Honkai: You're telling me this difficulty is from Honkai Impact 3?!

A seemingly endless stream of zombies poured from every corner of Shanghai City, quickly filling the empty streets, mirroring the horrors of Nagazora. Those who had escaped the shelter scrambled for cover, some, like Little Chen, unlucky enough to encounter the horde and be forced into a desperate marathon.

"Dude, did you see that? That lady's eyes were hanging out!" one college student shrieked, glancing back.

"Bullshit! Did you see that dude's beard?! That was totally a guy!" another student retorted, running alongside him.

"What kind of dude wears a flower in his hair?!" the third student yelled, then, unable to resist, looked back again.

"Holy crap, I saw his junk! It was huge!" For a fleeting moment, three identical expressions of horror morphed into identical expressions of disgust.

They ran on, their speed drawing a growing train of relatively intact zombies behind them, trapped in a macabre chase around the city blocks.

Inside a locked house, a middle-aged couple held hands, huddled together, a grim smile on their faces. A speaker placed by the door blasted noise, keeping the zombies outside from breaking through.

"This…should buy us some time…" the husband sighed, putting his arm around his wife. "That train station's too far…these old bones of ours ain't gonna make it…"

"Heh, old man, scared?" his wife chuckled, patting his hand.

"Nah…lived a long life, ain't nothing left to be scared of." He puffed out his chest, giving it a confident pat.

In Otto's car, the zombies had thickened, blocking their path. Even Otto's driving skills couldn't navigate the horde. Fu Hua and Kallen were forced to clear a path.

"Use Sushang's sword," Otto instructed. Li Sushang immediately handed it to Fu Hua. She felt the change in the sword, her questions multiplying, but Shu remained fast asleep in the passenger seat.

Otto glanced at him, debating whether to administer the "forced reboot slap" himself.

Probably pointless.

He sighed. He should have asked Shu if he could create some real weapons.

The car slowed to a crawl, Otto's frown deepening.

"Truly worthy of being Shenzhou's most prosperous coastal city…" he muttered, rubbing his temples as the car finally came to a complete stop.

…

"What do we do, Yun Feng?" Chen Shicheng had slammed the shelter door shut the moment he saw the emerging horde.

Over seventy people remained inside, crowded behind the door, listening to the growls and scraping sounds from the other side.

Yun Feng stood alone in the corner, staring intently at the blank wall.

He needed a plan…a way to save everyone…no, a way to save as many as possible.

His hands clenched into fists. His face contorted in thought, reminding himself every few seconds to stay calm, discarding one plan after another.

"What to do…what to do…" His breathing grew ragged as he recalled his observations of the zombies. They weren't deterred by bright light, but it slowed them down. They were attracted to noise. Their dried-out bodies were easily flammable…

"Brother…these zombies…they're attracted to noise, right?" a hesitant voice came from behind him.

"Mengxi!" Liu Zhuohua grabbed Yun Mengxi, but it was too late. Yun Feng had turned around.

Confusion clouded his face. He still hadn't found a solution. But he answered his sister, "Yes…what are you thinking? Creating a distraction outside? We can't get out…and we don't have anything that can make enough noise…"

"There is, in the arena," Yun Mengxi said, stepping forward in her eagerness, nearly tripping Liu Zhuohua.

"My concert equipment…the speakers are custom-made, they can broadcast across the entire city!" she explained rapidly. Yun Feng's eyes widened.

Right…the arena had a dedicated power system for the concert equipment. The speakers could be activated. But…his hope quickly died.

"No, there are more zombies in the arena. If we activate the speakers, they'll swarm the place. Whoever goes in won't make it out alive…"

Yun Mengxi paused, biting her lip. "Are…are those my fans, the ones who came to see me that day?" she whispered.

Yun Feng closed his eyes, nodding.

"I'll activate the speakers!" Chen Shicheng stepped forward, looking at Yun Feng. He understood. Someone had to sacrifice themselves. He would do it.

"You won't make it alone. The speakers emit a burst of static before going silent. You have to reach the main console to keep them running, and it's too far…you can't break through alone."

Chen Shicheng fell silent. He was prepared to die, but the thought of taking someone else with him…that was harder to accept.

Yun Feng looked at him for a long moment, then chuckled softly.

"Two will be enough." He took a deep breath, turning to address the others, who had been watching them intently.

"Everyone…can you wait here for a moment? Chen Shicheng and I are going to create an opportunity for you. When you hear the sound from outside, open the door and run, understand?"

"Brother!" Yun Mengxi cried.

Yun Feng turned slightly. Everyone's gaze followed his, falling on the girl who had inadvertently sent her brother to his death. He looked at her, his mouth opening, then closing. He didn't know what to say…

Finally, he reached out, gently placing his hand on her head, just like ten years ago, when he'd told her, "Now…you can chase your dreams."