The sun, a fiery orb in the afternoon sky, cast a golden, tranquil glow over the Lin mansion. Inside, however, a sense of finality hung heavy in the air. Lin Kai had gathered the remaining maids, his voice a steady, firm counterpoint to the quiet peace of the home.
He had informed them that due to his mother's new responsibilities and his upcoming high school graduation, he was giving them a month of paid leave. He had also handed each of them a fat, red envelope filled with their advance salary, a generous bonus that brought immediate tears and smiles to their faces. Their joy, however, was a sharp contrast to the grim tension in his own heart.
He gave his final warning, the same words he'd repeated for weeks. "Please, just be cautious. Always carry a knife, and don't trust anyone you don't know. This city… it might not be as safe as it seems."
A few of the younger maids exchanged glances, a flicker of irritation in their eyes. Their young master was a kind and generous person, but his recent behavior was strange. He was always so serious, always giving these illogical warnings.
The city was a haven of peace, a jewel in the crown of a crime-free nation. What could possibly happen? They offered him polite nods and smiles, but their thoughts dismissed his words as an unnecessary eccentricity.
Lin Kai saw their dismissal and felt a surge of helplessness. He had tried, with every ounce of his being, to warn them and his family. He had called his sisters countless times, tried to send texts to his mother, and spoken in urgent, strained tones. But every time he had tried to mention a "calamity," a "transformation," or "monsters," his throat would tighten and his mouth would automatically seal itself shut, the words becoming a choked, silent terror.
He had no control over it. It was a curse, a bizarre phenomenon that made it impossible for him to truly explain the horrors to come. He had learned his lesson. He could only warn them, and hope they were smart enough to listen.
Just before noon, the sky began to change.
The golden afternoon light dimmed, and a strange, unearthly hush fell over the city. A cold wind began to blow, carrying a sense of foreboding that settled deep in the bones. Lin Kai, sitting in the living room, felt the change immediately.
He went to the large window, his eyes fixed on the horizon. The sky was no longer blue; it was a swirling, bruised canvas of black and deep purple clouds that gathered with unnatural speed.
He immediately turned on the television. The local news channel was in a state of controlled panic. The anchors, their faces pale and their voices trembling, were showing live satellite footage. It wasn't just happening in Yunnan; it was happening everywhere.
In Beijing, the sky was a churning maelstrom of shadow. In London, a similar dark canopy was descending. The news anchor's voice, once calm and professional, was now strained with a raw, primal fear as the live footage showed people in every city looking up in confused terror.
Lin Kai didn't hesitate. He grabbed his phone and, with a shaking thumb, called his mother. The call connected, and he immediately pulled his sisters into a group call with her.
"Mom! Lin Yu! Lin Ming! Lin Ling!" he shouted, his voice loud and filled with a desperate urgency. "Listen to me! What you are seeing outside is real! I don't have much time! Just… be alive! Promise me you will be alive! I will come to find you!"
Lin Mei's voice, usually a model of calm, was sharp with concern. "Lin Kai, what's going on? We see it too, what are these clouds? Are you safe?" The girls were also on the line, their voices a frightened chorus of questions. Lin Yu's calm demeanor had been shattered. Lin Ling's breath hitched in a gasp. Lin Ming's voice was a choked sob.
"Don't worry about me!" he yelled, a lump in his throat. "Just remember everything I told you. Stay together, stay cautious, and don't trust anyone! Tackle everything bravely! Do you hear me?!"
The phone call was a final, frantic bridge between two realities. Then, as if a switch had been flipped, the internet went dead. The call was cut. The screen on his phone went black. He knew it. The time had come.
He ran to his room, his heart a frantic drumbeat against his ribs. He went to his closet and pulled out a pair of dark, comfortable trousers and a long-sleeved black shirt he'd picked out for this day.
The clothes were made of a sturdy, mobile fabric, chosen for a warrior, not a student. He shed his casual clothes and quickly dressed, the simple act a spiritual transformation. He then went to his desk drawer and pulled out the two katanas. Their polished sheaths glinted under the dim light. He had practiced with them, honed his body, but he was still a teenager in his mind.
Now, with the world ending, his past self was finally taking over. He carefully slid his long, black hair with red streaks into a high, secure bun, binding it tightly with a hair tie so it wouldn't get in his way. He then pulled a long, dark cloak from his closet and put it on, the fabric comfortable and flowing. He felt a sense of purpose and calm settling over him.
Then, the world changed again.
An ancient, impossibly deep voice echoed through his mind, the same voice he had heard in his dream.
"THE PRIMAL DECREE HAS BEEN ISSUED. AWAKEN, MORTALS. ASCEND OR PERISH."
A second later, a mental interference flashed into his mind's eye. It was not a physical screen, but an intricate, glowing interface that only he could see.
[Vitality: 100/100]
[Aether: 100/100]
[Order: Zero Order (Low)]
[Rune: Locked]
He processed the information instantly. His mind, now a perfect blend of his past and present lives, understood the concepts immediately. Vitality was his life force, his physical resilience. Aether was the spiritual and magical energy, the mana from his old world.
The Order and the Rune, however, were still a mystery. He had no idea what they meant, but his instincts told him they were the key to survival. He dismissed the thoughts for now. He had more pressing matters to attend to.
He left his room and went outside, the air thick with a sense of dread and chaos. He could see it now. People were screaming, running in blind panic, but they weren't running from each other.
They were running from the things that were chasing them. Bodies were contorting, limbs twisting and stretching at sickening angles. Their eyes were turning black, their skin grey and mottled. The undead. They were real.
He could feel it in his soul, a strange sensation. The air was now saturated with a new kind of energy—Aether. It was the issue. Those who could not absorb or withstand the raw, spiritual power of the Aether were being corrupted, their bodies turning into mindless, flesh-craving monsters. Those who were normal were the ones with souls strong enough to resist, though their terror was evident on their faces.
He watched in horror as a woman was caught by a group of the undead. One of them bit her. He saw her eyes go wide with pain, and then, in a matter of seconds, her body began to twist and contort. Her flesh turned grey, her screams morphing into a guttural, inhuman shriek. She was no longer a person. She was just another monster.
One of the undead saw him. Its head, with its vacant black eyes, snapped toward him. It let out a raw, hungry scream and charged.
Lin Kai acted immediately. He drew his twin katanas, the steel singing as it left the sheaths. The blades felt light in his hands, an extension of his will. He didn't think; he simply moved. His body, trained in a past life, moved with a grace and speed that was entirely alien to his current self. He ran toward the creature, a blur of motion, and with a swift, clean motion, he cut through its neck.
The head flew, and the body fell to the ground with a wet thud. He didn't stop there. He used the momentum of his cut to leap onto the lowest branch of a nearby tree, his eyes scanning the chaos below, a silent spectator to the end of the world.
Then, the voice returned. But this time, it was a quiet, almost gentle hum in his mind.
"The First Soul has been reclaimed. The Ascent begins."
Lin Kai felt it. A faint surge of energy, a subtle strengthening of his muscles, a clearer vision in his eyes. He felt a mix of exhilaration and horror. He was thrilled by the power, the feeling of control in a world gone mad. But he was also sickened. He had just killed a human being.
The thought was a cold stone in his gut, but he forced himself to swallow it. He had a choice: to be a victim, or to be a survivor. He chose survival. He calmed himself, his breathing slowing. He knew what he had to do.
He had to get stronger. He had to reclaim more souls. His mind was frantic with thoughts of his mother and sisters. Were they safe? Were they alive? But he pushed the useless thoughts away. He had to focus. He had to survive. He had to get to Shanghai.
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