Chapter 12: No One Survives

The blustering middle-aged man hurried out of the room with rapid steps, almost as if he were fleeing.

Zhou You had originally wanted to stop him and ask more detailed questions.

Unfortunately, the system informed him that doing so would result in immediate mission failure.

Thus, he could only shake his head and begin searching the surroundings.

At first glance, it was an utterly ordinary security office.

The place was small and somewhat shabby.

Various security-related equipment was scattered throughout the room.

Near the entrance hung information about local municipal departments, along with a patrol map and patrol guidelines for his position.

However, unlike ordinary security guards who only needed to watch over a residential complex, the patrol area here encompassed an entire district.

There were no work computers or similar equipment in the room.

Only a rather old television.

Zhou You tested it and discovered that it had been broken for a long time and could not be turned on.

Several newspapers were piled on the desk.

Unfortunately, perhaps due to the game’s restrictions, most of the text had become blurred as though soaked in water, making it nearly impossible to read.

Only scattered fragments of words could be pieced together.

“Accidents... frequent.”

“Richest man... critically ill and undergoing emergency treatment...”

“Recruiting... urgently needed... excellent benefits...”

“Street vendor died from overwork... his family...”

“Corruption... investigative journalist... will...”

“Acquisition... slaughterhouse...”

Zhou You studied them carefully for a long time but still failed to discover any useful clues.

Most of the text was too fragmented to determine its meaning.

Only the words “recruiting” and “urgently needed” suggested that the hiring notice might be related to his current assignment.

The problem was the phrase “excellent benefits.”

He had not forgotten that the opening description explicitly stated this job merely allowed him to “avoid starving.”

After realizing there was nothing useful here, Zhou You turned his attention elsewhere.

A sign-in register sat there.

The pages were roughly sixteen centimeters square.

Not particularly old.

However, probably due to careless handling over the years, the surface was already covered in muddy fingerprints and grease stains.

The first page contained the day shift roster and attendance records.

Nothing seemed unusual.

But when he flipped to the second page, the night shift attendance sheet, his expression darkened slightly.

Names still filled the page.

Yet unlike the nearly fixed personnel list on the first page, the night patrol personnel changed every other day.

Furthermore, not a single name was repeated.

More importantly...

None of them had ever completed a shift.

On the attendance sheet, every worker had a checkmark in the arrival column.

The departure column, however, was completely blank.

So what exactly had happened to those employees?

Why had none of them ever returned?

Thinking of that, the security uniform stained with what looked suspiciously like blood became even more unsettling.

While he was deep in thought, a crisp chime suddenly rang out.

Zhou You raised his head toward the clock and discovered that during this brief period, the hour hand had somehow already reached eleven o’clock.

It was time for the night patrol.

Although the game had not specified any penalty for being late, he had no desire to test the consequences.

Thus, Zhou You merely tightened his coat, gave the security office one final glance to ensure he had missed nothing, picked up a flashlight, and walked outside.

Outside the security office.

The streets were deathly silent.

According to the patrol guidelines he had read earlier, this district had originally been slated for redevelopment into a new urban area.

As a result, most residents had already relocated.

Only a handful of stubborn holdouts still refused to leave.

A seemingly reasonable explanation.

The problem was...

He suddenly lifted his head and surveyed the surroundings.

Not a single light shone from the old apartment buildings.

There was no sign whatsoever of human activity.

Occasionally, faint rustling sounds could be heard from behind locked doors.

Yet the moment he concentrated and tried to identify them, the sounds immediately ceased, as though everything he had just heard had been an illusion.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

Under normal circumstances, even if it was already eleven at night and more than half the residents had moved away, it was impossible for such a large district to be completely devoid of human presence.

It was even less likely that not a single window would be illuminated.

Unless...

Zhou You did not pursue the outrageous speculation forming in his mind.

Instead, using the dim glow of the streetlights, he walked to a nearby door.

After a brief hesitation, he knocked lightly.

No response.

He then tugged on it slightly.

The lock was loose.

Not only someone his size, even a heavyset couch potato could probably pull it open with a bit of effort.

So if something unexpected happens during patrol, could these apartment buildings serve as emergency shelters?

With that thought, Zhou You leaned toward the crack in the door and peered inside.

Then...

He saw a face.

A grayish-blue face floating in midair.

A face with no flesh or bones.

Strange.

Twisted.

And staring directly at him.

In an instant, Zhou You’s entire body trembled.

He immediately leapt backward.

“You have suffered corruption.”

“Sanity damaged.”

“Current Sanity: 85/100.”

The sudden jump scare startled even someone with Zhou You’s composure.

Fortunately, the ghostly face seemed confined to the building.

After he retreated, it did not pursue him.

Only a faint rustling sound remained behind.

Zhou You took several deep breaths and calmed himself slightly.

Then he suddenly seemed to remember something.

Holding his breath, he tilted his head and listened carefully.

Once everything became completely quiet, the other sounds grew much clearer.

The result was that the same rustling noise seemed to come from every corner of the district.

There were simply too many to count.

One?

Ten?

A hundred?

A thousand?

Or perhaps tens of thousands?

How many buildings were there here?

And how many ghostly faces?

“Damn...”

Only after a long while did Zhou You voice a heartfelt complaint.

“I know you don’t want me exploiting loopholes, but did you really have to make such a huge spectacle out of it?”

Since the game had gone to such lengths, he could only helplessly abandon any plans of taking shortcuts and continue down the main road.

Time passed little by little.

Yet apart from the earlier scare, he encountered no other monsters whatsoever.

In fact, this section of the patrol was completed surprisingly smoothly.

According to the map in the security office, the patrol route was divided into roughly four sections.

From the security office to Yuanshun Intersection was the first section.

From Yuanshun Intersection to Mountain Locust Alley was the second.

From Mountain Locust Alley to Pine Slope was the third.

Then circling beneath Pine Slope would complete the task.

Although he had already finished a quarter of the route with ease, Zhou You felt no relief.

Instead, an uneasy feeling continued to grow.

This is supposed to be a low-to-medium corruption scenario. No matter what, it shouldn’t be easier than Building Four, which was a beginner instance. Besides, it already gave me that jump scare to warn me against exploiting loopholes. There’s no way it’s going to let me stroll through the rest this easily.

Just as doubt began creeping into his mind, a light suddenly entered his field of vision in the distance.

Moreover, unlike the dim yellow streetlights, this was the bright glow of an incandescent lamp.

The only truly bright light in this dark city.