Chapter 17: Scale Armor

"Phew." After landing a precise foot on the mutated lizard's head, Fang Chong quickly jumped to the higher level of the stairs. The dying struggles of the mutated lizard were not to be underestimated. Landing such an accurate blow on the lizard's head was undoubtedly a stroke of good luck.

"Hiss."

As Fang Chong expected, with the blade already embedded in its throat and the head crushed underfoot, the mutated lizard not only had its throat slashed open but also had its skull shattered. The profound pain from deep within the bone marrow proved too much even for such a formidable creature, and its sharp wail sent shivers down the spine.

After a considerable struggle, the mutated lizard slowly came to a stop. At this moment, the once orderly stairwell appeared as if an explosion had occurred – dust, debris scattered everywhere, deep cracks on the walls, and an overall precarious state.

"Is it dead?" Fang Chong stared at the motionless mutated lizard, remaining highly vigilant. He maintained a ready posture, prepared to flee at any moment.

Slowly descending the stairs, most of the mutated lizard's body was covered by scattered debris.

"It's really dead." After removing a piece of stone from the scattered remains of the mutated lizard's head, Fang Chong finally confirmed its demise. However, its appearance was somewhat horrifying – bright red blood mixed with white brain matter oozing from its head, its eyes wide open with a resentful expression.

"Fortunately, this is just a stairwell." Fang Chong's tense nerves relaxed at this point. Although it seemed like a straightforward kill, every move he made was calculated. If he had made one wrong move and been hit by the mutated lizard's tail, his fate would have been far from pleasant.

At the same time, Fang Chong felt fortunate that the mutated lizard had come down instead of staying in level five. He knew he wouldn't stand a chance against it.

"I'm still too weak." Despite winning the battle unscathed, Fang Chong couldn't find joy in his victory. Yesterday, facing the evolved zombie "Green Corpse," he realized his strength was lacking, and today's experience only emphasized that feeling.

In the morning, he was hoping to encounter a 'Zombified Beast,' but now, the thought sends shivers down Fang Chong's spine. The 'Zombified Beast,' resembling humans, not only surpasses the Mutant Lizard in strength but is also faster, with the most terrifying aspect being its agile movements.

"Must get stronger," Fang Chong shouts in his heart. After a short rest, he gets up, ready to deal with the Mutant Lizard's corpse. Without checking area Five, Fang Chong dares not confirm if this mall only harbors one Mutant Lizard, fearing the possibility of encountering other creatures. Approaching the Mutant Lizard, he opens its mouth with a hand, the knife being his sole weapon that brings a sense of calm to him.

"The bodies of mutant creatures are excellent raw materials; they shouldn't be wasted," Fang Chong recalls information from last night. He is well-informed about mutant creatures, especially those with scales. Removing the scales could produce materials for clothing, excellent for defense. If there were specialized processing tools, even teeth and tails could be crafted into formidable weapons.

"Can't waste the scales," Fang Chong glanced at his T-shirt and got an idea. Although his physical attributes have reached level five, the defense of his skin against attacks is still weak, and even regular zombies can injure him. However, if he wears clothing made from the scales of a level fifteen Mutant Lizard, the defense will be unparalleled. Even when encountering a 'Zombified Beast,' there won't be much concern about getting scratched by its claws. For zombies under level ten, it's even less of a worry.

Recognizing these advantages, Fang Chong doesn't want to miss out. After wiping the blood from 'Silence,' his knife, he exerts force to flip the Mutant Lizard's body, weighing several hundred kilograms. He exposes the white belly, the only part not covered by scales, likely due to crawling close to the ground. This is the entry point Fang Chong has prepared.

If he were to cut from the Mutant Lizard's back, 'Silence' is sharp enough, but that would waste some of the scales. "Chick."

With a clear sound, Fang Chong's knife quickly slashed a long cut on the Mutant Lizard's abdomen. Due to the increase in strength and the sharpness of the knife, he swiftly peeled off the intact scales, about three meters long, from the Mutant Lizard.

"Dang."

Fang Chong wanted to test how hard the scales were. He took out a fruit knife he had on him and gave it a strong chop, producing a crisp sound. The scales remained intact, while the knife broke.

It's worth noting that Fang Chong's strength has reached over five hundred pounds. With this level of force, even a fruit knife should leave a mark on a metal surface. However, the Mutant Lizard's scales remained pristine, seemingly unaffected by the knife.

After this attempt, Fang Chong gained more confidence in the defensive power of the scales.

"Need to find water to clean them," Fang Chong, now more eager after witnessing the formidable defense of the scales, couldn't wait to turn the scales, which were over a meter wide and three meters long, into clothing.

Fortunately, the entire city's power supply was cut off, but there was still some water in the pipes. Fang Chong didn't dare to drink it, but it was suitable for cleaning the blood and flesh residues from the lizard scales.

The situation in District Five remained unclear. Fang Chong decided to return to District Four, considering the recent battle with the Mutant Lizard, which had consumed a considerable amount of his strength. If he encountered another one in District Five, escaping might be a challenge.

Soon, Fang Chong cleaned the Mutant Lizard's scales and hung them up in a clean place.

"The tail's strength is so formidable; it's a waste to not utilize it," Fang Chong pondered, looking at the Mutant Lizard's body. The terrifying power of the tail's attacks from earlier was still vivid in his memory. His gaze now focused on the tail, which was over two meters long.

The Mutant Lizard's tail was approximately the thickness of an arm, covered with densely packed scales. At the end of the tail, there was a segment of hardened bone, about half a meter long, and roughly the width of a palm. It resembled a metallic 'sword,' emitting a glow that indicated its impressive sharpness.

"Click."

Realizing the value of the tail, Fang Chong made a swift move with his knife, cutting off the entire tail.

"Stab." Fang Chong took one end of the lizard's tail and forcefully swung it towards the wall. With a distinct sound, the bony blade at the tail's end effortlessly pierced into the wall.

PS: please collect it, thank you!