: 0

Title: None

[Talents: Shadow Body (Legendary - Passive), Puppet Body (Epic - Passive), Child of the Night (Epic - Passive)]

[Skills: Shadow Strike (Gold-level, Active), Silent Strangulation (Gold-level, Active)]

[Equipment: None]

[Special Note: This unit cannot benefit from the "Dominion System" bonuses, and has no gold, reputation, or quest features. Monster drop rates have been restored to normal levels. Leveling up can only be achieved by gaining experience from defeating monsters.]

Shen Xi stared at the string of information, a look of satisfaction flashing in her eyes.

Three talents, two of which are gold-level skills.

Shadow Body is legendary, while Puppet Body and Child of the Night are epic. This setup, while not as comprehensive as Mingying's Asura class, is far superior to Mingying's in assassination and infiltration.

Especially in dark environments, the Night Child gains a 30% increase to all attributes, a 50% increase to movement speed, and a 20% increase to critical hit rate. Combined with the assassination skills Shadow Strike and Silent Strangulation, this little creature is practically the Grim Reaper of the Night.

"Unfortunately, I don't have a profession."

Shen Xi frowned slightly.

However, having inherited 80% of his own attributes, his base stats are already terrifying, even higher than Mingying's.

Shadow is currently level 14, but without a class, it cannot level up. A suitable class change core must be found for it as soon as possible, otherwise its level will remain stuck at 14 and it will be unable to progress.

A suitable profession for an assassin...

Several names flashed through his mind.

Shadow Assassin, Dark Dancer, Nightblade, Silent One... these are all hidden assassin classes, but the core for class advancement is extremely rare and hard to come by.

"Let's put it aside for now." Shen Xi shook her head and subdued the shadow.

He turned around, his gaze returning to the large, rotting corpse chained to the iron pillar.

Update released! Book lovers, go read Cola Novels!