A Journey of American Comics Starting from the Zombie Universe

Chapter 668 Smith

As the crisis was resolved, the entire city returned to its original tranquility - a unique post-apocalyptic tranquility. Although men, women, young and old in this city were all busy with their own work, there was undisguised ease on their faces. No matter how tiring or how much work they had, they did not complain at all.

"Smith, where are you going today?"

A soldier smiled and greeted Smith who had just walked out of the tent. Smith was a middle-aged man, his skin was bronzed by long-term exposure to wind and sun, and his eyes revealed determination and wisdom. He was dressed in simple casual clothes, with an old-fashioned kettle and a shiny dagger hanging around his waist, looking particularly capable.

Smith stopped and responded with a smile, "Oh, it's John. I plan to go to the west today. There is an abandoned warehouse over there. I heard that there may be some usable supplies in it. You know, although the supplies in our base are not tight, it is always good to have more in stock."

John nodded in agreement. "Yes, it's always a good idea to stock up on more supplies. Are you going alone? How about I bring a few brothers with you?"

Smith waved his hand and said with a smile, "No need, John. I can do it myself. Besides, I also want to take this opportunity to walk around outside the city and see what changes have taken place in this post-apocalyptic world."

John heard this and a trace of admiration flashed in his eyes: "Okay, then you should be careful. Although the zombie threat has been eliminated, the outside world is still full of unknowns."

Smith patted John on the shoulder and expressed his gratitude: "Don't worry, I will. But you should also take care of yourself and don't work so hard all the time."

After saying this, Smith turned and walked westward with firm and powerful steps. He knew that this trip was not only to find supplies, but also to explore this new world and find hope for rebuilding human civilization.

However, when Smith walked out of the base and stepped into the ruins that were once ravaged by zombies, he suddenly found that everything around him had become unusually quiet. Even the most common birds and insects seemed to have disappeared without a trace, leaving only the whimpering sound of the wind blowing through the ruins.

Smith felt a little uneasy, but he suppressed it and continued to move westward. Soon, he came to the abandoned warehouse. The door of the warehouse was half-open, as if some force was silently inviting him to enter.

Smith pushed the door open cautiously and stepped into the warehouse. The warehouse was dimly lit, with only a few rays of sunlight coming through the cracks in the broken roof, barely illuminating an area. He carefully shuttled through the piles of waste materials, looking for items that might still be valuable.

Suddenly, he felt an inexplicable chill coming from behind, as if something was watching him from the dark. Smith turned around abruptly, but found nothing. But he knew that his feeling was right, and there must be some unknown danger hidden here.

Just as he was about to leave the warehouse, a low roar suddenly sounded from deep inside the warehouse. The sound was full of wildness and ferocity, which made Smith shudder. He immediately realized that he might have been targeted by some creature.

Smith quickly pulled out a dagger from his waist and held it tightly in his hand, ready to deal with the impending threat. He pressed against the wall and moved deeper into the warehouse. As the distance shortened, the chill and roar became stronger and stronger.

Finally, in the chaotic shadows, Smith saw a huge figure - it was a mutant beast, with red eyes and sharp fangs at the corners of its mouth. Its body was covered with hard scales and looked indestructible.

Faced with this sudden crisis, Smith took a deep breath and suppressed all his fear and anxiety in his heart. He knew that he could not retreat, otherwise he would become food for the beast. So he held the dagger tightly and launched a fierce attack on the beast...

(Continued)

Smith's movements were swift and precise. He used the intricate obstacles in the warehouse as cover and flexibly shuttled around the beast, trying to find an opportunity to kill it with one blow. The beast was obviously enraged by this human who dared to challenge it, and its roar became more deafening. Every time it pounced, it had enough force to tear steel apart.

However, Smith is no ordinary person. He is a veteran in the world before the end of the world. He has experienced countless life and death tests and has developed excellent fighting skills and psychological qualities. He took advantage of the beast's weakness of not being able to turn around and constantly lured it to make large movements to consume its physical strength. At the same time, he also always paid attention to the surrounding environment to ensure that he would not fall into a desperate situation.

After some intense negotiations, Smith finally found a perfect opportunity. He leaped forward, using a broken beam in the warehouse as a springboard, and shot towards the beast's head like an arrow. At that moment, time seemed to freeze, and the air was filled with tension and anticipation.

"Shua!" The sound of the dagger cutting through the air was crisp and loud. It pierced the beast's eye accurately and went all the way to the handle. The beast let out a shrill scream, and in the severe pain it waved its claws wildly, trying to throw Smith away. But Smith was already prepared. He used the beast's struggling force to quickly adjust his posture, pulled the dagger out of the beast's eye socket, and slashed it towards its neck.

This blow was fatal. The beast's blood gushed out like a fountain, staining a corner of the warehouse red. It struggled for a few times, and finally fell to the ground, unable to move anymore. Smith stood there, panting, sweat running down his cheeks, dripping onto the ground, intertwined with the beast's blood.

He knew that the victory in this battle was not accidental, but the result of his experience and wisdom accumulated from countless times of wandering on the edge of life and death. He slowly walked towards the beast's body, feeling both the joy of victory and the awe of the unknown world. He knew that this was just a small episode in the doomsday world, and there would be more challenges waiting for him in the future.

After confirming that the beast was completely dead, Smith began to search the warehouse for supplies. He found several boxes of unopened canned food, several bags of dry food, and some wood that could be used as fuel. These supplies were undoubtedly a valuable asset for the base. He carefully packed them up and prepared to take them back to the base.

However, just as he was about to leave the warehouse, a slight noise caught his attention. He immediately became alert, held the dagger tightly, and slowly walked towards the direction of the sound. After searching for a while, he found a secret passage hidden in the corner of the warehouse. The entrance of the passage was blocked by a pile of debris, and it was difficult to find without careful observation.

Smith hesitated for a moment, but finally decided to go into the passage to find out. He carefully pushed away the debris, bent down and entered the passage. The passage was pitch black, and he could only rely on the flashlight in his hand to illuminate the front. As he went deeper, the air around him became more and more humid, as if he was in a huge underground cave. Suddenly, the light of the flashlight shone on a tightly closed iron door. The iron door was covered with rust and moss, and it looked like no one had opened it for a long time. Smith was filled with a strong curiosity, and he wanted to know what secrets were hidden behind the iron door. So he pushed the iron door hard and found that it was not locked.

The iron door slowly opened, and a cold breath hit him. Smith took a deep breath and mustered up the courage to step into the world behind the iron door. He was surprised to find that this was actually a huge underground laboratory! The laboratory was filled with various advanced instruments and equipment. Although most of them had been damaged or failed due to long-term lack of maintenance, there were still a few machines flashing weak lights.

Smith explored the lab, trying to find some useful information or supplies. He noticed several huge maps and charts hanging on the wall, marked with some symbols and marks he had never seen before. He guessed that these might be related to the research content of the lab, but he had no idea what it was.

Just as he was about to give up his exploration, his eyes were suddenly attracted by a diary on the table. The cover of the diary had turned yellow, but the handwriting on it was still clearly visible. Smith carefully opened the diary and began to read.

The owner of the diary is a scientist named Alison, who recorded the laboratory's research process and findings in detail. It turns out that this laboratory has existed for many years before the end of the world, and has been committed to researching a super virus that can cure all human diseases. However, when the virus was about to succeed, the end of the world suddenly came, and the laboratory was forced to close, and all the research results were sealed in this underground space.

In her diary, Alison expressed her despair about the future and her concerns about the fate of mankind. She wrote: "If we had succeeded earlier, perhaps we could have avoided this disaster. But now it's too late to say anything. I can only leave my research results to future generations, hoping that they will be useful one day."

Smith was in a state of anxiety after reading the diary. He realized that the diary in his hand might contain key information that would change the fate of mankind. He carefully put the diary away and prepared to take it back to the base to let more people know about this discovery.

On the way back to the base, Smith's heart was full of hope and determination. He knew that the road ahead was still full of unknowns and dangers, but he was ready to meet all challenges. He believed that as long as human beings united as one, there would be no difficulties that could not be overcome. And he will continue to move forward with this belief to find the light of hope for rebuilding human civilization in the post-apocalyptic world.

Smith walked through the familiar and heavy city gate with heavy steps and returned to the once prosperous but now devastated city. The afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled weakly on the ruins, coating the dead world with a faint golden glow, but it could not warm people's hearts. He held the diary brought back from the underground laboratory tightly in his hand, his heart full of expectations for the future, but he didn't know whether this hope was too slim.

After returning to the base, Smith walked straight to the office of Bai Ye, the symbol of wisdom and decision-making in the base, without stopping for a moment. The door was gently opened, and a mixture of bookish and motor oil smells rushed towards him. It was a unique breath of Bai Ye, ancient and full of exploratory desire.

Bai Ye was sitting behind a table piled with blueprints and books, his brows furrowed, as if he was in deep thought. When he heard the door open, he looked up at Smith, with a hint of expectation in his eyes.

"Smith, you're back?" Bai Ye's voice was low and powerful, revealing an unquestionable authority.

Smith nodded, walked quickly to Bai Ye, and carefully placed the diary in his hand on the table. His voice trembled slightly with excitement: "Bai Ye, I found this... I think it may be very important to us."

Bai Ye's eyes were instantly attracted by the yellowed diary. He reached out and gently stroked the cover, as if he could feel the warmth and perseverance of his predecessors. Then, he slowly opened the diary and read it carefully page by page.

At first, Bai Ye's eyes were still shining with curiosity and hope, but as he read deeper, those lights gradually dimmed. His brows furrowed tighter and tighter, and the corners of his mouth slowly pursed into a straight line. Finally, after reading the last page, he gently closed the diary and looked up at Smith, his eyes full of complicated emotions.

"Smith, I understand your feelings, but..." Bai Ye's voice was a little difficult, "These materials are almost useless to us now."

Smith was struck by lightning when he heard this, and he froze in his place. He couldn't believe his ears, and he was even more unwilling to accept this cruel fact. He stood up suddenly, clenched his hands into fists, and his nails dug deep into his palms, but he didn't feel any pain at all.

"Why? How is this possible? She clearly said..." Smith's voice became hoarse with excitement. He tried to find a glimmer of hope from Bai Ye, even the smallest hope.

Bai Ye sighed, stood up and walked to the window, looking at the desolate world outside, and said slowly: "Smith, you and I know how difficult our current situation is. Food shortages, water pollution, rampant diseases... and those threats that may reappear at any time. The research recorded in this diary is about a super virus, and its original purpose is to cure all human diseases. But the problem is that the research on this virus was forced to be interrupted before the end of the world and was not completed, let alone replicated or improved in the current environment."

"Moreover," Bai Ye continued, "even if we can really revive this research, who can guarantee that it will not bring about a greater disaster? After all, tragedies caused by scientific experiments out of control are not uncommon in history."

As Smith listened to Bai Ye's words, the hope in his heart was like an extinguished candle, which gradually dissipated in the cold air. He felt an unprecedented despair and powerlessness, as if the whole world was pressing on his shoulders, making him breathless.

He sat down slowly, his hands hanging limply on his knees, his eyes staring blankly ahead. After a long while, he finally spoke, his voice hoarse and low: "I was too naive... I thought... I thought this could change something."

Bai Ye walked over to Smith, patted him on the shoulder, and gave him silent comfort: "Smith, we all have had such a dream, hoping to find the key to save the world one day. But reality is often more cruel than dreams. However, this does not mean that we have to give up. At least, we are still alive and struggling to survive. As long as we don't give up hope, we will find a way out one day."

However, Smith's heart was filled with deep frustration. He knew that Bai Ye's words made sense, but he also knew that this frustration might accompany him for a long time and might even affect his views and actions in the future.

As night fell, the lights in the base dimmed, but Smith's heart was like being shrouded by dark clouds, without a single ray of light. He sat alone in the dark, holding the diary tightly in his hands, with mixed feelings in his heart. He didn't know what the future would be like, and he didn't know if he could still maintain his original faith and courage. But no matter what, he had to face reality, keep moving forward, and find his own path in this post-apocalyptic world.

(End of this chapter)