Chapter 77: Chapter77-Shit! My adrenaline is too high!

Amid the tension, Marcus's authoritative presence provided a steadying influence. As people hastily gathered their belongings, a woman near the front voiced her fear, "But how can we be sure the area outside the mall is safe from monsters and Rebels? And what if the zone keeps getting smaller?" Marcus looked directly at her, his expression serious. "I get where you're coming from. Our priority now is to move fast and stick together... We'll figure out our next steps once we get there." *** After everyone finished packing their things, Marcus divided us into two groups. Anna led one group, and Marcus, himself led the other. I was placed in Marcus's group, and we started moving to the so-called safe place Marcus had talked about. As we moved, I couldn't shake off a feeling of unease. This feeling... Somehow, I have a feeling that in the future I might regret leaving the mall. I don't know why, though. The mall had been our temporary safe place, but now we were heading into the unknown. The air was filled with anxious whispers and the sound of hurried footsteps. The dim moonlight cast long shadows, making everything around us seem even more uncertain... We were using flashlights to find our way. Now, coming back to the safe place... I didn't have any details about it... I tried to get information from the people around me, but it was a failure because I got nothing. Even after asking Lia, the Smith brothers, and some group leaders, they couldn't tell me much since they didn't know about it either. So, from that, I realized not many people knew anything about Marcus's safe place. Then, a face suddenly came to mind. I muttered, "What if Anna knows about it?" Since she was close to Marcus and spent most of her time with him, it was definitely possible Anna knew at least a little about the place. But... I doubt she'll tell me anything given her bitchy attitude towards me. In the end, I had no choice but to wait and see what kind of place Marcus was talking about. **Sneeze** I heard a sneeze and turned around to see Anna trying hard to stifle it. Oh, so they were following us. Anna's group was trailing behind Marcus as per his instructions. After walking for about half an hour without encountering any zombie hordes, we finally arrived at our destination, which turned out to be... Another shopping mall. I was a bit surprised by this revelation. "Damn it, I expected the safe place to be safe. What's up with a mall?" I muttered to myself. It was like just another mall, similar to the previous one, except that it was located in the heart of the city. Upon reaching the mall, Marcus took charge and addressed us. "Everyone, gather around," he began, his voice calm despite the tension in the air. "This mall is now our new safe zone. It's centrally located and has more resources than we were before." He continued to explain the plan. "Tomorrow morning, we'll move again. The area we're in will keep getting smaller, so it's crucial that we stay ahead of it. Tonight, we'll gather supplies and strengthen our position here..." With that, everyone nodded and then proceeded to enter the mall, following Marcus who went in first. I followed them inside. Once indoors, I quickly found a room where I could catch up on the sleep I had been waiting for. *** After a few hours of sleep, I woke up feeling slightly more refreshed but still uneasy about our situation. As I emerged from the room, I found lia and the others gathered in a central area of the mall, discussing the next steps... I went to the crowd and, met with Lia... "Morning," Lia greeted me with a nod. "Ready to move out?" 'Ugh, no, I want to sleep more.' 'Wait a minute, where should we even go now? When the zone gets smaller, we'll have to fight both rebels and monsters. A lot of people will probably be killed, so why rush?' I don't care if anyone here dies. In this situation, who cares about others? But that's not the case with the others who are risking their lives for the common people. They're trying to move as quickly as they can to a safer place, not for their own safety but to protect others. Otherwise, why would Gold rankers rush around? They could just laze around all day since they have a minimal chance of dying... I nodded, doing my best not to voice those thoughts. As much as I wanted to speak, I knew that everyone here is like a saint. If they found out I had these kinds of thoughts, they would definitely isolate me. The group quickly packed up any remaining supplies we had gathered overnight, ensuring we were ready to depart. As we ventured out from the mall, the early morning light barely filtering through the cityscape, Marcus took the lead once again. His confident stride and decisive manner helped reassure us, though the tension in the air was palpable. "We need to keep a brisk pace," Marcus instructed as we navigated through quiet streets and occasional debris. "The zone shrinkage is still some distance away, and we can't afford to waste time." I get that, but why the fuck do I have to wake up at fucking 6:00 a.m. for this shit? Along the way, we encountered a few scattered zombies, which we dispatched quietly to avoid attracting more. Of course, I didn't get to dispatch any zombies since there are already plenty of hungry guys here looking to level up. Some of them were Mira, Solos, James, Anna and, Marcus... I sighed... Being a leader always helps. You can do anything, and everyone will nod and praise your work, even knowing that others could do the same job. If bootlicking were a skill, millions of people would have mastered it by now. Forget it... I stayed in the middle of the group, surrounded by others, using them as a human shield against any unexpected attacks. If any abominations or rebels ambushed us, I knew the people around me would absorb the initial onslaught, giving me a chance to react and possibly escape. We walked in silence, the only sounds being the soft rustle of clothing and the occasional creak of old buildings settling. Every now and then, we would hear distant noises, of maybe zombies... The streets were eerily empty, save for the remnants of past struggles: overturned vehicles, abandoned belongings... After about 40 minutes of walking, what I had feared for so long finally happened... While walking, I remained alert, though a bit fatigued from lack of sleep. Despite having slept for 12 hours, I still felt drowsy. As I began to relax a bit, a sudden noise shattered the quiet... As I began to relax from the walk, a sudden crack shattered the quiet morning. That sound? Instinctively, I turned towards the sound. It took a split second to registerit was the unmistakable sound of gunfire. Rebels? Panic seized me as I scanned the surroundings, trying to pinpoint the source. Amidst the chaos, a common man nearby stumbled and fell with a heavy thud, blood spreading beneath him. More gunfire erupted from different directions, echoing through the still morning air. I had sensed it all along; this was the bad feeling that had been haunting me. People screamed and scattered, seeking cover in the nearby buildings and behind overturned vehicles. Marcus's voice broke through the chaos, strong and authoritative, tinged with worry. "Get to cover! Find shelter now!" His command prompted some to move swiftly, while others hesitated, paralyzed by fear. Next to us stood a massive apartment complex, perhaps spanning 50 floors. As people dashed around, scrambling to seek refuge within the building, I mulled over my own plan... I ducked behind a concrete pillar, heart pounding. The scene unfolded with terrifying clarityrebels were attacking us, catching us off guard during our vulnerable moment of movement. Bullets zipped through the air, hitting walls and pavement with deadly precision. *Bang* *Bang* *Bang* I glimpsed Anna and some of the other leaders swiftly organizing defensive positions, their faces were as serious as they could be... Instead of heading into the building like everyone else, I chose to enter a nearby house... Why? Because the rebels had been lying in wait and attacked us specifically at this location. So, I could also assume that they had expected people to seek shelter in the building during the gunfire, and thus they might have set traps or planned something to cause more harm. This made it dangerous for me to follow their planned route. As I expected, a sudden explosion came from the building next to us. The blast shook the ground, sending shockwaves through the air. Fuck, so, there was bomb placed inside... Instinctively, I rushed forward, covering my face with both hands to shield myself from flying debris. The building started to crumble, its lower floors obliterated by the blast, causing it to lose balance and begin collapsing. With gunfire still echoing, I couldn't afford to hesitate; the building might collapse any moment. I knew exactly what to do in this situation to escape from the collapsing building. (Ding, host, Dash Skill (level 3) Activated!) My adrenaline surged, propelling me forward at top speed. The instinct to survive drove me, pushing me to outrun the imminent collapse and the chaos around me... I sprinted through the chaos, my heart pounding in my chest as debris rained down around me. The sounds of gunfire and crumbling walls filled the air, adding to the urgency of my escape. Shit! I dodged fallen beams and chunks of concrete, my Dash Skill enhancing my speed and agility just enough to evade the collapsing structure. Ahead, I spotted a partially collapsed wall leading into an adjacent alleyway. Without hesitation, I veered towards it, narrowly avoiding a large piece of falling debris. Adrenaline surged through my veins even more, sharpening my senses as I pushed myself to my utmost limit. I could truly feel it... Behind me, the building groaned and creaked, its destruction unfolding with relentless force. I could feel the ground trembling beneath my feet, a grim reminder of the peril I had narrowly escaped. The air was thick with dust and the acrid scent of smoke, the aftermath of the explosion and ensuing chaos. As I emerged into the alley, I slowed my pace slightly, gasping for breath. Ha...ha...ha...ha. I barely managed to save myself... After feeling better, I decided to check outside. I walked slowly to the entrance of the alley. As my adrenaline wore off, I suddenly felt weak and collapsed to the ground, unsure why it happened. Confusion clouded my mind. Huh? What happened to me? Why did I fell down suddenly?