Leonard sized the woman up and genuinely began to consider cooperating with her.
It wasn't because he was seduced by her beauty.
Rather, he needed someone to watch over his dorm while he was away so no one would raid his room.
Rebecca's room happened to be perfect for this task.
"Cooperation might be possible," Leonard said, easing up.
Rebecca's face lit up with joy. "If you're willing to cooperate, how about letting me move in with you? Your dorm is much better than mine."
"No, not that kind of cooperation. Let's add each other as friends. While I'm out exploring, you monitor my door from your side. If anyone tries to break in, message me right away. If you do that, I'll reward you when I return."
"Well… I suppose that works."
Rebecca thought about it and saw the potential for gain.
With the start of their cooperation, trust could deepen, and eventually… she'd get to move into his dorm!
Just like that, the two hit it off and added each other as friends.
Leonard confirmed they could message privately. His plan was in motion.
To put it simply, he was using Rebecca as a security camera.
"I'll leave this to you. Stay inside and don't wander. It's dangerous out there," Leonard instructed.
"Got it. Be careful out there," Rebecca replied.
"By the way, you know I've killed someone. Why still agree to cooperate?"
"Because you dared to kill. That's why I trust you."
"Understood."
Leonard nodded, fair enough.
Leaving the place in Rebecca's hands, he headed off alone and quickly descended to the next floor.
Someone in the group chat had previously mentioned floor details.
The upper limit was the 12th floor. There was a locked door up there, maybe even more floors beyond.
The lower floors were accessible down to the 1st, though the main entrance couldn't be opened.
There was also a basement, but its door was sealed as well.
Leonard actually had a lot of useful intel to share.
But being labeled a murderer made him look like a villain.
Acting like a good guy and sharing information would've been pointless.
When he reached the 7th floor, the fire axe was still there.
Leonard was pleased and grabbed it.
He continued downward.
No fire axe on the 6th floor.
There was one on the 5th.
But on the 4th floor, something unusual happened.
A few people were standing in front of the fire cabinet, already holding the axe.
Clearly, others had caught on and were collecting axes like Leonard.
The leader was a cold-faced man with narrow eyes and a visible tattoo curling from his neck.
Tattoo Guy gripped the axe tightly and noticed Leonard.
The two locked eyes across a twenty-meter distance.
Covered in blood, Leonard's appearance was terrifying, a walking warning sign.
"Max, he's got a fire axe too. Should we deal with him?"
A rat-faced man beside the tattooed guy asked.
Max kept his eyes fixed on Leonard, saying nothing.
Leonard didn't want to clash with them and turned to leave.
Max's gaze narrowed as Leonard walked away like a blade gleaming in the dark.
"Someone in the chat said a guy's already killed. It's probably him. Let's stick to our own plan. No need to clash just yet."
Max paused, a smirk tugging at his lips.
"Besides… it's best to fatten the sheep before slaughtering it."
——
The axes on the floors below were all gone.
Leonard ended up securing two fire axes, decent haul.
Now that he was on the first floor, he had to check the main door.
The exit was made of reinforced metal, covered with a protective iron. It can't be destroyed by a fire axe.
Next to the door was a card reader. It clearly required a keycard to open.
The admin group noticed Leonard staring at the reader.
[Trying to leave already? Keep dreaming. The keycard's on the plot boss from Terror Night. You'll have to kill it to get out.]
[Lasting four days in this building is the easiest way to clear the game. Killing the boss for the keycard? Not many newbies survive that.]
[Unless he finds the hidden weapon in the building. Then maybe.]
[That weapon is really well hidden. You'd need insane luck to find it.]
The group kept chatting casually.
Leonard read it all, heart pounding.
So the game did have a story boss and the keycard was on it.
There was even a hidden weapon?
If he could find it, maybe he could actually beat the boss!
Clearly, this was the advanced route and the rewards would be much better.
"Come on, talk more about the hidden weapon already!"
"Damn it, say something useful!"
Leonard was itching for more intel, but the group had moved on to another topic.
He was beyond frustrated.
Without key info, searching blindly across 12 floors was hopeless.
[How long until it gets dark?]
[Almost time. Less than 10 minutes.]
[Good. I can't wait to see the zombies go wild.]
[It's just the first night. The zombies are still weak. Level 1 doors can hold them off. Shouldn't be too many deaths.]
The admin chat had brought up the day-night cycle.
Nightfall was coming fast.
Only 10 minutes left. No time to waste.
Leonard left the main entrance and began looting supplies on his way back up.
There was no in-game clock.
Probably on purpose to keep players disoriented.
Estimating time in his head, Leonard made it back to the 8th floor.
On the way, he saw a few corpses, non-player ones.
But their presence triggered a new theory in his mind…
Suddenly, alarms blared inside the building, red lights flashing violently.
A loudspeaker crackled to life with an excited male voice.
"Night has finally fallen! Third batch of test subjects, begin your performance! Let me see your biological activity!"
[Warning! Nightfall approaching. Countdown: 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1!]
The ten-second countdown was like a death knell.
Good thing Leonard had returned in time.
Rebecca, hiding in her room, saw Leonard sprinting back and quickly opened her door.
"It's night! Let me hide in your place!" she shouted.
"No time. Get back to your room. Survive tonight. I'll give you your share tomorrow."
Leonard unlocked his door, went inside, and slammed it shut.
Rebecca stomped in frustration and closed her door too.
Inside, Leonard looked out the window.
The faint light outside had vanished.
Only deep darkness remained.
Night had fallen.