Chapter 6

Qin Ran temporarily confirmed the safety.

However, the lady still listened and observed carefully for a moment, until she was sure that no one was chasing them, before she continued to move.

"Follow me!"

The lady said.

Qin Ran immediately walked up and followed the lady deeper into the ruins.

After crossing or crawling over several obstructing beams and bypassing several piles of rubble, a wooden partition was revealed when the lady pushed the sand and soil in front of her aside with her hand.

Silently, the lady lifted the partition, and a staircase leading downward appeared before Qin Ran.

"Come in!"

The lady turned sideways, gesturing for Qin Ran to enter.

Qin Ran did not hesitate to step in.

With a faint light, Qin Ran could already see the appearance below.

This place was originally a storage room.

There were wooden shelves and some tools.

Apart from that, there was no one else.

Therefore, there was no ambush.

Entering the storage room, Qin Ran stood at the corner of the stairs, quietly waiting for the lady to come down before introducing himself softly.

"Hello, my name is Qin Ran!"

"Karin! Are you a soldier?"

The other party asked, her eyes filled with inquiry and unrelenting caution.

Clearly, Qin Ran's use of the dagger earlier had left a deep impression.

"Not really, I just like combat techniques... and then, in this damned war, they were applied in real combat! And I have no ill intentions, from the beginning to now! You should understand, if I wanted to harm you, it wouldn't be this troublesome!"

Qin Ran noticed the other party's eyes and carefully explained his fabricated identity, emphasizing his explanation.

Being a soldier was not a good identity in a war!

To the enemy, they were to be killed!

And to civilians, they were equally to be killed, whether they were on your side or the enemy's!

The ravages of war brought out people's baser instincts, especially when one side had an absolute advantage. Qin Ran could easily imagine the atrocities the lady had witnessed over the past four months.

After all, the mission background in the scenario mentioned the word 'rebels.'

Therefore, Qin Ran would not admit to being a soldier.

Undoubtedly, Qin Ran's explanation was correct.

Perhaps, Qin Ran's explanation had an effect.

After Qin Ran finished speaking, the lady's caution immediately diminished.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have asked, but you know, I've encountered many deserters from the rebels! Some of them were quite kind, while others..."

At this point, Karin frowned, unsure how to describe it.

"People are always a mix of good and bad!"

Qin Ran interjected.

Such words were not comforting, nor were they a proper evaluation.

But in such an environment, they were appropriate.

Because of these appropriate words, Karin temporarily accepted Qin Ran.

"As a reward for your help, I can shelter you for a day. You need to leave by nightfall tomorrow!"

Karin said.

"Thank you very much!"

Qin Ran replied.

Although Qin Ran wanted to ask for more information, it was inappropriate to do so now.

Even though it was just a game!

But the incredibly realistic environment made Qin Ran understand that if he acted in a way that did not fit the game's setting, a series of chain reactions would inevitably occur.

It could be good!

Or it could be bad!

Based on Qin Ran's experience, the latter was more likely.

At least, he couldn't explain why, after four months of war, he was unfamiliar with the city in front of him.

He could even imagine how Karin's attitude would change if he asked questions that didn't fit his identity.

He might even lose the place to stay for a day!

Therefore, when Qin Ran saw Karin walk to a corner of the storage room, curl up there, and stop talking, he also walked to the other side, leaned against the wall, and closed his eyes slightly.

When his eyes were slightly closed, the darkness blocked his view.

The recovery of his strength with each breath made him not feel physically tired.

But mental fatigue made Qin Ran not want to move at all.

The images of blood and death that flashed in his mind completely exhausted him.

Soon, Qin Ran fell asleep.

...

When a rustling sound came to his ears, Qin Ran woke up from his sleep.

He opened his eyes to see Karin eating a cookie in small bites in the opposite corner, and from the opened backpack beside her, it was clear the cookies were from last night's loot.

When she noticed Qin Ran looking at her, Karin's body stiffened.

Food had an extraordinary value in times of war.

Bread and cookies, which were usually discarded casually, could cause a chaotic fight at this time.

Just like Karin and the survivor who was shot in the head last night.

Qin Ran, who had already understood everything, immediately indicated that he had no ill intentions and reached into his backpack to take out a can of food.

Karin's body remained stiff until Qin Ran took out the can, then she relaxed.

When both parties had food, the risk of a fight decreased significantly.

During the breakfast time, neither of them spoke.

Karin's head was slightly lowered, and it was unclear what she was thinking.

Qin Ran, on the other hand, ate the can of food while checking the system records.

First, the [Main Mission: Survive for 7 days, 0/7] became [1/7].

Second, a [Hunger] status appeared in the character attribute bar.

[Hunger: When in a state of hunger, maximum stamina is reduced by 20%, stamina consumption doubles, and when stamina is insufficient, health points will decrease.]

When the can of food was completely finished, the [Hunger] status disappeared from the character attribute bar.

"Even hunger appears?"

Qin Ran thought to himself.

He marveled at the 'realism' of the underground game once again.

However, such admiration soon turned into a sigh.

Because the appearance of the special status [Hunger] made Qin Ran have to work hard to collect more food.

And in this war-torn city, it was not an easy task.

"I can probably last two to three more days! If I want to maintain maximum combat effectiveness... two days is the limit!"

Qin Ran looked at the two remaining cans of food and a bottle of purified water in his backpack, thinking about the daily rations.

The result was not optimistic.

"Cough, cough..."

A sudden cough interrupted Qin Ran's thoughts.

Looking up, he saw Karin covering her mouth with one hand and patting her chest with the other.

Clearly, the dry cookies were not easy to swallow.

"Have some water!"

Qin Ran picked up the bottle of purified water, walked to Karin, and handed it to her.

Gulping! Gulping!

Karin unscrewed the cap and took two large gulps, drinking a third of the bottle of purified water before letting out a long breath.

"Thank you, thank you!"

Karin looked at the remaining purified water, a bit embarrassed.

Food was essential in times of war.

Water, too!

And in times of war, sharing food or water could only mean that the other person was a good person.

Therefore, facing such a good person, Karin's attitude softened again.

And she began to be willing to talk to Qin Ran.

This was exactly what Qin Ran had hoped for.

"What did you do before the war?"

Karin asked curiously.

"Student, then some things happened, and I became a shut-in! What about you?"

Qin Ran spoke about his real-life experiences.

"I was also a student, but because of fighting, drinking, and other things, I was thrown into a service center... and before I could complete my 200 hours of community service, the war broke out! At first, I was grateful to be exempted from the service, but now I would rather do community service for the rest of my life than be trapped here!"

Karin began to talk about her own experiences after Qin Ran finished speaking.

And she seemed to be talking non-stop.

The cold demeanor she had maintained all along collapsed at this moment.

Qin Ran just shrugged and continued to listen to Karin.

In daily life, people wear masks to protect themselves.

How much more so in times of war?

All the abnormality was normal.

"I was originally near Sixth Avenue, but 'Vulture' and his subordinates were more despicable than locusts, completely looting all the supplies, so I had no choice but to come to the Garden Villa area. Who would have thought that guy would come too! What a bastard!"

"Vulture? Is that guy strong?"

Hearing the nickname again, Qin Ran asked intentionally.

"Qin Ran, of course you haven't heard of him elsewhere!"

Karin waved her hand and said directly.

"Before the war, 'Vulture' was just a small-time thug! But after the war started, he was coincidentally locked up in the police station, and somehow got a batch of weapons! After the rebels became more restrained, this guy became rampant, gathering a group of prisoners who had escaped from the police station, and wreaking havoc on Sixth Avenue!"

"Other gangs of thugs don't dare to confront 'Vulture' because not only is he powerful, but he also has a grudge against anyone who dares to offend him. Any thug or survivor who dares to offend him will not have a good end! The last thug leader who offended him was hung on a utility pole in front of Sixth Avenue and burned to a crisp!"

As she spoke, Karin showed her familiarity with 'Vulture'.

However, as she spoke, Karin's expression suddenly turned grim.

Because she remembered that last night, she and Qin Ran had teamed up to take down two of 'Vulture's subordinates.

Similarly, hearing Karin's explanation, Qin Ran's expression did not look much better.