Interactive Fiction: The Right Choice After Unemployment

Chapter 34
Option 7.2 42.8%, Option 50 [-]%, Option [-] [-]%.

……

【Option [-]】

【keep status quo】

……

Encountering a snake is just a matter of chance.Judging from the current situation, the exploration is progressing well, and rescue can arrive in time.

"(Just keep the current frequency...it shouldn't be a problem.)"

Hastily accelerating the advance may lead to untimely rescue and other consequences.And it's going well so far, and there's no particular need to slow down...

Zheng Zhuo looked at these opinions and made up his mind: keep the status quo.

……

After conveying their opinions to the three, except for Chu Huairen who was still silent, Student Shen and Xue Ying nodded.

The two want to find the ruins related to those murloc monsters more quickly.

Zheng Zhuo realized this.He didn't know how the two of them would react if they only found a plane in the end—rather than some relics related to the mysterious ocean civilization.

"(Take a step, let's take a step.)"

Zheng Zhuo said to himself in his heart.

……

The four continued to move forward a stage according to the previous plan.Now, they have searched three-quarters of the jungle area, but still nothing.

The sun has begun to set.Continue the search, or continue tomorrow?

When Zheng Zhuo, Chu Huairen and Xue Ying returned to the gathering point, they found that there was only one answer left for them.

Student Shen who was bitten by the snake sat on the root of the tree, his face turned blue.

The condition of his calf was much worse than expected.Zheng Zhuo cut open his trousers, and saw that it had begun to swell and suppurate, and black liquid was still flowing from the wound.

Student Shen couldn't walk anymore.He had difficulty even standing.

"His injury was serious. We had to leave."

With the help of Chu Huairen and Xue Ying, Zheng Zhuo carried classmate Shen on his back and began to retreat towards the beach.

This is the route they planned earlier: the jungle is very long from east to west, but very short from north to south.In case of an accident, it is possible to retreat to the beach from the north-south direction in a relatively short distance.

However, Zheng Zhuo soon understood: he still thought too simply.

It is simply impossible to walk in the jungle with a person on your back.For those obstacles that can be climbed and surmounted by a single person, those with limited mobility must be supported by three people in turn, so that it can take several times or even ten times the time to pass.

The short distance is like a moat.

During this period, Zheng Zhuo contacted the professors by radio.However, the only student Shen who is good at [climbing] injured his leg.People can no longer make signs at high places.As night fell, it was difficult for the classmates and sailors outside the jungle to confirm the exact location of the four.

The bad things don't stop there.

Zheng Zhuo carried classmate Shen on his back, and he could feel that classmate Shen's body temperature was frighteningly low.

Every bump in the road made Student Shen's condition worse and worse.Zheng Zhuo felt that student Shen on his back was breathing heavily and hoarsely like a broken bellows.His eyes started to bulge, and his mouth was dripping with saliva.Zheng Zhuo grabbed his hand while carrying his back, and found that the fine and dense moss spots on his neck had spread to his hands, and those cracked parts began to secrete slippery and smelly liquid.

"(...leaving him...he's just a hallucination! The hallucination...the people in the subconscious...are...sure...)"

Zheng Zhuo gritted his teeth.He knew that classmate Shen had to be left behind.But deciding when to do it is so difficult.

It was getting dark.Soon, most of the light from the flashlight was swallowed up by the night.No matter how hard I can see the distant sea, there are shadows of kudzu vines everywhere, even if there are snakes approaching, I am afraid it will be difficult to distinguish them.

"...It can't go on like this."

Zheng Zhuo gasped and said after a failed climb that could not see clearly ahead.

"It's too difficult to leave at night. We have to sleep here."

……

after an hour.

The fire flickered.

All wrapped in coats, lying around the raised fire.

It took them a staggering amount of time to successfully build the fire.Now, they have no choice but to use it to get through the night.

Crackling, crackling.

Tongues of fire licked the darkness.The tired people fell into a deep sleep around the only warmth in this scene.

Zheng Zhuo barely retained a little consciousness.Chu Huairen arranged shifts for everyone—and Zheng Zhuo was on the first night shift.

He knew that he couldn't sleep: he had to guard against terrible creatures, and even more so, against terrible...his own people.

But fatigue still makes drowsiness sweep over.

Time is like this, passing by every minute and every second.

While Zheng Zhuo was half asleep and half awake, he heard a voice.

"... oh...cough..."

It came from the direction of student Shen.

Zheng Zhuo barely opened his heavy eyelids.He saw student Shen move.

At first, Zheng Zhuo thought he was going to get up at night, but soon, he saw the other party suddenly fell to the ground and vomited.

In the firelight, Zheng Zhuo saw that the other party spit out a bunch of lumps mixed with blood, internal organs and bone residue.The vomit stank violently, like a pile of fermented fish.

"... Karma... ah..."

Student Shen's hands trembled.He lay on the ground, and the volume of his yelling became louder and louder.Chu Huairen and Xue Ying were also awakened by this.

Zheng Zhuo has turned over and got up, holding the flashlight in his hand tightly.He saw that the corners of Shen's eyes were cracking.His eyes protruded outwards, and his hands and feet were covered with scales at some point.

At first, Zheng Zhuo was worried about what might happen to Shen, so when he went to bed, he tied all the buckles and knots of his jacket tightly to restrict his movements.But now, those obstacles are like pieces of paper, completely opened up.

Chi la, chi la.

Shen's jacket was torn apart along the seam.Long, sharp bony spurs pierced the solid cloth from the inside.

"...hiss...ha...slightly..."

Student Shen...or rather, a "something" that used to be Student Shen slowly turned his head.

"—Run!"

Zheng Zhuo violently pushed the two people around him.Chu Huairen let out an inaudible mournful cry, and got up from the spot with his hands and feet.

But Xue Ying's performance seemed weird.Her mouth was opened wide, her face showed a look of extreme terror, her hands kept shaking, but she didn't take a step.a moment later...

"Hee-ha-ha-ha-ha!"

She actually let out a horrible laugh, and shed tears.

Oops!Xue Ying can't do it anymore!

Zheng Zhuo gritted his teeth, followed Chu Huairen, and ran into the dark jungle.

Xue Ying was still standing by the fire.And the thing that used to be Shen's classmate, slowly swinging his slender limbs dripping with liquid, chased after him.

……

"...Ha, ha, ha...damn..."

Zheng Zhuo ran forward desperately.He could hear Chu Huairen nearby, but couldn't see him—the visibility in the jungle at night was too low.He felt that he was always approaching the other party's direction, but after a while, Chu Huairen's voice moved further away.

"—should—uh!"

Zheng Zhuo failed to observe the terrain carefully. At this time, he tripped over an unknown object and fell to the ground suddenly!
"--Varied--"

Zheng Zhuo turned around abruptly.A flashlight in his hand illuminated the front of him.

What tripped him up was a severed propeller plane blade.

"—"

The light of the flashlight flickered, illuminating the front of Zheng Zhuo.

Under the cover of dense vegetation, the wreckage of an ancient propeller plane lies there quietly.

"...so... so close..."

Zheng Zhuo actually saw the plane he was looking for at this moment!

However, there is no time to wait for him to be happy.

Fishy wind blowing.

Accompanied by the creepy "clack" sound, the monster that was once Shen's classmate followed from the direction Zheng Zhuo had just run from.

"(—weapon! There is—something that can be used as a weapon—)"

Zheng Zhuo touched his coat!In his coat pocket was a multi-function wrench he had brought from the boat.However, that wrench is small, half the size of a regular wrench, and very light.

Zheng Zhuo is not sure if this thing has attack power!He looked around sharply.

Small objects were scattered on the ground next to the plane.Zheng Zhuo vaguely saw some sharp protrusions on the fuselage of the plane, like sharpened wooden stakes.

The stakes were entangled with netting, which must have been done by hand—some kind of protection from wild animals.

At the same time, Zheng Zhuo also smelled gasoline.

On the inside of those stakes rest some square red plastic barrels.

Zheng Zhuo saw at a glance that it was a portable oil drum.

"(Now, I should...)"

……

【problem】

[The companion has become a monster!How should we resist? 】

[Option [-]: Knock with a wrench]

Possible problems: The combat distance is too close, and you are also injured
[Option [-]: Use anti-animal facilities]

Possible problems: Can only expel the opponent, and the opponent will turn to attack Chu Huairen

[Option [-]: Ignite the engine oil]

Possible problems: Will be burned along with other clues next to the wreckage

　After [Option 1], [Option 1] and [Option [-]], you can leave a message in the form of [this chapter says]. A message under [-] id counts as [-] vote.

　　票数统计截至至2022/11/19日中午12：00.
　　Finally, please recommend tickets~
　　


(End of this chapter)