Recruitment

On the second floor of the hotel, with the addition of 15 new survivors, the total number of survivors inside the hotel had reached 42.

The noise inside the hotel was deafening as the survivors who had escaped the ordeal began to discuss among themselves. Those who had been trapped inside the hotel were eager to know what the outside world was like now. The answers they received were far from satisfactory, and panic and despair began to spread among the crowd.

During their conversations, most people couldn't help but steal glances at Clark and Arnold, who stood by the window.

"Clark, my brother, are you saying you want me to join your team?" Arnold turned his head to look at the companions he had brought with him. His booming voice attracted the attention of many, and envy filled the eyes of those who had previously expressed their desire to join Clark's team.

Inside the hotel, every survivor had expressed a desire to join Clark's team at some point, but Clark had paid no attention to any of them. It was surprising to see Arnold being actively invited, and quite a few people even felt a hint of jealousy.

Clark nodded calmly. Arnold seemed to have a decent character. As an awakened being, he could have escaped when facing The Licker earlier, but he had chosen to stay and protect the others. Additionally, the people he had brought with him were mostly elderly or weak.

At least from the information Clark had gathered so far, Arnold seemed to be a person with a sense of honor and loyalty, and his physical strength as an awakened being could help share the burden in combat.

Arnold laughed heartily:"Clark, my brother, it's an honor for me that you think highly of me. Not only will I join, but I'd even give my life for you!"

Without hesitation, Arnold accepted the invitation to join Clark's team without even looking at the team invitation message.

"Ding! Savior Squad: New member added: 1, Current members: 3."

"New member: Arnold (Awakened) receives a 10% attribute bonus."

"Ding! Team member Arnold: Loyalty 70 (he won't betray you as long as you don't cross his bottom line)."

The last part was only visible to Clark, and he pondered that initial loyalty wasn't necessarily a constant.

Arnold's loyalty had increased to 70 points due to being saved by Clark and his straightforward nature. It seemed that he was as genuine as he appeared, without hidden motives.

"What's this?" Arnold suddenly widened his eyes in surprise after joining.

"Welcome aboard," Clark said with a faint smile, as it seemed Arnold had felt his own strength significantly boosted the moment he joined.

"Wow, this is incredible," Arnold exclaimed, amazed: "Why did my strength suddenly increase by 1.3 times? And my constitution by 1.5 times? Agility and willpower have also increased! Captain Clark, what's going on?"

Arnold felt the sudden surge of power within him and couldn't contain his excitement. Clark, looking at the astonished Arnold, couldn't help but smile.

The 10% attribute boost upon joining the Savior Squad might not seem like much, but the actual feeling was quite different once experienced.

In the post-apocalyptic game world, players had to risk their lives to kill mutants to gain just 1 level, and each level only granted 1 point of attribute increase. Awakened beings had it slightly easier, with 3 points per level. However, as they advanced, the requirement for psychic energy and the number of mutants needed became terrifyingly high, making leveling up difficult. Many people remained stuck at level 1 for their entire lives.

Considering the basic attributes of most awakened beings, a 10% increase meant at least 1 point or more. A boost of 1 point or more was equivalent to gaining a free level. In a world where every attribute point was precious, Arnold's excitement was entirely justified.

"It's considered a benefit of joining my team, but the reason you receive such a significant increase is because you're an awakened being with high base attributes," Clark explained.

Upon hearing that joining the team had its benefits, the crowd's breathing became more rapid. Joining a team could make you stronger? What were awakened beings? High base attributes?

Craig quickly understood why Clark had recruited Arnold. His mind raced, and he soon realized the connection between them. Awakened beings, like Clark and Arnold, were individuals with abilities far beyond ordinary people.

Arnold had become stronger after joining the team. Was this something that happened when joining an awakened being's team, or was it unique to Clark?

Craig scrutinized his own player template for a while but found nothing besides attributes. He couldn't locate any team-related functions. He perked up his ears, fearing he might miss any conversation between the two.

However, Clark didn't say anything further. Instead, he used the team's internal communication to convey a message to Arnold: "Don't reveal our team's information to outsiders. You can mention the attribute bonus, but don't disclose our names or the team's internal communication functionality."

Suddenly, Arnold heard Clark's voice in his mind without seeing Clark's mouth move. It was as if he had witnessed a miracle during daylight.

"Got it, Captain!" Arnold stammered, trying to use the team's internal communication to contact Clark, his eyes filled with excitement.

Arnold wasn't a fool. He had served in the military and later worked as a bodyguard, so he understood the importance of communication. In a world where global communication had become ineffective, and cell phones were useless, a means of private real-time communication was extremely valuable.

Upon hearing Arnold's exclamation about his attribute increase, the envy in the eyes of the crowd grew even stronger. Joining Clark's team not only meant increased strength but also the opportunity to level up.

Oh, why couldn't they be awakened beings themselves? Craig stood alone in the corner, surrounded by the astonished murmurs of the crowd, his fists clenched. Awakened beings! He also wanted to become an awakened being!

After witnessing the horrors of zombies and The Licker, Craig's thirst for power had grown stronger than ever before. His eyes gleamed with a burning desire. Clark was so strong; Craig must know how to become an awakened being!

In a hotel room on the 9th floor, Clark, Arnold, and Marlene looked through the window at the hospital across the way.

"Arnold, you mentioned that you escaped from the hospital. What's the situation like there now? Are there any creatures like The Licker?" Clark inquired.

Arnold furrowed his brows. "Clark, from what I know, there shouldn't be any survivors left in the hospital now. Inside, there are at least 30,000 zombies."

As for creatures like The Licker, Arnold shook his head. "We encountered The Licker while trying to escape from the hospital's outer walls, and it chased us relentlessly, driving us back."

Clark nodded. The fact that the hospital's interior didn't have mutants was good news. The confined spaces within the hospital would make it difficult to deal with any threats.

"Is there anything unusual inside the hospital, like large groups of zombies gathering in specific areas? How did you end up staying in the hospital, and how did you awaken?" Clark continued to inquire.

Clark was curious about why Arnold had awakened, especially since he hadn't heard of energy nodes inside the hospital in his previous life.

Arnold took a moment to think before slowly explaining, "I was in the hospital before the outbreak, accompanying my father for treatment. The outbreak happened suddenly, and for some reason, most of the patients turned into zombies."

Arnold's mood darkened. He had witnessed his father turning into a zombie during the outbreak.

Clark patted his shoulder, understanding the feeling of helplessness when a loved one turned into a zombie in front of you. Patients turning into zombies was a common occurrence. People with weaker constitutions even showed signs of zombification before the outbreak.

Arnold turned his head to look at Clark, forced a smile that didn't look very good, and reassured him, "After the patients turned into zombies, the doctors and nurses who were taking care of them couldn't react in time. None of them survived."

Lynn shivered upon hearing Arnold's account of the situation.