Chapter 33: First Time Side by Side – He Held Mo Han’s Hand 1

Frank had started a Nightmare Mode instance today. Lately, he, Caitlin, and Mr. F had been grinding Hard Mode. Because Mo Han was busy with the start of the school year, he hadn’t been online. But today, since Mo Han was here, they would naturally follow the original plan and tackle Nightmare Mode.

Luo Fei asked, “We’re short one teammate. Should we find someone else, or go in with just the four of us?”

Mo Han’s cool voice came through the communicator: “No, it’s too troublesome to find someone now.”

Frank agreed, “Let’s just go with the four of us.”

Caitlin, who had become quite familiar with Luo Fei recently, smiled and explained, “Actually, we do have another teammate. He’s an art student who recently took on a concept art job for a game company and is completely swamped. He can’t make it to the game for now. So, it’s the four of us. I don’t think clearing it will be a problem.”

Luo Fei knew the teammate she was referring to was the junior Mo Han was particularly protective of, Nanxi, rumored to have exceptional talent and a unique spirit in his paintings.

Frank, Caitlin, and Nanxi had one thing in common—all three were Betas.

Luo Fei had initially been quite puzzled. Why were all of Mo Han’s friends Betas? It was understandable that Mo Han disliked Omega proximity and avoided befriending them to prevent complications, but why didn’t he have a single Alpha friend? Did he have a unique taste and only like Betas?

But later, after playing games with Frank and Caitlin for a while, Luo Fei understood.

These two Betas genuinely had great personalities. Frank was a big-hearted, fiercely loyal guy, and Caitlin was a cheerful, straightforward girl. Neither had any scheming, they were completely open and honest, and treated people with sincere kindness. After spending time with them, they had already started treating Luo Fei as a friend.

Making friends with people like them came with no psychological burden, making interactions easy and relaxed. It was no wonder Mo Han was so close to them.

As Luo Fei was lost in thought, a system prompt popped up before him: The Captain has invited you to enter the instance expedition, Zombie Siege (Nightmare Mode). Confirm?

Zombie Siege? The name of this instance alone was enough to send chills down one’s spine. Combined with Nightmare Mode difficulty, the scenery probably wouldn’t be too pleasant.

Still, Luo Fei didn’t hesitate and chose to confirm.

After a 10-second countdown, the four entered the instance. The scene before them instantly changed—

It was a human city commonly seen in doomsday films. Every house had its door tightly shut, the streets were desolate and deserted. Abandoned vehicles were strewn about, stained with eye-catching bloodstains. Occasionally, a gust of wind swept through, kicking up dust everywhere and carrying strange sounds of creatures chewing bones to their ears.

The empty streets looked particularly bleak. The entire scene was dimly lit, with chilly winds blowing sporadically. Coupled with the hair-raising sounds, even Luo Fei, with his first-rate mental fortitude, couldn’t help but feel his scalp tingle.

He could even foresee that the mischievous game developers would surely unleash countless disgusting zombies in this city. They were likely to suddenly burst out from behind players when least expected. Faint-hearted players would probably be scared to tears right at the start in such a setting.

The holographic game’s Intelligent Analysis System connected to the player’s bodily data. If excessive fright caused cardiac overload, the player would be instantly teleported out of the scene. Luo Fei had seen many player complaints on the game forums before—quite a few players were eliminated simply by being scared out of their wits.

He couldn’t help but glance at Mo Han beside him.

Mo Han’s expression was very calm. His gaze swept lightly over the ruined city block before them. “Let’s split up. We’ll regroup at the square ahead in ten minutes.”

Frank asked, “Isn’t splitting up a bit unsafe?”

Mo Han said coolly, “We need to find weapons and gear first. In such a large city, the probability of encountering other players right at the start isn’t high. Just be careful of the zombies.”

Caitlin agreed, “He’s right. Gear is limited. If the four of us stick together, we won’t be able to distribute found guns and ammo well. Better to split up and gather more supplies first. We can use voice comms anytime anyway. If anyone runs into danger, just call for help.”

Frank thought for a moment, then looked at Luo Fei. “Then you go with Mo Han. I’ll team up with Caitlin.”

Luo Fei was utterly delighted with this grouping and immediately smiled. “Sounds good.” He turned to Mo Han. “You’re Mo Han, right? I’ll be counting on you.”

Mo Han gave him a cool glance. “Just don’t hold me back.”

Luo Fei’s system face still grinned brightly. “I won’t. I’ll be your personal bodyguard.”

With the decision made, Frank and Caitlin slipped into a nearby convenience store to search for weapons. Mo Han turned and walked toward a large building on the right, Luo Fei following closely.

This was a hospital. Before the apocalypse struck, it must have held many patients. The moment they entered the outpatient hall, bloodstains covered the floor. A woman in a nurse’s uniform lay on the ground, her neck bitten through, head lolling to one side, wide eyes frozen with the terror of her final moment.

Mo Han glanced at her, walked calmly around her corpse, and headed toward the emergency department.

Most people seeing such a bloody scene would feel nauseous for a few seconds, adjusting. Yet Mo Han looked at the gruesome body as if it were a boring toy, simply and calmly walking around it.

Luo Fei admired his composure. “Aren’t you afraid?”

Mo Han seemed a little surprised by the question, his brow arching slightly. “Why should I be afraid?” He glanced back at the female corpse on the floor. “It’s just a pile of virtual data.”

Luo Fei: “…”

He truly was the person he’d set his sights on—such formidable mental strength.

Indeed, in the eyes of a hacker like Mo Han, any terrifying scene or disgusting creature in a holographic game was all just data.

What was there to fear about data?

Thinking of it this way, Luo Fei felt much better too. He walked up beside Mo Han. “You’ve played Nightmare Mode many times before?”

“Mm.” Mo Han walked forward as he spoke. “But we could never clear this Zombie Siege instance. The hardest part here isn’t other players, it’s the omnipresent zombies. Breaking out of the zombie encirclement and successfully reaching the endpoint isn’t easy… Better not talk for now. Focus on finding weapons first.”

Luo Fei obediently stopped bothering him. “Alright, let’s search together.”

The two went into the first-floor emergency department and searched around, only finding a few scattered bullets with no other gains.

In this game, all equipment locations were randomized each time the scene refreshed. So even though Mo Han had played this mode before, he didn’t know where gear would spawn today. But a large building like this was bound to have something, and certainly no shortage of lurking zombies.

He surveyed the area and suggested, “Let’s check upstairs.”

Luo Fei followed him up the stairs to the second floor.

The corridor on the second floor bore the sign “Infectious Disease Ward.” The floor was covered with corpses in white coats, a scene even more intense than the first floor. But since hearing Mo Han say “It’s just a pile of data,” Luo Fei felt no particular discomfort looking at these bodies now.

Quickly skirting the corpses, they began searching the patient rooms.

Rows of identical rooms lined both sides of the corridor, their doors bearing numbers 001 to 030. Mo Han leaned against the wall and carefully pushed open the door to one room.

The room was empty—no doctors, patients, or corpses. In the center was a treatment bed with nightstands on either side. Against the wall stood a metal wardrobe. After searching through the drawers and wardrobe, Mo Han frowned and exited, moving on to the next room.

Luo Fei mimicked his approach, checking room by room. They searched from Room 1 to Room 10 without finding anything.

Luo Fei wondered if perhaps this floor held no gear and wasn’t a zombie cluster zone?

The corridor was eerily quiet. After searching ten rooms straight, his nerves were stretched taut.

Then, Mo Han pushed open the door to Room 11. They entered. Opening a nightstand drawer revealed a black submachine gun. The other nightstand held a pistol and over a hundred rounds of ammunition. Opening the wardrobe, there was a bulletproof vest.

The game developers had really outdone themselves, clustering all the gear in one place after such a long search. It showed just how mischievous the designers were.

Luo Fei picked up the vest and handed it to Mo Han. “You should put this on.”

Mo Han turned to him. “You found it. Why aren’t you wearing it?”

Luo Fei smiled. “There’s only one. You wear it first. You’re the captain; we need to ensure your safety.”

Mo Han didn’t refuse. He decisively slipped on the vest, stowed the pistol in his waist pack, while Luo Fei slung the submachine gun and organized the ammo into his backpack.

Just as they completed these actions, a strange rustling sound suddenly came from the corridor. Mo Han’s brow furrowed. “This is bad, run!”

In the next moment, he abruptly grabbed Luo Fei and dashed out of the room. Luo Fei looked back and nearly dropped his jaw in shock.

Dozens of zombies poured out from different rooms, all turning their heads toward them in unison. Some dragged a bitten-off leg, some had their necks twisted sideways, others gaped with a massive hole in their chest. The scene was utterly terrifying. Had they reacted a few seconds slower and been trapped in the room by the horde, it would have been a total party wipeout.

Mo Han took a sharp breath. “Quick, downstairs!”

The zombies were numerous but slow. Mo Han pulled Luo Fei swiftly around the corpses on the floor as they ran to the stairwell.

Suddenly, a zombie lunged from a blind corner beside them, jaws gaping toward the back of Mo Han’s neck. Luo Fei, right behind him, saw this, his heart almost stopping. On pure reflex, he swung his arm in a clean chop, slamming the zombie straight to the ground.

Mo Han sensed the commotion behind him and glanced back, seeing a prone zombie on the floor. It had ambushed from a side corner, so Mo Han hadn’t been on guard. If not for his teammate behind him, Mo Han might have been bitten on the back. A single bite meant instant elimination.

It seemed, in that moment just now, he had saved him.

Mo Han nodded politely at his teammate. “Thanks.”

Luo Fei beamed brightly. “No problem. Protecting the captain is my duty.”

Mo Han said nothing more, but a strange feeling tugged at him. He’d seen countless system faces, but Mr. F’s face always seemed more animated than others, every smile particularly radiant.

Perhaps he was just a person who smiled a lot.

Pushing aside the odd feeling, Mo Han turned and pressed forward, speaking coolly as he ran. “Picking up good weapons must have triggered a scene event. Now all the zombies in this hospital will converge on us. We need to get out fast!”

Luo Fei nodded seriously and lowered his voice. “This time, I’ll take point. You follow me. Stay close, no more than a meter behind.”

Mo Han was puzzled. “What, you don’t trust my ability?”

Luo Fei replied, “That’s not what I meant. The person in front is more exposed to danger. You’re the captain; you can’t be eliminated too early. Besides, I’ve got the submachine gun, which is better for clearing a path.”

His reasoning was sound, so Mo Han didn’t argue and fell in behind him.

The two rushed downstairs. Sure enough, the lobby that had been empty when they first entered was now teeming with zombies. The corpses lying on the floor earlier had all come to life. Even the nurse with the bitten neck they’d first encountered had risen, her wide, dead eyes staring straight at them.

Many other zombies wore patient gowns—likely former patients. Quite a few wore white coats—hospital staff.

They had already blocked the hospital exit and were gradually closing in on the two players.

Luo Fei raised his submachine gun and unleashed a sweeping volley at the horde—”Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!”

His marksmanship was incredibly precise. A domineering sweeping line of fire mowed down the front wave of zombies in one go, blasting a blood-soaked path right through them!

Dozens of rounds burst forth, each a headshot!

A wave of zombies screamed and collapsed. Luo Fei immediately grabbed Mo Han’s hand. “This way!”

Mo Han followed behind him, watching his tall back, a hint of admiration rising unbidden in his heart.

Mo Han was a hacker; imagining zombies as data code was why he wasn’t afraid. But this Mr. F, surrounded by nearly a hundred hideous, blood-drenched zombies, had not only quickly blasted a path through, but his gunplay was so precise he’d barely wasted a single bullet.

This man was truly formidable. No wonder Frank had brought him into the fixed team.

Just as Mo Han was thinking this, he looked down and realized his hand was being held.

The realistic tactile feedback in the holographic game sent a flicker of warmth through Mo Han’s fingers. He felt a bit unaccustomed to it and tried to pull his hand back, but the grip tightened.

In the crisis, there was no time to dwell on such things. Mr. F strode powerfully ahead, and Mo Han had no choice but to quicken his pace to keep up.

After all, the zombie horde was slow to react. Even with their numbers, they couldn’t catch sprinting players. Luo Fei had already cleared a path. Before the surrounding zombies could fully close in, he pulled Mo Han along at a hundred-meter dash speed, charging out of the encirclement. He burst through the hospital doors, then slammed them shut with a kick, bolting them from the outside.

From within came the howling of the zombie horde and the sharp, grating sound of many clawing at the glass.

A cold gust of wind swept down the street outside. The howling gale sent scraps of waste paper flying, the rustling sound making the entire empty street feel utterly desolate.

The two scanned their surroundings, seeing no new zombie groups appearing on the street for the moment.

Luo Fei and Mo Han exchanged a glance, letting out a small sigh of relief.

Then, Mo Han’s brow arched slightly. “How long are you going to hold my hand? Let go already.”

Luo Fei looked down and realized he was still firmly grasping Mo Han’s hand.

In the heat of the moment, he had only been thinking of getting Mo Han out of the hospital fast. Fearing Mo Han might fall behind, he had instinctively grabbed his hand.

But now, calming down, seeing he was actually holding Mo Han’s hand, Luo Fei’s heart leaped, his cheeks flushing slightly.

This was the first time he’d ever held someone’s hand.

Even if it was just in a game, the holographic touch was so real he could even feel the slightly cool temperature of Mo Han’s fingers.

And Mo Han’s hand was truly beautiful. The fingers were long and elegant, yet held a latent strength. It felt wonderful in his palm.

Luo Fei was a bit reluctant to let go, but meeting Mo Han’s calm gaze, he hastily released him, his face slightly red. “Sorry, I was in a rush, didn’t notice.”

System faces could simulate various expressions, but something as subjective as “blushing” was hard to render. This was an adventure game, not a dating sim. Who would blush anyway? Not crying in terror was already an achievement. The developers probably hadn’t bothered with such details.

Thus, Mo Han didn’t notice this teammate’s anomaly. He just saw him let go and look away, seeming a little embarrassed?

This guy turned out to be quite innocent and shy, flustered just from holding hands… So different from the man who had domineeringly mowed down the zombie horde moments ago.

Meanwhile, inside his Gaming Pod, Luo Fei was already beside himself with excitement.

He had held Mo Han’s hand!

He had held Mo Han’s hand in the game!

It was only a game, but still… he felt so incredibly happy!