In the quiet night, faint sounds suddenly drifted over.
Lin Chen stopped tidying up the Treehouse, opened the window, and listened carefully, "It seems someone is coming?"
Joy filled his heart; there was money to be made.
Grabbing his long handled cleaver, Lin Chen ran to the edge of the camp, straining to discern in the moonlight. There were about five people, with a dark shadow following behind them.
Zombies?
"Run this way, the gate is here!" Lin Chen shouted loudly.
Hearing Lin Chen's voice, the group quickened their pace.
They were members of Binhai University's Mountaineering Club. They had been on a club activity in Green Mountain Forest that day when the Apocalypse Game descended, and they lost more than half their people.
The remaining few barely managed to log into the game. They tried every means to shake off the zombies and fled into the mountains. However, due to the chaos, they had not brought any water and planned to get some from Moon Lake Reservoir.
Unexpectedly, near Moon Lake Reservoir, they disturbed a small group of zombies, forcing them to flee for their lives. Because the girls in the group lacked stamina, they were never able to completely shake off the zombies.
Lin Chen's voice was like a life saving melody from heaven. They rushed towards him without a second thought.
Only when they got closer did they realize this was the camp mentioned in the Forum, and the entrance fee was only 5 Copper Coins. They had killed a few lone zombies themselves, so they pooled their Copper Coins and paid the entrance fee.
"This wall is so short, can it really stop zombies?" Liu Luoluo panted, feeling very insecure.
"Do not worry, the zombies can not get in," Lin Chen kindly reassured her. "Also, you do not mind if I kill these zombies, do you?"
"No, no objection, how are you going to… kill…" Xu Shan's words trailed off as he saw Lin Chen charge towards the entrance.
The zombies crowded at the entrance but could not advance another step, as if blocked by an invisible barrier.
The guy, who looked even younger than them, swung a strange long blade with fierce power, cutting down zombies without mercy, a joyful smile on his face.
He looked at Liu Luoluo and Cheng Wei, who had only managed to log into the game after killing a crippled zombie with his, Liu Cheng's, and Li Wei's protection. He deeply wondered if guys were of two different species.
"A Shan, A Cheng, let's go too," Li Wei said to his companions. This was a great opportunity to fight monsters; they could not let someone else take all the spoils.
Unfortunately, their blades were not as long as Lin Chen's, making their attacks awkward. They struggled for a long time but could not snatch any kills.
"You guys led the zombies here and helped out, so let's split the drops fifty fifty," Lin Chen said amiably. Anyway, it would all end up in his pocket eventually.
"No need, you killed them all, you take them. But since we just arrived, could you please tell us a bit about this camp?" Xu Shan was too embarrassed to take Copper Coins. The three of them, big men, were not as good at fighting zombies as one guy.
"Yeah, you take them," Li Wei and Liu Cheng agreed. They had also learned from the guy's method; if they added a long handle to their blades, they could be just as formidable. Instead, they decided to make friends, so they exchanged names and briefly introduced themselves.
"How about this: these Treehouses in the camp can be rented for 10 Copper Coins a night. The drops totaled 30 Copper Coins, so I'll give you a third, which is just enough to rent one for a night. Treehouse No. 1 is a general store, but it will not open until tomorrow. I am renting Treehouse No. 2. You can choose between No. 3 and No. 4," Lin Chen said, showing them the Treehouses.
The three boys thought of the two girls in their group. It would naturally be better to have a Treehouse, so they agreed.
Liu Luoluo tugged on Cheng Wei's sleeve and gave her a look. Cheng Wei smiled and called out to Lin Chen, who was about to go back inside, "Little Brother Lin, you are so dangerous by yourself, why do not you join us? We can go fight zombies together tomorrow and look out for each other. What do you say?"
"Yeah, yeah, you are so dangerous alone!" Liu Luoluo echoed.
"I plan to learn a few Spells first; I am not in a hurry to kill zombies," he said. At least not until he could face zombies alone.
"Oh? You are a Druid too? Did you get a Spell scroll?" Cheng Wei asked excitedly.
"No, I am a Druid. I do not need Spell scrolls," Lin Chen said, giving her a sympathetic look. Mages were probably the most miserable profession in the early stages of the Apocalypse Game.
"Sigh, Druids are so much better than Mages," Cheng Wei was deeply disappointed. She wondered how she would achieve the imagined graceful and powerful attacks of a Mage.
"Little Brother Lin, we happen to have three boys and three girls. How about we share two Treehouses?" Liu Luoluo patted Cheng Wei's arm reassuringly.
Lin Chen looked at them suspiciously, "I have enough money; I do not need to share."
Cheng Wei said softly, embarrassed, "Luo Luo, forget it!"
"Look, Sister Cheng Wei and I are two girls, and it is a bit inconvenient to squeeze into a small Treehouse with three big men. You are alone, and it is not easy to go out and fight zombies. It would be safer to team up with us, and I am a Priest, so I can heal you later," Liu Luoluo said. In the Apocalypse Game, healing abilities should be very popular, she was confident she could persuade him.
"You do not need to worry about safety. The camp prohibits any form of conflict, and if you share a Treehouse with them, you will both be considered owners of the Treehouse and will be protected by it. As for healing, Druids also have healing Spells," Lin Chen raised his voice, trying to make sure the two girls' teammates heard clearly.
Lin Chen found it a bit cramped even living alone, let alone sharing. Anyway, it was his territory, so why should he inconvenience himself by sharing with others? Also, some things could not be said aloud. In the Apocalypse Game, many people struggled just to survive, so moral bottom lines were naturally lower.
While the two girls looked at their teammates in a panic, Lin Chen quickly climbed into the Treehouse. The two, who had not received permission, were blocked below by the Treehouse's protection mechanism.
"You… how can you be like this!"
"Forget it, Luo Luo, it is good enough to have a Treehouse."
"Do not pretend to be a good person here…"
The noise was blocked outside the door. Lin Chen breathed a sigh of relief—a sweet burden!
As for where the sweetness lay, Lin Chen grabbed the small pile of Copper Coins on the table. Naturally, it was the entrance fees and rent they had paid. He had set the collection teleportation point on the table.
Counting them, there were 25 in total. Combined with his own, he had a grand total of 53 Copper Coins. When the general store opened tomorrow, he could go see if there were any good items.
Yuan Gun Gun was sleeping sprawled out in its little nest, and Lin Chen also crawled into his sleeping bag.
Recalling the day, it had been truly wonderful. He had not expected the arrival of the Apocalypse Game to make him a homeowner and even claim a piece of land so early.
When Bai Lang returned, he could proudly tell him, "Look, so many Treehouses to choose from!"
How wonderful! Lin Chen could not help but laugh out loud at the thought of that scene. He wondered when Bai Lang would return.
"I need to level up diligently. Then I can show him my abilities and surely scare him. Hehe." Ever since Bai Lang began receiving his inheritance, Lin Chen had been a little worried that as an ordinary person, he could not help him. Now, he finally had a way to improve himself.
The unfamiliar sleeping bag felt a bit uncomfortable, but in the current situation, having a place to sleep was good enough.
Lin Chen was still very content. He turned over, adjusted his posture, and soon drifted off to sleep.