Infinite Gods Reign Supreme

Chapter 22 - This Can Be Called a Win-Win Situation
Unexpectedly, the first person to follow up wasn't Koyama Keiji, who had given his name first, but rather the bespectacled nerdy guy with dark circles under his eyes. Si Ming ignored him, and he wasn't annoyed. Instead, he quickly came up with a logical explanation for himself and then looked like he had just realized something.

"So he's the type with low initial affinity... Wait for me! Big brother, where do I get the newbie gear and gift pack?"

He hurriedly followed. Then came the tall, thin office worker and the glamorous woman. The high school girl was a little slower. The American soldier who had been lying on the ground groaning also managed to get up and let out a weak roar at the obese office worker he had kicked over.

"Damn it! Aren't you going to come and help me up? How can you be so inconsiderate?"

He clearly does this kind of thing often, frequently using his status to bully such targets. And given his ample experience, his judgment is unlikely to be poor.

"Yes, yes." The chubby white-collar worker smiled broadly, as if he hadn't been kicked at all. He respectfully and carefully helped the American soldier up from the ground, only to be casually pushed away by the soldier and fall to the ground again. Several seconds passed before he struggled to his feet a second time, while the group had already reached near the entrance of the shopping mall.

He stared intently at the departing American soldier, then turned away with a hint of fear, looking at the others. A ferocious expression flickered across his face, but it was quickly masked by numbness and ingratiation.

A gust of cold wind blew by, and he suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. The deserted street was filled with an indescribable silence, which immediately made his heart tremble and filled him with panic.

"Wait, wait for me!" He scrambled and stumbled as he tried to catch up.

........................

Si Ming pushed open the rusted glass door, and a sharp, unpleasant scraping sound immediately echoed inside the mall. Even without turning his head, he was fully aware of everything happening behind him. And at this moment, he probably had no other thought besides sighing.

What else could it be?

Even if we take a step back and assume the worst, it should still be slightly better than the previous round.

At least this time these idiots knew to follow instead of standing still and waiting to die. Although, this could very well be because last time it was a modern city, and this time it's a post-apocalyptic ruin, which is why the situation has changed.

Take a breath, suppressing your inner rage and murderous intent. Even a useless person might have their uses; you should prioritize focusing on what you can accomplish according to your own plans.

'Thud—' The armored soles of the shoes stepped on the ground.

With such a group of clueless companions, there was no need to carefully conceal oneself. He casually kicked aside a few empty cans blocking his way, and the shopping hall in front of him was even more spacious than he had expected.

The first floor is a showroom for various home appliances and jewelry, and the light shining through the translucent ceiling makes the area clear and bright. Some green grass has already grown in the cracks of the floor, while the shelves and the goods that have fallen to the ground are all rusted beyond recognition.

This place does indeed look like it has been abandoned for three years.

With the aid of his nano-biohazard suit, Si Ming's senses extended outwards, but he didn't immediately detect breathing or heartbeats outside of his own. At least not on the surface, but the underground of the mall might be a different story.

“Be careful,” he said casually. “Night Demons are mutant creatures that fear sunlight. As long as you stay in areas with light, the chances of being attacked are very small. I’m going up to the upper levels to establish a safe temporary base. You can exchange information about the plot and details of the movie ‘I Am Legend,’ and it’s best not to go underground.”

A word of advice.

Advice doesn't always guarantee a reward.

"The props are pretty realistic. How much did it cost? Your reality show must have had a high budget." The glamorous and picky woman looked around, her arms crossed. This is a psychological sign of unease, and she was indeed just complaining; she wasn't actively wandering around.

The one that was running amok was another one.

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

The young man with dark circles under his eyes shouted excitedly, and without hesitation, he ran towards the nearest escalator towards the dark lower level. Perhaps he was truly immersed in the game world, or perhaps this was an attempt to test his status.

Whatever the truth may be, the world will discipline him in Si Ming's place.

Without waiting or paying attention, Si Ming simply stated his action plan and continued upwards along the escalator.

"Um...shouldn't we wait for him?" The high school girl in her uniform said timidly. "That being called 'God' mentioned that we're all...the East Blue Team, right? Since we're all a team, it's probably better if we act together, isn't it?"

"Who's on a team with a man like that?" the picky woman scoffed, looking completely indifferent. The other three men, however, remained silent.

One second, two seconds.

Si Ming didn't stop, but walked from the first floor to the second floor. He heard the man with dark circles under his eyes run back up even faster than when he ran down, and then look nonchalant when he reached the ground floor.

"It's too dark down there, I can't see anything. I need a crucial mission item."

No one paid him any attention, and the JK's lips moved slightly. But in the end, perhaps because the first impression had been too bad, she didn't say anything more.

The group continued upwards. The second floor was mainly a clothing store, and there was no need to linger there. The third floor, however, was the top floor, offering a much wider view. Sunlight streamed through the ceiling, and there was a small movie theater. The theater was enclosed enough, and the counters were stocked with several bottles of mineral water and snack bags that had been sitting there for years, as well as many unopened cans of food stored in cabinets.

This place is alright; it should be fine as a base. Unfortunately, food supplies are a bit lacking, not enough to allow six people to spend half a month peacefully in this area.

"Next, I will explore and clean up the underground level, eliminating any unstable factors."

Si Ming traversed every corridor on the third floor, opening every door, whether ajar or locked. There were no dried bones on the ground, no remnants of flesh or blood on the walls or in the corners. It was as if the mall had simply been abandoned, rather than submerged by disaster. Si Ming actually knew the reason: the Night Demons, mutated from the KV virus, possessed an incredibly powerful metabolism, allowing them to collect all fresh and stale flesh and blood, devouring it completely.

His gaze swept over the newlyweds, who, until now, had not discussed the content of "I Am Legend" to any extent.

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

"I don't watch things from the real world."

"I'm so annoyed by a bunch of men bothering me every day, I don't have time."

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

Three different replies, three identical answers.

The JK girl glanced nervously at the others, then opened her mouth uncertainly.

"Um... this seems to be a movie that was only released at the end of this year. It's normal that not many people know about it..." A correct but meaningless statement.

But the American soldier who had been slapped by Si Ming straightened his back triumphantly.

"Ha, I've seen every single Will Smith movie. It's basically just a story about a guy and a dog fighting vampires in post-apocalyptic New York. Those monsters are afraid of light and are weak. As long as I have a gun, I can take care of a dozen of them by myself!"

Si Ming glanced at the guy, remaining noncommittal. He did indeed have quite a few spare firearms in his storage ring, but he had no intention of sharing them with this group of clueless idiots right now.

"Night Demons have a very keen sense of smell, but disinfectant can prevent them from noticing the situation at the safe house. Also, besides humans, canines like dogs can be infected with the KV virus to complete their Night Demon transformation. On the contrary, felines like lions do not seem to be transformed by air or water."

Siming added information that the American soldiers didn't know or hadn't mentioned. He then inspected the perimeter of the third floor. He marked the cracks in several windows, and the shelter remained well-lit after the curtains were drawn.

"They possess sight and simple intelligence. Therefore, at night, one must not make any sound or light. Fresh flesh and blood are very tempting to them, especially human blood, which can even awaken these nocturnal monsters during the day. So, at night, do not do anything unnecessary. And especially do not quarrel or make noise."

"Wait!" The picky woman suddenly looked up alertly. "Why are you saying all this? Aren't you coming with us tonight? Don't you men even know how to protect women?"

“I have a task to assign to you.” Si Ming ignored her.

"Before I return, organize the available supplies on this floor, pile them up, and make a list. You can choose to go to the clothing section on the second floor to get some fabric, and then go to the appliance store on the first floor to look for some usable appliances. If there are items like generators or solar panels, that would be even better. Then, I ask you to find some repair materials to cover up the cracks I found earlier."

“I require you to do at least one of these things. Even if you can’t do it perfectly, at least try your best. I will come back after I’ve cleaned up the underground supermarket, which will take quite a while. Then, I will discuss the next steps with you all.”

He paused.

"Of course, if anyone wants to go on an adventure with me, I will do my best to protect their safety. As long as we don't encounter any extreme or unusual situations, I guarantee that you won't get bitten by the 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 nanotech suit first. And that gun too.” He looked Si Ming up and down, only noticing the AA12 shotgun that Si Ming carried with him, which originated from the previous world. “Anyway, big brothers usually die in the tutorial anyway. Rather than having to bother me to collect your corpse later, it’s better to get it over with in one go.”

Si Ming glanced at the confident and eager young man, then at the proper shotgun in his hand.

He suddenly let out a sneer.

"I've been eating too much meat, and now I'm even chanting Buddhist scriptures to maintain my health."

The 'Gada' gun is loaded.

It used ordinary 12-gauge buckshot, not the more powerful high-explosive shotgun shells. The next moment, the muzzle shot out sparks from the youth's feet!

'boom--! ’

The advantage of using buckshot is that a person won't die instantly. A burst of fire, accompanied by a sudden blast of iron pellets, shattered the dark-circled youth's feet on the spot.

It's a foot, not a leg.

He let out an incredulous and terrified scream. The other newcomers also screamed in fear, but Si Ming merely raised the muzzle of his gun slightly.

'boom--! ’

This is only the leg, the calf. The deer bullet's destructive power over flesh remains excellent.

"Waaah—Spare me, spare me! I'll never dare to do it again—"

scream.

The screams stopped as the flames erupted again.

Behind the left leg, there is the right leg. Behind the right leg, there are the left and right hands.

Only when this reckless fellow could only writhe and howl in a pool of blood did Si Ming cast his gaze upon the newlyweds, who were now cowering in fear.

“The fresh blood needs to be processed immediately; you must do this well. Oh, and…”

With a flick of his wrist, a .22LR caliber Glock pistol with a silencer fell from his dimensional ring into his hand. This was one of his weapons for dealing with special situations, and it came in handy now.

"Hey, that woman."

The glamorous woman, who had uttered several outrageous remarks, subconsciously raised her head, and the next moment, a series of blinding flashes appeared in her eyes. A sharp pain shot through her body, and she collapsed to the ground.

She let out a scream of uncontrollable pain.

“I really hate it when people tell me what to do.” Siming put away his Glock, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. “I hope you learn your lesson. Don’t worry, it’s not fatal. You won’t die anytime soon.”

temporary.

Si Ming's gaze swept over the newlyweds who didn't dare to breathe.

"Your second task is that when I return, I don't want to hear her continuing to make a fuss... Use whatever means necessary. Of course, if a Night Demon has already rushed over before you arrive... although the probability is very small, it's not actually zero, is it?"

He nodded to the newlyweds, then, carrying the young man with dark circles under his eyes who could no longer even groan, he walked downstairs.

With his mood improved, he now had the leverage to lure all the hiding night demons. Si Ming also gave a definite answer to the young man with dark circles under his eyes' earlier question.

This is a win-win situation.

(End of this chapter)