This Can Be Called a Win-Win

Unexpectedly, the first to follow wasn't Keiji Koyama, who had been the first to state his name, but the dark-circled, bespectacled otaku. Si Ming ignored him, and the man didn't take offense; instead, he quickly concocted a logic for himself, then wore an expression of sudden realization.

"So it's the type with low initial favorability, huh... Wait for me! Big Brother, where do I go to get my starter gear and gift pack?"

He scrambled to catch up. Only then did the tall, thin office worker and the glamorous woman follow. The high school girl in uniform was slightly slower. The American soldier, who had been groaning on the ground, also managed to climb up, roaring with slightly insufficient breath at the obese white-collar worker he had kicked over.

"Asshole! Why haven't you come over to pull me up? Are you that clueless?"

He clearly did this often, frequently relying on his status to bully such targets. Since he was experienced, his eye for targets wasn't half bad.

"Yes, yes." The fat white-collar worker wore a face full of smiles, as if he hadn't just been kicked. He respectfully and carefully helped the American soldier up from the ground, only to be shoved aside by the soldier and sent sprawling again. It took several seconds for him to struggle to his feet a second time, by which point the group had already reached the entrance of the shopping mall.

He stared fixedly at the American soldier's retreating back, then fearfully averted his gaze to the others. A flash of ferocity appeared on his face, but it was quickly masked by numbness and sycophancy.

A cold wind blew, and he suddenly felt a chill down his spine. The desolate street was filled with an indescribable silence, which immediately made his heart tremble and plunged him into panic.

"Wait, wait for me!" He scrambled and crawled, struggling to catch up.

Si Ming pushed open the rusted glass revolving door, and a sharp, grating screech echoed through the mall. Even without turning his head, he knew everything that was happening behind him. At this moment, he likely had no other thought than to sigh.

What else could he do?

Taking a step back, it was at least slightly better than the previous round, right?

At the very least, this bunch of idiots knew to follow instead of standing there waiting for death. Although, that was likely only because the last time was a modern city, and this time was a post-apocalyptic ruin, which changed the situation.

Inhale, suppress the irritability and killing intent within. Trash might have the uses of trash; he should prioritize focusing on what he could achieve according to his own plan.

Clack. The armored soles of his boots struck the floor.

With a group of such clueless companions, there was no need for careful stealth or camouflage. He casually kicked aside a few soda cans blocking his path, and the shopping hall before him was even more spacious than he had expected.

The first floor was a showroom for various appliances and jewelry, and the light streaming through the skylights made the area clear and bright. Tufts of green grass had already sprouted from the cracks in the floor, and the shelves and goods scattered on the ground were rusted beyond recognition.

This place truly looked like it had been abandoned for three years.

Si Ming's perception, aided by his Nano-Biochemical Suit, extended outward. He didn't immediately detect any breathing or heartbeats other than those behind him. At least not on the surface, but beneath the mall, things might be different.

"Be careful," he said casually. "Night Demons are mutant creatures that fear sunlight. As long as you don't leave the light, the chance of being attacked is very low. I'm going to the upper levels to establish a temporary safe base. You can discuss the plot and details of the movie 'I Am Legend' among yourselves, and it's best not to go underground."

A piece of advice.

Advice doesn't always guarantee a return.

"The props are quite realistic. How much did you spend? The budget for this reality show of yours isn't small, is it?" The glamorous, picky woman looked around, arms crossed. In psychology, this was a sign of anxiety, and she was indeed just complaining, not actively wandering around.

The one wandering around was someone else.

"That just means there's treasure in the underground area! It's an abandoned city, I know, just like the Nier series!"

The dark-circled youth shouted excitedly, and without hesitation, he ran toward the nearest escalator leading to the dim lower level. Perhaps he was truly immersed in the world of games, or perhaps this was an attempt to verify his own status.

And whatever the truth was, the world would discipline him in Si Ming's stead.

Without waiting, without paying any mind, Si Ming simply continued upward along the escalator after stating his plan.

"Um... aren't we going to wait for him?" the high school girl in uniform asked timidly. "That existence called the 'Main God' seemed to mention that we are all... the East Sea Team. Since we're all one team, wouldn't it be better to act together?"

"Who's on a team with a man like that?" the picky woman sneered, looking indifferent. The other three men offered no opinion on the matter.

One second, two seconds.

Si Ming didn't pause, simply walking from the first floor to the second. He heard the dark-circled man run back up even faster than he had run down, only to act nonchalant upon reaching the level.

"It's too dark down there, I couldn't see anything. I need key mission items."

No one answered him. The JK's lips moved, but in the end, perhaps because the first impression had been too terrible, she didn't say anything else.

The group continued upward. The second floor was mainly clothing stores, and there was no need to linger there. The third floor, further up, was the top level with a wider view. Sunlight poured in through the ceiling, and there was a small cinema. The cinema was sufficiently enclosed, and the counters held many bottles of mineral water and snack bags that had been sitting for years, as well as several unopened cans stored in the cabinets.

This place would do; it should be fine as a base. It was a pity that food supplies were slightly insufficient, not enough for six people to spend a peaceful half-month in this area.

"Next, I will go explore and clear out the underground level. I'll get rid of the unstable factors."

Si Ming walked through every corridor of the third floor, opening every door that was left ajar or locked. There were no dried skeletons on the ground, nor were there scraps of flesh or blood in the walls or corners. It was as if this mall had simply been abandoned, rather than swallowed by disaster. Si Ming actually knew the reason: the Night Demons, mutated from the KV Virus, had a very powerful metabolism, so they collected all fresh or stale flesh and ate it all without leaving a scrap.

His gaze swept over the newcomers. Even now, they hadn't discussed the content of 'I Am Legend' at all.

"So, none of you have seen 'I Am Legend'?"

"I don't watch 3D stuff."

"I'm sick of being pestered by men all day, no time."

"Apologies, I don't have the habit of watching movies."

Three different replies, one identical answer.

The JK girl looked at the others uneasily, opening her mouth uncertainly.

"Um... I think this movie only came out late this year. It's normal that not many people know about it..."

A correct piece of nonsense.

But the American soldier who had taken a palm strike from Si Ming straightened his back triumphantly.

"Ha, I've watched every Will Smith movie. It's really just a story about a man and his dog fighting vampires in a post-apocalyptic New York. Those monsters fear light and are quite weak; as long as I have a gun, I could take out a dozen of them by myself!"

Si Ming glanced at this guy, noncommittal. He did indeed have plenty of spare firearms in his Dimensional Ring, but he had no intention of sharing them with this bunch of clueless idiots right now.

"Night Demons have keen senses of smell, but disinfectant can prevent them from noticing the situation in the safe house. Furthermore, besides humans, canines like dogs can also be infected with the KV Virus and undergo Night Demon transformation. Conversely, felines like lions don't seem to be converted through the air or drinking water."

Si Ming added the intelligence that the American soldier either didn't know or hadn't mentioned. He circled the perimeter of the third floor to inspect it. He marked the cracks near several windows, and after pulling the curtains shut, the shelter maintained good light-blocking properties.

"They possess vision and simple intelligence. Therefore, at night, you must not make any sound or light. Additionally, fresh flesh is extremely tempting to them; human blood, in particular, can even cause these nocturnal monsters to wake during the day. So, at night, do not do anything unnecessary. And definitely do not argue or make a racket."

"Wait!" the picky woman suddenly looked up, alert. "Why are you telling us this? Aren't you staying with us at night? Do you men not even know how to protect women?"

"I have tasks assigned to you." Si Ming ignored her.

"Before I return, organize the usable supplies on this floor, stack them together, and compile a list. You can choose to go to the clothing section on the second floor to get some fabric, then head to the appliance store on the first floor to find any usable electronics. If there are generators or solar panels, that would naturally be best. Then, I require you to find some repair materials to cover the cracks I found earlier."

"I require you to complete at least one of these tasks; even if you can't do it well, at least try. I will return after clearing out the underground supermarket, and that won't be a short time. When I return, I will discuss the next steps with everyone."

He paused.

"Of course, if anyone wants to go down and take risks with me, I will do my best to protect their safety. As long as we don't encounter extreme, special circumstances, I guarantee you won't be bitten by a Night Demon."

His gaze swept over everyone, but only the young man with dark circles under his eyes looked expectant and eager to try.

"I can go with you, but you have to give me the Nano-Biochemical Suit first. And that gun." He looked Si Ming up and down, seeing only the AA12 Shotgun from the previous world that Si Ming carried. "Anyway, 'Big Brothers' and the like usually die in the tutorial level. Rather than having to trouble me with collecting your corpse later, it's better to just get it over with now."

Si Ming looked at the confident, eager youth, then back at the serious shotgun in his own hands.

He suddenly let out a scoff.

"I must have eaten too much meat; I'm starting to act all merciful and zen."

Click. The gun was loaded.

He was using standard 12-gauge buckshot, not the more powerful high-explosive shells. The next moment, the muzzle spat fire directly at the youth's feet!

BOOM!

The advantage of using buckshot is that a person won't die instantly. With the flash of fire and a violent sweep of iron pellets, the dark-circled youth's feet were pulverized on the spot.

The feet, not the legs.

He let out a shriek of disbelief and terror. The other newcomers screamed in fear as well, but Si Ming only tilted the muzzle slightly upward.

BOOM!

Now it was the legs, the shins. The destructive power of buckshot against flesh remained excellent.

"Waaaah—spare, spare me! I won't dare to—"

A scream.

The scream was cut short by another burst of fire.

After the left leg, there was the right leg. After the right leg, there were the left and right hands.

Only when this fool who didn't know his place could only crawl and wail in a pool of blood did Si Ming turn his gaze toward the newcomers, who had shrunk into a trembling ball.

"Fresh blood needs to be dealt with immediately; you must get this done. Ah, and one more thing..."

He flipped his palm, and a .22LR caliber Glock Pistol with a silencer dropped from his Dimensional Ring into his hand. This was one of the armaments he kept for special situations, and it was just right for this.

"Hey, you woman."

The gorgeous woman who had been spouting nonsense subconsciously looked up, and the next moment, a series of blinding flashes appeared in her eyes. A sharp pain surged through her body, and the next second, she collapsed to the ground.

She let out an irrepressible scream of agony.

"I really hate it when people try to boss me around." Si Ming put away the Glock, his tone even carrying a hint of a smile. "I hope you can remember this lesson. Don't worry, it's not a fatal wound. You won't die for the time being."

For the time being.

Si Ming's gaze swept over the newcomers, who didn't even dare to breathe loudly.

"Your second task: when I return, I don't want to hear her making any more noise... use whatever method you like. Of course, if a Night Demon rushes over before then... although the probability is very small, it isn't actually zero, is it?"

He nodded at the newcomers, grabbed the dark-circled youth—who could no longer even muster a wail—and headed downstairs.

His mood had improved, and he now had bait to lure out all the hiding Night Demons. As for the youth's earlier question, Si Ming had now given a definitive answer.

This was a win-win situation.