Chapter 80: Zombie Siege (Part 2)

Chapter 80: Zombie Siege (Part 2)

Under the dark night sky, on a road that hadn't seen visitors in a long while, an ancient black Hongqi sedan raced forward.

This car, repaired and modified countless times, stood as a testament to the resourcefulness in the post-apocalyptic world. Leaders with foresight preserved vital factories, with the largest and most populated Base One reportedly housing a fundamental electronic factory underground. However, industries like automotive and aviation, which were relatively less cost-effective, had vanished entirely.

The vehicle they were driving was Base Thirteen's only functional one, having had all its parts replaced and reinforced with thick steel plates.

The interior was not cramped. Nie Shuangshuang was driving, while Xie Fangcheng sat in the passenger seat, on the verge of dozing off.

The trio had directly rushed to fight zombies after entering the instance dungeon, thus, they were not particularly familiar with the current circumstances.

Wei Yuan was exchanging information with Tao Youyuan.

"When we, a hundred players, entered, we assumed it was a typical zombie instance, with the difficulty lying only in killing zombies to earn base points and survive within the base. But we really didn't anticipate..."

The difficulty of a level-three instance for a hundred players wasn't minor; they had indeed found the situation challenging after entering the thirteenth human base.

However, this difficulty arose merely from individual power deficiencies.

For these newcomers to survive in the base, they needed to accumulate base points. Zombies were classified from level 1 to 5, with scores determined by the grade of the crystal cores obtained.

Correspondingly, the abilities of human mutants have also been graded from 1 to 5. Initially, each base had a level 5 powerhouse overseeing it, but as time passed, all level 5 powerhouses have perished. Currently, the strongest among humans are at level 4.

Daring to venture into a level 3 instance, most players possess around level 3 abilities. Like Tao Youyuan, his strength is among the highest in this batch of players, almost equivalent to a level 4 strength found in human NPCs.

"At first, it was manageable. Some players would form teams to hunt zombies, while others with lesser abilities could find some minor tasks to do within the base... That was until the news arrived. In the 13-7 sector, which is 6 kilometers away from the base and where we are heading, a briefcase belonging to the late Dr. He, who died two months ago, was found. It is rumored to contain a virus vaccine he had developed."

In the initial stages of the apocalypse, there was a persistent wave of efforts in researching the zombie virus vaccine, with breakthroughs reported by various research institutes and scientists now and then.

However, as it turned out, these developments were all futile.

No one knows the origin of the zombie virus, nor how to cure it. It is only known that the virus grants the dead the ability to move, even amplifying their strength and lethality. Those bitten by zombies would turn into new zombies.

As time went by, the situation grew more dire. Despite relentless efforts in research, it reached a bottleneck.

News regarding the "development of a vaccine" hasn't emerged for many years. The sudden arrival of this news met with skepticism among the base dwellers, yet many players have come to believe it.

This is a great opportunity to earn points in the instance, isn't it?

In the end, this is a horror game, fundamentally still a game. While the background NPCs had no progress after many years, it's quite normal for the protagonists, the players, to achieve breakthroughs once they enter the scene.

Consequently, many players accepted the mission to "retrieve the doctor's briefcase", heading to the city of zombies in droves.

For every person who went, one person died; for every pair who went, a pair died.

Tao Youyuan managed a wry smile, "Initially, everyone thought those who died were simply not strong enough, but when no one returned regardless of the numbers, people realized something was amiss."

At that moment, a man in his twenties or thirties, wearing glasses and who had been silent all along, snorted disdainfully, "I warned them early on that this could very likely be a trap."

It was then that Wei Yuan turned his attention to him.

Upon arrival, everyone had been watching performances by Jie Fangcheng and Nie Shuangshuang, having hardly interacted with other players.

Tao Youyuan hurriedly introduced everyone around.

"This is also a member of our 'Cozy Cat Climbing Frame' team, Yi Zenan. Despite his young age, he was a doctoral student at a prestigious university, very intelligent. He managed to dissuade many players when the news about the briefcase arrived, preventing a total wipeout of our forces."

Wei Yuan nodded at him courteously, "Hello, I'm Wei Yuan, currently the leader of the Ronghua Guild. My core skill is [Earth's Breath], specializing in defense."

This form of introduction is customary among veteran players like Wei Yuan and Nie Shuangshuang, who have personal core skills.

Nie Shuangshuang truly has a "core skill". Her [Flame Heart] skill is a tiered skill. Possessing such a tiered skill means that other individual skills obtained from instances have a high probability of being related to the core skill.

Once the core skill becomes ineffective, the potency of other skills would drastically decrease.

However, for average players like Wei Yuan, even though they don't have tiered skills, the rare skills they do possess are exceptionally powerful, crafting their skill trees centered around these potent skills.

Wei Yuan is a case in point.

His skills are varied, but ever since acquiring [Earth's Breath], his personal style has gravitated more towards defense rather than offense, gradually earning him the nickname "The Boulder".

When introducing themselves, such expert players habitually mention their strengths to facilitate collaboration with teammates.

Ordinary players without prominent skills wouldn't mention these during their self-introductions.

The name Yi Zeinan is quite unique; Wei Yuan hasn't heard it before, probably not a veteran.

Sure enough, Yi Zeinan began introducing himself the next moment.

"Yi Zeinan, cleared the levels 5 times."

Oh, a newcomer.

Just as Wei Yuan was pondering this, the young man in front of him continued speaking.

"Core skill【Divine Insight】, specializes in strategy."

Tao Youyuan explained on the side: "Despite Yi's few number of clears, he's truly formidable. If it weren't for him, the seven of us might have been dead by now. After the incident with the doctor's briefcase, we lost half of our team. The base kept recklessly sending people out, urging the superhumans to search for the vaccine at the 'Smiling Building'. It was Yi who convinced the base's high command, allowing us to stay at the base."

Nie Shuangshuang gave him a glance through the rearview mirror.

Yi Zeinan appeared to be highly intelligent at first glance, with fair skin and acne on his face, resembling a typical academic talent.

Now, with Tao Youyuan praising him like this by his side, the man only gave a slight nod: "I didn't do much, just discussed the pros and cons of the situation with the NPCs."

Tao Youyuan laughed: "Haha, Yi tends to be quite modest, huh."

Nie Shuangshuang: "......"

Is this considered modesty?

Since getting on the vehicle, Yi Zeinan had been silent, arms crossed and leaning against the door, his expression constantly carrying a faint disdain. Nie Shuangshuang felt uncomfortable the moment she laid eyes on him.

Suddenly, Xie Fangcheng, who was in the passenger seat, turned around as if he just woke up, cheerfully inquiring: "You're also good at strategizing, aren't you?"

"'Also'?" Yi Zeinan immediately caught the hidden implication in his words.

Yi Zeinan held a fair amount of respect for this strange yet highly capable player.

He gave a faint smile: "Does Mr. Xie know any other individuals who are adept strategists?"

"Oh, I know one."

"Is that so." Yi Zeinan responded indifferently, then fell silent.

His arrogant demeanor was too apparent, even Tao Youyuan, who had been smoothing things over for him, felt somewhat uneasy.

Yi Zeinan was a promising talent discovered by him. Previously, Tao Youyuan took a friend of his to a lower level, where they encountered this young man.

Unlike other novice players who were terrified and unable to recover from the trauma of death, this newcomer named Yi Zeinan remained calm throughout. At that time, he had neither skills nor items, yet proved his worth.

— This person was very sharp-witted and had a knack for pinpointing the crux of matters.

With a final dungeon clearance rate of 37%, it can be said that this high rate relies half on Tao Youyuan's capabilities and half on this young man's intelligence.

Without a second word, Tao Youyuan pulled him into his guild, even went through great lengths to help him farm dungeons and acquire skills. The young man hasn't even said a "thank you", only promising blandly.

"Once I acquire more skills, I'll take you to tackle the level-five dungeon."

That was what he said.

Tao Youyuan was taken aback at the time but nodded with a smile: "Absolutely."

He knew well that this person had the capital to be arrogant.

Yi Zeinan was incredibly shrewd; although his current capabilities are average, he certainly has great potential for the future.

Soon, in preparation for the nationwide dungeon, Tao Youyuan led several guild members to undertake level-three dungeons to replenish skills and items.

Qi Chanyang, a player who has cleared the dungeons six times, had rather average abilities, but Tao Youyuan knew he was meticulous and had good relations with others.

Never underestimate the phrase "good relations". After reaching this level in the dungeon, Tao Youyuan, even in the thirteenth base, is considered one of the experts, yet he is merely a team leader.

Qi Chanyang managed to quickly rise to the rank of team leader with his abilities, relying solely on his personal charm.

Initially, Tao Youyuan planned to only bring the "newbie" Qi Chanyang, but after hearing that Yi Zeinan also wanted to come, he agreed after some thought.

After entering the dungeon, Yi Zeinan indeed played a significant role; without him, they would have been gone long ago.

But this person's arrogant character is really... becoming more and more apparent.

Tao Youyuan frowned deeply, yet soon relaxed his expression.

He awkwardly changed the topic: "Brother Xie, you're truly formidable. What skill were you using this afternoon?"

Something like a combined harvester or something?

"Huh? No skill." Xie Fangcheng scratched his head.

Tao Youyuan understood.

This Xie Fangcheng, although seeming brainless and brute-like on the surface, actually maintains a considerable degree of caution.

His question indeed lacked discretion.

Seeing Tao Youyuan's expression, Nie Shuangshuang knew what he was thinking and couldn't help but laugh.

"Don't mind him, he's purely a newbie, doesn't know anything. Just know that he can fight really well."

Tao Youyuan broke out in a cold sweat.

This kind of ability and he's still considered a newbie???

Xie Fangcheng wasn't convinced: "I've already cleared the dungeons three times, shouldn't that qualify me as a veteran player?"

Nie Shuangshuang sneered, "A veteran player, you say? Do you even know the name of the president of the Chaoyang Guild?"

Tao Youyuan paused momentarily.

How could one not know? The Chaoyang Guild is the premier guild, and Ji Chaoyang is atop the points leaderboard. Even those who have completed the dungeons a couple of times should know this.

Xie Fangcheng waved dismissively, "Why should I care about the Chaoyang Guild when I don't even affiliate with them?"

Nie Shuangshuang let out another disdainful chuckle.

Xie Fangcheng asked, "So, do you know how to clear this dungeon?"

Nie Shuangshuang remained silent.

Xie Fangcheng scoffed, "See, even you, a so-called veteran player, are at a loss!"

Just then, Yi Zeinan, who was in the back seat, couldn't help but speak up: "I know how to clear it."

"What?" Xie Fangcheng turned his head around.

Not just him, everyone in the car couldn't help but turn their gaze towards Yi Zeinan.

Yi Zeinan began, "Our objective is to survive in the dungeon for thirty days, and we are already halfway through. If you ask me, with both your and Nie Shuangshuang's formidable strengths, there's absolutely no need to rely on any human bases. We just need to gather sufficient supplies, have this car, and we can easily pass the remaining fourteen days anywhere we want. If those human NPCs want to perish alongside the zombies, it's their choice. Why should we complicate matters?"

Xie Fangcheng looked at him.

For some reason, Yi Zeinan felt a flutter in his heart. Quickly, he adjusted his glasses.

"This dungeon suits you well. If you want to earn more points, we can stay near the City of the Dead to conveniently farm points."

Tao Youyuan froze for a moment, his interest piqued almost instantly.

Right!

Why did they have to return to the human base?

Xie Fangcheng and Nie Shuangshuang were powerful, but could they kill all the zombies? Was that even possible?

Even if it was possible, why go through such strenuous effort?

The human base initially existed not as a stronghold against zombies.

Zombies can sense the presence of the living; the more humans congregate, the more zombies are attracted to the area.

The lost city they were heading to was initially a small base, which due to the high concentration of humans, attracted an influx of zombies, eventually leading a level-five zombie there and causing the entire base to vanish.

The primary reason for a base's existence was to provide protection for the weaker population by those with greater abilities.

Currently, including Xie Fangcheng and the other two, there were only ten players left, a stark contrast to the human base's populace. Zombies are instinctively more inclined to lurk near human bases, thus their risk factor isn't considered high.

Arrogant as Yi Zeinan may be, he indeed had the knack to grasp the essence of the matter promptly. Quite a sharp mind, indeed!

While Tao Youyuan was pondering over this, Xie Fangcheng shook his head decidedly.

"No."

Yi Zeinan was taken aback, "Why not? This is the most convenient and safest method, saving much more trouble compared to your plan of annihilating all the zombies!"

"What about those human NPCs then?" Xie Fangcheng inquired.

Yi Zeinan chuckled, "You are indeed a newbie, Brother Xie. That's how dungeons work. After we clear it, everything resets. From the NPCs' perspective, even if you assist them in eradicating zombies or reconstructing their home... or even restore their world to pre-apocalyptic times, it's futile. Once we leave and the dungeon restarts, they will revert to their original state. There's no need."

"There is a need."

"..." Since entering the game, Yi Zeinan had been constantly coddled. He sneered coldly, "Brother Xie, you really are... quite naïve, aren't you? You know, I've tried to dissuade players seeking the vaccine, but they didn't listen."

Xie Fangcheng nodded, "There might be something you are unaware of."

"What?"

Xie Fangcheng stared at him, "Generally, those who speak to me in such a manner end up dead."

Yi Zeinan: "..."

Xie Fangcheng stretched out his index finger, pointing at him from a distance, "You better watch yourself, young man."

.

After Xie Fangcheng's words, Yi Zeinan indeed stopped talking.

Holding the steering wheel with one hand, Nie Shuangshuang gave him a thumbs up with the other.

It wasn't clear whether Yi Zeinan was really smart, but his personality was truly irritating!

Though during the last dungeon Nie Shuangshuang frequently found someone incredibly annoying, at this moment she couldn't help but miss him quite a bit.

Zhang... Shengdaoan would sometimes exhibit subtle disdain that he couldn't quite conceal, but at least he maintained a level of decorum. Even when his remarks carried a tinge of sarcasm or indirect insults, most of the time Nie Shuangshuang couldn't fully comprehend them, only sensing a vague notion of being scolded.

Moreover, judging by his modus operandi, he could be quite ruthless, but being on his team meant assured protection.

Yi Zeinan's prowess was just mediocre — for some reason, Nie Shuangshuang had this intuition that if it were Shengdaoan who had entered this dungeon from the start, most of the players would still be alive by now.

Ruthless as he might be, those who had opposed him like Sun Yan would vouch for his impressive strategic mind.

Yi Zeinan's stratagems weren't anything special. With only a few players left, he still fancied himself as quite remarkable.

True strength would resemble that of Xie Fangcheng or Shengdaoan, saving the majority of people!

His personality is simply too off-putting!

After intimidating him, Xie Fangcheng slumped back in the passenger seat, drifting in and out of slumber. After driving for a while, the vehicle came to a halt on the road.

"There's a tree up ahead," Nie Shuangshuang remarked.

Before Xie Fangcheng could exit the vehicle, Wei Yuan was the first to open the car door.

"I'll handle it."

Once out, he stretched both arms towards the ground. Soon, the earth began to churn, loosening the soil under the tree as if it was a quagmire, swiftly engulfing the tree that blocked their path.

"Let's move."

No sooner had Wei Yuan begun to rise than a sudden surge of dread caused him to dart away abruptly. A venomous spike emerged from the ground at the spot he had just vacated.

"We have an aberrant zombie on our hands! Be cautious!" Tao Youyuan hastily scrambled out of the car.

With a touch to his system backpack, a gun materialized in his hand.

【Item: Ancestral AK48·Rare】

【Description: An advanced version of the □□, don't underestimate this □□ piece, history has proven that with courage, even the bayonet mounted on the □□ can be extremely sharp!】

【Hint: Let the bullets fly for a while, get it?】

【Function: Do you really need an explanation for what a gun is used for?】

【Special Attribute: Automatically reloads bullets over time (117/200)】

Soon, a colossal figure appeared before their eyes.

From the forest flanking the road, a grotesque zombie, as corpulent as a small hill and sporting five or six heads, staggered forth.

Tao Youyuan's complexion changed drastically.

"A level four zombie..."

Zombies and human abilities are both classified into levels one to five, but these are just categorizations.

To take down a level four zombie, it would barely be within the capabilities of three or four level four ability users.

At this moment...

Before Tao Youyuan could formulate a plan, a flash of red light caught his eye.

Nie Shuangshuang charged at breakneck speed towards the zombie, drawing its attention.

Seizing the opportunity as the zombie turned its heads, Xie Fangcheng arrived, albeit a bit late.

In comparison to the gigantic creature, which towered nearly three to four meters high, his figure seemed as insignificant as a kitten or a puppy at the zombie's feet.

But in the next moment, Xie Fangcheng swung a rod fiercely—

——"Bang"!

The gigantic zombie, towering as high as three to four meters and resembling a small hill, flew incredibly fast before landing over ten meters away from the group. From afar, they saw it twitch twice before lying motionless.

Tao Youyuan: "..."

Nie Shuangshuang had witnessed how he single-handedly dismantled the city lord's mansion and how he filled the well at the inn.

At this moment, her expression remained tranquil as she swiftly drifted back.

"Let's go! The sooner we finish this, the sooner we can return." Her voice betrayed a sense of familiarity with such bizarre occurrences.

Xie Fangcheng was about to nod when suddenly he lifted his foot sharply.

On the ground, a sharp venomous spike shot out.

Tao Youyuan's face underwent a drastic change.

"There's another one! It might be underground!!"

Without hesitation, Wei Yuan extended his hand, ready to activate his special ability.

But it seemed to be too late.

"Boom-boom-boom—"

The ground, as fragile as crumbled tofu, suddenly split open, creating a massive chasm three to four meters wide. Its length was unfathomable, almost as if the whole terrain had been cleaved in two.

The ground had split open so swiftly that Xie Fangcheng found himself straddling the divide. Before he could even utter an "Ah!" he fell in.

"Damn it!"

Even Nie Shuangshuang was startled for a moment, rapidly moving closer.

The gaping mouth of the chasm was pitch-black, resembling a deep abyss.

Two enormous yellow pupils, belonging to a zombie, met her gaze; its gigantic mouth, resembling that of a shark, was wide open... No, it was a shark's mouth, spanning over three meters in length, slowly closing at this moment.

It seemed to be savoring a taste, smacking its lips casually.

"Stop gawking and run!" Tao Youyuan yelled as he sprinted backwards, "This is a level five zombie 'Earth Shark'! It has previously annihilated a small base!!"

The Earth Shark, known to lurk underground, possessed a massive form. Rumored to be the result of a shark that turned into a zombie and then fused with over a hundred humanoid zombies, its formidable strength sent shudders through countless bases upon mention.

Any level five zombie was exceedingly difficult to handle. Even during times when human NPCs were relatively strong, it took several level five ability users to fend off the attack of a single level five zombie.

Although Xie Fangcheng was powerful, falling into the Earth Shark's mouth so unguarded spelled more danger than safety.

They must quickly distance themselves further, lest they too perish in the maw of this level five zombie.

A wave of sorrow surged within Tao Youyuan's heart.

The zombie's strength is formidable, it remains unclear whether they can truly escape or not—

"Thud! Thud! Thud!"

"Roar———"

It felt as if an earthquake was taking place—

The Earth Shark underground hadn't yet tasted the flesh of the living when it began writhing and screaming in agony.

Mere seconds later, its massive body that was still contorting suddenly burst open as if struck by a bomb. The explosion sent chunks of rotten flesh flying onto the surface, landing in large pieces all around, its body torn to shreds.

A man wielding a stick emerged from the split-open corpse of the creature.

Nie Shuangshuang was just about to slam down a hand seal she had formed, fully aware that she couldn't kill the zombie but ready to flee after the strike. However, seeing Xie Fangcheng, she was shocked again, "Damn! You're still alive? Are you even human??"

Reflecting on the situation, she admitted that she would have probably died instantly given the abruptness of the attack.

Even at her peak, she would have been severely injured, if not dead.

This Xie is really something! How could he emerge so quickly??

Xie Fangcheng's face was pitch-black.

Opening his mouth to speak, he instead bent down first, saying, "yue——"