As the fifth Toxic Corpse fell to the ground, a glow flickered from Zhou Zheng's body.

"Ding! You've leveled up!"

The notification sound brought a smile to Zhou Zheng's face.

"Finally leveled up!"

An indescribable sensation spread from that moment, reaching every cell, bringing immense comfort. It was like an electric current, but without the sting, just a soothing feeling that made one want to moan out loud.

The blue light that flickered made Zhou Zheng worry about being discovered.

Xu Li and the others remained calm, their attention focused on the remaining three Toxic Corpses.

"This light should only be visible to me."

This conclusion was drawn because, despite being so close, Xu Li and the others showed no reaction. If they could see it, the blue light would definitely cause a reaction, but they remained calm. Not only them, but even the nearby soldiers didn't notice anything unusual about Zhou Zheng.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Zhou Zheng didn't bother checking the changes in his attributes but instead slightly adjusted his gun barrel to the left.

A series of gunshots rang out, creating greenish blooms on the Toxic Corpses.

The three Toxic Corpses were finally taken down by Zhou Zheng when they were 20 meters from the checkpoint.

"The experience points have indeed decreased significantly."

The three Toxic Corpses brought Zhou Zheng 300 experience points, 20 points less than before.

Seeing the seven Toxic Corpses dealt with by Zhou Zheng, the soldiers who had been on alert relaxed, slinging their guns over their shoulders and offering Zhou Zheng compliments like "Sharpshooter" and "Impressive." Zhou Zheng just smiled lightly. He knew his shooting skills were far from being called a sharpshooter.

Zhou An and Lan Xi sheathed their alloy blades and breathed a sigh of relief.

Xu Li smiled and pointed at a soldier, "Go see if there's any loot. Maybe the young master is lucky and found a Star Crystal."

The soldier handed his gun to a comrade, drew a small hunting knife from his waist, and quickly vaulted over the checkpoint, jogging towards the fallen Toxic Corpses. Star Crystals could be found not only in Mutant Beasts but also in Toxic Corpses. They were classified as a new item formed under the Cosmic Storm.

Zhou Zheng knew Xu Li was right; finding a Star Crystal on a level 1 or 2 Toxic Corpse really required some luck.

Generally, Star Crystals are categorized by levels, distinguished by color, from the lowest white to the highest red, with seven levels.

Without checking if the soldier found anything, Zhou Zheng focused on the attributes gained from leveling up.

Just like in "Firmament Continent," all attributes increased by 2 points, and there were 5 free points to allocate.

The essence of a Rogue is speed, followed by attack.

Without hesitation, Zhou Zheng allocated 3 points to Agility and 2 points to Strength. It's been proven that Agility's hidden attribute increases Critical Rate. However, in the real world, Zhou Zheng wasn't sure if Critical Damage would still apply.

There are significant differences between games and reality. In reality, a single strike to a vital point is almost always fatal. In games, even hitting a vital point only results in double damage, not an instant kill.

Without a reference, Zhou Zheng could only rely on guesses.

After allocating the points, the soldier digging with the hunting knife let out a cheer, holding a small White Star Crystal. In the sunlight, it sparkled like a diamond, though it was marred by some dirt.

Xu Li grinned, "Young master, you're lucky."

Zhou Zheng hadn't expected to be so lucky, actually finding a Star Crystal, even if it was the lowest grade White Star Crystal. But it was still a Star Crystal.

In the New World, where the world order had collapsed, before a new order was established, gold and Star Crystals were the hardest currencies. A single low-grade Star Crystal could provide enough food for a family of three for at least three days.

This shows the preciousness of Star Crystals in the New World.

Finding one Star Crystal among seven low-grade Toxic Corpses was already lucky.

After searching all seven Toxic Corpses and finding only one Star Crystal, the soldier placed it in a clear plastic bag, running back triumphantly like a victorious warrior.

After washing it clean, the Star Crystal became even more transparent and radiant, rivaling diamonds in the sunlight.

The White Star Crystal was only the size of a fingernail, containing limited Star Power, typically used by ordinary people or Apprentice Martial Artists for training and absorbing Star Power.

When the Star Crystal was presented to Zhou Zheng, he marveled at the wonders of the New World. The Star Crystal was undeniably beautiful and exquisite. Before the apocalypse, it would have been as valuable as a diamond, causing women to scream and go crazy.

After playing with it for a bit, Zhou Zheng handed the Star Crystal to Xu Li. "Uncle Xu, the brothers at the checkpoint have worked hard. Use it to buy some cigarettes and share them with the brothers."

"This..."

Zhou Zheng's unexpected gesture made Xu Li see him in a new light.

The old Zhou Zheng would never have done something like this.

After a moment of hesitation, Xu Li accepted it, saying, "Young master, on behalf of the dozens of brothers at the checkpoint, thank you." He smiled at Zhou Zheng, took the Star Crystal, and left the checkpoint room. Moments later, cheers erupted from the checkpoint.

"The next level requires 1000 experience points, double the previous level."

Zhou Zheng thought to himself. He needed to win over the people here to make it easier for him to power level.

The experience required for subsequent levels would continue to rise, eventually reaching a terrifying number.

After having lunch at the checkpoint, no more Toxic Corpses appeared for the rest of the day, much to Zhou Zheng's disappointment. Crossing the checkpoint was clearly impossible; Xu Li and the others would never agree, and even Zhou An and the others would stop him.

As the afternoon approached, Zhou Zheng shook his head, realizing that today would end like this.

Zhou Hongqiang and the others' investigation would last a few days, so there was no need to wait for them.

"Zhou An, Lan Xi, let's head back!"

A quick look at "pawread dot com" will leave you more fulfilled.

Today's gains left Zhou Zheng satisfied. Not only did he level up, but more importantly, he confirmed the feasibility of leveling up. Additionally, he got to indulge in his love for firearms. The previous Zhou Zheng's memories couldn't compare to the depth of experience he now had.

Hearing Zhou Zheng say it was time to go back, Zhou An and Lan Xi readily agreed.

"Yes, young master!"

...

Over the next half month.

With a crisp "bang," a Toxic Corpse was hit in its weak spot on the head, falling as its health bar instantly emptied.

The experience gain notification brought a smile to Zhou Zheng's face.

The people at the checkpoint had become increasingly immune to Zhou Zheng's marksmanship. Over the past half month, they had grown accustomed to seeing Zhou Zheng appear daily and stay for the entire day. For them, Zhou Zheng's presence actually lightened their burden.

It was simple: any Toxic Corpses appearing at the checkpoint were immediately claimed by Zhou Zheng.

The number of Toxic Corpses was often just a few, so in the absence of danger, Xu Li usually agreed to Zhou Zheng's requests. After all, he was the leader's son, and Xu Li couldn't bear to refuse Zhou Zheng's wishes.

As the team leader, Xu Li didn't oppose, and the others had no objections either.

In this situation, whenever Zhou Zheng saw a Toxic Corpse appear, his eyes would light up with excitement, seeing them as experience points.

Zhou Zheng's marksmanship improved significantly, reaching a point where he could hit wherever he aimed.

Occasionally, he would find Star Crystals, and as usual, he would distribute them among the soldiers at the checkpoint. Whether it was a few packs of cigarettes or a bottle of cheap liquor, the small gestures made the soldiers grateful, and over the half month, Zhou Zheng became well-acquainted with them.

In Zhou Zheng's mind, the checkpoint was the ideal early-stage power leveling location.

Although the number of Toxic Corpses appearing here was limited, making level progression slow, the presence of numerous soldiers and a Fourth-Stage Martial Artist like Xu Li ensured there was no danger, providing enough safety for Zhou Zheng to get through the initial vulnerable phase.

To outsiders, the only noticeable change in Zhou Zheng was his improved accuracy. But Zhou Zheng knew his transformation was nothing short of revolutionary.

"Character Attributes!"

With a silent thought, Zhou Zheng brought up his character attributes.

Name: Zhou Zheng

Level: 4

Class: Rogue

Strength: 45

Constitution: 26

Skeletal Structure: 18

Agility: 55

Zhou Zheng grinned with satisfaction. These attributes already surpassed those of a First-Stage Martial Artist, and in terms of speed, Zhou Zheng was even faster. Reaching this level in less than half a month, what more could he ask for?

The only regret Zhou Zheng had was that Martial Artists could unleash several times their combat power using Star Power. In this aspect, Zhou Zheng fell short, as his Star Power was still at the Apprentice Martial Artist stage, and the reason for this was hard to decipher.

(Second update, asking for votes)