Chapter 50: Dirty Trick

"The Snake King has been our primary observation target recently."

Tom’s expression became slightly more serious.

"Its rate of evolution is extremely fast. It has already developed something resembling a hive consciousness."

"Hive consciousness?" Ethan frowned.

"Think of it as a connection between the Snake King and other mutated snakes. It can influence its kind through its Core, allowing it to coordinate large groups and turn them into a hunting network."

Tom’s eyes settled on the faint mark on Ethan’s left arm.

"That mark is essentially a tracking signal. The Snake King has tagged you as prey. As long as it remains on your body, its vipers will continue to be drawn toward you."

Ethan’s expression darkened.

"Can it be removed?"

Tom shook his head.

"Not with anything we’ve discovered so far. Unless the Snake King dies, I don’t know of another way to remove it."

Another heavy impact came from downstairs.

Boom!

The entire building shook.

Tom glanced toward the rooftop entrance.

"The Speed Zombies are almost here."

The iron door leading to the roof was already badly warped from repeated impacts. Another few hits might be enough to tear it off its hinges.

Tom looked at the sword still pressed against his neck.

"You can lower that now. If we keep standing here arguing, we’ll both end up as zombie food."

Ethan stared at him for another two seconds.

Then he slowly lowered his sword.

Whatever Tom’s true intentions were, they had a common enemy for the moment.

"Follow me."

Ethan turned toward the water tank and lifted the heavy metal lid.

The tank was only half full of murky rainwater. The water smelled strongly of rust, but the tank itself was large enough to conceal two people.

Tom didn’t hesitate.

He climbed inside first.

Ethan followed and pulled the lid shut behind them.

A deafening crash erupted outside.

The rooftop door had finally given way.

Sharp, animalistic shrieks immediately followed.

The Speed Zombies had arrived.

Footsteps raced across the rooftop as the creatures searched the area. Ethan held his breath, listening carefully.

He could hear Tom breathing beside him.

Steady.

Controlled.

There wasn’t even the slightest trace of panic.

This guy really isn’t normal.

A sudden clang echoed through the tank.

One of the Speed Zombies had slammed its claws against the metal wall.

The murky water rippled violently.

Ethan could feel the vibration through the tank as claws scraped across the sheet metal.

His fingers tightened around his sword.

If the creature broke through, he would have to fight immediately.

Then Ethan noticed something in the darkness.

The corners of Tom’s mouth had lifted slightly.

He slowly raised one hand.

Pale-blue ripples appeared across his palm.

But this time, he didn’t create the Sound Barrier.

Instead, the ripples spread silently from his hand and traveled across the walls of the tank.

The scratching outside gradually became quieter.

The shrieks faded.

Even the movement of the creatures seemed to disappear into the distance.

Tom lowered his hand and tapped the metal wall three times.

Tap.

Tap.

Tap.

He waited several seconds before pushing the lid open slightly.

He carefully looked around.

After confirming that the rooftop was empty, he nodded toward Ethan.

"It’s clear."

Ethan climbed out of the tank.

He immediately looked over the edge of the building.

The Speed Zombies were gone.

Only the empty street remained.

Ethan turned toward Tom.

"Your Sound Ability can interfere with them too?"

Tom calmly stepped out of the tank and brushed the water from his coat.

"Sound isn’t only useful for transmitting information. It can also interfere with the nervous system."

He pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and began cleaning his glasses.

"Speed Zombies have hearing that’s several times more sensitive than an ordinary zombie’s. They’re especially vulnerable to certain high-frequency sound waves."

Tom put his glasses back on.

"That’s why they reacted so strongly."

He paused.

"But judging from the way you’ve been fighting, I suspect you still don’t understand how the power system in this world works."

Ethan narrowed his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

Tom walked to the edge of the rooftop and sat down.

He picked up a small piece of concrete and began drawing in the dust.

"Come here."

Ethan hesitated for a moment before walking over.

Tom drew two separate columns.

The first read:

Ability Rank: B → A → S → SS → SSS

The second read:

Mutated Animal Rank: Normal → Elite → Leader → King → Calamity

Tom tapped the first column.

"This is the ranking system most surviving groups use."

He pointed to the first rank.

"Anyone who awakens an Ability starts at B-Rank in terms of overall strength. But the quality of the Ability they awaken is completely random."

Ethan listened carefully.

"Someone could awaken an S-Rank Ability while still being a B-Rank Ability User."

Tom nodded.

"Exactly. But that doesn’t mean they can immediately use their Ability at its full potential."

"For example, if someone awakens an S-Rank Ability, their body may only be capable of supporting B-Rank energy at first. They can possess an extremely powerful Ability without having enough energy to use it properly."

Tom drew another line beneath the ranking.

"As their overall strength increases, they can gradually unlock more of the Ability’s potential."

"If they eventually reach S-Rank themselves, they can use the S-Rank Ability much more effectively. If they reach SS-Rank, their Ability may evolve along with them."

Ethan frowned slightly.

"What about Evolved Zombies? Do they have ranks too?"

"Of course."

Tom picked up another piece of concrete and drew a crude figure with wings beside the words Evolved Zombie.

"I once encountered a Winged Zombie. It had undergone several mutations, retained part of its intelligence, and could even alter its appearance to some extent."

Tom’s expression became more serious.

"That creature was already S-Rank."

Ethan’s eyes narrowed.

"After consuming enough Cores, some Evolved Zombies can evolve far faster than human Ability Users. Their rate of growth can be terrifying."

Tom pointed to the second column.

"Mutated animals are classified somewhat differently."

"Most ordinary mutant creatures, including normal mutant snakes and Speed Zombies, fall under Normal Level. They primarily act on instinct."

He paused.

"Their Cores are usually around the size of a peanut."

Tom drew another mark.

"Then you have Elite Level."

"Above that is Leader Level."

He looked at Ethan.

"The Viper Leader you killed was a Leader-Level creature. It could coordinate the swarm and react intelligently during combat. A Leader-Level creature is roughly comparable to an S-Rank Ability User."

He tapped the ground.

"Their Cores are generally around the size of a walnut."

Ethan’s expression changed slightly.

Tom continued.

"Then there’s King Level."

His voice became noticeably more serious.

"The Snake King is a King-Level creature. Its control over other mutated snakes, energy, and its surrounding territory has already reached a level comparable to an SS-Rank Ability User."

Ethan remained silent.

Tom’s eyes briefly drifted toward the distant horizon.

"I’ve also encountered a Mutant Siberian Tiger. It was just one step away from King Level."

"Quasi-King Level?"

Tom nodded.

"That’s what we classified it as. Its physical strength was already comparable to an SS-Rank defensive Ability User."

Ethan’s expression tightened.

That description sounded disturbingly familiar.

The tiger he’d encountered had nearly torn him apart.

Tom continued before Ethan could speak.

"Of course, these classifications aren’t determined by Core size alone."

"Some powerful mutated creatures continuously compress the energy inside their Cores. As a result, their Cores can actually become smaller despite the creature becoming stronger."

Ethan absorbed the information in silence.

Until now, he’d mostly judged an enemy’s strength by instinct.

If something felt dangerous, he treated it as dangerous.

If he could kill it, he moved on.

But now he realized just how many powerful creatures he’d already crossed paths with.

The Viper Leader he’d barely managed to kill had been stronger than he initially understood.

And the Snake King was on an entirely different level.

Ethan looked at the final classification.

"What exactly is Calamity Level?"

Tom’s expression darkened.

"Very little is known about it."

He rubbed the concrete dust from his fingers.

"The research institute has only one mention of Calamity-Level entities in its classified records. They’re described as mutated beings capable of altering the surrounding terrain and triggering large-scale disasters."

"Has anyone actually seen one?"

"No confirmed sightings."

Tom shook his head.

"But if the reports are accurate, the existence of a Calamity-Level entity would change everything."

He looked toward the direction of the city.

"And the Snake King’s rate of evolution is already approaching that threshold."

Ethan’s eyes narrowed.

"How are these ranks actually determined?"

"Energy density and control."

Tom pointed toward the first column again.

"A B-Rank Ability User has energy that’s still scattered and unstable. It’s like mist inside the body."

"At A-Rank, that energy becomes more concentrated, almost like a liquid. The user gains much finer control."

"Once you reach S-Rank and beyond, energy begins to take on tangible properties."

Tom pointed at Ethan’s sword.

"Your Spatial Cut is a good example. You aren’t simply releasing energy. You’re forming an actual spatial edge capable of cutting through solid matter."

Ethan looked at his hand.

He had never thought about his Ability that way.

"So how do we increase our rank?"

"There are three primary methods."

Tom raised one finger.

"First, training."

"Repeatedly using an Ability forces the body and mind to adapt. The more efficiently you use it, the easier it becomes to control."

He raised a second finger.

"Second, combat."

"Life-and-death battles are one of the fastest ways to break through. When you’re pushed to the edge, the body can release potential that ordinary training can’t access."

He raised a third finger.

"Third, and the most direct method..."

Tom’s eyes sharpened.

"Consume a Core."

Ethan nodded slowly.

Tom continued.

"Mutated animals and Evolved Zombies grow primarily by consuming Cores and other sources of concentrated energy. Once they accumulate enough, their bodies undergo another evolutionary change."

Ethan looked down at his own hand.

He thought about the past few days.

Three days of almost constant fighting against the Viper Leader.

The repeated use of his Abilities.

The countless battles he’d been forced into.

He could feel the difference.

His Ability energy capacity had increased.

At full energy, he could now use Spatial Cut six consecutive times before exhausting himself.

Previously, he couldn’t reach that number.

Even his Gravity Control had improved.

Its effective range had increased by roughly half a meter, and the sluggishness he’d previously felt while manipulating gravity had become much less noticeable.

So fighting really is accelerating my growth.

Tom stood up and brushed the dust from his coat.

"I’ve told you what you needed to know."

He adjusted his glasses.

"And I know enough about your situation now."

Ethan looked at him.

"Where are you going?"

"To confirm the trail of another King-Level mutated creature."

Tom turned toward the stairwell.

Without another word, he disappeared down the stairs.

Ethan remained on the rooftop.

He stared at the empty stairwell for several seconds.

"Ranks... Cores..."

Until today, he’d been moving through the Apocalypse almost blindly.

He fought whatever appeared in front of him, gathered whatever resources he could find, and relied on his own judgment to determine how dangerous something was.

Now he finally had a framework.

A way to measure the enemies around him.

Ethan tightened his grip around his sword.

"Snake King. Winged Zombie. Mutant Siberian Tiger..."

His eyes hardened.

"One day, I’ll be strong enough to stand above all of you."

He didn’t waste any more time.

Ethan closed his eyes and locked onto the Space Anchor Point inside the Underground Casino.

Once he had a clear mental connection, he prepared to activate his Space Teleportation Ability.

There were two things he needed to do first.

He had to tell the women about the ranking system and what he’d learned about Cores.

And Rose’s gift cooldown had expired.

He could finally give her another gift.

The problem was that Ethan didn’t want to waste another high-value Core without maximizing the system’s return.

He stood there for a moment, thinking.

If emotional fluctuations affected the Bonus Drop, then simply handing Rose a Core might not be enough.

He needed to create the right emotional reaction.

Ethan’s mouth slowly curved upward.

So what kind of dirty trick should I use this time?