Chapter 18: Side Quest

Lin Yi observed the movements of the infected and noticed that their target did not seem to be the apartment they were in.

Instead, on the street adjacent to the apartment, a man was fleeing in terror.

The man held a shotgun in his hands, but he was clearly inexperienced with the weapon.

With every shot, the powerful recoil forced him to stumble backward, and his movements while reloading appeared clumsy and unpracticed.

Lin Yi couldn't help but shake his head; with such a performance, it would be difficult for the man to survive an onslaught from the infected.

Sure enough, before long, the gunfire attracted more and more infected.

Like iron filings drawn to a magnet, they rapidly converged toward the man.

Soon, hundreds of infected surrounded the man in the middle of the street, forming an airtight encirclement.

Under the onslaught, the man's shotgun proved inadequate. After a few more shots and a piercing, shrill scream, the man finally collapsed into a pool of blood.

His scream echoed through the night sky like a prelude to death, drawing even more infected toward the area.

The infected near the apartment were drawn by the scream, abandoning their original targets to swarm toward the center of the street.

"Damn it, why is there still a little girl out here at a time like this?"

Kota Hirano scanned the surroundings with his tactical rifle and quickly discovered a young girl in a nearby courtyard, wailing as she clung to the body of a middle-aged man.

The girl's crying sounded exceptionally piercing in the silent night, attracting more and more infected.

Kota Hirano's heart tightened; he knew he had to act quickly.

Without hesitation, he disengaged the safety and aimed through his scope at the infected surrounding the girl.

Kota Hirano's finger pulled the trigger lightly, each bullet striking its target with precision, picking off the infected one by one.

However, Kota Hirano understood that this was only a temporary reprieve.

Compared to the massive horde of infected, the number he was killing was merely a drop in the bucket.

As time passed, the infected, lured by the girl's cries, began to gradually surround the courtyard.

Kota Hirano took a deep breath and turned to look at Lin Yi.

"Lin Yi, can I ask you to save them?" His voice carried a hint of plea.

He was well aware of his own physical condition; having lacked exercise for a long time, he was not suited for such a mission.

Furthermore, he knew Lin Yi's strength and experience; in this situation, only Lin Yi could successfully rescue the little girl.

【Side Quest Triggered: Kota Hirano's Request】

Kota Hirano's Request

Difficulty Level: LV.2.

Mission Brief: Kota Hirano, a stout otaku, cannot tolerate an innocent little girl being threatened by the infected before his eyes.

Mission Content: Enter the infected zone, rescue Alice Siri, and ensure her absolute safety.

Time Limit: Within ten minutes.

Mission Reward: Firearms Proficiency LV1 (will grant you higher firearm proficiency and accuracy).

Failure Penalty: Kota Hirano's favorability drops to zero (in the later stages, Kota Hirano may refuse the Contractor's requests).

Lin Yi's eyes locked onto the mission reward interface, his pupils shimmering with excitement and anticipation.

He hadn't expected that saving a little girl would yield such a great reward. Having just obtained the NTW-20 anti-materiel sniper rifle, Lin Yi had been wondering how to use it; this was truly a case of someone bringing a pillow just as he was getting sleepy.

He turned to Kota Hirano and said, "Cover my rear. I'll be back shortly." Kota Hirano nodded, indicating his understanding and full cooperation.

Once he determined Alice Siri's exact location, Lin Yi did not hesitate. He agilely vaulted over the railing, his body tracing a smooth and elegant arc through the air.

Upon landing, he stood steadily on the narrow perimeter wall outside the apartment.

The wall was less than five centimeters wide, making it nearly impossible for an ordinary person to stand on, but for Lin Yi, it was like a flat road.

With light footsteps, as if walking on level ground, Lin Yi moved rapidly toward Alice Siri's location.

Kota Hirano stared intently at Lin Yi running along the wall, unable to stop himself from rubbing his eyes at the composed figure.

The reason Lin Yi's footwork was so steady was the result of long-term martial arts training.

As the saying goes, "Mastering martial arts begins with three years of stance training"; Lin Yi had clearly integrated the essence of martial arts into his daily life.

Whether it was building walls or other narrow spaces, he could handle them with ease, demonstrating extraordinary stability.

Taking a shortcut, Lin Yi advanced toward Alice Siri's position at an astonishing speed.

In just three short minutes, he reached his destination.

At this moment, Kota Hirano was still continuously helping to clear the surrounding infected for Alice Siri; otherwise, a little girl crying so loudly would have been torn apart long ago.

Alice Siri's father lay in a pool of blood; his voice was weak and trembling, yet he still struggled to comfort his wailing daughter.

He knew he was about to leave this world, but his greatest concern was his daughter's safety.

Just then, Lin Yi's voice suddenly appeared in their ears.

"Are you coming?" Lin Yi said briefly, bringing a glimmer of hope to this desperate scene.

He crouched on the wall, as if the surrounding infected posed no threat to him at all.

Alice Siri's father looked at Lin Yi, a flash of gratitude in his eyes.

He understood that anyone who could come here at a time like this must be here to save them.

Using all his remaining strength, he said to Lin Yi, "Young man, I leave Alice in your hands."

After saying this, he finally drew his last breath and closed his eyes forever.

Watching her father pass away, Alice Siri felt an indescribable grief.

She wiped her tears, her hands trembling as she held her father's face, hoping this was all just a nightmare.

Unfortunately, her father would never wake up again.

Lin Yi jumped down from the wall and walked to Alice's side.

She wasn't just a little girl; she was also "Firearms Proficiency LV1." No matter how many infected came today, Alice would not be allowed to come to harm.

After a day of tempering, Alice's inner strength had grown considerably. She wiped her tears, gave her father one last look, and ran to Lin Yi's side.

Just as Lin Yi was preparing to leave with Alice on his back, a small white dog suddenly appeared at their feet.

It was panting with its tongue out, looking extremely cute.

Seeing this, Lin Yi reached out and gently placed the small white dog into Alice's arms.

The appearance of the little dog seemed to bring Alice a sense of comfort, and her emotions visibly stabilized.

The surrounding infected were gathering in increasing numbers, their roars rising one after another, sending chills down the spine.

(End of Chapter)