Chapter 19: New Planet: Vegus Minima
Monday morning, Lex arrived at Marlo's apartment bright and early. He lived in a penthouse in downtown Manhattan, so it was easy to find. They were all supposed to gather here and then travel together to the location for their next training session. It had to do with surviving in the wild, or something of vaguely that nature as Marlo had not been specific with the details. Lex, however, arrived an hour earlier than the designated time, as he wanted to talk with Marlo alone before the other arrived.
Lex was let in by someone he could only assume to be a butler, and escorted to where Marlo was resting. He found Marlo sitting comfortably in a pair of shorts and a T-shirt, with his eyes closed, his feet in a bucket of what Lex could only assume was some kind of elixir and having his temples rubbed by a rather beautiful woman. She was an older lady, clearly, but her flawless skin and indifferent temperament made it difficult for Lex to guess her age. Could this be Marlo's wife?
"You're early. I'm assuming that's on purpose?" Marlo asked, though he still kept his eyes closed. His tone and voice were rather normal, which was something Lex was completely not used to, but he did not let this fool him into thinking the giant would not switch to his excitable personality at a moment's notice. He still had to be careful about what he said.
"Yes, there were a couple of things I needed to talk to you about." He glanced at the lady massaging him, wondering if it was okay to talk in front of a stranger, but she did not seem like she was going anywhere.
"Don't be shy," Marlo said when he noticed Lex pausing. "This is my foster mother, she's treating an old wound of mine. You can say what you want in front of her, trust me, she doesn't care."
The woman continued with her massage, completely indifferent to being talked about, as if to prove Marlo's point. Lex was shocked. Marlo was already in his 60s, something Lex knew from when Marlo introduced himself, yet his mother didn't look old at all. In fact, Marlo, despite looking very fit and energetic, looked like the older one of the two.
Lex suppressed his surprise and focused back on the matter at hand. "I need some kind of a weapon, something I can use in case I encounter some trouble, and I need it today."
"Oh?" Marlo exclaimed in an amused tone. "Expecting some kind of trouble, are we? That was quicker than I expected, if I'm being honest. When I saw how committed you were to taking a beating in our first class, I had a feeling you'd be interesting. It's rare to see someone so committed without adequate motivation spurring them."
Marlo paused for a moment, as if in thought, but then continued, "Getting a weapon shouldn't be a problem, it all depends on your budget. That's the great thing about America, eh? It's as if people will almost be offended if you don't buy a weapon every now and then. What are you thinking? A gun? A dagger? A rocket launcher?" Marlo's casualness while discussing such matters brought a new kind of pressure on Lex. This guy was way too cool, right? Selling a rocket launcher as soon as someone asked for a weapon?
"A blade, or something quiet, and that won't attract too much attention. While you're at it, some discrete body armor would also be nice if it's available."
"Anything else? Tactical equipment of some kind? Night Vision goggles?"
"No, no, that's enough. Furthermore, I might not be able to make it to the next class. Although it's unlikely, I thought I should give you a heads up anyway, in case I'm not able to make it back in time."
Marlo chuckled, as if Lex had told him a great joke.
"I'll keep that in mind. I'll be looking forward to your return. It's always disappointing when a student disappears, especially an entertaining one."
Lex could almost hear the excitement in Marlo's voice being suppressed. It was clear the giant wanted to burst into his trademark laughter but was keeping himself from doing so. It seemed no matter the age, everyone had to behave in front of their mothers.
*****
Tuesday, Lex found himself resting in a lawn chair at the Inn with Velma, serving him breakfast early in the morning. The food at the Inn really was better than getting home delivery, Lex had discovered, and he enjoyed it every opportunity he got. Occasionally he would still crave the junk food from Earth, and though that could also be made by Velma, there was just something special about home delivery.
That was not the focus, though, for now. Right now, Lex was waiting for the System's notification that he could reuse the Golden Ticket. He was dressed in a tracksuit with a synthetic spirit armor under his shirt, and next to him was his backpack. Strapped to his left leg was a military knife with a spirit formation engraved into it that would allow it to heat up when used, making it easier for it to pierce and slice through things.
The knife cost him a heavy $30,000, but that was nothing compared to the $400,000 that the armor cost. The armor could block basic attacks from an early Qi training cultivator, and was great at blocking sharp attacks below that level. He also kept enough rations to survive for a week. Just to be safe, he also bought himself two bottles of Botlam Dew, in case he got injured. Those he left in the System inventory, as they could be stored there. He had already put on the Bathroom Slippers, the item that would protect him from environmental damage when traveling to a new planet in case he forgot to equip it when he left. His Fancy Monocle had its database further updated using the Bluebird Portal, and he had already equipped that as well. This would be the first time he would be traveling to another world, he would take all the precautions necessary.
Finally, after a few hours, he received a System Notification:
Host can now use the Golden Ticket!
Instantly, a Golden Ticket appeared in his hand and, after appreciating its beauty for a moment, he tore it. Similar to the last time, the pieces started to shine and disappear, but different from last time a panel appeared in front of him with two names on it.
Planets Available:
Planet: Vagus Minima
Planet Rating: 1 Star
Planet Distance: 3 Sectors
Planet Environment: Similar to Earth
Planet: Helios
Planet Rating: 3 Stars
Planet Distance: 2 Sectors
Planet Environment: Extremely hot!
Planets Connected:
Planet: Earth
Planet Rating: 0.8 Stars
Planet Distance: 0 Sectors
Planet Environment: Being from Earth, if you still need to read this, then you should give up the System and eat tofu at home
Lex's lips twitched. The System could never let a serious matter stay serious. But he ignored the comment and asked Mary, "What is this star rating?"
"The star rating is the cultivation environment on the planet. Earth's environment has been damaged greatly for some reason and now can only allow cultivators up to a certain level to grow. A 1 star rating is the average star rating for a planet, while a 3 star rating means that the planet accommodates certain biomes that contain extremely precious materials that can be considered rare treasures. It also has a higher average spirit level and can allow cultivators to grow to a higher level. For reference, the star level of the Inn is at 1 star currently."
Lex nodded. Currently he could not sense spirit energy so he could not compare, but he did always feel the environment at the Inn was better than on Earth. He returned his attention to the list and looked at his options. The decision seemed pretty easy for now. Choosing Helios seemed dangerous, not only because of the environment but also because he was more likely to encounter higher leveled cultivators ergo he would encounter more danger.
Without any further hesitation, he put on his backpack and decisively selected Vagus Minima. He was enveloped in a bright, warm light and then disappeared. When he reappeared, he found himself on a small hill with dark clouds covering the sky, so he couldn't really see much. The weather, although a little windy, seemed normal, and the air was fresh. It seemed he wouldn't need the Bathroom Slippers.
While he was looking at his environment and taking everything, his Fancy Monocle instantly flashed "Warning!" in big bright letters.
"Threat identified! Exact species: Unknown! Closest identifiable match: Zombies!"
"WHAT?!" blurted Lex, but before he had time to process what the Fancy Monocle told him, a swarm of zombies appeared before him! They were heading straight for him, and their numbers were not low!
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
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lifesketcher Hey guys, I'm doing a Power Stone promotion! At 40 power stones I'll release an extra chapter, and then an extra chapter for every 10 additional Power Stones! Happy Voting :)
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Chapter 20: Zombie Slayer
Lex panicked and jumped backwards as fast as he could, quickly transitioning into a run. The hill was covered in tall grass and randomly growing bushes, which made it hard for him to run, not to mention the dark, making it difficult for him to see. After running for a few moments, when he looked back, he noticed that the zombies were moving pretty slowly, and he had opened up a gap between himself and the swarm.
Now, at a distance, he calmed down a little from his initial panic and his brain started working again. Instantly, his thoughts went back to the training he had received from Marlo during their first official training. He had to assess the situation and quickly determine the best course of action for himself. He was in an unknown environment, with hostiles incoming, and he did not know their strength or numbers. The terrain on the hill made it difficult for him to see and move, which admittedly also hindered the zombies hopefully, but it also prevented him from seeing them coming towards him. He also didn't know if all zombies were all slow as the ones chasing him, or if there were any faster ones. He had to…
A hand suddenly gripped his ankle, and Lex let out an involuntary scream in fright! He looked down to see a zombie with only an upper torso lying in the grass. With its arm that had gripped him, it was pulling itself closer to bite onto his leg! Lex let out another scream and kicked the zombie on its head, but the zombie's head was harder than he expected and he tripped instead! He started panicking again as he fell, and when he turned to look at his leg, he was horrified to find the zombie barring its ugly teeth and chomping down towards his leg! He was frozen in horror! There was too little time, there was nothing he could do!
Then... then nothing. The zombie tried to bite his leg but couldn't break through his skin! In that moment, Lex was flooded with relief, which was instantly followed by wrath! Without any hesitation, he drew the knife strapped to his leg and stabbed the zombie in the skull, instantly killing it. Lex pulled his leg free to observe to see if there was a wound, but all he saw was a hole torn in his tracksuit pants and his leg covered in dirty saliva. That was close. He didn't intend to risk another bite to see if his skin's defense kept up. He had to find his way to a clearing. This tall grass was an excellent place for zombies to hide!
The system that had been quiet so far gave out a notification:
Sudden Quest: Kill 20 zombies before returning to Midnight Inn!
Quest status: 0/20 zombies killed
Quest rewards: 1000MP
Quest failure punishment: None
Lex scoffed and, without wasting any time, got up and started running again, vigilant this time for any surprise visits from zombies. He liked getting MP, but right now, he wasn't willing to take any risks. He kept looking in the distance to see if he could find any signs of habitation. This many zombies definitely meant there was, or at least used to be, a human settlement nearby. And indeed, after he actively started looking for signs, he noticed houses in the distance.
Lightning flashed in the sky, followed by a clap of thunder. It seemed like it was going to rain soon, and the sound from the rain should cover the sound of him running, but his visibility would be reduced even further. He should…
His foot fell into a pothole he missed in the darkness and he tripped again. Suddenly Lex felt like forgiving every clumsy character in a horror movie he had ever seen, he was not much better!
"Focus!" he told himself and picked himself back up, ready to run again, only to freeze. Three zombies slowly walked out in front of him from some bushes. If he hadn't tripped, he would have run right into them without realizing. He turned to look behind him to see if he could find a way to run around the zombies, but although he could not see any figures, he could hear zombies moving in the dark.
He felt conflicted, should he go try to fight the zombies or look for a different route and risk running into even more of them, when he remembered one of Marlo's lessons flashed in his mind, "Hesitation means death!".
Lex turned to look at the zombies with a look of determination. He didn't really need to kill them, just bypass them. In a swift motion, he took off his backpack and threw it at the zombie closest to him. The zombie was momentarily blinded by the incoming backpack, and then stumbled backwards into the zombie behind when it was hit.
Lex took advantage and bolted, grabbing the backpack with his free hand and swung it hard at the final zombie, knocking it over. He took the opportunity to stab the zombie that had fallen down in its head and dashed past the other two that were starting to reorient themselves.
The entire interaction from when Lex saw the zombies to when he escaped took maybe ten seconds, but Lex's heart was beating as if he had just ran a marathon. He was feeling a mix of fear, excitement, and success. But he had only a moment to enjoy the feeling as he noticed more bushes in his path shaking, as if something was trying to go through them. There was no time to waste.
He started running towards the buildings at full speed, this time keeping an eye on his footing as well as the obstructions in his path. At this rate, he would be able to reach the buildings in a few minutes. As he got closer, he noticed a large, broken fence behind which seemed to be roads. It appeared he was in a park. He grinned, he was almost out. Then he came to a screeching halt. Of course, his luck couldn't be so perfect.
From behind a tree in his path, a zombie stepped out and looked at him, as if observing him. This zombie was larger than the ones he had seen before, and its actions seemed to be deliberate instead of instinctual, like the previous ones. It was hiding behind a tree, waiting for him, instead of stumbling towards him like the rest, and even now it was holding back its instincts by just standing there and observing him.
Lex instantly decided to treat this zombie as if it were stronger than the others, and smarter, too. This was definitely an upgrade in danger, but Lex couldn't afford to wait. He had to deal with this zombie in its path right now, lest the ones behind him catch up and surround him.
Like last time, Lex took off his backpack in one swift motion and threw it towards the zombie to distract it. But the tactic didn't work. The zombie dodged the backpack and let out a viscous growl as it lurched at Lex. The fight began instantly. Lex did his best to dodge all of the zombies attacks as he couldn't afford to get scratched, while the zombie blocked all of Lex's attacks with its limbs. With Lex's strength, he should have been able to cut through a normal zombie, but the blade would get stuck every time he hit bone.
They had only a few exchanges, but every moment Lex felt the pressure building up. If more zombies caught up, he would be dead! There's no way he could fight an entire swarm, and this particular zombie was fast enough that if Lex tried to run, he would instantly be caught.
A dilemma! How should he solve it? What should he do? Lex tried to think of solutions, but all his focus was on dodging the zombie. How was he supposed to do anything else?
After a couple more attempts at stabbing the zombie failed, Lex made up his mind. He didn't think about it, he didn't plan it, but instinctively he knew that he couldn't afford to wait any longer and had to take a risk if he wanted to escape.
He grabbed the dagger with all his strength as he eyed the zombie, waiting for its next attack. When the attack came, instead of dodging, Lex lunged at the zombie so that its claw would fall on his chest where his synthetic armor could help block the blow, and used all his strength to stab the zombie through the eye. The dagger stabbed the zombie, but at the same time Lex felt its claw smash his chest, blowing the air right out of his lungs and throwing him in the distance.
Pain! Sharp pain shot through his chest and he instantly knew that he had broken at least a few ribs. He summoned a bottle of Botlam Dew and drank it, hoping to heal quickly. Much to his chagrin, he didn't instantly feel a warm feeling in his chest or his ribs healing, like he read in the novels, but right now, he didn't have the time to think about it. He looked at the zombie to find it lying motionless on the ground, his knife sticking out of his skull. With great difficulty, he picked himself up, pulled out the knife, picked up his bag and limped towards the city.
He had to hide as quickly as possible. He was not cut out for this zombie slaying business.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS
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lifesketcher
Hey guys, I'm doing a Power Stone promotion! At 40 power stones I'll release an extra chapter, and then an extra chapter for every 10 additional Power Stones! Happy Voting :)
Also I hope you're enjoying the novel, if you have any thoughts feel free to share as the feedback will let me know what aspects of the novel readers like or dislike!
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