The undead have descended upon the world? I possess a sword that can cleave the heavens once more!

Chapter 3 Corpse Types and Experience Points

When I opened my eyes again, a stark white hospital room ceiling came into view, and my nostrils were filled with the smell of disinfectant alcohol.

Wu You stared at the white ceiling for a few seconds before his consciousness slowly returned.

They were taken to the hospital?

He tried to move his body a little. His limbs were still a little sore, but it was much better than when he was completely exhausted.

He propped himself up on the bed with both hands and slowly sat up. His hospital gown hung loosely on his body, making a soft rustling sound as the fabric rubbed against him.

Before he could even see his surroundings clearly, a voice drifted over from the side.

"Wow, you're in pretty good shape." A slightly lazy, teasing tone added, "You woke up in just over an hour."

Wu You suddenly turned his head.

A man was sitting in a chair next to the hospital bed.

She looks to be around thirty years old.

He was wearing a white short-sleeved shirt with the cuffs slightly rolled up, his legs crossed, and a small notebook with a brown cover in his hand.

"Who are you...?"

The young man stood up and casually stuffed the notebook into his pocket.

"Let me introduce myself, I am Lin Yuan, and I currently work at the Lanhe City Public Security Bureau."

Public Security Bureau.

Wu You quickly made a mental connection—it was Uncle Hat from his previous life.

He instinctively shrank back, a look of confusion and wariness on his face: "Um, Uncle Lin, I don't think I've broken any laws, have I?"

Upon hearing this, Lin Yuan gave a faint smile.

"No. I'm just here to give a statement and sign a confidentiality agreement."

"A written record? A confidentiality agreement?"

"Yes. About what just happened." Lin Yuan paused, his gaze lingering on Wu You's face for a second. "Wu You, you should still remember this, right?"

What just happened...

He lowered his eyes, pretending to try to remember, then suddenly looked up as if he had remembered something terrible, his face instantly filled with terror.

"Monster!" His voice trembled. "There's a monster! My friend has turned into a monster!"

Lin Yuan looked at him without much change in expression, but simply took out the small brown notebook and waved it in front of Wu You, speaking in a very gentle tone: "Wu You, don't be nervous. Take a deep breath. The monster is dead. The main reason I'm here is to ask you to describe the events in more detail so I can take a statement."

Wu You took a few breaths to catch his breath, and his chest gradually calmed down before he began to tell his story.

"This afternoon after school, Li Wei, my childhood friend, asked me to walk home together, as usual. We live in the same neighborhood and grew up together..."

He said everything he could.

They walked home from school together, took the bus together, and after getting off the bus, they encountered a monster with Li Wei's facial features. Then they fainted and woke up in the hospital.

He didn't mention anything else.

Time travel, the sword manual, that chilling aura, that sword finger—these are all his secrets, and he instinctively doesn't want anyone to know.

"So, you were unconscious the whole time?" Lin Yuan stopped recording and looked up at him.

"Yes, Uncle Lin." Wu You's face was still pale with shock. "My memories before I fell into a coma only go this far."

Lin Yuan looked at him, then looked away after a few seconds and wrote something in her notebook: "Hmm... unconscious."

Wu You hesitated for a moment, as if mustering his courage, before speaking: "By the way, Uncle Lin, what... what is that kind of monster? And Li Wei, him..."

Before he finished speaking, Lin Yuan already understood.

Lin Yuan shook his head slightly, his tone unreadable: "Your friend has already been killed. As for that monster... there are regulations in the department that prevent me from telling you any relevant information."

He closed the notebook and looked at Wu You: "And you can't tell anyone else about the monster. That's part of the confidentiality agreement we'll be signing. Of course, this agreement is mainly for your safety."

As if he had thought of something again, Lin Yuan tore off another page from the notebook, picked up a pen, and wrote something down.

Then he pulled a document from his briefcase and handed it to Wu You, along with the pages: "Take a look."

Wu You reached out and took them all at once.

The note had a string of numbers that was clearly a phone number written on it.

Lin Yuan knew what Wu You wanted to ask, so he explained directly, "This is my phone number. If you find anything wrong next time, you can call this number."

Wu You nodded and turned his gaze to the document.

Its cover has only two lines of bold text: Number LHXY-1765, Confidentiality Agreement.

It could be described as simple to the point of being cold.

The agreement was also only a few pages long, with little content; Wu You finished reading it in five minutes.

The core clause consists of only one clause: Party B shall not disclose the existence of the corpse species and related information to any other party through any channel; otherwise, coercive measures will be taken against Party B.

As for what kind of coercive measures were used, it wasn't specified.

But two words on it made his eyelids twitch.

Corpse species.

He looked up at Lin Yuan: "Corpse Seed...that kind of monster?"

Lin Yuan seemed to have anticipated his question: "Yes, we collectively call those monsters corpses."

Wu You keenly noticed the quantifier: "Those...? There are many kinds of monsters?"

Lin Yuan looked at him, the faint smile still on his lips, but something new appeared in his eyes.

"Ahem." He cleared his throat. "I can't say. There's nothing I can do, you know, it's the rule."

He took the agreement from Wu You and handed her a pen: "If there are no problems, sign it. I should head back now."

Wu You took the pen, signed his name in the "Party B" column of the agreement, and the pen tip made a soft scratching sound as it glided across the paper.

Lin Yuan took the agreement, checked it, folded it, and put it into his briefcase.

"Oh, by the way," he said casually as he stood up, "I've already informed your parents about your hospitalization. The reason for your hospitalization is that you were in a car accident."

Wu You nodded. This reason was reasonable, and he knew how to respond.

"The hospitalization expenses will be deducted from the bureau's account, so don't worry." Lin Yuan picked up his briefcase. "Finally, I wish you a speedy recovery."

He didn't say anything more. He turned around, pushed open the door, and left, closing it behind him.

Click.

The ward fell silent. The smell of disinfectant lingered, the light outside the window dimmed, and the faint sound of a nurse pushing a trolley could be heard in the corridor.

Wu You stared at the closed door for a while, lost in thought.

The corpse species, the confidentiality agreement, the strict information control—all of this indicates that these things, these monsters, are not appearing for the first time.

And the look in Li Wei's eyes before he disappeared...

He took a deep breath and brought his thoughts back.

Oh, and the system.

He closed his eyes and made a thought.

A line of information popped into my mind.

Sword Master: Wu You

Level: Zero

Swordsmanship: Basic Swordsmanship (1/10)

Allocable experience points: 10

Wu You was stunned for a moment. The interface had changed and there were some new things.

What is that number after the basic sword technique? And what are experience points for?

He tried to touch the "10" with his mind, but there was no reaction. He then focused his attention on the basic sword techniques, trying to push those unseen things inward.

Basic Swordsmanship (1/10) → Basic Swordsmanship (2/10)

Allocable experience points: 10 → 9

A very subtle flow of information entered my mind. It wasn't words, nor images, but a...feeling? My sword-wielding posture seemed a little more stable, and the angle of my strikes seemed a little more precise. I couldn't quite put my finger on it, but something had definitely changed.

Wu You understood.

Experience points are not used to level up, but to upgrade sword skills.

Moreover, the numbers that follow are something like proficiency levels; a little experience can increase proficiency by a little.

Without further hesitation, he injected eight experience points in one go.

Allocable experience points: 9 → 1

Basic Swordsmanship (2/10) → Basic Swordsmanship (Beginner) (0/50)

boom--

This time it's not a subtle flow of information. It's a tidal wave.

Countless memories, techniques, and insights about swordsmanship flooded his mind. They weren't anyone else's; they were his—as if he had truly held the sword, practicing diligently for years, day after day, in some unseen place.

Starting stance, ending stance, thrust, chop, sweep, hang...

Every movement is etched into the muscles and fused into the bones.

At the same time, that familiar coolness surged from all parts of my body once again.

But this time it wasn't a trickle, but a warm, continuous flow, surging through my veins. It washed over the sore spots, and the soreness disappeared; it flowed over the injured finger, and the stinging pain in the bone lessened.

Not only that. Wu You clenched his fist and clearly felt that his arms were stronger, his waist and abdomen were more stable, and his whole body felt like it had been tempered by something.

This is... a basic introduction to swordsmanship?

If I had a sword now and were facing that monster again—

Wu You subconsciously simulated it in his mind.

One sword, no, two swords.

The first sword deflects it, the second sword can pierce it. No more desperate escapes like before, no more fighting with fingers.

He didn't want to experience that feeling of being out of control of his own life and death a second time.

And this is just the beginning.

He looked at the (Beginner) (0/50) next to the basic sword technique, and then at the lonely "1" in the area of available experience points.

What if we continue to advance? Mastery? Great achievement?

Wu You took a deep breath to suppress the turmoil in his heart.

The more this is the case, the less you should let anyone know.

Just as he was about to continue his research, another idea popped into his head.