Hold the Line

Mori walked in, and Kirk stepped forward to meet him. The two nodded at each other.

"Kid, you did well at the intersection. Now take our spoils and get out of this nursing home!" Mori said.

Guillermo sneered, "Leave if you want, but leave the firearms!"

Mori licked his wrist blade and narrowed his eyes. It seemed his temper and killing intent had been ignited.

Kirk knew it was his turn to speak. "We can distribute those firearms. We found them first, and we brought them back. If you take them, considering you have so many elderly people, we can split them equally."

Guillermo curled his lips. "Why should we split them with you? There are only two of you!"

"There are three," Green walked over. "I'm on their side."

Mori's eyes turned cold when he saw Green, but with the enemy at the gates, he didn't say much.

In the plot, Green was one of the people who had locked him on the rooftop. Naturally, he didn't feel any goodwill towards him.

Right now, the most important thing was to get the firearms and ammunition back. Green supporting him was good; revenge could wait.

Guillermo grew impatient and was about to say something when shouts came from outside: "Zombies, lots of them!"

Guillermo quickly rallied his men to intercept the walkers. Kirk's heart tightened. He knew the plot had been triggered early!

As expected, the system gave him a mission prompt: "Contractor No. 4444, you have triggered a hidden branch plot: The Fall of the Nursing Home. Since you foresaw this plot in advance, it has been triggered early. You now have two choices:

1. While Guillermo's side is defending against the zombies, take half of your firearms and ammunition and leave.

2. Persuade Mori and Green to help Guillermo's side defend the nursing home.

Hint: If the defense of the nursing home is successful, it will change the original plot development to a certain extent and grant generous rewards. However, the number of attacking zombies is enormous, and your participation will cause unpredictable temporary increases in plot difficulty! Based on your ability rating, the danger is very high, please choose carefully!"

The system didn't provide any further hints regarding the benefits of the two choices. Kirk guessed that the first option would definitely have less risk and less reward, allowing him to obtain some firearms and ammunition immediately. The second option carried great risk but promised high rewards, likely substantial.

If he thought about it more deeply, the system wouldn't give pointless tasks. This choice was likely about choosing sides. The first choice represented survival first, while the second represented humanity first. The debate of whether "living" was more important than "living like a human" was the core theme of the story. In the original plot, the protagonist Rick was able to attract everyone's support because he still leaned towards the human side, not just wanting to live but also wanting to preserve human civilization and humanity – helping others, team spirit, never giving up, and so on. This stood in stark contrast to his good friend Shane, who gradually drifted away, and the self-serving Mori beside him.

Kirk looked at the white-haired old people beside him. Their calm eyes revealed a clarity that saw through life and death. For him, a shut-in from an era of peace, abandoning them to be torn apart by zombies was out of the question from a moral standpoint. From a utilitarian perspective, this mission seemed quite rare. The words "hidden character" alone probably meant it was valuable, and the rewards were expected to be generous. As for the "unpredictable danger," living itself was dangerous right now. Where in this world of bloodshed wasn't dangerous?

The pressure of the 7-day survival mission and the pressure of walker mutations every 48 hours weighed heavily on his heart. Kirk vaguely felt that continuous evasion was the greatest risk. The system wouldn't give a mission that guaranteed death. Saving people should align with the theme of the plot, and perhaps someone would come to help. High risk, high opportunity. Kirk hardened his heart. Damn it!

"Mori, Green, we'll stay and fight the zombies together!" Kirk shouted loudly.

Green nodded, his expression softening slightly as he looked at Kirk. In the original plot, he had liked this nursing home very much. Perhaps Easterners valued filial piety? So persuading him to stay wasn't difficult.

"Idiot kid, are you crazy?" Mori sneered as expected. "If you're tired of living, I'll leave first."

"Mori! Are you going to keep running away?" Kirk roared. "Don't you know why they don't like you? You really want to fit into the team, don't you? You can do it..." Before he could finish, Kirk was punched flying by Mori, losing two teeth.

Then, he was grabbed by the furious Mori like a lion!

"What right do you have to criticize me, huh? Just because you're a yellow-skinned monkey? You're useless, just like this Asian weakling! If you want to die, rot here. I..."

"Look at these old people..." Kirk was actually scared too. He spat out a tooth with difficulty, blood flowing from his mouth. But the situation had come to this. Even a dying tiger wouldn't fall. He gritted his teeth and continued his rant. "They are all calm, but you are not. Mori, you seriously lack security. In fact, even the two cowards you called me and Green are ready to stay and fight, but you, the brave one, want to run away. Run, run as far as you can..."

Then, Kirk was punched flying again! This time his head hit the wall, his scalp broke, and he knelt on the ground, blood dripping drop by drop. Even his health dropped by 20 points.

Kirk couldn't help but regret it. "This damned system, this damned mission, leaves people with almost no way out. If Mori doesn't join, our chances will be even slimmer... If Mori leaves, it will be a complete loss."

Green stepped forward, stopping the enraged Mori from taking further action, and said with certainty, "Yes, I and this Chinese person beside you are prepared to fight the walkers together. You can go, brave soldier." Saying this, he picked up a riot shotgun, capable of firing 8 rounds continuously, commonly known as a "shotgun" in CS, and walked out.

Kirk struggled up, took out his police pistol, and forced a smile that was uglier than crying. He couldn't falter now. Even if he had to pretend, he had to keep pretending. Mori was a fierce and tough guy; the tougher you were, the more he'd appreciate it. If you were wishy-washy, he'd look down on you.

As he walked past Mori, Kirk said with great swagger, "People shouldn't just live to live. That's no different from dead, walking corpses!"

Hearing this, Mori burst into laughter. Kirk took another punch and a kick, and was sent flying.

After coming out, Kirk found that there were indeed many zombies. They filled the roads and alleys of the blocks ahead, surging forward madly. Guillermo's side had about 16 or 17 people who could fight, and they had all been deployed. Fortunately, with the supply of firearms and ammunition from Kirk's group, they were able to form a complete firing line, stubbornly holding the zombies outside the wall. Green had joined the battle, holding the front line, aiming his shotgun at the concentrated zombies, specifically at their heads.

Zombies had no other weak points besides their heads. Hitting other parts was useless. Only when their heads received fatal damage and their brains stopped working would they truly die. Everyone on Earth knew this.

Kirk naturally didn't charge forward. Following the moves Mori had taught him, he began shooting.

In fact, he didn't regret falling out with Mori. Mori was a very capable person. After he entered this tragic world, Mori had always played the role of a mentor, teaching him many survival skills. Even if he received no rewards, the skills alone were worth it.

But, as he said, people shouldn't just live to live. Kirk was an inexperienced young man, a shut-in who had been watching TV and playing games just last night. He couldn't abandon these old people to face death; he would be condemned by his conscience his whole life.

You might say this was just a game? They were just plot characters? Dead is dead? Kirk used to think so too, but seeing the eyes of those dying humans, their resentment, unwillingness, despair, and hope, Kirk didn't feel they were just NPCs, just scenery, just data. He wasn't so noble as to die for them. However, he was willing to do something by shooting from behind the front line.

The recoil of the police pistol was small, allowing Kirk to control it well. The [Basic Small Arms Mastery] skill made him feel like a fish in water. As the zombies swarmed, he didn't need to aim much, just shoot at a general level to increase his firing speed. In one minute, he reloaded his magazine once. With 40 rounds, he killed 32 zombies, earning 64 survival points. (The weapon used was Kirk's own basic pistol, and he received all survival points.)

Guillermo and the others were fighting with their backs against the wall, with no retreat. Guillermo held an M16 US assault rifle, a high-end weapon he'd somehow acquired. He was blasting zombies, their flesh and blood flying, their heads exploding. Seeing Kirk come to help, Guillermo's usually cold expression softened, and he grinned, revealing a mouthful of big white teeth.

Green was also a highly skilled warrior. He held his shotgun and fired continuously, one shot per zombie, reloading quickly.

The others were also fighting desperately. The situation was critical, and even half-grown kids were spraying with Uzi submachine guns! Several white-haired old men, likely veterans, shakily held civilian rifles and fired at the zombies.

Everyone who could fight was on the front line. Now there were no men or women, old or young, only humans and "them"!

When the nest is overturned, how can any eggs remain intact!

However, the number of zombies was truly overwhelming. They came one after another, without consciousness, without morale, without screams, only the desire for food and their destructive nature!

Kirk emptied his fourth magazine. While reloading, he suddenly saw a crawling zombie bite towards Guillermo, who was smashing a zombie's head with his rifle butt!

Kirk let out a strange cry, hurled his pistol at the zombie in front of him, making it jerk its head back. Then, he lunged at the zombie at Guillermo's feet with his dagger, piercing its head.

Guillermo's face changed drastically. "Careful!"

Kirk turned his head sharply. A bloody maw lunged at his shoulder, about to bite down!

Suddenly, a walker's head exploded again, and a cold voice rang out: "Idiot kid, I told you to watch your back!"

It was Mori!

Kirk, who had almost peed himself moments ago, now grinned wider than a grimace.

Mori kicked Kirk hard in the backside: "Move your ass. The only reason I came is because the back door is also surrounded by walkers. I'm not here to save you, I just can't escape myself. I told you, you stupid pig, you'll get us all killed!"

Kirk exchanged a look with Green, both speechless.

Then Mori turned and roared: "Everyone, listen to me if you want to live! Reform the formation! Stand in a line to provide more firing angles! Submachine guns and riflemen are responsible for 30-50 meters! Riot shotguns are for 30-10 meters! Pistols are for 10 meters! Everyone is responsible for a 45-degree firing arc in front of them! Fat black guy! Didn't you hear me! Your grandmother will be fucked to death by them, do you hear me!"

Ignoring the darkening face of the large black man beside him, Mori laughed wildly, wielding two fully automatic assault rifles, firing with a "rat-tat-tat" from both hands. The intense firepower sent the walkers stumbling, flesh and blood flying.

The distribution of firepower significantly improved the situation. The defenders had better order, their shots became more layered, and they no longer had to scramble. Walkers fell one after another, and everyone had a moment to catch their breath and reload. Guillermo threw Kirk a Uzi submachine gun and several magazines. Kirk grabbed it, let out an excited yell, and started firing at the walkers' heads with a "rat-tat-tat."

The defense lasted for a long time. With the addition of Mori, Green, and Kirk, combined with powerful suppression fire and advantageous terrain, hundreds of walkers fell by the high walls of the nursing home. Kirk alone took down 125 zombies, earning 250 survival points. Adding his previous gains, he now had 421 survival points. His progress towards the Walker Slayer title was 174/100.

After a flash of bright light, the system prompted: "Contractor No. 4444 has completed the progress for Walker Slayer, obtaining the Walker Slayer title. [Walker Slayer] title, when equipped, increases damage against walkers by 5%. Do you wish to equip this medal now?"

5% extra damage against walkers was quite significant, so Kirk happily equipped it.

"Next title unlocked: Black Iron Title [Walker Hunter]. Continue hunting walkers. Current progress: 174/500."

As the saying goes, fortune favors the bold. For an ordinary new contractor, there would be no chance to participate in such intense combat and kill so many walkers. However, despite Kirk's efforts to protect himself, he was scratched several times by walkers. He only had 4 stamina points, which meant 40 health points. Even with the brass ring adding 1 stamina point, his health was only 50. Even though he wore a tactical bulletproof vest, which increased his defense, he was left with only 25 health. Fortunately, the nursing home had doctors and nurses, as well as bandages and field medical equipment, which not only stopped the bleeding but also effectively prevented infection from the walker virus. After Kirk applied bandages, his health slowly began to recover.

However, the seemingly abundant ammunition was rapidly depleted under the high-intensity combat, and it soon became insufficient.

Even more terrifying was that it was now deep into the night! The walkers' vitality, speed, and bloodlust had all significantly increased. Kirk personally witnessed a walker leap more than three meters to tackle the fat black man Mori had yelled at. Before everyone could shoot it down, the fat black man's throat was ripped open, exposing white muscle and spurting blood. He was beyond saving. The timid girls fainted on the spot.

Walkers were still pouring in relentlessly.