Above the administrators, there was an even higher authority known as VIPs.
VIPs could monitor the progress of the game and issue commands to administrators.
"How ironic. We players are nothing but tools for their entertainment."
"The ones controlling the game, those so-called VIPs. They don't see us as human."
"If one day I can escape this game and find those bastards..."
"I'll kill them!"
Leonard's killing intent burned fiercely, his eyes filled with rage.
Treated like lab rats, toyed with at will, their lives hanging by a thread, struggling to survive under the so-called rules of the game.
If escape was impossible, so be it.
But if given the chance, Leonard would definitely demand justice from those administrators.
In the management group chat, they were still discussing the details of the zombie deployment.
If scattered too thinly, the effect wouldn't be intense enough, so they decided on a concentrated release.
[My suggestion: split the zombies into three groups. Each group will be led by one mutant zombie.]
[Deploy them on three different floors.]
[We must place one group on the 8th floor. Zore is there. Let's increase the difficulty for him.]
[Agreed.]
[Let's put another group on the 4th floor where Max is.]
[The last group will be deployed on the top floor, letting the zombies move downward.]
[There are 15 minutes left until dawn. This window will be a race between life and death for the players!]
Leonard read the conversation in the management group and nearly exploded with anger.
Typical, those who stand out get targeted first.
Because he had the highest level, they decided to make things harder for him by sending zombies his way.
A mutant zombie, accompanied by five regular ones.
This team had significant combat power enough to pose a serious threat to Leonard.
If a group of zombies surrounded the door, the dorm would surely fall.
Leonard couldn't wait any longer and sprang into action.
He had previously acquired a blueprint for a box-style helmet but hadn't crafted it yet.
He also needed to make a new wooden shield.
Leonard poured in the materials, his hands moving swiftly.
Meanwhile, the management group was selecting the types of mutant zombies, opening up the zombie bestiary for reference.
The zombie types were varied and bizarre.
Three were ultimately chosen:
Long-tongue Zombie, Iron-claw Zombie, and High-jump Zombie!
Each had unique abilities, as their names suggested.
For realism, the management team even crafted a plot for this zombie release.
A loudspeaker in the hallway suddenly blared:
"I worked through the night to create a new batch of zombies. A few of them have shown fascinating changes. It's thrilling!"
"This proves I'm on the right path. I just need to refine the ritual for perfection."
"I can feel it. Success is near."
"In my hands, something unprecedented and magnificent is about to be born!"
The boss babbled on and on.
Crash!
A section of the ceiling collapsed, and several zombies dropped down.
The lead zombie looked especially grotesque, sharp features, a split mouth that extended past its ears.
Its hands and feet were larger than usual, like beast limbs with thick joints and iron-like claws.
Its bloodshot eyes darted around wildly, reflecting the flickering light.
They sniffed the air, trying to locate the scent of prey.
They had caught on fresh life and delicious flesh were nearby.
The zombie squad began to move.
The oppressive aura was suffocating.
The nearest player, hiding in Room 807, saw them and nearly fainted from fear.
[I just saw a group of zombies! Not one, a whole group!]
[Don't scare me. What floor are you on?]
[8th floor!]
[There's a group on the 12th floor too!]
[I'm screwed! They've found me! I can't fight off this many zombies! This game is unfair! Unfair!]
That was the last thing the player in Room 807 said in the group chat.
——
"It's done!"
Leonard had completed two new pieces of equipment.
One was a box helmet, shaped like a shoebox but made of wood, just wear it on the head.
Though it restricted vision, it offered decent protection.
His previous wooden shield was broken, so he made a new one.
The workbench also allowed him to repair damaged gear.
Leonard fixed his Madman Saw, restoring its durability.
Screams echoed from the hallway.
Another player had likely been attacked after their door was broken down.
Leonard forced himself to stay focused.
Looking at the flat surface of the wooden shield, an idea struck him.
Such a large blank space, perfect for drawing a blood sigil!
If he could draw a blood sigil on it, it might produce unexpected effects.
Leonard bit his finger and got to work.
Rebecca, living across the hall, was clearly terrified and kept begging him for help through private chat.
Leonard ignored her, fully focused on drawing his charm.
He used his blood to paint lines onto the shield.
Blood sigil drawing required swift, uninterrupted strokes, no need for a long time.
After failing four times and losing a lot of health, he had no choice but to chug a disgusting healing potion.
The taste was so revolting it felt like drinking toilet cleaner.
Once his health recovered, Leonard continued.
This time, he finally succeeded!
Six strokes formed a complete blood sigil.
[Charm successfully drawn. Gained 5 proficiency points.]
[Level 1 Wooden Shield has evolved into Level 2 blood sigil Shield.]
Success!
Leonard had brought his sudden idea to life.
Now his gear was upgraded, box helmet on his head, evil-repelling shield in hand.
But upgrades aside, he needed to stay cautious.
Zombies didn't fear death.
He only had one life.
"There's about ten minutes until dawn. Once the sun rises, the zombies will be forced to retreat. That's when I'll strike and clean them up!"
Leonard leaned against the door, calculating.
"I'll fight you all! Die! Die! Aaaah!!!"
Another scream came from the hallway.
Leonard knew exactly what that meant.
He stayed calm, remaining hidden.
Until the zombies entered his line of sight.
Two of them were approaching.
One was a regular zombie.
The other had a huge gaping mouth and flung out a grotesque long tongue.
The tongue was over a meter long, with two rows of backward-facing teeth, thick and powerful, making loud slaps when it hit the floor.
It was a Long-tongue Zombie!
"Only two? Weren't there supposed to be six?" Leonard frowned.
He wasn't aware that some zombies had broken into rooms mid-route and were feasting on players.
Two zombies eating one person, the others kept moving forward.
This split the squad.
Survival games had an element of luck.
Those unlucky victims had eased Leonard's burden.
A 1v6 was nothing like a 1v2.
As they moved forward, the Long-tongue Zombie suddenly turned toward Room 838, whipped out its tongue, and lashed at the door.