After receiving a series of System Prompts, Kirk had fallen unconscious and entered a near-death state. His miserable 3 points of Endurance, plus 1 point from the mission difficulty reward, 3 points from the hidden mission reward, and 1 point from the brass ring, had barely added up to 80 Health Points. He'd only been attacked once by a Walker, but the bite dealt 39 points of damage, the crushing blow 10, and the Bleed Damage 25—for a total of 74 points. Kirk's Health Points had hit rock bottom in an instant. Luckily, this protagonist had a charmed life. He'd just put on the [Riot Police Special Bulletproof Vest], which reduced physical damage by 10%. Otherwise, that one hit would have killed him! When a Contractor's Health Points fell below 80%, they were lightly injured; below 50%, they were seriously injured; and below 10%, they entered a near-death state. Once a Contractor entered that state, their Health Points would no longer recover. They could only take medicine or wait to die. The near-death state was also a form of protection, preventing a Contractor from being instantly killed by an unavoidable force or an overwhelmingly powerful opponent. It left them a chance to take medicine and save themselves, or surrender to their enemy.
Kirk felt as light as a feather. Memories of his childhood came flooding back, while music drifted in and out, seeming both close and distant. He'd heard his grandma say that people heard music when they were dying. Was he about to die?
Then he faintly heard Little Fatty's voice. "Big bro, hurry and eat this." A piece of bread was pushed into his mouth. It tasted a little dry, but he chewed it anyway. Suddenly, a warm current rose from his stomach, and his strength returned. After catching his breath, he drank a few sips of water brought by the Nursing Home Nurse. Little Fatty stood nearby, beaming and chuckling.
"What did you just give me? I was already in a near-death state." Kirk thanked him.
"Big bro, I found it by accident in a supermarket while searching for food in town. It's called 'Pure Wheat Toast.' It's not ordinary food—it's a restorative item that can be stored in the Mark Space. Outside of combat, it restores 30 points of Endurance. That's what I just gave you. As soon as I picked it up, I set off the alarm and attracted a whole horde of Walkers. That's why we had to run."
Kirk asked weakly, "Why did you save me?"
Little Fatty answered honestly, "Big bro, you fired first and saved me. I was just returning the favor."
Kirk nodded. "You're a good brother. We've each saved the other's life once. There's no need for thanks. From now on, we're brothers. We'll share our blessings and face our troubles together."
Little Fatty nodded excitedly. "Yeah. I've always admired you. You're a real stand-up guy. Having someone to look out for me in a place like this should help me live longer."
The Space had a team system, but they were still newbies, so they couldn't start a team. They could only join an existing one. They should be able to form their own team later.
The two exchanged Contractor numbers. From then on, they could leave messages for each other and communicate whenever they wanted. Little Fatty had actually named himself "Soft Fatty." Apparently, the guy liked doing yoga! Kirk simply called him Little Fatty. His talent, [Abnormal Metabolism], had already been introduced. Endurance was his specialty: he had 6 points, or 9 after the 50% enhancement. He was a tough, thick-skinned guy. His other attributes were a little below average, making him an ordinary person.
Kirk asked Little Fatty and learned that he'd been unconscious for a full eight hours. It was already the morning of the third day. After resting a little, Kirk checked the battle records. As expected, they'd completed last night's [Assist Plot Characters Defend Camp] mission. The reward was still 1,000 Survival Points, 2 Base Attribute Points, and 2 Skill Potential Points. In addition, he'd killed 152 Walkers and earned 400 Survival Points—3 for each hand-to-hand kill and 2 for each pistol kill, both of which Kirk had made. He'd also collected 4 white keys, which yielded about 100 Survival Points in total. He noticed that after a desperate fight, he'd received a prompt.
"Contractor No. 4444 killed a certain number of enemies in intense hand-to-hand combat using melee weapons, unlocking his potential and automatically learning [Basic Melee Combat]! Current level: level 1!
[Basic Melee Combat] level 1 effect: Improved proficiency with melee weapons; passively increases melee damage by 5%.
Prompt: The Space encourages Contractors to actively explore various ways to fight during combat. Keep participating in battles, unlocking your potential and meeting the relevant conditions to learn skills on your own.
Skills learned through personal insight or taught by Plot Characters are more powerful at the same level than skills upgraded using Skill Scrolls and Skill Potential Points. They also have greater potential for development and grow faster.
"So that's how it is. The greater the risks in the Space, the greater the rewards. I wonder if fighting for my life and entering a near-death state just earned me some defensive proficiency. Still, even if someone knew about this, they'd have to be ruthless to risk their life in a fight."
He rested quietly for a while longer. Once his Health Points had recovered to around 65%, he got out of bed and headed back to the front line.
The sun had risen again, and the car camp had temporarily escaped its dire predicament. While Kirk had been unconscious, the camp's defenses had been stretched to the breaking point. At the crucial moment, the Korean kid had gone with his mentor, Green, to retrieve the gun bag Blondie had thrown away. They'd roared back to camp on a motorcycle. Once the Plot Characters had plenty of guns and ammunition, they'd unleashed a barrage and managed to drive the Walkers back.
Kirk saw the Korean kid chatting smugly with Rick and the other Plot Characters. He'd clearly earned a lot of Team Contribution Value or some other benefit. Nearby, Blondie was gritting his teeth in fury, while Ma Ruiqi and the others looked jealous and resentful.
That was what happened when you stuck your neck out.
Still, Kirk hadn't come away empty-handed. Rick saw him and smiled. "Our hero's up. Your performance saved at least four people, and you fought hard while defending the camp. We owe you one." A System Prompt randomly appeared, informing Kirk that his Team Contribution Value had increased by 15 points. He now had 25 points in total.
He'd already checked what Contribution Value could buy. There were plenty of good things available from the Plot Character team. He wasn't interested in equipment or weapons, and there wasn't much that suited him anyway. Besides, the prices were steep. The best item was a modern crossbow, a Silver Plot piece of equipment used by Daryl. Its requirements were very high, and it cost a full 1,000 Contribution Value. Kirk was more interested in the skills known by some of the Plot Characters. For example, Rick's [Basic Eloquence] was level 6, Shane's [Basic Heavy Firearms Specialization] was level 7, Daryl's [Exotic Ranged Weapon Mastery] was level 7, Mori and Daryl's [Tracking Technique] was level 6, and Rick and Mori's [Basic Melee Combat] and [Basic Small Arms Mastery] were both level 6.
According to the System Prompt, scrolls for these skills could be obtained in the Space through drops or trades, though the difficulty and price were unknown. They probably wouldn't be cheap. After all, having more skills never hurt. These skills could significantly improve a Contractor's combat and production abilities without taking up equipment slots. They were sure to be high-priority investments for Contractors with limited resources, so their prices would keep rising.
These skills could be exchanged at the following rates:
Level 1 cost 100 Contribution Value!
Level 2 cost 300 Contribution Value!
Level 3 cost 500 Contribution Value!
All in all, they were definitely worth the price. Kirk believed everyone had seen this information, which was why they cared so much about Contribution Value. Competition within the team would grow fiercer from now on.
"All right, gather up," Rick called everyone together again. "We've driven those things back for now, but it'll be dark soon, and staying here is dangerous. Ma Ruiqi and the others failed to complete their mission, but they did point out a sturdy prison five kilometers away. Thank God for that."
As he spoke, Rick turned and smiled at the short-haired woman. She inclined her head in a tender, affectionate gesture. Kirk nearly threw up. The two of them really had something going on behind the scenes! It seemed she'd secured some benefits through their close personal relationship, while the others who'd gone to explore the prison had been left holding the bag. The middle-aged man who'd died had been set up and killed, and the woman had even tucked his weapon behind her clothes.
"We're moving there as a group. We need to get settled before sunset, and there's still plenty of work to do. Everyone, get in the cars."
Fifteen minutes later, they arrived at the prison from the story. From the cars, they saw the prison's formidable electric fences, towering steel walls, and rows of watchtowers. It was a solid stronghold, easy to defend and hard to attack. But there were also plenty of prisoners and guards who'd died inside without escaping. They were all Walkers now. The prison would need to be cleared section by section, through its dark cell blocks, before it was safe to move in.
The Space issued another mission: "You have helped the team weather the crisis for now, and the team needs a safe shelter. You must enter the prison alone and kill all the Walkers in Zone D. The Plot Characters will not help you. Team Contribution Value and other rewards will be based on your performance."
The mission didn't specify whether it had to be completed as a group or individually, but it clearly stated that the reward was Team Contribution Value—and the rewards were probably generous! Everyone had clearly gained a thorough understanding of its value. As soon as the mission appeared, Blondie kicked open a door and charged inside with a group of people, yelling wildly. Ma Ruiqi was also at the forefront this time, leading a group through another door with a stolen submachine gun in hand. But fewer people followed her now, clearly a consequence of her last betrayal of the middle-aged man. The Korean kid and the Japanese Ranmaru were preparing to act alone, slipping inside without a word. Sally had far more influence now, and many people followed her.
Little Fatty stayed behind. "Big bro, I'm sticking with you from now on. If you tell me to go east, I won't go west. I'll go through fire and water for you. If I ever go back on my word, I won't deserve to be called Little Fatty!"
Kirk smiled. "Let them go first. We need to go somewhere and find something."
Little Fatty was anxious. "Big bro, this mission rewards people based on their performance. They've already rushed inside to kill Walkers. What are we—"
Kirk smiled broadly. "Little Fatty, have you ever seen me come out worse for wear?"
Little Fatty paused. "Big bro, sometimes I think you're a bit dumb, but you've never come out worse for wear."
Kirk picked up his police pistol and drew his dagger, then headed toward Zone D. Little Fatty trotted after him.
To read the original without ads, please visit the site.
Please share.
Before you continue