Alan had no plan to be a hero. He had done it so many times in his previous life, and he had gotten nothing to show for it except attracting danger to himself and missing many opportunities, only for all his sacrifices to be for naught as most of the ones he saved ended up dead in the next round.
He had been given a second chance and had committed himself not to waste time unless there was a clear benefit.
At least, he tried to do so.
As he was thinking, he stared at the players gathered in front of him and ran the plan he had through once more. The more he thought about it, the more he realized he might actually get some benefits out of them.
He looked toward the 100-plus civilian survivors, of which a few dozen were the ones saved by him, before turning and speaking to the girl.
"I guess you want extra points to keep these people alive, aren't you? That's why you try so hard to convince them to stay."
The girl smiled and said, "Yes, I am!!"
Even though he was slightly taken aback by her straightforwardness, Alan calmly replied, "I am afraid you will have a difficult time ahead if you do nothing. They will not survive just being inside this building. It will not be that easy."
The girl nodded as if she agreed with him and asked if Alan had any plan once again.
"Yes, my plan is to get the supplies needed to survive this round, and if everything goes right, we might be able to get points from these people as well."
His words perked the group's interest; however, he quickly added his words before they could say anything.
"I will warn you that it will be dangerous, and if you all decide to follow, your safety is your own responsibility… Do you understand?"
Despite the stern gaze Alan gave to her, the girl nodded her head and said, "Yes, please tell us the plan."
Alan gave them the main gist of his plan, and after hearing that, only three out of the five players decided to join him.
One was a bulky guy who introduced himself as Sam, apparently a construction worker, while the second was a talkative Mexican named Luis who said to be a cook. They were both around the same age as Alan.
Meanwhile, the girl introduced herself as Laura. She was a university student currently learning to be a doctor, and that fact alone further convinced Alan that his decision to let them join his plan was sound.
"Alright, let's go."
They all nodded, and Alan opened the door to the New York Library. The chilly wind blew in as soon as he did, and a piercing chill instantly seeped into their skin, making their bodies shiver involuntarily. They could even feel it in their bones, and some couldn't help but rub their hands together.
[You Received Status: Cold level two]
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[Stamina Regeneration Drops 25%]
A notification suddenly appeared in front of their eyes, which made the three of them react. Thanks to Alan's high endurance, he only received a level 2 status, while other than Sam, the construction worker, the other two had received a level 3 status which dropped their regeneration by 50%.
Alan glanced behind him and saw that the other two seemed anxious.
"Yo man.. This.. is so damn cold!!" Said Luis, jittery.
"Let's Hurry. It will only get colder from here on out."
As they walked across the snowy fields, Alan saw a few dozen other people walking out the streets with their own plans leaving footprints that were quickly covered by the colder climate. Knowing that their condition would only get worse, he instructed the others to quicken their pace.
Unfortunately, the group couldn't run at their normal speed because of their cold debuff status and heavy snow that covered every inch of New York City.
A few minutes later, they passed through a department store that provided almost everything 'Target'. Upon seeing it, Luis became excited.
"Now that's what we are talking about; time to hustle!"
Alan quickly stops him.
"No! We are not going that way."
In this scenario, markets and similar places would be the first target people went to, meaning there would be hundreds of mobs or players inside fighting over the supplies. In other words, going there would most likely be dangerous.
"Are you sure, bro?!.. damn!"
Even though he was doubtful, Luis conceded Alan's point. The group quickly continued their journey. They walked six more blocks until they arrived at their designated place - a half-collapsed hospital.
This particular hospital had taken a heavy hit from the tsunami. The first floor was submerged entirely and turned into a wall of ice by the cold. Meanwhile, the other two floors appeared to be on their last legs, slowly covered by snow.
From afar, Alan could see a few people walking past or around the place. Confirming that it would be safe, he decided to lead the others inside.
"Okay, let's follow the plan."
Luis and Sam were ordered to go to the second-floor cafeteria on the west wing. This was the small one used for doctors and staff of the hospital. The two were tasked to collect as much canned food as possible.
As for Laura, she would follow him to the lab to scavenge some medical items.
Seeing how Alan was very familiar with the place, Laura became curious and asked, "How do you know this hospital so well? Did you come here often?"
"Well, something like that," Alan shrugged, not intending to disclose further.
Alan certainly had no plan to tell the girl about his regression. The reason he knew the place well was simply because he had scouted the location in real life before the game started to make his plan smoother.
"Remember, be careful. You might need to fight to get the supplies, so if you find any weapons, don't hesitate to use them… Oh, one more thing, if you find a tall Indian guy with a beard, although he looks a bit intimidating, he is friendly.``
Alan's initial plan was for him and Nims to salvage this place together, but Alan has no idea how far the monk would spawn from this hospital. Hence Nims might not be able to reach this place in time. This was one of the reasons Alan agreed to bring help.
The group of four separated to do their respective task, with Alan and Laura swiftly heading toward the lab on the third floor. They arrived at the place a few minutes later, and finding an area devoid of people, they started scouring the site for what they were looking for.
####
[Name: Gauze Bandage]
[Type: Medicine]
[Rarity: Common]
[Attributes: Recovers 30 HP within 90 seconds]
[Effects: Suppresses Bleeding]
[Able To Bring Outside The Game: Yes]
[Remarks: Use too much and you will look like a Mummy]
####
[Name: Painkiller]
[Type: Medicine]
[Rarity: Common]
[Attributes: None]
[Effects: It can relieve your pain for 3 minutes!]
[Able To Bring Out Of The Game: Yes]
[Remarks: Be warned, painless doesn't make you invincible]
####
In addition to the items marked by the game, Alan also told Laura to get all the alcohol she could find, even though those were not marked as game items. Facing her apparent confusion, Alan just nonchalantly replied without providing an explanation.
"Just get them all." He waved his hand as he searched on the other side of the room.