Chapter 3
The twenty contestants had finally finished packing. Most of them packed their belongings into a single suitcase, while weapons were unpacked and either carried on their backs or strapped to their bodies. Any space buttons they couldn't carry were handed over to the production team for safekeeping. Then, the production team gave each contestant a wristband.
"This is a safety bracelet. You can ask us for help when your life is in danger. It can also emit powerful electromagnetic waves to attack zombies below level S, giving you 30 seconds to escape. But once the electromagnetic waves are emitted, you will be eliminated." The host glanced at the solemn expressions of the crowd, and finally fell on Shi Buyi, who was listening attentively but with a relaxed expression. He found that he could not see through this kid.
[Pfft, so there's this mechanism. According to the data, most of the zombies in Area 3 are below Grade A, so crossing Area 3 should be no problem. But I bet they can't get into Area 2.]
[Don't look down on District 3. You have to know that these zombies have been alive for three thousand years. Damn, how on earth do they survive? I don't understand.]
"There is still half an hour before the show starts. Does anyone have any questions?" The host looked at the time. It was eleven o'clock in the morning.
"You said before that you would set up supplies, so where are the supplies located?" someone asked.
"We will send a map to everyone's terminal at that time. It will show landmarks such as residential areas, granaries, and supermarkets. However, whether there are supplies depends on your judgment and luck."
"You said before that it was an individual competition, so can we form a team?"
"Please."
"Can we kill the zombies?"
"If you have that ability."
"Besides food and clothing, are there any firearms provided?"
"have."
"You said you wanted to recreate the apocalypse, so can I steal other contestants' supplies?"
"Can."
"What if a fight breaks out and someone gets hurt?"
"We will determine whether to issue a red card based on the severity of the violation. Three red cards means you're out."
"Can I grab the safety bracelet?"
"Yes, anyone who is robbed will be considered withdrawn from the competition."
The questions and answers between the contestants and the host laid out all the rules in front of the audience, and aroused the interest of many people who were just there to watch the fun.
【Ahhh, after listening to this, I’m really looking forward to it.】
[Holy crap, with tens of billions of viewers watching now, do these contestants really dare to hit someone in front of a live camera?]
[Haha, I already told you to recreate the blood and cruelty of the apocalypse. If you’re afraid of death, don’t come.]
[Those celebrities definitely wouldn't do it so obviously, but it's hard to say for ordinary people.]
I'm quite looking forward to it. I've only seen zombies in documentaries and games before, but now I can see them live, and I heard there will be a holographic mode so viewers can be there in person.
"What kind of transportation will be provided to us?" Zong Ziyu was quite concerned about this.
"Cars, boats," said the host.
"Why are there no aircraft?" someone asked puzzledly.
"Because you're recreating a civilian escape." The host looked at everyone seriously and said, "Forget about the past. Since you landed on Blue Planet, you've only had one identity: fugitive. Do you have any other questions?"
Everyone shook their heads.
"Then let's go." As the host said these four words, the originally relaxed atmosphere suddenly became heavy.
The place they were standing on was the base humans had built after establishing themselves on the alien planet and returning to the Blue Planet to investigate the cause of the apocalypse. It was surrounded by a two-hundred-meter-high enclosure made of special materials, making it very safe inside. However, if they left, they could encounter zombies at any time.
Twenty contestants boarded the aircraft and flew to Area 3 of the competition venue. The live broadcast aircraft hovered in mid-air, facing the contestants in their seats, clearly capturing everyone's emotions.
[Ahhhh, aren't you talking? I'm so nervous. Will I run into zombies as soon as I get off the aircraft?]
What a depressing atmosphere! Even though the "Doomsday Survival" qualifiers are a 100% recreation of the apocalypse on Blue Planet three thousand years ago, it's still a game after all. This is my first time facing zombies head-on. Ahhhh, I'm getting goosebumps as I talk about this.
[I can’t take it anymore, my heart is beating too fast, I’m just a spectator! ]
"Attention everyone, the aircraft is beginning its descent." The host stood up, his expression serious. He was nervous, but his duty meant he couldn't show it. "Please confirm that your safety wristbands are working and that there are no discrepancies with the map."
The contestants' expressions froze, their already apprehensive mood growing even more unsettled. Looking down from the windows, they could see a large city below, a shattered ruin from the war between humans and zombies three thousand years ago. Long deserted, it looked desolate and cold. Perhaps it was a psychological issue, but many felt it was eerie, like a modern-day ghost town.
Shi Buxi opened the terminal map and checked his location. Although he specialized in talismans and wasn't proficient in numerology and feng shui, he still needed to learn. This was especially true after his master suddenly became obsessed with predicting national and planetary fortunes. He also learned about foreign geography, so he quickly recognized that this was the Northwest Block of Europe.
Host: "We have arrived at the competition venue. The doors will open. Please enter the competition venue in order."
Just as Shi Buyi was about to take a closer look at where he was, the host's voice rang out. He looked up and saw someone in front of him standing up, carrying their luggage and heading towards the cabin door. As the terminal closed, Shi Buyi also stood up and shouldered his small bag.
After Shi Buxi got off the aircraft, he looked around and found that they were standing in the center of a square with a dried-up fountain. Behind them was a row of half-collapsed high-rise buildings, revealing steel and concrete. In many places, the grass was even taller than a person, and the place looked desolate and bleak.
"Three thousand years ago, humans almost sank the Blue Planet in order to eliminate zombies." Zong Ziyu put his hands on his waist, holding his long sword, and looked at the ruins following Shi Buxi's gaze and sighed.
Shi Buxi turned around to look at Zong Ziyu, and saw a smile on his face. He thought that after three thousand years, humans had changed one after another, and the pain he felt at the beginning must have faded a lot.
"The game has started, so I'll leave first." Zong Ziyu looked at the time. It was already twelve o'clock noon.
"I wish you good luck," Shi Buyi said, then paused, groping in his bag and pulling out a lucky bag, "This is for you."
Zong Ziyu took the small red bag, flipped through it curiously, put it away, and said with a smile, "Thank you, see you at the stadium."
He turned around and took two steps, paused, then returned and opened the terminal. "Let me add you as a friend. You can call me when you need help."
Shi Buxi didn't hesitate and opened the terminal to add Zong Ziyu as a friend. After Zong Ziyu left, he realized that the people in the square had already formed into groups of four or five, and were opening the map to discuss what supplies to find first. It was a lively scene, and he was the only one standing alone.
Having cultivated in the mountains with his master since childhood, Shi Buyi had long been accustomed to the quiet surroundings, so he didn't notice anything. He opened his terminal to check the map and discovered that, not counting the zombies, it would take nearly a month to get from Area 3 to Area 1, assuming an eight-hour drive per day. The production team had set a three-month deadline, and adding the zombies to the mix would make the journey even more difficult.
But none of this matters. What matters is that he can't drive.
Only then did Shi Buxi realize that he had made a mistake.
[Shi Buxi is finished, no one wants to play with him anymore.]
[Wow, I saw Emperor Zong taking the initiative to chat with Little Shi before, and I thought he would team up with him.]
[You're overthinking it. What's his status? Shi Buxi is just an ordinary person who doesn't even have spiritual power. How could it be possible?]
【Will he survive this night? 】
"Yes." Shi Buxi was thinking with his head down when he heard one voice after another. He looked up and saw a large holographic screen with dense bullet comments that made him dizzy. Above it was a flying camera, and the sound came from it.
What are you going to do?
"Let's find something to eat first!" Shi Buxi looked at the map carefully for a while and found that there were many convenience stores and shopping malls nearby. However, the production team said that whether there was food inside depended on luck.
"Ah, then run! The others have already gone to look for it. If you don't go now, it will be moved away."
Shi Buxi was surprised. He looked up and around. He was the only one left. He didn't know where the others had gone.
[Slowly, I'm so anxious, move! ]
[No, I think it's better to find a car first than to find food. If you don't have a car, you can just walk to Area 1!]
[No, the kid doesn't have any mental strength. He needs to find a weapon first, otherwise he'll die if he encounters a zombie.]
[Ahhh, come on, there are only a few hundred people in this sub-livestream room, and the comments are like hundreds of thousands. How can the kids choose? Who should they listen to?]
"Ah, I have an idea. I'll go to other livestream rooms and spy on them to see which ones have food and weapons. I'll come back and tell you."
[This is a good idea. I'll go too.]
[By the way, are all the 300+ people here supporting Shi Buxi? ]
[That’s right, what I want to see is a comeback.]
【I am different. I am here to see the joke.】
Shi Buxi: ...
[The young contestant, slaps the face of the one who laughed at the joke.]
[That's right, let them see that ordinary people like us without spiritual power are not easy to bully.]
【Support Shi Bu Xi. 】
Shi Buxi listened to the support from the audience in the live broadcast room, feeling both amused and heartwarming. When he was a child, he lived in the mountains with his master. He had no playmates and did not see strangers. He also felt lonely and wanted to go down the mountain.
The master said, "Little boy, your connection with this world is shallow, so it is not suitable for you to form karma. You will have many friends in the future."
My friends haven’t seen it yet, but I have met a lot of good people.
Shi Buxi listened to the audience's chatter and quickly left the square and walked into the street. On both sides of the road were half-collapsed buildings, overgrown with dense grass. The broken windows looked into the houses, which were dark and particularly eerie.
[Little friends, be careful! ]
[Ahhh, will zombies jump out of the bushes? ]
[Wow, is it really that scary? ]
[It's okay, it's okay. Three groups passed by here before, and they discovered the problem early. Don't underestimate the intuition of psychics.]
"Shh!" Shi Buyi paused, put his index finger on his lips, and looked solemn.
"Ah! Zombies, zombies."
Terrified screams pierced everyone's eardrums. Then, four or five people rushed out from a small alley ahead, their faces terrified, their pupils slightly dilated, as if they were about to faint at any moment.
Shi Buxi's expression started to stern, and he immediately rushed over.
Audience: [Contestant Shi Xiao, you ran in the wrong direction.]
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