In daily life, the biting force of a person is usually around 30-82 pounds, which is equivalent to 13.6-37.2 kg. However, due to the low tolerance of the periodontal membrane to pain, excessive force can cause severe pain, causing people to automatically reduce their biting force. Therefore, it is impossible for ordinary people to use their full biting force.

The size of a person's biting force is also influenced by various factors such as dietary habits, exercise, and genetics. Gu Chi remembers that there was a program that tested human biting force, and the highest recorded force was 127 pounds, which is almost the limit for humans.

Considering that zombies do not have pain sensation, this number needs to be increased. Based on his previous experiences in dreams, Gu Chi estimates that the biting force of zombies should be around 170 pounds, equivalent to that of an adult pit bull.

It can crush a person's bones in one bite.

Gu Chi is confident enough to extend his hand.

After using the Stone Skin Technique, his arm did not turn into stone, but instead had a smooth and shiny feeling. Even someone like Gu Chi, who never indulges in self-admiration, finds this hand unbelievably beautiful.

In Ling Mao's astonished gaze, Gu Chi retracts his hand and ends the life of the zombie with a gunshot.

They arrive at room 416.

Gu Chi doesn't have a room card, so he politely asks the door lock to eat a bullet.

The layout inside the room is similar to the one they stayed in, but...

It's too clean.

Everything in the living room is unexpectedly tidy, and even the light gray sofa towel has no wrinkles.

Pushing open the door to the master bedroom, the bed sheets and covers are neatly folded, and the slippers are neatly placed under the bedside table. It doesn't look like someone has ever lived here.

Ling Mao doesn't dare to wander alone. She has already been frightened by the ambush of zombies and is now afraid of closed doors. Although her eyes are scanning the room, observing the situation inside, her body obediently follows behind Gu Chi. Wherever Gu Chi goes, she goes.

After going in and out of three rooms, the two return to the living room.

All three rooms are the same, without any signs of life.

Gu Chi picks up an inverted cup, but there is no trace of moisture on the inner wall, which makes him puzzled.

"Were they really in the hotel last night?"

"They... might not have been?" Ling Mao hesitates, unsure herself.

Last night, they all came to the hotel together, so Chu Tiankuo and the others shouldn't be absent. However, various signs in the room indicate that no one has stayed here. Could it be that Chu Tiankuo and the others woke up early and tidied everything up?

Even if that's the case, where did they go now?

Gu Chi stands in the middle of the living room, his gaze slowly moving, carefully examining every corner.

In the end, he can't find any clues, so Gu Chi can only sincerely wish Chu Tiankuo and the others, who disappeared into thin air, the best.

"I hope they're okay."

Ling Mao: "Meow meow meow?"

"Let's go."

A quick look at "paw𝑟ead.com" will leave you more fulfilled.

"Oh."

...

Back in room 401, Ling Mao's first priority is to take a bath and change clothes. Her pants are covered in dirt, and she's about to faint from the smell.

But as soon as she turns on the hot water and undresses, she hears Gu Chi's voice from outside the room.

"You better not take a bath."

"Huh? Why?"

"The water source may be contaminated."

"Then... can I just rinse quickly, just once, please?"

Ling Mao really wants to take a bath.

"Do as you wish." Gu Chi says indifferently, "But don't blame me for not being considerate later."

He's so mean!

Ling Mao pouts.

At this moment, the girl is only wearing a pendant. It's an item she obtained in a previous instance, which can reduce the wearer's chance of death. The exact reduction rate is unknown, and Ling Mao is not sure either.

She covers her chest and stares at the clear water flowing from the showerhead. After struggling for a while, she finally suppresses the urge to give it a try.

The water source may be contaminated, but bottled water should be fine, right?

To avoid wasting water, Ling Mao uses the bottle cap to catch the water, pouring it little by little onto a towel, wetting it, and then carefully wiping her body.

In the living room.

Mustard Soup is busy with modern cooking utensils. There is an induction cooker on the coffee table, but it's obviously not plugged in. Gu Chi doesn't see any wires. The soup in the pot is already half-boiled, revealing a small piece of bone and emitting a rich meaty aroma.

Including water, all the ingredients needed for cooking are provided by Mustard Soup, so there's no need to worry about safety issues.

Unless Mustard Soup is also a trickster.

"What effect does this soup have?" Gu Chi asks.

"It increases strength by 3% for one hour," Mustard Soup replies.

The enhancement of basic food is generally around 3%, and perfect cooking can reach 5%-6%.

It may not seem high, but this is a rare way for players to directly increase their basic attributes. With high skill levels and sufficient multipliers, a 3% increase can be the last straw that breaks the enemy's back.

However...

Gu Chi looks at his skill bar.

Strength is not useful to him.

Stone Skin Technique is a physique skill, and Dream Manipulation Technique is a mental skill.

A 3% increase in strength would only add a hair's breadth of damage to his basic attacks.

"Do you have any food that increases mental attributes?" Gu Chi asks Mustard Soup.

Mustard Soup: "Yes, Grilled Azure Mushroom."

- "Grilled Azure Mushroom: Increases mental attributes by 4%, decreases physique by 1%, lasts for 1 hour."

"Give me two skewers, to go," Gu Chi says.

"Alrighty!" Mustard Soup replies.

As a professional chef, Mustard Soup has a variety of basic ingredients in his bag, most of which were bought from the mall and are not expensive.

Jiang Niao, who is screwing in a screw nearby, leans over and asks, "Did Chu Tiankuo and the others leave on their own?"

"I'm not sure." Gu Chi briefly explains the situation in room 416 and lets the two of them judge for themselves.

Mustard Soup sneers, "They probably didn't want to take us with them."Jiang Niao seemed to have gotten used to it: "It's normal for them not to want to be a burden in a high-difficulty instance. I can understand. Let's think positively, maybe they really encountered some unsolvable trouble?"

"Wow, it smells so good!" Ling Mao, who had solved her personal hygiene problem and changed into clean clothes, joined the group chat with Chu Tiankuo and the others, discussing whether it was intentional or intentional for them to leave without saying a word.

Gu Chi didn't say much throughout the whole conversation. Ling Mao felt that this man seemed to have suddenly become aloof. In fact, Gu Chi was pondering whether dividing all the players into two teams like this was one of the mechanisms of this instance.

"I think we should find a way to get a car."

Regarding Chu Tiankuo and the others, Ling Mao and the others didn't chat for long before the topic quickly turned to how to survive in the zombie apocalypse.

After all, this was the problem they were currently facing, even though no one knew how a well-functioning city could turn into this overnight.

The most crucial thing was that it seemed to have nothing to do with the main quest.

"Having a car would make it easier for us to collect food and explore other places." Jiang Niao said.

"Since everyone else is gone, it shouldn't be difficult to get a car, but... who among you can drive?" Mustard Soup scratched his head. "I definitely can't."

He was still a student in reality, studying at the Xingdongfang Culinary School. He had signed up for driving school, but he hadn't gone to learn yet.

Jiang Niao: "...I can't drive either."

The two of them looked at Ling Mao, and Ling Mao looked at Gu Chi.

Just as Gu Chi was about to speak, his words were interrupted by a loud shout through the loudspeaker.

"Is anyone there..."

"Is anyone still alive?"

"If you can hear my voice, please respond!"

"Don't be afraid, I'm a survivor in this city just like you. As long as you're willing, I can provide you with food, shelter... I can protect your safety."

"Is anyone there!"

The voice was getting closer, accompanied by a series of gunshots.

"Da da da da da..."

Ling Mao and the others exchanged glances and quickly walked to the window to look outside.

They saw an old truck driving down the street, with the horn on the front repeatedly playing the same message as before. There was a bearded man in the passenger seat, half of his body sticking out of the window, holding a machine gun in his hands and firing at the approaching zombies, cursing loudly:

"Gotohell, sonofbitch!"

Jiang Niao: "Is this an NPC?"

Mustard Soup clicked his tongue. "Seems a bit fierce."

One man, one gun, fighting the zombies on the street alone, just like the male protagonist in a movie.

But Ling Mao didn't think much of it. She thought, if you guys had seen Gu Chi's marksmanship just now, he would definitely be even more fierce and handsome if he had a machine gun instead of a pistol.

"So should we respond?" Jiang Niao asked.

Not all NPCs are good people.

Gu Chi naturally understood this, but it wasn't the first thing he considered.

The most important thing now was gathering information.

"Put away your things." Gu Chi said.

He had planned to leave the hotel before it got dark anyway, so leaving a bit earlier was fine.

Ling Mao didn't have much to pack, so she opened the window and waved at the man, shouting, "We're here!"

The man heard the voice and paused for a moment, then suddenly looked up.

Looking at Gu Chi and Ling Mao standing by the window, his eyes suddenly turned red, and the curve of his mouth twitched, as if he was crying and laughing at the same time.

The man tremblingly took out a grappling gun from his toolbox and shouted loudly, "Get out of the way!"

Gu Chi immediately grabbed Ling Mao's arm and pulled the girl to the side.

"Swoosh!"

The grappling hook accurately shot through the window, hooking onto the wall.

The man secured the other end to the truck. "Come down quickly!"

Gu Chi didn't hesitate and tore down the curtains, placing them on the rope, preparing to slide down.

"Wait..." Ling Mao, who was afraid of heights, looked at Gu Chi with pleading eyes, gently grabbing his clothes like a helpless little cat.

The man softened when he saw this.

Gu Chi had no expression on his face. "Climb up by yourself."

So, the girl hung on Gu Chi like a koala and slid down the rope with him.

Jiang Niao and Mustard Soup followed closely behind.

Once they landed, the man gave Gu Chi a big hug. His solid chest was so hard that it made people suffocate. Gu Chi felt like he had been hit by a car and couldn't help but complain in his heart. If NPCs had status panels, this guy's physique would be at least 9 or above.

Jiang Niao and Mustard Soup also couldn't escape the man's enthusiastic collision.

Only Ling Mao sensed the danger and hid behind Gu Chi to avoid the collision.

The man laughed it off, not feeling embarrassed at all. He was just too excited and forgot that there was a difference between men and women.

"Have you been trapped here all this time?"

"More or less."

"I heard an explosion here earlier. Did anyone get hurt?"

"No, we were dealing with the zombies."

"I see."

During the conversation, the man didn't forget to kill monsters. He fired his machine gun with one hand, combined with Gu Chi's precise shots, and the approaching zombies fell in groups. But it seemed like they couldn't kill them all. This street was almost cleared, but the zombies from the next street were rushing over.

"Get in the car, let's find another place to talk!"

The truck only had two seats, so there was no room in the front.

Except for the man, there was another person in the driver's seat...

No, that's not right.

As they approached, the group finally saw clearly that the one driving was not a person, but a shiny golden retriever.

Its two paws were on the steering wheel, and it was wearing a seatbelt. It friendly greeted Jiang Niao and Mustard Soup.

"Woof woof!"

Jiang Niao: "..."

Mustard Soup: "..."

They couldn't drive, but the dog could.

In the end, the four of them sat in the back of the truck.

They thought that a non-human driver would inevitably have some bumps and might hit a utility pole or something, but throughout the journey, the truck was incredibly stable. They didn't even feel a jolt when making turns.The excellent riding experience greatly impacted Jiang Niao and the others. They were so bored that they listened to the country folk songs drifting from the cockpit.

Gu Chi, like last night when he was gathering information, observed the buildings on both sides that were constantly retreating.

The houses were still the same old houses, unchanged, but he always felt that something was off, but couldn't pinpoint what exactly.

...

Half an hour later, everyone arrived at the man's residence.

It was a highway villa that looked a bit old. There were many fruits and vegetables planted in the garden.

"It's a bit messy, please don't mind."

The man led Gu Chi and the others into the house. Everything in the house matched his scruffy personal image, but fortunately, it was just messy and there was nothing strange.

The only smell was alcohol, and there were a few empty bottles lying crookedly on the coffee table.

The rooms on the second floor were much cleaner, probably because the man didn't use them often.

"These are all empty rooms, you can choose whichever one you want to stay in."

The man thought that Gu Chi and the others had just come out of a hotel and probably didn't have a place to stay, so he generously invited them to stay here.

"Do not worry about food and safety, I will take care of it... Oh, do you guys like to drink? Have you not tasted alcohol in a long time? Hahaha, because I have collected all the alcohol in the city, wait, let me get it for you!"

Without waiting for Gu Chi and the others to answer, the man ran downstairs to get the alcohol, humming a tune.

"What should we do? He's so enthusiastic..." Mustard Soup, who usually didn't like socializing, encountered a true social phobia and felt completely out of place.

"Maybe he has been lonely for too long?" Ling Mao was a bit puzzled. The man gave her the feeling that he hadn't seen a living person in a long time, but everything was normal yesterday, right? It had only been twelve hours at most, how long could it be?

"Now that you mention it, I feel like it's a trap." Jiang Niao uneasily surveyed his surroundings. If zombies could appear, it wouldn't be impossible for a cannibalistic freak to show up...

"Shall we go down and drink?" The man who came back with the alcohol shouted from downstairs.

"Okay." Gu Chi wasn't afraid and went downstairs directly.

Ling Mao and the others followed behind him.

The coffee table had been cleaned up by the man and was replaced with five brand new wine glasses.

There was also a large plate of potato chips to go with the drinks.

The man, who had taken off his coat, was only wearing a short-sleeved shirt, revealing his muscular arms.

With doubts in his heart, Jiang Niao felt that something was wrong the more he looked. He had already imagined a scene of being dismembered after getting drunk.

Mustard Soup didn't think too much, but instinctively felt a bit restrained.

He actually had a good impression of this man who suddenly appeared. Although he was a bit messy, he looked decent. In a way, he had also saved them. Mustard Soup believed that the man was a good person, but he couldn't handle his overflowing enthusiasm.

Gu Chi looked at the man pouring the wine and smiled, "We still don't know your name."

The man slapped his forehead and laughed, "Look at me, I got so excited that I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Neil West, a police officer—used to be. And you? Your marksmanship is good, are you also in the same line of work?"

"Sort of, we work for the Dawn Embrace Government." Gu Chi said.

"Then you guys are one rank higher than me." Neil sighed, "I didn't expect even you guys to be abandoned by the Dawn Embrace Government. Those guys at the top really don't do their jobs."

"Uncle, do you know a prophet in the city?" Ling Mao asked.

"Don't call me uncle, I'm just a bit older, not much older than you guys." Neil said, "The prophet you're talking about, is it the kind that knows a lot and can predict the future?"

"Yes, yes." Ling Mao looked at Neil with some anticipation.

From the tone of her voice, it seemed like there was hope!

But the reality was...

"I haven't heard of it." Neil said.

Ling Mao: "..."

Neil sneered, "There's no such thing as a prophet in this world. If there really was one, why didn't they come out to warn everyone and stop the zombie virus outbreak?"

Jiang Niao tentatively asked, "Maybe he's not taken seriously?"

Neil replied, "Then he should have been torn apart by zombies by now."

Jiang Niao: "..." That makes sense.

Gu Chi pondered Neil's name, "You also have the last name West, do you know William?"

"William West?" Neil turned his head, looking at Gu Chi in surprise, "That's my father, do you know him?"

"Yes." Gu Chi nodded, "We talked once before, and we had a good chat."

"Then you must have been to his liking." Neil said, "To be honest, my father has a bad temper. I often end up arguing with him after just a few words. My mother divorced him because of this."

"But I don't blame him, I know he actually loves us, he's just not good at expressing it."

Neil's eyes revealed memories, as if he recalled some past events, but he didn't go into detail, just sighed lightly.

"I hope there's someone in heaven who can understand him like I do."

Heaven... it seems that William West also died in this sudden disaster.

Gu Chi fell silent, "I'm sorry."

Neil shook his head, shaking off the bad emotions, and smiled, "It's okay, it's been a year already, I've long since come to terms with it. His sacrifice was honorable, and I'm proud of him."

Saying that, Neil raised his wine glass, gestured towards the window, and drank it all in one go.

Gu Chi, however, was stunned.

A year?

"You just said that your father passed away a year ago?"

"Yeah, time always slips away when we're asleep." It wasn't polite to continue discussing this topic, but it had been so long since anyone had spoken, and Neil chose to be understanding. His father's death was indeed something that made him proud, so he started talking about it.

"A year ago, when the zombie virus just broke out, the first group of mutants were homeless people, followed by sanitation workers..."

"At first, their appearance hadn't changed, so the government didn't pay much attention to them and treated them as ordinary rabies cases.""It wasn't until the bitten started showing the same symptoms, and the homeless man's body began to rot, that everyone realized this was not rabies, but a catastrophe."

"The number of infected people increased, the situation gradually spiraled out of control, and everywhere was filled with terrified screams and desperate wails."

"The first to suffer were the hospitals, where there were too many infected. The initial homeless man was sent to various hospitals for treatment."

"And my father, William, knowing full well that the hospital was the most dangerous place in the entire city, still chose to go in and save people."

"He said it was his duty, even if he could only save two babies, it was worth it."

"You're from the Dawn Government, you should know, most of us local police officers are just making a living. There are very few people as stupid and kind as my father."

"The outcome is as you and I have seen, he never came out after he went in."

"Or maybe he did come out, but I just couldn't recognize him anymore."

At this point, Neil looked at his own hands and laughed bitterly, "Or maybe, I killed him myself. After all, I've killed too many zombies. At first, I kept count to pass the time, but now I've lost count."

After hearing Neil's words, Gu Chi seemed to realize something. He took out his phone and opened the calendar app, which he usually never used.

Jiang Niao was still puzzled by the story itself, "That's not right, you said the zombie virus broke out a year ago, but we just arrived yesterday—"

"Jiang Niao!" Gu Chi interrupted him, then turned to Neil, "What year is it now, and what's the date?"

"Is your phone broken?" Neil was puzzled by Gu Chi's question, but still answered, "It's the year 5777, November 14th."

—5777, November 14th, the date on the phone's calendar was also this.

But Gu Chi clearly remembered that according to the background introduction, when they arrived at the City of T-Spooky yesterday, it was November 13th, 5776.

However, the default display on the phone only showed the month, day, and current time, not the year, so they all missed this point.

Gu Chi suddenly understood why he felt something was off when he looked at the buildings before. It was a very subtle change.

Today's houses were a bit older than yesterday's.

Neil wasn't lying, this wasn't a trap.

Ling Mao was right, Neil really hadn't seen a living person in a long time.

At this moment, Gu Chi also understood the meaning of "City of T-Spooky"—time here didn't pass day by day. They had slept for a whole year after just one night!

"Buzz!"

As this thought appeared in his mind, everything in front of him began to spin.

The ground shook violently, the chandelier on the ceiling was shaken off and fell onto the coffee table, smashing the wine glass to pieces.

"What's happening?!"

Jiang Niao and the others were shocked.

Ling Mao couldn't even sit still, only by tightly holding onto Gu Chi's arm did she avoid being thrown to the ground.

Outside the window, the originally bright sky darkened in a breath, turning into a profound black.

There were no stars, no moon.

The only thing left was the tall, old clock tower.

The two faces of the clock emitted a faint light, and the hands moved quickly.

"Ding!"

The clock chimed.

A wave of intense sleepiness swept over them, engulfing everyone. The leaden heaviness of their eyelids made it impossible for Gu Chi to keep his eyes open for even a second longer.

His vision gradually blurred, and Gu Chi, unable to resist, fell into a deep sleep.

......