Team

Guillermo shouted at Kirk, "Let's go, Nima Prophet! You guys have done your best, I thank you! Don't stay here to die!"

Kirk began to waver, but he had no choice now. After scouting, a large number of walkers had also gathered at the back door. He exchanged a look with Mori, who nodded. Kirk yelled, "If we go, we go together! We're willing to fight to the death!" He stabbed a walker through the throat with his knife, his finger cut by the blade and bleeding profusely.

His Strength was still too weak. The night walkers' Strength should be around 8-9 points, comparable to Mori's, and more than three times Kirk's. In close combat, Kirk was completely suppressed. He took a moment to glance at the battle log; the walkers were dealing him crushing damage!

Kirk was speechless to be the protagonist in such a sorry state.

Guillermo seemed to have prepared beforehand. He organized people to pull down the first wall, crushing many walkers beneath the collapsing structure. However, this was just a drop in the bucket. The defenders, having lost their advantageous position, were forced to retreat to the second defensive line in the courtyard and began to hold their ground.

Suddenly, Kirk remembered something. "Guillermo, do you have any gasoline here?"

Guillermo was stunned for a moment, then quickly organized people to bring over all the gasoline and anything else that could burn. Kirk didn't hesitate, grabbing a gasoline can with one hand and wildly splashing it around the courtyard. Then, he snatched a lighter and threw it into the yard.

A massive pillar of fire erupted into the night sky. Driven by their bloodthirsty instincts in the dead of night, the horde of walkers, who normally feared light and fire, charged in even more ferociously. One by one, they turned into withered bones in the sea of fire!

Everyone desperately threw everything flammable they had into the sea of fire, trying to prolong the burning time as much as possible.

A skeleton hand reached out from the sea of fire, grabbing towards the little girl. With a "pop," the skeleton hand was sliced in two. Mori retracted his hand blade expressionlessly.

The little girl said in a childish voice, "Thank you, Uncle. You're a good person."

Mori, having been given the "good person" card by the little loli, turned ashen. He seemed to think he should be a terrifying figure that could make children stop crying, but now he had become a little loli's nanny, babysitter, and bodyguard all in one.

Kirk found it both amusing and exasperating, but he had already received a notification. That idea had counted as participation in a kill! Was he going to get rich? Kirk excitedly looked at the battle log.

However, Kirk discovered that the system didn't allow for shortcuts. The kill reward for a single walker was now discounted; it took about five burned walkers to provide 1 survival point, a tenfold decrease in earnings. Still, due to their sheer numbers, Kirk harvested around 100 points, so he still made a profit.

Half an hour later, the fire began to dwindle, and the walkers gradually advanced. Gunshots once again echoed through the pitch-black sky.

After another half hour of intense fighting, around 1 AM, the nursing home's defenses could no longer hold.

Waves of walkers continued to surge forward, an endless tide as far as the eye could see.

They were almost out of ammunition. Everyone retreated to the third defensive line—the lobby. The steel door had already been forced open by the walkers' brute strength, leaving a large gap. Now, people stood in a line, desperately thrusting sharp iron rods, knives, and other weapons into the walkers' heads, eyes, and mouths.

Mori said expressionlessly, "I told you, you'll get us all killed eventually."

Kirk forcefully pulled a steel pipe out of a walker's head and said with a wry smile, "Come on, man, can you say something more optimistic? You're such a jinx."

Green was already panting from exhaustion. "We've killed so many, it's worth it."

Mori shook his head. "They're endless. Killing any number of them is futile."

Kirk thought to himself, It's futile for you, of course, but not for me. It's a shame I don't know how to get everyone out of here.

Just then, a surprised shout came from the back door. A nurse ran over, saying that several large vehicles had arrived at the back door, including even reinforced large buses. Everyone was transferring to the rear.

Green chuckled, "Rick and the others are finally here to support us! I already sent out a radio signal to tell them our situation."

Mori's expression remained grim. But Kirk was beaming because he had received a message from the system: "Contractor 4444, you have completed the hidden branching storyline—The Fall of the Nursing Home. Due to your righteousness, courage, and resourcefulness, you have prevented the deaths of a total of 82 humans, influencing the subsequent plot to some extent. Reward: 2% plot deviation. Considering this is the first time a Contractor has completed this hidden branching storyline, you receive an additional 100% reward. As a newbie participating in your first trial, you receive an additional 50% reward. And factoring in the plot difficulty modifier (night battle, newbie C-class difficulty), you receive an additional 50% reward. You will receive a total of 300% of the reward. Please choose 2 of the following rewards:

a. Strength +3 (Original: +1, subsequent parentheses will not be repeated) b. Agility +3 (+1) c. Stamina +3 (+1) d. Intelligence +3 (+1) e. Wisdom +3 (+1) f. Charisma +3 (+1) g. One bottle of high-protein potassium injection, restoring 100% stamina and energy.

Without a doubt, these basic attribute bonuses were extremely valuable. Kirk later learned that tasks directly rewarding basic attributes in the system were very rare, and even hidden tasks that did so usually only granted +1 at most. If not for a series of coincidences and his choices aligning with the mainstream plot of this scenario, essentially completing a main storyline quest, his rewards would not have been so generous.

After much deliberation, Kirk ultimately chose Strength and Stamina.

The system's main focus was survival. From the system's name, "Arena" (a phonetic translation of the English word, meaning arena or gladiatorial pit), it could be inferred that survivors were winners. This newbie mission's main quest, to survive for seven days, was definitely a solemn warning to newcomers. Stamina was the foundation of survival; without health, nothing else mattered. Kirk had been on the brink of death several times at the hands of the walker horde. If not for the cover provided by Mori, Green, Guillermo, and others, and the rescue efforts of doctors and nurses, he wouldn't have survived such intense combat. Therefore, this rare opportunity was worth more than gold or silver. Choosing +3 Stamina was a no-brainer. At the same time, he resolved to strengthen his training at home.

The +3 Strength was a result of ordinary walkers dealing him crushing damage, which deeply stimulated him. Since walker battles were often close-quarters combat, being crushed each time made survival precarious. With the added Strength, Kirk's Strength would reach 7 points, and while he might not be able to uproot trees, he at least wouldn't be casually crushed like a mushroom by ordinary walkers anymore.

In addition to this, Kirk surprisingly received a notification that he had acquired a new title: "Fire Captain."

[Fire Captain]: Black Iron rank title. Automatically obtained by those who save more than 50 humans in this mission. Effect: Passive reward increase of 30% after completing any rescue-type mission. Automatically gains favor with human faction plot characters (regardless of whether the title is equipped). When equipped, grants a +2 bonus to charisma checks when interacting with humans.

Upon checking, due to saving too many humans at once, the next-tier Bronze rank title [Firefighter]—saving 20 humans—was automatically completed. The next step was to complete the Silver rank title [Fire Maniac], which required saving 100 humans. The current progress was 82/100, almost completed.

As for the other Black Iron rank title, [Walker Slayer], Kirk had also completed it through his incredibly brutal acts of arson and slaughter.

[Walker Slayer]: Black Iron rank title. Obtainable by killing over 500 walkers. Effect: Increases damage dealt to walkers by 10%. Negative effect: Prioritizes attracting walker attention, proceed with caution.

The next tier, the Silver rank title [Walker King], required killing 1000 walkers. The current progress was 661/1000.

After killing walkers all night, even though the drop rate was reduced because he was in a safe place and used firearms, he still managed to get 7 white keys due to it being his first trial and his overall evaluation being low. After opening them, he didn't get any weapons or equipment, just some survival points and some skill potential points. Currently, Kirk has accumulated 2000 survival points and 2 skill potential points.

According to the space's query results, skill potential points can be used to upgrade skill levels, with the specific points required varying by level and skill. Additionally, Kirk learned that the space's rewards also include "basic attribute points," which can be used to increase basic attributes, but unfortunately, he didn't receive any this time.

At this moment, Kirk saw a middle-aged man with black curly hair, of medium build, and with sharp, fierce eyes walking over, surrounded by a large crowd. Kirk knew the main character, Rick, had arrived.

The moment Rick and Mori met, their eyes clashed like Mars hitting Earth!

Mori laughed heartily, "Captain Rick, are you surprised to see I'm still alive?"

Rick pursed his lips and calmly met Mori's gaze, "Daryl, T-Dog, and I went back to find you."

Mori looked at another strong man beside him. That man held a tungsten alloy steel crossbow, exuding strength and danger amidst his calm demeanor, and nodded.

Mori shook his head, "So what? You looked for me and left quickly! I lost my right hand!"

Rick angrily retorted, "Mori, you're the troublemaker. You should take responsibility for what happened. Why would everyone leave you if you didn't cause trouble?"

Just as Kirk was about to speak, a woman from the other side spoke up, "Rick, calm down!" To Kirk's surprise, Rick actually stopped talking. He looked over and saw that this woman was not Rick's wife, Laurie, but a Chinese woman with short black hair, sharp and capable, who looked more like an HR Director from a major company.

Kirk took half a step back, observing calmly.

This group was larger than he had anticipated. Key figures like T-Dog, Andalusia, Laurie, and Ryan were all present. What surprised Kirk even more was that beside each of them stood a distinctly unfamiliar non-plot character. Judging by their clothing, demeanor, and actions, they all gave Kirk a sense of familiarity.

Recalling the space's previous prompts, Kirk suddenly understood, "I'm not the only newbie undergoing trials here. It seems every newbie has been assigned to a plot character as an apprentice or follower."

At this moment, a young man with yellow hair noticed the large group of walkers blocked by the gate, turning them into sitting ducks. He immediately let out a strange cry, pulled back the bolt of his gun, and ran over to kill walkers and earn points.

His actions were quickly imitated by other trial participants, and soon, gunshots rang out.

The plot characters frowned one after another. The short-haired woman was also unable to stop them, her face turning ashen.

"Let's go!" Rick waved his hand, and the team began to withdraw. Mori didn't want to follow, but his brother Daryl wouldn't allow it. Dragged along, Mori had no better way to escape and was put into the car by Daryl and Kirk.

As the car was about to leave, several trial contractors had still not returned. Rick frowned and honked the horn repeatedly. It was fortunate he was good-tempered; if it were someone hot-tempered like Shane, he would have long since shaken his head and driven away, leaving this disorganized rabble to be fed to the walkers.

At this time, the young man with yellow hair, leading the group, returned covered in rotting flesh and blood. He blew a loud whistle and ostentatiously pulled back the bolt of his gun. "Wow, cool! I'm the first to complete the [Walker Hunter] title!"

Several other men and women also loudly boasted about their achievements and gains. Kirk watched coldly. The short-haired woman, unable to contain her anger, shouted, "Blondie! We agreed to follow orders and act as one. Why didn't you listen to commands?"

Blondie looked bewildered, "When did you say we couldn't shoot walkers? I had no idea." After speaking, he subtly glanced at the short-haired woman's ample chest. Several men and women burst into laughter.

The short-haired woman's chest heaved with anger. Her eyes darted to Kirk, who was hiding in the corner. She sized him up from head to toe with her phoenix eyes and a smile touched her lips. "Little brother, you've been by Mori's side for quite some time. You must have contributed a lot in this battle, right?"

Kirk put on an innocent, clueless expression and chuckled, "I do have some strength, but walkers are too dangerous, and I'm rather clumsy. Fortunately, Mori only had me load his bullets."

Several looks of disdain were cast his way. It was already the second day, and the newcomers had gradually adapted to the rhythm of combat and were starting to become active. Blondie had already killed over a hundred walkers, and others had also performed well. Now, this newcomer claimed he mainly loaded bullets. Although the woman remained suspicious, she was also worldly and experienced, having judged countless people. Seeing Kirk's honest, somewhat pathetic appearance, she didn't think he had any special talents. She had intended to ask what benefits he gained from following Mori but decided it wasn't worth the effort and moved on with a smile.

Kirk, however, found common ground with a little fatty beside him. Both were otaku, and they hit it off after just a few words. The little fatty had clearly joined the group upon entering and hadn't faced any major challenges. He was pure-hearted, and Kirk easily drew information out of him with his rambling talk.

It turned out that the space had thrown over a dozen new trial participants into this scenario at once and, through various plot points, assigned them to each plot character, with each plot character saving a contractor. For example, this little fatty encountered the plot character T-Dog just before being eaten by walkers. Two fatties, one small and one large, one white and one black, complemented each other perfectly. Another example was the short-haired woman named Ma Ruiqi, who had been following Rick. Whether it was her eloquence or some other skill, this woman had managed to get close to Rick and gain significant benefits. Blondie, on the other hand, had followed the rebellious Shane. Shane was Rick's good friend and colleague, a well-trained police officer with strong combat abilities. However, he was jealous of Rick and coveted Rick's wife, Laurie. He was also quite selfish, only looking out for his own safety. Eventually, Shane descended into a twisted humanity, killing his friend and attempting to steal his wife, but he met a tragic end at Rick's hands before he could achieve his goal.

Beside Laurie was a European and American blonde woman named Sally. The two seemed to have a lot in common and were very close. Sally and Ma Ruiqi, the women beside the male protagonists, had always been at odds, engaging in subtle rivalries.

Beside the black "Blade Woman" stood a thin, delicate Japanese boy, somewhat resembling Ranmaru from Japanese anime, the submissive type. He also carried an Ōdachi that was taller than he was. He introduced himself as a fan of anime and cosplay, asking everyone to call him Ranmaru. This kid had a sunny look in his eyes, but they always flickered. Kirk glanced at the knuckles of his right hand, and his expression changed. If this kid was truly a newcomer, then he must have practiced swordsmanship before. His finger joints were wide and calloused, evidence of long-term kendo practice. A Korean boy approached Green's side, and the two began conversing in "seumida" Korean. This Korean boy was quite handsome, likely having had plastic surgery. His personal strength was still unknown.

Based on this, Kirk wondered if there was also a contractor assigned to the main villain, Philip. If so, Philip would have a clear understanding of the story's progression and specific details. Would the attack on the plot team come sooner?

With the team's newcomers being trash and divided, and the potential enemy having a clear grasp of the situation, the future looked perilous. Kirk thought to himself.