The Endgame Chronicles (by Hugh White) novel Chapter 89

Hayley didn’t slow down the whole way back. Even when the tires crushed over zombies, she didn’t bother stopping to check if there were any crystal cores to collect.

It was already getting late.

The factory was about 90 minutes from the base, which meant it’d be completely dark by the time they got back. She couldn’t afford to relax until they were within her own territory.

By 7.30 PM, they finally made it back safely.

As usual, the first thing they did was take quick showers. Then Leonard went to cook dinner while Hayley stayed in her shelter to sort through the loot.

They had collected a total of 1,148 zombie crystal cores today, all level 1.

Zombie crystal cores were ranked by levels.

Level 1 cores were the most common–roughly one in every three zombies had one inside their head. Level–1 zombies weren’t that dangerous. They were stronger and faster than the regular ones, like the mutated one Hayley had killed back at the mansion, but still manageable.

Anyone with a bit of combat skill could take one down.

But level–2 zombies? That was a whole different story. Those things were faster, stronger, and way more vicious strong enough to overpower a grown man. It usually took a whole team working together to bring one down.

Their crystal cores were about the size of a quail egg.

Level–3 zombies, though, were on another level entirely. They were basically impossible for ordinary people to kill. Those were the ones only Gifted fighters could take on.

Their cores were roughly the size of a goose egg.

Level 2 and 3 zombies didn’t just appear out of nowhere. There were two main reasons they formed–first, cannibalism.

Take the level–2 zombie Hayley had killed on the highway before. It had probably evolved after eating others of its

kind.

That entire stretch of highway had been empty, except for a few stragglers near the gas station. Most likely, that level–2 zombie had dragged the others there and devoured them all.

The second reason was evolution through gifts.

Zombies could develop gifts, too.

Once a zombie awakened a gift, its level would increase.

In her previous life, Hayley had heard of the most powerful zombie king in the entire Eastern region–a terrifying creature that had evolved to level 8 and had multiple gifts.

People said it possessed at least three different powers. It ruled over the border area between Aecraton, Brookville, and Crestford.

Of course, she’d only heard stories. She’d never seen it herself. She hadn’t been strong enough back then.

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As an ordinary person in her last life, Hayley didn’t even qualify to fight on those kinds of battlefields. She always stuck to missions she was absolutely sure she could complete, never the risky ones.

That was exactly why, even though others were stronger, none of them outlasted her.

Hayley played it safe. She never gambled with her own life.

Anyway, at this stage, most zombies were still level 1.

Higher–level ones were hard to come by–the level–2 zombie she’d killed before was already a rare find.

Looking over the pile of crystal cores, Hayley set aside 100 of them to extract evolution serum later. The others she traded in for points.

Each level–1 core was worth 100 points, and it also counted toward her bonus pack total.

Ding! [Congratulations, you’ve earned 104 thousand points!]

Added to the 30 thousand–plus points she already had, she was now sitting on nearly 140,000 points.

Hayley rubbed her hands together, grinning. Finally, she had enough points!

She immediately opened the limited–time exchange window and selected the recon–strike drone system.

“Redeem!”

Ding! [Congratulations, you’ve acquired the Recon–Strike Drone System!]

Right in front of her, a sleek, high–tech military drone descended onto the floor.

And at that very moment, her entire base began to change.