Dark Apocalypse

Episode 27

5% Fate



Adam is often fraught with situations where a single misstep can lead to ruin, and there is no remedy for regret; once a mistake is made, all that awaits is the anguish of missed opportunities.

Perhaps it was the ease of his journey since awakening in prison that had fostered a sense of blind confidence in Adam. Throughout his time within the prison walls and after his release, he had never faced a development that left him feeling truly cornered.

When he entered this modest five-story building, he never imagined the repercussions of his choice.

However, upon discovering that the emergency staircase was sealed with layers of iron bars and witnessing an increasing horde of zombies surging through the entrance behind him, he realized his own arrogance.

Though the number of zombies was relatively low—fewer than five had made their way in, and the ones visible outside were few—Adam found himself with no other escape, completely trapped within the roughly two-hundred-square-meter hall, surrounded only by a heap of tables and chairs.

After attempting to push through several locked doors, he was left with no choice but to confront the zombies.

"Virtual Color! How many points do I have left?!" Adam, now devoid of any focus to contemplate his wealth, could only internally call out to that unknown entity.

"417 points... To be honest, your situation is quite perilous..." Not just perilous! This was essentially a battle of attrition, a waiting game for death!

"What can I exchange to resolve my current predicament?" Adam gripped his steel rod and swept aside the nearest zombie, aiming to rush towards the door to secure the entrance.

Though the thin roll-up door offered little in terms of security, it would at least buy him some time!

"To be frank, there's nothing. It's not that such an exchange doesn't exist; rather, you do not meet the requirements. You lack sufficient points, and you have yet to attain the qualifications to exchange for that level of items..."

Virtual Color's response only deepened Adam's anxiety. 417 points! He had killed over four hundred zombies! Such a staggering figure, yet still insufficient?

As for the so-called qualifications, Adam understood clearly: it referred to the star-level exchange system, of which he could only access the most basic one-star items. Unsurprisingly, the lowest tier consisted of mere aids...

"Then think of a way for me! You wouldn't want me to die so easily, would you? At least my survival serves you better, doesn't it?!"

Was it a threat? Adam didn't perceive it as such; he held an instinctive belief that this entity, named Virtual Color, with her almost sci-fi capabilities to exchange items, would not allow him to perish so simply!

"..." Silence. Though not a good sign, it was at least not a bad one. The lack of a direct denial indicated that Adam had guessed correctly to some extent!

"There is a one-star item available: a beginner's virus serum..." Just as Adam was about to inquire further, Virtual Color's voice broke through.

"A virus serum? Are you suggesting it's the kind carried by zombies?! What do you mean?"

Adam had an inkling of what she was implying; if one were to consider the plot of a certain film from the past, he could surmise Virtual Color's reasoning for presenting this item.

"The exchange cost is 400 points, granting you one beginner's virus serum. Its effect is to enhance your body's immunity against a small number of viral invasions and to improve your overall physical capabilities..."

Indeed, Adam's suspicion was confirmed. If that were the case, could he potentially fight his way out before a larger group of zombies gathered here?

"Yet... danger must be involved; nothing so effective could come without some risk!" Even at this moment, Adam remained remarkably calm, not allowing himself to be swayed by the allure of those so-called benefits.

"The danger is..." Virtual Color's voice trailed off, not because she refused to elaborate, but because another event had transpired.

Gunshots rang out from outside, and to Adam's astonishment, a figure burst in, shooting several zombies at the entrance before rushing inside!

"Ling Ao?!" Adam exclaimed upon recognizing the person. Moreover, right behind him was Miao Yun Yao.

"Adam! Quick, block the door!" After entering, Ling Ao dropped the unconscious Miao Yun Yao to the ground and shouted at Adam.

Without pausing to ponder why he had brought Miao Yun Yao along instead of the absent Shangguan Ya, Adam rushed forward to eliminate the remaining zombies in the hall before joining Ling Ao in a desperate effort to secure the door.

Of course, they couldn't operate the roll-up door; time was of the essence. They simply closed the glass entrance instead.

While not bulletproof or tempered glass, it was sturdier than ordinary glass and could at least provide some resistance against the zombies outside for a time.

"It seems we can hold them off for now..." Ling Ao sighed in relief and smiled at Adam.

Yet before Adam could return the smile, they heard a crackling sound; the zombies were already beginning to fracture the glass! They would shatter it in mere minutes!

Realizing the impending danger, both Ling Ao and Adam sprang into action; Ling Ao quickly lifted Miao Yun Yao from the ground, and Adam's expression turned grave.

"Adam, we need to get upstairs!" Ling Ao uttered the words that made Adam smile wryly.

"Ling Ao, you shouldn't have come in here..." As he spoke, Ling Ao realized the reason. His face turned pale upon seeing the iron bars locked tight.

"D*mn it!"

Gazing at the precariously unstable entrance on the verge of being breached, Adam decided to take a gamble!

"Give me one of those beginner virus serums!" If he was going to die anyway, he might as well take a chance!

"You must think this through; the success rate for the beginner virus serum is only 5%! Not 50%! Certainly not a hundred! Just 5%!!"

Now it made sense; no wonder it only required 400 points and one-star level for the exchange—the success rate was that low!

A 5% chance? What does that even mean? To put it simply, it implies that only one successful outcome could be expected from twenty trials!

Did Adam possess twenty lives? Even a cat has nine lives! He had only one opportunity! If he failed...

And even if he had twenty attempts, could he guarantee success? 5% was merely a probability, not a certainty! It could work on the first try or take dozens of attempts without guarantee!

"D*mn it... I can't believe I would die so pathetically!" Ling Ao, too, realized there was no escape left, his face ashen.

"If I had known I would die, I wouldn't have pretended to be a good person; I would have tasted the flavor of those two women instead! D*mn!"

When facing death, everything becomes trivial, and even the darkest thoughts no longer need concealment. Adam felt no surprise at Ling Ao's musings.

"Virtual Color, make the exchange..."