Outside the hospital entrance, Arnold's swing with the spine of the dead snake became increasingly slow, and his steps were sluggish. His bear transformation had ended, and forcibly activating skills had completely drained his mental strength, leaving him extremely weakened, with a feeling of extreme exhaustion in his limbs. The effects of the potion had also worn off, and amidst the continuous fighting, his physical stamina had also reached its limit. Despite his strength, he was ultimately just a Level 0 Awakened. Fundamentally, he was still human.
Arnold's wrists trembled, and he swung his bone whip like he was swatting flies. With his strength greatly diminished, he could now barely protect himself from the approaching horde, his whole body soaked with sweat. What he had thought was a light load, Clark and the girl with the bandages, now felt as heavy as a ton under his exhaustion.
Arnold gritted his teeth and made his way towards the hotel. Once inside, he would be safe since the entrance to the first floor was already blocked off, and the zombies couldn't get in.
"Charles, Uncle Two! Drop down the rope quickly!" He yelled loudly, tearing at his throat as he gestured towards the damaged windows on the second floor of the hotel. He was signaling to the people inside to lower a rope to pull him up. What was once an easy jump to the second floor was now impossible.
On the second floor of the hotel, the people looked at the approaching horde of zombies with panic.
"What's happening to them?"
"Clark seems to be injured!"
"He's carrying something, and it looks like a person wrapped in bandages!"
"There's so much blood! Clark seems to be seriously hurt!"
"Stop talking and help me lower the rope for them!"
Beside the shattered window, a middle-aged man known as Uncle Two had an anxious expression. He was Arnold's relative, and he was a bit older. His face was filled with wrinkles, and his trembling hands gripped a hemp rope. He couldn't pull up all three people by himself.
"Hurry up! Lend a hand!" He urgently urged several young people on the second floor, asking them to help.
Arnold, not far away, was surrounded by a sea of zombies, like a small boat in the middle of the ocean, which could be swallowed by the zombies at any moment. However, the crowd suddenly fell into a strange silence.
After a while, a middle-aged man in a white-collar attire with glasses spoke softly.
"I noticed that their clothes are all torn, and they're covered in blood. Arnold and Clark, they might be infected," he said, his gaze shifting, and his face filled with unease.
"Indeed, I've also noticed this," Augustus, on the ninth floor, suddenly chimed in. He cleared his throat habitually.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I believe many of you have seen or heard that those infected can turn into zombies."
"These two, no, three people all look injured. With that in mind, who can guarantee they haven't been infected? We have so many people here. If they turn into zombies as soon as they come up, who will take responsibility?"
"We must not risk our safety by inviting potential threats into our midst!"
Augustus remained composed, having revealed his identity to all the survivors in the past two days. As the highest-ranking individual in society, many white-collar workers and students who hadn't changed their views followed him.
As someone spoke out what had been on their minds, many others joined in with agreement. Selfishness prevailed, and human nature was on full display.
Augustus looked at Clark, who was behind Arnold, unaware of his life or death, and felt a twisted sense of satisfaction.
Hmph, fool. Do you really think you're invincible just because you're strong? Going out for a trip and turning into a zombie is nothing, compared to staying here and waiting for the military to come to our rescue. Young people, they have no brains, they don't understand the big picture.
"Who the hell are you calling a wolf?" A man from Arnold's group glared angrily at Augustus. "Arnold and Clark are both fine! Don't forget who saved you! You heartless scum!"
After being cursed at, Augustus's gaze turned cold, but he didn't choose to retaliate with insults. Engaging in a shouting match was something only people without brains did. Having been immersed in the political arena for many years, he naturally knew what was truly important.
Throughout the day, Augustus had thought it through. The hotel was very safe now; all the zombies had been cleared out by Clark. There was water, there was food, and the military would definitely come to rescue them! To stay alive, all they had to do was stay here!
In fact, Augustus considered his earlier attempt to recruit Clark for his protection to be the real unstable factor. Someone who could kill everyone but was beyond his control was far too dangerous. Besides, Clark was now highly likely to be infected with the virus. For either of these reasons, he wouldn't allow Clark to return to the hotel.
Clark had to die, and preferably Arnold too! With Arnold about to lose his combat ability and Clark unconscious, Augustus couldn't afford to miss such a golden opportunity.
"Everyone, it's not that we don't want to let them in. It's just, can you guarantee that they won't turn into zombies once they're in? Who will be responsible if something goes wrong? You? Or him?" Augustus pointed his finger at the group Arnold had brought, his gaze resolute.
"I'm thinking for the greater good. Who doesn't want to save Clark? He saved my life too!"
Augustus let out a light sigh but inwardly smirked. Occupying the moral high ground by considering the greater good and preventing Arnold from entering was much more effective than arguing back.
Augustus looked at Arnold's uncle, who was now red-faced and unsure how to respond. He felt a sense of satisfaction; dealing with small-minded individuals like him was quite simple.
The crowd was torn. Human nature was selfish, and most of them didn't want Clark to come in for their own safety. However, they owed their lives to Clark in a way, and speaking up would make them look heartless. In the early days of the apocalypse, many people couldn't yet ignore the judgmental eyes of others.
Moreover, if Clark and Arnold were truly fine, they might need their protection in the future. The zombies were too terrifying, and none of them had the courage to face them alone.
The argument continued, and everyone had their own thoughts.
"Let's save them first! I'm begging you all, please," Charles said, coughing and trembling slightly. He looked helplessly and indignantly at the group Arnold had brought with him.
"If they don't save them, will you all just stand by?" he pleaded.
The group that came with Arnold blushed and quickly joined in, trying to lower the rope.
"Absolutely not!"
A woman standing next to Augustus suddenly screamed and grabbed the rope.
"Are you trying to get us killed? Save them? They've been infected; they're zombies!"
"Get us killed? Are you using your brain at all? Even if we don't save Arnold, we have to save Clark!"
A third-party figure, a middle-aged man in an office worker's attire named Emlyn, suddenly spoke out and argued loudly against the woman.
"Arnold is absolutely not infected! He can still kill zombies! Emlyn was one of the people who provided Clark with a map during the day. Having witnessed the horrors of the zombie outbreak firsthand, he had thought a lot.
Clark being infected might not require saving, but Arnold, with his strength, must be saved. With someone like that, a good-hearted person, leading the way, they had managed to survive this far. With so many people staying in the hotel, the day would come when their food ran out, and without Arnold leading, these useless people would never make it out alive."
And besides, even if Arnold can't come in, it doesn't mean he will die! When it comes to life and death, as long as Arnold is willing to abandon Clark, with his strength, he can easily escape to safety nearby. When that time comes, nursing his grudge, will Arnold, who has hidden outside and recovered, spare these people who wanted him dead? He definitely won't! People tend to judge others based on their own actions.
Whether from a moral standpoint or a self-preservation perspective, he must appear as if he wants to save Arnold.