Pulling out a brick in this situation was admittedly a bit low-class.
But Ling Mo had nothing else.
His current manifestation list held barely any weapon-worthy items—nothing even remotely decent. Even this brick was chosen only after careful screening for its killing power.
At the very least, it packed a solid punch when swung at someone’s head.
“Want one?” After a brief pause, he offered the brick to Xia Xinyan.
If zombies surrounded them, they’d be sitting ducks in the car—a literal “Meat Can.” With zombies’ unreasonable infection mechanic, a brick was still safer than bare-handed combat.
—That was his reasoning.
Xia Xinyan’s emotions churned as she stared at the offered brick.
Something felt off about the gesture, yet she couldn’t pinpoint what.
Frankly, she almost wanted to call him an idiot.
Seeing she didn’t take it, Ling Mo silently withdrew the brick.
He didn’t overthink it—just assumed she didn’t know how to use a brick. She was a girl; lacking knack for this was normal.
Besides, the image of a girl swinging a brick felt… uncanny.
Thankfully, the outside situation didn’t spiral immediately. The man who’d knocked down the officer was swiftly pulled away and arrested by backup. The injured officer was loaded into an ambulance. Once calm returned, the road remained jammed solid.
Ling Mo hesitated. “That’s it?”
That guy didn’t seem like a zombie?
Xia Xinyan scanned their surroundings and murmured, “Don’t let your guard down.”
The road stayed completely gridlocked. With no new game prompts, this place was far from safe.
Maybe that guy was just the beginning.
—And she was right.
The commotion drew drivers from their cars. Xia Xinyan spotted a familiar face—one of the players from the preparation hall.
The next second, that player was slammed airborne by a heavyset figure lunging from behind a car.
Looked painful.
Like a signal. Suddenly, screaming attackers charged innocent bystanders—literally ramming them. Each lunged at high speed, delivering a rocket-powered headbutt straight to the abdomen, like a human cannonball.
For the frail, it could mean instant death.
Chaos erupted. Even with windows closed, screams and howls seeped in. Drivers trying to flee were headbutted mid-turn. One unlucky man crashed onto their hood, leaving a human-shaped dent.
Ling Mo jolted, gripping the brick tighter. “What the hell is going on?!”
A zombie outbreak?!
No—they showed zero zombie traits, didn’t even bite.
A headbutt virus?
Before he could process it, a garbage truck plowed through nearby cars behind them, brute-forcing a path forward.
Straight out of a movie. Instinct kicked in—Ling Mo slammed the accelerator, following the truck through the cleared path to escape the traffic nightmare.
A new prompt flashed before them:
[Current Mission: Survive Until Day Two]
[News Flash: City in chaos. Mayor urges citizens to shelter indoors. Use available weapons for self-defense when attacked.]
Ling Mo’s panic rose. “What do we do now?”
He had little real-world crisis experience.
He’d played many games, but few dumped players into a vast world with such a vague mission. Honestly? If this game existed IRL, players would’ve rage-quit it into shutdown.
This game’s tutorial was genuinely terrible.
Xia Xinyan checked the navigation. “Police station. See if we can grab firearms.”
Their last dungeon’s guns were nearly out of ammo. Unsure if firearms even worked here, they’d left them behind.
A game inventory would’ve helped—but it unlocks only after clearing the second warzone dungeon. Until then: travel light, choose wisely.
Sneaking into the station for weapons was the smart move. A ranged option brought peace of mind.
Especially when neither was particularly strong.
Ling Mo hesitated. “Police station? Won’t they mistake us for rioters and take us down?”
He paused. “Why not just go home? Surviving till tomorrow… barricading inside should be easy, right?”
He’d checked the apartment the dungeon provided: high floor, clear balcony view, fridge stocked for two days. Safer than wandering outside.
Xia Xinyan tilted her head, a faint smile playing on her lips. “Enjoying a two-day alone time together?”
Ling Mo: “!”
Caught off guard.
—He genuinely hadn’t thought of that.
But now… his mind wandered. A chaotic world. Sheltering home with only her. A lawless city. Just the two of them…
Stop. Any further and it veers straight into R18 territory.
Her smile turned mischievous. “Spending two days alone with you sounds nice… but—”
Her tone sobered slightly. “What if the mission later forces us outside? Then what?”
Ling Mo froze.
He hadn’t considered that.
“So having self-defense tools is still wiser, right?” Xia Xinyan chuckled softly, guiding him gently. “Always secure an exit strategy before deciding. Grab weapons first. Then go home to wait it out.”
Ling Mo nodded thoughtfully.
He realized—Xia Xinyan’s mind was far more meticulous than his.
He’d wanted to carry her. Now, she was carrying him.
Time to step up.
Whether finding his worth… or creating it.
If this game mattered to her—he’d start here.
Right now.
