The Prison

Watching the newcomers around him, Kirk began to make some guesses about the space's intentions in selecting them. At heart, Kirk was still a geek who liked to think things through. It was just that the overwhelming amount of entertainment in modern society had dulled his ability to think. Now, under the pressure of a harsh struggle for survival, even something that seemed insignificant might determine whether he was alive or dead twenty-four hours later. Kirk had to force himself to think more, to use his brain. He couldn't afford to be careless.

Judging by the newcomers, everyone selected by the space had some kind of specialty. When it assigned newcomers, it seemed to consider how well their talents matched those of the Plot Characters, the needs of the story, and even their compatibility. For the most part, it paired them one-on-one in a "mentor-apprentice" relationship. This arrangement probably only applied to the newcomer trial scenario. With so many newcomers participating in the trial together, the space would surely issue team missions like "Teamwork" to help everyone get acquainted and work together, shaping them into a team as quickly as possible.

As for teamwork, Kirk's plan was to watch coldly from the sidelines and quietly reap the benefits. If everyone could work together in good faith and there was something to be gained, he didn't mind being a pawn who used others even as they used him. If they kept scheming against one another, or even set each other up, then he wouldn't waste time and energy on them. He'd go it alone as soon as possible and focus on strengthening himself.

Kirk continued sizing up his potential teammates. Ma Ruiqi, their current "captain," was clearly the type of "White Bone Spirit" who thrived in the workplace—the sort who was a white-collar worker, a backbone of the company, and an elite. Her Charm should be high, and she had decent Basic Eloquence, which was why she was doing so well. But Kirk thought there were two kinds of "White Bone Spirits": those with real ability and those who only pretended to be capable. This woman belonged to the latter. She had risen by getting close to the protagonist, Rick, but she lacked a sense of the bigger picture, the power to persuade, and genuine leadership skills. In short, "big boobs, no brains, and scheming" summed her up.

He wondered what sort of person the newcomer on Governor Philip's side was.

The fat man beside him suddenly said, "You know we can die in this scenario, right?"

"Hm? Why?"

"Because I saw a newcomer girl die. She was Amy's apprentice. Yesterday afternoon, the walkers attacked our camp, and everyone scattered. Amy grabbed her and ran with her, but the walkers caught up. The girl got bitten, and the Plot Character abandoned her. She died ten meters from me. I saw her throat get ripped open, blood spraying everywhere..." Little Fatty still looked shaken. "I thought this was a fun game, like in those transmigration novels. But once I realized I could die, that I would die, that I could be eaten, I knew it wasn't a game. It was a killing game."

Kirk felt the same way. Just twenty-four hours ago, he'd been a geek, holed up in an air-conditioned room, playing games, watching movies, downloading porn, and living the good life. Now he was in this world, where he could feel pain and die, with no guarantee he'd see the next day, struggling on the edge of survival.

The vehicle came to a stop, and Rick's deep voice rang out. "Everybody out. It's time for a meeting!"

Kirk jumped out. They'd been driving for more than five hours through the night, and now dawn was breaking. A blood-red sun was just beginning to rise, heralding another blood-soaked day.

The Plot Characters and newcomers gathered together. After rescuing the eighty-two people from the nursing home, the group had grown to more than a hundred people, making it quite large. But many were old, weak, sick, or disabled, and fewer than fifty were fit to fight. After last night's fierce battle, they were running low on bullets. Everyone wore a grave expression.

Rick handed his son Carl over to his wife, Laurie, and clapped his hands. "Everyone, listen up. We're facing quite a few problems. There are four main ones: first, a lack of food and fresh water; second, a lack of guns and ammunition; third, a lack of shelter; and fourth, we know nothing about the surrounding area. We need to gather food and weapons this morning, then find shelter before sunset. We have a lot to do today, and everyone needs to pitch in and do their part."

Then the space's notification sounded: "Contractor No. 4444, you have officially joined the protagonist's team. You won't earn a place in the team through words, but through your actions and contributions. You must now complete a side mission. Choose one:

"1. Pizza Delivery Man. Search the nearby town within a ten-kilometer radius for food and fresh water. Contribution Value will be calculated based on the amount collected.

"2. Ammunition Loader. Search the police station within a ten-kilometer radius for guns and ammunition. Contribution Value will be calculated based on the amount collected.

"3. Field Engineer. Find a sturdy shelter within a ten-kilometer radius and clear away any potential threats. Contribution Value will be calculated based on your performance.

"4. Danger Watcher. Set up a lookout post at a nearby high point and eliminate any threats. Contribution Value will be calculated based on your performance.

"Notice: You are now official members of this team. It's time to leave the care of your Plot Character 'parents' behind. You must complete this mission independently and will not receive any assistance from the Plot Characters."

The newcomers began to get excited, though some of the women looked troubled. Their Martial Force wasn't very high, and surviving in the wilderness overrun with walkers would be difficult. Fortunately, the space had thought things through and soon assigned another mission so they wouldn't be too embarrassed.

"5. Nursing Home Nurse. Take care of the nursing home's elderly residents and children and meet their needs. Contribution Value will be calculated based on your performance. Hint: For Rick, the leader, the nursing home itself is a burden. He probably won't rate your service very highly."

This was clearly a consolation mission.

Blondie and the other fighters naturally chose the "Ammunition Loader" mission. Judging by their excited whistles, Kirk was sure they planned to line their own pockets and arm themselves first, though the space probably wouldn't leave any loopholes.

Ma Ruiqi, meanwhile, rounded up some of the newcomers who had gravitated toward her and prepared to take on the "Field Engineer" mission. As she pitched it, she was a die-hard American drama fan who knew how the plot would unfold. The protagonist's team was supposed to find an abandoned prison in a valley five kilometers from the highway. It was very safe. She was gathering people to go complete the mission, which was practically the same as completing the Main Mission ahead of time! The rewards would surely be generous. This woman had no shortage of charisma or influence. She led more than half the newcomers away to look for the prison.

Sally naturally had no intention of following Ma Ruiqi's orders. She gathered the Japanese trap, Ranmaru, and the Korean newcomers to take on the "Pizza Delivery Man" mission. Little Fatty, whom Kirk had gotten to know, came over to persuade him to go with them. There'd be safety in numbers. Kirk politely declined.

He chose the "Danger Watcher" mission. To keep things balanced, every mission should have roughly the same difficulty and rewards. So any of them ought to offer a decent reward. When there were more people, everyone would compete for the benefits, and the Contribution Value would naturally be divided up. Based on Kirk's experience borrowing a gun and setting fire to kill walkers, the space was highly intelligent, with no obvious loopholes to exploit. Blondie's group wouldn't be able to keep the guns and ammunition they found, and Sally's group probably couldn't keep the food and water either; everything would have to be turned in. Ma Ruiqi's claim that "finding the prison early means completing the Main Mission" was even more ridiculous! They'd only been given a side mission, not a Main Mission. Never mind that they might not find it at all. Even if they did find the prison from the story, the space had explicitly said the Plot Characters wouldn't help. A few newcomers with a handful of crappy weapons couldn't possibly take it over; they'd all be killed. After all, the Plot Characters had lost quite a few people clearing out the prison's sea of walkers!

There were two reasons to choose Danger Watcher. First, he'd be completing a side mission alone, so no one would compete with him for the reward. Second, the mission was right by the camp. If he really couldn't handle things, he could simply run back to camp. The Plot Characters might not help him, but they'd still have to defend themselves.

Before the newcomers set out, the Plot Characters called them over. Mori stood in front of Kirk and casually tossed out, "Toughen up like a man," then turned and walked off.

Kirk was speechless. There was a double meaning there. He was plenty tough when he got hard, all right?

But Rick came over to Kirk of his own accord. "You ready, rookie?"

"Boss, I'm ready." Rick had just begun to look pleased when Kirk immediately seized the opportunity to press his advantage. "But all I have is a police pistol, and no one else is backing me up..."

"All right, I know. That's how rookies are. They get the chance and they want to fly off on their own, but they don't understand how harsh the wilderness is. Some of them might not make it back. We know you're the only one on lookout duty, so we'll provide the equipment you need. You have to return it when the mission's done. Do a good job." Rick patted Kirk on the shoulder and left.

Kirk was handed an old M16 and a pair of binoculars. He wasn't particularly surprised. He'd already obtained [Firefighter], which had automatically earned him the goodwill of Rick, the leader of the human faction. The +2 Charm effect also partly made up for his pathetic base Charm of 2. Besides, the newcomers had charged off like bandits to grab guns, food, and women, leaving Kirk as the only one staying behind to keep watch. It wasn't strange that the Plot Characters had given him some temporary weapons and equipment.

Still, Kirk sighed. He'd probably gotten himself into another mess. The space was all about balance. If it gave him an M16 and binoculars, it was obviously because it expected him to fight and risk his life. It looked like he'd have work to do today.

Kirk first had to choose a lookout post. After surveying the area and thinking it over, he chose a water tower atop a rise just two hundred meters from the vehicle camp. The abandoned tower stood forty meters high, and the rise itself was fifty meters above the camp. Together, they put Kirk roughly a hundred meters above the surrounding plains and gentle slopes. With the binoculars, he could see everything happening within two thousand meters.

At that distance, it would take walkers at least fifteen minutes to reach him during the day—plenty of time to sound the alarm, attack, and retreat to camp.

The Plot Characters were poor, too, as the old M16 in his hands made clear. It was worn out, and though he had four thirty-round magazines, that was still pretty shabby. Along with his police pistol, he had five magazines and sixty rounds of ammunition. Supplies were limited, so he'd have to use them sparingly.

There were scattered walkers wandering along the way to the water tower, which gave him a rare chance to get some real combat experience. Kirk held a dagger between his teeth and gripped the police pistol in both hands. When he found an opening for a Sneak Attack, he used the dagger. When he ran into danger, he used the pistol to shoot them in the head. He fought his way forward.

Kirk had always been patient. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to spend so much time cooped up indoors, playing Diablo without cheats and grinding his way to level 99. This was just like grinding for loot and experience. There was no one around to steal his kills, so he could fight to his heart's content. Besides, if danger forced him to retreat, it would be a real nuisance if walkers he'd left behind suddenly came at him from the rear.

So Kirk spent an hour clearing out more than thirty walkers within roughly five hundred meters of the water tower. Only after wiping the sweat from his brow did he walk toward the tower, satisfied.

There were two walkers at the top of the water tower. They must have been plumbers who'd been trapped up there, then turned after they died. Kirk felt a little uneasy. He'd have to climb the ladder to get up there. What if they were waiting to bite him at the top? He was still a coward. He wasn't afraid of walkers at a distance, but up close, he was scared.

There was no turning back now, though, so he gritted his teeth and started climbing.

Halfway up, just as he'd feared, the two plumbers caught the scent of the living. They crowded around the ladder, groaning.

Kirk cursed. "Damn, are you two the Mario Brothers? You're dressed like plumbers, and now you're climbing around everywhere? What do you think I am, here to deliver Mushrooms? Take this!" He tore off a piece of his shirt to shield his eyes from any blood splatter, then raised his pistol and fired Bang! Bang! Bang! More than ten shots emptied a magazine before he finally knocked the unlucky Mario Brothers off the top of the water tower.