Chapter 22: Exterminating the Great Zombie, Zhou Tao Dies!

[Colt Venom]
[Type: Firearm]
[Level: 3]
[Effect (Fatal Serpent Kiss): Significantly increased accuracy]
[Damage: 49]
[Ammo: 14/17]
[Durability: 13/13]
[Dismantle yield: Stabilizer x1, Barrel x1, Bullet x14, Steel x13]
[Upgrade requirement: 420 Nightmare Coins]
[Description: One shot, one soul!]

These were the spoils of war.
Next came the loot: a medical item and 1,200 copper coins.

[Genetic Optimization Serum]
[Type: Medical Item]
[Level: 2]
[Effect: Increases constitution by 3 points upon injection; provides immunity to zombie virus, influenza, hepatitis B, and other viruses]
[Upgrade requirement: 145 Nightmare Coins]
[Description: An excellent biochemical product. Administer via subcutaneous injection. One shot and... wait? Why is my head getting all pointy?]

Excitement flashed in Xu Lang’s eyes.
Directly increasing base stats—this was a god-tier item!
Though, that description... surely it wouldn’t actually make his head pointy, right?
He had asked Cao Yaxuan and the others before; everyone’s item descriptions were slightly different. Beyond the fixed information, a portion was derived from the observer’s subjective consciousness.

"It should be fine!" Xu Lang muttered to himself.

"Xu Lang, did you kill that zombie?" Cao Yaxuan gulped.
Xu Lang’s speed had been so fast that they hadn't caught many details.
However, it was worth noting that even in such a sudden crisis, neither woman had screamed. Five days of the survival game had taught every player to keep their mouths shut.

"Genuine article." Xu Lang put away the Colt and flashed a smile.
Cao Yaxuan hadn't seen such a bright smile from Xu Lang in a long time; she was momentarily stunned, then nodded with a blush. "As long as you're happy... You’re ranked second now. If you win the game, there will be great rewards."
The dormitory broadcast had mentioned that the top ten could upgrade their dorms, and she felt a glimmer of anticipation.

"Let’s focus on surviving first," Xu Lang said with a smile.

"Xu Lang, what is this?" Tong Qi pointed at the blue serum in his hand.
"Dropped by the Cat Demon," Xu Lang said, then immediately jabbed the serum into his arm.
A slight sting in his arm was followed by waves of cooling relief.

This vial of serum looked very rare. Using Nightmare Coins to upgrade it might yield excellent results.
But from now on, even if Xu Lang had Nightmare Coins, he would only use them to upgrade his Nightmare Bed or the main door.
Hoarding resources for the Genetic Optimization Serum wasn't a smart choice. If others’ economies snowballed, he wouldn't stand a chance. Rather than enjoying the late game, it was better to keep the momentum going strong all the way!

A few minutes later, Xu Lang’s physique hadn't changed much, but he could clearly feel his strength increasing; he stood even straighter than before.

"Xu Lang, are you going out?" Cao Yaxuan’s heart tightened, a strong intuition suddenly striking her.
Xu Lang was leaving!

"Not yet," Xu Lang shook his head, his expression calm as he casually put on Cao Yaxuan’s baseball cap.
He was one step away from the top of the leaderboard; there was no reason not to compete for it.
Hearing this, Tong Qi pursed her lips, suppressing the urge to persuade him otherwise.
At times like this, when a man had already made up his mind, she didn't want to interfere. Besides, she felt that Xu Lang had better judgment than she did, so supporting him was enough.

"Xu Lang..." Cao Yaxuan opened her mouth, pleading slightly, "Can you not go?"
"No." Xu Lang shook his head.
When he chose to hole up in his room, no one could drag him out; when he chose to go out, no one could drag him back.
Everyone had to pay the price for their own choices, and he was willing to take this risk.
The dangers of the Dormitory Survival Game exceeded his expectations, which had put him on high alert.
Operating was like rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you fall back.
If he didn't go out when an opportunity presented itself, that wasn't playing it safe—that was being a coward!

Xu Lang jumped in place a couple of times to loosen up, then stood behind the door with his pistol, waiting.
Minutes passed, and finally, the opportunity arrived!
A large zombie had reached the tenth floor. Screams echoed in the corridor, and players were issuing warnings in the chat room.
At this moment, every extra second the person being hunted survived meant more time for himself.
Unfortunately, the player being hunted was swatted to death by the large zombie as soon as they reached the tenth floor.
Immediately after, the large zombie began battering the door.
The dorm number was 186—it was Wu Huihui’s room!

...

"Sister Wu, what do we do?" Wang Tingting was in a panic.
"Don't be afraid, use the iron scraps to patch it!" Wu Huihui held the iron scraps, ready to patch the door the moment its durability dropped.
With a flash of light, the iron in her hand vanished—it was truly magical.
"Don't just stand there, go ask other players to lend us iron!" Wu Huihui said in a deep voice.
The sound vibrating through her vocal cords added a touch of authority to the scene.
"Oh, right!" Wang Tingting snapped out of it and hurriedly called out in the chat room.
There were only the two of them left in the room.
The other roommate had died during the large zombie's pursuit; had she not asked Wu Huihui for the immunity serum, she wouldn't have been caught up in this either.
Because of the reputation they had previously built, some people gradually transferred iron scraps to Wang Tingting, but it was barely a drop in the bucket.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
The large zombie kept ramming the door; the sound was like a funeral bell.
"Why is it only targeting us!" Wang Tingting was in despair.
They had run out of iron scraps and could only watch as the door’s durability ticked down.
Wu Huihui gripped her weapon, not daring to stand behind the door, and instead moved further back. Sweat beaded on her forehead as she stared fixedly at the door.

Bang!
The large zombie rammed again, and the door cracked. Wu Huihui could even see its terrifying silhouette through the gap.
Wang Tingting shivered like chaff in the wind, but she gritted her teeth, hoping to slip out the moment the zombie burst in.
"Sister Hui, let’s run in different directions."
"Okay!"
Both sisters were terrified, but there was no other choice. The only path before them was to seek life in the midst of death.

Bang!
The large zombie gathered its strength for a final charge, but it suddenly swayed mid-motion, and the teetering door was not knocked down.
Furthermore, that booming sound wasn't the sound of a door being smashed!
Immediately after, a flurry of bangs rang out, leaving the two women in the room stunned.
"What happened?"
The two looked at each other, completely bewildered.

...

Xu Lang stepped forward and bent down to pick up the large zombie’s loot.
It was an exquisitely designed card with a pattern of a clawing, snarling zombie in the center.
He didn't linger, quickly grabbing it before sprinting toward the stairwell.
The area below the dormitory building was pitch black, save for a couple of streetlights.
Beyond that, there was no sound, and no one dared to make a noise.
Xu Lang rushed along, soon reaching the entrance of the gymnasium, where he saw the corpse of the crawling monster.
And then, he saw an old acquaintance.
Others had the same idea as Xu Lang.

"Xu Lang!?"
Zhou Tao, who had just picked up the loot from the crawling monster, squinted his eyes. Upon confirming Xu Lang’s identity, he couldn't help but go into a frenzy.
"You little brat, you actually dared to come out!"
"Take me to your room at once!"
"No, wait—hand over the position of room owner immediately!"
As he spoke, he pulled a hockey stick from his backpack, intending to smash it viciously toward Xu Lang.
He was so overjoyed to see Xu Lang that his words lacked logic, his voice frantic like the low growl of a wild dog.