blogombal Chapter 1: The Story Begins
Chapter 1: The Story Begins
(The author is terrible at naming things, so please ignore the name issue for now and just use the 24 solar terms.)
At first, Hanlu actually wanted to refuse, but some things cannot be resolved simply by refusing.
He was originally a promising young man who ate hotpot, sang songs, and then went home to sleep, possessing all the excellent qualities of today's youth.
But now.
"We've arrived. Passengers, please disembark."
After finishing his reflection, Hanlu nimbly flipped over the guardrail of the off-road vehicle and jumped out. The moment his feet landed, the dust kicked up hit his nose.
"Depend on."
Hanlu patted the dust in front of her. Although human society has been paralyzed for five years, it shouldn't be that every place is like a desert, right?
John Walker, sitting in the driver's seat, was quite composed. He pulled a gun from the passenger seat and cautiously surveyed his surroundings.
This is his most basic awareness as a retired soldier, and it is this awareness that has allowed him to live to this day.
"Don't worry, we have a living radar here, right, Attorney Matt?"
Matt, leaning on his small cane, kept tapping it on the ground, but his eyes, behind his sunglasses, remained fixed on the ground.
But it's okay, this is so that his ears can receive more comprehensive information from the surroundings.
"Don't worry, there are no enemies around. All the zombies in this area have already run away."
"Okay, okay."
John Walker, who had already witnessed Daredevil's exaggerated hearing along the way, put away his weapon, while Hanlu's gaze was fixed on the "ruins" in the distance, missing limbs and broken pieces.
"Whatever you want to do, I think we need to hurry. It's getting dark, and we're at a disadvantage."
"Stay calm."
Hanlu lifted the khaki hood from his head, and with his worn-out trench coat swaying in the wind, he honestly felt that he had quite the air of a wasteland scavenger.
But now is not the time to play with style; these days it's too hard to find a decent piece of clothing.
After making a few brief complaints about her outfit, Hanlu walked slowly forward under John Walker's protection.
He breathed a sigh of relief only when he saw the two bodies still in their stiff, dying postures.
John Walker deftly smacked the big guy in front of him with the butt of his gun.
"Are these two aliens valuable?"
"Of course! John, haven't you always wanted to be a super soldier? I'll give you a chance."
A smile played on Hanlu's lips as her pale, malnourished hands gently caressed the bodies of the two humanoid creatures.
But what was left of nothing but white bones was truly disgusting.
The moment Hanlu's fingertips touched the white bone, a mysterious white substance was released from its body, and some strange energy began to surge along his palm.
As he silently chanted, his highly concentrated mental energy gave rise to an indescribable white substance that completely enveloped the two bodies in front of him.
The spider-silk-like substance transformed it into a cocoon, and the two humanoid creatures gradually shrank and deformed.
After the final explosion, two lifelike, strangely octagonal stones appeared on the ground.
The two people standing nearby were already used to Hanlu's "disappearing act".
After all, when they saw this little guy turn a pile of scraps and waste into edible modern food, they had long since forgotten about science.
Hanlu stroked the two talismans with their rough cross-shaped patterns with satisfaction. This was a huge win!
[Ox: Super strength, super physique.]
[Chicken: Spiritual power, verbal guidance.]
Hanlu held the two talismans tightly in her hands, and a special power instantly filled her entire body.
His previously thin and bony body instantly became strong. With a slight push of his feet, huge cracks appeared in the flat ground, spreading like a spider web and extending to Matt's side, dozens of meters away.
"You succeeded."
Matt listened intently to the changes in his surroundings, and he "saw" much more clearly than John Walker, who was watching the scene with astonishment.
He could clearly feel that the other party had used only a little force to penetrate the power dozens of meters underground, and the surrounding cracks were nothing more than insignificant aftershocks.
"Success! Now."
Without hesitation, Hanlu tossed the "Ox" talisman in her hand to John, who hadn't even realized what was happening but had instinctively reached out to catch it.
The moment his fingertips touched the talisman, John felt a powerful force surge through his body, and he finally understood why Hanlu's mere touch of her foot could cause such terrifying destruction.
He thought of many things in an instant, and looked at Hanlu with gratitude in his eyes. He felt a little embarrassed that such a powerful force had been so easily given away.
"Alright, we're all buddies, don't be shy. Besides, if you hadn't picked me out of that pile of 'things,' I would have been nothing but a skeleton by now."
Hanlu smiled, and he also knew that although the power of the "ox" was strong, it didn't really have any advantage for someone like him who preferred to stay in the back as a "quiet mage".
Moreover, he believes that power should be in the hands of those who are suited to use it. Could it be that someone really thinks his "good character" is fake?
He looked at Matt somewhat apologetically: "I'm sorry, I still can't cure your eyes, and they can't either."
"It's okay, I'm already very satisfied with the current situation."
Matt wasn't lying.
This disaster was so insane, so insane, that even now, he cannot fully comprehend it.
Previously, he was worried about the most basic survival issues such as food and water, and no matter how agile he was, it was to no avail. But after the arrival of the Cold Dew season, these problems were solved.
"Stop talking such discouraging things, I feel as strong as an ox right now! Ah! Is this what it feels like to be a super soldier?"
John, feeling a bit itchy to get his hands dirty, simply picked up an abandoned bus next to him and lifted it high above his head with just one hand.
He felt that he was now ridiculously strong. In his memory, even the great Captain America couldn't do this, right?
Now that he had such great strength, he couldn't wait to find something to practice on. Even the zombie horde he had previously feared was nothing to him anymore.
"Alright, John, our priority now is to find a place inhabited by humans. I really don't want us to be the only ones left."
Even though she already knew the plot, Hanlu was still somewhat pessimistic.
Five years have passed. Even if those zombies, now just skeletons, could turn back into humans, what difference would it make?
Is it possible to live with just a skeleton?
Moreover, the earth-shattering explosion that resounded throughout the world meant that the Infinity Stones were likely destroyed, and everything might be beyond repair.
He now only hopes to find a human settlement; if that fails, he'll have to consider migrating to another planet.
"Wait, I heard a sound."
The group, who were about to return to their SUV, suddenly stopped. John and Hanlu simultaneously looked up at Matt, who was gazing at the sky. Although Matt couldn't see them, his ears had already picked up on the crucial information.
"Over there, it looks a bit like S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Quinjet!"
It goes without saying that John and Hanlu both saw the black fighter jet streaking across the sky, leaving trails of black smoke.
"Let's go take a look."
Matt remained silent; that direction led to the city center, where more zombies and more terrifying enemies roamed. But at this moment, John could no longer contain himself.