Lord Of Ashes

John glanced over the police jackets and the stab-proof clothing lying scattered on the ground. He didn't feel the need to take any of them, even though they offered decent protection. His own defense was already strong enough to withstand bites from regular zombies, making this gear unnecessary. What he really needed were better shoes and maybe a reliable watch. That's why his attention shifted quickly to something that caught his eye.

Raccoon City Police Department Special Weapon Tactical Squad Standard Police Combat Boots

Quality: White

Type: Equipment

Origin: Ash World, Raccoon City, Police Station, Special Weapon and Tactics Team Logistics Storage Room

Durability: 15/15

Defense: 10

Requirements for use: None

Score: 8 (White items are scored from 1 to 10)

Set Effects:

Violence (two-piece unlocks attribute)

Bloody (four-piece unlocks attribute)

Sin (six-piece unlocks attribute)

Killing (eight-piece unlocks attribute)

Creed (ten-piece unlocks attribute)

Introduction:

 The Special Weapons and Tactics Team (SWAT) of the Raccoon City Police Department, formerly known as the Special Weapons Attack Team, is an anti-violence and counter-terrorist special law enforcement unit with advanced technology and tactics. They excel in fire suppression and, apparently, taking hostages… Wait, taking hostages? That part of the description sounded bizarre.

"Huh? Taking hostages? That doesn't seem right," John muttered, raising an eyebrow. "Forget it. The introduction doesn't really matter. The main point is this—these combat boots are part of a set. A ten-piece set? Isn't that overkill? How many police zombies would I need to kill to collect all ten pieces?"

Despite the obvious grind required, John was intrigued. The boots were part of a set, and collecting the full set could unlock some interesting attributes. Even though the white quality suggested the effects might not be earth-shattering, he couldn't help but feel drawn to the idea of assembling the entire thing.

"Raccoon City should have more police zombies, right? If I keep hunting, I'll eventually get the whole set. It's just a matter of time," he reasoned. It wasn't like he had anything better to do.

As he pondered, John couldn't help but notice something else. "The last zombie I fought wasn't Jill, after all. I think Jill was part of the 'Special Tactics and Rescue Squad,' or STARS. If it were her, I'd be getting STARS equipment, not SWAT gear."

Shaking his head, he dismissed the thought and opened the next item he found.

Item Three

Option 1: 1 soul point

Option 2: 5 soul points

Option 3: 10 soul points

"Ten soul points again? Sweet!" John grinned. "Adding this to my total, I now have 51 soul points. Still, I'm a long way from Level 4…"

He sighed, recalling how ordinary Level 1 zombies only gave a single soul point each. To reach Level 4, he'd need over two hundred more points. That meant killing at least two hundred zombies, which wasn't exactly easy.

"This isn't some arcade tower defense game where zombies conveniently line up for you," he muttered. "If I want to hunt them down, I have to find them one by one. Even with radar to locate enemies, it's still a hassle."

Putting the soul points aside for now, he moved on to the next item.

Item Four

Option 1: Police bullet bag for Special Weapons and Tactics Team (White, Equipment)

Option 2: Standard police sundries bag for SWAT (White, Equipment)

Option 3: Police belt bag for Special Tactics and Rescue Squad (Green, Equipment)

"Wait, did I just mention Jill? And now I've got STARS equipment right in front of me? Interesting. Let's call this one 'Schrodinger's Jill.' Could be her, might not be—doesn't matter either way."

Deciding not to overthink it, John inspected the green item more closely.

Raccoon City Police Department Special Tactical Rescue Squad Standard Police Pocket

Quality: Green

Type: Equipment

Origin: Ash World, Raccoon City, Police Station, Logistics Reserve Room of Special Tactics Rescue Team

Durability: 50/50

Defense: 30

Special Attribute: Storage

Storage Details:

Can hold two items with a total volume not exceeding 1 cubic meter.

Cannot store a single item larger than two cubic meters.

Cannot store items classified as "living."

Requirements for use: None

 Score: 18 (Green items are scored from 11 to 30.)

Introduction:

 The standard police pocket of the Special Tactical Rescue Squad has limited storage capacity but is incredibly efficient for carrying small tools or resources.

"A space item? Seriously? And it's this easy to find?" John's eyes widened. "It's green quality, sure, but space items are supposed to be rare!"

Even though it only had two storage slots and significant volume restrictions, John couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. Storage items were always valuable, and this one would make carrying gear much more convenient.

"Not bad. Definitely a win," he concluded. "Let's see what's next."

Item Five

Option 1: Police magazine bag for SWAT (White, Equipment)

Option 2: Police gun bag for SWAT (White, Equipment)

Option 3: Combat Training Safety Operation Manual for SWAT (Green, Prop)

"A manual? And it's green quality? Let's take a look."

Raccoon City Police Department Special Weapon Tactics Squad Combat Training Safety Operation Manual

Quality: Green

Type: Prop

Origin: Ash World, Raccoon City, Police Station, SWAT Logistics Storage Room

Special Attribute:

 Upon use, gain one of the following randomly:

Firearms proficiency

Fighting proficiency

Crisis warning

Search and arrest

Vehicle interception

Rapid warning

Requirements for use: Strength 10, Constitution 8, Intelligence 8

 Score: 30 (Green items are scored from 11 to 30.)

Introduction:

 Master all six skills to unlock the "Nico Killer" effect:

Gun draw speed increases by 80% when facing black-skinned organisms.

Reload speed increases by 50%.

Shooting speed increases by 20%.

"Wait a second. Did I just stumble onto a skill-boosting item? That's unexpected."

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Read up to chap 20 at [email protected]/Onesword