Bai Mu made eye contact with the other three. The four of them stared at each other for a moment before rising from their seats one after another.
The movie theater was pitch black. According to the Script's background, a month had already passed since the virus outbreak. The city's infrastructure had completely collapsed, which meant there was absolutely no electricity to light up their surroundings.
However, a cone of light cut through the darkness from opposite Bai Mu. One of his teammates had switched on a flashlight, providing a meager source of illumination.
Bai Mu could finally make out the faces and attire of the other three. The person holding the flashlight was the only woman on the team. She looked quite young, in her early twenties at most. She wore a full nurse's uniform complete with a cap, and her long hair was tied back in a neat ponytail.
At first glance, she just seemed like a young nurse. But upon noticing the rust-colored bloodstains splattered across her uniform, she gave off a completely different vibe—the kind of dangerous aura that suggested she could pull a scalpel from her pocket at any moment and stab someone a dozen times, perfectly avoiding all vital organs to leave them with only minor injuries.
The other two looked like twin brothers, sharing strikingly similar facial features and builds. They appeared to be in their late twenties, both heavily muscled and imposing. At a glance, they easily stood over six feet tall and weighed at least a hundred and eighty pounds. They had tanned skin and strong, square jaws.
Their outfits were highly specialized. Both wore hard hats—one white, one yellow—and sported grey, mud-splattered work clothes. They looked like authentic manual laborers straight off a construction site.
Judging solely by appearances, Bai Mu was the greenest of the four. Paradise had reverted his physical age back to his college years, leaving him with a boyish face. When he stayed quiet, he looked exactly like an innocent university student fresh from the countryside.
"Since we've been matched in the same Script, we're a team now," the nurse spoke up first. "As teammates, let's start with self-introductions so we can get to know each other. I'll go first. My Player ID is Misty Rain Traveler, Grade D. This is my first Script since getting promoted to D-Grade. I've cleared two team-based Scripts and four solo Scripts. How about you guys?"
The two brothers exchanged a look. The one in the white hard hat, seemingly the older brother, stepped forward to introduce himself and his sibling.
"My ID is Great Northern Wilderness, and this is my younger brother, Nancheng Port," Great Northern Wilderness declared. "We're both E-Grade, but once we clear this Script, we'll be promoted to D-Grade."
After he finished speaking, all three pairs of eyes turned in unison toward Bai Mu.
"My Player ID is Bai." Bai Mu followed their template. "I'm only F-Grade. I've cleared two solo Scripts."
He was completely honest, as there was no point in hiding the truth.
He had expected someone to complain or express dissatisfaction, thinking his low Grade would drag them down, but that did not happen. Misty Rain Traveler and Great Northern Wilderness simply nodded, remaining completely unfazed.
"Since I have the highest Grade among the four of us, I'd like to take the role of temporary squad leader. Does anyone have any objections?" Misty Rain Traveler asked.
Nancheng Port glanced at his older brother. Great Northern Wilderness nodded and replied, "No objections from us."
Misty Rain Traveler then looked at Bai Mu. Since the other two had already agreed, he naturally had no reason to object as an inexperienced novice.
"I'm fine with it too," he agreed.
"Great. Let's hope for a pleasant cooperation and a smooth clear." Misty Rain Traveler nodded. "First, let's analyze our current situation."
"The Script summary states that the four of us are playing the roles of survivors. Judging by this movie theater and the Main Quest, we should be in something like a department store or shopping mall." She lowered her voice. "The timeline is one month post-outbreak. That means aside from us four, everything outside is likely an Infected."
"Currently, we're in a temporary safe house provided by Paradise, but we still need to be extremely careful. You all know how terrifying the foot traffic in a department store can be. If we make even a little too much noise, the Infected might swarm and drown us, just like in the background cinematic. Therefore, I want everyone to stay as quiet as possible from here on out."
"Especially once we leave this safe house, we must tread lightly. If you have something to communicate, don't speak. We can establish hand signals to exchange information."
The three of them nodded. Misty Rain Traveler's analysis aligned perfectly with what Bai Mu had been thinking. It was spot on.
Sure enough, none of the Players who managed to survive in Paradise were simple-minded.
While F-Grade rookies might still include clueless novices, Players who were already D-Grade or on the verge of promoting to it were definitely not foolish deadweights.
Surviving those deadly, perilous Scripts time and time again was not something one could achieve without using their brain.
Enduring five or six rounds of selection was more than enough to filter out anyone incapable of keeping their emotions in check.
Bai Mu suddenly felt that this hidden matchmaking score system was actually quite useful. Looking on the bright side, it was an alternate way of filtering out deadweight teammates who would only hold him back.
Players capable of participating in a D-Grade Script were all seasoned veterans.
Bai Mu figured he might even be able to get carried to an easy win this time. Since this was his first team-based Script, his primary goal should be to gain experience. He would listen to the leader and observe how veteran Players collaborated.
"You've all seen the first phase of the Main Quest. We need to scavenge gasoline and secure a car. Our ultimate objective is to reach the Evacuation Point on the western side of the city. Arrive there safely, and we clear the Script," Misty Rain Traveler continued. "But from the looks of it, Paradise isn't going to provide us with a map or weapons. We'll have to find those ourselves."
"So, when we head out to search for gasoline in a moment, I want everyone to keep an eye out for anything that might be useful."
"Since we don't know how far the final destination is, try to gather as much food, water, and gasoline as possible," Misty Rain Traveler stated. "That's all I have to say for now. If you guys have anything to add, speak up. Otherwise, let's start establishing our hand signals."
Great Northern Wilderness raised a hand to interject. "I have spare hard hats and durable work clothes in my inventory. If you need them, I can share their usage rights with you."
As soon as he spoke, a new hard hat and set of work clothes materialized in his hands. Bai Mu focused his gaze, and several lines of text manifested before his eyes.
[Name: Yellow Hard Hat]
[Type: Head Armor]
[Quality: Common]
[Defense: Low]
[Attributes: None]
[Equipment Effect: 40% head damage resistance.]
[Equipment Requirements: None]
[Remark: An ordinary hard hat. It just might save your life at a crucial moment.]
...
[Name: Durable Work Clothes]
[Type: Body Armor]
[Quality: Common]
[Defense: Low]
[Attributes: None]
[Equipment Effect: 70% resistance against sharp weapons and abrasive damage.]
[Equipment Requirements: None]
[Remark: Durable clothing worn by miners. Can prevent the body from being cut by sharp debris.]
...