Nothing is eternal, and the end of civilization is destruction.
Jeff ignored the onlookers, walked through the shattered glass, and reached out to grasp the sword.
Holding it in his hand, Jeff carefully examined this legendary blade.
It weighed about 1.5 kilograms, with an overall length of roughly 110 cm. The blade itself measured 80 cm. Near the hilt were two characters resembling pictures.
Though Jeff didn't recognize them, he guessed they spelled the sword's name: Purple Lightning.
The sword felt perfectly balanced.
However, without specific training, it was dangerously easy to injure oneself while wielding it.
Jeff wasn't worried. It was usable now, and once his body evolved, his reaction speed would improve dramatically. In his previous life, evolved humans had gained significantly enhanced physical coordination. Some even awakened supernatural strength, capable of lifting 500 kg with one hand. Even without such powers, post-evolution humans were far stronger than ordinary people.
Jeff gripped the sword and tested it experimentally. This made the fat man both nervous and excited as he pointed his phone at Jeff, talking animatedly.
The old man nearby wore a solemn expression. What puzzled Jeff was the girl. Seeing this "robber" armed, she showed no fear. Instead, she seemed exhilarated. She stepped forward, approached Jeff, and waved.
"Can I take a look at that sword?"
Jeff ignored her entirely. His plan was simple: take the sword and armor, then leave immediately to execute the next phase. Unexpectedly, the old man, the girl, and the live-streaming fat man were complicating things – especially the girl. She stayed close, even trying to grab the sword. She might actually know how to use it.
This situation was troublesome. Kill them now? No! He had the weapon; all his energy needed to focus on the coming danger, not fighting humans. If this potentially skilled girl engaged him, Jeff – his body not yet fully evolved – could get injured. With the apocalypse imminent, an injury now meant certain death soon. Besides, he hadn't secured the armor yet.
"Young man," the old man said with confident authority, "put down the sword. Whatever trouble you're in, I can help resolve it. Violence solves nothing!"
Jeff looked warily at the old man and the girl, then smiled and shook his head in refusal. He calmly reminded them, "Doesn't this strike you as odd? The museum alarm has been blaring this whole time, yet no security guards have appeared."
His words jolted their awareness. It was strange. Where were the guards and staff?
"Are you feeling slightly dizzy? Is your body running hot?" Jeff asked, swiftly moving towards the armor display case. While they were still processing the question, he slammed the sword's pommel into the glass. As it shattered, he grabbed the armor without hesitation.
Jeff's warning shocked them. They did feel their body temperature rising, dizziness setting in, accompanied by irritability and an unsettling, unfamiliar urge. The shock of the robbery had momentarily masked these symptoms.
"Kid! Did you poison us?" the fat man shouted in panic.
"How dare you keep stealing?" the girl yelled, seeing Jeff break another case. She ran over angrily and aimed a kick at him.
Though inexperienced with swords, Jeff had survived the virus outbreak in his previous life. He'd fought countless battles; combat and killing held no fear for him. He reacted instantly, pivoting and slashing diagonally with the Purple Lightning. Its sharp edge meant contact would sever her leg.
However, the girl clearly trained regularly. She retracted her leg just before the sword connected and formed her hand into a beak shape, striking at Jeff's sword wrist.
She knows martial arts! Jeff realized with surprise. Her technique might surpass his current strength. He hastily withdrew the sword and stepped back, creating distance. He couldn't risk further combat; his hard-won prize might be taken.
As the girl pressed forward, Jeff suddenly shouted, "Look behind you!"
She scoffed, thinking it a trick. "Oh my god! What's happening?" The fat man's terrified scream made her stop and glance back.
Instantly, she gasped, eyes wide with panic.
The couple at the entrance were now bleeding from their eyes, nose, and mouth. They clutched their throats, emitting guttural screams. Blood already pooled thickly on the floor beneath them.
"No! No! No! Impossible!" the fat man shrieked. "You did this! You poisoned them!"
"Shut up!" Jeff roared back. "Why poison them and not you? Go outside! The streets are full of people like this right now! Or call someone – ask what's happening out there!"
While their attention was diverted, Jeff swiftly donned the armor. It was oversized and fit poorly.
"Help! Help me!" The couple rasped, their movements grotesquely stiff and contorted, bodies seemingly out of control. Blood poured from their mouths with every strained word.
"Go! Go! Call emergency services!" the girl who had fought Jeff screamed. She abandoned him, rushing towards the couple.
"He... he was telling the truth!" the fat man stammered, staring at his live stream. Viewers were flooding the chat, reporting identical scenes erupting everywhere.
He frantically switched to other streams, confirming the horrifying reality: other anchors were bleeding and convulsing on camera.
Bloody and terrifying!
The moment had finally arrived. A strange mix of grim satisfaction and sorrow washed over Jeff. Part of him wished his past life's memories were just a nightmare.
Yet, here it was, the nightmare made real again. While it meant avoiding jail, it condemned him to relive the endless darkness of catastrophe.
The ancient global virus had exploded. Mutations in countless lifeforms would plunge the world into chaos. Humanity was bleeding, collapsing, unable to rise. Hospitals and emergency lines were overwhelmed, then silent. No one answered desperate cries for help. Doctors, police – everyone was fighting for their own survival now.
Disbelieving, the girl tried calling for confirmation, but each attempt failed. "Grandpa," she choked out, voice thick with fear, "I can't get through to anyone! Could they...?" Dread filled her heart.
"Young man," the old man asked, remarkably calm amidst the upheaval, "do you know what this is?"
His sharp mind recognized Jeff's foreknowledge made him the best source of answers.
"A virus," Jeff stated flatly.
"An ancient virus erupting worldwide. Seen the recent news? The discovery in the Arctic? Those scientists didn't realize they were dooming human civilization. There was an explosion at the Arctic Science Lab. The virus spreads instantly."
He gestured towards the dying couple.
"Right now, at least half the world's population looks like them – bleeding, limbs twisting, stiffening. In twelve hours, they become zombies."
He looked at the survivors. "The other half, like us, are experiencing what you feel now: dizziness, blurred vision, fever, sudden irritability, agitation. If we don't drastically lower our body temperature within the next six to eight hours... we die too."
"The catastrophe is here. The end of humanity has begun."