CHAPTER 15

"Ah, what?" Lu Lu couldn't understand at first.

"To become a zombie, you can continue to stay in the game as a player zombie. They are like that." Xiaoli pointed at Jin Ye. "Let them bite you, but your points will be reset."

Jin Ye had previously explained the process of becoming a zombie to Xiaoli, and she understood it well.

"But won't humans hunt me down if I become a zombie?"

"Aren't you being persecuted by humans right now? And after becoming a zombie, zombies won't bite you." Xiaoli enthusiastically promoted the benefits of being a zombie, like a zombie identity salesperson.

"Then why don't you become one?"

"I can't, not that I don't want to."

Lu Lu pondered her situation. Joining the Hubao Camp was absolutely not an option, and she didn't want to just give up like that. Although she entered the game late, besides reading some guides and knowing the basic rules, she didn't have any skills of her own. After all, reading guides and playing the game yourself were two different things.

The idea that Xiaoli proposed intrigued her, and she also became curious about the life of being a zombie.

As for resetting the points, she didn't mind. She hadn't earned any points yet.

After thinking it through, she walked straight to Tang Yu and raised her hand to her mouth, saying, "Bite me."

Tang Yu didn't expect Xiaoli to persuade Lu Lu so quickly. She pushed aside Lu Lu's hand and then raised her claw, scratching Lu Lu's arm.

Soon, Lu Lu's eyes darkened, but after a minute, they returned to normal. She curiously examined her transformed zombie body. Her fair skin now showed a bluish hue, and the veins under her skin became noticeable black lines.

Now, Tang Yu understood the rules of zombie transformation.

Only when caught or bitten by player zombies like Tang Yu and Jin Ye would there be an option to remain as a zombie. Being hit by ordinary zombies wouldn't trigger this mechanism, it would only turn someone into an unconscious NPC.

If someone wasn't infected and died due to external forces or gunshots, they would only remain as a lifeless corpse in the game world.

So far, only Tang Yu and Jin Ye had figured out these transformation rules. But in the future, more and more players would discover these patterns. It was hard for them to predict the situation it would create.

Tang Yu said to Lu Lu, "We're going to find the Zombie King next. Since you can't protect yourself yet, we can't take you with us. We'll bring you along for missions that aren't dangerous in the future, so you can earn points." Her words were straightforward, emphasizing the importance of survival, and she needed to make it clear to Lu Lu.

Lu Lu knew she was still a newbie, so she nodded calmly.

Tang Yu continued, "There will be many human players in Y City in the near future, so it's not suitable for us to hide there. After we leave this group, you should go to the village in the mountains and wait for us there. It's temporarily safe there. As long as you avoid human players along the way, there shouldn't be much danger."

"That's great." Lu Lu was also pleased with this arrangement, as it suited her well.

"I'm Tang Yu, and this is Jin Ye. From now on, we're partners." She activated the game's ally function and added Lu Lu.

"Sister Tang..." Lu Lu sweetly called out.

Tang Yu was very happy. Finally, she had an obedient follower!

The four of them adjusted Brother Hu's body, dressed him up, wiped away the water stains, and pretended that he was just resting to prevent any sudden intrusions from the underlings.

Jin Ye managed to open the storage locker and handed out supplies and weapons to the others. The four of them didn't rush to leave, they gathered together to conserve their energy.

During the journey, Lu Lu and Jin Ye chatted about things outside the game while Tang Yu listened. Lu Lu seemed to have grown up in a warm family, young in age and pure in thoughts. Tang Yu became intrigued and asked about the basic situation of the star domain.

Lu Lu was very interested and didn't make many assumptions about Tang Yu's identity. Jin Ye, on the other hand, had already guessed Tang Yu's identity. Therefore, when the topic of the star domain came up, Jin Ye specifically mentioned some information about the peripheral star domains.

This star domain consisted of 900 planets of various sizes, with more than half of them being uninhabited and small barren planets. There were less than 90 planets suitable for human habitation.

All the planets were under the jurisdiction of the central government. 85% of the population in the star domain lived on the central star, which led to its high prosperity. The farther away from the central star, the more primitive and underdeveloped the planets became. Travel between each planet was possible, but there were corresponding access rules.

The people on the peripheral planets survived by producing food and hunting interstellar monsters. They usually had little interaction with the central star. Some of them were interstellar refugees from other star domains, while others were ancient humans abandoned by the era due to their inability to adapt to technological development. These people settled on the peripheral planets, reproduced for generations, and maintained a low level of productivity.

Tang Yu nodded thoughtfully, combining Jin Ye's special explanation. She had about 70-80% certainty about her origins. She was skilled in using cold weapons and could easily identify crops, undoubtedly making her a person from the peripheral region of the star domain. As for why she had entered the game, Jin Ye and Lu Lu couldn't provide her with an answer.

"Do you have any family? Any friends? Do they know about your situation?" Tang Yu couldn't help but wonder, but these thoughts only flashed through her mind. She shook her head, thinking that it didn't matter. She should focus on the present tasks.

The light gradually weakened, seemingly approaching dusk, and the underlings resting in the lobby of the gas station couldn't help but knock on the door.

"Boss, when are we going to take action?" someone asked loudly.

"The boss said we'll act when it's dark." Xiaoli shouted. Then, the four of them worked together to move the storage locker slightly, creating a small opening.

Tang Yu positioned herself on one side, Jin Ye on the other, supporting Brother Hu to help him stand. Xiaoli put her cap on Brother Hu's head, covering his face, which had become somewhat fierce due to suffocation. Lu Lu stood behind Brother Hu, keeping her head down.

The group of them walked out.

The underlings in the lobby were all stunned when they saw them. Brother Hu now looked like he was being embraced by Tang Yu and Jin Ye, although their positions were somewhat strange, no one thought about the fact that Brother Hu was already dead.

After all, Brother Hu had exceptional talent, and they didn't believe their boss could be silently taken down.

Xiaoli was the only human among the four, so she took on the role of the messenger and said, "Brother Hu said he's feeling tired and sleepy. You guys go ahead and start the car, he'll join us in the back later."

One of the underlings looked worried, "He's not feeling well? Will it be okay for tonight's operation?"

Another underling next to him slapped him and whispered, "It's not that he's tired, he's just enjoying himself with the ladies."

Xiaoli smiled, "Don't worry, he'll take action when the time comes."

When the truck arrived, Xiaoli asked the underlings to step aside, and then the four of them together moved Brother Hu onto the truck, placing him in a corner near the front of the vehicle. They sat around him, blocking his body.

Taking advantage of this moment, Tang Yu sent Lu Lu away. She had already explained the route back to the village to Lu Lu, and now she let her slip away quickly.

When the underlings returned, Lu Lu was no longer in the car.

Braided Man, Lu Lu's former teammate, asked Xiaoli in confusion, "Why is it just you guys? What about my teammate?"

Xiaoli teased, "Oh, so you still recognize her as your teammate? She didn't listen and was sent away by Brother Hu. Maybe she won't survive until tomorrow."

The underlings laughed along. Since it was Brother Hu's command, they didn't care where Lu Lu had gone.

Some people also had suspicions, but Brother Hu was known for his unpredictable temper and eccentric behavior. If he was unhappy, he would shoot his loyal followers' heads off without hesitation. At this moment, no one dared to provoke him or cause any trouble. They ignored this strange situation, thinking only of self-preservation, and quickly got on the car.

Before entering the city, it seemed that Brother Hu had already given the mission objectives. The driver didn't bother Brother Hu, and the car proceeded towards the city center as planned.

The sky quickly darkened, and the night time Y City was completely different from the daytime. The tall, abandoned buildings disappeared into the darkness, resembling abyssal monsters with open mouths waiting for people to fall into their trap. Countless dangers lurked in the darkness, accompanied by occasional swallowing sounds and an increasingly putrid smell.

A camping lamp hung from the railing inside the truck, casting a warm, yellow light on people's faces. The underlings of Hubao Camp were eager and excited, their faces full of anticipation.

To these veteran players, these zombies were not a source of fear but a means to gain points.

When the first zombie pounced, Tang Yu immediately felt that something was off. Normally, zombies would have a 10% increase in mobility at night, but the zombies they were facing had at least doubled their physical abilities compared to those that attacked during the day. They displayed a completely different state.

Gunshots and explosions shattered the silence of Y City. The underlings seemed to be shooting and using explosive rounds as if they were free. Each bullet accurately pierced the zombies' spinal bones, while some went for headshots directly.

Not a single bullet hit their bodies, they were experienced in fighting zombies.

Jin Ye pulled Xiaoli behind her, and the zombie that climbed onto the railing showed no signs of aggression towards them, but it kept a watchful eye on Xiaoli.

In this standoff, the car continued forward for another ten minutes before abruptly stopping in the middle of the road with a screeching sound.

One of the underlings in the driver's seat shouted loudly, "Brother Hu, we can't go any further. There are zombies everywhere ahead."

As his voice echoed, everyone climbed onto the railing to look ahead. Tang Yu was curious, so she stepped on the barrier and peered over the front of the car.

Within the illumination of two car lights, there was a sea of densely packed zombies. It seemed like all the zombies in the city had gathered there. The car lights shone on their withered faces, making them look terrifying.

However, strangely enough, they didn't directly pounce on the car. Instead, they stood in an orderly manner, like a military formation, as if waiting for their leader's command.

"Hiss." Tang Yu took a sharp breath and recoiled. It was too eerie, and it sent shivers down her spine.

Someone in the car excitedly shouted, "They've appeared! The army of the Zombie King!"

Someone fired the first shot, and the driver turned the vehicle around to provide better shooting positions for the people inside. One of the lackeys excitedly shouted at Tang Yu and the others, "Quick, while they're still not moving, get kills and earn points. Once the Zombie King makes a move, there won't be any leftovers for us."

It seemed like they had been here before and knew the habits of the Zombie King.

Tang Yu didn't move, and her companions didn't make a move either. Instead, it was the three inexperienced teammates of Lu Lu who nervously started shooting.

The lackey, unable to provoke Tang Yu, muttered, "Is she already so scared that her legs are weak? Women really can't handle it.'"

Tang Yu rolled her eyes and thought about stabbing him.

However, in a moment, a row of zombies in front of them fell down, but they remained motionless.

Tang Yu felt a sense of unease in her heart, like the calm before a storm. The calmer it seemed, the more unpredictable the hidden crisis.

The muscular man in the car had already gone into a killing frenzy, and some brave ones even jumped out of the car and threw grenades into the pile of zombies.

The explosion caused a burst of fire, igniting some zombies at a distance, illuminating the surroundings.

Taking advantage of the firelight, Tang Yu keenly noticed that on the other side of the zombie formation, there were several trucks parked.

Someone had already taken the lead here.

However, they didn't go on a killing spree like the members of the Hubao Camp. Instead, they silently waited. Even when they saw a new team appear, they didn't lend a helping hand or engage in combat.

Tang Yu secretly informed her teammates of the situation, signaling that as soon as something unusual happened, they should immediately abandon the vehicle and escape.

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