Chapter 069: Survival in the Face of Desperation

Squelch.

The sound of a blade slicing through the air and piercing flesh echoed in the empty corridor.

Before Su Cheng, several zombies infected by the bio-plague were chopped into a dozen pieces, their decaying flesh squirming on the polished floor like maggots.

“It seems someone deliberately released the bio-virus from the lab. Who on earth could have done this?”

The bio-virus spread at a terrifying speed; within mere minutes, it had infected the majority of the living people in the headquarters building. Even the corpses of the security personnel reanimated, turning into horrifying infected creatures.

At that moment, a series of chilling infant cries came from above. Su Cheng looked up and saw a lizard-like monster clinging to the ceiling, baring its fangs at him.

“A mutant infected?”

The creature in his sight bore a ghastly, demonic face, its long hair hanging from the ceiling all the way to the floor. Steel-like claws grew from both its fingers and toes. Its cries were eerily reminiscent of a baby’s wailing, much like that of a giant salamander.

Without hesitation, Su Cheng grabbed the infected’s hair, yanked it down from the ceiling, and swung his blade at its neck.

Putrid blood sprayed in all directions.

A hideous head rolled aside.

Though fearsome in appearance, the infected was unexpectedly fragile, dying with a single blow.

After clearing the infected that had appeared in the building, Su Cheng continued toward the top floor of the headquarters.

“Zombies are so scary—Boss, where are you?”

Elsewhere in the headquarters, a little beast-eared girl, her face full of panic, crawled aimlessly through the sprawling ventilation ducts, clearly lost.

A chilly draft blew against her from behind, making her shiver uncontrollably.

Her bottom felt icy cold.

She instinctively turned her head and, just a few meters behind, spotted a zombie whose face was half-rotten and deformed. It had noticed her. With a low growl, as if on a stimulant, it lunged after her.

The sight of the zombie sent the little girl into a panic; her mind went blank.

Who am I?

Where am I?

Who’s trying to bite me?

“Get away, you perverted lolicon freak!”

In terror, she shrieked and kicked the zombie behind her several times, then scrambled frantically toward a nearby vent, fleeing for her life.

Just as the zombie was about to catch her, the vent ahead suddenly opened, and a hand reached inside, grabbing her.

Before she could react, the little girl—Aishi—was yanked out. She trembled in fright, struggling desperately.

“Let me go, or my boss will come beat the crap out of you!”

--

Su Cheng grabbed the little girl by her clothes and lifted her up, flicking her smooth forehead.

“Ow, that hurt.” The little girl snapped back to her senses, and when she saw Su Cheng’s face, she was so excited she nearly burst into tears. With a woof, she pounced on his face, wagging her tail furiously.

“Get down. How did you end up in the ventilation ducts?” Su Cheng pulled the little face-hugger off him, dispatching the zombie that had chased her, then asked curiously.

“The zombies outside rushed in. I got separated from Sister Rei and, seeing all those zombies, I got scared and crawled into the ducts,” she replied honestly.

Hearing this, Su Cheng’s heart sank.

There were at least ten thousand zombies gathered outside the headquarters. If they broke in, no one would survive.

There was no turning back now. They had to keep moving forward.

“There are still several hours until the game ends. If the building falls to the zombies before then, we won't survive to see the end of the scenario. What should we do, Boss?”

The little girl was anxious. She had finally managed to cling to a powerful ally, making it into the top fifty on the points leaderboard and escaping erasure. The last thing she wanted was to be trapped and killed by zombies.

“Where there’s a will, there’s a way. Since the story has led players here, there must be a way to escape.”

As Su Cheng spoke, a figure darted swiftly from a nearby room.

A gun barrel was pressed coldly against his forehead.

“Rei?”

He was about to draw his blade when he saw it was Rei Zecheng, the one the little girl had been separated from.

Rei looked disheveled, her clothes stained with zombie blood, as though she’d just survived a fierce battle.

“Su Cheng, thank goodness—I thought you were trapped downstairs by the zombies.” Rei let out a breath, her taut nerves relaxing as exhaustion overwhelmed her. Her legs gave way, and she collapsed to the floor.

Su Cheng handed her an energy drink and helped her take a sip.

After a brief rest, they exchanged the information and clues they had collected.

“The lower floors are overrun. Looks like our only option is up. Luckily, the elevators are still running. Let’s take one to the top.”

Su Cheng swiped the access card he’d taken from Tsunemi Tsukishima and led them into the elevator.

Ding.

As the doors opened, several blood-soaked infected lunged at them, claws outstretched.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Rei raised her gun and fired at their heads. At such close range, each shot was a perfect headshot, splattering blood everywhere.

“These infected were Mitsui Group security. They must have been killed and then infected by the virus afterward,” Su Cheng observed, examining their wounds. Most had their throats slit by a flying blade—the killer must have been the professional player who’d entered the building earlier.

--

At that moment, a strange noise came from the conference room ahead.

When Su Cheng and Rei entered, they found the high-ranking executives of Mitsui Pharmaceuticals lying motionless on the floor.

A man in a dark trench coat sat slumped in a chair, a gaping wound in his chest. Blood had soaked his clothes and pooled beneath him.

Han Crow, a professional whose body had been modified and enhanced, was known for his tenacity. Even with a mortal wound, he clung to life, though he was powerless to fight.

What puzzled Su Cheng was who had managed to injure him so badly.

Regardless, he had no fondness for this ruthless man. Earlier, outside the building, he’d nearly been killed by the woman at Han Crow’s side.

Without hesitation, Su Cheng drew his blade and swung for Han Crow’s neck.

But in the next instant, a radiant light enveloped Han Crow, blocking the strike.

“Attack nullified?”

Su Cheng stared in astonishment as the mysterious light appeared. Within it, Han Crow’s body grew increasingly transparent.

“How unfortunate. I didn’t expect to have to use a Forced Escape Immunity Ticket here.” Han Crow’s gaze fell on Su Cheng, a chilling smile curling his lips.

The Forced Escape Immunity Ticket allowed a player to exit the scenario at will, but all experience and items gained within would be lost.

“So, you’re the one who defeated Feilan? She asked me to tell you—she’ll come for you again.” With that, Han Crow’s form vanished before Su Cheng’s eyes.

“Who would have thought that lunatic Han Crow had a Forced Escape Immunity Ticket? If he sets his sights on us, we’re in trouble,” the little girl said, her face troubled.

“You know him?” Su Cheng asked.

The little girl scrunched up her face, nodding. “He’s a professional, but apparently his mind isn’t right. He gets his kicks hunting down other players in scenarios. He’s a maniac—a player killer.”

“A player killer?” Su Cheng’s heart sank. The man was a madman addicted to murder, and if he’d survived so many hunts, he must have some extraordinary means.

“I heard Han Crow once hunted guild players. Several guilds put a bounty on him, but he managed to escape the pursuit and even killed some professionals in return.” The little girl shivered at the memory—thank goodness that lunatic hadn’t set his sights on her. Being hunted by a killer like that was anything but fun.

“Brother!”

A familiar voice sounded, and Su Cheng looked up to see Eri Terashi, who had been kidnapped by Han Crow, running toward him.

Her face was pale, clearly shaken by the bloody scene. She threw herself into Su Cheng’s arms, her slender arms wrapping gently around his waist.

He comfortingly patted her back, then suddenly asked, “The kidnapper—did you kill him? Who are you, really?”

At his words, Eri stiffened in his embrace and sighed softly. “So, you found out after all?”

A flash of pain and struggle flickered in her eyes. Suddenly, crimson lines appeared on her skin.

The lines split open, and blood-red eyes slowly opened all over her body.