Sophia Johnson controlled her wheelchair to the window, silently watching the gloomy sky outside and the black mist spreading across the ground like a tide.
It was the seventh day since she was abandoned, and the seventh day since this city had fallen into a quarantine zone.
Apart from those who couldn't walk, everyone who could had already fled. By now, the entire city was sealed off, and no one could enter or leave anymore.
Rationality told her that it was the right decision for her parents to take her healthy younger brother and leave her behind. Otherwise, by bringing her, the family would likely have been trapped in this city. But she was only seventeen, abandoned in this "dead city" by her own family. How could she remain rational?
Her frail body didn't bring her more love and care from her parents; instead, it brought endless impatience and disgust. They never intended to treat her illness, even though kind-hearted people had donated money to her. However, that money was never used for her treatment.
If it weren't for the legal restraints, her family might have abandoned her long ago. After all, they already had a healthy son. Even though the law required them to care for their own, it didn't matter to them—so long as she appeared to be normal when they visited and wasn't visibly abused or discarded. The medicine they bought for her was provided under the federal minor patient welfare program, so it couldn't really cure her—at most, it just kept her barely alive.
Now, with the world in chaos, this was practically the perfect opportunity. So, without hesitation, they left her behind.
Was she heartbroken or unable to believe it?
Not really. After all, even without the disaster, she probably wouldn't have lived much longer once she turned eighteen. She could feel her body growing weaker, and missing that surgery money meant she had maybe two years left. After she reached adulthood, the federal monitoring would no longer be strict. If she died from her illness, so be it.
So, more than sadness, there was the feeling of "the inevitable day has finally arrived." It was the deepest sorrow—numbness and hatred filled her more than any pain or grief.
The leftover food her family couldn't take would only last her about half a month. Once it ran out, her likely fate would be to starve to death in her home.
After all, times had changed, and the city was no longer safe. A weak and sick person like her, suffering from severe heart disease and hearing loss and relying on a wheelchair, would likely die within an hour if she ventured outside.
A year ago, supernatural powers suddenly appeared in the world. People were immersed in the joy of acquiring such powers, unaware that it was merely a warning before the disaster.
A month ago, a mutation occurred. The black mist covered the land, and bizarre monsters were born from it. These monsters possessed strange and crazy abilities, and ordinary firearms had no effect on them. Only the superhumans could kill them. But humans, who had only gained supernatural abilities a year ago, were no match for them.
As humanity faced the brink of extinction, the mist suddenly began retreating, as if by a tide, toward one specific direction.
That direction was Yun City, where Sophia Johnson was.
Observations showed that for some unknown reason, most of the mist would flow into Yun City within two days, and Yun City would become a high-concentration mist zone. In such an environment, even without the monsters, humans would struggle to survive.
Moreover, the monsters were born from the mist and would thrive in it. If nothing unusual happened, Yun City would become a monster nest!
So, the Federation issued an urgent evacuation order. Everyone had to evacuate Yun City within 15 hours, after which it would be sealed off, becoming a human forbidden zone.
With only 15 hours, it was impossible to evacuate everyone from the city. Many "burdens" like Sophia Johnson were likely left behind.
But Sophia Johnson couldn't accept it. She couldn't accept being discarded here, quietly dying while her family would live an easier life after abandoning her.
How could they bring her into this world, then, because of her illness, neglect her treatment and leave her to wait for death? Now, with an opportunity, they immediately threw her away.
Sophia Johnson thought that maybe her long-term illness and exclusion had caused some psychological issues, but she didn't care. She didn't think it was enough. She didn't want to die quietly. She wanted everyone who had abandoned her to pay the price.
Her beautiful but frail eyes stared out at the black mist, an obsession and darkness beyond her age in them. Her hand, resting on the wheelchair, clenched slightly. Due to malnutrition and anemia, her fingers were too thin and pale, with bone joints and blue veins clearly visible—almost eerie.
She looked like a child who was obviously not healthy.
At that moment, when her unwillingness reached a certain point, the black mist outside suddenly churned ever so slightly, and then, a sound came from the empty living room. Something had fallen to the ground.
The girl, immersed in her thoughts, was startled by the sound. Her pupils contracted slightly, and she then realized something must have fallen. She relaxed her clenched fist, placed her hand on the wheelchair's remote control, and turned around.
When she lowered her head and saw what had fallen, a look of surprise appeared on her cold face.
It was a black-and-white game console.
"When did we have a game console at home?"
No, that's wrong. Her family didn't have a game console. She was certain of this.
She had been alone at home for almost a week, spending most of her time in the living room, idly staring into space. She had never seen a game console in the living room.
This thing had appeared out of nowhere.
Realizing this, the girl pressed her lips together, a mixture of confusion and fear in her expression, but also curiosity and eagerness to try it.
She knew Yun City was extremely dangerous now, and this game console that had appeared out of nowhere might also be dangerous, but...
She was already a dying person. If things went as expected, she wouldn't survive this month. Why should she still be so cautious and careful?
With that thought, Sophia Johnson's expression became calm. She controlled the wheelchair to approach the game console and bent down to pick it up.
After holding it, she looked at it with some confusion. How was she supposed to use this?
She had never played a game console before. Her only entertainment was the television at home, which she could only watch at certain times. Aside from that, there were textbooks, but she couldn't go to school like normal people. She had to self-study the books her younger brother didn't use. Her parents never taught her anything or hired a tutor for her.
If her illness hadn't started in fifth grade, and if she hadn't learned some knowledge by then, Sophia Johnson might have even ended up illiterate, as her parents wouldn't have cared.
She also sometimes did exercises from her brother's unused practice books, but her grades were poor, usually hovering around the thirties or forties out of 150.
Still, even with that, Sophia Johnson found studying interesting.
A girl living such a barren life naturally didn't know how to use a game console.
Fortunately, before she could press any buttons, the console's screen suddenly lit up.
A pixelated progress bar appeared in the center of the screen, and within about five seconds, it finished loading.
The pixelated game screen showed a gloomy sky. In the air, a black sun seemed to be a source of pollution, constantly dripping black liquid onto the world. This scene set the initial background for the game. Soon, a line of subtitles appeared in the center of the screen:
"At the beginning of all things, everything was born from the sun, and everything perishes in the darkness."
"The cycle of all things: old orders and ancient gods have been buried by time. Now, a new order has been born. Do you desire to become the god of this new order?"
"Do you have the courage to give your life and enter this world of endless conflict? If you are ready, please choose your faction."
Sophia Johnson was not easily scared by these few lines of text. For some reason, even though it was just a pixelated background and a few short lines of text, it gave her a strong sense of "realness," as if by clicking confirm, she would truly embark on this journey.
"...Interesting," Sophia Johnson murmured, and decisively clicked "confirm," entering the faction selection screen.
"Since you have not unlocked any faction levels, your initial choice is a random low-level creature with weaker vitality."
"Currently available:
Frog (Lv0)
Snake (Lv1)
Sparrow (Lv0)**"
Sophia Johnson paused for a moment. Was this it?
But she guessed that once she leveled up, higher-level options might appear.
For now, there was no need to think too much. The snake was at least Lv1.
After choosing, the pixelated black snake enlarged slightly, and a list of its attributes appeared in the center of the screen.
"Mental: 1 Body: 3 Attributes: None Traits: None"
"It looks a bit weak..."
Sophia Johnson muttered, and the screen