Chapter 57: Take a Gamble |
"The second Evacuation Point?"
This sudden notification stunned Misty Rain Traveler, Great Northern Wilderness, and Nancheng Port.
After reaching the extraction node, the three of them had relaxed. They had absolutely no idea how this new Evacuation Point had been triggered.
The only logical explanation was that Bai Mu had done something again. After all, the notification chimed only after he dashed out of the searchlight's range.
"Brother Bai, where are you going?" Great Northern Wilderness yelled at Bai Mu's retreating back.
Bai Mu paused for a second, turning his head to shout back, "I found a Hidden Ending! If you want better rewards, come with me, but remember to grab a gun!"
With that said, Bai Mu sprinted madly toward the transport ship without looking back.
With only five minutes left on the clock, he had no time to explain things to his teammates.
Still, he made sure to invite them. If his guess was correct, he would likely have to fight a grueling battle before boarding the transport ship.
The countdown in the quest log continued. With 4 minutes and 48 seconds remaining, just as Bai Mu's figure was about to vanish into the misty rain, Misty Rain Traveler became the second person to dash out of the searchlight's glow.
Right before rushing out, she grabbed a First Aid Kit, two bottles of Painkillers, a P226 pistol, and an UZI from the supply crate.
She didn't purposely pick and choose; she just grabbed whatever her hands touched first.
Even if she took her time, it wouldn't make much of a difference. Her firearm-related skill levels were pitifully low. She knew how to use a pistol, but a rifle would be completely wasted in her hands. If Bai Mu hadn't specifically told them to grab a gun, she wouldn't have even considered using one.
She gave up on overthinking, deciding to just slack off and let herself be carried. Figuring that sticking with Bai Mu meant guaranteed rewards, she didn't waste her breath on the two brothers and simply sprinted out after Bai Mu's fading silhouette.
For a moment, only Great Northern Wilderness and Nancheng Port were left standing there, looking slightly foolish.
"Brother, should we go?" Nancheng Port looked at his older brother.
"This..." Great Northern Wilderness hesitated.
This newly triggered Main Quest was purely optional. They could just stay put and still clear the Script.
But taking that hidden route clearly promised extra rewards.
He suddenly felt a pang of loss in his heart, almost as if something that rightfully belonged to him had been snatched away.
It was a common psychological reaction. People were always more sensitive to losing things, even if, at this very moment, he and his brother hadn't actually gained anything to lose.
"We're going too!" A fierce determination flashed across Great Northern Wilderness's face.
When he saw Bai Mu finish the side quest last night and obtain that Candy Box, he had honestly been quite envious.
He heavily coveted that box with its maximum capacity of thirty Blood-Restoring Candies. Converted into Health, that was equivalent to seven or eight extra lives.
Now, seeing Bai Mu and Misty Rain off to secure even more rewards, the imbalance in his heart completely erupted.
In any normal Script, his and his brother's strategy was always to clear it safely as their primary goal. They never took unnecessary risks.
Following their usual habits, they should have just stayed where they were and obediently waited for the final tally.
However, their journey through the Journey of Death Script so far had been far too easy—so easy that it had gone straight to his head.
Or rather, he felt that an opportunity like today was incredibly rare for him and his brother.
Would they be lucky enough to queue into a hard-carry expert like Bai Mu in their next Script?
He highly doubted it. This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance. Everything leading up to this point had been easier than an E-grade or F-grade Script, so what was the harm in turning up the difficulty slightly at the very end?
It wasn't like they were going in empty-handed. Weren't there weapons and supplies sitting right in the crates in front of them?
Time to roll the dice and go big or go home!
Having made his decision, Great Northern Wilderness led his brother to raid the supply crates before dashing out of the searchlight as well.
"Wait for us, Brother Bai, Sister Misty Rain!"
Great Northern Wilderness charged into the veil of rain shouldering a MAC-10, with Nancheng Port right on his heels, gripping an AK-47 in its classic color scheme.
The four of them regrouped, embarking on the final stretch of their journey.
Warning broadcasts blared from the helicopter, seemingly urging them to return and questioning what the hell they were doing. No one paid it any mind.
The silhouettes of the four blurred in the rainy mist. With the cockpit glass covered in streaking water and the gloomy weather, the pilot had no way of tracking their exact positions.
Yet, the military helicopter neither opened fire nor followed them; it simply remained hovering in place.
Bai Mu glanced up at the aircraft. His gaze pierced through the windshield, spotting the gas-mask-wearing pilot holding a communicator. The pilot seemed to be reporting to his superiors, but even after the report, the helicopter did not make any sudden moves, maintaining its hover.
[Since no one in the team has selected the rescue craft, this Evacuation Point has been abandoned.]
[Main Quest updated: Arrive at the second Evacuation Point and evacuate safely.]
The four reconvened by the river. The muddy water churned and rolled. Just as they neared the transport ship, a long tongue abruptly shot out from a nearby building, wrapping tightly around Nancheng Port's neck.
An intense wave of suffocation set in. A tremendous force transmitted through the long tongue, yanking Nancheng Port straight to the ground. Muddy water splattered across his face and clothes as he was inevitably dragged toward the brick building by the bruised-purple appendage.
"Brother!" Seeing this, Great Northern Wilderness frantically opened fire on the tongue.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunfire erupted, but the bullets only punched craters into the mud. His aim was utterly atrocious. Lacking any proficiency with firearms, the only result was the immense recoil leaving his hands completely numb.
While Great Northern Wilderness panicked, Bai Mu fired his gun into the window of the factory building.
Framed in that window was a hideously deformed face, covered in disgusting warts and tumors.
It was a new type of Mutant: a Smoker.
Its ability, as demonstrated before everyone's eyes, was that hangman's noose of a long tongue.
Bai Mu only needed three bullets. After the third shot, he blew the Smoker's head apart. The long tongue went limp, allowing Nancheng Port to violently tear his neck free from its bindings and hack out a few rough coughs.
The interface showed he had lost thirty percent of his Health. With trembling hands, he pulled out his Painkillers and shoved them into his mouth like jellybeans.
"Brother..." A look of pure terror washed over the usually taciturn Nancheng Port's face.
Drenched head to toe in muddy water, he shivered like a drowned rat.
Great Northern Wilderness pulled him up. He glanced at the first Evacuation Point in the quest log, which had now grayed out. The fierce determination on his face instantly melted into deep uncertainty.
'Is making this choice really the right move?'
He felt like he had chosen poorly. He never should have dragged his brother into this risk. It felt like both their lives were destined to end right here today.
Because he saw the Infected hiding in the dark corners pouring out.
The deafening gunfire had drawn them in. Great Northern Wilderness's heart hammered in his chest. He heard the eerie, cackling laughter of a Jockey, and saw soldiers in camouflage uniforms...
'Wait, are those soldiers?'
'No... they are Zombies wearing camouflage...'
Great Northern Wilderness stared blankly at their decaying faces above the military fatigues, utterly dumbfounded.
But Bai Mu simply nodded. This only further verified his guess. His deduction was spot on, and there was only one thing left to do: reach the transport ship and evacuate safely.