The Night Before Departure

"As for abnormalities, the entire hospital, except for the pharmacy, is practically uninhabitable," Arnold recalled the horrifying scene vividly.

"I was lucky. My father's room was on the second floor, and there weren't many zombies there. I managed to run out and hide in the pharmacy, which can be considered an exception."

"Regarding my awakening, I'm not sure either. I passed out in a burst of white light. When I woke up, I found that my strength had increased significantly, and there was an awakened symbol added to my player panel."

Clark pondered for a moment. "You awakened in the pharmacy, you say? It looks like we should pay a visit to the pharmacy on our trip to the hospital."

After saying this, Arnold opened his own personal information and shared it with Clark without reservation.

"Player Information: Arnold (Awakened)"

"Player Level: Level 0"

"Awakened Rank: Level 0"

"Strength: 13 (14.3)"

"Agility: 12 (13.2)"

"Constitution: 15 (16.5)"

"Willpower: 12 (13.2)"

"Equipment: None"

"Awakened Talent: Bear Transformation (Transform into a Black Bone Bear for a short time, significantly increasing constitution, slightly increasing strength and defense, and doubling self-healing ability)."

"0th Rank: All attributes +2 (Normal human maximum values are 10.)"

Clark was surprised when he saw Arnold's constitution. Starting with 15 points in constitution immediately after becoming an awakened being was impressive. Plus, his awakened talent enhanced his self-healing ability, which explained how he could recover so quickly from severe injuries.

"Clark, my constitution attribute isn't bad, is it?" Arnold asked, a little proudly. Although he hadn't encountered other awakened beings, he had compared his attributes to those of others. While Clark was undeniably powerful, Arnold had confidence in his constitution.

"Oh, by the way, Clark, how much strength do you have? I saw you cleave that monster with one strike, and you're incredibly strong!" Arnold complimented Clark with a thumbs-up.

Clark opened his own attribute panel and glanced at it. "Strength 19.4."

Arnold choked on his laughter and his expression stiffened. He looked Clark up and down, unable to believe it. He hadn't expected that Clark's constitution attribute would completely overshadow his own. It felt like he had lost a bet.

Arnold reluctantly withdrew his last shred of pride and decided not to discuss attributes any further. It was just too demoralizing. Strength high, constitution high—what more did they want from a person?

Clark shook his head slightly, finding Arnold's constant murmuring amusing. He was now a 1st Rank Awakened and a Level 1 player. With double attribute bonuses and having consumed two psychic energy plants, if he couldn't surpass Arnold, it would be a waste of his rebirth. He didn't want to undermine Arnold's confidence.

Clark continued to ask about the hospital, "Since you were accompanying your father to the hospital, where do you think there might be the most zombies during the outbreak?"

Arnold was puzzled by Clark's question and asked, "Why are you asking about the hospital?"

Clark smiled faintly and pointed at the large building with the emergency surgery department sign hanging outside the window. "Tomorrow morning, we're going there."

Late at night, Clark was lying in room 908 of the hotel. The strong scent of perfume in the air was somewhat overpowering. Several black belts hanging by the bedside resembled nooses, and occasional distant explosions outside made it difficult to sleep.

Suddenly, a piercing and bitter scream echoed from inside the hospital. It was a sharp and grating sound, cutting through the air for hundreds of meters.

Clark rushed to the window to investigate but found nothing. The scream had lasted for only a moment, and its source was now elusive. What was that? He observed for a while but couldn't discern where the scream had come from within .

The hospital's tall buildings obscured his view, making it impossible to determine the source of the scream. Clark had no choice but to give up searching for it, returning to his bed with a heavy heart. The sudden disturbance weighed on him like a stone. But their trip to the hospital couldn't be delayed.

Unable to sleep for a long time, Clark lay flat on his back, staring at the ceiling. He felt weary; it was now the second day after the outbreak and the fifth day since his rebirth. Memories from his previous life mixed with recent recollections, flashing through his mind like a photo album.

Inside the hotel, where there was no power supply, the unpredictable weather made the late nights chilly.

"Creak." The door opened without a lock, and with the room card unusable, Clark had no choice but to remove the lock entirely.

In the darkness, Lynn stood at the doorway, holding a bundle of bedding. After hesitating for a moment, she chose to speak. "I can't sleep."

Clark remained silent for a moment, his vision piercing through the darkness. He saw that Lynn's eyes were red, as if she had been crying. Unable to sleep late at night usually meant something was troubling her.

Clark had sensed Lynn's unusual emotions earlier in the afternoon.

"Is one of your family members in LJ Hospital?" Clark asked, having a good idea of what was bothering her.

Lynn clutched the bedding tightly, her voice trembling as she nodded. "Yes." Her voice was filled with emotions, and she tightly bit her lip. "My mother has heart problems. She was hospitalized a while ago. She's in the building next to the emergency surgery department, Room 303."

This admission seemed to drain her of her strength. The room was quite cold, and she was shivering, having only recently taken a shower and put on pajamas. The hair dryer didn't work, so she had simply tied up her wet hair.

Clark remained silent for a while, unsure of how to comfort her. "Tomorrow, if it doesn't interfere with our plans, I will go take a look."

Both of them knew that her mother's chances of survival were almost non-existent. Visiting would provide little more than psychological comfort. The wind outside was chilling, and even through the window, the cold wind could be heard.

"Thank you," Lynn said, her voice filled with gratitude, as she wiped away the tears that she could no longer hold back.

"Chime! Member Lynn's loyalty has increased by 30 points. Current value: 80/100 (almost no chance of betrayal, even in death)."

Lynn gave a deep bow to Clark, as if she had made a firm decision. "Can I sleep here tonight?"

Having spoken, Lynn slowly walked over to Clark's bed and gently placed the bedding next to him.

Clark raised an eyebrow slightly, surprised that this conversation had boosted her loyalty. It seemed that this matter had a profound impact on her, causing her to completely let go of her guard against him.

"If you think you owe me something or want to do something, you really don't need to," Clark reassured her. After all, he hadn't promised to visit; he had merely said that he would if it didn't interfere with their plans.

Lynn looked up, her face turning red. She opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something but couldn't find the words.

"Since you've joined my team, you are naturally a member of the team. Helping each other as teammates is only natural. You don't need to feel guilty or grateful. Besides, I don't like it when you do this," Clark said with a clear gaze, then calmly closed his eyes.

Lynn was at a loss for words. Her hands stopped unbuttoning her shirt, and she remained motionless by the bedside. After a while, she arranged her own bedding.

In the darkness, Clark felt someone lying down on the bed beside him but not getting too close.

"I'm sorry," Lynn whispered as she lay on the edge of the bed, a tear rolling down her cheek. It was unclear whether she was apologizing to Clark or to herself.