Chapter 26: The Scavenger Team Becomes Test Subjects

Ryan locked the live map's view onto a few scavengers. 

The scavengers quickly approached the walls of the motel. 

This group was extremely alert, after enduring the apocalypse, their survival until now clearly indicated they had ample experience. 

Whether dealing with zombies or rival human factions, they had a well-developed plan for each situation. 

Once they confirmed it was safe, several scavengers swiftly climbed over the wall. 

They used the parked vehicles in the lot as cover, quickly making their way toward the motel building. 

"This is getting interesting, I can observe Candy's strength before making any plans…" Ryan whispered to himself, a faint smile playing on his lips. 

These scavengers were now his little test subjects. 

Not only did they have homemade shotguns, but they also enjoyed a numerical advantage. 

If he really encountered Candy, it was hard to say what the outcome would be. 

Ryan felt it was time for him to take action as well. 

Leo returned from the driver's seat, holding a pair of binoculars. 

"Not good, Ryan. Those scavengers have entered the motel, it seems we've added some variables. If the blueprints fall into their hands…" Leo's expression was somewhat worried. 

He wasn't clear about Candy's strength. 

He just felt that Candy had a gun or possibly other allies. 

Even so, from the surface, the scavengers had a greater advantage. 

After all, Leo had faced those scavengers before and knew they were quite formidable. 

If the blueprints were to fall into the hands of the scavengers… 

Ryan spoke softly, "Let's go, it's time for us to move." 

The two of them got out of the vehicle together, and Ryan gave a soft whistle, prompting Buddy to jump out of the car. 

Ryan was uneasy about leaving the small truck here. 

He also didn't want to use the portable storage in front of Leo. 

Ryan quietly asked, "Where's your vehicle? I didn't see it on the way." 

Leo replied, "I didn't drive. When I entered the instance, there were a lot of zombies nearby, and some roads were damaged, making driving very troublesome…" 

"I saw someone in the chat saying that vehicles are bound to players, if a vehicle is completely destroyed, the player dies as well." Ryan said this to divert Leo's attention while giving Buddy a signal. 

Buddy understood his master's intention and was to guard by the car. 

Leo nodded thoughtfully, "Fortunately, my hiding spot was quite discreet, so it shouldn't be a big issue." 

Under Ryan's lead, the two quickly approached the back wall of the motel. 

After maintaining a certain distance, Ryan silently activated the Portable Storage, causing the small truck hidden between the two buildings to rapidly shrink. 

Once the vehicle was stored away and shrank to the size of a toy car, Buddy walked over, picked it up, and quickly trotted back to Ryan. 

Leo had already climbed over the back wall of the motel. 

Ryan waited for Buddy, and after receiving the shrunk truck from its mouth and storing it in the system backpack, he also climbed over the wall. 

Buddy made a light leap as well, and the trio of two humans and one dog entered the yard. 

Ryan checked the live map, noting that the scavengers had already infiltrated the motel and were quickly searching upward. 

It wouldn't be long before Candy noticed them. 

Just then, Ryan suddenly received a message alert. 

He opened the private message to check, and it was from Candy, who seemed to be a bit anxious. 

[20 minutes ago] 

[Candy: Ryan, have you arrived yet?] 

[Now] 

[Candy: Are you okay? Hurry up and reply, I have something to tell you.] 

Ryan suddenly remembered that while negotiating with Leo earlier, Candy had sent him a message, which he had forgotten to reply to. 

From the time he left the motel to now returning, it had taken over an hour. 

It seemed that Candy had grown anxious as well but hadn't given up. 

Ryan could tell that this woman held grudges, she probably still remembered his mocking comments in her livestream. Now that she had transformed into a rational zombie, she likely wanted revenge and to torment him. 

Moreover, she showed remarkable patience. 

Leo stopped in his tracks, the two of them had now reached a dead-end corner on the side of the motel. 

There were many flower beds around, filled with withered shrubs and some thick branches of dead trees. As long as they crouched down, it would be hard to spot them from above, making it a good hiding spot. 

"What should we do next?" Leo turned back and asked softly. 

Ryan replied, "We just need to wait." 

He quickly composed a message. 

[Ryan: Sorry, I ran into some trouble on my way. I got blocked by a horde of zombies near the factory area, and I was chased by a group of NPCs on motorcycles just now.] 

[Ryan: I might not be able to make it over for a while.] 

Candy was clearly keeping an eye on the system panel, as soon as Ryan replied, she responded immediately. 

[Candy: It's okay, just find a safe place to hide for now. If it comes to it, we'll come find you later.] 

[Candy: I'm encountering some trouble here, there are a lot of zombies, so don't come over for the time being.] 

[Ryan: Alright, I understand.] 

Ryan looked at the message Candy sent, it was clear she didn't want him to approach the motel for the moment. 

It was obvious she was preparing to take action. 

… 

Meanwhile, in the central corridor of the motel on the first floor. 

Five scavengers had already searched their way up to the second floor. 

The two holding makeshift shotguns were in front, while the others followed behind, checking many rooms along the way. 

At that moment, one scavenger spoke up, "Boss, that car downstairs seems off, it shouldn't be the one we were chasing." 

In the middle of the group, the man dressed in black was the leader of this scavenger team. 

The scavenger leader crouched down and turned on his flashlight to inspect the dust on the ground. 

"It doesn't matter, there should be quite a few truck drivers gathered here. Killing them could yield a lot of supplies." 

Some NPCs in Polaris City survive by hunting players. 

In this resource-limited city, players driving trucks into the area provide a regular supply of materials for them. 

The scavenger leader knew that these truck-driving players were usually novices and tended to be relatively weak. 

If they could kill a few, they would be well-fed for a long time. 

"Ahhhhh—" 

Suddenly, a piercing scream echoed from a room on the second floor. 

The sudden scream startled several scavengers, and they froze, unsure of what had happened. 

The scavenger leader reacted quickly, he hurried to the window to check on the small truck parked below. 

That small truck was rapidly disappearing. 

Some supplies stored inside were falling to the ground. 

"Could it be a mutated zombie?" The scavenger leader frowned, feeling a sense of foreboding. 

If there was a mutated zombie here, it would be dangerous. 

"Boss, what should we do?" 

"Should we grab the supplies from downstairs and retreat?" 

"We've already lost quite a few comrades today, we can't afford to lose anyone else…" 

Three members of the scavenger team had already died today. 

What had started as an eight-person team was now reduced to just these five. 

The scavenger leader's brow was furrowed, he sensed this was a rare opportunity. 

It had been a long time since truck drivers had entered Polaris City. 

If they could hurry and gather more supplies tonight, they could survive through the winter. 

The scavenger leader pulled a weapon from behind him, it was a short spear made from a cut steel pipe. 

"It's fine, don't scare yourself. There are no mutated zombies in this generation, they're all in the center of the city!" The scavenger leader encouraged his companions, "I suspect it's those truck drivers who are turning on each other. This is a good chance for us, we might be able to grab a lot of supplies." 

A few scavengers, hearing this, chose to trust their leader's words. 

They all walked out of the corridor and made their way to the second floor of the motel, entering the hallway. 

At that moment, one scavenger in the front noticed something. 

In the diagonally opposite right side of the second-floor corridor, a naked woman stumbled out, seemingly in some sort of danger. 

He shouted, pointing, "Holy crap, look! There's a woman, and she's not wearing any clothes!"