Chapter 24: The Great Fire and the Torrential Rain

Song Yu did not bother with the remaining fire extinguishers and immediately began to flee with Xiao Hei.

There was no time to lose!

The swarming zombies were densely packed, as disgusting as maggots squirming together in rotten food. Smart players grabbed what they could and ran, while the greedy ones were still fighting over loot inside the clinic.

Song Yu and Xiao Hei escaped through the underground parking lot, where the number of zombies was certainly lower than above. However, the downside was the dark and enclosed environment; due to the arrival of high-level zombies, scattered zombies had appeared here as well. "Scattered" was only a relative term compared to the surface—those scarlet eyes were spread throughout the entire parking garage.

From time to time, several zombies would leap out of the darkness, lunging fiercely at Song Yu! The sound of footsteps was chaotic and erratic, making it impossible even for Xiao Hei to track them.

The worst part was the presence of a Level 4 zombie in the garage. It clung to the ceiling, moving with such extreme speed that Song Yu could not lock onto its position. One second her flashlight caught it, and the next, it vanished from her sight.

Xiao Hei’s fur stood on end, and even Song Yu’s heart was pounding terrifyingly fast. This was the first time Song Yu had encountered such a dire situation. She held her pistol in one hand and her flashlight in the other, her vigilance raised to the absolute maximum. It wasn't that she was reluctant to use her rifle, but she simply had no choice.

Because of the players' actions, every zombie in Yangliu City had been thoroughly stirred. They had all awakened, searching everywhere for traces of food. Even if Song Yu weren't at the clinic, she would still be hunted to death. Moreover, the zombies’ overall attributes had increased by 10 percent, making the situation extremely unfavorable for the players.

Gunshots rang out incessantly in the basement. Watching the endless stream of zombies, Song Yu decisively tossed a large pile of fresh human flesh out of her inventory grid.

The blood-soaked meat immediately drew the attention of a large number of zombies. All the zombies hiding in the darkness rushed out, their twisted, gruesome, and horrific forms making Song Yu’s eyelids twitch. Seizing the moment, she threw a grenade without hesitation.

The grenade exploded with a bang, splattering Song Yu and Xiao Hei with foul-smelling zombie gore. The ground was covered in mutated blood. Caught in the shockwave of the blast, Song Yu and Xiao Hei were thrown quite a distance, though fortunately, they only suffered minor cuts and bruises.

Song Yu gritted her teeth and shone her flashlight. The Level 4 zombie had also been caught in the blast and was lying on the ground, gasping for air. She quickly retrieved medical bandages from her inventory; not sparing a thought for the waste, she and Xiao Hei each used a roll.

Having recovered her health, Xiao Hei immediately wanted to charge over and kill the Level 4 zombie. However, before it could make a move, it was forcefully dragged away by Song Yu. At a time like this, one must not be greedy. There would always be another chance to kill a Level 4 zombie; there was no need to take the risk.

After a harrowing escape from the underground parking lot, Song Yu and Xiao Hei finally reached the surface. However, the situation above was no better; the streets were filled with zombies, all busy feasting on their prey. Perhaps because they were already satiated, or perhaps because of the stench of zombie gore on Song Yu and Xiao Hei, the creatures paid them little attention. Only a few low-level zombies hissed and lunged at them, but even with their increased health, Song Yu found them quite easy to dispatch.

She and Xiao Hei made a smooth escape to a high-rise building far from the center of the conflict and successfully reached the rooftop.

The sky was ablaze with fire, the entire city reduced to an inferno. Countless zombies wandered through the flames, and high-level zombies were wreaking havoc on everything in their path. Observing closely, one could see traces of many NPCs fighting desperately to kill the zombies and extinguish the city's fires. When the instance ended, the players would leave, but the instance would not stop running just because they were gone; the NPCs would still have to survive in this world.

Standing on the high-rise overlooking it all, Song Yu exhaled a long, weary breath. They had finally made it out. But after this, the city's resources would likely become even scarcer. Thinking of the pitifully small amount of food and water in her inventory, Song Yu couldn't help but feel a headache coming on. Fortunately, she still had half a bag of flour, enough to make a few dozen steamed buns. A bun added 20 points of satiety, which should last them for a while.

Song Yu and Xiao Hei hid on the rooftop until dawn, but the city’s fires had not died down; if anything, they were intensifying. As day broke, Song Yu saw no sunlight; the sky was still blanketed by a thick layer of dark clouds. She looked up, wondering what was to come.

"Drip—"

A drop of water landed on Song Yu's face. Sure enough, it was raining.

Song Yu immediately pulled all kinds of containers from her space to collect the rainwater. After being in the game for so long, she could finally wash her hair and take a bath!

Glass jars, plastic bottles, buckets—all sorts of containers were laid out, covering nearly half the rooftop. Still not satisfied, she took Xiao Hei downstairs to search for more containers. She didn't stop until the rooftop was completely covered. How could she pass up such a good opportunity to hoard water?

However...

Song Yu frowned as she picked up a glass bottle filled with rainwater from the ground.

[Contaminated Water: +20 Hydration. Consuming will cause symptoms such as diarrhea and fever.]

Song Yu pondered for a moment and took several items from her inventory: gauze, charcoal, wood ash, a barbecue grill, matches, and firewood. She then had Xiao Hei gather some small stones and grass, along with fine sand found in an apartment's fish tank.

If she filtered and purified the contaminated water, it should be safe to drink, right?

Song Yu also planned to wash her hair and bathe. With limited conditions, she could only use wood ash to cleanse the oils from her skin. Fortunately, there was plenty of it.

Filtering and boiling the water kept Song Yu busy until nightfall. This timely rain grew heavier and showed no signs of stopping. After filtering and boiling, the contaminated water met drinking standards, eliminating the risk of diarrhea. Water that had simply been boiled still carried some risks, but it was perfectly fine for washing.

Song Yu and Xiao Hei sat by the fire, soaking wet, warming themselves. The glowing heat warded off most of the chill. This rain made Song Yu realize just how many things she still lacked: raincoats, umbrellas, rain boots, thick quilts, heavy clothing... and a boat would be even better.

With enough water, Song Yu started making steamed buns. Although she lacked yeast, she could ferment the flour herself. For her and Xiao Hei, as long as the buns made of flour and water were edible, it was enough.

This rain lasted for five full days. Do not mistake this for a good thing; while it brought sufficient water resources, it also brought many drawbacks—such as hunger and disease.