Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 54: Epidemic Prevention Room

On one side, the teammates were bonding in “unity and friendship,” while on the other side, the advisor looked serious.

He had been standing behind Xu Wang for almost two minutes, but Xu Wang hadn’t noticed him, still squatting there, entranced by a pennant on the floor.

It was just an ordinary pennant, lying on the ground, covered in dust, with red background and yellow letters, praising medical virtues—”Hanging a pot to help the world. Magical hands relieve pain and bring spring.”

Wu Sheng observed every word on the pennant carefully, not even missing the signature, but despite staring until the words almost distorted in his vision, he couldn’t decipher any secret.

However, Xu Wang seemed to be lost in thought, as if the pennant could unlock some sort of gateway.

Suddenly, he slapped his knee. “Right, that’s it!”

Wu Sheng was startled and quickly moved in front of him. He saw his captain’s face brighten with sudden understanding.

“Did you think of a plan?” asked Wu Sheng.

“Yeah.” Xu Wang nodded joyfully. “We’ll use [The Flood Overwhelms the Dragon King’s Temple]!”

“Make the zombie horde turn on each other?” Wu Sheng had thought that the interpretation of [The Flood Overwhelms the Dragon King’s Temple] was where one turned against their own.

“No, no.” Xu Wang shook his head like a bobblehead. “That’s an offense, not an illusory type.”

Wu Sheng paused, his train of thought finally aligning. “Turning on each other” belonged to mental control, and among the stationeries they had used so far, the control types were illusory, while [The Flood Overwhelms the Dragon King’s Temple] was an offense type.

Blinded by the literal meaning of the idiom, he had been led astray.

Realizing Wu Sheng had caught on, Xu Wang continued, “The zombies outside are afraid of water. This weapon will be most effective.”

Wu Sheng was skeptical. “How do you know they’re afraid of water?”

“Why so many questions?” Xu Wang had only grasped part of his fragmented memory and couldn’t explain clearly, “Do you trust me or not?”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Xu Wang: “Good, then let’s act!”

Wu Sheng: “I haven’t even said anything yet!”

Ignoring his opinion, the captain, already standing up, began organizing their “enthusiastic” teammates. “Lao Qian, Xiao Kuang, come stand on the windowsill!”

“What kind of plan is this…” Qian Ai, puzzled, clumsily climbed onto the windowsill and then pulled Kuang Jinxin up.

Wu Sheng was still squatting, inspecting the pennant from all angles, unable to find any secrets. Finally, in disbelief, he slapped it! A cloud of old dust hit him in the face.

“Achoo—Achoo—”

Kuang Jinxin, just standing on the windowsill, looked baffled at the dusty advisor. “Sheng Ge, what happened to you?”

Wu Sheng pretended not to hear and smoothly climbed onto the windowsill.

“It’s nothing.” Xu Wang reassured Classmate Kuang. “Your Sheng Ge thought the pennant was responsive, hoping to reveal a secret code with a slap.”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Finally, everyone was on the windowsill. Xu Wang, grasping the window handle, explained the tactic, “Once we use the stationery, the entire first floor will flood. The door will definitely be broken open, but don’t worry; as long as we hold on tight and stand firm, the water will recede in at most two minutes. By then, the zombies will have been washed away, clearing the first floor, and we can head upstairs.”

The three teammates: “……”

Xu Wang: “What’s wrong?”

Qian Ai: “Is this a tactic or a god-mode prediction?”

Xu Wang: “Do you trust me or not?”

Qian Ai: “……”

Xu Wang: “Great, then let’s act!”

Qian Ai: “Huh? What the hell? I didn’t even say anything!”

“You’ll get used to it.” The experienced Advisor Wu patted Lao Qian’s shoulder. “He’s now Xu ‘Cheat Mode’ Wang.”

[(Offense) The Flood Overwhelms the Dragon King’s Temple] activated. An enormous tidal wave instantly swept over the first floor of the Infectious Disease Building!

The roaring flood, carrying a torrential current, smashed through everything in its path. In less than half a second, it burst through the storage room door with a loud “bang”. The scattered cabinets were instantly submerged, and the surging wave hit the window where the four were standing!

“Shit, my chainsaw is still on the cabinet—”

“Switch to using [Swish Swish Hidden Blade]—” Before Xu Wang could finish, a huge wave hit him square in the face.

For about ten seconds, the four were completely submerged in water, clinging to the window to avoid being swept away!

Suddenly, something hit Qian Ai. He couldn’t see anything in the murky water and thought it was a zombie, wildly kicking until he nearly broke his foot.

Finally, the wave receded. The real water level was just over the windowsill, reaching their knees and continuing to drop as the flood flowed out of the building.

Qian Ai opened his eyes and, while gasping for air, finally saw what he had been fighting—a dragon’s head.

Carved in wood, brightly colored, and lifelike, it was floating out of the storage room with the flood. The water flowing past the door also carried fragments of a temple, like red wooden planks and golden pillars.

Qian Ai turned to Wu Sheng, speechless. “Your weapon… really did flood the Dragon King’s Temple.”

Wu Sheng felt equally complex. “Sometimes, the world is just that straightforward.”

It only took about two minutes for the flood to recede. They peeked around the corridor, seeing it empty with not a single zombie in sight.

Qian Ai now believed what Wu Sheng said; their captain must have bought a strategy guide with real money!

Without the horde of zombies, the group smoothly climbed to the second floor, only to find that the stairway to the third floor was singular, neither on the left nor the right, but in the middle, offset from the right corridor they were in.

The second floor’s long corridor, lined with many offices, wasn’t as quiet as the first. A female nurse was wandering back and forth, wearing a white uniform and nurse’s cap, tall and curvy, pushing a medical cart full of syringes.

The four companions hid at the corner of the stairway entrance, observing the situation.

The nurse zombie’s eyes were even paler than the handsome doctor’s, almost invisible with a red membrane, as if someone had erased her pupils, leaving no distinction between the iris and the rest of her eye. It was just a terrifying white.

Her wandering seemed preset, confined to the area between the stairways leading up from the first floor, pushing the cart back and forth. Each time she neared the stairway, she would immediately turn around, never checking to see if someone was hiding there, diligently following her own path.

The middle of this path was precisely the stairway to the third floor.

“On the first floor, there was a male god, and this one seems like another heartthrob.” Qian Ai now viewed every zombie in the Infectious Disease Building as a potential boss capable of summoning minions.

Kuang Jinxin: “Can we sneak past her while she’s turned around?”

Wu Sheng: “In theory, yes, but it’s too risky in practice.”

Each team member voiced their opinions, highlighting the captain’s silence. The three companions turned to Xu Wang, who was deep in concentration, eyes tightly shut and lips moving slightly, as if reciting some secret mantra.

Kuang Jinxin was about to ask when Qian Ai stopped him with a gesture, whispering, “Don’t disturb the captain while he’s using his ‘third eye’.”

Wu Sheng was silent as he watched Xu Wang’s profile thoughtfully.

Two minutes later.

Xu Wang suddenly turned around with eyes full of determination. “I’ll distract her at the other stairway entrance. You guys take the chance to go upstairs. Remember, move quietly and quickly.”

Wu Sheng: “How do you plan to distract her?”

Kuang Jinxin: “What about you after we go up?”

Qian Ai: “Umm, yeah.”

Each had their concerns, but it seemed pale if they didn’t voice out.

Xu Wang first addressed Wu Sheng. “I’ll use sound to distract her.”

He then turned to Kuang Jinxin. “Once she’s distracted, I’ll run back from the first floor and follow you guys upstairs.”

Kuang Jinxin’s worry was evident; their ascent was simple, but Xu Wang had a long way to run. What if the zombie turned back?

Before he could express his concerns, Xu Wang had already dashed downstairs toward the left stairway.

Wu Sheng was already in position, intently watching the nurse zombie’s back and the left stairway where Xu Wang would appear. As the nurse zombie reached about a meter from the left stairway and turned around as usual, Xu Wang emerged at the stairway entrance.

He stayed still until the nurse zombie walked about five to six meters away, about halfway between their stairway and the central stairway to the third floor.

Then, he turned on the device in his hand. The key to this tactic was to keep the zombie facing his direction and back to his teammates, allowing them to sneak upstairs.

At the same time, he needed to extend the “sound distraction” as long as possible to allow himself a chance to retreat via the first floor and then sneak up to the third floor. From beginning to end, the nurse zombie must always have its back facing the stairs on the right and the central stairs.

As he turned on the switch, a buzzing sound like a vibrating phone echoed from his stairway. It wasn’t loud but clear in the silent corridor.

The nurse zombie paused, slowly turning back.

Before she could investigate the noise, its source had already arrived—a fully powered electric shaver sliding to her feet. The “buzzing” was from the shaver’s motor. Its three-sided blades were jumping happily, adding a lively touch to the monotonous sound.

Wu Sheng: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Qian Ai: “……”

They had thought Xu Wang would use the Lightning Gun for distraction. The Lightning Gun could delay for ten seconds at most. Even if Xu Wang left it at the stairway and ran back, he would only have ten seconds to run. Therefore, since planning this tactic, Wu Sheng and Qian Ai, like Kuang Jinxin, were worried about Xu Wang.

But then, he pulled out this unexpected gadget.

Who the hell would remember the electric shaver?!

Xu Wang remembered it—not just remembered but also kept it on him, and now it was incredibly useful. This kind of “hard power” was unique to their captain!

“Buzz—buzz—”

The nurse tilted her head, hesitating whether to pick it up or not. Wu Sheng, no longer hesitating, signaled behind him. “Go.”

His words were quick, and his voice was barely above a whisper. The three figures dashed from the right stairway, sneaking up the central stairway behind the nurse zombie as she finally decided to bend down.

At the same time, Xu Wang, who had pushed the shaver, immediately ran back to the first floor and then to the second floor’s left stairway!

By then, the nurse zombie had picked up the shaver and was examining it.

But Xu Wang didn’t stop to look. He charged up the left stairway, not pausing for a moment, swiftly turning at the central stairway and stylishly ascending, as if he knew the nurse zombie would be engrossed with the “sound object” and not turn around.

The three teammates were waiting at the stairway, quickly joining Xu Wang. With the team reunited, they relaxed and began to assess the crucial floor.

The 3F was still a long corridor, but if they observed carefully, they found that both sides of the corridor were walls. The entire third floor only had two rooms that were located at the far ends on the left and right sides—extremely far apart.

Qian Ai looked back and forth a few times and decisively asked the team captain, “Which side do we choose this time? Is it still men on the left and women on the right?”

He now completely treated Xu Wang as a game NPC for clearing levels.

Unexpectedly, Xu Wang hesitated, repeatedly looking at the ends of both corridors, muttering, “This isn’t right. Why are there only two rooms left…”

“Bang—“

“Thud—”

In the room at the end on the right, there was a sudden sound, like a scuffle.

The four companions exchanged glances and rushed to the scene, finding a sign labeled [Laboratory] hanging on the door.

Inside, they saw a young female doctor in a white coat being pinned down by a zombie. Qian Ai, who had just used the [Swish Swish Hidden Blade], immediately waved his arm at the zombie. However, there was no sign of any hidden weapons being launched from his sleeve.

As Qian Ai stood bewildered, Wu Sheng and Xu Wang rushed forward. One stabbed the zombie in the back of the neck with a screwdriver, and the other grabbed the zombie’s collar, working with Wu Sheng to pull it off the doctor.

The young doctor immediately escaped to one side, clutching her chest in shock.

Qian Ai, finally in sync with his stationery, swung his arm at the zombie held by the captain and advisor. He shouted with force from his diaphragm, “Swish—”.

A sharp, short sword flew swiftly from his sleeve, piercing the zombie’s right eye.

Xu Wang and Wu Sheng stood stunned as the zombie fell to the ground. “It really is the [Swish Swish Hidden Blade],” Xu Wang commented.

Wu Sheng nodded vigorously. “Quite impressive.”

Kuang Jinxin, still excited, asked, “Can you do it again?”

Qian Ai replied firmly, “No!”

Next time there’s this kind of stationery, can’t they give a “middle school syndrome, embarrassing, use with caution” warning on the [Cheat Sheet]?!

“You are…” the young female doctor began weakly.

“Vaccines,” Xu Wang said. “We’re here to deliver vaccines.”

The young doctor’s eyes suddenly filled with tears. “Finally, you’ve arrived!”

The four of them, led by the young female doctor, passed through the corridor to a room at the other end, clearly marked [Epidemic Prevention Research Lab] on the door.

The doctor took out her keys and unlocked the door.

However, after entering, there was a second and a third door, both requiring the doctor’s keys to open.

If they had chosen to come this way first, they would have had to go back to “rescue the female doctor”. Clearly, this was a mandatory mission.

The group of five entered the deepest part of the [Epidemic Prevention Research Lab] and finally saw an old doctor standing in front of the equipment.

He was about sixty years old, with square-framed glasses and gray hair, staring blankly at the dim equipment.

“Director Yu,” the female doctor called softly, her voice trembling with excitement. “They have come.”

The old doctor shuddered, turned his head in disbelief, and upon seeing the vaccine box in Wu Sheng’s hands, he seemed to want to speak but couldn’t for a long time. Finally, he took off his glasses and wiped the corners of his moist eyes.

Wu Sheng handed the vaccine box to Xu Wang.

Captain Xu stepped forward, presenting the vaccine box solemnly, like a ceremonial handover.

The old doctor put on his glasses again, his hands trembling as he took the box, and bowed deeply to the four. “Thank you for bringing hope to this city.”

Xu Wang wanted to wrap things up quickly, but the sight of the old man’s white hair touched him, and he absentmindedly replied, “You’re welcome.”

After the handover, the four companions remained silent, quietly waiting for the notification of their successful submission.

One second.

Two seconds.

Five seconds.

No sound.

“What’s going on?” Qian Ai wondered. “Aren’t we done yet?”

Kuang Jinxin foolishly pressed his ear, as if expecting an internal earpiece.

Wu Sheng looked at Xu Wang, feeling that he must know something.

Xu Wang was also clueless, looking at the old doctor, the equipment in the room, and then at the young female doctor. Everything seemed fine. Back then, he had also seen a team delivering vaccines here, with an old and a young doctor, but the assistant at that time seemed to be a young male doctor…

That shouldn’t be a problem. The 3F had more than two offices back then, and the content of the level had been slightly adjusted. He had figured out the differences when entering this room.

So, why haven’t they completed the mission yet?

Wait. Xu Wang pressed his palm against his forehead, supporting his jumbled memories, trying to piece them together more clearly…

That team back then didn’t complete the mission.

Xu Wang’s eyes widened as he finally grasped the last missing piece of memory!

The team that had successfully completed the mission was the one that burst in later, while the team he had followed had failed.

Because, like them, that team thought that entering the [Epidemic Prevention Research Lab] meant they were done…

“Lao Qian!” Xu Wang suddenly drew his Lightning Gun, aiming a jet of water at the young female doctor’s eyes while shouting to Qian Ai, “Hidden Blade—”

The young female doctor screamed in pain under the high-pressure water gun, covering her eyes and clumsily dodging, crying for help.

Qian Ai was confused.

Who should he target with the Hidden Blade, as the captain requested? The female doctor showed no signs of abnormality!

“Lao Qian—” Xu Wang’s voice was desperate and hoarse, his water gun unable to pierce the woman’s eyeballs before she mutated, and once she did, she would become the most ferocious zombie king in the entire level!!!

Qian Ai made a quick decision, focusing on the young female doctor fleeing under the water gun, concentrating his energy, and shouting, “Swish, swish, swish, swish—”

Countless hidden swords shot out like a rain of blades!

The young female doctor suddenly crouched down, the swords flying over her head, all sticking into the ground!

When the last sword fell, the young doctor slowly looked up, her pupils suddenly shrinking and the black fading from her eyes at a visible speed.

Qian Ai’s scalp tingled, and with all his might, he shouted fiercely, “Swish—”

This time, it was only one short sword.

Fast as lightning, with tremendous force, it hit the young female doctor right between the eyebrows. The blade was fully embedded in her head.

The young doctor collapsed to the ground, not dying instantly like a regular zombie, but convulsing and screaming for almost a minute before finally stopping.

Her eyes were still wide open; half of the pupil had turned white, while the other half remained black, as if the mutation had been halted midway when the virus received the signal that the brain had been destroyed, ending in reluctance.

Behind her ear, brushing aside her hair, was a ring of bloody bite marks.

The old doctor came over, took off his white coat, and covered the female doctor’s body.

From beginning to end, he didn’t say a word.

The vaccine was taken out, placed into the equipment, and the lights of the device lit up, like the spark of hope, eventually spreading into vibrant vitality.

[Owl: Congratulations on passing the 3/23 test and handing in your papers! See you tomorrow~~]

……

At the mouth of the Yellow River where it meets the sea, the night was deep and profound.

The four companions landed in a patch of grass, with cursing voices faintly audible hundreds of meters away.

They had successfully submitted their papers, and all their colleagues in the 3/23 scenario would be forcibly ejected, but only those near enough to hear the “cursing” would be either at the villa or at the hospital entrance.

The four companions exchanged glances, reaching a tacit understanding—in such situations, it was essential to keep a low profile and let the others leave first to greatly reduce the risk of being mobbed.

“Crazy, after retreating three levels, we face another three. Are we doomed to only make it through the first six levels in our lives…”

“Don’t let me find out who completed the mission…”

“Completing the mission is a matter of skill. I have no complaints, but which family does that psycho belong to behind the villa?”

“God knows, he probably bit all his teammates to death…”

Gradually, their colleagues approached and then slowly moved away. Soon, there were hardly any sounds around.

The November night wind was cold and harsh, and nobody wanted to stay in it for too long.

The companions breathed a sigh of relief, then turned their attention to the person who played the biggest role in successfully completing the mission today—

Qian Ai: “This was a major breakthrough. What exactly happened?”

Kuang Jinxin: “Captain, how did you know she would mutate?”

Wu Sheng had nothing to ask. He just silently watched, waiting for an explanation.

“I really have been through this level before.” Xu Wang looked up, his tone no longer uncertain. “It’s incredible, I know, but I have evidence.”

Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin were utterly baffled.

Wu Sheng had daringly considered that Xu Wang’s feeling of “having been here before” wasn’t just a momentary illusion, but he never expected that Xu Wang could actually prove it?

“I need to go back to Beijing,” Xu Wang said, after careful thought, revealing his decision.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 53: Hospital

On one side, a small flying carpet, under the cover of tree shadows, slowly drifted away from the villa.

Kuang Jinxin breathed a sigh of relief and sat down. He no longer had to exert his “charm” towards the opponent. However, there was something he still couldn’t figure out. “Captain, when you chose to use [Kong Rong Giving Up Pears], why did you pick Han Buting to use it on?”

The use of [Kong Rong Giving Up Pears] was a voluntary move by Kuang Jinxin, but after its use, the feedback from the stationery was that one must first select a person to open up that person’s [Stationery Box] for potential theft.

With all the contents of the [Stationery Box] unknown, Xu Wang almost didn’t hesitate before asking him to choose Han Buting, which led to the subsequent [Cupid’s Arrow] winning move.

“I saw the destroyed drone gun in the dining hall.” Xu Wang didn’t beat around the bush. “Yesterday’s drone gun was destroyed by us in the amusement park. Unless they have two identical weapons, their save point must definitely be before the amusement park.”

Kuang Jinxin had no intention of following up, waiting blankly for what came next.

Xu Wang slapped his forehead, almost forgetting that yesterday, during the battle with Han Buting, Classmate Kuang had already been knocked unconscious by the wine pool.

“Did he use this [Cupid’s Arrow] yesterday?” A lightbulb went off for Kuang Jinxin as he figured it out himself.

Xu Wang looked at him with surprise. “You’re improving.”

Kuang Jinxin smiled shyly, but he still had doubts in his heart. “What if he had used this illusory stationery early today as well?”

“I was also taking a gamble,” Xu Wang said. “His attitude towards stationery is like how Lao Qian is with money—if he can use a dime, he definitely won’t use a dollar. With something as powerful as [Cupid’s Arrow], the way he looked pained using it yesterday, having it back today, he would definitely be more cautious.”

Qian Ai felt like he was being shot while sitting on the small flying carpet.

Kuang Jinxin was greatly inspired, his admiration for the captain rising to another level. “Captain, you’re too shrewd in understanding people. I can’t think of anyone who could escape your laser eyes!”

Xu Wang: “……”

Praise from Classmate Kuang was always genuine and heartfelt yet imagining it left one at a loss for words.

“If their save point was before the amusement park…” Qian Ai raised a question. “How did they manage to be faster than us today?”

“They must have used some stationery,” Wu Sheng said. “Teleportation, or something else.”

“It could also be that they suddenly discovered a teleportation NPC.” Xu Wang let his imagination run wild. “Anyway, encountering anything here wouldn’t surprise me anymore.”

A waning moon hung in the sky.

The night was pitch black.

The Arabian-style small flying carpet, carrying four fully armed companions, slowly drifted into the hospital gate.

A building, if abandoned, would naturally carry a sense of horror under the night sky. If that building happened to be a hospital, congratulations! You’ve got yourself a luxury horror experience package.

The four companions were feeling exactly that.

Broken windows, bloodstained walls, a messy green area—the hospital outpatient building devoid of any light stood silently in the dim moonlight. Even the sobbing of the night wind sounded like ghosts laughing from the underworld.

This was a comprehensive hospital. Behind the outpatient building, there were other buildings.

Xu Wang didn’t dare to approach rashly but looked around before directing the flying carpet to the tree on the right. Under the moonlight, one could vaguely see a hospital floor plan standing there.

As soon as the flying carpet reached the tree, a dark figure suddenly sprang out, grabbed the corner of the carpet, and pulled it down forcefully!

Xu Wang’s flying carpet could only maintain a height slightly above a person, and it wasn’t fast, which allowed the zombie to pull it down, tilting the entire carpet!

Qian Ai slid towards the end of the carpet, using his weight and momentum to kick the zombie away!

The zombie rolled several times on the ground before getting up, hesitated for two seconds, and then disappeared into the darkness like a flash.

Qian Ai was confused. “Did it… run away?”

“It looks like it.” Kuang Jinxin, still unsettled, hurriedly picked up the rocket launcher he had dropped. This time, he held it firmly.

“Avoiding harm and seeking benefit.” Wu Sheng looked towards the dark hospital building. “The zombies here have developed biological instincts.”

“Wait, aren’t real zombies supposed to just charge forward mindlessly?” Qian Ai found it hard to accept. “I’ve never seen zombies that are afraid of death or pain.”

Wu Sheng looked at him. “You said it yourself. Those are real zombies.”

Qian Ai: “……”

Alright, what they were about to face were all a bunch of gangsters.

Clearly, the cute little flying carpet was no longer suitable for the upcoming battle. Wu Sheng thought about asking Xu Wang to put it away but found him intently staring at the hospital floor plan.

No wonder he hadn’t heard the usually talkative captain contribute to the earlier discussion about the seriousness of zombies.

“What did you find?” Wu Sheng asked, coming up to the floor plan.

Xu Wang didn’t look at him but instead pointed to a spot on the floor plan.

This was a comprehensive hospital, with several specialized buildings and an L-shaped inpatient department behind the outpatient building. The spot Xu Wang pointed to was one of these specialized buildings—the Infectious Disease Building.

Wu Sheng understood and agreed with his judgment. “The NPC with the vaccine is likely there.”

The zombie virus was a communicable disease; there was no better fit than the Infectious Disease department.

With their route determined, they were ready to proceed at high speed, but Wu Sheng noticed Xu Wang showed no sign of moving, still staring fixedly at the floor plan. However, his gaze was becoming increasingly unfocused, as if drifting to an unknown time and space.

Wu Sheng became anxious and nudged his shoulder. “Are you okay?”

Xu Wang snapped back to reality, turning his head, but his eyes still held a trace of their previous distant look.

“What’s wrong with you?” Wu Sheng asked, growing worried.

Xu Wang frowned in confusion. “I feel like I’ve been here before…”

Wu Sheng was stunned, not expecting such a mystical development.

Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin joined them, hearing this statement. Qian Ai immediately said in a carefree manner, “It’s normal. Many people feel like they’ve been somewhere before on their first visit. It’s just a momentary illusion.”

Kuang Jinxin: “There’s also a theory that you visited this place in a past life, so when you come again in this life, you might have flashbacks of past memories.”

Qian Ai: “In such a creepy place, could you not add to the superstitious atmosphere…”

“I really feel like I’ve seen this floor plan somewhere before,” Xu Wang said, glancing at it again.

Qian Ai pointed out. “Any hospital of some size puts up a floor plan at the entrance. Not just hospitals, but malls and tourist areas do the same. It’s not strange to have an impression.”

Seeing the captain still seemed unconvinced, Qian Ai decided to find reinforcements. Kuang Jinxin, engrossed in past life theories, was of no use and would only add to the creepiness. In times like these, they needed the rationality of their advisor.

Wu Sheng: “Can you remember when or where you saw it?”

Qian Ai: “……”

Great, they were seriously discussing it now.

“I can’t remember.” Xu Wang was also anxious, but the more he thought, the less he could recall. “Forget it. Maybe it’s just an illusion like Qian Ai said.” He looked towards the direction of the Infectious Disease Building, his focus returning. “Let’s just finish our submission, and then we’ll talk.”

The low-flying carpet wasn’t suitable for hand-to-hand combat, so Xu Wang deactivated its effect, and the four proceeded on foot, carefully bypassing the outpatient building.

The Infectious Disease Building was a three-story structure, less imposing than the outpatient building and not particularly standout among a row of specialized buildings.

Like all the buildings in the hospital, it was devoid of any light. Each window looked like a dark hole—sinister, oppressive, and lifeless.

The main entrance was wide open, like a monster’s mouth ready to swallow everything.

Xu Wang led the way, followed closely by Wu Sheng, with Kuang Jinxin in the middle and Qian Ai bringing up the rear. The four companions lined up in a straight line, hugging the wall, and slipped into the Infectious Disease Building like eels.

The moment they entered, a four-in-one “ding” sounded, causing a slight echo in the narrow front hall. It was like someone had struck a triangle in the quiet night.

[Cheat Sheet]: You have successfully entered the [Infectious Disease Building]. Please deliver the vaccine to [3F – Epidemic Research Lab].

Their hanging hearts settled; this was indeed the place.

The building’s layout was simple. Besides the front hall, there were only narrow corridors, with various departments on either side. There seemed to be no elevator, just a staircase in the middle of each corridor.

The corridors were eerily quiet, with no sign of zombies. Only the cold moonlight streaming through the windows casting shadows on the floor.

“Left or right?” Qian Ai whispered.

“Men left, women right*, ladies first.” Xu Wang took a deep breath and looked to the right. “Let’s go this way.”

*This is a custom in ancient China, mainly reflected in tombs and formal occasions. China has traditionally respected the left, but due to the patriarchal system of ancient times, the tradition of men on the left and women on the right gradually formed.

Qian Ai: “……”

Following the captain’s thought process was challenging.

The corridor was long, with offices on both sides—at least a dozen or twenty of them—each door tightly shut, giving off a “keep out” vibe.

Their footsteps were almost soundless as they approached the staircase, just three offices away.

In the silent air, a “click” sounded.

Xu Wang hesitated momentarily, undecided whether to “stay put and observe” or “rush to the staircase”. In that instant, the middle door of the three offices opened.

A handsome male doctor in a white coat and glasses stepped out elegantly.

He casually closed the door, seemingly intending to leave the building, and then turned to face the four directly.

His skin was fair, his face clean, his hair neat, and his features handsome.

Well, except for his eyes, which could not be counted as normal, for they lacked pupils, showing only white with a faint red tinge.

“Four against one, we have a chance, right?” Qian Ai swallowed, muttering under his breath.

Xu Wang’s throat felt dry. He always had a fear of characters with only white in their eyes in horror movies. “We should have a chance…”

Qian Ai: “……”

The captain’s confidence seemed even more shaky.

The zombie doctor scrutinized them for two seconds before leisurely walking towards them, looking as if he intended to make friends.

That is, until he licked his lips.

Qian Ai recognized that expression; it’s the look he would have, readying himself for a feast, just before he started eating.

“Lao Qian.” Wu Sheng warned in a low voice.

Qian Ai: “Mm.”

“Zzzz—” The chainsaw buzzed to life.

Compared to a rocket launcher or the Lightning Gun, his chainsaw was relatively quiet. It was a strategy they had agreed upon before, to minimize the noise of battle unless the situation was urgent.

The doctor zombie maintained his pace, soon approaching within a few steps. The four companions had already rearranged their formation, with Wu Sheng and Xu Wang retreating to the wings and Qian Ai in the lead, forming a 121 formation.

As the zombie doctor entered within two meters, Qian Ai suddenly started his chainsaw and swung it at the doctor!

The zombie doctor leaned back and, surprisingly, dodged the attack!

But Qian Ai wasn’t one to give up easily. He stepped forward and swung back in a reverse cut!

The zombie doctor, still unsteady, should have been unable to dodge, but he twisted his body in an extremely contorted angle and managed to avoid 80% of the saw blade.

However, the remaining 20% still sliced through a third of his neck.

Consequently, his head tilted awkwardly to one side, making him look quite comical. The wound on his neck widened due to the tilt, gushing blood.

Despite this, the zombie doctor continued to approach them, staggering and now wearing what seemed to be a smile on his face, if it could be called that.

His mouth was twisted into a sinister, eerie curve.

Qian Ai instinctively stepped back, feeling nauseous and horrified.

At this stage, he was only accustomed to battles where a single saw strike was lethal. This half-dead state was more than he could handle.

Not just him, but the other three companions had also never seen anything like this and were momentarily stunned.

“Click.”

“Click.”

“Click.”

“Click.”

“Click”…

The sound of numerous door handles being pressed down echoed simultaneously in the corridor. It wasn’t just from their chosen right corridor but also from the distant left corridor, filled with the sound of doors opening!

The four companions instantly formed a back-to-back formation, ready to face threats from all directions.

The beings who emerged from the doors didn’t keep them guessing. They stepped out from their offices and stood at the doorways, lined up like soldiers.

Male doctors, female doctors, young doctors, old doctors, all in white coats, all with the same white, pupilless eyes.

The handsome doctor suddenly stopped advancing, seemingly losing interest in approaching them, and turned his partially severed neck towards the moonlight outside the window.

A few seconds later, the handsome doctor let out a mournful howl.

The corridor instantly went into a frenzied mode, with all the emerged doctors madly running towards the four!

The companions’ minds exploded with shock; their morale instantly shattered. Was this doctor some kind of hospital heartthrob with his own fan club of zombies?

Xu Wang couldn’t worry about the chaos anymore and shot the zombie doctor in the face!

The zombie doctor, as if burned, immediately covered his cheek and leaped back, but was then knocked down by other zombies rushing from behind!

Kuang Jinxin quickly fired a rocket launcher to both sides!

“Bang—”

“Bang—”

The explosive bombs detonated in the corridors, blasting away a quarter of the frontline zombies on each side. Especially on the right side, even the handsome doctor was blown away, finally giving the team a moment to breathe!

But the narrow corridor meant that the zombies at the front shielded those behind. Amidst the smoke and debris, countless zombies were stepping over their fallen comrades to advance!

“No more bombs!” Kuang Jinxin, holding an empty rocket launcher, was frantic.

“We’re getting surrounded!” Qian Ai was despairing. “Even if I blunt my saw, I can’t cut through so many zombies!”

Wu Sheng had no hope for his screwdriver. Since seeing the handsome zombie doctor, he had been contemplating using a weapon.

The only stationeries left usable were his [Cloak of Invisibility] and [The Flood Overwhelms the Dragon King’s Temple] along with Qian Ai’s [Swish Swish Hidden Blade]. But the original plan was to save these for critical moments.

The vaccine handover was on 3F, and they were still on 1F. If they used up their stationeries here, what would they do upstairs?

They had no choice but to adapt as the situation developed.

Wu Sheng had just decided to open his stationery box when a loud noise suddenly echoed in his ears.

“Bang—”

Amidst the lingering smoke, Xu Wang kicked open a door nearby!

“Everyone, get in!” Xu Wang rushed in first.

Wu Sheng, Kuang Jinxin, and Qian Ai quickly followed.

Once the last companion was in, Xu Wang immediately closed the door. “Lao Qian, come help!”

The door lock was broken by Xu Wang’s kick. Hearing his call, Qian Ai immediately joined him, exerting all his strength to hold the door together with Xu Wang!

As Qian Ai and Xu Wang took their positions, Wu Sheng and Kuang Jinxin were already pushing a metal cabinet towards the door.

There were six metal cabinets in total, two meters tall and spanning seven to eight meters in width when combined. Wu Sheng and Kuang Jinxin pushed one over, laying it horizontally, just as the zombies began to pry the door open a few inches!

The four men pushed the door back and used the cabinet to blockade it, then Kuang Jinxin stayed to help hold the door while Wu Sheng went to push the second, third, fourth cabinets…

Finally, all six cabinets were blocking the door. The zombies outside were still restless but unable to break in.

Wu Sheng let out a long breath, exhausted to the point of collapse.

Xu Wang, Qian Ai, and Kuang Jinxin were no better off.

It wasn’t just physical exhaustion but also the mental strain of high-intensity tension.

“In critical moments, we still rely on the captain,” Qian Ai sincerely remarked. “Lucky you had the wit to… Huh? Where is he?”

Expecting Xu Wang to be nearby, he looked up to find the captain had already walked deeper into the room.

This was a storage room, now looking quite empty since they had pushed all the storage cabinets to the door. Although it was a storage room, it was very clean, with hardly anything on the floor. Now, only a few items lay scattered around, things like folders and pennants that had fallen out of the boxes while they were pushing the cabinets.

Xu Wang was now squatting at the far end of the room, staring at a pennant on the floor.

Qian Ai was about to ask when Wu Sheng approached, swallowing his question and wisely giving space for the leadership to communicate.

Turning around, he started to hassle Kuang Jinxin. “You’re out of bombs. What now?”

“I don’t know,” Kuang Jinxin, still catching his breath with a flushed face, replied calmly.

Qian Ai was speechless. “You’re out of weapons, and you’re not even anxious!”

“We have the captain and the advisor.” Kuang Jinxin grinned, his eyes full of absolute trust. “And you.”

Qian Ai was dazzled by the smile, feeling like someone was applying alcohol on his heart, which always wanted to flee at the first sign of trouble.

“Here.” Qian Ai handed his chainsaw to Kuang Jinxin.

But it was pushed back. “What will you do without it?”

Qian Ai rolled his eyes. “I still have weapons, remember?”

Kuang Jinxin: “……”

Qian Ai: “Don’t be embarrassed. We’re teammates. I…”

Kuang Jinxin: “I’m sorry.”

Qian Ai: “Huh?”

Kuang Jinxin: “I shouldn’t make excuses. The truth is, I just don’t want to use the chainsaw. It’s too bloody for me. I can’t do it.”

Qian Ai: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “Ah, I don’t mean you’re bloody. You look really cool with the saw!”

Qian Ai: “Totally unconvincing. I’m heartbroken now. Bye.”

Kuang Jinxin: “Lao Qian…”

Every streamer has the heart of a little princess.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 52: Crossover Battle

The four companions exchanged glances, and the next second, they quickly ran to the corner of the courtyard and hid behind a hedge. Their actions for survival were so swift, and their choice of hiding spot was so in sync, it was like they were a dream team.

Fortunately, the simultaneous “dings” from their devices didn’t sound very loud outdoors, and the noise inside the villa was even louder, so this unexpected alert didn’t give them away.

After observing for a few seconds and confirming safety, the companions looked down at their messages.

[Cheat Sheet]: Welcome to [Villa Crossover Battle]. You have 15 minutes to cross the villa’s entrance hall, corridor, dining room, and living room and reach the back door to leave at leisure. Succeed, and the hospital welcomes you. Fail, and return to where you started tonight. Good luck.

Sheng, Wang, Jin, Qian: “……”

In the Sunshine Theatre, Yue Shuai’s team had been dominated by the terror of 59 points as well as the chance to taste the “joy” of a sea of zombie balls. =_=

Wu Sheng: “We have 14 minutes and 39 seconds left.”

“Not short of a tremble after ninety-nine bows*.” Xu Wang took a deep breath. “Let’s go in.”

*It’s a saying that derives from the act of doing a ritual (99 bows), and the only thing left to do is to complete it (with a tremble). It’s akin to phrases like “we’ve come this far” or “just short of [blank] (to complete this)”.

Qian Ai: “……”

Even in the apocalypse, can’t we just fight zombies simply! The “Owl” is a devil! TAT

The four reached the villa’s entrance, holding their breath as they entered one by one, treading lightly.

Inside, two zombie corpses lay in the entrance hall, one with a blown-off head; its original appearance was unrecognizable, and another with eyes pierced through.

Carefully stepping over them, they entered the long corridor.

The retro European wallpaper and dim yellow wall lights made the entire corridor, despite being well-lit, still feel dark and oppressive. The abundant bloodstains on the walls significantly contributed to the atmosphere. The corridor was lavishly decorated yet gloomy and winding, resembling that of a path to hell.

At the end of the corridor, they saw the dining room.

Xu Wang, leading the way, suddenly stopped, not daring to move forward. The three behind him also saw the scene in the dining room and were shocked.

This wasn’t a dining room, but more like a morgue. Overturned tables and chairs, a floor covered with zombie corpses, piled high, leaving almost no space to step. A collapsed wine cabinet was pressed under the pile of bodies. There was no sign of its wreckage; only the rich aroma of broken wine bottles mixed with the stronger smell of blood, creating a suffocating atmosphere.

Xu Wang looked back at his companions with a solemn gaze.

Everyone understood.

All the zombies in the villa were annihilated. If the team that did it had left, they could reap the benefits. But the situation was that not only had this team arrived before them, but they were also exceptionally brutal in combat, and damn it, they hadn’t left!

What must the living room look like to have such a team still struggling until now?

Xu Wang was startled when he noticed something familiar on a zombie corpse.

Though its rotor blades were damaged and its body and gun barrel split in two, the remains were there—enough to piece together a complete drone machine gun!

“We’re not giving up until the end. Don’t forget, we entered three minutes later than you. Even if we drag it out, once your 15 minutes are up, you’re back to the save point, and all effects inside the villa are forcibly nullified. We still have 180 seconds. Even a stroll will get us out…”

The fighting in the living room had stopped at some point, and a familiar voice came from there, straight into the dining room, then curving around the corner wall where the corridor met the dining room.

Xu Wang narrowed his eyes. This confident ease, this disdainful habit of underestimating the opponent—except for that [Cupid’s Arrow], no one else came to mind!

Sure enough, Cupid’s team had also saved, and their save point was definitely before the chaos at the amusement park.

So the drone machine gun, already blasted by Kuang Jinxin, was usable today.

If the gun was usable, then their stationery…

Damn, he didn’t want to get hit by [Cupid’s Arrow] again in his life!

Wait, who’s Cupid talking to? Is there another team in the living room?

Just as Xu Wang pondered, another familiar voice came from the living room. “Don’t be so sure. It’s not certain who will have the last laugh until the final minute.”

Hold up!

Is that Yue Shuai I know? Is this towering leader’s aura amplified by some magical tool?

Xu Wang made a “shush” gesture to his companions and pointed towards the wall connecting the dining room and living room.

The three companions, also understanding the situation in the living room, nodded.

The group, acting like thieves since entering the villa, crouched again, tiptoeing through the gaps in the piles of corpses, quietly sneaking into the dining room, and reached the corner wall next to the living room.

Between the dining room and living room wasn’t a door, but a partition-like wall.

At that moment, eight eyes stealthily peered over the wall’s edge.

Inside the living room, the view was unobstructed.

All the furniture had been pushed to the east and west sides of the room. Two teams, eight “old friends”, were lined up along the walls. There were no zombie corpses in the living room because, apart from the narrow strips of floor remaining along the east and west walls, the entire floor of the living room had turned into a square pool of stagnant water.

But the pool was certainly not filled with ordinary water.

Because the back door was on the north wall, if they couldn’t walk over, they could swim across, yet no one dared to enter the water.

Captain Cupid said, “After your 15 minutes are up, you’ll go straight back to the save point, and all stationery effects will be forcibly nullified.” Obviously, this pool of dead water was Yue Shuai’s doing.

However, this stationery seemed to not discriminate between friend and foe, treating everyone equally and leading both teams to avoid the water’s edge as much as possible.

On the east side of the living room, Han Buting stood on a TV cabinet, Li Zijin and Li Xia stood on a sofa, and Chi Yingxue was perched on a large sculpture of a spreading-winged Roc, unsure how long the Roc would hold up.

On the west side, Yue Shuai stood on a coffee table, which was the only thing relatively stable. Then there was Tao Anan, struggling to maintain balance on a folding screen, Wei Tianhang desperately clinging to a curtain, and Su Mingzhan hanging upside down from a crystal chandelier.

Saying earlier that the eight were divided on both sides was a bit imprecise, especially since Su Mingzhan alone dominated the airspace in the center of the living room. It was unclear how he got up there.

Although it was Yue Shuai’s team that used stationery to trap Cupid’s team, the situation clearly showed who had the upper hand.

The eight, too focused on the battlefield, didn’t notice the eyes peering over the partition.

Xu Wang and his companions quietly retreated to the dining room.

“A colorless, odorless, corrosive liquid,” Wu Sheng whispered, sharing his observations. “Similar to concentrated sulfuric acid.”

“So how do we get across?” Qian Ai, thinking of the scene in the living room, felt as if he was already being corroded and burned by the strong acid. “Can’t we just wait for their time to run out and then cross? We entered later than them.”

Wu Sheng shook his head. “First, we lose the initiative. Second, we lose our advantage.”

Qian Ai nodded, pretending to understand.

Xu Wang nodded, truly understanding. “Indeed, waiting means allowing one of their teams to get to the hospital first. We’d then have to follow, which is too passive. Moreover, with the battlefield cleared and both teams wearing each other down, we have the advantage of time and place. If we wait for the replacement zombie horde to return, we’ll surely be exposed, and all our advantages will be lost.”

Qian Ai looked up at the ceiling, finally understanding why he could never become a team leader.

“Replacement zombie horde?” Kuang Jinxin asked, puzzled.

Xu Wang said, “Listen carefully.”

Kuang Jinxin paused and listened, realizing the zombie howls outside the villa seemed to be getting closer.

“The zombies in this villa are probably replenished continuously,” Xu Wang explained. “Otherwise, the teams ahead would clear the way, making it easy for the teams behind.”

“We must act before the zombies are replenished.” Wu Sheng outlined the action plan. “Be proactive—swift and decisive.”

“The acid pool is manageable.” Xu Wang revealed his [Stationery Box]. “I have a small flying carpet.”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Qian Ai: “……”

Kuang Jinxin: “Captain, I think that’s called [Aladdin’s Magic Carpet].”

“It will definitely fly,” Xu Wang said. “Have you seen the flying carpet over the Endless Sea? I have a feeling it’s this one.”

Qian Ai: “Can stationery be repeated?”

Wu Sheng: “There’s no evidence it can’t be repeated. If it’s not forbidden, it’s allowed. We can try.”

Qian Ai: “The way you two talk, I’m getting nervous…”

“Of course, we still need a Plan B. If the magic carpet can’t fly…” Xu Wang looked expectantly at his teammate. “Lao Qian, you’ll use your [Swish Swish Hidden Blade] to cover our retreat.”

Qian Ai felt immense pressure in a flash. “Who gave you so much confidence in my combat abilities…”

“If the magic carpet really can fly, then there’s only one problem.” Xu Wang’s expression darkened. “They won’t just watch us fly over. If either of them has long-range weapons or stationery, we’ll be the first to return to the save point.”

Qian Ai understood. It was like crossing the safari park in a small cart, still in the wild animal area. =_=

“Then we’ll launch a surprise attack before using the flying carpet to cross the acid pool,” he said.

“The surprise attack is certain. The key is how to catch them all at once.” Xu Wang had been thinking of a way since earlier, his head aching with no solution in sight. If they couldn’t capture them all, the eight counterparts would surely fight back, and the outcome would be uncertain.

The stalemate between the two teams was just a brief respite after tiring from the previous fight, each calculating their next move.

In the struggle between the snipe and the clam, while the fisherman gains*. This was their only chance to seize the opportunity for a decisive strike.

*Idiom referring to while the main parties are engaged in their dispute, a cunning third party can seize the opportunity to gain an advantage or profit. It derives from a fable, which you can read in my Kinky Thoughts.

Qian Ai’s [Swish Swish Hidden Blade]? Wu Sheng’s [Invisibility Cloak]? [The Flood Overwhelms the Dragon King’s Temple]? Xiao Kuang’s…

Xu Wang hadn’t yet figured out what stationery Kuang Jinxin had when he caught a glimpse of Classmate Kuang’s clear gaze.

Suddenly, realizing that Kuang Jinxin had been unusually quiet since they started planning the surprise attack, Xu Wang looked at him earnestly. “There can only be one team to submit their papers. As the team captain, I don’t want to retreat, so I can’t always be open and honest when there’s no other way.”

Kuang Jinxin was surprised. He quickly shook his head and said softly but firmly, “This is a competition. Giving our all is the greatest respect we can show our opponents.”

“…” Overwhelmed by the unexpected support, Xu Wang’s heart swelled with emotion. “Then why were you staring at me just now…”

“I was thinking…” Kuang Jinxin lowered his head to look at his [Stationery Box]. “What kind of magical tool would be named [Kong Rong Giving Up Pears]?”

……

Living Room.

Han Buting looked at Yue Shuai on the coffee table across from him, his patience nearly exhausted. “I don’t want to waste stationery needlessly. Why do people like you keep pestering me?”

Yue Shuai was actually out of moves. Waiting until now was just to see if another team would come in and disrupt the situation, hoping for a slim chance of survival.

But he didn’t expect Han Buting to want a heart-to-heart.

Especially since the words were somewhat cryptic. “We… who?”

A shadow passed in Han Buting’s eyes, clearly not wanting to recall the past.

Li Xia didn’t even raise his eyes.

Li Zijin got closer. Seeing his captain’s face darken, he wisely kept quiet.

Chi Yingxue, bored riding the Roc, eagerly helped to clarify. “After you escaped yesterday, another team came to the amusement park and used up several of our great captain’s carefully nurtured stationery. Luckily, we had saved before that…” The words ‘great’ and ‘nurtured’ were tinged with subtle sarcasm. He seemed to savor the memory more as he spoke with a small, amused smile playing on his lips. “It was interesting.”

Yue Shuai could tell he genuinely found it amusing.

Which also meant Han Buting’s mood got even darker.

Despite being an opponent, at this moment, Yue Shuai felt an inexplicable sympathy for Captain Han.

But Captain Han wasn’t to be underestimated. Unmoved, he just coldly glanced at his watch and considerately reminded his opponents. “You have four minutes left.”

“Better listen to the zombies outside,” Wei Tianhang said, unable to bear it any longer as he slid down from the curtain, carefully stepping onto the narrow strip of floor along the wall. “It won’t take four minutes for a zombie horde to break in…”

“Wei Tianhang!” Su Mingzhan suddenly shouted from the chandelier.

Wei Tianhang shuddered in fright, glaring at the center of the ceiling. “Why are you shouting…”

Realizing his blunder, his retort stopped abruptly.

The last shred of hesitation in Han Buting’s eyes vanished as he tapped the owl symbol on his arm.

If not for the presence of the opponents, Wei Tianhang really wanted to slap himself! Reminding the other side about the incoming zombies was like forcing them to send his team back to the save point ahead of time!

Their stationery had already been used up in the previous fight. The reason they had held out until now was partly due to their bluff and partly because Han Buting always hoped to succeed with minimal loss.

Now, no matter how reluctant Han Buting was willing to part with it, he was determined to use his stationery.

[Owl: Someone has used [(Illusory) Kong Rong Giving Up Pears] on you~~]

The playful alert rang out, not in Yue Shuai’s team’s ears but in Han Buting’s, who was about to select a weapon.

He instinctively looked up, his sharp gaze sweeping across the four people on the opposite side.

Yue Shuai and his teammates were bewildered. Suddenly being glared at during stationery selection—what kind of tactic was that? A display of dominance?

Han Buting quickly realized. “There’s another team here!”

Hearing this, Li Zijin and Li Xia immediately went on alert, warily scanning their surroundings.

Even Chi Yingxue paused slightly, although he remained lazily perched on the Roc, the casual look in his eyes slowly fading.

Just as Han Buting was about to give further instructions, he suddenly felt something was off.

An icon was missing from his [Stationery Box], one that had only just returned today after he reloaded his save.

In [Kong Rong Giving Up Pears], Kong Rong willingly gave the bigger pear to his brother. Now, the brother was directly coming over and stealing the biggest, sweetest, and most attractive pear!

Han Buting wasn’t happy with how he was played by Kong Rong.

But such is life; never assume things can’t get worse.

[Owl: Someone has used [(Illusory) Cupid’s Arrow] on you~~]

This time, all eight present heard the soulful alert.

Then, a chubby little angel appeared in the air a little to the left of the center of the ceiling, since the center was occupied by the chandelier and Su Mingzhan. Holding a little golden bow, the angel spun around and started shooting little golden arrows.

The arrows, like osmanthus rain, struck each of the eight combatants in the heart.

Li Xia, Li Zijin, and Chi Yingxue simultaneously looked at Han Buting, the first two in disbelief, the latter bemused.

Han Buting nearly gritted his teeth in frustration. “They stole my illusory stationery.”

“Can you stop speaking in tongues?” An even more bewildered Yue Shuai couldn’t take it anymore, clutching his throbbing chest. “What do you mean, another team? Who stole your illusory stationery? What the hell is going on? Are you… trying to provoke us!”

As the situation was about to spiral out of control, a small flying carpet gracefully floated into the living room.

The eight fighters froze, understanding dawning in the moment they were struck by love.

On the Arabian-patterned carpet sat three teammates in a row, as orderly as schoolchildren on a spring outing. Only Kuang Jinxin stood at the end of the carpet, looking left and right, his gaze sweeping over everyone with a “lethal attraction”.

The carpet floated leisurely over the sulfuric acid pool, heading straight for the door.

The upright Captain Xu occasionally smiled apologetically to the left and right. “Sorry, sorry, we’re leaving first.”

Yue Shuai, Su Mingzhan, Tao Anan, Wei Tianhang: “……”

Han Buting, Li Xia: “……”

Chi Yingxue: “A flying carpet… How come they always have such cool stationery…”

Li Zijin: “Is now really the time to be envious?!”

They wanted to attack Kuang Jinxin, but each time the thought crossed their minds, they would become lost in overwhelming feelings of love.

They thought about attacking the other three, but every glance from Kuang Jinxin plunged them back into those suffocating feelings of love, making it impossible to bear the thought of harming his teammates.

The magic carpet finally arrived in front of the back door.

The door automatically opened, as if acknowledging the victors.

As the carpet slowly departed, the door began to close.

The eight watched as the gap in the door narrowed, and just as it was about 30 degrees from closing, two heads provocatively popped back outside the door.

There was Kuang Jinxin, still dominating the room with his gaze, playing a support role. Leveraging the cover provided by his teammates, Captain Xu and his colleagues dug their hearts out. “I can’t let you catch up. Otherwise, we’ll have to fight at the hospital. Sorry about this…”

Han Buting didn’t immediately understand, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

Yue Shuai, seeing the gun barrel extend through the gap, despaired. “Oh no…”

The trigger was pulled, and a fierce stream of water shot through the living room, hitting a wall clock!

The door was held open by the force. The trigger remained pulled, and an endless water stream kept coming—one second, five seconds, ten seconds…

Deafeningly loud dynamic music erupted in the living room, almost lifting the villa’s roof and stirring the hearts of every zombie at the courtyard gate!

“Ow ow ow ow ow~~It’s below ten degrees~~ I forgot to wear my long johns~~ Rushing out the door~~ Walking on the main road~~”

“Not wearing long johns~~ Who can be cooler than me~~ Let the wild wind howl~~ even wildfires can be blocked~~*”

*These are lyrics to “Forgot to Wear Long Johns” by Hou Haozhong. Unfortunately, I can’t find the music to it.

The moment the zombies poured in, the back door slammed shut, perfectly sealed!

Yet they could still hear, fading away, “Qiu Qiu Qiu Qiu~~ Cool~~”

Doesn’t the “Owl” have a mute mode?!

As the horde of zombies surged into the living room, they fell into the acid pool with a clatter like dumplings. But a few managed to stop in time, realizing they had to seek the narrow strips of floor on either side!

In such a small space, a couple of hits and they’d all fall into the sulfuric acid pool!

No, they didn’t even need to fight; the first zombie had already toppled the folding screen, and Tao Anan was about to fall in!

Yue Shuai couldn’t care about anything else; he focused intently and dispelled the stationery effect!

The sulfuric acid pool vanished in an instant, and Tao Anan landed onto the floor with a thud, narrowly escaping disaster.

Han Buting and his team finally saw the acid pool disappear, but it was too late; the zombies had them cornered!

Yue Shuai’s team’s time had run out.

“Ding—”

[Cheat Sheet]: [Villa Crossover Battle] failed. Return to your starting point of the night.

Yue Shuai: “……”

Yesterday was the Sunshine Theatre, today the villa crossover; they must be fundamentally incompatible with these “game within a game”!

Yet, thinking of Xu Wang’s team crossing over, Yue Shuai felt a tinge of relief. If he had to choose, he would rather see Xu Wang breaking the finish line than Han Buting.

Regrettably, Han Buting’s team still had three minutes left. If they were agile enough, they might still break through successfully.

Amidst all his worries, Yue Shuai and his three teammates were instantly transported back to the Sunshine Theatre’s save point, where their challenge had begun that night.

His concerns weren’t unfounded; just two and a half minutes after their departure, Han Buting’s team had cleared all the zombies, calmly opened the door, and completed the villa crossover battle.

However, one thing neither Yue Shuai nor Han Buting had anticipated.

“Is there a rope?”

Stepping out of the villa, with the hospital just in sight, Chi Yingxue, who always lingered at the end of the team, suddenly spoke in a low voice.

When he spoke, his tone was often light and seemed careless. Once it dropped, it sounded calm, which was quite uncharacteristic of him.

“Yes.” Li Zijin, who was carrying a backpack, looked at him vigilantly. “What do you want to do?””

“I was bitten on the shoulder.” Chi Yingxue raised his eyes gently. “You’d better tie me up now, because in a while, I won’t be me anymore.””

There was no tension on his face, and his tone was light, but there was no joking in his words. It was him just stating the facts calmly.

It was so calm that Li Zi’s back became cold.

“Do as he says.” Han Buting didn’t step forward to confirm the wound because there was no need for Chi Yingxue to lie.

Li Zi almost swallowed his saliva, immediately removed his backpack, and pulled out the hemp rope inside. This was prepared for the bitten companions, because the condition for submitting the papers was that everyone bring the vaccine to the hospital together, but there was no requirement that they must be “healthy”, so once a teammate is bitten, they could just tie them up and drag them to the hospital and submit their papers for clearance. The bitten person would return to normal. They had been on this level many times, so they were quite prepared.

Chi Yingxue lowered his head and stood there motionless. His eyes gathered in the light and shadow of the lantern. The rare quietness made him look quite beautiful and ethereal at this moment.

Li Zijin shook his head abruptly, getting rid of his unrealistic illusion.

Pretty? Just wait until he goes crazy.

They had just circled the hemp rope once, but it hadn’t been tied yet when Chi Yingxue suddenly raised his head with a blank and surprised expression, as if saying, “Who am I? Where am I?”

Li Zijin was taken aback. “What are you doing?”

Chi Yingxue didn’t speak but quickly looked around and then at the three teammates.

Li Zijin was really panicked. He had only been with this new teammate for two days, and he couldn’t bear it. He looked back at Han Buting as if asking for help.

Han Buting frowned slightly and was also observing Chi Yingxue.

The first person to speak was the one who caused all this. “I was bitten, right?”

His voice was still very low, but it wasn’t the deliberate lowness of the previous one. It was more like an innate sense of lowness, but because Chi Yingxue’s voice wasn’t the magnetic low type, the conditions of the voice and the temperament of the voice produced a trace of dissociation.

Li Zijin was really going crazy. “Are you sick? Didn’t you tell us you were bitten?””

Chi Yingxue nodded, as if he understood again. “Sorry, you continue.”

Li Zi was almost dumbfounded. Chi Yingxue, apologized, to him?

“Hurry up.” Chi Yingxue urged, seeing Li Zijin stunned and motionless. “The incubation period of the zombie virus is only a few minutes at most. Once I get sick, it will be difficult to control me.””

Li Zijin: “……”

Although it was only a short sentence, it was well organized, concise, and pragmatic. Is this still the psychopath who pretends to fly on a pirate ship?!

“Fuck—”

Li Xia suddenly cursed, rushed over quickly, and threw Li Zijin down mercilessly!

At the same time, Chi Yingxue, who had just been tied up in a circle, was almost unbound again. He had already started biting the air in front of him!

If Li Xia hadn’t rushed over, it would be Li Zijin who would have gnawed on!

Li Zijin and Li Xia both got up quickly and retreated to Han Buting’s side. The three of them stood side by side, facing Chi Yingxue, who was already infected.

“It’s all my fault for moving too slowly!” Li Zijin hated himself for this.

“It’s not your problem.” Han Buting stared deeply at Chi Yingxue. “It’s his problem.”

Li Zi was almost speechless, but he only dared to complain in his heart. Of course, there was a problem. Chi Yingxue’s eyes were now covered with a red film, which was no different from the zombies in the north of the city!

As if expecting Li Zijin to groan, Han Buting further explained, “It has nothing to do with the zombie virus. I mean, he’s not right. But I don’t have time to worry about that now…” He stretched out his hand closer to Li Zi. “Give me the spare rope.”

Li Zijin immediately turned over the bag and handed it over.

They had countless ways to send Chi Yingxue home, but if they wanted to submit their papers, they could only catch them alive.

“Li Xia,” Han Buting said. “Seal his mouth.”

“Mm.” The silent young man who was named briefly responded, then put on his gloves and pulled out the hood and wide tape from his bag.

With the tools in place, the three of them scattered in a circle, surrounding Chi Yingxue in the middle.

Chi Yingxue looked at the three of them back and forth, as if choosing a target. When he saw the mask in Li Xia’s hand, he seemed to have a premonition of something. He suddenly started to dash towards Li Zi at a speed as if he was doing a 100-meter spring!

Li Zijin stood there motionless, as if waiting for Chi Yingxue to pounce!

In an instant, Chi Yingxue was already in front of him, and he was about to pounce on Li Zijin. The latter suddenly bent down and pushed his head hard against his stomach!

Under normal circumstances, people should stagger back uncontrollably, and Han Buting, behind Chi Yingxue, had already prepared the rope circle!

Without thinking about it, Chi Yingxue actually caught it and grabbed his shoulder at a very fast speed. Before Li Zijin could react, he lifted the person up and bit him hard at the carotid artery of his neck!

With this bite, there was no chance of mutation.

Li Zijin only had time to experience the tingling like a needle and then heard the banter of farewell—

[Owl: Dear~ I’m giving you an early holiday. Sending you home.]

At the last moment before bouncing back to reality, Li Zijin looked into Chi Yingxue’s eyes.

There was neither a zombie Chi Yingxue nor human Chi Yingxue. It was just an extremely dark abyss, that perhaps ghosts still resided there.

Kinky Thoughts:

The Sandpiper (Snipe) and the Clam

One day, taking advantage of the sunny weather, a clam opened up its hard shell to bask in the sun on the banks of the river. A sandpiper saw it and quickly put its beak into the clam shell to peck at the meat inside. The calm hurriedly closed its hard shell and sealed the sandpiper’s mouth shut. The sandpiper couldn’t peck at the meat, and its mouth was sealed shut, so it threatened the clam and said, “If you don’t loosen your clamp on me, you will eventually die of thirst.” The clam responded without showing weakness, “Your mouth has been clamped by me. If you can’t pull it free, you’ll starve to death!” In this way, the clam and sandpiper fought each other on the beach, and neither would relent. Over time, they became exhausted. A fisherman happened to pass by, and when he saw that they were tightly entangled and neither could move, he easily caught them and took them both home.”

This story was told during the Warring States Period, when the Qin Empire was strongest. On one occasion, the Empire of Zhao declared war on the State of Yan. At the time, the king’s younger brother, Su Dai, was entrusted to go to the Empire of Zhao to persuade the King of Zhao not to send troops. When he arrived, the King of Zhao demanded what he was doing here, to which he told the fable.

After finishing, Su Dai said to the King of Zhao, “If the Empire of Zhao and the State of Yan go to war, the two sides will inevitably be at a standstill for a long time, eventually becoming exhausted. In this way, the mighty Qin Empire will be like the fisherman, who just needs to sit back and reap the benefits. Your Majesty, please consider it carefully before making a decision.” The King of Zhao felt that what Su Dai said was reasonable and dispelled the idea of attacking the State of Yan.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 51: Villa

Kuang Jinxin: “Why did you order something so bland for me? I want to eat meat!”

Qian Ai: “Those who have been foolishly tricked by others, fell into a wine pool, and recovered from a severe coma have no right to be picky eaters.”

Kuang Jinxin: “…”

There were two small square tables filled with Shandong cuisine—one for Lao Qian’s live broadcast area, with Kuang Jinxin hiding opposite, eating a patient’s meal consisting of rice and vegetables but no meat; the other for the team leaders, with Xu Wang resting his chin on one hand, despairingly looking at Wu Sheng across from him.

“Ginger.”

Just as Advisor Wu was about to continue picking up food, he paused with his chopsticks. “Huh?”

Xu Wang sighed. “I said the piece you just ate was ginger.”

Wu Sheng frowned and recalled, quite indignant. “It looked so much like chicken, a master of disguise.”

“You can’t even taste the difference!” Xu Wang collapsed. “What on earth have you been thinking about all afternoon?”

Wu Sheng refocused his mind and became serious. “Two things.”

Xu Wang didn’t expect there to be serious matters and quickly sat up straight, obedient like a model student. “Let’s hear them.”

“The first is about the save points,” Wu Sheng said. “Since there’s more than one save point, there could be three or four. If we can find them and Yue Shuai’s team too, then the more experienced Chi Yingxue’s team naturally will also, right?”

“You’re not going to tell me that we’ll meet them tonight, are you…” Hearing such bad news during a meal was a critical hit.

“If yesterday was their first day of this 3/23 scenario,” Wu Sheng added a star anise to the captain’s plate to match the current conversation’s atmosphere, “then the probability of a happy encounter today is basically one hundred percent.”

Xu Wang looked at the star anise, feeling like it had extended two thin arms, holding a drone controller, and laughing devilishly at him.

“The second thing…” Wu Sheng continued.

Xu Wang quickly looked up at him.

Wu Sheng said, “Yuan Zi…”

Xu Wang: “…”

Yuan Zi and the save point—what’s the difference between these two things? =_=

“Or, to put it another way,” as if seeing Xu Wang’s speechlessness, Wu Sheng changed his approach, “NPCs. I’ve been thinking about the NPCs in the ‘Owl’.”

This piqued Xu Wang’s interest. “What about them?”

“Do you remember those airport ground staff from 2/23?” asked Wu Sheng.

“Of course.” Xu Wang tried but couldn’t forget them. “Repeating the same few lines, looking bewildered when asked anything else, especially the one issuing our boarding passes, who spoke in a tone that didn’t sound human at all. It was very mechanical and creepy.”

“Right.” Wu Sheng felt the same. “But the passengers on the plane were different, like Xu Erling and Shen Yisi. Each one seemed so real.”

Xu Wang said, “It’s the same for this level. Ding Xiaoche—I forgot he was an NPC from beginning to end, and Yuan Zi, even knowing he’s a save point, I still feel he’s a living person.”

“That’s it!” Wu Sheng looked at Xu Wang with bright eyes. “The complexity of NPCs in the ‘Owl’ varies.”

Xu Wang received the intense gaze but not the point, anxiously saying, “Can you explain in simpler terms?”

Wu Sheng: “Sure. For instance, if every NPC has its own independent program…”

Xu Wang: “……”

He decided to try to understand it himself. TAT

Wu Sheng: “Then the more realistic NPCs must have more complex algorithms, and these algorithms must closely mimic the human brain to respond to us so naturally.”

“Artificial intelligence?” No matter how Xu Wang heard it, it all boiled down to these two words.

“Something like that.” Wu Sheng couldn’t be certain, but Yuan Zi’s appearance made him start seriously considering this matter.

Xu Wang pondered for a while and shook his head. “No matter how advanced the algorithm, an NPC is still an NPC. Ding Xiaoche didn’t think there was anything wrong with a zombie apocalypse, and Yuan Zi doesn’t even know there are other levels. He probably doesn’t understand the true meaning of a save point. Those words are just settings.”

“That’s exactly the problem!” A flame that refuses to swim freely in the sea of knowledge and insists on stirring up a storm ignited fiercely in Wu Sheng’s eyes. “They have highly advanced algorithms but are only given extremely limited information, like a supercar forever limited to 20 km/h.”

Xu Wang leaned back slightly in his chair to avoid being burned by the flames of inquiry. “Please boldly state your plan.”

Wu Sheng slightly raised the corner of his mouth. In his restrained smile, it contained an unrestrainable spirit of scientific research. “What if we consciously and systematically feed these NPCs external information?”

Xu Wang: “……”

Forced to engage in intellectual and physical battles every night, already exhausting body and soul, likely to encounter fierce opponents tonight, darkening the path ahead, and now, his advisor, wants to teach NPCs how to be human in addition to overcoming challenges.

Life, why are you so hard? TAT

……

At midnight, as the Owl’s hoots sounded as the four companions entered a purple vortex. Unlike the usual dizziness, they zoomed through a time tunnel, finding themselves back in the restroom of a 4S car dealership.

A Lightning Gun, a chainsaw, a screwdriver, and a rocket launcher with only three bomb balls left all returned to their hands.

Oh, right, and an electric shaver.

Wu Sheng handed the rocket launcher back to Kuang Jinxin and picked up the screwdriver himself—last night Kuang Jinxin had just awakened from unconsciousness, and although he seemed fine, carrying the rocket launcher was still a bit of a strain. Moreover, having witnessed the strength of the zombies in the north of the city, they couldn’t afford to let Xiao Kuang only have a screwdriver now.

After swapping weapons, Wu Sheng immediately went to the stall to look for Yuan Zi, ready to implement his “educational philosophy”.

Xu Wang had already briefed Qian Ai and Xiao Kuang on Advisor Wu’s “sharp idea.” Although they felt it was a bit strange to study how to develop artificial intelligence in a magical world, they couldn’t help but feel a subtle sense of anticipation.

However, the stall was empty.

“I should have thought of this,” Wu Sheng lamented.

Even the distribution of zombies changed daily, let alone such important NPCs as save points.

“There will be plenty of opportunities in the 23 levels. You just focus on writing your lesson plan.” Xu Wang patted his advisor’s shoulder, while in his heart, he lit a candle of “study hard and make progress every day*” for the NPCs they would meet in the future.

*A quote by Mao Zedong.

With Yuan Zi gone from the restroom, the hall now had several more cars and a salesperson shivering in the finance office.

Only then did the four companions truly appreciate the cleverness of their save point here.

Yesterday, they were greeted by a 4S shop ravaged by other teams, with only one car left and the salesperson missing.

Today, they were first on the scene, with a variety of car models to choose from!

They didn’t hesitate, picking the most spacious and sturdy luxury 7-seater SUV—the deluxe edition.

Once everyone was seated, Wu Sheng started the car. The SUV left the 4S shop, entered the spacious road, and truly sped off, unstoppable and dominant, like a lord of the land!

Advisor Wu finally understood the joy of Mr. Thirteen of the Middle Ring.

In a blink, they were back on the elevated road, heading west, according to the map.

This time, without any hindrance, they smoothly left the elevated road, passed the art museum, and besides hitting a few zombies, they didn’t encounter any other teams.

“Ten more minutes, and we’ll be at the hospital.” Wu Sheng had the map memorized.

Qian Ai checked his phone. “Today is going too smoothly… Why do I feel uneasy…”

“Our save point is well-chosen.” Kuang Jinxin had always been one to embrace luck, finding constant doubt too taxing. “Having a car right at the start and getting on the viaduct straight from the 4S shop, we must be ahead of all the teams.”

Xu Wang agreed with this view. “In such a short time, teams from the south of the city couldn’t have crossed the river yet, and teams from the north may not have had such convenient conditions as us.”

“What about Yue Shuai’s team? And the ones from the amusement park…” Ever since receiving the warning of a possible encounter tonight, Qian Ai had been constantly thinking about it and quite conflicted at that. Regarding Yue Shuai’s team, he hoped not to meet them, not because of friendship but to avoid combat risks. But for Chi Yingxue’s team, it was the exact opposite; he couldn’t wait to meet them.

“Their save point is elsewhere,” Wu Sheng said. “Even if they’re heading to the hospital, there’s a time difference with us. It’s normal not to encounter them on the way.”

Wu Sheng used the term “time difference”, avoiding a clear statement of “who’s ahead and who’s behind.”

Xu Wang caught the nuance. “Do you think they might be faster than us?”

Wu Sheng replied, “From the Sunshine Theater to the hospital, the distance is about the same as from our side. If Yue Shuai’s team saved after finding a new car, then today they could hit the road in a car like us.”

“If Chi Yingxue’s team also saved, their save point might be even closer.” Xu Wang calmed down. The overly smooth journey had made him unconsciously optimistic, forgetting that crisis is the norm in the “Owl”.

“There might already be several teams at the hospital.” Kuang Jinxin first acknowledged the concerns of the captain and the advisor, then added, “But it’s also possible that no one’s there, just waiting for us!”

Xu Wang smiled, always fond of such positive energy from this little sun. “Let’s hope your words bring good luck.”

Ten minutes later, the road indeed came to an end.

What greeted them was a European-style villa with an exquisite wrought iron railing surrounding the front yard, which was crowded with zombies. The two-meter-high hollowed-out courtyard door had been pushed to the point of collapse.

“Is this… the hospital?” Qian Ai leaned forward from the back seat, peering through the windshield. “Isn’t the decoration a bit too extravagant?”

“No,” Wu Sheng said. “The hospital is behind this villa.”

Reminded by him, the companions noticed the edge of a red cross barely visible above the villa’s roof.

The villa almost completely obscured the hospital. If not for the slight difference in height, it would have been very difficult to spot.

“There’s no villa on the map.” Wu Sheng thought for a moment. “It must be a hidden location, like the amusement park on the river island.”

Qian Ai felt frustrated, like getting a food delivery only to find no chopsticks, wanting to eat but having to wait. “This thing’s blocking the front of the hospital. What do we do?”

“Charge through.” Xu Wang unbuckled his seatbelt.

This villa blocked the last two hundred meters to the hospital. Regardless of which team and from which direction, there were only two choices: go through the villa or give up.

With the captain deciding the strategic direction, the advisor naturally began to devise tactics. “Lure the tiger out of the mountains, enter the tiger’s den, keep an eye on all sides, act according to circumstances.”

The captain then reviewed and deployed. “Okay. Xiao Kuang, later you’ll launch a bomb ball towards the back. When the zombies at the gate are drawn away, we’ll quickly enter, then adapt to the situation inside based on what we encounter.”

Kuang Jinxin: “Why launch it towards the back?”

Xu Wang: “If there are people inside the villa, an explosion too close would alert them. A little farther away is more advantageous for our infiltration.”

Qian Ai: “How did you infer so much from just a few words…”

Half a minute later, Beijing time, Owl time—the SUV quietly parked by the roadside, hidden under dense trees.

A rocket was launched from the rear window, and in the last glimmer of the setting sun, it exploded into a dazzling spectacle.

The crowd of zombies pressing at the iron gate suddenly quieted, then, the next second, a few zombies on the outer edge turned and rushed toward the explosion. Soon, the entire horde scattered, rushing in the opposite direction like a swarm of locusts.

As the last zombie ran past on the road, Xu Wang immediately said, “Get out of the car!”

The four quickly left the SUV, crouching low and sticking to the roadside, swiftly approaching the villa under the cover of tree shadows, reaching the gate in the blink of an eye.

The gate, long tormented by the horde of zombies, was already half-open. Had it not been for their rocket, the villa might have already been hosting a zombie party.

They agilely slipped through the gate, with Wu Sheng bringing up the rear and gently closing it behind them.

Once inside the gate, they faced the main door of the villa itself. Now, that thick wooden door was wide open, revealing a long corridor whose end was obscured, but the sounds of fighting from inside were audible.

Someone had indeed arrived before them.

Just as Xu Wang thought this, his arm suddenly rang with a “ding—”

The other companions experienced the same.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>

Author: 颜凉雨 / Yan Liang Yu

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

Chapter 50: Sunrise

When their captain, gasping for breath, ran up to the second floor to find them, Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin thought something had happened to Wu Sheng. However, they were informed that not only was there no issue, but there was also a big surprise.

With only 9 minutes left until the 5:00 a.m. deadline for the Beijing time challenge, they discovered a save-point NPC in the men’s bathroom.

Seeing all four members gathered, the round-headed NPC got straight to the point and introduced himself. “Just call me Yuan Zi.” He clung to the doorframe, only showing his head, and explained succinctly, “Once the save is successful, you will appear here tomorrow with all the stationery you currently have. The saved record will then disappear. But you can only save once a week.”

“So, you mean that after this save, even if we find a save point again, we can’t save if it’s not been a week?” Xu Wang sought clarification.

“Those who don’t meet the criteria won’t have a chance to save, even if they see me,” Yuan Zi clarified, always referring to himself instead of a ‘save point’.

“What if we submitted our paper on the same day we save? Do we still have to come back here the next day and do it all over again?” Wu Sheng immediately asked, thoughtfully adding follow-up questions, “If we need to repeat, does the same apply if we fail? And if we don’t need to repeat, does that mean the save record for this level wasn’t read or has automatically disappeared? Then, can we save again at the next level within a week?”

Xu Wang had just grasped Yuan Zi’s rules when he was dragged into a forest of ‘hypotheses’ and ‘ifs’ by his logic-strong advisor, making it hard to see the path clearly.

He thought, luckily Yuan Zi is an NPC; if he were a real person, it would probably take half a day to untangle Wu Sheng’s questions.

To their surprise, Yuan Zi also looked confused, with his mouth half open and his eyes blank.

“What do you mean by the next level?” he asked.

This unexpected response silenced Wu Sheng.

Xu Wang realized he was mistaken. Yuan Zi didn’t need to understand Wu Sheng’s questions because even the basis of Wu Sheng’s queries was a blank slate to Yuan Zi.

“Ugh, you guys are so slow. Do you want to save or not?” Yuan Zi grew impatient, stretching out another hand from the stall. “To save, give me your hand; to refuse, say it out loud!”

The four teammates exchanged glances and unanimously stepped forward.

No one would oppose a hidden reward.

Four hands, one on top of the other, fell into Yuan Zi’s plump palm. The save NPC was insistent on not stepping out of the stall. He stood in front of the toilet, holding their hands, closed his eyes, and started chanting.

“Save the present, continue the tied fate. Though the path is thorny and dangerous, may the road ahead be safe.”

As his words ended, a faint golden light emitted from the owl tattoos on all four arms. The light converged into a beam, turning from pale gold to gold, shooting upwards before dispersing like golden raindrops hitting the ceiling.

“Ding—”

Xu Wang’s [Stationery Box]: Acquired [(Defense) Aladdin’s Magic Carpet]

Wu Sheng’s [Stationery Box]: Acquired [(Offense) The Flood Overwhelms the Dragon King’s Temple*]

*(大水冲了龙王庙) Idiom referring to a situation where conflicts arise between people on one’s own side (basically, internal conflict).

Qian Ai’s [Stationery Box]: Acquired [(Offense) Swish Swish Hidden Blade*]

*The term used (袖里剑) is usually referred to these type of blades (you often see in Assassin’s Creed).

Kuang Jinxin’s [Stationery Box]: Acquired [(Illusory) Kong Rong Giving Up Pears*]

*(孔融让梨) Idiom derives from a story about Kong Rong. The story goes that when he was a child, he would always pick the smallest pear and give the bigger ones to his siblings. When asked why, he said as an older brother, he should let the younger siblings have the bigger pears, and as a younger brother, he should respect his older siblings and let them have the bigger pears. The story is used to illustrate moral common sense, so people should abide by public order and good customs.

“Ding—”

[Cheat Sheet]: Save successful.

After the last drop of “golden rain” fell, the bathroom returned to the night, but the four teammates were still reeling from the surprise.

They were prepared for the save success notification, but receiving a piece of stationery each was unexpected. Was this a reward for finding the save point?

Just as Xu Wang was about to ask Yuan Zi, the third and fourth “dings” rang in unison on all four arms.

The arrival of two new messages was almost seamless.

[Report Card]: [Total Scoreboard] This week’s rewards have been distributed.

[Report Card]: [Total Scoreboard] Please open and check promptly.

Xu Wang was somewhat dazed by the barrage of notifications.

Since leaving the first challenge, they hadn’t received any notifications from the [Report Card]. More importantly, even in the first challenge, the information they received was only about other teams’ submissions. The two sub-options under the [Report Card], [Total Scoreboard] and [Submission Speed Board], had been unclickable and grayed out since they entered the “Owl.”

Now, unexpectedly, the [Total Scoreboard] opened up, and that too just 2 minutes before the 5:00 a.m. deadline.

A test of quick memorization skills!

Xu Wang had no time to ponder further and quickly opened the leaderboard.

[Total Scoreboard]

Top 1 – Fan Peiyang, Teng Ziyan, Wan Fengmang, Zhang Qian, Zheng Luozhu (11/23)

Top 2 – Fang Jin, Fei Fan, Li Deng, Shao Jingyi, Yin Hengjia (10/23)

Top 3 – Chen Guan, Gu Nian, Jiang Dachuan, Kong Lizhe, Wang Duanran (10/23)

Top 4 – Fu Wenqing, He Lianshan, Qin Rui, Wu Yanchao, Zhao Muchen (9/23)

Top 5 – Feng Rang, Ji Yunlei, Wei Menghan, Zhu Mo, Zou Jun (8/23)

The leaderboard was simpler than imagined, displaying only the top five teams receiving rewards, ranked by their real-time scores at the moment of the announcement.

Just as Xu Wang skimmed through the names, the challenge deadline arrived.

After a dizzying spin, they found themselves back inside the scenic area.

At the Yellow River’s mouth in the early morning, dawn was about to break. In the far distance where the water met the sky, a faint yellow light was emerging.

Peaceful, comfortable, with a cool morning breeze.

The apocalyptic city, stained with blood and filled with howls, seemed like a world away.

However, though they had returned, the teammates’ minds were still hanging on that last-minute leaderboard.

Kuang Jinxin was the first to speak up, always asking when he didn’t understand. “Why are there five people in each team on the leaderboard?”

“Maybe we need more team members in the later stages,” Qian Ai guessed, not sure himself.

“And what about the ‘weekly reward’?” Kuang Jinxin asked again. “Does it mean that every week the top five teams get a reward?”

“Yes, once a week,” Qian Ai replied, and then realized something was off. “Haven’t you seen it before?”

Kuang Jinxin was puzzled. “Have you?”

Qian Ai suddenly remembered he had entered the “Owl” earlier than his three teammates and quickly explained, “Before teaming up with you, I saw the leaderboard once. At that time, the first place had a score of…” He pondered, finally catching a fragment of memory. “Right, 10/23.”

Kuang Jinxin frowned. “But Mao Qiping said the strongest team had reached the thirteenth stage. The first place we just saw was only at 11/23.”

“They must have failed in 14/23 and fallen back,” Qian Ai said.

Xu Wang didn’t speak, but his mind was clear.

He, Wu Sheng, and Kuang Jinxin had entered the “Owl” on the same day, and it had been exactly seven nights—a full week. For Qian Ai, who entered a few days earlier, the last time he saw the leaderboard must have been the night before they were sucked into the “Owl”.

Seeing Kuang Jinxin still frowning, Xu Wang, having thought it through, continued Qian Ai’s explanation: “What we saw on the leaderboard are the current top five real-time scores. The level they reached before isn’t the standard for awarding rewards.”

Kuang Jinxin still felt it was unfair. “If I’m in the top five for a week but fail at the last moment before the reward is given, fall back three levels, and drop out of the top five, wouldn’t that be unjust?”

“It’s because the scores are always changing, and there’s no absolute fair standard, so they just cut it off,” Wu Sheng said, lifting his head from his thoughts. “Since the reward time is fixed, if you’re afraid of missing out, you could just go to the Endless Sea and enjoy the breeze that day.”

Kuang Jinxin’s eyes lit up with admiration. “Sheng Ge, you’re so cunning.”

Wu Sheng: “……”

Sincerely praising with a derogatory word indeed left the recipient with mixed feelings.

Exhausted and weary, the four teammates were in no mood to wait for the sunrise. After a brief chat, they headed back.

Unexpectedly, they had walked until dawn towards the sunrise over the Yellow River, yet they hadn’t left the scenic area.

The journey from the south of the city to the north of the city wasn’t in vain.

So they changed from hurrying to a leisurely walk, stopping now and then to admire the sunrise, the wetlands, and various waterbirds—a mix of labor and leisure to avoid leg fatigue the next night.

Sometimes, fate arrives, and it’s unstoppable.

During their carefree walk, passing through a reed marsh, they encountered “old friends”.

Yue Shuai with his buzz cut, Su Mingzhan with his student haircut, Tao Anan in his fisherman’s hat, and Wei Tianhang with his braids. The lineup was orderly, but compared to when they parted, they looked much more haggard.

Even so, Xu Wang instinctively halted, preventing his teammates from moving forward.

Seeing their reaction, Yue Shuai was speechless. “It’s not the ‘Owl’ anymore. Even if I wanted you guys to keep jumping, it wouldn’t comply with scientific laws.”

For Yue Shuai and his team, encountering opponents from the “Owl” in the real world was common, but for Xu Wang and his team, it was a first-time experience. It was a peculiar feeling, as if the boundary between the “Owl” and reality had blurred.

Xu Wang shook his head to clear it, adjusting his mindset to return to reality before taking a fresh look at the four “old friends”. He tentatively asked, “Didn’t complete your submission?”

Wei Tianhang huffed angrily. Yue Shuai raised an eyebrow in annoyance. “What makes you think that?”

Xu Wang shrugged and shook his head. “Well, messy hair, dirty faces, blood all over… You don’t exactly look like ‘victorious soldiers’.”

Yue Shuai, irritated, retorted, “Before talking about others, maybe you should take a picture of yourselves with your phone…”

“Did you guys successfully submit?” Su Mingzhan sharply caught the hint of triumph in Xu Wang’s eyes.

Xu Wang paused, then composed himself with an air of regret. “No, time was up, and we got ejected.”

Su Mingzhan looked at him skeptically.

Xu Wang stood proudly, his posture screaming innocence.

Su Mingzhan then observed the others.

Wu Sheng, hands in pockets, gazed at the sunrise at a 45-degree angle, exuding an air of unmatched handsomeness.

Qian Ai picked up a blade of grass and teased Kuang Jinxin with it.

Kuang Jinxin, tickled by the grass, laughed while retaliating with another blade.

Su Mingzhan suddenly didn’t want to admit that their team had nearly missed the boat yesterday because of these four.

“We did too.” Yue Shuai spoke up again, as his teammates didn’t notice any flaws. “Time was up, and we were forced out.”

Xu Wang sighed. “So you guys are going back three stages?”

Yue Shuai raised an eyebrow. “Aren’t you?”

Xu Wang admitted, “Yes.”

Yue Shuai shrugged. “Then that’s that.”

Xu Wang: “……”

Yue Shuai: “……”

Xu Wang: “Why are you looking at the reeds?”

Yue Shuai: “Appreciating nature’s beauty.”

Yue Shuai: “Why are you watching the sunrise?”

Xu Wang: “Absorbing the energy of the universe.”

Xu Wang: “……”

Yue Shuai: “……”

Xu Wang: “Shall we trust each other one last time?”

Yue Shuai: “I think so.”

Su Mingzhan: “One, two, three.”

Xu Wang, Yue Shuai: “Actually, we didn’t leave.”

Xu Wang, Yue Shuai: “You found a save point too?!”

Su Mingzhan: “Why don’t you two team up?”

Wu Sheng: “Absolutely not.”

The compatibility of auras is a mysterious thing.

In the “Owl”, they had formed a deep enmity over a single jump, but back in reality, seeing each other’s equally disheveled state, the past seemed distant. After all, no one had taken it easy on anyone, and no one had reaped benefits without suffering.

With the discovery of the save point, there was nothing they couldn’t discuss. The two teams mixed and walked together along a path, avoiding the main road, heading towards the exit of the scenic area.

Throughout their journey, the two team leaders chatted, naturally touching upon the 59-minute mark at the Sunshine Theatre and the battle at the amusement park.

Xu Wang: “59 minutes is just heart-wrenching! What happened afterward?”

Yue Shuai: “Ever played with beach balls?”

Xu Wang: “The punishment for failing is to play with them?”

Yue Shuai: “Replace the ocean balls with zombies.”

Xu Wang: “……”

Yue Shuai: “And you guys? Really made it through those psychos?”

Xu Wang: “Genuine.”

Yue Shuai: “……”

Xu Wang: “What’s that look?”

Yue Shuai: “Jealousy.”

Xu Wang: “……”

Yue Shuai: “You said you’ve only been here for a week?”

Xu Wang: “Right.”

Yue Shuai: “Then you guys are really impressive.”

Xu Wang: “Your sudden honesty and straightforwardness is a bit unsettling for me…”

Learning that Yue Shuai’s team had saved their game at the Sunshine Theatre, Xu Wang was genuinely surprised. “There’s more than one save point?”

“It seems so,” Yue Shuai said.

Xu Wang noticed the uncertainty in his tone and looked at him questioningly.

Yue Shuai conceded, speaking truthfully. “It’s also our first time discovering this save thing.”

“And before that…”

“We fell back when we failed.”

“Oh.”

“Oh? What kind of reaction is that?”

“Deep sympathy.”

“……”

“But not every stage might have a save point,” Wu Sheng interjected assertively. “Based on my observation, this stage is very time-consuming. If I were the designer, I would also set a save point here. But like the previous stage, which was entirely on a plane and had 5 hours to figure out a password, the time was sufficient. In my opinion, there’s no need for a save point there. Otherwise, the difficulty of submitting would be too low.”

“Based on my observation? In my opinion?” Xu Wang turned his head to look at Wu Sheng, who was now standing shoulder-to-shoulder with them. “Can you provide some objective evidence?”

Wu Sheng tilted his head. “Isn’t my deduction convincing enough?”

Xu Wang: “……”

The way Wu Sheng emphasized “my” sounded too much like “this king”. =_=

Yue Shuai was about to discuss Wu Sheng’s deduction when Su Mingzhan suddenly pulled him aside.

“What’s up?” Yue Shuai was confused.

Su Mingzhan glanced at him. “One should know oneself.”

Yue Shuai was even more baffled.

Su Mingzhan sighed. “In a group of three, there’s always a third wheel.”

Yue Shuai was startled, then looked down at himself. “Me?” Then he looked at the two still bickering ahead. “Them?”

Su Mingzhan nodded approvingly. “Correct division.”

Yue Shuai suddenly understood. “No wonder I always felt that Wu guy was glaring at me.”

Su Mingzhan: “You’re welcome.”

Yue Shuai: “I haven’t even thanked you yet…”

Following the four were Tao Anan and Wei Tianhang, walking side by side, and Qian Ai and Kuang Jinxin, who were immersed in enjoying the scenery.

Wei Tianhang: “Do you think the captain has realized that A’Su always has his arm around him?”

Tao Anan: “Probably not. Our captain thinks in a single thread; he can’t focus on ‘talking’ and ‘noticing an arm’ at the same time.”

Wei Tianhang: “How did we even choose our captain…”

The eight of them, dirty and blood-stained, finally made their way out of the scenic area via a back route. Fortunately, it was still early, and there were few pedestrians outside. However, the taxi driver who was called by the taxi app was scared stiff. After much persuasion and explanation, they managed to avoid being refused service.

Back in Huanghekou Town, the two teams went their separate ways, each returning to their hotels without any warm dinner plans.

There might be a confrontation again in the evening—getting too emotionally involved wasn’t a good idea.

<<< || Table of Contents || >>>