Looking at Lin Luyao, whose smile was radiant and whose attitude was unusually warm, Chen Caidie had no idea why, but she kept feeling a creeping sense of unease.
She couldn't help shrinking back a little, leaning close to Gu Xinghe's ear, and asked in a low voice.
"What should we do now? Are we going to keep staying here, or should we go straight to find Zhou Xu and the others?"
Twists and turns were coming one after another.
By this time, they had long missed the rendezvous time agreed upon by their four-person team.
Gu Xinghe hesitated for a moment, looked at the newly appeared [Vassal of the Zombie King] on her personal panel, and then looked at the numerous treasure chests gained from just one hour of cooperation. She quickly made up her decision.
"Let's wait a bit longer."
Although for ordinary players, the most dangerous moment of the instance had already arrived.
Still, fortune favors the bold.
She believed that Zhou Xu and the other two would definitely be able to hunker down and get through this final stretch.
Besides, the biggest threat in this instance was already standing right in front of them.
Gu Xinghe believed that as long as they could stay close to Lin Luyao, the final gains would definitely be much, much more than running around blindly like headless flies on their own.
Strengthening their strength meant strengthening the team's power, and she believed Zhou Xu and the others would understand.
Whether Zhou Xu and Mao Ruigang would understand remained to be seen for now.
Right now, however, watching Lin Luyao sweet-talk a bunch of NPCs into complete submission—to the point where they even turned around to help a player persuade the Zombie King to accept an interview—Chen Caidie was in wholehearted agreement with Gu Xinghe's decision.
When else if not now were they supposed to latch onto such a big-shot's coattails?
"I'm not going to say a single word."
The displeasure radiating from the Zombie King was almost turning into visible, menacing Qi, ready to slap against the faces of these turncoat fellows.
"Oh come on, Zombie King, how can you be like that? It's just telling a story!"
Wasn't it just going through the motions?
As NPCs, they understood this process all too well.
Even though they didn't understand what the point was in having the system make them repeatedly recount their own miserable pasts to the players.
Still, the system protocols were set up this way.
For the sake of generous quest rewards, players would flock to their past stories.
As for the NPCs, once they finished their designated lines, they were more than happy to knock off early and take a break.
Sensing vaguely that something was off with the Zombie King's state, Lin Luyao worried that these enthusiastic NPCs might end up getting thoroughly beaten up by a suddenly violent Zombie King.
After a moment of thought, she took out the remaining six potato cream squares from her backpack.
"This is just a small token of my appreciation, I hope you'll accept it."
Because of her father's debts, Lin Luyao had endured three of the most realistic months imaginable before entering the Highway Survival Game.
By comparison, Lin Luyao found the Zombie King's rejection of her right now to feel as gentle as a spring breeze.
Lin Luyao unwrapped the box she had swiped from the restaurant, and with a beaming smile, she offered the six potato cream squares right in front of the Zombie King.
Although the eight-slot backpack didn't have a preservation function, potato cream squares were naturally a quick-to-make dessert that could be eaten either hot or cold.
Even though at room temperature they lacked the rich, mellow flavor of being chilled or warmed up, their cute and dainty appearance, combined with the tempting buff that came from the system-produced mutated potatoes meant for NPCs, immediately captivated the Zombie King, whose sanity value had plummeted to a freezing point and whose emotions were increasingly out of control.
"Gulp."
Raven and the other NPCs, who had been fantasizing all the way here, stared at the inexplicably alluring potato cream squares. Their mouths flooded with saliva, and they desperately wanted to rush forward and snatch the treats right from in front of the Zombie King into their own mouths.
Looking at the delicate dessert, the Zombie King couldn't even maintain his trademark gloomy expression for a split second.
What was going on?!
How was it that he seemed to have an appetite again?
Moreover, this appetite was completely different from the muddled, bloody impulse he felt when he had first turned into a zombie.
This appetite was gentle and sweet, like a playful little animal.
Ignorant and bold, it bounded recklessly right in front of him, constantly testing his bottom line, yet strangely worming its way into his heart and bringing an unbearable itch.
He stood rigidly for a good while before finally saying with a feigned reluctance.
"Then I'll just give it a try. If it doesn't taste good, humph..."
"Oh my! Zombie King, you've worked so hard all the way here, and even helped us find a cook, how can we let you taste it yourself? Let me do it instead!"
"Let me, let me!"
"Let me do it!"
Just as Raven's oily tone was getting started, the other NPCs swarmed forward as well, trying to snatch the cream squares from the box.
Sensing a threat, the Zombie King immediately threw caution to the wind, grabbed the potato cream squares, and shoved them straight into his mouth.
The next moment, the rich, mellow flavor of the mashed potatoes and the unique sweet aroma of the cream aggressively flooded his mouth.
Making him unable to stop taking bite after bite.
In just the blink of an eye, the Zombie King had devoured the potato cream squares he had instinctively cradled in his arms.
The surrounding NPCs looked at the Zombie King's bulging cheeks and let out a collective sigh of grief.
"Ah—!"
Try as they might to rush, they ultimately failed to stop the Zombie King from hogging all the food.
The Zombie King chewed thoughtfully.
If only his tear ducts hadn't long since dried up and died.
At this moment, his eyes, heated with emotion, felt as if they were about to shed tears.
How long had it been?
How long had he been struggling in this survival game?
He had almost forgotten what it felt like to be human.
So this was what the awakening of the sense of taste felt like!
It was wonderful!
Everything was simply too wonderful!
So wonderful that he felt somewhat dazed, terrified that the deliciousness in his mouth right now was merely an illusion before his death.
Lin Luyao looked with satisfaction at the Zombie King's red nametag, which, after stuffing six potato cream squares into him, flickered and turned deep green.
Very good.
It seemed even zombies possessed the ability to taste food.
Time was of the essence.
The countdown representing the quest was still ticking down.
Seizing the opportunity immediately, Lin Luyao asked.
"May I venture to ask, how did someone as powerful as you end up becoming a zombie?"
Awakening from his reverie, the Zombie King looked at the human player wearing a chef's nametag, then glanced at the dozen pairs of eyes staring eagerly at him alongside the player, hoping he would hurry up and blurt out the correct answer so the process would finish and the chef could finally open up shop and serve food. He fell silent for a fleeting moment before finally speaking.
"I am the result of the first batch of human trials."
His gaze shifted, landing on Lena, who had remained completely silent from the very beginning.
Everyone's eyes immediately turned to follow his gaze.
Looking at this group of bizarrely shaped monsters, alongside the Zombie King whom she would never mistake even in death, Lena's face turned extremely pale.
"You were the one who volunteered to participate in the experimental project back then."
Lena's voice was tight, but it made Lin Luyao's eyes light up.
What an unexpected windfall!
If she could fill the quotas for both key NPCs all at once, that would truly be effortless.
"That's right, I volunteered."
The Zombie King's voice was similarly devoid of much fluctuation.
"But after the accident occurred during the experiment, I already demanded that the distribution of the vaccine be halted. Only by then, it was already too late."