僵尸觉醒：从行尸走肉到传奇

第 8 章：模板损坏了，可怜的内森！

"This is it! The only exit to the rooftop! We'll hold them here on the final floor! Fewer entry points make it easier to defend! We only retreat to the rooftop if it's absolutely necessary—that's our last line of defense!" Lion surveyed the terrain carefully and barked orders to the group. "Tiger, you and your 'wife' (the MG3 machine gun) will guard the eastern corridor! Nathan, Python, you two will back him up! This is going to be the toughest spot. Are you ready?"

"Boss, they'll have to walk over my corpse before they get past me!" Tiger said, grinning as he affectionately stroked the long barrel of his MG3, confidently heading toward the eastern passage.

"Kid, from now on, you're one of us. Remember this: teammates are your key to survival!" Lion said seriously as he tossed Nathan a radio. "Now, let's give you a codename... how about..."

"Puppet!" Nathan interrupted without hesitation. "Codename Puppet!" It was the same name Nathan had used in the game. Now that he was in this game-like world, it seemed only fitting to keep the name.

In an instant, Nathan's character status shifted. His interface now displayed "In a team." Finally, he had been officially accepted into the mercenary squad.

"Alright, Puppet! You're with them, and the safety of that corridor is in your hands!" Lion nodded, acknowledging Nathan's choice of codename. Then, turning to the others, he continued, "Last team, Hound, Snow Leopard! You'll defend the office. Be careful—the corridor connects to that office, and there are plenty of hiding spots. Are you confident you can handle it?"

"Absolutely!" Snow Leopard nodded firmly, being the other mercenary who had survived the previous ambush.

Hound, his eyes flickering with uncertainty, also nodded in agreement, though his thoughts seemed to be elsewhere.

"Good! Silver Fox, you're with me to guard the escalator. We've got three defense points, and I need everyone to stay sharp! We've got 54 minutes until extraction—hold on, and we're out of here! I'll take you all out for drinks at our usual spot, The Rose Bar!" Lion shouted, rallying the team.

"Woo~" Tiger let out a loud whistle and laughed. "Other than my 'wife' (his MG3), the barmaid is my favorite person! Hahaha... for the beauty and the booze!"

But no one joined in his laughter. The atmosphere remained heavy and grim. Black Bear, who had always been the one to cheer everyone up, was now gone—his fate sealed in the endless sea of zombies.

...

The final floor was clearly an executive office area. It was spacious and elegantly decorated, though somewhat empty. The only entrances were the escalator, the emergency stairwell, and a secondary stairwell connected to one of the offices. The elevator was long out of commission and wasn't considered a threat.

Lion set up a few grenades and secured his heavy machine gun, giving Silver Fox a few instructions when suddenly, Tiger's voice boomed from the other side of the floor: "Heads up, boys!"

Nathan and his group immediately turned toward Tiger's position, while Snow Leopard and Hound had already disappeared into the far office, apparently not hearing Tiger's shout.

Tiger glanced at his watch and started counting down. "5... 4... 3... 2... 1... Merry Christmas!"

Boom!

The whole building shook slightly, the ground trembling beneath their feet. A deafening roar of anger erupted from the horde below as the zombies surged upward, their raspy cries piercing the sky.

"Hahaha... hahahaha..." Tiger laughed maniacally, clearly pleased with the result of his handiwork. Meanwhile, Nathan stood frozen for a moment, dumbstruck by what he saw on his interface—his points were skyrocketing!

"Ding... Team killed one zombie. Awarded 2.5 points."

"Ding... Team killed one zombie. Awarded 2.5 points."

"Ding... Team killed one zombie. Awarded 2.5 points."

...

"Holy crap! This is insane! There's a points bonus for team kills!" Nathan's heart raced with excitement as he opened his exchange menu and saw several new items pop up. His eyes widened in amazement.

Character: Nathan Yang

Status 1: Human.

Status 2: In a team.

Points: 109 (previously 9).

Exchange Menu Status: Unlocked (partial). Items below 100 points now available.

...

Nathan quickly scrolled through the list. It was just like the game's shop!

His heart nearly skipped a beat when he saw the Five-Seven pistol he already owned listed in the shop—priced at 60 points! He almost cursed aloud. "60 points for this cheap pistol?! Are you kidding me? After all the zombies Tiger just blew up, I barely earned these points, and this little thing costs that much?!"

Pistols: 1. Five-Seven: 60 points; 2. Elites (dual pistols from CS): 80 points.

Items: Flashbang... Smoke grenade...

...

Boom!

Another explosion rocked the building as Tiger let out another triumphant laugh. Nathan's points surged again, climbing to 206.5.

Ignoring everything else, Nathan immediately checked the exchange list again. More items had appeared.

Pistols: Desert Eagle: 150 points; Revolver (Spirit of the Army): 180 points.

Submachine Guns: 1. P90: 140 points; 2. MP5: 160 points.

Items: ...

Nathan was deep in thought, trying to figure out the best way to maximize his points when suddenly, Tiger's voice rang out again: "Merry Christmas! Give my regards to old man God!"

Boom!

Another earth-shaking explosion rattled the building, and Nathan's available points soared to 321.5. The exchange menu updated again, displaying new weapons.

"I love you, Tiger!" Nathan shouted excitedly, as the menu now listed several enticing options.

Rifles: MA41: 320 points; AK47: 320 points; G3SG1 (semi-auto sniper): 320 points.

Items: Custom incendiary grenade. Description: Causes massive damage to zombies. The flames will continue to burn, causing lingering damage. Cost: 300 points.

Melee weapons: ...

Nathan was ecstatic, but something nagged at him. According to the rules of the game, he should have access to more items by now, yet many options were still locked.

"Damn it! I knew it! This template is incomplete! Why did I have to get stuck with a broken exchange system?!" Nathan groaned in frustration as he stared at his 321.5 points. "I'm supposed to survive on these measly points?! I can barely afford a single incendiary grenade, and that would leave me with next to nothing!"

After scouring the list for a while, Nathan stumbled upon something: a "Lucky Chest."

Lucky Chest: 300 points. Description: A luck-based draw system that can give you unexpected surprises.

Nathan clutched his head in despair and muttered, "Surprises? If I end up with a flashbang, I'm gonna cry..."