Cherreads

Chapter 69 - Chapter 69: Special Infected in the Hospital.

In the end, the team members reached a consensus and decided to drive to Mochizuki Hospital in the city center. After all, Kotoko's body wasn't suited for long-distance travel. And while Megumi and Asuna were physically sound, their stamina at this stage wasn't much stronger than an ordinary person's. Moreover, the time spent completing the clearance objective was a critical factor for the overall evaluation level. As the Leader, Asagiri was the kind of Player who never missed an opportunity in a dungeon, always aiming for the highest S+ evaluation. His philosophy naturally set the tone for this strategy team.

After getting in the car, Asagiri checked the dashboard thoughtfully. "There's not much fuel left. A household sedan like this shouldn't consume much, so if the road is clear, it should barely make twenty kilometers. But straight-line distance isn't driving distance. If I roughly estimate the route... We'll have to get out and walk about two kilometers from Mochizuki Hospital."

"Walking again..." Kotoko leaned over from the back seat, a playful smile on her face. "Then you can carry me?"

What Kotoko, as well as Asuna and Megumi beside her, didn't expect was that Asagiri didn't retort with abstract language this time, but directly agreed. Kotoko was momentarily stunned, then looked incredibly moved, even exaggeratedly raising her hand to wipe the corner of her eye. "Is this what they call sincerity, moving mountains? Leader still can't resist my charm~"

"Don't act crazy here," Asagiri replied flatly.

"Did you forget the negative effects of your talent? Even if your mental strength isn't consumed, if your physical strength is too low, you can't use any skills. Your weight is very light, and carrying you won't consume any physical strength for me. It's the most reasonable choice for me to carry you so you can conserve your strength and maintain the team's combat effectiveness for emergencies."

"Tch... Really..." Kotoko pouted, unable to resist a complaint. "You're so good-looking, but your words are so heartless, not cute at all..."

Asuna, sitting in the co-pilot seat, heard this and retorted angrily,

"Just be normal. If you want to act crazy, do it after clearing the dungeon."

Kotoko said confidently, "I found a car for the team, I made a contribution."

Asuna sighed, supporting her forehead. "Alas, a credit-seeking Warlock."

Listening to the exchange between Asagiri, Kotoko, and Asuna, Megumi maintained her calm, serene expression, quietly thinking to herself.

These three teammates of mine... seem to have very prominent personalities, distinct characteristics, and a strong sense of presence.However, even though they are three people with vastly different personalities, thinking styles, and action styles, not only do they have a good understanding in the dungeon, but they can also become such good friends in the real world? The team I joined is really amazing.

Ten minutes later, at an intersection two kilometers away from Mochizuki Hospital.

"No... I really can't…" Asuna and Megumi mumbled weakly, bending over and leaning against a wall, looking utterly spent. Asagiri chuckled lightly. "Actually, I'd rather hear you say lines like that in other situations."

"You... you still have the mood to joke?" Asuna's face was pale.

"I can't... I can't take it anymore..." She stared at the black car with lingering fear. "You said you could drive... but this isn't driving anymore, it's racing, right?"

What had just happened? Simply put, Asuna and Megumi had gotten terribly carsick. They weren't naturally prone to it; the problem was Asagiri's driving. A journey of over twenty kilometers was covered in just ten minutes, with various drifting turns and other maneuvers along the way, as if he couldn't wait to stand up and floor the accelerator.

The worst off wasn't Megumi or Asuna, but the black sedan itself. If it had consciousness, it probably never would have thought that a commuter household car like itself would one day have such an opportunity to speed wildly on city roads, its engine roaring and tires smoking, already on the verge of being scrapped. But as the saying goes, 'if you hear the truth in the morning, you can die in the evening.' It's life was worth it.

"Has it burned out…" Asagiri gently patted the black sedan, his voice filled with emotion. "You tried your best. I will never forget you, black sedan."

Asuna, who had recovered from her carsickness, couldn't help but complain. "Why are you talking to a car... Hurry up and set off. If you delay any longer, all the time you gained on the road will be wasted."

"Yeah, it's time to set off." Asagiri nodded, looked at the eager Kotoko, bent his legs, and lowered his body. "Come up."

"Alright~" Kotoko's lips curved upwards, her eyes narrowing with joy. She eagerly ran over, put away her equipment staff and masquerade mask, and jumped directly onto Asagiri's back, wrapping her two fair arms around his neck.

Asuna saw this and became a little anxious, displeasure coloring her voice. "I can understand you putting away your staff, but why did you take off your mask too?"

"It's too stuffy to wear~" Kotoko said with a happy smile, her cheek resting against his neck. "Besides, I'm afraid the mask is too hard. What if I accidentally hit the Leader? So I took it off~"

Asuna clenched her fists, biting her silver teeth. "You're just openly taking advantage!"

"Oh dear, there's nothing I can do, who told me I'm delicate and weak, and also a Warlock profession focused on mental strength." Seeing Kotoko acting smug and innocent, Asuna was about to turn red with frustration. It was at this moment that she had the most complaints about the system; even when she first entered the game, she had never felt such strong dissatisfaction.

Why?

Why didn't she change her profession to a Warlock like Kotoko? If that were the case, wouldn't she also be able to rightfully and logically have Asagiri carry her?

Ten minutes later.

"Is this Mochizuki Hospital…" Asuna stood at the main entrance, looking at the hospital sign next to it. The four gilded words "Mercy Hospital" in English, stained with blood, exuded a strange and terrifying atmosphere. She then raised her head, looked at the buildings inside the gate, and frowned slightly. "It's not marked on the map. I thought it was a small hospital with only one building, but... it's actually a large comprehensive hospital? It will probably take a lot of time to find the so-called antibody reagent…"

"So, this is actually the real beginning of this dungeon." Kotoko jumped down from Asagiri's back, took out her staff again, and adjusted the white beret on her head with her other hand, saying slowly, "This dungeon gives ten hours, which seems very generous. In fact, arriving at Mochizuki Hospital is just the first stage of screening. The real test is how Players can find the antibody reagent stored in the hospital after a long journey in a state of fatigue."

"That's right, this is the difficulty a dungeon should really have," Asagiri said softly, looking at the hospital buildings not far away. "And along the way, except for that bloated Bile Zombie, we didn't see any Special Infected. According to the setting of this game, it's impossible for this hospital to have no dangerous factors. So... there must be Special Infected inside this hospital, and maybe a large number of ordinary zombies."

"That…" It wasn't until this moment that Megumi finally couldn't help but speak. "Why do I feel like our strategy pace seems very fast?"

"You don't need to feel it, it is." Asagiri smiled and explained. "The special hint I received saved us the process of exploring the route. The special hint Violet received allowed us to determine the existence of Special Infected from the beginning. Necro's ability helped us find a vehicle that could be started, saving us time walking, and if we can find the wandering souls in this hospital, we should be able to get the location information of where the antibody reagent is stored. So in order to get a high-level clearance evaluation, we are definitely aiming for a speed run, and we are also capable of achieving a speed run."

After saying these words, Asagiri stepped towards the hospital, his tone flat. "Now, let's start the strategy."

Upon entering Mochizuki Hospital, Asagiri and the others first decided to explore the ordinary outpatient building closest to the entrance. As expected, as soon as they entered the first-floor lobby, Megumi spotted a map. "Here, there's a detailed map of the hospital."

"Let me see..." Kotoko leaned over and muttered while looking at it. "Outpatient building... Inpatient Building No. 1, Inpatient Building No. 2, Hospital Administration Building, Medical Examination Building... There are a total of five buildings; it really is a large, comprehensive hospital…"

Just then, Asuna suddenly noticed a black shadow flash by the glass railing on the second floor. Immediately after, the black shadow lunged towards Kotoko on the ground at an extremely fast speed.

"Watch out!"

Asuna didn't hesitate, quickly positioning herself in front of Kotoko and Megumi. She then clenched the Exorcist Longsword in her hand and, with a chopping posture, directly forced the black shadow back.

It wasn't until this moment that everyone saw the true face of the black shadow: a zombie crawling on all fours, wearing a hoodie and shorts, with gray-black rotten skin, moving like a wild beast. Asuna stood in front of Megumi and Kotoko, holding the Exorcist Longsword horizontally, staring at the zombie. She frowned slightly.

"This guy... is also a Special Infected."

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