With some time still left, Boyu decided to take another look at the detailed information for "Zombie Apocalypse." He activated the holographic projector in his room and pulled up the game's official introduction page.

  "Zombie Apocalypse," a highly anticipated survival RPG, not a traditional MMORPG. Its setting was quite appealing—Earth from a century ago, the 21st-century modern society found in players' history books, but with the reality-twisting addition of zombies. Even during its closed beta phase, the game attracted a massive player base with its unique survival gameplay and retro historical backdrop.

  Most exciting were the latest technologies from the OAD platform integrated into the game: first, an intelligent plot system capable of dynamically adjusting the story progression and NPC reactions based on player actions; second, a highly realistic crafting and physics system, allowing players to use environmental resources to create tools, weapons, and even repair vehicles. Because the game mechanics adhered closely to reality, eschewing complex magic or superpower systems, it was able to complete development and launch earlier than other games reliant on intricate fantasy settings.

  "This is a hardcore survival game," emphasized the bold text on the introduction page. "There is no newbie protection period, no absolute safe zones, PK is everywhere, and no crime value system restricts your actions. The only law is the most primitive, most brutal law of the jungle." This challenging setup was undoubtedly another major reason for the game's popularity.

  The death mechanism was equally harsh. Character death wasn't permanent, but players would drop some of the items they carried. They could respawn at designated strongholds, but this required consuming stored resources like food and medicine to speed up recovery. If resources were scarce, the character would respawn in a weakened or injured state, and the accumulation of such negative statuses could lead to permanent character death. Additionally, certain unspecified special circumstances could also result in immediate permanent death.

  Boyu's gaze focused on the crafting system. The introduction mentioned that the biggest limitation was that the technology level must strictly conform to the 21st-century background; any technology exceeding that reality could not be implemented. "But that won't stop me," Boyu smiled confidently. He had already conceived a series of inventions fitting the era, ready to make his mark in this apocalyptic world.

  Time was running out before the game officially began. Boyu turned off the holographic projector, put on the OAD helmet, and let his consciousness sink into the virtual world. Almost simultaneously, he received a team invitation from Jacob and accepted without hesitation. The system began matchmaking and loading the scene.

  "Welcome to Zombie Apocalypse." A soft, slightly mechanical female voice sounded in his ear. "The game will officially begin in 3 minutes. During this time, you may make minor adjustments to your character's appearance. Please note, once you enter the game, you will experience a highly realistic apocalyptic survival environment. Good luck, survivor."

  Boyu wasn't interested in adjusting his appearance and chose randomization directly. The countdown ended, the darkness before him receded like a tide, the surrounding scenery gradually sharpened, and the figures of his teammates materialized one by one beside him.

  He found himself standing in the middle of a rather wide street. A typical 21st-century cityscape unfolded before his eyes: reinforced concrete high-rises, asphalt roads, cars of various styles scattered along the sides. The sky was azure blue with a few leisurely white clouds drifting by, the sunlight almost blindingly bright, as if it were just an ordinary summer morning.

  The figures of two female characters appeared nearby. One of them, even before her form fully solidified, possessed a tall, slender silhouette that immediately captured Boyu's attention. Neat black hair was tied back in a high ponytail, a tight black leather jacket and matching pants outlining astonishing curves, exuding a sense of power and wild beauty. Her figure was tall and well-proportioned, every inch seemingly sculpted, possessing both the agility of a panther and a feminine resilience. Her slightly bewitching face, however, carried an aloofness that kept others at a distance, her eyes sharp as knives.

  Beside her stood another girl, curiously observing the surroundings. She wore a pretty dress ill-suited to the environment, looking youthful and cute. Her bright eyes blinked, and when she looked at Boyu, the mix of innocence and slyness in her expression felt strangely familiar.

  Before they could formally introduce themselves, the game's prologue began. The air instantly filled with tension. The virtual pedestrians (NPCs) on the street started moving hurriedly, some even running in panic. Faint sounds of sporadic gunfire and muffled screams drifted from the distance, announcing the shattering of the peaceful facade.

  "Let's talk on the move! Boyu, it's up to you!" Jacob's voice came from behind. He jogged up, his trademark bright smile on his face, and patted Boyu's shoulder.

  Boyu quickly scanned the surroundings and assessed, "This town isn't small, supplies should be plentiful. But there are too many players crowded near the entrance area. We need to create distance quickly." As he spoke, he took the lead, running towards a row of parked cars by the roadside. The others immediately followed.

  "Hey, we meet again! I'm Jacob." Jacob didn't forget to charm the two new teammates while jogging, pointing towards Boyu, who was already hunched over inside a car, tinkering. "That's my best buddy, Boyu."

  "Hello, I'm Alice, and this is Ka." The cute girl in the dress responded with a smile, her voice crisp and pleasant. "Thanks for the invitation."

  The aloof Ka merely gave a slight nod. Her gaze lingered briefly on Jacob, seemingly finding his excessive enthusiasm slightly amusing, then shifted back to vigilantly scanning the surroundings. The chaos on the street didn't affect her composure in the slightest.

  They noticed that many shop windows were already broken, goods scattered inside. Some vehicles were abandoned haphazardly in the middle of the road, a few even emitting black smoke, clearly having been burned. Boyu emerged from the first car, shook his head, and quickly ran to the next.

  At this moment, they truly felt the "reality" of this world. The OAD technology simulated not only sight and sound but also the summer heat and the faint smell of burning in the air. Their skin could even feel the warmth of the sun. This comprehensive sensory simulation blurred the line between virtual and real.

  Ka keenly observed that many other players were mimicking Boyu, rushing towards nearby vehicles and attempting to start them.

  "What are they doing?" Alice asked curiously.

  "Fixing cars," Ka replied succinctly, her gaze returning to Boyu. He had finished checking the second car, again shaking his head, and dashed even faster towards the third.

  "Can you manage?" Jacob asked, leaning closer.

  "No, absolutely no chance." Boyu only needed a quick glance under the hood this time to reach a conclusion. He sighed and straightened up. "Let's go, these cars can't be fixed." He didn't linger, turning and heading towards the inner part of the town. The others immediately followed.

  Alice glanced back at the players still futilely fiddling with the cars and couldn't help asking Boyu, "Aren't you going to check a few more? Maybe the next one will be lucky?"

  "It's useless, they're wasting their time." Seeing it was Alice asking, Boyu offered a rare explanation. "I checked three. Their Electronic Control Units (ECU) and critical wiring are completely fried, looks like they were hit by a strong electromagnetic pulse. I'm sure all the cars parked out in the open on this street are the same."

  The group quickened their pace and arrived at the entrance of a large shopping mall. Just then, two zombies roared and burst out from behind the glass doors, charging straight at them.

  These two zombies appeared relatively intact, with no obvious decay or wounds, just unnaturally pale skin with prominent dark blue veins underneath. Their eyes were devoid of reason, filled only with crazed bloodlust. They emitted guttural growls, saliva dripping from their gaping mouths. While not particularly gory, the sheer ferocity and madness rushing towards them were enough to terrify an ordinary person.

  "Watch out!" Jacob reacted instantly, using the empty backpack on his back as a makeshift shield. He used his strong body to forcefully bump one zombie, making it stagger. He immediately felt the zombie's strength was far beyond human.

  Almost simultaneously, Ka moved. Like a black lightning bolt, she closed the distance, her body twisting fluidly. Her long, slender leg whipped out in a vicious arc, accurately striking the other zombie's face. A crisp crack of bone sounded, and the zombie spun one and a half times in the air as if hit by a speeding truck before crashing heavily to the ground.

  In a highly realistic virtual reality game like OAD, real-world combat skills were fully applicable. Many players learned some self-defense techniques. Ka's move just now—speed, power, timing—was perfect, her movements both elegant and lethal. She was clearly a master who had honed her skills for years.

  Boyu stared, momentarily stunned. But the zombie Jacob had pushed down was staggering back to its feet, pulling his attention back to reality.

  "Let's go!" Jacob yelled.

  The four quickly rushed into the shopping mall. The shops lining the main hall and corridors were mostly open, doors and windows smashed, interiors ransacked—clearly looted by players who had entered earlier. Many players were wielding various "weapons" found in the shops—mops, hangers, fire axes—fighting scattered zombies. The team didn't stop, purposefully moving through the chaotic crowd towards the deeper parts of the mall.

  In the distance, they saw several burly men surrounding a storefront, violently smashing at it. The shop had a heavy metal roller shutter and seemingly sturdy reinforced glass walls. The men threw rocks and slammed chairs against it, but the glass wall only emitted dull thuds, remaining unmoved. After futile attempts, they left, cursing unwillingly.

  The team approached and saw it was a large chain gym.

  "A gym!" Jacob's eyes lit up. "The barbells inside are good stuff!" He immediately thought of using a barbell rod as a weapon. He went up and kicked the metal shutter hard a few times, achieving nothing but loud noise. Ka also went up and tried, equally unable to budge it.

  "Damn it, can't get in." Jacob shrugged helplessly.

  Just as they were about to give up and leave, a sharp "crack" sounded. Everyone turned. Boyu had picked up a car spark plug from somewhere and had just smashed it forcefully on the ground. He bent down, picked up a thumb-sized piece of white ceramic shard, walked to the glass wall, aimed at a point, and threw it hard.

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  "Tink!" A light sound. The reinforced glass, which had withstood all previous blows, instantly spiderwebbed with cracks from the point of impact, rapidly spreading outwards.

  Ka's eyes flashed with curiosity. She walked over, picked up another ceramic shard, and mimicked Boyu, throwing it hard at another part of the glass wall. "Tink!" More cracks appeared.

  "What's the principle behind this?" Alice asked in surprise.

  "It utilizes material stress concentration and hardness difference. Spark plug ceramic is extremely hard. The sharp shard concentrates the impact force onto a tiny point, disrupting the stress layer of the tempered glass," Boyu explained succinctly.

  Ka threw a few more shards, and the entire glass wall was now covered in cracks.

  "Stand back!" Jacob shouted excitedly, picking up a discarded display rack nearby and smashing it against the glass wall.

  "Crash!" The glass shattered loudly, falling to the ground.

  They carefully stepped over the shards into the gym. Jacob headed straight for the weightlifting area, picked up a standard barbell rod, and skillfully removed the weight plates from both ends. The empty bar typically weighed 20 kilograms. "Nice, sturdy enough!" He weighed it in his hand. In OAD, a player's real-world physical fitness partially synchronized with their game character. Jacob exercised regularly, so while the 20kg iron rod was heavy, it was more than enough to deal with zombies.

  He found a curved W-bar (usually for arm exercises), which was lighter, about 11 kilograms. "Hey, beautiful, does this suit you?" He tried to hand the W-bar to Alice.

  "Heehee, I'm not as strong as Ka." Alice glanced at it and declined with a silvery laugh. She was squatting under the front desk, rummaging for something.

  Jacob turned and saw that Ka had, at some point, also picked up a 20kg straight barbell rod. She was casually gesturing with it single-handedly, looking so effortless as if she were holding just a wooden stick.

  Just then, Boyu emerged from behind the exercise machines, carrying a rather professional-looking toolbox. "Strange, the hammer inside is missing. Did any of you see it?"

  "Is it this?" Alice popped out from under the front desk, holding a claw hammer, a proud smile on her face.

  "Do you need it? You can have it." She offered the hammer to Boyu. Her cute expression made Boyu's cheeks flush slightly.

  "Ah, no, no, you keep it for self-defense, thanks." Boyu quickly waved his hands; he didn't need the hammer for now. He glanced at the W-bar in Jacob's hand, then at the wrench in his toolbox, deciding to use the wrench for self-defense temporarily.

  The team scavenged some protein powder (as emergency food) and a few unopened bottles of mineral water from the gym, stuffing them into backpacks they found, then quickly left.

  Just as they exited the gym, they ran straight into the same burly men who had tried to break the door earlier. Seeing the brand-new "weapons" in the team members' hands and glancing at the remaining equipment inside the gym, their eyes flashed with greed and annoyance. After the team walked away, they immediately rushed into the gym and clumsily tried to block the broken entrance with equipment.

  "Where to next?" Jacob led the way, adjusting to the barbell's weight. Spotting a lone zombie, he gripped the bar tightly with both hands and swung with all his might. "Thump!" A dull impact sound accompanied by the sickening crunch of bone. The zombie collapsed, twitched a few times, and lay still.

  "Still need to find a car." Boyu scanned the surroundings vigilantly while quickly checking the mall map. "Underground parking lot! There's a way down here!" His eyes lit up as he pointed towards a stairwell leading downwards.

  The four immediately changed direction and rushed towards the underground parking lot. Ka and Jacob instinctively took the lead. Ka moved like a phantom, the barbell in her hand tracing deadly arcs around her. She didn't seem to aim for instant kills but precisely attacked the zombies' cervical vertebrae or joints. "Crack!" Another zombie's neck twisted at an unnatural angle as it collapsed. Jacob relied more on strength, smashing or pushing away charging zombies.

  The underground parking lot was dimly lit, with only a few emergency lights providing faint illumination. The air was thick with the smell of dust and gasoline. The advantage was that there were almost no other players here, and the number of zombies was relatively sparse.

  "The emergency lights are still on, meaning the circuits here might not be completely destroyed." An idea sparked in Boyu's mind. He immediately began checking the parked vehicles. After Ka and Jacob cleared out a few wandering zombies, Boyu quickly moved between the rows of cars.

  He found the condition of the vehicles here was indeed much better than those on the surface. Although most cars' electronic systems were still malfunctioning, their physical structures were relatively intact. He salvaged batteries, starter motors, and other key components from several less damaged-looking cars, then gathered them near a pickup truck that seemed well-maintained. Opening the hood, he began his "surgery."

  In this game, there were no strict class divisions; player actions determined skill growth. Boyu's act of repairing the vehicle would increase his [Repair] skill proficiency and experience, a basic skill under the [Crafting] category. Meanwhile, Ka and Jacob were continuously accumulating proficiency and experience in [Melee Weapons].

  Ka and Jacob tacitly guarded the pickup truck, clearing out the few zombies attracted by the sound of the hood opening. Ka's movements remained astonishingly efficient. The 20kg barbell seemed weightless in her hands, each swing accurately hitting a zombie's vital point, clean and decisive. Jacob, though also brave, was clearly struggling more in comparison. Alice, holding the hammer, cautiously moved around the perimeter, occasionally harassing zombies trying to approach Ka and Jacob's flanks, or simply circling them to draw their attention until Ka or Jacob could deal with them.

  While engrossed in repairing the truck, Boyu's peripheral vision was involuntarily drawn to Ka's agile figure. Her combat stance possessed a breathtaking beauty, a perfect fusion of power and skill. Every dodge, every strike was like a meticulously choreographed dance. The heavy barbell seemed incredibly light in her hands, yet the zombies struck by it emitted sickening cracking sounds. This bizarre combination formed a picture both violent and captivating. She handled three or five zombies simultaneously with ease, weaving and spinning between them, precisely dismantling their ability to move. In contrast, Jacob, while holding his ground on the other side, appeared significantly more battered and strained.

  Seemingly sensing Boyu's gaze, Ka, after elegantly spinning to knock down a zombie, swept her sharp, beautiful eyes over him inadvertently. Boyu's heart skipped a beat. He quickly refocused his gaze on the parts in his hands, his cheeks feeling hot, his movements unconsciously speeding up.

  "Alright, let's try it!" A few minutes later, Boyu, drenched in sweat, slammed the hood shut, jumped into the driver's seat, and yelled to the others.

  He turned the key. The starter motor whirred, "kaka," but the engine didn't immediately ignite. He tried again, twice... Finally, on the third attempt, the engine let out a low roar and then settled into a steady rumble, humming powerfully.

  "Nice job! Bro! Get in, quick!" Jacob shouted excitedly, yanking open a door.

  "Quick! We need to get out of here!" Boyu urged. "Watch out for what's outside!"

  Jacob jumped into the pickup bed first, then reached down to pull Alice up. Ka followed closely. The moment she landed in the truck bed, she swung the barbell backhandedly, sending a closely pursuing zombie flying backward.

  As soon as the three were settled in the bed, Boyu slammed the accelerator. The pickup's tires screeched against the ground as it started charging towards the parking lot exit. The engine's roar echoed in the enclosed space, attracting more remaining zombies, which shambled after them.

  "Hold on tight!" Boyu yelled, wrenching the steering wheel, directly crashing through several blocking zombies. The wheels rolled over their bodies, making unpleasant sounds.

  The pickup truck burst out of the underground parking lot and back onto the sunlit street. However, the trouble was just beginning. The engine's loud roar acted like a beacon in the night, instantly attracting the attention of every surviving player on the street. Those still futilely trying to fix cars, those scavenging in shops—almost everyone stopped what they were doing, their gazes fixed on this suddenly appeared, functional pickup truck.

  "Wow! So many people!" Alice looked at the figures lining the streets and pouring out of buildings. She roughly estimated at least a hundred people, all staring at them with a mixture of surprise, jealousy, and greed.

  "Let's go!" Ka snapped, her tone still calm, but her knuckles whitened slightly as she gripped the barbell. She stood up, planting her feet firmly on the swaying truck bed, her cold, beautiful eyes scanning the crowd of players already starting to rush towards them.

  The blocked vehicles and various debris on the street severely hampered the pickup's speed. Boyu had to carefully navigate between obstacles, giving the players time to catch up.

  The crowd surged forward like a tide. The first few runners had already reached the back of the truck.

  "Stop! Leave the truck!" A particularly crazed-looking man was the first to grab the tailgate. His eyes swept over Ka and Alice in the truck bed, instantly filling with undisguised avarice. "And those two chicks..."

  Before he could finish his sentence, his vision blurred. A heavy iron rod struck his face precisely with a whistling sound. With a sickening thud, his head seemed to cave inward as if hit by an invisible sledgehammer. His body went limp and fell, dissolving into a flash of white light before hitting the ground—the effect of a player dying (judged as critically injured and escaped) in the game.

  Boyu yanked the steering wheel, trying to accelerate away, but the congested road made the pickup feel stuck in mud.

  More players caught up, spewing obscenities. Some even tried to climb directly into the truck bed to grab the steering wheel.

  "Courting death!" Ka shouted, a trace of killing intent finally showing on her usually calm face. Her waist suddenly generated power, driving her entire body. Gripping the barbell with both hands, she swept it horizontally with astonishing speed and force!

  "Bang!" The first player trying to climb aboard was hit squarely in the midsection. He flew off like a broken kite, knocking down a swath of people behind him, also dissolving into white light.

  This bloody and violent scene briefly stunned some players, but more were driven by primal desires and the chaotic environment, surging forward even more frantically. Howls of "Get the truck! Get the women!" rose and fell. In this game that advertised "no limits," the dark side of humanity was infinitely amplified.

  "Thump! Thump! Thump!" The barbell in Ka's hands flew up and down, each swing precise and deadly. Players were constantly being smashed away, turning into white light. Jacob roared too, using his barbell to push and bash players trying to climb up from the other side. Even the seemingly frailest Alice got desperate. She picked up the claw hammer and slammed it down hard on the hands gripping the truck's side. "Ouch!" "F*ck!" Although the hammer's damage wasn't lethal, the pain was real, forcing those players to retract their hands.

  Amidst the chaos, Boyu quickly glanced at the rearview mirror and caught what seemed like an extremely faint, cold curve on Ka's lips, as if she were enjoying this slaughter. But the thought vanished instantly as he finally spotted a relatively clear path ahead.

  "Everyone hold on!" Boyu roared, slamming the accelerator to the floor.

  The pickup truck let out a bellow, the engine RPM soaring. It finally broke through the obstacles and began speeding down the street. The pursuing players were gradually left behind, eventually swallowed by the zombie horde following close behind.

  The truck sped faster and faster, leaving the crowded district and heading towards the relatively open roads on the town's outskirts.

  Boyu checked the rearview mirror again to confirm no pursuers were visible, then let out a long sigh of relief. They had escaped, safe for now at least. With this vehicle, they held the initiative and could leave other players far behind.

  In a brutal survival game like "Zombie Apocalypse," players were primarily competitors, especially during the early game when resources were scarce. Encounters often meant conflict. The shopping mall had gathered a large number of players earlier. If they hadn't escaped promptly, their makeshift team could easily have been overwhelmed. Moreover, many players entered the game collectively as guilds. As solo players, they were at an absolute disadvantage in numbers against organized guilds.

  The pickup truck sped along the empty street, the engine's roar echoing clearly in the silent town. Boyu gripped the steering wheel, his eyes vigilantly scanning the buildings on both sides of the road. Since escaping the mall, they had been driving along the edge of town, trying to find a safe temporary shelter and replenish necessary supplies.

  After driving for about five minutes, numerous zombies attracted by the engine noise could be seen on the street behind them, conveniently blocking any potential pursuit from other players.

  "Over there!" Jacob's sharp eyes spotted a convenience store ahead with relatively intact windows and doors. "Stop for a bit? See what's useful inside."

  Boyu nodded and slowly parked the truck in front of the convenience store. The four quickly got out. Ka, still holding the barbell, vigilantly guarded the truck, watching both ends of the street for any sudden appearance of zombies or other players. Jacob, Alice, and Boyu rushed into the store.

  The store was a mess, but some canned food, bottled water, and daily necessities remained on the shelves.

  "Quickly," Boyu urged in a low voice while stuffing found cans and water bottles into a backpack, his gaze frequently darting towards Ka guarding alone outside. "Looks like the zombies outside are increasing."

  They finished scavenging in less than five minutes, returning hastily to the truck with several half-filled backpacks. Boyu started the engine again, and the pickup truck sped away, leaving behind a few zombies easily dispatched by Ka near the store entrance, only their heads still twitching slightly.