The rhythm of the heartbeat slowed for a moment, and Steve's eyes widened beneath his hood, a slight tickle in his throat.
He swallowed a mouthful of saliva, looking at the circular umbrella's red and white alternating pattern. How could he not recognise this symbol?
His body trembled, and his back hair stood on end, pupils contracting to the extreme!
As if enduring tremendous torment, he murmured, "Umbrella?!"
A light breeze blew, and Steve shivered, pulling his hood up to cover his face.
His footsteps were frantic, and Ambrella was like a devouring giant beast behind him! He had no choice but to flee in panic!
Back home, Steve leaned against the door panel, slowly sliding to the ground as if he had used up all his strength.
For someone with a slight obsession with cleanliness like him, performing such an action was a clear sign of emotional instability.
He reached out and wiped his forehead, which was covered in sweat. Although his physical condition far exceeded that of an ordinary person, under the intense emotional turmoil...
He got up, casually pulled down his hood, poured a glass of water from the "kitchen," and drank it as if he were a thirsty fish, gulping it down.
He took a few deep breaths, and Steve sat somewhat dejectedly on the damaged bed.
Although separated by a pair of pants, he could still feel the roughness of the inferior wooden board against his skin.
Nervously, he stretched out his hands, the patterns reflecting in his eyes. Steve didn't want to think about his family or being hunted anymore because it was utterly useless! The Umbrella Corporation ruled this world!
In the past, when he watched movies on Earth, he found it interesting, but if he had to survive in that kind of environment, Steve knew he had to be realistic.
A week? Or maybe half a month? Ultimately, it all led to death, being devoured by zombies, becoming one of them, or dying at the hands of powerful creatures like Lickers, Tyrants, and the like.
Steve shook his head, trying to clear away these negative emotions.
He couldn't afford to be so negative about everything; it would only make him die faster in this post-apocalyptic world.
Now he needed information, news about this world.
But what was ridiculous was that he didn't even know the date and time after being out for just two hours.
What year, what month, what day?
Steve scratched his head vigorously, breaking a few strands of hair, but that was all he had. Before he crossed over, he had watched movies, but who would bother to remember the dates and times in movies? Did they think it was a historical event that needed highlighting and examination?
As for what his name was before he crossed over, it didn't matter anymore.
This was New York, and it was ordinary for a giant corporation like Umbrella to have a branch here. He wouldn't have mistaken that symbol.
But what should he do now?
Once again, he emptied the glass of lukewarm water, and Steve was now very distressed.
"Others who crossed over had all sorts of cheats, living the high life, experiencing power surges, gathering followers, and having beautiful women throwing themselves at them. What about me? Where's my cheat?"
"System? Are you there?"
"System? System, are you there?"
"Ah, damn it!"
Steve opened his eyes, and in anger, he naturally smashed his right hand onto the bed.
"Crack!~"
His head turned slightly, and he saw his right hand casually make a hole in the bed, and those sharp-looking wooden splinters couldn't even harm his skin.
"Is this my cheat? It's too low, isn't it?"
Steve stood up, went to the "kitchen," and found a fruit knife. This was the only cutting tool he had in his "home."
"Chop!—"
He raised an eyebrow as he watched blood dripping from the wound. "Damn it, I thought I had an invincible physique?"
He casually tossed the knife aside. Steve could feel that the wound wasn't very painful, and the muscles on both sides were itching a bit.
After a while, the itching sensation disappeared, and apart from a bloodstain on his hand, there was nothing else.
He wiped it dry with a towel, and only a faint white scar on his skin couldn't be seen clearly without careful inspection.
"Is it not a big deal to create wounds and bleed in the apocalypse?" Steve raised an eyebrow.
"Gurgle~"
A growling sound came from his stomach, and Steve felt quite helpless. He took the last few snacks from his backpack and sat on the edge of the bed, eating them.
While eating, he occasionally compared the "wound." In the end, he found that even the white mark had disappeared.
"I haven't been infected with the virus, have I?" Steve thought, and this idea seemed quite plausible.
"I swear!" How did that thing come about?
His memories were scattered, but he tried to recall them despite the pain. People in isolation suits were walking around, and a few people in lab coats were among them.
There were also the sounds of helicopters. Steve could only recall these things.
Sitting on the bed, lost in thought, he didn't feel as hungry anymore.
Taking a deep breath, he quickly finished eating, put on his clothes again, and put the black card into his pocket.
Just as he was about to go out,
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Someone was knocking on the door, and it was his own door!
Steve held his breath and listened carefully. The doorbell had long been broken, and the person outside seemed unusually patient.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!~ Is anyone home?"
"Bang! Bang! Bang!~"
Steve pressed his ear against the door.
"Do we need to break in?"
"Break the door?" a younger man's voice asked.
"Of course, there's no other way. I just saw what looked like a silhouette."
There was a moment of silence. "Let's wait a bit."
"Bang! Bang! Bang!~ Is anyone home?"
Steve glanced around the room. There was nowhere to hide.
Outside, the distance was more than ten meters, and he had no chance.
He pretended to sound annoyed, lowering his voice. "Who is it? Can't you let me sleep in peace during the day?"
The voice outside the door didn't respond, and Steve had just let out a sigh of relief when,
"Bang! Bang! Bang!~ Sir, could you please open the door? We're employees from the Comm Water and Electric Company, here for a routine water meter check."
Steve narrowed his eyes and couldn't help but chuckle inwardly. He had already seen this trick in his previous life, and he couldn't believe that Umbrella was still using it.
Feigning impatience, he replied, "The water meter is outside. I want to sleep!"
There was no response from outside the door, and just as Steve was about to breathe a sigh of relief,
"Bang! Bang! Bang!~ Sir, please open the door. We're here to bring warmth to the community."
Steve felt his heart twitch.
Damn it, did they think that changing personnel would make him not recognise it? Did a person like this qualify to enter Umbrella? Wasn't this giant corporation setting the bar too low?