About half an hour later, Kevin stepped into a church. In theory, it should've been empty—perfect for a safe spot to rest. To get into Death Town, you either get lucky and find its glowing portal, or wait three days. Twelve hours before it disappears, that same mysterious voice will point you to the entrance.
Kevin already had a plan. He'd memorize every place he'd seen that shimmer. If he could circle those spots in three days, great. If not, he'd wait for the voice. According to his map, this ruined church would be his temporary base.
The moment he pushed open the door, Kevin tensed up. No lock, just a single shove and the heavy doors swung wide. Inside, the smell of blood hit him. Pews and benches lay smashed everywhere. The four‑meter wooden cross that once hung on the front wall lay broken on the floor.
Something violent had gone down here. But the church should've been locked, and zombies don't wander into empty buildings. Kevin frowned.
Tick… tick…
He felt a cold drip on the back of his neck. Reaching back, he found sticky saliva. Without thinking, he dove forward, smashing into the ground and rolling out of the way.
He snapped his head back and saw a long, red tongue punch through the ceiling where he'd been standing, carving a hole in the stone floor. Looking up, he froze.
A zombie twice the size of a normal walker clung to the rafters. Its huge arms and legs ended in razor claws dug into the wood—enough to hold its weight.
"A Crawler," Kevin hissed. "Another mutant walker."
He swallowed hard. After coming back to life, was he out of luck this time? In his last run, he'd lucked into Death Town right away. Now he hadn't even spotted the portal and already two mutants had shown up. Crawlers were no joke.
Kevin didn't hesitate. He drew his recurve bow, notched an arrow, and pulled it to full draw. Three arrows flew in rapid succession, but they barely pierced the Crawler's thick hide. Even covered in arrows, it barely flinched.
"Damn," he muttered. Crawlers ranked way above basic walkers. In his last life, survivors had graded zombies by strength. Basic walkers were early‑stage Raven tier. Crawlers were late‑stage Raven—their final form.
With his quiver empty, Kevin spun and ran.
BOOM!
The Crawler dropped like a boulder, cracking the floor. It lunged after him.
Kevin vaulted over a fallen pew. The Crawler's claw swipe splintered it to bits. It bounded forward and landed right behind him.
Its massive head rammed into his back, hurling him across the floor. Pain shot through his spine—thank God for the stab vest's steel plates.
But it wasn't over. As he rolled to face it, razor claws pinned him to the ground. He thrashed and snarled, "Last time, I could've crushed you with one hand."
Its red tongue, slick with drool, licked his cheek. Then it lowered its head, baring two rows of triangular, saw‑tooth teeth.
He wasn't dying here. He'd been reborn—and he would survive. He clenched his teeth. Crawlers felt no pain and healed fast. To kill one, he had to smash its brain or sever its neck.
The Crawler's jaws angled down toward his head. Kevin twisted aside; its teeth smashed the stone floor where his face had been.
That was his chance. With its head hanging low, he drew his dagger and drove it straight into the Crawler's neck.
SPURT!
Dark green blood sprayed everywhere, coating him in its foul stench.
The Crawler roared and lurched upright, shaking violently to knock him off.
Kevin braced his feet and shoved the dagger deeper.
The blade pierced through. The Crawler froze, then collapsed in a heap seconds later.
"You killed a Crawler. Total kills: 1. Reward: Cerebral Essence."
Kevin rolled clear of the corpse and sat down on a broken bench, gasping for air. That same mysterious voice whispered in his ear again:
"Danger always comes with its reward. Seems you've gained something else this time."
He crawled over to the Crawler's body and cut open its skull with his dagger. A yellow‑white viscous fluid oozed out. He grabbed a water bottle from his pack, dumped the water, and filled it with that fluid.
This stuff was even better than a Basic Energy Crystal. Those crystals were just common currency in Death Town. Crawler brain fluid was worth three to five times as much. It was also a key ingredient for the "Bull" serum—the most basic strength‑boosting drug that could transform a person's physical abilities.