26: Chapter 26 A New Incident: Zombie Shaun!
Jiang Wanwan fell silent.
Having left their original world, would the stars and celebrities who once thrived in front of the camera still hold the same appeal?
"Male stars are one thing; they just shed their halo and return to being ordinary people, able to struggle on by their own strength."
Lin Xiao set down the stardust converter in his hand and picked up the conversation.
"But... those top-tier female celebrities who were once held up in the clouds, often appearing in entertainment headlines and commercials, will have a hard time."
He paused.
What the apocalypse tore apart wasn't the law, but the thin veil of decency covering human nature.
In the past, people needed them as flawless vessels for fantasy, going crazy for them and paying for them.
But now?
The pressure of survival stimulates fragile nerves every single second.
Long-accumulated jealousy, hatred, the resentment of unfulfilled desires, and that unwillingness to accept "Why should you be so high and mighty?"...
β¦will burst forth like a broken dam, unstoppable.
From that moment on, the identity of a celebrity is no longer a halo, but an original sin!
Lin Xiao looked out at the brilliant starry sky outside the window, his eyes reflecting the moonlight, cold and icy.
He seemed to recall something.
In his previous life, in the second or perhaps the third month after crossing into the Fog World, Lin Xiao had seen a former top-tier celebrity.
It was at some foul-smelling, chaotic survivor stronghold.
And she was locked in a cage, her hair dirty and matted, her expensive gown reduced to rags.
Yet, she was still breathtakingly beautiful.
Surrounding the cage were her former fanatic fans, as well as ordinary people who had never seen her and only heard her name.
Their eyes no longer held worship for an idol, only naked, greedy gazes.
That chaotic scene was truly indescribable in words.
It wasn't simple violence; it was more like a collective, unconscious trial and deprivation.
People dragged her down from the pedestal, trampled her into the mud, as if this could prove that in the face of absolute power and survival, all symbols of the old era were worthless.
They could even gain an illusion of controlling fate by trampling upon them.
Lin Xiao withdrew his gaze.
Therefore, in the current world, hiding among the crowd might be their only chance to survive.
Shortly after the meal, a cold broadcast rang out.
γ The third wave of zombies has been cleared. γ
γ The fourth wave of zombies will arrive in six hours. Please prepare! γ
The leaderboard was also updated simultaneously:
γ 1st Place: Car 07-01 Lin Xiao, Points 3080 γ
γ 2nd Place: 14-04 Liu Bi, Points 1240 ( β ) γ
γ 3rd Place: 05-05 Chen Pingan, Points 1050 ( β ) γ
γ 4th Place: 02-07 Lu Yu, Points 890 ( New ) γ
γ 5th Place: 15-05 Chang Siyuan, Points 740 ( New ) γ
γ 6th Place: 11-05 Wang Yan, Points 680 ( New ) γ
...
Just as before, Lin Xiao's points were far ahead of everyone else.
This time he killed 171 zombies, and with the bonus from the event card, he gained a total of 2223 stardust.
Several weapons, armor materials, and two skill books were dropped.
The overall gain was quite good.
Looking at the other compartments.
Chen Pingan still chose a balanced strategy, so his ranking inevitably dropped.
Meanwhile, Liu Bi, relying on a machete and decisive, swift methods, took care of the vast majority of zombies in Car 14, concentrating resources to rise to second place on the leaderboard.
Several new faces appeared in the middle of the leaderboard.
Especially that Chang Siyuan; to be able to reach fifth place even after selling skill books, he likely has some hidden cards up his sleeve.
In addition, the points of the vast majority of passengers were increasing.
Some had a shift in mindset, changing from waiting for rescue to actively saving themselves.
And some passengers who were already quite capable but had bad luck at the start and didn't draw weapons, now with the support of equipment and skills, quickly rose in the rankings.
However, the total number of people on the train had plummeted by seventy or eighty!
Currently, it is: 414 / 680.
In just three rounds, the mortality rate was already close to forty percent.
Subsequent casualties would surely be even more severe.
Lin Xiao closed the leaderboard and checked his personal information interface.
γ Currency: stardust * 1995, pleasure tokens * 1 γ
A few hundred stardust had originally been left over from the second round.
But on the way, he traded 500 to Wen Yiran as startup capital to buy skill books, and threw another 100 into the stardust converter.
Currently, there was less than two thousand stardust left in his backpack.
It seemed like a lot, but thinking of the upcoming public store, as well as the attribute improvement needs for himself and his team members, Lin Xiao suddenly felt strapped for cash.
He pondered for a moment, then traded 1000 stardust to Jiang Wanwan.
"Wanwan, see what good event cards we can get this time!"
"Received!" Jiang Wanwan took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and focused.
As a faint light lit up, three cards appeared in her palm:
γ Zombie Xiao En: In the next wave of attacks, you will encounter a zombie named "Xiao En." You two will hit it off immediately and sympathize with each other. If you do not actively attack while "Xiao En" is alive, it will leave behind a package it has treasured for many years as a token of gratitude. γ
γ Corpse Sea Tactic: An uneasy, restless atmosphere begins to permeate the compartment you are in. For every zombie present on the field, all zombies gain one layer of [Berserk]. Each layer provides a 1% attack speed and movement speed bonus (stackable). Phew, the pressure of clearing zombies has never been so great. γ
γ Home Demolition Expert: You will gain the [Home Demolition] trait, increasing damage to building facilities by 20%. Now, you can more efficiently create shortcuts or cause chaos. Remember, my friend, there were no roads in this world to begin with; after demolishing enough, a road is formed! γ
Lin Xiao stared at the first card.
Xiao En, a zombie with a nameβisn't this just an elite monster?
He had encountered similar mechanics before; they were usually preliminary stages for hidden quests or special rewards.
But the risk lay in the judgment of "not actively attacking," and whether Xiao En itself would bring other variables.
While Lin Xiao was analyzing the event cards, Wen Yiran stared blankly at the cards floating in Jiang Wanwan's palm, shimmering with a faint light.
"So... Wanwan also possesses special abilities."
She quietly shrank herself into the corner between the bed and the wall, as if trying to hide her bewilderment.
The scene before her caused the small expectation that had just welled up in her heart to fade away once more.
Just a moment ago, Wen Yiran had even thought that she might finally be able to help a little, and would no longer be a pure burden.
But the reality was that she still had nothing, and could do nothing.
Wen Yiran hugged her knees tightly, rested her chin on them, and her gaze fell upon the two people standing side by side not far away.
In the moonlight, Lin Xiao's profile revealed a calmness and steadiness that transcended his young face.
Jiang Wanwan, on the other hand, carried an unfamiliar, focused brilliance.
And as a bystander, Wen Yiran could only watch with envy.
Just then, a slender but strong hand suddenly entered her field of vision, grabbed her wrist without a word, and pulled her up from the shadows of the corner.
"Ranran, why are you hiding here? Come over and look together!"
Jiang Wanwan's voice was clear and bright, dispelling the low pressure that had been gradually spreading over Wen Yiran.
She didn't let go of Wen Yiran's hand, and turned her gaze toward the three cards floating in mid-air.
"In my opinion, the second event card only has negative effects and can be passed on directly!"
"The first one, γ Zombie Xiao En γ, is good since we can get rewards without attacking, but I always feel that if we take it out, the rewards will definitely be even richer!"
After saying this, Jiang Wanwan tugged on Wen Yiran's arm.
The warmth and force transmitted through her arm made Wen Yiran's eyes heat up.
"I, I think the third one, γ Home Demolition Expert γ, might also not be good!"
She looked at the three cards, her gaze drifting over them, and finally spoke softly, "When I was collecting skill books today, I specifically observed that the vast majority of passengers are very poor. Even if we demolished their territory, I'm afraid we wouldn't get much out of it..."
"Unless we go after those people at the top of the leaderboard."
By the end, Wen Yiran's voice dropped low again.
"Your lines of thought are both very good." Lin Xiao rubbed his chin, a light of approval flashing in his eyes, "But γ Corpse Sea Tactic γ isn't necessarily purely negative."
He pointed his finger at the second card, "Look closely: only zombies inside the compartment gain [Berserk]. So, what if I hide in another compartment beforehand?"
"If the compartment targeted by the Berserk zombies isn't strong enough, wouldn't they be wiped out?" Jiang Wanwan immediately asked, her brows furrowing.
"That's right, this is equivalent to a terrifying team-wipe skill, but the risk is extremely high. Unless there's deep hatred, there's no need to resort to such methods."
Lin Xiao's tone was calm as he turned to point at the first card, "The γ Zombie Xiao En γ event card is also very interesting. What does 'not actively attack' mean?"
"What if, due to some situation, I get caught in the crossfire of a battle and am forced to counterattack... No, what about self-defense!"
He looked up at the two women, the deep meaning in his words self-evident, "That way, we can not only get the package treasured for many years but perhaps also earn an extra kill reward for an elite monster!"
"So, we're going to scheme to make other passengers attack Xiao En?"
Wen Yiran finally caught up with the rhythm, her eyes widening slightly, and the surprise on her face gradually replaced her confusion.
"Wow!" Jiang Wanwan reached out a finger and laughingly poked Lin Xiao's shoulder, "Xiao Lin, you're so bad~"
"Select γ Zombie Xiao En γ!"
Lin Xiao made his decision, his tone resolute.
Although it meant facing an elite monster.
But as the saying goes, the bigger the waves, the more expensive the fish!
Once you have a certain foundation of strength, it's worth a shot.
Besides, the description of a "package treasured for many years" was just too tempting.
The card was selected and vanished into the air as a streak of white flame.
Just then, the mask icon in the bottom right corner of Lin Xiao's vision flickered slightly.
The mysterious shop had refreshed!
He immediately clicked it open:
γ Facility Blueprint Β· Storage Box (55 tokens): A cold, square tin box with a somewhat aged small brass lock. In this world where everything can be taken away, it allows you to hide your most precious items inside. γ
γ Dining Table Recipe Β· White Quality (20 tokens): A standard European-style long table, the surface even retaining a veneer imitating wood grain. It can decently accommodate your canned goods, candles, and found old vases, but can never fill the empty seats around it. γ
γ Equipment - Knuckle Dusters (30 tokens): Level 1. When you slip them over your knuckles, the chill of the metal merges with your finger bones. Shh, don't waste your breath with enemies; all we need to do is smash logic into their bones. γ
Lin Xiao's gaze fell upon the storage box and the knuckle dusters.
The storage box could solve some security issues regarding the storage of valuables.
It happened that he was currently suffering from the problem of insufficient backpack slots, and there was nowhere to store many materials.
And the knuckle dusters could serve as an off-hand weapon. Combined with his dual-weapon mastery and main-hand battle axe, they could form a good attack speed complement, making it more flexible to deal with high-speed or low-health targets!
"But, it requires 85 tokens..."
He glanced at the two women beside him, who looked slightly exhausted but had gentle eyes, then touched his own waist and sighed inwardly.
The price of this pleasure really is a bit hard on the waist.
But in order to become stronger, in order to survive, some hardships must be endured.
π Text To Speech
Listen while reading