Chapter 5: Sorry, I Am a Sigma Male

In the end, Cao Yaxuan had no choice but to agree, though she demanded to be counted as a tenant.

Xu Lang readily consented.

"You're so fast..."

In the darkness, this was Cao Yaxuan's final act of resistance.

Xu Lang couldn't have cared less, his mind occupied only by a craving for Nightmare Coins. At the same time, he realized a blind spot: this was Cao Yaxuan’s first time. It was hardly surprising; such a high-society lady was far above the reach of the pathetic losers at university.

Afterward, leveraging his position of power, he confiscated the items Cao Yaxuan had obtained from her beginner’s gift pack: five boxes of tissues and a baseball cap. With that done, he proceeded to strip her of her armor. He stuffed her clothes, leather shoes, and white socks into his pillowcase, using her stockings to bind her hands. He wouldn't be able to sleep soundly otherwise.

Game notifications were one thing, but Xu Lang wasn't about to gamble with his life. If Cao Yaxuan were to pull some crazy stunt—like trading her "authentic" items for a dagger—and slit his throat in the middle of the night, that would be a catastrophe.

...

Xu Lang fell asleep. Cao Yaxuan, however, could not.

She had truly considered killing Xu Lang in his sleep! But the problem was, she didn't know what technique he had used; the two stockings bound her wrists incredibly tight. Furthermore, he slept holding her from behind, pinning her hands to her crotch area. Any slight movement would be met with an immediate "Get out" warning.

"I'll endure him for now... but he seems just as weak as the rumors say. A stunning beauty like me, and he just fell asleep after one go."

"Weak, pathetic, a scumbag, a lowlife stinking of garbage!"

"Just wait until I figure out the ropes of this game, and I'll see how I can replace him!"

Cao Yaxuan gritted her teeth, the fire of vengeance burning within her. She kept a close eye on the chat room, desperate to secretly out-grind Xu Lang. This hateful junior probably didn't realize the importance of information. You’re sleeping while I’m leveling up; how could you possibly compete with me?

...

When light appeared in the room, Xu Lang woke up. A new day began with a stretch.

Cao Yaxuan hadn't slept a wink all night. Seeing Xu Lang so relaxed, her inner fury reignited. A thick-headed idiot like this would die in the survival game sooner or later.

"What are you looking at?" Xu Lang curled his lip.

"Hmph!" A perfect, thirty-five-degree sneer tugged at the corners of Cao Yaxuan's mouth.

"Get o—"

"I'm sorry, Landlord!"

...

Xu Lang leaned against the wall and opened the chat room, noticing that many avatars had turned gray.

[Chat Room: 251/400]

Whoa! So many wiped out in just one night. The casualty rate was nearly fifty percent.

[149 Wang Dazhuang: Mommy, I want my mommy!]

[32 Ye Fan: This is a dream, it’s not real!]

[40 Zhao Shuang: Look everyone, it's daytime, the zombies have retreated back into the hallways.]

Some people's dreams of being a protagonist were shattered in a single night. Seeing classmates they had lived with die right before their eyes was more than most could handle.

Xu Lang quickly scanned the messages, finding several key pieces of information. The fallen had mostly died within the first five minutes. It seemed that not a single player had been killed by zombies breaking down their doors. The dorms apparently possessed some kind of latent concealment ability, making it difficult for players hiding inside to be detected. Ironically, those who thought they were clever and fled to other buildings at the start of the game were the ones who suffered; none of them survived—they were all wiped out!

"So the zombies do have infectious capabilities, and the mutation time is only three minutes. That’s fast!"

Xu Lang frowned inwardly, peering through the peephole. There didn't seem to be any zombies in the hallway anymore. Zhao Shuang, who was in the last room on the second floor, claimed the zombies had retreated; he likely wasn't lying.

"Junior, the zombies' mobility weakens during the day. Do you want to go out and take a look?" Cao Yaxuan asked.

"No," Xu Lang shook his head.

"If we keep this up, it's no different from sitting here waiting to die," Cao Yaxuan frowned, her expression pitiful.

In the past, no man could resist her when she wore this damsel-in-distress look. Especially after what happened between them last night! She had confidence...

"That's still better than going out to throw your life away," Xu Lang replied, shaking his head and plopping back onto the bed. Once he was finished, he was a cold, heartless sigma male.

Cao Yaxuan was so angry her chest heaved. So much for saying you'd be good to your girlfriend! How could you bear to let your girlfriend sit in this room waiting for death? She suspected that Xu Lang's beginner pack contained blueprints and upgrade materials. If the pack was that generous, there certainly wouldn't be any food. And she didn't have any either! If this continued, both of them would surely starve to death.

Xu Lang leaned against the door, checking his Nightmare Coin balance.

[Base Nightmare Coins: 40, Conversion Rate: 106%, Total output over eight hours: 82 Nightmare Coins]

[Total Nightmare Coins: 116]

The output had effectively doubled! This "grinding Pal" was incredibly useful!

Xu Lang glanced at Cao Yaxuan with appreciation. "Don't worry, I won't let you die."

"At least you have a conscience," Cao Yaxuan felt a warmth in her heart. Xu Lang’s words sounded so gentle, and they didn't seem like lies.

With so many Nightmare Coins, Xu Lang had to consider what to upgrade. First, he thought about enhancing himself, but that proved impossible. Life, it seemed, was not in the category of things that could be enhanced by the Nightmare Coin system. He would have to upgrade his tools.

He opened the trading network and found only a few items listed, with absurd exchange requirements. A loaf of bread for a barrel of water? Did they think the trading network was a wishing well? There were two types of trading: barter and currency-based. However, very few people currently possessed currency, and even fewer trusted the monetary system, so most chose to barter.

"Nothing of value on the trading network. I'll wait and see."

"I'll save the Nightmare Coins for now and let those who can't handle the pressure scout the information for me."

"As long as I stay ahead of the others, disaster will always be one step behind me!"

When Xu Lang was wealthy, he didn't mind helping the poor. But now, he was like a clay bodhisattva crossing a river—barely able to save himself—so he prioritized his own survival.

Just as he was about to close the panel, a friend request popped up.

[86 Wang Ao: Brother, I heard you upgraded your door too.]

Xu Lang accepted the request.

[200 Xu Lang: What do you want?]

[86 Wang Ao: Nothing much, just saying hello. It’s a pity we’re so far apart, otherwise we could’ve cooperated. I think highly of you.]

[200 Xu Lang: Thanks for the appreciation.]

[86 Wang Ao: Let’s have a contest to see who lasts longer!]

"Are we discussing heroes over wine now?" Xu Lang mused to himself. Most likely, Wang Ao’s reputation was so ruined that no one wanted to talk to him, forcing him to come to Xu Lang.

Xu Lang sent a brief "Sure" and closed the chat window.

"Xu Lang, what do you want to do next? Do you have a plan?" Cao Yaxuan asked.

"I'm not in a hurry, why are you?" Xu Lang replied indifferently.

Cao Yaxuan’s mouth twitched. After a moment of silence, she said, "Can you untie the stockings?"

"No," Xu Lang shook his head. "Stockings are elastic; it's fine if you're tied for a while."

"But it's uncomfortable~"

"It's alright, you'll be comfortable soon... Come on, put your little leather shoes back on."

"..."