The Recruitment

On the second floor of the hotel, the atmosphere was thick with anticipation. With the arrival of 15 new survivors, the total number of people in the hotel reached 42. The murmur of voices echoed through the hall.

The hotel had been thoroughly cleaned, but the survivors, still shocked from the recent ordeal, couldn't help but gossip. They were desperate to know what was happening outside, what the world had become after the calamity. The answers they received were unsatisfactory.

Fear and despair lingered in the air, and the group, ever so cautious, occasionally cast furtive glances at Lin An and Zhang Tie, who were standing by the window.

"Lin, are you really asking me to join your team?" Zhang Tie turned to face the companions he had brought with him. His voice boomed, drawing the attention of everyone around.

The room fell silent, many eyes shifting to Lin An and Zhang Tie. The new arrivals were confused, but the longer-standing survivors knew better. Almost every one of them had secretly hoped to join Lin An's team, but he had ignored their advances. To see Zhang Tie invited directly, it stirred envy among some.

Lin An had just killed a Mutant Licker with a single strike. That level of power made him the ideal person to follow in this apocalyptic world. With such strength, they could survive anything, couldn't they?

Lin An nodded quietly.

Zhang Tie, in Lin An's eyes, seemed honorable. A rare trait. He could have fled when faced with a Licker, but instead, he had chosen to stay behind and ensure the safety of others. His team, though consisting mostly of the elderly, sick, and weak, reflected his selflessness. At least from what Lin An observed, Zhang Tie had a good heart.

Zhang Tie flashed a wide grin.

"It's my honor that you've chosen me, Lin. I'll do anything you ask, even give you my life!"

Without hesitation, Zhang Tie accepted Lin An's invitation, bypassing even the formal team details.

Ding! New member added to the Savior Squad: 1. Total members: 3.

Ding! New member: Zhang Tie (Awakened) receives 10% attribute boost.

Ding! Loyalty of Zhang Tie: 70 (As long as his bottom line is not crossed, he will not betray you.)

The last message was only visible to Lin An.

He pondered quietly. The initial loyalty wasn't constant, after all. Zhang Tie's loyalty was naturally high, considering he had been saved by Lin An, and his straightforwardness only added to his trustworthiness.

The next moment, Zhang Tie's expression shifted from surprised to awe.

"Wait... what's happening?!"

"Welcome aboard," Lin An replied with a faint smile.

Zhang Tie looked astonished, as if struck by a revelation. "I... I just gained 1.3 in Strength?!"

"Holy—my Constitution just jumped 1.5!" Zhang Tie's voice was filled with disbelief. "And my agility and willpower... they all increased too!"

"Lin... Captain, what's going on?"

Lin An grinned slightly, watching Zhang Tie's amazement.

Zhang Tie's reaction was no surprise to Lin An. The 10% attribute increase wasn't much on paper, but it was an entirely different story when one felt it in their body. In this world, where players needed to risk their lives to level up, even a single point was hard to come by.

For Awakened individuals, their increases were more significant, but this wasn't something everyone could experience. In Lin An's case, his players had to face relentless battles to gain even the slightest boost. The fact that Zhang Tie received a free "level" in all but name was worth celebrating.

"This is just a little perk for joining my team."

"But this boost only applies to Awakened ones like you, given your higher base attributes."

Upon hearing this, a murmur of envy swept through the room. The idea that joining Lin An's team could increase one's strength was tantalizing, especially for those who weren't Awakened.

One man, Yu Shihui, quickly deduced the connection.

Awakened? People like Lin An and Zhang Tie, who were far stronger than ordinary humans?

Zhang Tie's power had increased after joining the team—did every Awakened person receive such boosts, or was it just Lin An's team? He wondered how to join the group. He had to find a way.

He stared at his own player profile. There were no team features there, just empty attributes.

Yu Shihui's eyes narrowed as he eagerly listened to every word between Lin An and Zhang Tie.

But Lin An didn't speak further. Instead, he communicated directly with Zhang Tie through their private squad channel.

"Don't reveal any information about the squad. You can mention the attribute boost, but don't talk about our squad's name or our internal communication function."

Zhang Tie's mind buzzed as Lin An's voice echoed inside his head—without a word being spoken.

"Got it, Captain!"

The private communication feature was a major perk. The global communication network had collapsed, leaving everyone to rely on primitive methods for contact. A real-time, private communication tool was invaluable.

The others stared, envious of Zhang Tie's new power. He was now part of Lin An's team, and it had made him stronger. How could they join?

Yu Shihui clenched his fists tightly.

I want to be Awakened too!

He had seen the horrors of the mutants and Lickers, and his desire for strength surpassed anything he had felt before. If Lin An knew how to become Awakened, he needed to learn it.

Hotel, 9th Floor Room

Lin An, Zhang Tie, and You Wei stood at the window, peering at the hospital across the street.

"Zhang Tie, you mentioned you escaped from the hospital. What's the situation there now? Any Mutant Lickers or other dangers?"

Zhang Tie frowned deeply. "From what I know, the hospital's gone silent. There are no survivors, at least not living ones."

"The place is crawling with over 30,000 zombies. But Mutant Lickers?" He shook his head. "We only encountered them after trying to escape through the outer wall. We ran into them and were forced to retreat."

Lin An nodded thoughtfully. The fact that the hospital had no mutants was a bit of good news, though the situation still sounded precarious.

"Are there any specific areas in the hospital where large groups of zombies gather?"

Zhang Tie thought for a moment. "The only place still somewhat safe is the pharmacy. Everywhere else is overrun. I had a stroke of luck when my father's room was on the second floor, not many zombies there. I ran straight to the pharmacy."

"Awakening… well, it's a bit of a mystery."

"I passed out after a flash of white light and woke up with increased strength. That's when I saw the Awakened symbol on my player panel."

Lin An was intrigued. The pharmacy was an anomaly? That was worth investigating.

"What about your Awakening?" Lin An pressed. "How did it happen?"

Zhang Tie's eyes grew distant, and his voice grew somber.

"My father… he turned into one of them. I couldn't save him."

Lin An gave a sympathetic pat on Zhang Tie's shoulder. Losing a loved one to this new, horrifying reality was something he understood well.