Chapter 123 [Part II: Loss of Control]

Chapter 123 [Part II: Out of Control]

This time, Xia Zheng knew exactly what to do next. He checked the time and saw the statistics: 165 hours had passed in the dungeon, which equated to 16.5 hours in reality. With only 53 hours remaining until the group stage officially began, he had at most about 500 hours of dungeon time left. Whether he could clear the dungeon remained an uncertainty.

At the same time, he checked the dungeon's overall evaluation of his performance in the first chapter: Qualified.

"The evaluation isn't very high. It seems that defying some of the dungeon's settings brought about negative consequences. However, I didn't enter this dungeon training to earn a high score." Xia Zheng felt no regret; he believed this dungeon world was not just a training exercise, but a place for him to discover the true direction he should strive for in the future.

Approaching the deep blue military standard, Xia Zheng reached out to touch it. Immediately, familiar translucent white text flickered before his eyes: "The infection crisis in Evernight City has fully erupted, shocking the Federation. The first wave of elite rescue forces encountered heavy resistance on the way and could not break through the bloodline's defensive lines. For the time being, Evernight City must rely on its own strength to survive and await rescue... Dynamic difficulty increased to A."

Furthermore, Xia Zheng saw that this chapter contained three major plot checkpoints: "Opposition," "Humanity," and "Collapse." Special note: The vast majority of characters in this dungeon are virtual and do not correspond to real-world individuals.

Do you wish to officially start Part II? [Y/N]

Xia Zheng chose "Y," and was immediately pulled in by a mysterious force, as if traveling through space and time.

When he regained consciousness, he found himself on a military vehicle, waking up from a state of sleeping in his clothes.

A line of text appeared before him: "On a certain morning half a month later, you wake up on a military transport returning to Evernight City from the front lines, facing an extremely complex situation."

His head still felt the discomfort of entering the dungeon—a sensation akin to dizziness and nausea. It was more intense than the first time, perhaps a deliberate setting by the dungeon.

The vehicle was stationary. After the discomfort subsided slightly, Xia Zheng got up and jumped down.

It turned out to be a makeshift camp. The surroundings were packed with all sorts of vehicles—not just military trucks, but civilian cars, motorcycles, bicycles, and balancing scooters. Tents were scattered everywhere, and trash littered the ground.

Checking the time on his watch, it was 6:35 AM, just at the break of dawn. Most people were still fast asleep, but what struck him as strange was that the camp was permeated with an atmosphere of sheer despair.

Just then, he looked up and saw a tent flap open. A sleazy-looking man emerged, pulling up his pants and acting furtively. Upon seeing Xia Zheng staring at him, the man slunk away, looking guilty.

Immediately after, a woman's head poked out of the tent. Her hair was messy, as was her clothing, which looked like it had been thrown on over her naked body in haste.

"Asshole, don't even think about coming back to me next time without two loaves of bread," the woman scolded, turning her head, only to see Xia Zheng looking at her with a mix of bewilderment and curiosity.

The woman blushed slightly, but then, seemingly struck by a thought, she deliberately pulled at the neckline of her hastily donned clothes, exposing the view within and giving it a shake. Xia Zheng turned away in embarrassment, and the woman laughed triumphantly before returning to the tent and zipping it shut.

Walking to the other side of the vehicle where he had been resting, he discovered many soldiers sleeping casually on the ground. Some had a blanket beneath them, while others were curled up together, shivering from the cold.

"You're awake?" A familiar female voice sounded from behind him. Xia Zheng couldn't help but turn around.

It was Luo Bing. She hadn't changed much, and in her hand, she held a steaming cup of oatmeal.

"Yeah, here..." Xia Zheng gestured to the surroundings, asking her in confusion.

"Drink this first." Luo Bing's attitude toward him seemed to have changed significantly; she no longer displayed that dismissive indifference.

"Thank you." Xia Zheng did feel a bit hungry, even if it was just within the dungeon.

As he drank the oatmeal, he listened to Luo Bing explain what had happened during the "brief" time he had skipped. To put it simply: it was a disaster.

Because injured soldiers from the front lines were not handled with proper and strict protocols, a massive infection broke out. It was said that up to a million people were infected. The twelve outer districts were on the verge of collapse, while the inner Eternal District had completely sealed its entry and exit points, allowing only those with specific credentials to enter.

At the same time, to prevent the infection from spreading to other regions, the Federation had completely blocked all major transportation routes. However, because the bloodline had created and left behind a massive army of zombies and mutated zombies, the rescue forces were unable to make progress, leaving Evernight City to fight in isolation.

The outer city accounted for more than two-thirds of Evernight City's population. Tens of millions were facing the crisis of infection. At this moment, everyone in the city was looking out for themselves, and some criminal elements that usually stayed hidden took the opportunity to strike, leaving the outer city in complete chaos.

Luo Bing had followed the remaining twenty thousand or so troops from the front line back to Evernight City for rescue, and Xia Zheng (Benson) was among them. Xia Zheng had now gained the complete trust of the army, especially that of Luo Bing and the three other Star-Tier warriors.

However, because the bloodline had long ago deployed a massive army of zombies along the rescue route—with a large number of mutated zombies appearing as well—the rescue force moved slowly. Almost every kilometer advanced required a heavy price.

The plot was set such that a few days ago, during a battle with the elite bloodline forces, Benson had been injured and fallen into a coma. Fortunately, after treatment, he was out of danger, though he had only woken up today.

"No wonder I felt physically unwell when entering the dungeon this time; it seems the dungeon set me to a state of having just recovered from an injury," Xia Zheng thought, having finished the oatmeal provided by Luo Bing after listening to her summary of the "previous events."

He washed the cup and returned it to her, asking, "Do you think Evernight City can survive this catastrophe?"

Luo Bing looked at Xia Zheng for a moment, then turned and walked away, saying, "We do what we can and leave the rest to fate."

It seemed that even Luo Bing and the others had little faith in Evernight City. After all, as Star-Tier warriors, having witnessed the power of the bloodline, it was natural for them to feel despair.

Xia Zheng sensed the morale of these reinforcements; it was approaching rock bottom. Facing an insurmountable enemy while their home base was being ravaged by the bloodline—how could they be at peace?

"Luo Bing, there will be a miracle." Xia Zheng didn't know why he said this to her, but in his heart, he felt he had to.

Sure enough, Luo Bing turned back. After a moment of stunned silence, she suddenly burst into a smile, as magical as seeing the first signs of spring in the dead of winter.

"Indeed. You are humanity's last hope," Luo Bing said.

In the chilly morning breeze, Xia Zheng felt someone placing a heavy burden upon his shoulders. For this, he felt no regret.