But the drop rate of the special talent shards was by no means high.

From the time Lin Long had arrived in this post-apocalyptic world, he had slain over three hundred zombies.

Three hundred, and only one shard had dropped.

The odds were excruciatingly low.

If it truly followed this ratio, to collect ten shards, he would need to kill three thousand zombies.

Three thousand zombies, that wasn't going to be easy.

Lin Long squatted down, carefully studying the slain zombie before him, the one that had dropped the special talent shard.

The decapitated zombie didn't look special. Its attire was a suit and white shirt, typical of an office worker. Judging by its appearance, it seemed to be a middle-aged man.

"Unlikely it was some top talent, then?"

Of course, nothing was absolute.

After observing for a while, Lin Long couldn't discern any difference. The shard drop must be random, or was it possible they dropped when a highly capable person became a zombie and was then killed?

There was currently no way to confirm.

Steering clear of problems, Lin Long got back up.

Glancing at his manufacture points, they had reached 177.

The zombies he had crafted were still fighting fiercely.

Unlike Lin Long, they were hacking away randomly.

Their commotion was quite noticeable.

The streets were a bit chaotic.

Many zombies were searching for the source of the pandemonium, tuning into the sounds.

In contrast to the surgical precision of the robust zombie under Lin Long's control, the others were significantly less effective.

The efficiency of the six ordinary zombies couldn't be relied on; it was too much to expect of them.

Lin Long's goal was clear.

Accumulating 200 manufacturing points to create 20 zombies in one go, he planned to expand his zombie squad.

With more zombies, the efficiency would naturally increase.

With a squad of twenty to thirty zombies, they could put up a decent fight even against a Mammoth or a Sprinter.

Here, zombies view the ones crafted by the Zombie Production System as their kin.

They are easy to slay when they have their guard down.

Lin Long, controlling his robust duplicate, once again beheaded another zombie.

At full strength, paired with the weight and sharpness of the axe, even the hard skull of the robust zombie couldn't withstand the blow.

Perhaps it was Lin Long's powerful strike that had caused a commotion.

"Uh…."

A nearby zombie let out a low roar, moving towards Lin Long.

Lin Long stood calmly and merely changed his grip on the axe handle from one hand to both hands. As the zombie drew nearer, acting before it had a chance to move, Lin Long, in control of the robust zombie, brought the axe down violently with both hands.

The zombie's head was split right down the middle!

【You have gained 1 manufacturing point!】

Just a manufacturing point, no special talent shards.

Lin Long didn't mind.

If special talent shards were that easy to explode, it wouldn't defy heaven.

Surveying the surroundings, Lin Long spotted a tall figure not far away. With explosive muscles and a towering presence, it stood over six feet tall. In these streets, it towered half a head taller than most other zombies.

A Mammoth.

Lin Long's eyes contracted slightly.

Although he had yet to tussle with a Mammoth, he knew it was not a foe he could contend with.

Checking his current manufacturing points, he was only a few points short of 200.

In the meantime, the six zombies he had crafted were still busily chopping at more zombies.

Their racket seemed to have attracted this Mammoth, which began to move through the mass of zombies towards them.

Any zombie obstructing its path was casually shoved aside.

"Better to retreat when face to face with danger," concluded Lin Long decisively, directing his zombies to halt their actions and retreat from the area.

Once the six zombies stopped their assault, they ceased to be targets for the other zombies.

The Mammoth paused momentarily in confusion before resuming its aimless wandering.

Under Lin Long's lead, the retreating zombies found shelter in a residential building on the outskirts.

The building's main door was wide open, and the interior was in disarray.

Anything of use had been stripped clean, from bedding to consumables. The zombies couldn't have moved these items, leading to only one conclusion: survivors.

Including the robust zombie, ten zombies armed with axes made their way inside.

"Halt here."

At his command, the ten zombies froze on the spot.

Then, Lin Long drew his consciousness back from the robust zombie.

The advantage of having a duplicate was that he could be in control of the zombie at any moment. Even at a distance of nearly two miles, Lin Long could instantly return his consciousness to his own body.

"Phew!"

Disengaging from his duplicate, Lin Long let out a breath.

Being in the duplicate state was magical; his original body was like it was asleep. With his consciousness in the duplicate, he didn't need oxygen, couldn't feel pain, and was fearless.

Zombie Uncle and Female White-collar Zombie were faithfully guarding outside the room.

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"Craft twenty zombies."

Equipped with enough manufacturing points, Lin Long emptied them in one fell swoop.

That concluded a total spending of 200,000 credits.

It was the credits that came cheap.

The real challenge was the manufacturing points.

Acquiring 200 manufacturing points had taken Lin Long nearly half a day.

The credits as well as the manufacturing points were deducted. Then in front of Lin Long, numerous particles of light appeared, forming the shape of individual zombies.

A minute later...

"Again, a miscalculation."

Lin Long slapped his forehead, slightly frustrated.

He was too hasty to start crafting and had forgotten he was in a room.

As a result, twenty zombies were crafted, packing the entire room to the brim.

The room was already crowded with ten in it.

Now with twenty, Lin Long found himself surrounded.

A female nurse zombie, dressed in a dirty, ragged uniform, was so close to him that its hideous mouth was practically pressing against Lin Long's face.

Despite its filthy, torn stockings, the uniform was elegant, and it still showcased its slender, shapely legs.

This lady must have been quite the looker before her untimely death, possessing both facial beauty and a decent figure.

However, it was currently a zombie.

A hideous stench wafted from its mouth, tickling Lin Long's olfactory senses, almost making him gag. Its teeth were rotten and missing in places, its tongue was decayed, and maggots were crawling around.

This close-quarters encounter almost made Lin Long retch.

"Got careless, too careless."

Shoving away the female zombie, Lin Long began maneuvering the zombies near the door to leave the room.

It took several minutes before the room was finally spacious once again.

In reality, the zombies he manufactured exhibited no observable difference from ordinary zombies.

The only difference was that Lin Long could command the zombies manufactured by the Zombie Production System, while regular zombies would attempt to eat Lin Long if he dared step into their line of sight.

This resulted in a room crammed to the ceilings with decomposing, odorous zombies.

Thinking back to the nurse zombie almost kissing him, Lin Long felt his stomach churn.

Several moments later, Lin Long managed to calm down completely.

Perhaps, it was time to consider a more substantial hideaway.

Continuing to stay here felt too cramped.

The twenty zombies just manufactured were passable; aside from one missing both legs, the others were acceptable.

"I didn't bring enough weapons."

From his initial twenty axes, only eight remained.

After thinking it over, Lin Long decided to arm the eight strongest zombies of this batch.

The rest were to remain in the residential building and act as his temporary bodyguards.

Quickly, the eight well-built male zombies, each gripping an axe, left the residential building and moved towards the fringe of the city.

The dual goals: generate more manufacturing points, and ideally, gather the remaining special talent shards.

Lin Long once again entered the thought process of the muscular zombie. When it came to killing zombies, the duplicate controlled by him was indeed more efficacious. The zombies following his commands moved stiffly like machines turned on.

Under Lin Long's control, the muscular zombie stood up, and simultaneously, Lin Long gave his instructions to the other zombies. Ten of them were directed to leave the residential building.

This time, Lin Long targeted a small community not far away which was teeming with around two to three hundred zombies.

In the early days, Lin Long was keen on getting more zombie subordinates. Without two to three hundred of these underlings, he would be extremely vulnerable in this city.

But then again, two to three hundred zombie underlings were nothing much. After all, in this post-apocalyptic city dwelled millions of zombies and countless more mutant zombies.

A horde of two to three hundred zombie underlings might get wiped out in the blink of an eye, facing a high-level mutant zombie.

During their journey, they encountered numerous zombies. However, they didn't pay any attention to Lin Long and his peculiar squad, saving him a lot of trouble.

At the entrance of the community, Lin Long had the zombie squad halt while he, controlling the powerful zombie, advanced in.

The community consisted of several high-rise residential buildings and one small garden. Lin Long observed that apart from ordinary zombies aimlessly wandering, no mutant zombies were present.

After ensuring that he was safe, Lin Long withdrew.

Next, he decided to wait for the other group of eight zombies armed with axes to arrive. From his hiding place in the residential building to here, it required some time.

About ten minutes later, a queue of eight zombies appeared, holding axes and marching directly towards the community.

Soon, the eight zombies arrived, and adding the muscular zombie and those already with him, the total number of usable zombies under Lin Long soared to eighteen.

"Three small zombies stay on lookout," he ordered.

They weren't of much help, and Lin Long certainly couldn't bank on them for killing zombies. Upon receiving his instructions, they quickly dispersed and stood guard on the rooftops of cars in three different directions.

The order 'Free Kill' was given again.

The zombies holding axes sprang into action. Lin Long didn't mind them as he himself, leading the muscular zombie, dived right in. A zombie approached from the front, and under Lin Long's control, the sturdy zombie swiftly beheaded it.

【You have gained 1 manufacturing point!】

A promising start.

Equipped with weapons and commanded by Lin Long, the newly manufactured zombies showed impressive combat capability. Within ten minutes, every zombie in the garden was eliminated.

"This is just a regular residential area, the yields should not be too high," Lin Long thought to himself. He glanced at the towering apartment buildings without much interest.

The people living here were likely office workers paying their monthly mortgage or small business owners. It was unrealistic to think that they would have much gold jewelry at home. As for antiques and similar items, even less so. How many average citizens would own antique items worth mentioning?

Searching each apartment might yield some gains, but nothing significant. Thoroughly scouring this entire residential area most likely wouldn't even match the profits of a single gold shop.

Therefore, it wasn't money that Lin Long was after, but manufacturing points.

After clearing out the zombies in the small garden, the next targets were the zombies inside the buildings.

However, ascending each floor was a laborious process.

"The conditions which can most easily entice zombies are sounds, smells, and light sources," Lin Long contemplated, formulating a plan.

In his current state controlling the zombie duplicate, he wouldn't be in danger. Especially with the additional backup of manufactured zombies, he wouldn't need to worry, as other zombies wouldn't attack them unless provoked.

He decided to make noise to entice the zombies out.

Numerous cars were parked in the small garden, each covered in a thick layer of ash from the lack of usage.

Lin Long approached one of them and raised his axe.

"CLANG!"

The axe struck the vehicle’s engine cover, creating a tremendous noise.

Groans and growls could now be heard from the nearby building floors. The zombies were clearly stimulated by the noise.

Effective indeed! Lin Long continued, sending another hefty strike. This time the sound was louder.

Resounding crashes could be heard from the building floors; zombies were knocking things over. At a couple of windows, terrifying zombie faces emerged as they shattered the glass trying to crawl out. The presence of burglar-proof bar windows prevented them from escaping, but it didn't hinder their frenzied actions. Extending their hands, the zombies desperately clawed at the air futilely trying to squeeze out through the bars.

Despite the irresistible pressure, some zombies sustained injuries. Their rotting flesh was squashed and dislodged resulting in significant loss.

The majority of the zombies, however, squeezed out through the door and charged down the stairs towards Lin Long's location.

Lin Long initiated the command.

Fourteen zombies, each equipped with an axe on guard, positioned themselves at the entrance of the residential building.

Blood prints smeared the entrance walls everywhere, a cruel testimony to the human tragedy that occurred here when apocalypse first struck.

The former glass entrance door remained substantially shattered and broken, offering no protection.

A deep, heavy growl echoed down followed by a rather fat zombie rushing out.

Its charge was instantly halted, as several axes greeted it.

Unsuspecting, its head was cleaved into fragments, as it dropped dead on the spot.

A strange roar echoed followed by several zombies pouring after it. These were just ordinary zombies, their speed wasn't high.

Under Lin Long's command, the muscular zombie met them head-on launching an attack.

When you don't have to worry about injuries or risking your life, you become bold. Especially now, utilizing his zombie duplicate, Lin Long was more daring and aggressive than ever.

After all, even if he got injured or died, real Lin Long wouldn't be affected.

The maneuverability of his muscular zombie entity under Lin Long's control far surpassed ordinary zombies. It was almost one zombie per swing.

He effortlessly dispatched those that charged out. Lin Long left behind a single zombie to continue hitting the car engine to create more noise to attract zombies.

Meanwhile, he led the remaining zombies to stay by the entrance, killing each zombie that came down from the building.

After a short while, the entrance was littered with multitudes of zombie corpses.

It was at this moment that Lin Long unexpectedly sensed something odd. One of the three small zombies sent out a peculiar fluctuation.

As the manufacturer of the zombies, Lin Long could sense their locations and even some special fluctuations. These special fluctuations were mainly the execution of Lin Long's commands. For instance, when he had ordered the three small zombies to be on alert - they would notify Lin Long in the event of the survivors or mutant zombies appearing.

Evidently, they had encountered something unusual.

Not wasting any time, Lin Long focused his consciousness onto the smaller zombie which sent the vibes.

He was immediately transported into the little girl zombie.

As Lin Long's new duplicate, the small girl zombie had become more flexible. The small body holding an axe painted an uncoordinated image.

But this wasn't the key point.

The crux was several silhouettes appeared on the distant street. With only a glance, Lin Long confirmed they were not zombies, but survivors.

Unexpectedly, he had encountered survivors so soon.

The silhouettes moved swiftly, fearlessly rolling over the zombies on the street. They quickly chopped down any zombies that got too close. Progressing by several meters in just a moment, they reached a rather close distance to Lin Long.