【Don't worry. I will step in to protect you if necessary.】
The text appeared in his field of vision, its tone quite nonchalant.
But Kraken did not relax. He continued to hold his breath, remaining perfectly still.
His refusal was clear.
Once the cheongsam girl took action, no matter the method, the game organizers might immediately detect the anomaly.
Since the masterminds behind this game could create a virtual space of this scale, their surveillance methods were bound to be sophisticated.
If that happened, he wouldn't be able to continue his investigation, and he would alert the enemy, compromising the Alliance's plans.
Five zombies were still wandering in the ruins ahead.
The zombie in the building behind him had just finished devouring the corpse and seemed to have caught the scent of a fresh living human.
Kraken's mind raced.
Fight them head-on?
No.
Taking on that many zombies alone was too difficult. Moreover, his ammunition was limited; if he missed their vitals and they closed in, he would be in serious trouble.
Find another way?
With the zombie behind blocking him and the five ahead spread out, could he find a path to slip through this narrow street unnoticed?
As he racked his brain, new text appeared in his vision.
【I can see more information than you.】
【Do as I say, and there's a high probability you can kill these zombies without taking any damage.】
Kraken paused. Accustomed to thinking for himself, he didn't react immediately.
Since childhood, whether in Order Alliance training or during missions, he had always been the one to formulate plans and execute them.
But he soon snapped out of it.
He wasn't stubborn or overconfident, so he didn't reject the girl's kindness.
A few seconds later, a new prompt appeared.
【Directly ahead at three o'clock, there's a lone zombie by that pile of scrap metal. It's about seven or eight meters away from the other four.】
【The lone zombie's attention is on the ruined house to its right. There's some movement inside—likely a small animal like a rat.】
【Sneak over and approach from the side. Use a sharp weapon to strike the zombie's head. Do not use your gun.】
Kraken looked in that direction.
Sure enough.
There was indeed one zombie slightly further away from the others. It was tilting its head, staring at a nearby ruined house and growling, completely unaware of what was behind it.
Kraken gently holstered his handgun and drew the dagger strapped to his calf.
He had found the dagger at a Weapon Acquisition Point as well. It was very sharp and should be enough to handle these zombies.
He crouched low and hugged the wall, quietly moving in that direction according to the route provided by the girl.
He carefully avoided the gravel underfoot, making sure every step landed on solid ground without making a sound.
It took him nearly two minutes to cover the distance of over ten meters.
Finally, he reached a spot three meters behind the zombie.
The zombie still hadn't noticed him.
Kraken gripped the dagger tightly.
【Now.】
The moment the text flashed, he moved.
He cleared the three-meter distance in two strides.
The dagger plunged deep into the back of the zombie's head.
He twisted the blade as it sank in.
First Blood!
The zombie's body convulsed briefly before losing all mobility, dead for good.
Kraken gently lowered the zombie to the ground without making a sound. Then he pulled out the dagger and wiped it clean on the zombie's clothes.
His heart was racing slightly, but his breathing remained steady.
【Nicely done.】
【Next is the second one. See that broken wall ahead? Circle around it. Four zombies are gathered there with their backs to you.】
Kraken looked up.
The four zombies were huddled together, gnawing on a pile of something unrecognizable, completely oblivious to any movement behind them.
He moved again.
This route was longer and required crossing an open area. He practically crawled along the ground, moving as slowly as a snail for fear of making any noise.
Finally, he reached the back of the broken wall.
The four zombies were just five meters away, their heads down as they fed.
Kraken held his breath and observed their movements.
They were eating intently. The pile looked like the carcass of some animal, torn beyond recognition.
【The one on the far left is furthest from the other three. Take it out first.】
Kraken leaned halfway out from behind the wall and crept toward the zombie on the far left.
The distance closed.
The dagger plunged into the back of the zombie's head once more.
Double Kill!
The zombie collapsed without even a whimper.
The other three continued their meal, entirely unaware.
Kraken felt something was off—were zombies really this dull?
He gently laid the body down and circled toward the next one.
Triple Kill!
Quadra Kill!
He took each one out silently from behind while they were distracted.
Until the last one.
Whether it had finished eating or suddenly sensed something, it abruptly raised its head and sniffed the air.
Kraken froze.
He pressed himself behind a derelict pillar and held his breath.
The zombie sniffed a few times but didn't seem to find anything unusual. It was just about to lower its head again.
At that moment, it suddenly turned its head, facing directly toward where Kraken was hiding.
Kraken's heart sank.
Was he spotted?
The zombie started walking toward the pillar.
Kraken gripped his dagger, his body tensing to the limit.
【Don't move. Let it get closer.】
The girl's text remained calm.
The zombie took two more steps, leaving only three meters between it and the pillar.
Low growls emanated from its throat.
Two meters.
One and a half meters.
Kraken could already smell the rot coming off the zombie.
【Now!】
Kraken lunged from behind the pillar, thrusting the dagger at the zombie's skull.
This creature's reaction was faster than the previous ones; it tilted its head. The dagger didn't pierce the skull but instead sliced across its cheek, carving off a piece of rotten flesh.
Realizing a living person was there, the zombie opened its mangled mouth and let out a loud shriek, lunging to bite Kraken!
Kraken didn't retreat.
He used his left hand to pin the zombie's neck. The creature possessed extraordinary strength, and he nearly lost his grip.
He twisted the dagger in his right hand and drove it upward through the jaw, straight into the brain.
Penta Kill!
The zombie's body twitched a few times before finally going limp.
Kraken panted heavily as he lowered the zombie to the ground.
It was over.
Five zombies, all dealt with.
No injuries, and no shots fired.
He knew deep down that the cheongsam girl must have done something behind the scenes to make the zombies duller and slower to react.
Otherwise, it would have been very difficult to achieve five consecutive kills without a scratch.
Even so, he was exhausted.
The final strike had been far more perilous than he had anticipated. That zombie's reaction speed was noticeably faster than the others. If he hadn't reacted in time, he might be the one lying on the ground now.
Sweat poured down his face. Kraken started to wipe it away but stopped halfway when he remembered that his hand had just touched a zombie and smelled foul.
With a look of disgust, he rubbed his hand in the dirt. Compared to a zombie, the dust on the ground was clean.
Just then, a series of growls came from behind.
Was it the zombie in the building?
No, from the sound of it, it wasn't just one or two zombies—it was a lot of them!
Perhaps the final shriek of the last zombie had attracted others.
Or perhaps the game map had spawned more zombies.
Startled, Kraken quickly stood up and hid in a more secluded corner, straining his ears to listen.
The growls were getting closer.
Not just from one direction—zombies were converging from at least two different ways.
Kraken glanced down at the system interface.
Countdown: 3:47.
In just over three minutes, the participants' locations would be revealed.
At that point, the danger wouldn't just come from zombies; other participants would start attacking one another as well.
He furrowed his brow, weighing his options.
【Find a safe spot to rest and recover your stamina.】
【You've exerted yourself quite a bit. Whether dealing with zombies or other participants next, you need to be in top form.】
The girl's text appeared at the perfect time.
Kraken nodded.
He knew she was right.
If he continued to move now, his stamina would only continue to drop, potentially landing him in an even more dangerous situation.
【I'll calculate a location for you.】
The text disappeared for a few seconds before resurfacing.
【To your back-left, about eight hundred meters away. There's a five-story building there. The surrounding area is relatively open, with no other participants or zombies nearby. The building itself is easy to defend and hard to attack; it has only one entrance and offers a great vantage point to observe the surroundings.】
Without hesitation, Kraken gripped his rifle and moved quickly toward that direction.
Rate on N.U.
