Chapter 953: Mask

Chapter 953: Mask

After the duel, Shane finally sat down for a proper meal.

The fight didn’t consume too much of his stamina, but he felt hungry after smelling the food.

Still, the satisfaction of testing his new Talent left him in high spirits. Alex joined him briefly, and the two shared a quiet moment before preparing to move out.

The path ahead was rough terrain and unsuitable for vehicles. Their APC had served them well, but now it was useless.

The road to the new Shelter that Tundra had established would have to be traveled on foot at least for several kilometers, until the road was fine again.

Shane considered for a moment and decided not to wear his Calamity Set… It was a bit too powerful or intimidating in his opinion. It was also not the most comfortable when traveling.

Instead, he strapped on his Tier 5 Survivor Set… It was rugged yet flexible, designed for Survivors who balanced offense and defense. Every piece felt like it had been tailored for him. It was also light enough to allow swift movement, yet strong enough to withstand heavy blows.

Beside him, Alex adjusted his Tier 5 Army Set, a full combat ensemble from head to toe. His gear was heavier, built for direct confrontation. Its bulletproof vest could probably stop even bullets from a Turret since it was a Tier 5!

He looked every bit the soldier, ready for war.

Before leaving, they exchanged a few words with Asad. The necromancer was already preparing for his next challenge.

“I’ll be heading toward the Zombie Lord Territory soon,” Asad said as he seemed to be drinking some tonics to get ready.

“It’s going to be dangerous, but if I succeed, my summons will grow stronger than ever.”

Shane clasped his shoulder. “Good luck. We’ll see you at the new Shelter once you’re done.”

Alex gave a short nod. “Don’t die out there.”

With that, Shane and Alex left the outpost. Since they went out of the barrier, the snow was everywhere, but it wasn’t that thick, so they had no issues walking around.

But as they moved, it didn’t take long before trouble appeared.

A low moan echoed across the path, followed by the movement of countless feet. Shane and Alex slowed their pace as they scanned the area…

From the shadows of collapsed buildings and broken fences that were ahead of them, a horde emerged. Hundreds of zombies from low-tier to mid-tier were gathered!

They weren’t attacking someone or searching for food.

They just crawled and sprinted toward the road. Walkers dragged their decayed limbs, Runners darted erratically, Crawlers clawed across the ground, Jumpers leapt from rubble, and even Boxer‑types slammed their fists against the earth as if warming up for a fight.

Of course, with so many Zombies around, the air grew thick with the stench of rot as well.

Alex instinctively reached for his rifle. “We can clear them. Bombs, guns, grenades… we’ve got the arsenal. It’ll be messy, but we’ll cut through.”

Shane raised a hand, stopping him. “No. These zombies aren’t ours to kill. They’re for Asad later. He needs them to level up faster. If we wipe them out now, we’ll be stealing his farm.”

Alex frowned, confused. “You’re saying we just… walk past them? With this many, even if we ignore them, they’ll swarm us.”

He was indeed skeptical about this. Still, the one in front of him was Shane.

Shane smirked and turned to the man. “Do you have something to make us invisible to them.”

Alex thought for a moment, then shook his head. “I’ve got Zombie Lures and a Safety Lamp. But with this many, those won’t help. Lures attract them, and the lamp only keeps a small group away. Against hundreds? It’s useless.”

Shane chuckled wryly. “Figures. Good thing I came prepared.”

He reached into his inventory and pulled out two simple items he purchased in the Reputation Store and upgraded to Legendary Rank items after spending his Item Upgrade Crystals… Zombie Masks.

[ Zombie Mask ( Legendary ): A creepy and realistic mask that resembles a terrifying zombie’s face. It can be used to disguise itself as a zombie. It can fool almost all zombies into ignoring the user, and can also increase the user’s stealth and damage, aside from providing three skills.

Effects: Stealth +50%, Physical Damage +300

Special Effects:

Undying Metamorphosis ( Active ): Embrace the essence of the Zombie and undergo a metamorphosis, turning the wearer into a formidable undead entity. Cost: 200 Spirit Points/3 minutes.

Dreadful Roar ( Active ): Unleash a deafening roar to strike terror into the hearts of enemies and cause nearby zombies to tremble in fear. Cost: 100 Spirit Points for each use.

Veil of Oblivion ( Passive ): Envelop the surroundings in an invisible shroud of mystical aura that clouds the minds of zombies, rendering the wearer invisible to their undead senses. ]

Alex’s eyes widened. “You actually have those?”

Shane handed one to him. “Put it on. Trust me… They’re upgraded to Tier 5 already, so just wear it and its passive effects will do the work. If there are Zombie General, Zombie King or even Zombie Lord, it won’t work well, especially if they’re close.”

“So it works even for High-Tier Zombies like the Hunter Zombie or the Tyrant Zombies?” Alex curiously asked.

“It can work… Just worry about the distance. Don’t get too close. But if they can’t be avoided, just activate the Undying Methamorphosis. It eats up 200 Spirit Points for three minutes, but you’ll literally transform into a Zombie with that effect, and even a Zombie Lord would not know you’re a human.”

“Whoa~ Now that’s something. I like it.” Alex said as he strapped the mask over his face without any more hesitation.

Shane did the same. Immediately, a strange sensation washed over them. Their breathing slowed, their heartbeats dulled, and their movements felt heavier.

It was as if their humanity had been muted, replaced by the sluggish aura of the undead… Indeed, the passive effect, Veil of Oblivion activated.

Alex flexed his fingers…

“This feels… wrong. Like I’m half‑dead already.”

Shane adjusted his mask…

“That’s the point. The zombies won’t see us as prey. They’ll see us as kin.”

Just like that, they stepped forward and entered the horde.