Chapter 4, The Life-Saving Laser Channel

The child's voice paused before saying: "I understand, the crawler cannot pass through the final defense facility"

It is unclear how much time has passed, but gradually a heavy breathing sound emerged from the darkness, accompanied by the sound of steel being scraped. Zheng Zha knew without looking that there was a crawler outside.

Zheng Zha and the others also looked at their watches, which displayed a countdown of seventeen minutes. They were uncertain whether the three gates along with the laser defense corridor could hold off these crawlers, as their current weapons were utterly incapable of harming such powerful mutated creatures

Zheng Zha and Zhan Lan exchanged bitter smiles. In the moment when the crawler jumped over, their reaction was even slower than Zhang Jie's. Apart from being drenched in sweat, their bodies trembled so much that they could barely stand. Fortunately, the laser defense system saved their lives; otherwise, they would have lost all desire to escape.

Is there still any cigarette at the 'Main God' place? Zheng Zha took a puff of the cigarette; its flavor was exceptionally pure and fragrant, undoubtedly of a much higher quality than any he had smoked before, which piqued his curiosity.

Zheng Zha and Zhang Jie shouted simultaneously, their guns wildly firing at the crawler. However, in the darkness, and with both men nearly losing their sanity from fear, not a single bullet hit the crawler. After the crawler discarded the fragments of the door in its hand, it let out a roar and suddenly leaped towards the four of them.

Flame Empress

Zheng Zha asked curiously: "Horror films featuring ghosts and monsters?"

Zhan Lan suddenly asked, "What is the B horror subplot? Is it important?"

... However, soon a small town appeared before us. Overjoyed, we drove into the town, only to realize that this was the very town from the movie "A Nightmare on Elm Street." Moreover, the experienced driver, who had been behind the wheel, had somehow transformed into the demon from our nightmares. He grinned at us menacingly...

Zheng Zha recalled this scene, where the male and female protagonists were locked in a research room by an electronic lock. At that moment, the main door was under attack by crawlers. In order to save them, Kaplan used a remote control device to instantly shut down the central main computer, the Flame Queen. As a result, the four individuals lost their defensive capabilities, and aside from the main door, the most powerful laser defense system immediately became ineffective

Zhang Jie took out a cigarette and lit it, saying: "We need B-level side quests. I have also noted a few D-level enhancement attributes. There is authentic Chinese Qigong, which can increase mental strength by 10 points, cellular vitality by 20 points, nerve reflex speed by 20 points, muscle strength by 30 points, and immune strength by 20 points. It possesses a faint 'Qi', which is equivalent to basic internal energy. However, those advanced martial arts training methods require B-level or A-level side quests. Authentic Chinese Qigong requires 500 reward points plus one D-level side quest."

Li Xiaoyi's eyes sparkled once again, while Zhan Lan let out a cold snort from the side

A little girl's voice suddenly echoed in the room: "Two crawlers are attacking the outermost gate, and the gate can maintain its lockdown for forty seconds.

The two crawlers glanced towards the passage, and then one of them suddenly lunged forward, closely followed by the other. With a loud bang, everyone felt the steel gate in front of them shake violently; this was already their last line of defense against the crawlers. In a single leap, the first crawler had managed to pounce onto the steel gate.

How many minutes are left, exactly?

Zheng Zha stared intently at the steel door, his hands tightly gripping the handgun that had only a few bullets left. Even though he knew that this handgun could not possibly inflict any harm on the crawlers, it was nonetheless his only psychological support at that moment

The sound of the impact continued to resonate, and the sharp protrusions on the steel door increased in number. Finally, the pointed tip of a claw pierced into the door, as if it were cutting through cream, forcefully tearing apart the more than ten-centimeter-thick steel plate. The terrifying face of the crawler also appeared behind the steel door.

Zhang Jie shrugged and said: "I’m sorry, I have regained some of my memory. These three people are my friends, and I cannot leave them behind to escape alone. Staying here allows me to protect them well."

Zheng Zha looked at the two crawlers, then glanced at the handgun in his hand. He could hardly believe that he could kill such terrifying creatures with just a handgun. Let alone killing them, it would already be a stroke of luck to be able to injure them.

Zhang Jie nodded sadly and said: "In that episode, you can hardly imagine what we went through. Over ten people died, each in a terribly tragic way. We wanted to escape. The person who had survived several horror films led us to hijack a truck. We drove along the road, and no one dared to sleep. Even those who couldn't help but doze off would quickly be shaken awake by others. In this way, we persevered for five days..."

Zheng Zha suddenly felt parched. He restrained himself from mentioning that he had once experienced a B-level side quest. Instead, he simply asked, "What level of side quest is required for Spider-Man's mutated genes?"

Zheng Zha had not yet spoken, but behind him, Zhan Lan had already exclaimed loudly: "Computers should not casually question humans; you must have the awareness of being a computer, do you understand? Moreover, we are already here, whether we live or die will not allow the virus to spread, right? So why don't you protect us well? Flame Empress little girl"

Zhang Jie smiled wryly and waved his hand, saying: "I would indeed like to enhance myself. If I could possess such genetic mutations, at least in horror films akin to Resident Evil, I would basically be invulnerable. However, this type of enhancement requires the consumption of horror side story attempts. One A-level horror side story can be exchanged for three B-level side stories, B-level can be exchanged for three C-level, and so on, with D-level being the lowest. So far, I have only encountered such a task once, making this opportunity something that can be encountered but not sought after.

There is also the evolution model of the T-virus from Resident Evil, specifically the T-virus within the female protagonist. It enhances intelligence by 20 points, mental strength by 20 points, cellular vitality by 50 points, neural reflex speed by 50 points, muscle strength by 50 points, and immunity by 100 points. It possesses the T-virus evolution function, requiring 1,500 reward points in addition to a C-level side quest once. Heh, that female protagonist is truly lucky to have gained such a valuable asset for no reason.

Zhan Lan smiled and was about to ask something else when suddenly Zhang Jie stood up abruptly. He rushed to the window of the steel door and looked outside with great intensity, startling the other three who followed closely behind him. However, when they looked through the glass window, they saw only the bright lights in the corridor, and nothing else.

A loud bang echoed, and a sharp protrusion suddenly appeared on the steel door. The four individuals felt as if their hearts were about to leap out of their chests, and they instinctively ran backward. Including Zhang Jie, everyone pressed tightly against the corner of the wall, unable to do anything but watch the steel door with wide eyes.

Matthew Edison fell silent for a long time before he finally said with a heavy heart: "I understand... Kaplan, activate the defense system for the laser channel. You all should stay in the main control room of the Flame Empress; that is the safest place. Just wait quietly. If we are still alive, we will report your situation to the company... Do not die. Just wait quietly. If we are still alive, we will report your situation to the company... Do not die.

Zheng Zha and the other two were taken aback. Zhan Lan calculated with her fingers and said, "Enhancing these attributes requires over 4,000 reward points, and there is also an additional spider silk skill. I remember that the spider silk in the movie is stronger and more resilient than steel. Such an enhancement is too cost-effective; why don't you enhance it?"

Bang

Zhang Jie glanced at him sideways and said: "I don't know how powerful it is, but the exchange price for magical and legendary items is twice that of technological items. I think they should be used in some horror films featuring ghosts and monsters, but I'm not very clear on their specific effects.

Zheng Zha casually asked, "The Desert Eagle with infinite bullets costs 100 reward points, what about the rocket launcher with infinite ammunition?"

Zheng Zha quietly asked Zhan Lan beside him: "How much longer? How much time is left on the watch?"

Li Xiaoyi exclaimed in surprise, "Are those the weapons that appear in the games? Their power must be immense, right?"

All four of them exhaled simultaneously; the immense pressure from the crawler was overwhelming. Ordinary people appeared exceedingly insignificant in its presence. A single claw from the crawler could instantly end a life. Among the four, even the strongest, Zhang Jie, was only slightly stronger than an ordinary person. Faced with the crawler, there was no possibility of any chance of victory. Once the door was breached, they would undoubtedly face death

Zhang Jie continued, saying: "Eliminating that demon from the dream will yield a reward of 5,000 points, along with a B-level horror side quest. That was also the only time I witnessed the emergence of a horror side quest.

When I first saw these redeemable enhancement items, I couldn't help but laugh... For example, the Spider-Man mutation gene. The description of this enhancement item states that it allows you to possess the mutated gene lineage of the main character from the Spider-Man movie, increasing intelligence by 20 points, mental strength by 20 points, cellular vitality by 50 points, neural reaction speed by 100 points, muscle tissue strength by 100 points, and immunity strength by 150 points, as well as granting you the web-slinging ability just like Spider-Man in the movie, all for the cost of 2,000 reward points

Call!

"Damn it! The plot! How could I forget this part of the plot? Do you all still remember? This part of the plot!" Zhang Jie kicked the steel door fiercely, and he began to shout frantically.

Zheng Zha no longer dared to speak, for the heavy sound of breathing had already reached the entrance. The sound of breathing came incessantly through the steel gate, and everyone's mood grew increasingly tense. Then, they even heard the sound of the steel gate scraping, unmistakably the crawler was using its claws to scrape the door.

Zhang Jie suddenly said mysteriously: "There are still some top-tier enhancement attributes, but they all seem to be merely temptations of desire. I do not believe that these enhancement attributes truly exist... For example, divine bloodline, with six enhancement attributes, is basically superhuman, and one can also possess special skills and divine power, requiring an S-level side quest along with 50,000 reward points. Haha, isn't that quite exaggerated? ... For instance, divine bloodline, with six enhancement attributes, is basically superhuman, and one can also possess special skills and divine power, requiring an S-level side quest along with 50,000 reward points. Haha, isn't that quite exaggerated? There are even more outrageous things, such as cultivation methods, where the six attribute changes are not as significant as the divine bloodline, but they do grant special skills. Cultivation, as explained, allows one to gradually become an immortal of the same age as the sun and moon, requiring an S-level side quest along with 70,000 reward points. Haha, I laughed so hard when I saw this last time.

Zhang Jie patted Zheng Zha's shoulder and said: "What are you talking about? She is a real woman, a genuine woman created by the 'Master God'! She possesses intelligence, a unique personality, as well as her own memories and thoughts. When purchasing this woman, you can choose her appearance, body shape, age, ethnicity, and even specific physical details. Haha, have you ever played that game called Artificial Girl? The details of the women created by the 'Master God' are much more intricate than that; you could even create a beauty with hair longer than a gorilla's, haha... She has intelligence, a unique personality, and her own memories and thoughts. When purchasing this woman, you can choose her appearance, body shape, age, ethnicity, and even specific physical details. Haha, have you ever played that game called Artificial Girl? The details of the women created by the 'Master God' are much more intricate than that; you could even create a beauty with hair longer than a gorilla's, haha..."

Matthew Edison was about to explain the upcoming actions to the four individuals when Zhang Jie’s words suddenly left him stunned. After a moment, he replied, "What do you mean? We don’t have much time left, and I can’t afford to joke around with you."

Zhang Jie pondered for a moment and said: "Actually, there isn't anything particularly special. After completing the horror film, I will return to the 'Main God'. The 'Main God' is a large sphere of light, floating in the central area. You can directly communicate with it using your consciousness for any exchanges or inquiries. Surrounding the central area are twenty independent rooms, but unfortunately, no one has ever filled them all. You have your own room, the size of which you can choose and change at will. Only you and those you consent to can enter this room. Additionally, after each horror film, you can rest in the 'Main God' space for ten days. That's basically it.

What a terrifying power, truly worthy of being a monster that grants 100 reward points each... If we had an infinite ammo rocket launcher, we could blast the door wide open and earn reward points here, haha... he said with a smile

The child's voice did not sound again. After a moment of silence, Zheng Zha suddenly pointed the handgun at the mainframe and said: "Flame Empress, I know your program is designed to prevent the spread of the T virus. In other words, you intend to eliminate any life forms that could potentially cause the virus to spread, including us, correct? Now, make a decision: activate the defense system to protect us, or let the crawlers outside rush in. But before they enter, I will destroy your motherboard first. At that point, the entire hive will lose your control. Just think about how many virus carriers will rush out then"

Zhang Jie, dropping his cigarette butt, said earnestly: "I am not joking. What I mean is that the four of us should stay here to guard. I think you also know that the physical capabilities of the three of them are just those of ordinary citizens. In the upcoming long-distance escape, the likelihood of them falling behind is extremely high. Rather than facing such a significant possibility of failure, it is better to remain safe here.

There are cigarettes, marijuana, and white powder; all these items are extremely cheap. Just a little reward points can be exchanged for one thousand points. It only takes five points for one kilogram of white powder. What do you think? Isn't it incredibly cheap? The 'Main God' has analyzed that an average human requires about three hundred points of cellular vitality and over three hundred fifty points of immunity to be able to use white powder without restrictions. The human body can automatically eliminate its harm, haha

Gradually, the four of them calmed down. They understood that even the slightest sound could attract the crawlers, so apart from the sounds of their breathing and heartbeats, none of them dared to utter another word. Even so, in this profoundly quiet darkness, the sound of their breathing remained distinctly audible.

Do you know why I say that this Resident Evil is a rather light-hearted horror film? Because here, technology and reality can provide explanations; you can kill the monsters, and you can also evade and escape. As long as you are not infected with the T-virus and have enough firearms, you can continue to survive

Zhang Jie took a deep drag from his cigarette and shook his head, saying: "I don't know, that was my first horror film, and surviving was all luck. Do you know how the scars on my face came about? That demon cut them one by one with scissors! I have never healed these scars at the 'Main God' place; I want to remember everything! If I ever encounter him again, I will definitely kill him!"

Continue to wait, this laser defense system is quite good, we should be able to ... ...

Zhang Jie, along with Zheng Zha and the others, took refuge in the control room of the Flame Queen. It was then that Kaplan activated the defense system of the laser passage, and the lights on both sides of the passage illuminated once more. The four of them looked out through the glass window of the steel door, while the mercenaries on the other side of the steel door peered back at them. Both sides saw a sense of pity in each other's eyes

The enormous body of the giant creature, the crawler, is entirely covered in muscle and a deep red hue. It has no eyes and seems to rely on heat sources and smell to locate living beings. Its tongue can extend over one meter in length, and its two massive forelimbs have undergone extreme evolution, transforming into a pair of claws that defy description. Their hardness is comparable to steel, if not greater.

After the mercenaries had all left the sewer, Zhan Lan smiled and said, "Did you see? Their eyes are filled with pity; I really wonder what their expression would be when facing the crawlers

Zheng Zha and the other two exchanged glances, and in their eyes was a shared sense of fear, a fear of the future

Zheng Zha and Zhang Jie shouted simultaneously, and almost at the same moment, a flash of light appeared somewhere in the passage. A thin laser beam quickly formed and rushed towards the two crawlers. Just as the two crawlers were about to pounce on the steel door again, the laser beam had already passed through them, followed by two soft sounds. The laser beam vanished without a trace, and the two crawlers fell completely silent. Gradually, their massive bodies split apart in the middle, ultimately breaking into two halves.

There are three layers of sturdy iron gates guarding this place, and beyond the last layer of iron gate, there is a laser defense corridor. It is very secure here; at least compared to the corridors that the characters in the story have to traverse, this is undoubtedly the safest location in the entire beehive experimental base and library. The four of them immediately relaxed, and Zhang Jie, in particular, cheerfully took out cigarettes and kept offering them to Zheng Zha

This statement carries seriousness and affection, causing Zheng Zha and the other two to feel a sense of solemn respect. In this era, women have long been clamoring that chastity is merely a thin membrane, while men have become solely acquainted with flesh, desire, and money. In their hearts, Zheng Zha and the others actually admire and envy those who earnestly pursue love.

Zheng Zha patted Zhang Jie's shoulder, sat down beside him, and asked, "Is it A Nightmare on Elm Street?"

"Indeed, for example..." Zhang Jie pondered and said: "The Grudge"

The remaining mercenaries approached, all gazing at Zheng Zha and the others with a peculiar look. Matthew Addison glanced at Zheng Zha and said, "No, he saved my life, and I cannot just stand by and watch my teammates die! Remember, you are also my teammates now, understand? My order is to act immediately; we are leaving this place!"

A glimmer of fear flashed in Zhang Jie's eyes as he recalled, "Those horror films that cannot be explained by technology or reality are the most terrifying nightmares. You do not know when you will die, you do not know why you will die, and you do not even know whether you are truly dead. The horror is always by your side; it is omnipresent. That infinite terror seems to want to drag you into the abyss of hell..."

Zheng Zha did not want to die here, especially when there was hope for survival; he was even less inclined to die. He quickly shouted, "Flame Empress, please calculate how much longer we can hold on!"

Zheng Zha pondered for a moment and then asked, "What about the fourth category? The first three seem to encompass everything in the other categories, right?"

Zhang Jie turned his head and said loudly: "Flame Empress, please report what has happened outside the control room"

Zhang Jie took a puff of his cigarette and said to the mercenary captain, Matthew Addison: "We four will stay behind

At this moment, Zhan Lan stood up and said: "Captain, everyone, you are all aware of our physical condition. It is impossible for us to keep up with your pace while fleeing like this. Rather than becoming those zombie monsters, don’t you think it would be better for us to stay quietly here, waiting for the possible arrival of the subsequent rescue team? This is our only way to survive, isn’t it? If the captain insists on taking us along to our deaths, then I have nothing more to say. If the captain insists on taking us along to our deaths, then I have nothing more to say.

Zhang Jie squinted and said: "At the 'Main God' place, there are many things that can be exchanged, far too many for me to finish looking through. There are a total of four major categories of items available for exchange. The first is technology-related, such as firearms, bulletproof vests, and even some weapons that only appear in science fiction movies. However, their prices are prohibitively high, beyond what I can afford... The second category is magical legends, including magic scrolls, our Chinese talismans, as well as some amulets and swords."

Ah

Zhan Lan touched her forehead and said: "Let’s not continue this topic, gentlemen. There is a lady present here, so discussions of an inappropriate nature are prohibited! Zhang Jie, please talk about the situation in the 'Main God' space. What will happen after the horror film is completed?"

He remembered that the power had been turned off for no more than a few minutes, after which the female protagonist and others returned from the carriage to the ground. At that time, the locked gate would be completely closed, and the time on the watch should coincide with the closing of the gate.

Zheng Zha looked at Zhang Jie, who was trembling as if he were shaking a rattle. This man, who had always appeared very calm, seemed on the verge of breaking down. He could only change the subject and said, "So, does that mean those magical legends can kill that demon from the dream?"

Zheng Zha felt that happiness had come too suddenly, which meant that as long as he survived this horror film, he would be able to enhance several attributes, thus increasing his chances in future horror films.

Zhang Jie paused his laughter and said seriously: "No one knows if they can survive the next horror movie, so I want a woman of my preferred type to stay by my side. Once you experience it, you will understand; she is not a mere doll. Although she is a life created by the 'Master God', she is undoubtedly more real than many women in the real world, and she truly loves you. You can share your fears and anxieties with her. Moreover, the 'Master God' has stated that as long as you have enough reward points to return to the real world, your enhanced attributes will remain unchanged, and the items you exchanged for will be given to you. This woman will also accompany you back... If I can return, I will marry her; she is the woman I will truly love for a lifetime!" If I can return, I will marry her; she is the woman I will truly love for a lifetime!

Zhang Jie suddenly revealed a mysterious smile and said, "The fourth kind is indeed a good thing. You know, if one continues to survive in such horror films, people will eventually break down, right? The fourth kind is an entertainment exchange that allows people to vent their fears.

Zhang Jie had not finished his sentence when suddenly the entire server room plunged into darkness. The four of them were momentarily stunned, then quickly jumped up and rushed to the glass window at the entrance to look outside. Indeed, the laser passage outside had also turned pitch black, and the entire server room had lost power.

Zhang Jie immediately turned his head and exclaimed, "Damn it, I knew things weren't that simple! Those crawlers must have caught our scent; the outermost door can't hold them back at all. Fortunately, we managed to hide here. I wonder how much longer these two doors can hold out..." He raised his wrist to examine his watch closely.

Zhang Jie nodded and said: "This brings us to the third category of exchangeable items, which are auxiliary items. There are antidotes, immunity boosters, and various healing medicines, as well as consumables like bullets. There are even some advanced technological products, such as cloaking devices that can make your body invisible. In addition to these, there are also enhancement items.

Zhang Jie fell heavily to the ground and pulled out a few cigarettes, not only tossing one to Zheng Zha but also casually throwing one to Li Xiaoyi. This sudden gesture left the young man feeling both honored and astonished. He lit the cigarette and took a deep drag, saying: "Now you know what it means to feel scared and terrified, right? I've already been through that situation several times. Three horror movies, and I don't even know how I managed to struggle through... Damn it! What kind of situation is this! This is truly not a place for people to be!"

The other three felt a chill run through their bodies upon hearing this, as if there were hidden ghostly shadows lurking all around them

Zhang Jie said: "Of course, but it's very expensive. The most basic individual rocket launcher costs 2,000 reward points. With that many reward points, I might as well enhance my own attributes. Moreover, not every horror film can be safely navigated with weapons.

At this point, Zhang Jie burst into laughter, and Zheng Zha scratched his head and said, "I am not interested in rubber products

During the pauses in this conversation, the steel door on the other side of the passage emitted a series of loud noises, and the massive figure of the crawler could be faintly seen through the glass window of the opposite steel door. After several loud bangs, the crowd could even discern some sharp protrusions faintly appearing on the steel door.

In addition to these, the days of life in the ordinary world can also be exchanged for entertainment items, including music albums, movie discs, and even women

How much longer? How much time is left? Hurry up!

The child's voice paused for a moment before finally speaking: "May I ask something? Since you have all chosen to stay here, why do you continue to struggle? Have you not already decided to sacrifice yourselves?"

Zheng Zha pondered deeply over a scene from Resident Evil 1. Although it had been a long time since this horror film was released and he had seen it, he had forgotten some details. After thinking for quite a while, he and Zhan Lan finally exclaimed simultaneously: "Kaplan has shut down the Flame Queen!"

Zhan Lan replied, "I don't know, it's pitch dark and no one can see anything... probably just a few more minutes."

In the midst of conversation, the steel gate opposite had completely deformed. The sharp, enormous claws of the crawler were indeed terrifyingly powerful, having forcibly torn apart steel plates over ten centimeters thick. With a thunderous roar, two crawlers appeared before everyone.

Matthew Edison glanced at Zheng Zha and the other two. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Then what about you? Why do you also choose to stay here?"

Zheng Zha and Zhan Lan both smiled gently, while only Li Xiaoyi's eyes sparkled with excitement