Chapter 11: Cutting Off One's Own Foot by Lifting a Stone

Under the keen tracking of Blackie’s sharp nose, Song Yu quickly caught up to the group of players. Conveniently, they were also heading toward the Old Town, so their paths aligned.

In this dungeon, killing players by ambush was surprisingly easy. All one had to do was lure the zombies over. However, this tactic was risky—zombies were extremely dangerous. Such a method was absolutely forbidden at night, as the chance of attracting trouble soared to ninety-nine percent, unless Song Yu had enough firepower to suppress the horde.

This group of players managed to escape mainly because one player, whose mind was disturbed, made a fearless sacrifice. Otherwise, they would have long been zombie fodder.

With Blackie’s assistance, plotting against these players wasn’t so difficult. Song Yu didn’t even need to appear in person; just a single alarm clock would suffice. She had found this among the debris in some old houses she had scavenged earlier—though they lacked proper food, drink, or necessities, there were plenty of miscellaneous items that seemed useless at first glance.

Thanks to Blackie’s spatial abilities, Song Yu could afford to collect more of these seemingly worthless scraps. She was grateful to the system and, most of all, to Blackie. She felt her greatest trump card wasn’t her own talent, but rather Blackie.

After the group entered an apartment building—there were quite a few in Old Town, none too tall, with the tallest being the 12-story building where Song Yu had lived before—Blackie, carrying several timed alarm clocks, moved silently and stealthily inside.

As Blackie’s protégé, the dog was utterly reliable. Not only did he place the alarm clocks, but he also opened numerous doors in rooms where noise could be heard.

Players killed by zombies left no inheritance nor talent points behind. Yet Song Yu still chose to send these players to their deaths; her moral compass was as low as the aging buildings in Old Town.

The density of zombies here far surpassed that of the outskirts of the city where Song Yu had been previously. The streets were packed with zombies, with fewer only in narrow alleys or tight spaces between buildings.

Song Yu’s nail gun was quiet. Though its damage was somewhat low, it had the advantage of not attracting zombies’ attention. While clearing zombies in Old Town, she noticed a problem: the first- and second-tier zombies here seemed to have more health than those outside.

Was it because they gathered in packs?

Song Yu squeezed the trigger, killing a zombie in the apartment corridor ahead. She cleared all zombies from the second floor hallway and began searching for supplies.

Finding the Watchers organization was important, but gathering resources was even more crucial. Side quests were mere distractions; Song Yu understood the priorities and controlled her curiosity.

All these apartments were identical: one-bedroom layouts with a living room, kitchen, and bathroom. Her scavenging was efficient, aided by her talent for spotting useful junk, easily distinguishing where supplies might be hidden.

However, just because her talent didn’t detect anything didn’t mean the rooms were devoid of resources. Her ability only responded to items with system stats—things like bed sheets, tablecloths, furniture were deemed invalid resources, though they could still be useful.

Supplies in the apartment buildings were scarce—roughly one usable item per three rooms. Chen Su, who had more supplies on hand, was an exception, holding an absurd amount.

It seemed the NPC merchants had already scavenged the entire city, leaving nothing for those who came after.

Relying on her talent and search skills, Song Yu barely managed to keep herself and Blackie fed. She also had long-range weapons.

Others were not so fortunate. The larger the player group, the harder it was to sustain themselves. Acting alone made one vulnerable to other groups who might immediately rob or kill them for talents and inheritance.

The fact that players dropped talents and inheritance on death was no secret. Most players lacked the courage to kill others, and killing recklessly was self-defeating.

It was better to play the long game and catch bigger prey. To survive as a lone wolf, one needed sufficient strength.

The group that had previously robbed Song Yu and the tall, thin Monkey team were struggling just to survive. In reality, they were troublemakers who carried their unruly nature into the game. That gun they brandished was stolen from an NPC merchant killing zombies, taken while the merchant was distracted—a stroke of luck, much like Blackie’s.

At the last room on the second floor, Blackie returned to Song Yu’s side. Soon after, a loud alarm blared from a nearby building.

Worried the alarm wouldn’t be loud enough, Song Yu had crafted a makeshift amplifier from cardboard and rice grains. The bell’s sound was clear and piercing.

She had chosen the perfect moment—the player group had just reached the upper floors and couldn’t escape quickly.

The loud noise attracted a massive horde of zombies. From the apartment’s highest floor, Song Yu gazed upon the terrifying scene unfolding in the distance.

The alarm continued ringing nonstop, and the zombies flooded the streets like a tidal wave, surging madly in one direction.

By the time the players realized what was happening, it was too late. Song Yu hadn’t given them enough time to react. Blackie had hidden the alarm clocks so well they couldn’t be found.

Escaping the apartments was impossible—zombies already crowded the surrounding area.

“I need to get a better telescope,” Song Yu mused. From this distance, her view wasn’t clear, only faint screams of humans reaching her ears.

Not just a telescope—she’d better upgrade her flashlight, lighter, tent, boat, and blanket too. After all, this was an apocalypse survival game; all kinds of environments could arise, and preparation was key.

By this move, Song Yu not only dragged that player group into oblivion but also helped nearby players clear zombies.

She noticed many players poking their heads out to observe the chaos—a testament to the ever-present gossip and curiosity of the Chinese.

Sacrificing those scoundrels benefited the others. Song Yu and Blackie returned to the hallway, hastening their search.

When they reached the sixth floor, Blackie suddenly perked up, his eyes sharp and alert, fixating on a single direction.

Song Yu hurried to the window, and upon recognizing the figure outside, her expression grew as grave as Blackie’s.

The pair exchanged a glance and immediately dashed downstairs.

It was a classic case of shooting oneself in the foot.

The noise from the alarm had attracted a sixth-tier zombie!