Dead Man Walking: Living By Day, Dead By Night
Chapter 101: Infuse Health

Zane had rushed out the door as quickly as possible. The simple reality was he knew exactly what Olivia was up to, trying to provoke a rise out of Elena, who also appeared to have feelings for Zane. But Zane was what one might call emotionally stunted, and did not have the capacity to properly deal with a situation like what had transpired in their current camp.

He would rather go out and take on the dangers of the world on his own, then stay in their temporary sanctuary and deal with the drama that women so often caused when around one another.

Zane had scavenged for several hours, replaceing another carton of cigarettes, as well as some more liquor. He also managed to take down a small group of undead who had a howler embedded in their ranks.

His ability was, after all, perfect for taking out the undead by his lonesome, and if not for the danger which the living posed to him, especially now that blood crystals were common knowledge, Zane would have no need of his current companions.

But was that true? After the night he spent with Olivia, did he really think of those girls as mere tools for his survival now? Zane did not realize it, specifically because he was so stuck in his own thoughts, but he instinctively circled back to the camp, where he found Olivia and Angelica awaiting his return with wide smiles on their faces.

Although Elena was absent from the greeting, and this caused Zane to wonder where the girl had run off to. Regardless, he entered the building that had once been a homeless shelter, which was where the group was currently holed up, and placed down the supplies in the kitchen area.

Zane then walked over to Olivia and handed her the small green spherical crystal. The girl had only ever seen even smaller red blood crystals, and was thus surprised by this gift, not knowing exactly what it was.

"What is this?"

There was a callous tone in Zane's voice, but it almost seemed as if it was forced, unlike before where he simply didn't give a shit about those around him, there was a trace of anxiety in his tone, as if he was worried about the possible side affects this crystal could have on the girl.

"It's a Tier II blood crystal. I don't know what will happen if you use this to awaken, but… I have a theory that it might give you a better chance of survival…"

This theory was based upon the fact that higher tier blood crystals seemed to have overall more benefits for humans when consumed. But it could equally prove to have the opposite effect and instead decrease the likelihood of survival. Yet, Zane did not voice this concern, knowing it would make the girl hesitate in becoming his test subject.

Angelica held the small green sphere in her hands, playing with it for several seconds, almost as if internally debating whether or not she should take the risk. But after some deliberation, she popped the crystal in her mouth. Where she immediately spasmed and frothed at her mouth before falling to the floor.

Zane then grabbed hold of the girl and effortlessly carried her to a bed, where he knelt by her side, and held her hand through the process. Observing the effects the Tier II Blood Crystal had on the girl.

---

[A Living Being has consumed a Tier II Blood Crystal, a Debuff has been applied!]

[Debuff: Corruption Tier II]

[Duration: 30 Minutes]

[Effects:]

40% Chance of Success of Awakening

20% Decrease in Experience Gain

60% Chance of Infection

Paralysis

---

Like Zane had suspected, by awakening with a higher tier blood crystal Angelica's chance of surviving was raised significantly. Despite this, the odds were not in her favor, thus Zane kept a watchful vigil over the girl.

Eventually Olivia approached the man, and asked for advice on her level up, which she had achieved a few days ago, but had yet to spend the actual experience of.

"Hey Zane, it's going to be a while, do you mind helping me with my attribute points?"

Zane nodded his head, still focusing on the blonde beauty in front of him as he gave the woman his advice on the subject.

"You have four points, right? Invest them into wisdom and Charisma…"

Olivia nodded her head, obeying Zane's suggestions before listing off her current stats to the man, letting him know where she was at.

---

[User: Olivia Bennett]

[Race: Human]

[Level: 9]

[XP: 0/8,500]

[HP: 120/120]

[Attributes]

[Strength: 13]

[Dexterity: 12]

[Constitution: 12]

[Intelligence: 13]

[Wisdom: 12]

[Charisma: 12]

[Skills]

[Electric Discharge – Tier II]

---

Zane naturally agreed with the results. After all, though he had suspicions, he genuinely believed that Olivia's offensive spells required either intelligence or wisdom to increase their strength.

This was a common feature in many RPGs and was something Zane had discovered himself when observing the extra benefit he gained from his Tier III Dead Man Walking skill. Which allowed him to manipulate his blood into weapons or, however, he saw fit.

Or at least, such was his theory. He had yet to actually use it in practice. Regardless, his thoughts were interrupted shortly thereafter as Angelica awoke from her corrupted state. She gazed around in shock at the system which was floating in her eyes, which sent her a message that was distinctive from all others who had awakened so far, aside from Zane, that is.

---

[Congratulations! You have consumed a Tier II blood crystal! As a result, you will be given a slight bonus to your initial roll! Giving you a mildly higher chance of awakening a rare skill!]

[Roll for Skill? Yes/NO]

---

Angelica was shocked by this information, and was quick to ask Zane what this meant. Olivia, who heard this, began to pout as she stated how unfair this was.

"What? A mildly higher chance of awakening a rare skill? What kind of bullshit is this? Zane! I want a do-over!"

Zane scoffed as he heard this, particularly because this message was quite similar to what he had seen upon awakening. He had also gained a bonus, but the wording of Angelica's awakening was different from his own. After all, he was given a chance to unlock a unique skill, which is exactly what he did. Something he had never head of anyone else unlocking.

Then again, this was also his first time hearing someone unlocking a rare skill. He suspected that the higher the tier of a blood crystal someone used to awaken, the higher their chances of survival were, but there was also a higher chance of unlocking a rare skill. Perhaps as the first human to consume a blood crystal, he alone was given the chance of unlocking a unique skill.

Regardless, Zane explained to Angelica this was perfectly normal, before encouraging her to continue. Thus Angelica rolled the dice, revealing what skill she had unlocked.

---

[Congratulations! You have unlocked the skill Infuse Health!]

[Infuse Health: Active: Type: Spike Heal]

[Tier I]

[Rare Skill]

[Description: You have been blessed with the rare gift of healing. Granting you the ability to instantly restore a Living Being's HP, and heal all wounds short of death. Note: Does not apply to diseases, poisons, or other such affects.]

[Cooldown: 15 minutes]

---

When Zane and Olivia heard Angelica announce her new skill, they both looked at the woman as if she were a living saint. Quite literally, so long as their heart was still beating, and they were uninfected, this girl could restore them back to perfect condition within an instant.

Though the cooldown was long, making it only viable after the combat had ended, as anything else would be a waste, it was still a lifesaving skill. One that Zane was quick to comment on.

"Angelica, you are quite literally an angel… Now I'm never going to let you leave my side…"

This caused the young woman to blush, mistaking Zane's possessiveness as a sign of affection. Olivia noticed this and frowned. But she did not make any mention of it, because she knew exactly what Zane meant by his words.

All that was left was for Elena to hear the good news. But she was still lying on her cot, crying her eyes out.