บท 17: The Bloody Slaughterhouse
Zhou Bai returned home and rechecked the items he had packed earlier in the afternoon. He then sat on the sofa, waiting for 11 PM. Tonight, the live stream from Great Xia reached an all-time high viewership. Billions of people from around the world were glued to their screens, eagerly anticipating the conclusion of this scenario.
If extraterrestrials were observing Earth, they might question human intelligence, as nearly everyone was intently watching a man sitting in his living room, doing nothing. That man, of course, was Zhou Bai.
The night grew darker. The sounds of cats meowing, dogs barking, nails scratching windows, and doorknobs turning filled the air, creating a chilling atmosphere. It was as if countless monsters were lurking, eyeing the people inside the house. The looming crisis was palpable—whether it was the last darkness before victory or a prelude to failure, no one knew.
At 10:55 PM, Zhou Bai stood up, gathered his belongings, and opened the door. The darkness outside seemed to rush towards him, but the door across the hall opened simultaneously.
"Let's go," Aunt Wang said, leading the way. Zhou Bai followed her, with the eyes hidden in the darkness trailing them but not daring to come too close.
The security booth at the community gate was still lit. The guard, with his back to them, was hunched over, occasionally making chewing sounds.
"Don't make a sound," Aunt Wang whispered, and they quickly passed the booth.
Outside the gate, a bus waited. A burly man with a beard stood by the door. As Zhou Bai approached, he smelled a strong scent of blood. The man said nothing, merely stepping aside to let Zhou Bai and Aunt Wang board before closing the door.
The bus was crowded but eerily silent. Zhou Bai didn't speak, staring out the window as the bus drove away from the community and further into the city. The viewers from Great Xia watched Zhou Bai's every move, remembering the tragic end of the Sakura Country's Chosen One, Asada Ichiko, who also boarded a bus but met a grim fate.
As the bus traveled, Zhou Bai saw strange, monstrous people chasing, biting, and screaming in the streets. The city seemed to have turned into a hellish landscape. Despite being in a horror scenario, Zhou Bai couldn't help but feel a pang of pity. However, the bus passengers remained expressionless, as if the mutated people outside were never their fellow humans.
The bus soon left the city, and its rocking motion made Zhou Bai drowsy. He fell asleep and woke up to sunlight streaming through the windows. The sign for City B appeared, and everything seemed normal again. The streets were bustling with normal people. The bus drove through the busy streets, turned into an alley, and finally stopped at a slaughterhouse.
Zhou Bai followed the others off the bus. As he stood at the entrance, the mechanical voice echoed in the Great Xia live stream.
[Congratulations to the Chosen One from Great Xia, Zhou Bai, for reaching the safe zone and successfully clearing the scenario.]
[Rating: SSS-level.]
The viewers from Great Xia erupted in cheers.
—"It's true! The slaughterhouse in City B is the safe zone!"
—"Zhou Bai has cleared the game! Great Xia is safe from the horror!"
—"Zhou Bai is our hero!"
[Now distributing rewards.]
[The overall physical condition of the people of Great Xia has been collectively improved by 10%.]
In a world plagued by horror, a healthy body was crucial for facing unexpected dangers. The viewers felt an immediate boost in energy upon hearing this.
Then, the system announced a new scenario.
[Next, enter the Bloody Slaughterhouse scenario.]
[The Chosen One who cleared the previous scenario must continue participating until they fail.]
[In addition to Great Xia, a Chosen One has been randomly selected from each country.]
[The Bloody Slaughterhouse scenario has begun. All Chosen Ones, please prepare.]
[Scenario objectives:]
[SSS-level clearance: Identify and eliminate the source of contamination in the slaughterhouse.]
[S-level clearance: Gain the favor of your superior and secure a transfer to another city.]
[A-level clearance: Survive in the slaughterhouse for 7 days and receive a positive evaluation from your superior.]
The live streams from other countries, which had gone dark, resumed, showing the newly selected Chosen Ones standing at the slaughterhouse entrance, just like Zhou Bai.
—"We can do it! Sakura Country will clear this scenario!"
—"Stay strong! Victory belongs to the Beautiful Country!"
—"Sunset Country will show the world our strength!"
Zhou Bai absorbed the information, realizing the safe zone wasn't entirely safe. Aunt Wang called to him as she stepped off the bus.
"If you want to stay, follow me," she said, leading the way into the slaughterhouse.
The slaughterhouse was large but old, and the air was thick with a sticky, bloody smell. Zhou Bai followed Aunt Wang into a room near the entrance.
"The slaughterhouse needs a gatekeeper. You can take the job. The duties and precautions are on this sheet. Read it and, if you agree, report to Director Li in the office at the back."
Zhou Bai took the paper from Aunt Wang. "Aunt Wang, can I ask you a question?"
She smiled. "Ask, but I might not be able to answer. There are many things about this slaughterhouse I can't tell you."
"It's not about the slaughterhouse. It's about my mother."
Aunt Wang paused. "I can't answer that either. Just know we don't intend to harm her."
Zhou Bai nodded, not pressing further. Aunt Wang left the room, and Zhou Bai looked at the paper.
It read: "Gatekeeper Duties and Regulations."
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