Back in school, the students had known that the world was ending outside, but looking around at the deserted highway made them realize just how dire the situation truly was.
The previously hopeful students couldn't help but feel terrified about what would become of them. Sensing the tense atmosphere, the teachers felt no better, exchanging silent glances and mutely agreeing to do their utmost to protect their students.
In many other places, similar scenes were playing out as various survivors vowed to stay alive.
Back in the shelter, Zhao Yuan cared for none of this, comfortably turning over in her bed to sleep.
The system, however, seemed to have a problem with that, as a sudden alarm went off. Unlike previous notifications, this one was a sharp, trilling noise.
As much as Zhao Yuan tried to ignore it, she couldn't. Sitting up, she glared at the screen floating before her:
'Custodian, we miss you back in the fields!'
The message displayed a cheerful background image of the aforementioned fields. If Zhao Yuan hadn't just been yanked from much-needed sleep, she might have appreciated how upbeat the message was. Given her current state, however, she felt thoroughly miffed, rolling her eyes before tapping the small 'x' in the corner of the screen.
Staring at the familiar main interface, she recalled the earlier warning about punishments and clicked on her profile.
Relieved to spot a well-hidden question mark icon in the corner, she tapped it. A list of common queries appeared, forcing her to scroll down until she found a live chat option. Tapping it, her fingers moved quickly as she typed a single-word query:
Punishment?
Seeing her question send like a message, she leaned back against the bedframe, waiting for a reply. A minute later, a response promptly appeared before her eyes:
'Do you mean what can cause a custodian to be punished?'
She read the response before replying with a simple yes.
Like clockwork, an answer quickly appeared:
'Custodians are only punished when they fail to complete their assigned tasks.'
Reading the response, she felt the system was being deliberately vague, so she asked what she truly wanted to know:
'Types of punishments'
This time, the response sent back was much more detailed, prompting her to sit up, ready to read it all:
'Punishments are determined by the severity of the offense committed by the custodian.
Example:
If a custodian fails to fulfill meal services according to level requirements, they will be punished by having to restart the level from the beginning, forfeiting all items used during that period.
Other punishments may be harsher depending on the degree of the infraction. Therefore, a custodian is required to follow the rules and complete assigned tasks to avoid penalty.'
After reading the lengthy response, Zhao Yuan understood what the system was trying to convey.
Honestly, she didn't care all that much and even contemplated going back to sleep. Unfortunately, she was cursed with a good conscience and ultimately decided to return to the fields to continue production—not because she feared the punishments, but because she remembered that the people visiting the restaurant desperately needed the food.
As Zhao Yuan walked toward the newly unlocked cowshed, she quietly lamented her own kindness.
Her industrious figure barely paused for a second as she moved around the fields, tackling multiple tasks simultaneously. Shutting off her mind and slipping into auto-pilot was a trick she had learned early in life, allowing her to accomplish massive amounts of labor without burning out.
In this focused state, she managed different fields and processing plants at the same time. As she unlocked more features and cleared task after task, the main screen back in her room continuously flashed with completion notices. Her reward icon, which hadn't been tapped all day, now resembled a bright holiday gift card, completely covered in red notification dots.
Meanwhile, a few hundred meters outside the compound, the group of survivors remained hidden, taking turns to monitor the distant horde of infectees.
After watching for a while, they noticed that the horde was merely wandering aimlessly, with none of them actually approaching the massive black gate.
Gao Shen had been silent since his last shift watching the infectees, mulling over their irregular movement patterns. Had their path been predictable, he would have already devised a way to bypass them, but their aimless wandering made planning difficult.
He wasn't the only quiet one in the room; a heavy silence hung over the space as everyone sat in their respective corners.
"I have an idea," he suddenly spoke up, looking around at everyone in the darkened room.
Hearing his voice, everyone quickly turned their attention toward him as he continued:
"We all know that the infectees are drawn to loud noises, so what if we—"
A few minutes later, the previously anxious group was up and moving around with hurried purpose.
Since this side of the city was a newly built residential district, they were fortunate enough to find ample cover, making their plan easier to execute.
Su Yan, one of the most reliable members of the team, was a mechanical engineering student who had once saved them by crafting makeshift explosives. Remembering this, Gao Shen had decided that explosives were their best option for generating a noise loud enough to draw the horde away from the compound's perimeter.
Following the brief, assigned roles were handed out: the elderly and weaker members set off to search for nearby supplies, while the rest assisted Su Yan with his work.
"Is there a way to make it detonate only after we've already cleared out?" Ning Xi asked as they worked on various vehicles in the parking lot.
Her hands trembled as she tried her best to follow Su Yan's instructions. Ning Xi had never imagined she would have to handle something so dangerous, but with survival on the line, she had no choice.
"There is, which is why you need to ensure all your wires are long enough and properly connected," Su Yan replied, sitting off to the side as he wired small components harvested from surrounding devices.
Since he was the expert, no one questioned him, each person dutifully performing their assigned part.