Having completed the dungeon, Eric was utterly drained in both body and mind. She first applied a healing pack, instantly mending all the injuries inflicted by the ordeal, then languidly departed from the stone pillar forest, retreating to the inn to rest.
After washing up, dining, and resting, Eric once again slept soundly until the morning light.
Rubbing her face, she rose and did some light exercise before sitting by the window to have breakfast.
It was just past eight in the morning at the transfer station, yet the streets were already teeming with people. As she nibbled on a char siu bun, Eric found herself astonished: the crowd seemed to have thickened even further!
When she reached the quest hall, Eric was struck dumb again.
Having done many dungeons, Eric had gained some experience. The glowing rings beneath the stone pillars indicated that the dungeon portals were "idle," allowing entry through random allocation. Usually, she could select any pillar at will and step straight into the dungeon, but today she noticed many pillars lacked the glow, signifying the portals were "busy" and temporarily barred from admitting players.
Eric felt unsettled—as if the game's restrictions had been loosened, unleashing hordes of the dead within.
Contemplating this, she turned a corner and approached a stone pillar still radiating the familiar glow.
Upon entering the dungeon, the first sight to greet her was the back of a man.
The crowd pressed in behind her; glancing around, Eric realized she was engulfed in a dense throng, slowly surging forward.
Cheerful background music was broadcast all around, while festive decorations adorned the pedestrian street, imbuing it with raucous vitality.
The overwhelming bustle stirred unease within Eric. She immediately edged sideways, seeking a less congested space.
"Hey, don't rush!"
"Who stepped on my foot?"
"My balloon! Mommy, waah..."
"Sorry! Forgive me!" Eric continued to apologize as she struggled to claw out three or four meters of space, when suddenly a piercing scream shattered the din.
"What's going on? What's going on?"
"Oh my, that's terrifying! Is she insane?"
"Stop her! Stop her!"
Within the crowd, a woman suddenly lunged at another, clutching her and biting fiercely into her neck. Scarlet blood sprayed three feet high, leaving onlookers horrified.
Bystanders hurried to intervene, but the woman's neck twisted at an unnatural angle impossible for any normal person, and she bit down on a rescuer who tried to pry her off.
"Ah! Are you mad? Somebody help!"
"She's too strong! Bring a piece of cloth so I can tie her hands!"
"Are you alright? You're bleeding badly..." Concerned passersby helped the bitten woman to sit up. Covering her neck and hanging her head, she slowly lifted it in response to their concern, then convulsed violently, her face contorting into a grimace as she suddenly lunged at her helper. Her teeth sank viciously into the good Samaritan's neck, tearing out a chunk of flesh.
"Ahhh!"
Within seconds, the bitten good Samaritan began transforming as well, attacking others.
Screams and pleas for help echoed incessantly. Those near the outbreak fled in terror, while those farther off, unaware of the cause, either retreated fearfully at the commotion or, driven by curiosity or a desire to assist, pressed forward—only worsening the crushing chaos.
Amid the turmoil, Eric dared not look back. While others jostled forward to gaze, she redoubled her efforts to squeeze through the crowd and escape.
Moments later, a more dreadful cry erupted behind her, the strangled wail of someone gripped by the throat in panic.
"Run! Hurry!"
"I'm calling the police! This is murder!"
Panic spread swiftly, causing the crowd to recoil, yet the situation deteriorated with alarming rapidity, plunging into chaos within moments.
Drawing upon her ample experience, Eric deftly wove through the gaps in the throng, deliberately ignoring the turmoil behind her—she merely sought to put as much distance as possible between herself and the unfolding disaster, fearing that any backward glance would only draw danger closer.
At last, she extricated herself from the dense crowd and spotted a McDonald's. Without hesitation, she pushed open the door and slipped inside.
The McDonald's was surprisingly crowded, the speakers playing the same cheerful melodies. Children gleefully savored ice cream, while patrons retrieving their meals at the counter carefully navigated around Eric, casting puzzled glances at the young woman in cosplay, wondering why her complexion was so ghastly.
Eric wasted no time within the restaurant; she immediately sought out the stairs and ascended.
Reaching the second floor, she gazed out of the expansive floor-to-ceiling windows and witnessed the pedestrian street below transformed into utter pandemonium. Numerous passersby scrambled in haste, seeking refuge in the nearest establishments — McDonald's among them.
A rapid scan unsettled her deeply. That figure... wasn't it a zombie? She had completed a zombie-themed mission on campus before, a task not particularly arduous, yet this time she had been thrust into a densely packed public space. Had she not evaded swiftly, she might have been forced to confront the outbreak head-on.
Resolute, she decided to retreat further; this McDonald's would soon cease to be a sanctuary.
Pushing open the second-floor door, Eric entered the shopping mall's upper level, which was equally crowded; it was unclear what celebration this dungeon was currently portraying. She lifted her gaze to swiftly read the overhead signage, then sprinted toward the emergency exit.
More screams echoed from below, alarming the mall's customers. Curious onlookers pressed against the glass to peer down, only to recoil in horror at the bloodied, brutal scene beneath. Disorder began creeping upstairs as well. Eric nimbly slipped through crevices until she reached the emergency exit. Pushing open the stairwell door, she was met with pitch darkness. Without hesitation, she stepped inside, closed the door behind her, and considered locking it.
Tap, tap, tap!
Light footsteps resounded within the stairwell, triggering the sensor lights to blaze on. In less than ten seconds, Eric descended to the ground floor. The emergency exit door swung open just as she arrived, admitting a somber-faced man. Taylor froze momentarily upon seeing Eric, eyes wary, but recognizing her as a living person, he swiftly secured and locked the door.
"A player?"
Eric nodded.
"All right, then. Let's go together."
Without a word, Eric continued descending the stairs. Her plan was to take the emergency exit down to the mall's underground parking garage—the safest place to make a retreat.
Apparently, the newly encountered player shared the same intention.
Upon reaching the first basement level, a savory aroma of barbecue greeted Eric's nostrils. She deduced that this floor was a food court, with the parking facility likely below on the second basement level. Sure enough, proceeding downward, she arrived at the parking garage where a vehicle had just pulled in, searching for a spot. Without hesitation, Eric darted forward and instantly resolved to seize that car.
Taylor, the other player, decided on the same course of action; they moved almost simultaneously.
The driver, a young NPC, gripped the steering wheel with one hand, resting the other atop the window, a cigarette pinched between his fingers. Eric's reflexes were sharper; she approached faster, seizing the NPC through the open window.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing?" the NPC shouted, struggling. Eric grabbed his hand, hoisting him partially inside the car, then delivered a blow to the back of his neck—applying only sixty percent force—successfully rendering the youth unconscious.
She reached inside to unlock the door and pulled him out.
"Good technique—didn't kill him, right?" Taylor lent a hand, setting the NPC on the ground.
"Probably not." Eric asked him, "Are you coming with me in this car?" Given the urgency, there was no time for infighting; she preferred cooperation over a quarrel that might cost them precious moments.
Taylor smiled. "I've had my eye on that car too, but you got here first. How about this: I take the wheel. When I was alive, I was a driver—top-notch skills!"
Having driven enough in the last dungeon, Eric's own driving abilities had been honed by sheer necessity during desperate escapes. She was more than happy to let someone else take the helm this time. Sliding into the back seat, she said, "Fine, you drive."
Not offended by Eric's relegating him to chauffeur, Taylor noted where she sat—diagonally opposite the driver's seat—clear evidence of mistrust. Swiftly, he climbed into the driver's seat, promptly rolling the windows up before accelerating out of the underground garage.
The parking lot was brightly lit; signage and mall advertisements blazed vividly, dispelling shadows. Taylor was no liar—an experienced driver indeed. Though this was his first time here, he immediately found the exit route, flooring the accelerator relentlessly.
The car skidded and drifted through the parking lot. Another vehicle suddenly darted out beside them; Taylor expertly swerved to avoid collision. Eric gripped the seatbelt tightly, already feeling queasy.
"Why are you driving so fast? Racing to the afterlife?" The startled owner of the other car huffed, stopping in place. His wife soothed him, "It's okay, we didn't crash."
Their child nestled in his mother's arms, playing with a toy and sweetly inquired, "Daddy, are we almost at the amusement park?"
"Idiot—yes, yes, we're almost there. Daddy's just finding a parking spot."
The car restarted, but suddenly the man heard a cacophony of footsteps and shouts echoing eerily throughout the parking garage. His wife frowned. "Is there a fight down there?"
"Beep—!"
The car horn blared sharply, followed by the roar of multiple engines starting simultaneously. The atmosphere grew tense and foreboding.
Curious, the man stepped out to investigate.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Several cars hurtled past him, just as fast as the reckless driver he'd just encountered.
"They're all racing to the afterlife or what—the hell is going on?" He hurriedly dodged aside, nostrils flaring. "Why does it smell like blood?"
Near the emergency exit, many people poured down the stairs, scattering in search of their vehicles. The man took a few steps forward.
"Honey, let's just go upstairs. Don't watch others fighting," his wife interrupted.
"Alright." The family of three proceeded to the elevator as usual.
The elevator paused first on the ground floor, then took an interminable moment on the first basement level.
"What's going on today?!" The man growled impatiently, banging the button.
His wife stroked their daughter's hair. "It's all right, dear. It's a holiday; there are many people. We're going to the amusement park on the fifth floor, so we have to wait—it's no big deal."
After a full ten minutes, the elevator finally resumed its descent. Moments later, the display showed "-2," and with a gentle ding, the doors slowly slid open.
What met their eyes were faces torn and mangled, flesh hanging in gruesome tatters. The wife barely had time to register that today was not Halloween, questioning why such vivid cosplay appeared, before the figures lunged forward—fangs bared, dripping with gore, howling as they surged from the elevator.
They grasped at her, pinned down her husband, and lunged toward their daughter…
"Ah! Help! Somebody save me!"