Chapter 156: Houses
Shane's heart quickened with excitement as soon as he heard this.
After all, he had obtained Light Orbs from them! They were like wireless bulbs that were really useful during the night.
Although they have torches, the light provided by the Orbs was a lot brighter and they were quite easy to arrange. Furthermore, they charge naturally with sunlight, making them more appropriate for their situation.
"Zombies are coming…" Eldrin said after smelling the rotten flesh of the creatures rushing them.
"Yes, they're Flasher Zombies… They might blind you with their attacks, so be careful." Shane warned.
Soon, the Flasher Zombies finally arrived, with their bloated bodies moving at surprising speed and their heads pulsating like orbs of light.
These Flasher Zombies weren't as fat as the Spitter Zombies, but they were already reaching that size. However, despite having such a round figure, these Zombies seemed really light as
Their blinding flashes could incapacitate even the most seasoned warriors!
Shane quickly reached for his Sunglasses, sliding them on just as the first wave of zombies burst through the foliage.
He wanted to give these to others as well, but he didn't have an extra. He could only prepare to attack once the others got blinded.
Soon, the Flashers charged, their grotesque forms lurching toward the group.
Shane's vision darkened, the lenses of his sunglasses filtering out the blinding light.
But what about the others? Shinja, Chaloem, and the elves—they had no protection. He raised his revolver to shoot the approaching Flashers but something unexpected happened!
To his surprise, the warriors in front of him didn't falter. They seem to have their own methods of mitigating the effects of the blinding flashes of the Zombies!
Shinja's blades danced and sliced through the zombies with speed and precision! It was incredible and Shane noticed that the man actually had his eyes closed! It was incredible! He truly befitted being a Heroic Summon!
On the other hand, Chaloem's staff crackled with the force of Ki, knocking the undead back. He wasn't closing his eyes, but he seemed to be using some sort of Ki Technique to block the flashes coming at him.
As for the elves, they were actually blinded, but their ears could still pick up the zombies' movements!
The elves—Eldrin, Faelar, and Cirdan—fired arrows in rapid succession, each shot finding its mark. On the other hand, Thalion and Aranion waited for the other Zombies to get closer before cutting their limbs!
"Don't destroy the orbs! Just cut their connections on it!" Shane shouted as he saw one of the orbs get destroyed by one of the arrows!
He was sure that the loot would be affected because of that.
With a thud, the Flashers fell, their glowing heads extinguished.
Shane blinked as he removed his Sunglasses, his revolver was still in his hands and he hadn't use it at all.
The battle had been swift. It was efficient. Not a single zombie remained standing and no one was injured from their side..
"Remarkable," Shane murmured, as he stored his sunglasses in his inventory. "I didn't think you can fight with such precision even with your eyes closed."
Shane commented while looking at Shinja.
Shinja sheathed his blades, his eyes meeting Shane's.
"I've faced worse," he said. "These creatures are nothing."
Chaloem nodded. "Their light tricks are no match for our resolve to clear this world from abominations."
As expected of the monk, his words were filled with poise.
Shane nodded at this as he looked at the elves. He was curious at how they mitigated the flasher's blinding light.
The elves exchanged glances, their expressions unreadable.
After a while, Eldrin, the leader, spoke. "We've seen many horrors, Lord Shane. These are but a minor nuisance."
'At the very least, I don't think I can fight those Zombies with closed eyes yet. I probably need fifty-plus points in my Perception for that to happen.' Shane mused.
Shane marveled at their calm answers.
These warriors were truly unordinary. He couldn't help but feel happy that he was wealthy and lucky enough to be able to purchase or obtain their Recruitment Stones.
Shane then looted all the 10 Flasher Zombies.
[ Do you want to retrieve the loot? ]
"Yes."
[ You have earned 10 Experience Points. ]
[ Loots obtained: 2 Item Upgrade Crystal, 2 Zombie Core, 500mL water, Unknown Meat ( Safe ) x1, 100mL Flasher Zombie Blood, 1 Spirit Enhancement Bottle, 1 Light Orb ]
…
[ You have earned 10 Experience Points. ]
[ Loots obtained: 2 Item Upgrade Crystal, 2 Zombie Core, 500mL water, Unknown Meat ( Safe ) x1, 100mL Flasher Zombie Blood, 1 Spirit Enhancement Bottle, 1 Light Orb ]
"Ten Light Orbs… Our Shelter will be brighter at night thanks to these…" Shane muttered.
After completing this matter, Shane and his intrepid group continued to follow the river flow.
As they moved, the landscape around them seemed to become more solemn instead of the previous vibrant nature they had experienced.
The elves could tell this very well as they carefully sensed their surroundings.
Nonetheless, they soon reached an area filled with the sweet scent of blooming wildflowers. It was a beautiful sight. Their petals felt like they were painted in a myriad of colors from the sunlight filtering through the canopy above.
Birds chirped melodiously in the branches, but they as they looked above, they noticed that these birds were actually trapped!
Yes! There were bird cages above the trees, and as the elves wanted to save them, Shane stopped them.
"It must be a trap or something… Let's ignore those for now." Shane instructed.
As they continued along the tortuous path of the river, a sense of anticipation grew among Shane and his companions as saw various traces of people living around here…
Suddenly, his A.I. Assistant alerted him. It signaled the detection of human life in the vicinity!
It wasn't long before they stumbled upon an unexpected sight—a cluster of tree houses nestled among the ancient branches of towering trees!
The tree houses also looked quite new, so Shane immediately knew that these houses were made by Foreign Survivors like him!