Chapter 6: Searching for Supplies, The Many Faces of Life

The goddess is truly a goddess; no matter how much exercise she does, she never tires of it.

Xu Lang was no saint. Someone like Cao Yaxuan, a distant beauty who was once hard to even touch a hand, now that he had the chance, naturally he had to study her closely.

Other students were worried sick, their mental defenses breaking down time and again, but Xu Lang’s small dorm room was lively and full of color.

He swapped his Phoenix-brand bicycle for a Camp, which meant he had to pedal hard.

By afternoon, Cao Yaxuan said she was hungry.

Xu Lang shrugged, saying, “Me too!”

Cao Yaxuan replied, “Then I’d better not be hungry for now!”

Yesterday, Xu Lang had left too strong an impression of his appetite.

As evening approached, the zombies grew more active, their eerie howls faintly audible.

Xu Lang took out a treasured piece of whole wheat bread and shared half with Cao Yaxuan.

“How do you still have food?!” Cao Yaxuan exclaimed with delight.

Xu Lang remained silent.

Learning from experience, Cao Yaxuan didn’t ask more and took big bites, coughing from the dryness.

This stuff was really tough!

Xu Lang glanced at the water dispenser in his backpack, forcing himself to resist the urge to upgrade it.

Upgrading the dispenser cost 65 nightmare coins—a considerable sum.

Time passed, and as night fell, the dormitory broadcast echoed in everyone’s hearts.

[Dormitory Broadcast: Night Two, zombies’ hunting instincts have increased; game difficulty rising.]

This broadcast sounded like a death knell!

Players were anxious.

Sure enough, the zombies became unusually active that night, even showing signs of banging on doors.

Some players panicked in the chatroom, spouting wild statements, but dared not speak aloud.

[Player 3 Yang Yang: Dormitory game? Screw this!]

[Player 112 Wu Leiting: Anyone got wood? Lend me some, I need to repair the main door!]

[Player 74 Wang Yingying: Can the guys on the fourth floor make some noise to lure the zombies away? I’ll draw them off so we can slip past!]

Once the cooldown on Xu Lang’s nightmare cot ended, he got to work.

He didn’t bother resting; he feared Cao Yaxuan’s comfort level wouldn’t be recognized otherwise, so he just pushed through.

Cao Yaxuan felt uneasy—door 200 was being battered by zombies, and chilling howls came from outside.

In this situation, she dared not make a sound.

To help Xu Lang finish quickly, she actively cooperated.

The tactic worked.

Xu Lang swiftly finished the fight, left no time for savoring, and immediately fell asleep.

Wasting even a minute was disrespectful to the nightmare cot!

He truly craved nightmare coins.

“Useless guy!” Cao Yaxuan murmured softly, then succumbed to sleep herself.

...

The next day, upon waking, Xu Lang immediately checked his nightmare coin balance.

[Base nightmare coins: 40, conversion rate 106%, total earned in eight hours: 82 nightmare coins]

[Total nightmare coins: 198]

Nice!

Excited, Xu Lang kissed Cao Yaxuan.

“Trying again? You’re something else!” Cao Yaxuan said irritably.

They say men are more energetic in the morning, but she truly had no such mood now—only wanted rest.

“Hehe.” Xu Lang chuckled happily, feeling a bit reassured.

Upgrading the main door required 100 nightmare coins; upgrading the dispenser, 65—plenty to spare.

Still, he refrained from spending recklessly.

—He’d let those without capital take the lead in scouting first!

After one night, the unluckiest students had only two durability points left on their main door. If they didn’t take a gamble soon, death awaited.

No matter how many poor there were, the truth remained: the rich found it easier to earn and survive than the poor.

[Player 84 Li Wang: This can’t go on!]

[Player 24 Zhou Tao: I’m going out. Anyone on the second floor with me?]

[Player 170 Lu Yan: This is hopeless. Those on lower floors can scavenge elsewhere; those of us higher up can only wait to die.]

[Player 147 Wang Yazhi: The high floors have their advantages. The zombies driven in by the blood mist all gather below. When they riot, those on the lower floors suffer first.]

[Player 186 Wang Bo: Thanks for the comfort, Sister Ya. Just thinking about waiting to die here chills me to the bone.]

[Player 175 Zhou Ye: Brothers downstairs, if you find food, can you trade some to me? I have a craft knife here.]

[Player 9 Sun Heng: I found supplies and can give them for free, but you have to invest in me first. I’m dying of thirst and have no strength.]

[Player 84 Li Wang: Sun Heng, you owe me 200 bucks and haven’t paid back. Do you think you’re trustworthy?]

[Player 32 Ye Fan: Willing to buy trash for a fee. Brothers and sisters who dare not go out, you can give me your trash, and I’ll throw it out of the building for you.]

[Player 88 Cao Bin: @Ye Fan, business genius.]

Bang~

Suddenly, someone tossed a can downstairs, making a loud noise.

A few zombies howled but did not come out into the hallway.

The chatroom immediately exploded.

[Player 175 Zhou Ye: Damn, brothers downstairs, what are you waiting for? Just the first and second floors. Jump down directly, it’s fine!]

[Player 147 Wang Yazhi: Remember not to make too much noise.]

[Player 9 Sun Heng: Need a bottle of water. Anyone not downstairs in three minutes is a loser!]

Gradually, some students began to leave the dormitory.

Then they made a startling discovery.

The zombies seemed to be dormant!

Perhaps if everyone kept quiet, they could all sneak downstairs during the zombies’ rest!

However, despite this, the first batch to descend were still those on the lower floors—and they jumped.

No one dared to actually walk through the zombie horde to go downstairs.

[Player 6 Wang Yang: I found a bar of chocolate in the teaching building. Be careful when coming over; don’t make noise. Zombies lurk in the shadows.]

This news greatly boosted morale.

Wang Yang was the student council president, so his words carried weight.

[Player 6 Jin Xin: What about the guy with the craft knife? I have half a paper cup of water—want to trade? (Attached photo)]

[Player 143 Wang Nan: God, please stop flooding the chat. Go find supplies quickly; we’re all counting on you.]

The lower-floor players were excited; those on higher floors even more so, hoping the wealthy ones would share.

It’s the rich leading the poor forward.

“Idiot! As if this were peaceful times!” In the teaching building, Jin Xin smirked, ready to mock, but Wang Yang pulled him aside.

“Don’t do that. Be careful not to alert the zombies,” Wang Yang said seriously.

Jin Xin’s heart sank.

[Player 6 Jin Xin: Don’t worry, brothers. Supplies seem to randomly spawn outside the dorm building. Don’t rush; everyone will get food eventually.]

“Hurry and search,” Wang Yang whispered.

Few had gone out yet; they were essentially the first to discover this blue ocean of opportunity.

When more people came later, the difficulty of scavenging would increase.

This world never lacked clever people.

Wang Yang was one of them.

He guessed the first two days of the five-day game were for adaptation.

If they didn’t seize this time for development, it would be difficult later.

Upper-floor players suffered in agony, filled with hope; lower-floor players, as if they had found gold, had motives hard to fathom.

One could only say, the joys and sorrows of people are not shared.