"Sorry, most of the water I found has already been drunk, so I can’t lend you any."
Seeing the player in front of him wanting to snag his belongings for free, Wang Zhifan immediately refused.
He’s not particularly stingy, but he won’t just give his things to others. He prefers fair trade over selfless giving.
"Huh? How can a guy like you be like this? I’m just a girl borrowing some water, it’s not like I’m asking for gear. Can’t you help in a pinch?"
The female gunner in front of him seemed truly thirsty or perhaps felt her feminine charm was being denied, as her expression and tone quickly turned a bit displeased.
"If you want water, go over there and look for it; there are many shops and buildings there."
Wang Zhifan didn’t want to tangle with this woman, so he raised his hand and pointed in the direction he came from, telling her there must be a water source over there, depending on whether she had the capability to get it.
"Tch... Isn’t that the starting point of this instance? There are so many zombies there, I barely escaped, and I’m certainly not going back."
The female player glanced at the direction Wang Zhifan pointed and dismissed his suggestion because she had just fled from there yesterday.
"Then go on and keep searching elsewhere."
Seeing her reaction, Wang Zhifan decided not to waste more words on her and planned to continue his activities.
The female player saw his indifferent attitude and lost interest in conversing further, turning her head to leave.
But at that moment, from about thirty meters away, a young man with the Mage profession, dressed in a finely crafted black robe and wearing a pointed wizard hat, suddenly appeared at a small alleyway entrance and called out to them:
"You two! Please wait a moment!"
Seeing this, Wang Zhifan turned to look over there and recognized this Mage player as the one who had invited him to team up at the beginning of this instance.
"Is this guy also short on water?"
Wang Zhifan immediately pondered whether other players were facing similar difficulties, feeling curious, so he stayed where he was waiting for the person to come closer.
The female player also stopped, turning her head to look at the approaching Mage, her expression mixed with curiosity and irritation.
A few seconds later, the well-equipped and fairly handsome Mage jogged over, slightly panting, and said to them:
"You two, I discovered a good place nearby! It definitely has lots of useful resources! I want to invite you to cooperate in clearing out the zombies there, then split the loot!"
This Mage, whose appearance alone was enough to leave a favorable impression, didn’t bother with pleasantries but directly stated his purpose, inviting Wang Zhifan and the nearby female gunner to team up and clear zombies in a certain place.
"Where is it? Is there water inside?"
Listening to the Mage, the female player’s irritation dissipated substantially, her attention clearly captured.
"It’s a place about three to four hundred meters away! It definitely has water! It’s a small shop! You can see quite a few beverages through the glass doors of the freezer inside!"
The Mage player quickly nodded and replied to her.
"Are there many zombies there? Is it risky? If it’s just a small shop, couldn’t you clear it alone? Why need our help?"
The female player expressed some doubts, as she knew if there were many resources and low risk, the person wouldn’t need to enlist others.
"That’s where the problem lies."
The Mage youth promptly explained:
"An elite zombie and several regular zombies guard the place. I tried combat once but couldn’t win. As I was about to give up, I happened to spot you, so I thought of asking for your cooperation."
"What kind of elite zombie exactly?"
Wang Zhifan showed interest, as he ventured out to find elite zombies, fitting the kind with few minions around it.
"It’s a special zombie with a large body carrying a huge speaker on its shoulder. It’s not very fast but incredibly durable, even using the speaker to smash people. I can’t handle it alone."
The handsome Mage, clad in a black robe, further explained to Wang Zhifan.
"Elite zombie carrying a speaker? I think I saw one last night..."
Upon hearing this, Wang Zhifan immediately recalled the zombies walking down the street under the moonlit night, among them, a peculiar figure lugging a massive speaker.
"Do you think if we two go against it, we have a solid chance for a no-harm kills? I’m a Lv11 gunner, mainly using a rifle."
Not waiting for Wang Zhifan to respond, the female player impatiently asked the Mage.
"There should be about a seventy to eighty percent chance..."
The Mage youth pondered the possibility as the female player inquired, his face showing signs of contemplation.
"I’m an ice-type Mage, adept at controlling enemies. Although I can’t fully freeze that elite zombie, I can slow it down. If aided by your firepower, we should have a decent chance of taking it down... However, for certainty’s sake, having this guy team up would definitely increase the success rate."
The Mage suggested, looking toward Wang Zhifan, emphasizing the collaboration.
"I’m interested to take a look, and if the risk isn’t significant, lending a hand is no issue."
Wang Zhifan saw the Mage’s enthusiasm was slightly excessive but manageable. As long as he remained cautious, taking a look wouldn’t hurt; mainly, he was curious about the strength of such a special zombie.
"Since that’s the case, I’ll lead you there."
Seeing Wang Zhifan agree, the Mage youth didn’t linger, decisively leading both players towards the small alley he had emerged from.
Wang Zhifan subsequently followed the Mage along with the female gunner into the alley. As they moved, they saw many stiff zombie corpses lying on the path, most bearing ice marks, likely dealt by the ice-type Mage earlier.
They continued through the slightly twisted alley until arriving at the target location, a small shop resembling those in urban villages.
The shop’s doors and windows were open, revealing a glass-door upright fridge in the center, flanked by shelves on either side, stocked with an array of goods, indicating a resource-rich place.
The only issue was at the shop entrance stood a nearly three-meter-tall, bulbous zombie carrying a speaker, with several ordinary zombies beside it.