Starting with a Dog, All Equipment Depends on Looting
The world in the tenth square is no longer gray; the shimmering white light indicates that the war in this world is not over yet.
The divine prompt did not appear. Instead, light spread upwards from Russell's feet, instantly transporting him to a modern metropolis filled with skyscrapers.
The empty square was overgrown with weeds, and abandoned cars could be seen everywhere in the corners. The whole city was deserted and as quiet as a ghost town.
Manhattan, New York!
Russell immediately recognized his location. The stone archway in front of him, resembling the Arc de Triomphe, pinpointed the exact location: Washington Square Park, next to New York University.
Putting aside the fact that he often sees this scene while watching TV series, his multiple time travel experiences alone would make him feel familiar with this city.
"New York again, Manhattan again, this terrible feng shui is really bringing bad luck!"
Russell shook his head slightly. The desolate scenery was so bleak that it was as if all of humanity had perished; it was definitely a post-apocalyptic landscape.
What should be done with the twelve hibernation pods behind us?
Russell thought for a moment and decided to leave it alone for the time being, first figuring out which world he was in and understanding the plot before making any decisions.
He walked away from Washington Square Park, and ahead lay Fifth Avenue, deserted and overgrown with weeds, with only a few skeletons scattered about.
In this doomsday world for humanity, a paradise for animals and plants, he has already seen several groups of wild animals running around.
In a world utterly clueless, Russell once again found himself in the awkward situation of insufficient information, resorting to the process of elimination to deduce the truth.
Although the city's buildings were in ruins, there was no sign of attack. This ruled out several factors that could destroy human civilization: strong artificial intelligence, asteroids, aliens, natural disasters, nuclear war, etc.
The remaining options are few and far between, nothing more than viruses, plagues, or other mysterious forces.
After walking for about half an hour, Russell found the BBA dealerships on the street, which are the three major German luxury car brands.
On a whim, he successfully found a brand-new and well-preserved Audi R8, which suggests that the extinction of humanity or the evacuation of New York was not too long ago.
Then Russell pulled out a can of gasoline from the warehouse, the type of which matched perfectly, as if it had been prepared especially for him.
Having a car made searching the city much faster, but frustratingly, he didn't encounter a single living person in the two hours before sunset.
The absence of people during the day might mean they are hiding; many worlds have experienced great catastrophes, forcing humans to live a nocturnal lifestyle.
Russell drove back and sat in his car, waiting for the right moment. Since the Lord God chose Washington Square Park as his birthplace, there must be a reason for it.
As the last glimmer of light vanished, endless darkness enveloped the city. Russell looked up at the starry sky and discovered a shameful truth.
Without humans causing trouble, the stars in the night sky are damn bright!
"Roar roar roar————"
A cold and frenzied roar echoed from all around, and Russell instantly became alert. The humans he was waiting for hadn't appeared; instead, a group of uninvited guests had arrived.
No problem. It's a good opportunity to see what kind of creatures are humanity's greatest enemies in this world. Maybe we can even obtain important intelligence and find out where we are.
"Roar roar roar————"
The hoarse roars grew increasingly frenzied, and pairs of wolf-like, ferocious eyes glowed eerily in the darkness. Russell closed his eyes and sensed their presence; there were many of them, more than three digits of unknown creatures surrounding them, and their numbers were still increasing.
Lacking intelligence and unaware of the enemy's true strength, he reached out and scooped up the water from the fountain, spreading it around the sports car in case of an accident.
Russell was somewhat disappointed by the result; the enemy was not strong, and could even be described as weak.
One by one, ragged, grayish-white humanoid figures, with only rags covering their 404 parts, rushed out of the darkness and pounced on him with their bare hands.
The water swirls up, forming a spherical water curtain that completely surrounds the R8 sports car. Monsters from the darkness lie on the water sphere, baring their fangs and claws, swinging their fists and smashing wildly.
"His strength and speed far exceed those of ordinary people..."
Russell squinted, taking the opportunity to get a clear look at the group of 'monsters,' or more accurately, the appearance of these Mutant. They were completely hairless, muscular, with gray skin covered in dark blue veins, and their faces were so hideous they were chilling. However, their physical characteristics allowed them to distinguish their gender; they were indeed mutated humans.
"I feel like I've seen this kind of thing in some movie before!"
Russell frowned slightly, opened the car door and stared at a Mutant outside the water curtain. The mutant roared repeatedly, its wide-open mouth like a snake, constantly tearing at Russell from a distance.
It's easy to see from his greedy eyes that he was filled with desire for Russell's body!
I want to eat it!
Russell's gaze at the white mouse wounded the Mutant's pride. He roared to the sky and called for his companions to come and help.
In an instant, as if a hornet's nest had been stirred up, large swarms of gray-white figures surrounded them. Dozens of Mutant, unable to break through the hibernation pods, angrily abandoned the canned human flesh and leaped onto the water sphere to begin frantically biting at it.
Russell smiled slightly, raised a finger and pointed it at the water screen. Upon seeing this, the Mutant outside slapped down, causing the water screen to ripple slightly.
Crackling sounds!
The violent lightning surged along the water curtain, and visible arcs of Electric Arc leaped and flickered. The Mutant screamed and fell to the ground, their mouths twisted and their eyes squinting as they cried out in agony.
"He's very physically strong; a normal person wouldn't be able to take care of themselves..."
Russell was conducting his little research. The Mutant were not intelligent enough to realize the source of the crisis, and once again swarmed onto the water sphere, baring their teeth and showing off to their 'food'.
Russell, through these nocturnal creatures, roughly guessed the background of the world he was in. To express his gratitude, he put his palm into the water curtain and began to discharge at full power.
Crackling sounds!
A blinding burst of light erupted, the water sphere like a giant spotlight, amplifying the light in all directions. A flash of light in the night sky, accompanied by the sound of popping beans, and one by one, the Mutant, their bodies steaming, died.
The Mutant watching from afar were blinded by the bright light, screamed, and disappeared into the darkness. After a long howl of "This is a tough one," they all vanished without a trace.
"Knowing fear means you're not completely brainless."
Russell got into the driver's seat, closed his eyes for a short rest, and waited for the sun to rise. If he wasn't mistaken, this should be the world background of "I Am Legend".
The male protagonist is the only living person in New York City, perfectly illustrating what it means to start with a dog and scavenge for all your equipment!
According to the mission settings of this Infinity War, humans and Mutant are the two opposing camps. If one side wins, this world will be over.
So the question is, which camp should he join?
Supporting the humans is as simple as protecting the protagonist and helping him successfully develop the antidote serum; supporting the Mutant is even easier—just kill the protagonist and his dog, and you'll instantly beat the game...
"How about I experience a bout of melancholy too?"