Wayne scrambled to his feet, his worn sneakers finding purchase on the jagged, blood-stained earth. The sky above was a swirling vortex of bruised purples and sickly reds. There was no sun, only a pervasive, ambient glow that cast long, unnatural shadows across the wasteland.
[Beginner's Trial Initiated.]
[Objective: Survive until the timer expires.]
[Time Remaining: 03:00]
A guttural, wet snarl echoed to his left. Wayne snapped his head around. Rising from the cracked soil were the Rot-Walkers. They were human once, perhaps previous victims of this exact trial. Now, they were nightmare fuel. Their skin was the color of bruised plums, peeling away in wet strips to reveal blackened muscle and jutting bone. Their jaws hung slack, dripping a viscous, black fluid that sizzled faintly as it hit the dirt.
There were at least a dozen of them, forming a loose perimeter around him, their hollow eyes locking onto his heat signature.
Most ordinary people would have screamed. Some would have curled into a fetal position, paralyzed by the sheer terror of facing reanimated corpses. Others might have frantically searched for a weapon—a heavy rock, a sharp bone—to make a desperate last stand.
Wayne did none of those things. His eyes immediately darted to the ground around the nearest Rot-Walker.
He didn't see a terrifying monster. Thanks to the newly integrated knowledge of his [Divine Gear Fusion] talent, his vision was overlaid with subtle, glowing outlines. He saw the rotting flesh, the jagged claws, and most importantly, he saw the loose, blackened teeth spilling from their decaying maws as they gnashed their jaws in anticipation.
Those teeth, Wayne thought, his heart pounding a frantic rhythm against his ribs. They're shedding them like dead skin.
A Rot-Walker lunged, its arms outstretched, filthy claws aiming for Wayne's throat.
Wayne ducked. He didn't just evade; he threw himself entirely into the dirt, sliding under the creature's grasping hands. His fingers scraped against the harsh soil, closing around three small, hard objects.
[Looted: Gray-tier: Rot-Walker Tooth x3]
"Jackpot," Wayne breathed, rolling back to his feet just as another zombie swiped at his legs.
[Time Remaining: 02:30]
What followed was the most bizarre, frantic dance the Apex system had ever likely recorded. Wayne didn't throw a single punch. He didn't try to fight back. He ran like a madman, his movements erratic and completely devoid of martial grace. He looked pathetic, a terrified rat scurrying through a maze of predators.
But there was a method to his madness. Every time he dodged a swipe, every time he ducked under a lunging bite, his hands were busy. He swept the ground. He kicked the corpses of long-dead monsters to dislodge their jaws. Whenever a Rot-Walker snapped its teeth at him and missed, shattering its fragile incisors on a rock, Wayne was there to scoop up the fragments.
He dove behind a decaying boulder, panting heavily. His stamina was abysmal, a direct result of living on cheap synthetic rations in the slums. His lungs burned, and his legs felt like lead.
A Rot-Walker rounded the boulder, its jaw entirely missing, blood pouring down its chest. It threw itself at Wayne.
Wayne sidestepped, letting the creature slam headfirst into the stone. The impact sent a shower of decaying molars into the air. Wayne caught two in his hand and scooped three more off the rock face.
[Looted: Gray-tier: Rot-Walker Tooth x5]
[Current Inventory: 48/64]
"Almost there," Wayne gasped, wiping a streak of foul-smelling zombie blood from his cheek. "Just a few more."
[Time Remaining: 00:45]
The horde was closing in. He had spent over two minutes dodging, and his luck was running out. The Rot-Walkers, though sluggish, were relentless. They had formed a tight circle, cutting off his escape routes. Their groans morphed into high-pitched, excited shrieks as they sensed their prey tiring.
Wayne backed up, his heels hitting a sheer wall of jagged rock. He was cornered. Six Rot-Walkers pushed forward, their rotting arms reaching out to tear him apart.
He glanced at his system interface.
[Current Inventory: 64/64]
A wild, feral grin spread across Wayne's face. The terror that had been simmering in his gut evaporated, replaced by the cold, calculating thrill of the glitch.
"System," Wayne commanded, his voice steady despite the impending death approaching him. "Activate Divine Gear Fusion."
Time seemed to slow down to a crawl. In the center of his vision, a brilliant golden forge materialized.
Merging 64 Gray-tier: Rot-Walker Teeth.
The sixty-four blackened, foul teeth flew from his inventory into the ethereal forge.
A flash of light.
Result: 16 Common-tier: Bone Shards.
The forge hammered again, the sound of striking steel ringing in Wayne's mind.
Merging 16 Common-tier: Bone Shards.
Result: 4 Uncommon-tier: Refined Bone Knives.
The Rot-Walkers were inches away. He could smell the necrotic rot on their breath. He could see the maggots writhing in their eye sockets.
The forge struck a final time, the golden light turning into a blinding, radiant blue.
Merging 4 Uncommon-tier: Refined Bone Knives.
Result: 1 Rare-tier: Serrated Bone Dagger.
Affix Generated: 100% Bleed/Necrosis.
Wayne's right hand felt heavy. He didn't hesitate. As the lead Rot-Walker sank its teeth toward his shoulder, Wayne brought his hand up in a vicious, sweeping arc.
The blade that materialized in his grip was a masterpiece of macabre art. It was forged from pure, condensed bone, gleaming with an unnerving, polished whiteness. The edge was jagged, lined with micro-serrations that hummed with a dark, blue energy.
SCHLICK.
The dagger effortlessly cleaved through the Rot-Walker's neck. There was no resistance. It was like cutting through warm butter.
But it wasn't the sharpness that was terrifying. It was the affix.
The moment the blade broke the zombie's skin, a wave of hyper-accelerated necrosis pulsed from the wound. The Rot-Walker didn't just lose its head; its entire body turned to black ash in a fraction of a second, collapsing into a puddle of foul-smelling sludge.
Wayne didn't stop. He pivoted, driving the dagger into the chest of the next zombie. Melted. He slashed the arm of a third. Dissolved.
[Time Remaining: 00:10]
He was a reaper in the wasteland. Every grazing hit, every minor cut from the Rare-tier dagger triggered the 100% Necrosis affix. The remaining Rot-Walkers, creatures built entirely of dead flesh, stood absolutely no chance against a weapon designed to accelerate decay.
Within five seconds, the threatening horde was nothing more than a series of bubbling black puddles sinking into the dry earth.
Wayne stood alone, chest heaving, the Serrated Bone Dagger resting comfortably in his grip. It felt perfectly balanced, an extension of his own arm.
[Time Remaining: 00:00]
[Beginner's Trial Completed.]
[Evaluation: Perfect Survival. Enemy Eradication Bonus Applied.]
A column of gentle white light descended from the bruised sky, enveloping Wayne. The fatigue in his muscles vanished instantly, replaced by a soothing warmth.
[Rewards Distributed:]
[- Minor Agility Scroll x1]
[- Junk Drop: Broken Leather Pouch x1]
"A dagger that melts zombies and a stat boost," Wayne chuckled, looking at the scroll materializing in his left hand. The white light intensified, blinding him. "I think I'm going to like this game."