Chained Hearts!

[....]

[Chained Hearts: Forged in the valley of forbidden souls, this artifact can be a blessing or a curse to its owner. Intelligence +120, Dexterity +50.]

[Rank: Rare +++]

[Character: Summon a fire wolf 30 levels above you for 5 minutes.]

[Requirement: Intelligence 70.]

'What the!!'

Cristian's eyes widened, and his fingers trembled, causing the necklace to slip, but he caught it before it hit the ground. Reading the attributes repeatedly, he still couldn't believe it. "A hundred and twenty! How the heck is this from a mere level 32 fire wolf?" he gasped in disbelief.

Lia rolled her eyes and pouted at how her Lord naively underestimated the potential of a hybrid wolf. She felt saddened by the fact that the useless dungeon Lord found it first because she was sure that such a talented wolf would not appear in his dungeon.

"It's not an ordinary wolf. It has a faint connection to Fenrir," she said softly, but the familiar name caught Cristian's attention.

"Fenrir! The giant wolf!" he exclaimed in shock. He knew a few things about mythological beings, and Fenrir was one to be remembered.

"Yes," Lia answered softly. Her eyes shone as she thought her Lord remembered some things. However, that thought crumbled when she heard Cristian's next words.

"Is it alive?"

"Ha!... it's not," Lia replied with disappointment that Cristian had failed to notice.

"Oh? Bummer."

When she heard those words, Lia almost felt like hitting her Lord's head. He was one of the major generals that led the war against monsters.

Back when he was his father's favorite and not banished, his tales resounded in the dark corners of Eternity, and his name struck fear into the hearts of the enemies of the empire.

As an obedient son, he heeded his father's words like a loyal soldier and led their army right into the heart of a monster empire, slaying Fenrir's mother. Yet after everything he did, his father seized his position and gave it to his junior brother!

Lia still felt furious at that man, and watching her Lord being so naïve made her sigh. He looked so full of life even when he had nothing, more than when he had everything, and still had that desolate aura lingering around.

Cristian could not fathom Lia's current thoughts while he appreciated Chained Hearts' beauty. Tiny chains coiled around the pendant, resembling an actual heart. It glowed faintly, pulsating like an actual heart. A tiny dark red chain connected to the pendant, forming an exquisite yet eerie necklace.

'But my intelligence stat is far from seventy, so it's going to accumulate some dust,' he said inwardly, loosened the mouth of the pouch that never left his waist, took out a honey cake, and threw the necklace inside.

"Wow, this is good. Feels great to enjoy food without being so sensitive," he mumbled while his taste buds jubilated from the sweetness of the carefully prepared cake.

Lia quietly listened to her lord utter baffling words, but since he loved her cakes, then nothing else was important.

[...]

[Great Walkers: Strong boots that protect your feet from getting hurt by stones. Agility +5]

[Rank: Common]

[Character: Strong]

[Requirements: None]

'I guess common-ranked items become garbage when you get higher-ranked ones. Ha! At least it's better than the one I'm putting on.'

He quickly changed from those leather boots that wore out due to what he went through at Darkston. They couldn't handle his strength, causing their early retirement.

"Hmm, feels comfortable," he praised the only possible good point the boot had.

"Get ready. Your scent has drawn a few zombies."

Cristian quickly raised his head, his hair partially covering his eyes. The growls were so close that the zombies were barely thirty meters away, which meant they would meet at the three-way junction ahead of him.

*Shing!*

He picked up the fangs and drew Burning Fury. "A few, huh?" his firm tone rang as he threw the fangs in the pouch and dashed toward the junction.

The moment he arrived at the junction, Cristian's eyes almost fell out. "You call this small!" gasping in disbelief, he held back the urge to spank Lia's plump, round ass. He expected a maximum of ten to twelve, but more than a hundred zombies crowded the road, forming a horde around him, the only living being with warm flesh in the area.

"Uh... isn't this small?" Lia replied with an innocent tone that riled him up. With blazing eyes, he hollered, "Remind me to spank you later!"

"I will, Lord Athelstone," Lia replied with a seductive purr that suggested she already imagined it. Speechless, he ignored this succubus in heat and focused on the flesh-eating monsters.

A cacophony of growls and moans rang from the other side, prompting him to turn his head, only to see the other road being filled with another horde.

Instead of being alarmed, a smirk formed on his lips, making his looks more charming. He removed his gloves and stuffed them in his pockets. Since he was immune to zombie bites, mowing through the walking dead shouldn't be a problem.

Cristian had regenerated almost 30 points of his mana, but he had no plans to use it. He could walk out of this alive as long as they weren't any mutants, but that thought came too soon.

The iconic shock troopers of the zombie horde dashed out in dozens. Their legs were like steel, making loud sounds as they hit the asphalt road.

*'Inspect'*

[Undead {Zombie Mutant; Runner}]

[Name: Cedric]

[Level: 8]

[Innate Skills: Speed, Powerful Legs, Sharp Claws, Virus]

"Wow! I was right. Even the system calls them runners." Patting his chest, Cristian felt proud of his guessing skills. He cracked his neck and tightened his grip. "Too bad they chose the wrong man as a meal."

*Bam!*

He shot forward and raised his sword, aiming to decapitate the first runner. Once it got within Burning Fury's reach, he swung down.