Inside the Killing Competition game.
Guided by the cheongsam girl, Kraken visited several more Weapon Acquisition Points in succession.
Every time they arrived, the girl would warn him of nearby dangers in advance, allowing him to calmly avoid other participants.
When necessary, he struck first.
After dealing with two more individuals who tried to ambush him, Kraken's equipment had become quite formidable.
He had a rifle with decent accuracy and three full magazines.
A handgun served as his backup.
Two smoke grenades and one flashbang.
There was also a bulletproof vest. Although he didn't know how much of a difference it would make in a game like this, it was better than nothing.
Holding the rifle at the ready, he crouched in the corner of an abandoned shop to check his surroundings.
Just then, the system interface before his eyes suddenly flashed.
Two notifications appeared simultaneously.
The first read:
【To increase the entertainment value of the game, monsters will randomly spawn within the game scene starting immediately. Participants, please remain alert.】
Kraken's brow furrowed.
Monsters?
Before he could dwell on it, a second notification surfaced:
【The first disclosure of participant locations will begin in twenty minutes. At that time, the real-time locations of all participants will be revealed to everyone. This operation will repeat at set intervals thereafter.】
【Countdown: 20:00】
A red countdown timer appeared in the upper right corner of the system interface, the numbers ticking down second by second.
Kraken fell into deep thought.
Disclosing locations?
What did this mean?
He soon understood the significance of this move.
It was to prevent people from finding a hidden spot and staying there until the end of the game.
The game organizers did not allow such a passive playstyle, which was why this new rule had been introduced.
Revealing everyone's location at regular intervals was undoubtedly telling everyone that slacking off was pointless.
If someone hid in one spot for too long, they would very likely become a target for others.
If participants didn't seek out weapons, they would become lambs for the slaughter.
Given that everyone's physical attributes were roughly similar, the gap between having a weapon and being unarmed would be massive.
There was no use in hiding.
This game forced everyone to kill one another, to fight.
Kraken recalled the interface that had popped up on the computer screen when he entered the game.
“Do you want to know the meaning of life? Do you want to truly live?”
It was quite ironic. This game didn't respect life at all; surviving it would be as difficult as ascending to the heavens.
No one knew when they might die. To live, one could only take the lives of others.
At that moment, the girl's text appeared in his field of vision:
【Three kilometers to the front-right, there is one participant.】
【Two kilometers to the back-left, there are two participants moving in opposite directions.】
【In the building five hundred meters directly ahead, there is another participant currently stationary.】
Kraken's spirits lifted.
The locations wouldn't be officially disclosed for another twenty minutes, but the girl had helped him achieve that ahead of time.
He could seize the initiative.
After a brief thought, he chose the stationary target five hundred meters ahead.
This participant was close and staying still, meaning they were either lying in wait or hiding.
Either way, it was worth investigating.
Using the ruins as cover, Kraken crept toward that direction.
Soon, he spotted a three-story old apartment building. The exterior walls were mottled and the windows were shattered; it looked as though it had been abandoned for a long time.
Kraken circled around to the side and found a hidden observation point to look inside.
In a corner on the first floor, he saw the participant.
It was a man in his thirties, currently leaning against a wall. He looked to be in terrible shape, with a deep wound on his abdomen that had soaked half his clothes in blood. One of his legs was also injured.
He was barely clinging to life.
However, he hadn't given up. Gritting his teeth, he used his hands to brace against the wall and stood up with difficulty, limping toward the depths of the hallway.
Every step was agonizing, yet he kept moving, trying to find a safer place to hide. His will to live was remarkably strong.
Kraken showed a trace of hesitation.
The man had clearly been attacked by another participant. He had no weapons; perhaps he had some originally, but they had been taken after he was wounded. All he wanted now was to survive.
Kraken's finger rested on the trigger.
One pull was all it would take to eliminate one more participant.
A life would end silently in the ruins.
Kraken hesitated for a moment, thought about it, and ultimately released the trigger.
Forget it.
With injuries like that, the man might not last long anyway.
There was no need for him to act and add another death to his conscience.
He knew he was being a bit sentimental, showing an ill-timed kindness.
But he really couldn't bring himself to do it. Facing a participant who wanted to live so badly, he didn't want to be the one to kick him while he was down.
He was just about to turn and leave.
Right then, the wounded participant suddenly stopped. His entire body stiffened, and an expression of extreme terror washed over his face.
He let out a piercing scream and, ignoring the injury to his leg, ran frantically in the other direction.
Unfortunately, he couldn't run fast.
After only a few steps, he tumbled to the ground.
Behind him, something was giving chase.
Kraken's eyes widened as he watched.
It was a humanoid monster with gray-green skin that was festering in multiple places, revealing dark red muscle beneath. In some spots, even the pale white bone was visible. Its movements were stiff yet rapid, its limbs uncoordinated, but its speed was terrifying.
The creature's face could no longer be called a face.
Its eye sockets were sunken, and its eyeballs were as cloudy as those of a dead fish. Half of its lips had rotted away, exposing blackened teeth. Sparse hair clung to its scalp.
“A zombie.”
The term immediately surfaced in Kraken's mind.
It was a classic zombie.
Was this the kind of monster that spawned in the game?
It looked a lot like the zombies in movies, but it was faster, stronger, and far more revolting.
The zombie lunged at the wounded participant, opened its rotten mouth, and bit down.
The screaming stopped abruptly.
Then, a hair-raising sound of chewing echoed through the ruins.
Kraken held his breath and quietly backed away.
He didn't want to face that thing head-on.
It would be a waste of bullets, and the zombie was too filthy; he was afraid of getting its grime on himself.
After retreating a dozen meters and confirming the zombie hadn't noticed him, he was about to turn and find a way around.
【Danger!】
The girl's text warning suddenly appeared.
【Abnormal creatures detected at the corner ahead.】
Kraken froze.
He cautiously peeked around the corner.
Five zombies were wandering aimlessly through the ruins, letting out low growls from time to time.
Kraken's brow furrowed tightly; that was quite a few.
If they were the classic movie zombies that walked slower than an old lady crossing the street, Kraken was confident he could take on five of them alone.
But the zombies in this game were clearly more advanced; they were far too fast.
Behind him, the zombie from before had finished devouring the wounded participant and was now raising its head, sniffing the air.
Its head slowly turned toward the direction where Kraken was hiding.
Holy shit! Kraken's heart skipped a beat.
He gripped his rifle and lowered his body, trying to be as silent as possible.
In his field of vision, the girl's text appeared once more:
【Don't worry. I will step in to protect you if necessary.】
Kraken did not relax. He continued to hold his breath, remaining perfectly still.
Rate on N.U.
