Chapter 5: The Shelter Site, Infected Appear
Stepping out of the forest, Su Ning walked directly along the deserted street.
Looking at the damaged vehicles along the road, she collected several that weren’t too badly wrecked and stored them in her backpack.
She had to find a place to stay for the night — the night was simply too dangerous.
Su Ning pondered in her heart.
She thought it would be best not to wander outside after dark.
After all, the infected were just too terrifying!
Perhaps the former Su Ning could be considered weak in combat, but ever since she acquired the skill [Perfect Aim], her strength was no longer the same.
Still, without a weapon at hand, she couldn’t be overconfident.
She still didn’t pose a serious threat to the infected.
“Looks like finding a suitable weapon needs to be a top priority…”
Su Ning continued her search while thinking about these things.
Suddenly, she saw a flower shop on the side of the street.
She remembered the temperature-controlled flower seeds and soil in her backpack.
To grow those flowers, she still needed flower pots.
So, Su Ning walked into the flower shop and began collecting pots.
Most of the flowers in the shop had already withered, making the place look rather bleak.
But Su Ning didn’t care. She gathered many identical flower pots.
A thought popped into her mind — she still had two potatoes at home. She could grow them in these pots, or plant some other vegetables.
With the temperature-controlled flower present, she could potentially grow some food.
The survival game was still ongoing; maybe she could even grow vegetable seeds at home.
Besides collecting pots, Su Ning also found some fertilizer and feed for cultivation.
Of course, she found many flower seeds as well.
“I don’t even know why I’m taking these flower seeds. It’s the apocalypse. Do I really have the time to grow and care for flowers?”
Su Ning shook her head.
Still, she quickly collected whatever useful items she could.
As she looked at the sky, she realized it was already afternoon — night was approaching.
“This is no time for gathering things. I need to find a safe place to stay tonight.”
Su Ning vaguely heard growling sounds coming from within nearby buildings — the sounds of the infected.
These sounds carried a hint of menace, signaling that nightfall was coming and the infected would soon roam in search of prey.
She began searching for shelter.
After some time, Su Ning finally found the perfect hiding place.
It was a massive billboard, standing tall in front of her.
She quickly took out a ladder she had collected earlier from her backpack and carefully climbed up.
Once she reached the top, she pulled the ladder up to make sure no one else could follow.
Entering the hollow space behind the billboard, Su Ning felt an unprecedented sense of security.
The entire area was enclosed by the billboard, forming a natural barrier that protected her from being discovered.
She set up the tent she had found earlier in the middle and laid down a soft sofa cushion.
Lying down comfortably, Su Ning felt her entire body relax as it touched the soft padding.
At this moment, she just wanted to lie still — completely still.
Having been on high alert for so long, the moment she relaxed, exhaustion surged through her like a tidal wave.
Her arms ached from all the activity.
Lying down, she indulged in the rare peace and comfort, hoping to finally get some proper rest.
She was tired, but she had gained a lot — especially from the treasure chest. The items she obtained were truly surprising!
As time passed, the sky gradually darkened.
Su Ning listened quietly to the terrifying sounds outside — the increasing howls that resembled countless ferocious beasts awakening under the night sky.
Her heart began to race, tension rising once more.
However, when she looked around, she felt a bit of relief.
Her location was elevated and positioned in the center of the billboard. Without a ladder, it was impossible to climb up.
This relatively safe environment eased her worries slightly.
Nevertheless, Su Ning remained alert.
She carefully observed her surroundings, not daring to let her guard down.
Finally, as darkness completely engulfed the world, a strong wave of hunger hit her.
She reached for a canned meat tin she had found earlier, opened it, and took a gentle bite.
Instantly, a rich, savory flavor filled her mouth.
The delicious taste nearly overwhelmed her — tears involuntarily streamed down her face.
“So good… It’s really so delicious…” Su Ning murmured softly.
At that moment, her craving for food became stronger than ever. If only she had a bowl of steaming white rice, it would be perfect.
After finishing the canned meat, Su Ning luxuriously drank a whole bottle of water and lay back in the tent.
She stared closely at the instance timer, mentally calculating — if she could survive this long night, the thrilling game would be over.
Nights were always particularly hard — the endless darkness and silence made people uneasy.
Su Ning closed her eyes, trying to calm herself, but strange thoughts kept flashing through her mind.
Still, Su Ning felt fortunate. She had food and water, and now she had found a safe place.
To check the surroundings, Su Ning pulled out the night vision goggles she had gotten from the treasure chest.
She peered out through the billboard’s gaps.
The world that had been pitch-black, where one couldn’t even see their hand in front of their face, changed instantly when she put on the goggles — everything became crystal clear.
“Those things moving around… are probably the infected, right?”
Su Ning saw bizarre, hunched creatures wandering the streets.
Without a doubt, these were the legendary infected.
With the onset of night, they had become extremely active.
Su Ning quietly observed them darting about and noticed how sensitive they were to any signs of life around them.
Just as she was fully focused on watching them, a sudden series of deafening explosions rang out from the distance.
Then, she saw a towering wall of flames rising into the sky.
In that instant, Su Ning remembered the family of four she had met during the day — that child seemed to have the special ability to control fire.
Fire abilities were certainly powerful, but on a dark night like this, they also made one an obvious target.
The explosion had undoubtedly attracted a horde of infected. Even the ones surrounding the billboard began to leave, drawn by the commotion.
Seeing this, Su Ning secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
She couldn’t be blamed for being heartless — in times like these, her own survival was all that mattered.
Staying here quietly and surviving was the only priority.
She could finally get a good night’s sleep.
Lying on the soft sofa and covering herself with a blanket she had found…
At that moment, Su Ning didn’t feel like she was surviving in a life-and-death game anymore.
Now, she even had time to check the communication channel.
Many people were talking about how dangerous the night was.
[Help, someone please help me! I’m surrounded by the infected where I live. Oh god, these infected may not be zombies, but they’re just as terrifying!]
[Hahaha, I found a great spot. I can totally make it through the night.]
[So hungry… why doesn’t the system have a trading feature? I want to trade the jewelry I found for food!]
[There is a store feature — it’s not unavailable.]
[Huh? We can unlock the store?]
