Gu Jingyong swiftly dealt with a zombie at the elevator entrance, and the group gathered together, nervously scanning their surroundings.
The building was still without power, but the elevator was operational. As the numbers reached 30, everyone stepped back, poised and ready, eyes fixed on the elevator doors.
As the elevator doors slowly opened, sure enough, there were some zombies inside. Gu Jingyong and Si Qiao, one on each side, swiftly dispatched the zombies before they could exit the elevator.
After throwing a zombie's body aside, Gu Jingyong and the others quickly entered the elevator. The doors slowly closed behind them, and the strong stench of blood filled the elevator.
Blood spatters adorned the elevator walls, causing Tan Xinger to shrink back and huddle in the middle.
Accidentally brushing against Gu Jingyong's arm, Tan Xinger was gently pulled to the center by him, while he positioned himself in the corner.
Tan Xinger blinked, burying her face in her collar, adjusting her breathing to adapt to the environment.
The elevator lights soon stopped flickering and gradually stopped at the 10th floor.
As the elevator doors opened, to their surprise, there were no zombies inside. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief and walked cautiously outside, weapons at the ready.
"This way."
Leading the way, Gu Jingyong waved his hand, and Tan Xinger hurried over, keeping a vigilant eye on their surroundings.
They found an empty office and opened the window. Using the emergency escape ladder they found in the fire equipment room, they attached it to the window and lowered it down.
Directly going to the first floor would encounter too many zombies, so they opted for this method.
With the long rope hanging down, still about two to three meters above the ground, which Tan Xinger and Jiang Qiqi couldn't handle.
After surveying the surroundings, Gu Jingyong tore off the tablecloth and tied it to the ladder, lowering it further.
"I'll go down first."
"Be careful."
Watching from the top floor, Tan Xinger couldn't help but feel her heart tighten as Gu Jingyong descended. As he reached the last two sections of the ladder, he jumped straight down. The nearby zombies had already locked onto him, and as soon as he landed, they were upon him.
Seeing this, Tan Xinger's heart skipped a beat. The next moment, she saw Gu Jingyong kick a zombie away and then thrust a knife through its heart in one fluid motion.
Following closely behind, Tan Xinger carefully climbed out of the window, tightly gripping the ladder as she descended.
Descending from ten floors was a challenge for Tan Xinger. With every movement, she felt her legs weaken, and the rope swayed from side to side, making her feel like a floating duckweed.
Tan Xinger dared not look down, keeping her eyes fixed straight ahead as she slowly descended.
After about five minutes, Tan Xinger finally reached the height of the second floor, where more and more zombies were gathering below.
Taking a deep breath, Tan Xinger jumped down.
"Ouch."
Upon landing, she twisted her ankle slightly, fortunately not too serious, but it did ache a bit.
"Let's go find the car first."
Gu Jingyong supported Tan Xinger and walked towards the exit. Seeing Tan Xinger's awkward left foot, he pondered for a moment before lifting her up horizontally.
"Ah."
Tan Xinger was caught off guard by Gu Jingyong's actions, instinctively wrapping her arms around his shoulders, her gaze falling on his chin and profile.
"This way, it'll be faster."
Gu Jingyong glanced at her and then sped up, running with Tan Xinger in his arms. The zombies were attracted to them and chased after them relentlessly.
Although Gu Jingyong ran fast, Tan Xinger didn't feel any jolts in his arms. He held her securely, ensuring she wouldn't be left behind.
As Tan Xinger's mind drifted for a moment, they had already reached an entrance to the underground garage.
There were also some zombies gathered in the underground garage, and as soon as they saw the group, they rushed towards them like wolves smelling prey.
Gu Jingyong pulled her away from the attacking zombies, but just as they were about to reach safety, a zombie leaped out from under a car, catching Tan Xinger off guard, causing her to stumble backward and bump into a nearby vehicle.
Just as Gu Jingyong had killed one zombie, he heard Tan Xinger's voice. Another zombie leaped at him from the right, colliding with his shoulder.
Stepping back, Gu Jingyong created some distance, then swiftly swept his right leg, knocking the zombie's head to the ground.
With its tongue lashing out, the zombie lunged at Gu Jingyong. In a swift motion, Gu Jingyong raised his knife, slicing off the tongue as it descended.
Enraged by the loss of its tongue, the zombie swung its long arms wildly towards Gu Jingyong.
Just as Gu Jingyong was about to raise his hand, he caught sight of something out of the corner of his eye and quickly retreated to the side.
A hubcap slammed straight onto the zombie's head, sending it flying several meters away, while the hubcap rolled towards the depths of the garage.
"Hehe." Tan Xinger met Gu Jingyong's puzzled gaze with a grin, realizing even the little brother could be useful at critical moments.
"Let's go."
Gu Jingyong didn't say anything, just walked towards her.
The two quickly searched the underground garage, occasionally encountering zombies trying to escape from the cars, likely mutated from people attempting to flee.
Tan Xinger eyed a sleek and wild-looking off-road vehicle, appearing sturdy and durable.
However, the zombies inside seemed particularly fierce, and one wrong move could result in being bitten.
How could they lure the zombies out?
With courage, Tan Xinger approached, and the zombie instantly opened its mouth, revealing a row of sharp teeth.
Its long tongue protruded from its throat, slapping against the glass with a squelch, leaving behind a foul-smelling residue.
Startled at first, Tan Xinger then calmed down and moved closer to observe the interior structure.
Finally, she discovered something, so she deliberately approached the zombie, waving her hands provocatively, causing the zombie to struggle even more vigorously inside.
The more it struggled, the happier Tan Xinger became. She shifted her position, and the zombie's gaze followed her, slowly moving along with her.
As Tan Xinger got closer, standing directly in front of the car, the zombie lunged towards her. However, its attempt was in vain as it was blocked by the front windshield, leaving a bloody mark on it.
Hearing a slight sound, Tan Xinger looked up and knew her goal had been achieved.
"Come over here, quickly." Tan Xinger waved at Gu Jingyong, gesturing for him to come over.
"What's going on?"
Gu Jingyong saw the one-person-wide sunroof on top of the car as he followed her gaze, realizing Tan Xinger had cleared a path for him to enter.
"Stay away and wait for me."
Gu Jingyong couldn't help but smile, then his eyes turned sharp as he walked towards the car.
Tan Xinger watched as he climbed onto the car roof in one go, then she hurriedly hid behind another car, peeking out to observe his actions.
The zombie was distracted by Gu Jingyong, its long tongue striking the edge of the sunroof.
Gu Jingyong adjusted his angle, seizing the opportunity. He leaped into the car with lightning speed.
The zombie seemed particularly excited, rushing towards him with its claws extended.
Gu Jingyong stepped back, dodging the attack. Then, like a drawn bow released, he swiftly stabbed the zombie's heart as it lunged, before kicking it away and throwing it out of the car.
Meeting Tan Xinger's eyes, he felt she resembled a little hamster hiding behind the car, watching his every move with anticipation.
"Is it dead?" Tan Xinger emerged, making sure the zombie wasn't faking death before relaxing.
At that moment, more zombie growls could be heard nearby. Tan Xinger saw shadows lurking at the garage entrance and immediately rushed to the off-road vehicle, ignoring the dirt inside and quickly closing the door.
"Let's get out of here, fast."
Tan Xinger called out to Gu Jingyong, securing her seatbelt as she had experienced the thrill of his driving before.
With her right hand gripping the handle and her left hand resting on the seat, she was in a state of heightened tension.
With a loud roar, the off-road vehicle sped out of the garage.
Zombies at the garage entrance swarmed, but Gu Jingyong mercilessly plowed through them, sending bodies flying several meters away, unsure if they were dead or just faking it.
Feeling like she had been thrown out and then thrown back in again, Tan Xinger felt like a floating duckweed, finally feeling stable when the car reached level ground.
"Do you often race cars?"
Tan Xinger couldn't help but ask, given his driving style, she couldn't believe Gu Jingyong had never raced before.
"No, I haven't. I've just encountered a few racing scenarios before, so I've practiced." Gu Jingyong shook his head.
"Racing scenarios? I know this scenario is a survival scenario, so a racing scenario is about speed?" Tan Xinger was curious about this new term.
"More or less. In a racing scenario, only the top 50% of players can survive."
"Racing scenarios require you to choose the right path and reach the escape door in the fastest time. It's more straightforward than survival scenarios and includes elements of puzzle-solving." Gu Jingyong explained in detail as he searched for traces of Gao Xin and the others.
"How many types of scenarios are there in total?" Tan Xinger suddenly asked as she realized there might be more to it.
"At the moment, there are four types: survival scenarios, puzzle-solving scenarios, racing scenarios, and role-playing scenarios." Gu Jingyong explained while steering the car, keeping an eye out for their group.
"What do you mean by 'at the moment'?" Tan Xinger caught onto the phrase, speculating.
"The game periodically adds new scenarios. The role-playing scenario was introduced three months ago."
"Like cosplay?" Tan Xinger thought of the term.
"In role-playing scenarios, players receive background information and identity cards. During the scenario, they must act according to the character's background until the game ends. Players who fail in this scenario will be left in it indefinitely." Gu Jingyong glanced at Gao Xin and the others before turning the steering wheel to drive towards them.
Tan Xinger also noticed Gao Xin and the others and asked again while she had the chance, "Being left in the scenario, wouldn't that be more stable and better than repeatedly entering the scenario?"
Gu Jingyong understood her implication. Being an NPC in the scenario, seemingly a good destination compared to fighting in the scenario and possibly dying at any moment.
But the system would never accommodate others.
"Retaining your consciousness as an NPC, participating in scenarios time and time again, perhaps being killed by players each time, or repeating the same lines over and over again."
"Once or twice, what about thousands or tens of thousands of times? But you won't have a choice anymore. You won't even have the right to commit suicide because you need to fulfill the duties of an NPC. The scenario will drain your last ounce of value." Gu Jingyong's tone was calm, as if awakening Tan Xinger from her thoughts when Jiang Qiqi ran over and opened the car door, startling her.
She stared blankly at Jiang Qiqi. If she retained her consciousness, repeating the same thing over and over again, she would surely go mad.
Just like knowing she was an NPC in the game, even if she chose death to escape the scenario, what about the next time?
After a hundred times, she would probably become insane because she could foresee it.
Tan Xinger stopped thinking about it, watching the zombies trailing behind their car and attacking from the front. Blood splattered continuously on the walls, and Tan Xinger felt exhausted, closing her eyes desperately wanting to leave the scenario.