Nightmare Paradise : Starting as a Doctor

Lynn slung his backpack over his shoulders and turned to Alice. "Now that we know the root cause and location of our goal, it's time to start making moves. "

Alice nodded in agreement. "Our next steps should be methodically clearing zombies as we navigate towards the underground levels. Each floor we purge weakens the calamity source's grip."

Lynn clenched his fist tightly, feeling energized now that they had a clear objective.

"Exterminating these zombies aligns perfectly with my own goals," Lynn muttered under his breath.

Although Lynn hadn't known about the connection to the calamity source when he first started battling the undead, he had still made it a priority to eliminate every zombie he encountered. They provided Lynn the chance to continue strengthening himself.

Now, after learning from Alice that slaying the zombies diminished the power of the calamity source that had created this forbidden space, Lynn felt even more motivated to continue his massacre.

"I was already planning to kill as many of these creatures as I could," Lynn said to himself. "Their cores provide a valuable resource that allows me to increase my attributes."

Lynn knew that the higher his stats became, the more zombie cores he would need to absorb before seeing an effect. But he intended to use this opportunity in the trial dungeon to strengthen himself as much as possible, preparing himself to face the challenges that await him in the mysterious [Nightmare Paradise].

The other driving factor was the ongoing side mission Lynn had received:

[Zombie Extermination]

[Side Mission: Kill 150 zombies, 76/150]

This mission provided valuable rewards each time a kill count milestone was achieved. Lynn was determined to push himself to complete the mission.

"Lynn," Alice said, interrupting his deep contemplation, "it's time to get going. Let's move."

They exited the hidden room and made their way to the central stairwell. Descending the steps, they reached the door leading to the 5th floor.

Lynn gripped his sword tightly as he pushed open the door. The dim halls of the 5th floor greeted them, remaining silent for now. But danger could lurk around any corner.

"Let's sweep this floor again quickly to confirm it's secure," Lynn suggested. "Then we can start heading down."

Working their way through the maze-like halls, Lynn and Alice eliminated a handful of zombies that had wandered up the stairs from lower levels. Their teamwork had become fluid - Lynn's sword sliced effortlessly through the undead while Alice swung her crowbar with precision, delivering powerful blows to the zombies

Before long, the 5th floor was cleared. As they descended the steps toward the 4th floor, Lynn's muscles tensed in anticipation. Stronger zombies likely awaited them below. But he felt ready to face them head on.

Pushing open the door, Lynn and Alice stepped warily onto the 4th floor. The passage ahead was choked in shadows, the lights overhead flickering erratically.

Somewhere in the dark depths, the echoes of inhuman moans reverberated. The hunt was on.

With his sword raised, Lynn advanced down the hall with measured steps. The moans grew louder, the shuffling of many feet approaching.

Lynn's eyes narrowed, his grip on his sword tightening. "Here they come," he muttered.

Beside him, Alice hefted her crowbar, ready to lend her aid. "Get ready," she said calmly.

Lynn responded with a confident nod.

The first zombie emerged from the shadows - a nurse still wearing a tattered, blood-splattered uniform. Lynn dashed forward, his blade flashing as he neatly removed the creature's head from its shoulders.

More zombies poured from the rooms lining the hall. Lynn counted at least a dozen, with more likely coming.

"Tch, what an annoying swarm," Lynn clicked his tongue in irritation. Still, he felt his pulse quicken in anticipation. More zombies meant more chances to grow stronger.

With a savage yell, Lynn sprang into action, his sword carving through the press of undead bodies. He ducked under grasping hands, pivoted and slashed, severing limbs and splitting open skulls with lethal precision.

Beside him, Alice swung her crowbar in wide arcs, crushing zombie skulls with resounding cracks. The two worked in tandem, felling the creatures with brutal efficiency.

As Lynn bisected another zombie at the waist, he glanced down at the grisly remains now littering the hall.

"Hmm, that should be enough to reach the next kill count milestone," he muttered, quickly tallying the number in his head.

Sure enough, after extracting the cores from the dismembered zombies, he received the notification:

[Zombie Extermination]

[Side Mission: Kill 150 zombies, 97/150]

"Perfect, just 53 more to go until the next reward," Lynn thought, feeling a thrill of satisfaction.

He turned to Alice. "Want to keep pushing forward? There's likely more staggered throughout this floor we can hunt down."

Alice gave a slight shrug. "I'm fine either way. This is your show, I'm just providing support."

Lynn nodded, grateful for her adaptability. "Then let's keep up the purge."

They delved deeper into the 4th floor, picking up the echoes of more zombies. Lynn tracked the sounds, leading them like a bloodhound.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are," he muttered under his breath, a faint grin on his lips.

Lynn realized his personality had been subtly shifting the more time he spent in combat. The constant life-or-death struggle was bringing out his more aggressive instincts.

Frankly, he found it thrilling. The vibrancy he felt while hunting zombies was addictive. He craved pushing himself to his limits against the undead hordes.

"I can ponder the implications of these changes later," Lynn muttered, shaking his head. "For now, I need to stay focused on the task at hand."

Rounding a corner, Lynn and Alice encountered another group of zombies packed into a hallway of the hospital. Lynn's eyes lit up when he spotted a hulking brute mixed among them - another brawler zombie.

 

"Oh, we've got a big boy to play with here." Lynn said