On the third morning, the sun rose once again in the Apocalyptic Mirage, but the expected space reset still hadn't come.
A mix of panic, suppression, and despair spread through the crowd. No one believed in the so-called mirage space anymore. Rumors about a biochemical crisis, the end of the world, and other such stories quickly became the dominant discourse. Everyone started to believe that the entire world had become a domain of the undead, and the national government had collapsed. There would be no rescue. They were completely abandoned—just a batch of pitiful creatures.
Amidst these rumors, many people's emotions began to spiral into extremes. A casual glance could now provoke violent brawls, and bloodshed broke out frequently. The security team members tried to intervene, but as mass brawls occurred and several security personnel were injured, no one attempted to control the situation anymore. Even many former members of the security team had joined in the fighting.
With no order to uphold, crime ran rampant like a garden left untended—food and water were stolen, women were raped, and all manner of horrors took place in the dimly lit cinema hall. The sounds of furious old people, crying children, women's wails, and men's lecherous laughter turned the place into something resembling hell on earth.
Xu Mo and the others had been in the corridor, reinforcing windows and doors with the security team. Hearing the chaos in the cinema hall, they hurried inside, only to find three men assaulting a young woman, whose clothes were torn and ragged. Chang Zitong was instantly filled with rage. She swung her "Crack Earth" war hammer, smashing the skulls of the three men on the spot.
"Damn it! These animals! We've been fighting to protect them, and this is what we get?" Chang Zitong gently placed the now catatonic woman on a nearby chair, gritting her teeth as she spoke.
Du Zhizhang looked down at the three men already dead on the floor, his face turning pale. He shook his head slightly and said, "This… this is the lowliest side of human nature, isn't it?"
Looking at the hellish scene inside, Xu Mo knew he had to do something to control the rapidly worsening situation. He glanced at Du Zhizhang and Chang Zitong, took a deep breath, and said flatly, "These scum… just kill them all."
Winter, who had been by their side, was shocked. Having been raised with a sense of law and order, he instinctively objected, "These people are despicable, but they don't deserve to die, do they? They're just controlled by their emotions…"
Xu Mo ignored Winter's objections. He walked into the hall and suddenly stabbed his sword into the chest of a man who was trying to steal a biscuit from a child. He flicked the blood off the short sword, then moved on to the next location.
"A man's got to act decisively—no hesitation!" Chang Zitong patted Winter on the shoulder with a cold sneer, then swung her war hammer and charged into the hall.
Du Zhizhang shrugged helplessly. He always followed Chang Zitong's lead, and to prevent further confusion, he didn't summon any Lickers but followed behind her, holding his "Colt Python" tightly.
The sudden killings shocked everyone in the hall. No one could forget these three people who had killed over five hundred zombies. The sheer fear of death immediately caused the perpetrators to snap out of their madness—some fled in panic, while others fell to their knees, begging for mercy.
Unfortunately, Xu Mo had made up his mind to use these deaths as an example. Aside from those involved in the brawls, anyone who had stolen or raped was to be executed without mercy. In just a few minutes, more than forty perpetrators were killed, and their bodies were thrown out of the second-floor windows to be devoured by zombies.
The swift and ruthless killings had the desired effect. The chaos in the hall was finally brought under control, and the subsequent cleanup became much easier.
Though Winter still disagreed with Xu Mo's indiscriminate killings, he had to admit that it was the only effective method to stop things from spiraling out of control.
On the third day, there was only one zombie break-in incident, but this time the scale was the smallest of the previous attacks—only about twenty quick zombies flooded the corridor. The remaining security team members, though few in number, quickly regained control of the situation and held the line until Xu Mo and the others arrived.
Afterward, the fourth day came with no further incidents.
Xu Mo woke up at 7:00 AM. He wasn't sure whether the Apocalyptic Mirage would reset today. With a troubled mind, he grabbed a few crackers and left the resting room to head toward the cinema hall.
After days of intense fighting, the walls and floors of the corridor were stained with dark red blood. The unmistakable smell of zombies still lingered in the air. A few injured security team members sat motionless on long benches, holding U-shaped forks, smoking cigarettes with empty stares, gazing at the ceiling. The faint sounds of zombie growls echoed outside, adding to the overwhelming sense of despair.
Although it was still early, when Xu Mo entered the cinema hall, almost no one was asleep. The faces of the people reflected a deep fear and anxiety about an unpredictable future, their expressions frozen and lifeless, like the dead.
Suddenly, a special groan reached Xu Mo's ears. Though he had never been through sexual experiences himself, the sound was all too familiar. His face tightened, and he quickly drew his Spartan short sword, walking briskly toward the source of the sound. He was about to see who, after yesterday's bloody warning, would still dare to commit such acts.
His murderous presence sent the couple in the corner into a near-panic, and they hastily separated, scrambling to cover themselves with clothes.
"Please don't kill me! I didn't force her! I promised to share half a packet of biscuits with her, and she agreed to do this voluntarily…" The man, pale-faced, fell to his knees, desperately pleading with Xu Mo.
Just as Xu Mo hesitated, a young girl, no older than sixteen, stylish and attractive, suddenly lunged at him, grabbing the half-pack of biscuits sticking out of his pocket.
Xu Mo, caught off guard, instinctively grabbed her wrist. Yet, the girl clung to the biscuits, not letting go, and pleaded, "Please let me have a bite first? Just one bite, and after that, you can do whatever you want…"
As she spoke, the girl pulled down her coat's collar, revealing her bare chest in front of Xu Mo.
"I'm sorry… take the biscuits," Xu Mo muttered, feeling an inexplicable sense of sadness.
With a heavy sigh, Xu Mo gently wrapped her coat back around her, left the biscuits behind, and silently walked away.
He could protect these people's safety, but he couldn't save their dignity. In the face of unbearable hunger, morality and shame meant nothing.
This damned Apocalyptic Mirage.
As Xu Mo left the cinema hall, intending to return to the resting room, he unexpectedly ran into Minister Wang and the rest of the leadership team. They appeared to have just come back from the underground warehouse, and almost everyone was carrying heavy boxes.
Upon seeing Xu Mo, Minister Wang's gaze immediately flickered, and he hastily said a few words before trying to leave. This abnormal behavior immediately made Xu Mo suspicious. Pretending to bid them farewell, he passed by them and suddenly slashed open one of the boxes, causing biscuits and snacks to scatter all over the floor.
"What's going on here? Didn't you say there was no food left?" Xu Mo's icy gaze swept over everyone present.
"Comrade, don't be so serious! We anticipated that this could turn into a long battle, so we stocked up on some supplies…" A chubby leader, whose name Xu Mo didn't know, hurriedly tried to defuse the situation.
Xu Mo suddenly grabbed the leader by the collar and lifted him up. His teeth clenched in anger. "Do you know what the citizens inside are going through right now? And you're hoarding food? You're going to distribute it immediately! Even if it's just one cracker per person, you have to give it out!"