After breaking the iron lock on the rooftop door with his bare hands, Clark cautiously entered the hotel with Lynn through the fire escape stairs. It was now afternoon, and the privacy-focused hotel had its windows tightly closed. Without electricity, the interior was dimly lit.
On the ninth-floor corridor, several zombies were wandering aimlessly. There were dark red stains on the red carpet. The walls of the corridor, adorned with exquisite wallpaper, displayed patterns created by splattered blood.
A female zombie with only her upper body was crawling back and forth on the floor, while a male student-looking zombie held a plump severed leg, gnawing on it, moving in tandem with her.
It looked like they were a couple. Without a doubt, they were a young couple who had come to the hotel for a romantic rendezvous.
Clark quickly identified his targets and prepared to clear the entire floor. Zombies that roamed outside, exposing themselves, weren't the real threat. The real danger lay in the zombies hidden inside rooms.
With a forward charge, Clark made a swift move, bursting out from around the corner of the staircase. The blade in his hand pierced the male student zombie's brain like a sword, killing it instantly. The zombie with the upper body crawling behind it had yet to react when Clark crushed its head with a swift stomp.
"Roar!" Zombies further down the corridor heard the commotion and turned around to roar. Unlike the slow-moving zombies in movies, the zombies in the apocalypse game were extremely fast.
With an upward slash, Clark swung his blade, cutting down one zombie, and with a step forward, he swung it back down, cleaving the remaining zombies in half with precise control of his strength.
With less than three seconds, the zombies in the corridor were cleared. Lynn held a fire axe in both hands and followed behind Clark. She had originally wanted to help Clark by finishing off any stragglers, but seeing the bodies split in half all over the floor, she reluctantly put down the axe. She felt like she wasn't of much use.
"I'll look for a room key." Lynn squatted down hurriedly, trying to show that she could be useful. She fought back her discomfort and started searching the bodies. Clark tilted his head slightly, looking at her with a strange expression in his eyes.
"There's no electricity, what's the point of finding a room key?" Clark didn't pay much attention to the awkward Lynn. He simply reached for the door lock and pulled it with his bare hands. The metal deformed, and the doorknob was easily pulled off. Nothing was simpler and more convenient than brute force to open a door.
Room 909.
Once inside the room, they found it wasn't very large. In the center was a waterbed, and there were plenty of erotic paintings on the walls. There was also a hanging chair, a yoga ball, and even a few black straps connected to the ceiling, dangling over the head of the bed.
Lynn blushed and lowered her head, following behind Clark. She wasn't entirely sure what everything was for, but it looked impressive.
"You stay here and rest. I have something to do."
After ensuring that there were no hidden zombies in the room, Clark intended to let Lynn rest here. The ninth floor had already been cleared of zombies, so it was temporarily safe.
"Where are you going? Don't you need my help?" Lynn lifted her head and subconsciously wanted to ask where Clark was going and why he didn't want her to accompany him.
"I have other matters to attend to. This room is too small, and it's not safe for you to follow me." Clark's visit to the hotel wasn't just about finding a place close to the hospital to stay.
If Clark remembered correctly, there was a mutated zombie here. His current Awakening rank and player level were only one mutated creature away from leveling up. Once he reached Level 1, his strength would undergo a qualitative leap. Fighting the mutated zombie later would be more efficient without Lynn following him like a burden.
Lynn's real role was to join Clark in battling [The Stitcher] a few days after her Awakening, or to provide psychic support as logistics personnel in the future when they formed a group.
Lynn didn't say anything more. She wasn't foolish enough to act recklessly like the supporting characters in movies, trying to show off her bravery. Clark left the room, leaving some food for her.
On the way, he couldn't help but hear the growling of Lynn's stomach. However, Lynn remained silent. When Clark reached the end of the corridor and was about to go downstairs, he heard a strange sound.
The door of Room 901 suddenly opened, and a middle-aged man, accompanied by a young woman, emerged from the room.
"Hello, sir!" The middle-aged man seemed excited and had a scruffy beard on his face. He instinctively extended his hand to shake Clark's, appearing to be someone in an official capacity.
Clark took a step back, his gaze cold. The man's outstretched hand hung awkwardly in the air.
"Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Augustus, the head of the Forestry Department."
"And I'm Melissa," the young woman chimed in, her voice flirtatious as she threw a seductive glance at Clark. Her clothing revealed a bit more cleavage. Clark remained unfazed and had a rough idea of their relationship.
"First of all, I'd like to express my sincere gratitude for rescuing us, sir..."
Clark's blade pointed towards Augustus's throat, stopping his long-winded official speech. Augustus looked like a government official who loved to talk too much.
"Get to the point." Clark's icy tone made the two step back, almost stumbling.
Once Augustus regained his composure, a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes. He held a high position in normal times and was always respected by those around him. Who didn't flatter him when they saw him? But for the past few days, he had been trapped in a room, unaware of the changes in the outside world.
Having spent years in the government, he still had some basic political instincts. When he saw Clark easily eliminate the zombies that had surrounded him , he had the idea that Clark could protect him if there were more of these monsters outside.
"Sir, as long as you are willing to escort me to the government office, I will definitely apply for commendation from my superiors for you. This will be greatly beneficial for your future development. Getting a government position won't be difficult for you at that time," Augustus said, trying to please Clark while suppressing his inner dissatisfaction.
Clark chuckled and turned to leave, paying no attention to Augustus. Irritated, Augustus suddenly felt a surge of anger. After all, he was a leader with some influence; what kind of attitude was this?
"Young man, think it over. I hold some sway in the Forestry Department. Right now, I can't make calls, and the government can't find me. I sought your help because it's a good opportunity for you. Don't waste it." Augustus's tone turned somewhat threatening.