WD Shopping Plaza

"Run! Survive! Then rely on yourselves!" 

The middle-aged man heard Clark's words and forced a bitter smile on his face. Watching the approaching horde of zombies once again, he quickly picked up the doll from the ground and turned to run.

In the city center, at WD Shopping Plaza, Clark was covered in blood, and the viscous fluid dripped from his hair tips. He stood silently on the rooftop of a residential building, gazing in silence at the shopping center.

The apocalypse was about to begin, and there would be a global spiritual storm. Under this mental storm, people would briefly lose their senses. If they were disturbed while rushing, it would be extremely dangerous. No matter how urgent his mission was, Clark had no choice but to hide for a while.

The parking lot in front of the building was in chaos. Humans hiding inside cars were like delicious canned goods. Perhaps the car doors could withstand the zombies, but the fragile windshields couldn't.

The zombies, driven only by their desire to feed, struck the car windows with their heads again and again, oblivious to the pain.

In just a few seconds, the car windows shattered. The swarming zombies then opened the "cans" and began to enjoy their "meal."

On the ground floor of the shopping center, a crowd of people huddled behind iron gates helplessly watched a bridge vehicle covered in zombies. They greedily extended their hands, trying to grab the people inside.

Inside the vehicle, a beautiful woman dressed professionally screamed in despair. She pulled on the car roof, kicking at the nearest zombie with her sharply-heeled shoes. Her kicks tore off chunks of flesh, but it wasn't fatal.

"Help me! Please, save me!" Her skirt fluttered as her attractive legs kept kicking at the nearby zombies. Her eyes were filled with pleading as she looked at the crowd just a door away.

"Don't open the door!"

"The door mustn't be opened!"

Several patrolling security guards instinctively tried to open the iron gate but were loudly stopped by many others.

"If the door is opened, we won't be able to stop the zombies! Do you want to get us all killed?"

The strongest man among them rushed to the nearest security guard, glaring at him as if he were a mortal enemy. If it were a normal day, he wouldn't mind playing the hero and showing off. But in the face of zombies, all he wanted was to save his own life. The sound of weeping, gnashing of teeth, and screams continued until there was silence.

Inside the iron bars, the crowd could only watch in horror as the woman was slowly torn apart. Nobody dared to go out. The security guards, holding batons, stood there in a daze, their legs trembling. Even a few tall and muscular fitness trainers lowered their heads, unable to look.

The crowd remained silent. Under panic and sorrow, there was a hint of relief among the people, grateful that they had taken refuge in the building and locked the iron gates. Here, they were not only safe but also had enough food.

On the upper floors of the residential building, Clark observed everything. Watching the numb crowd focused on self-preservation, he couldn't help but sigh softly. It wasn't that he sighed because no one dared to go out and save others.

In the apocalypse, self-preservation was the norm, and there was nothing to blame. His sigh was for the people inside the building.

At this moment, nearly thirty thousand people were crammed into the shopping center. The dense crowd resembled sardines in a can.

And now, only ten seconds remained until the outbreak of the apocalypse. At that time, the power would fail, and the virus lurking in people's bodies would detonate simultaneously. This place would return to the horrifying scene from his previous life, becoming a living hell.

The ten seconds passed in an instant. A high-pitched and ear-piercing buzzing filled the air. Suddenly, a mocking and cruel voice echoed in everyone's minds.

"The apocalypse is upon us; the game begins! Welcome to the Apocalypse Game, little insects. Struggle to survive in this game!"

Without warning, the sky instantly darkened, violent winds stirred, and the earth trembled. An invisible spiritual impact swept through every person. The violent spiritual shock hammered the depths of their souls like a heavy hammer. There was a brief moment of daze. Countless terrifying and heart-wrenching cries rang out, pointing directly at the fear deep within everyone's hearts.

Global simultaneous anomalies occurred, with humans standing still in their hospital beds, on the streets, and on the roads. One second later, the zombie virus erupted! It was as if their souls had been sucked away. Transformed humans had bulging eyes, decaying and shedding skin all over their bodies, revealing fresh red muscles. Their pupils disappeared, leaving only a bloodthirsty glint.

At this moment, in the crowded shopping mall, panicked crowds knocked over shelves blocking the doors. "Bang." The lights at the top of the mall went out, and in the darkness, tens of thousands of pairs of bright crimson eyes lit up.

A heavy object fell, and Clark jumped down from the rooftop with a solemn expression. The mental storm had passed. Aside from a slight dizziness in his head, he was mostly unharmed. Now, the apocalypse game had officially begun, and this also meant that Dirk's life was on a countdown. Time was running out, and once he left the main city area, he needed to find a vehicle to get around. Otherwise, relying solely on his two legs, he would never make it to his destination.

Now, there were at least millions of zombies scattered throughout the city. Even though he had become an awakened, in the face of such a massive horde of zombies, he had only one path – death.

LJ city Suburb. A red heavy truck roared by, ruthlessly crushing the zombies along the way. "Bang!" In the driver's seat of the heavy truck, Clark kicked open the door and jumped out, ignoring the fact that the truck was still speeding at high velocity. After a few consecutive rolls to dissipate the impact, he stood up steadily.

After becoming an awakened, his physique, which now exceeded 12 points, was enough to make him immune to most forms of impact. The out-of-control heavy truck crashed straight into the residential area. The vehicle was covered in dirty blood, with some unidentified pieces of flesh stuck in the gaps and on the front bumper. A half-bodied zombie, with only its upper torso, continued to gnaw at the metal tirelessly.

With a loud noise, the truck that had been speeding out of the city finally completed its last mission. At the entrance of the residential area, the zombies gathered together, feasting on the bodies, were crushed into a pool of bloody foam by the out-of-control truck. Black smoke rose from the deformed front of the vehicle, mingling with the red.

As the sky darkened, Clark had rushed to the area where Dirk was located after leaving the city center. What was originally a three-hour drive had been shortened by more than half. There was no time to rest. Clark quickly took out his phone and looked at the pale screen. Twenty-three more minutes... his heart, which had been hanging in suspense, suddenly relaxed. Good, there was still time.