Investing in My Harem in the Apocalypse Makes Me Stronger
Chapter 11: Cyan Scroll & Blue Orbs

Chapter 11: Cyan Scroll & Blue Orbs

[Cyan Scroll]

[Contains one random Skill / Talent compatible with the user.]

Cain’s eyes lit up.

The scroll could grant a Skill or even a Talent.

He immediately thought of Elara since he might get something out of investment.

Her combat ability was already impressive, and she possessed an Ice Talent that allowed her to reinforce her sword.

Another Talent or a Skill would definitely help her.

Cain then placed the Cyan Skill Scroll inside his Inventory.

He picked up one of the Blue Orbs next.

[Blue Orb: Contains one random Rare-rank item.]

Cain stored it beside the scroll as he planned to give it to Elara as well.

She was currently his only eligible Investment Target.

Anything valuable he gave her might provide another reward through the Investment Harem System.

Cain picked up the second Blue Orb, then he crushed it immediately.

Blue light spread between his fingers.

A pair of black boots appeared in his hands.

The boots were light and flexible, with dark metal protecting the toes. Faint lines were carved around the soles.

[Windstep Boots (Rare-rank)]

[Agility +10]

[Sense +5]

[Lightweight combat boots enchanted to improve movement speed and awareness.]

Cain removed his current shoes without hesitation.

He put on the Windstep Boots.

The equipment adjusted around his feet, then a light sensation spread through his legs.

Cain took one step and noticed that his body was much lighter.

He could also feel subtle vibrations through the floor more clearly than before.

Even the movement of Maya’s fencing sword entering a zombie’s skull was easier to distinguish.

Cain smiled in satisfaction, then he opened his personal information.

[Cain]

[Level: 11]

[Race: Human]

[Talents: Black Menagerie (Primordial-rank), Piercing Momentum (S-rank)]

[Beast: Primordial Chaos Dragon]

[Element: Ruin]

[Skills: Ruin Dragon Force]

[Free Stat Points: 12]

[Stats]: Strength: 60 / Agility: 47 (+10) / Physique: 38 / Sense: 34 (+5) / Mana: 181 / Magic: 81

Cain looked at his Free Stat Points.

The Blade Mantis Zombie’s surprise attack remained clear in his mind.

If his Sense had not warned him, the curved limb might have cut through his neck before he could react.

Strength alone would not save him from an attack he failed to notice.

Cain placed four points into Sense, then placed the remaining eight into Agility.

Warm energy spread throughout his body once again and his legs became lighter.

The noises around him grew more distinct, though the change was less overwhelming than when he first equipped the boots.

[Stats]: Strength: 60 / Agility: 55 (+10) / Physique: 38 / Sense: 38 (+5) / Mana: 181 / Magic: 81

Cain closed the panel.

His Agility and Sense had more than doubled compared to their values before he came to the hospital.

He had originally planned to continue increasing Strength without hesitation, but the battle with the level 24 mutated zombie changed his mind.

A powerful attack was useless if an enemy removed his head before he could swing.

Cain looked toward the corridor.

Maya returned after several minutes.

Blood covered the point of her fencing sword.

She had also checked the rooms connected to the first floor.

Maya shook her head.

"No survivors."

"I see." Cain nodded, then he walked toward the closest stairwell. "Let’s go upstairs."

Maya nodded.

The second floor contained more zombies than the first.

Cain did not attract all of them immediately.

The corridors were narrower, and many of the rooms had glass panels beside their doors.

A large fight could draw infected patients from several directions at once.

Cain moved ahead while Maya followed behind him.

The first zombie emerged from an open treatment room.

Cain cut through its waist.

A second infected nurse rushed from the opposite side.

Cain removed both of its legs with one swing.

Maya finished them before they could crawl closer.

They continued through the corridor.

Whenever Cain found a group, he disabled them and allowed Maya to deliver the killing blows.

Maya’s Level gradually increased.

Her movements became quicker, while her Mana lasted longer each time she reinforced her fencing sword.

They searched every room, yet no one answered.

Several doors had been barricaded from the inside, but the people behind them were already dead.

One room contained a doctor lying beside a patient bed, but neither had been bitten.

A shattered window revealed how the zombies had entered.

Cain checked their bodies but found no signs of life.

He closed the door before leaving and heading to the third floor.

The third floor was much the same.

Maya used her amplified voice after they cleared the corridor.

"IS ANYONE STILL ALIVE?"

Her words traveled through the entire level, but no reply came afterward.

Only several zombies trapped inside locked rooms began striking the doors.

Cain opened each room carefully.

He killed the infected inside or disabled them for Maya.

They found no survivors once again.

On the fourth floor, Maya shouted again, but only silence answered her.

The hospital felt increasingly empty.

However, there were signs that people had tried to survive as furniture blocked several hallways.

Bloodied footprints led toward the stairwell.

Some storage rooms had been emptied.

Whatever groups had once gathered on the lower floors were gone.

Cain did not know whether they had escaped or been killed elsewhere.

Maya’s expression became more subdued with every empty room.

"How many people worked here?" she asked.

"Probably hundreds."

"And we haven’t found anyone."

Cain looked toward the ceiling. "There’s still one floor."

Maya nodded.

They climbed the final flight of stairs.

The fifth floor was quieter than the others.

Cain immediately noticed several objects blocking the corridor ahead.

Hospital beds had been pushed together to create a barricade.

Cabinets reinforced the gaps.

Dark stains covered part of the floor, but there were fewer corpses than downstairs.

Cain raised his sword to anticipate the worst case scenario.

Maya stepped beside him and she took a deep breath.

"IS ANYONE ALIVE ON THIS FLOOR?"

Her voice traveled past the barricade.

For a moment, there was no answer, but then several people shouted at once.

"Yes!"

"We’re here!"

"Please help us!"

Another voice came from a room farther down the corridor.

"Over here!"

Cain frowned as he recognized that voice.

Even though fear had changed its tone, he could never forget it.

That voice had annoyed him for most of his childhood.

Cain stepped over part of the barricade and walked toward the room.

There were no zombies in the corridor.

The survivors had apparently managed to block both stairwell entrances and clear the fifth floor before hiding inside several rooms.

Cain stopped in front of the door where the familiar voice had come from.

He knocked on the door a few times.

Knock!

Knock!

Knock!

He could hear movement immediately from inside.

Something heavy was dragged away from the entrance.

Then the door opened.

A terrified woman appeared in front of Cain.

Her white-red long hair was disheveled. Dust covered part of her expensive clothes, while faint tear marks remained beneath her eyes.

Even in her current condition, her appearance was striking.

Evelyne was widely considered one of the most beautiful women in the university.

Many students placed her beside Elara whenever they argued about who deserved to be called the university’s goddess.

Cain had never cared about those discussions.

He had known Evelyne since childhood.

Unfortunately, most of his memories involving her were unpleasant.

She had enjoyed bullying him when they were younger.

Whenever they met, Evelyne would find some way to irritate him.

She hid his belongings, she mocked him whenever he was beaten by his dad.

She had even convinced several children that Cain cried whenever he saw a frog.

The rumor followed him for years.

They were no longer children, but Evelyne’s personality had not improved much.

Every time she met Cain, she acted arrogant and spoke as if she had already won an argument that had not even started.

Cain did not hate her.

However, being around Evelyne made him uncomfortable in a way he could not properly explain.

Most of the time, she simply irritated him.

Evelyne’s terrified expression changed the moment she recognized him.

"Cain!"

Relief filled her eyes.

"It’s really you!"

She rushed forward and tried to hug him.

Cain extended one hand.

His palm pressed against her forehead, stopping her before she could reach his chest.

Evelyne continued moving her arms, but Cain easily held her at a distance.

"Wait."

Her expression froze.

Cain smiled in a way that made her uneasy.

"Let’s check whether you’ve been bitten first."

"What?"

Cain pushed her backward.

Evelyne lost her balance and fell onto the floor.

"You bastard!"

Cain stepped inside, closed the door, and locked it.

Maya noticed that Cain met someone he knew, so she rescued the others first.