Screams tore through the street.
Lin An groaned, clutching his pounding head as he pushed himself off the ground. The stench of smoke and burning metal filled his lungs.
The once-orderly lane was now a mess of horns, twisted wreckage, and panic.
Bang! A cargo truck roared past, barely missing him. It smashed through a fence, overturned, and spilled crates across the street. The cab burst into flames.
The driver's skull was caved in—yet he crawled out, hands leaving bloody prints on the pavement. His twisted body moved with unnatural hunger.
Lin An's mouth went dry. A zombie.
He yanked out his phone. The screen read:
November 13, 2032. 16:22.
Three days gone. Eight minutes left until Doomsday.
His eyes went bloodshot. The devastation from his past life's memories was unfolding all over again. There was no time to think about how he'd lost three days after grabbing the ring. He had to move—fast. His brother, An Jingtian, had less than two hours before the virus consumed him completely.
"Roar!"
The half-dead driver lunged. Lin An stepped forward and kicked, his boot cracking through the skull.
A chime rang in his ears.
Ding.
Zombie detected.
Doomsday player template unlocked.
Savior template activated.
A light screen blinked into his vision:
Player: Lin An
Strength 12
Agility 12
Constitution 12
Willpower 14
Equipment: Ring of Doom (Special)
Talent: Power Burst (short-term super strength, with backlash)
Savior Template: Eye of Judgment (locked)
Lin An's breath quickened. In his last life, awakening required reaching an energy node. Now, the ring had accelerated it. His muscles swelled, his body stretching taller, tighter.
He clenched a fist and drove it into a car door.
Bang!
Steel crumpled inward, tires screeching as the several-ton vehicle skidded sideways.
His heart hammered with exhilaration. The power of an awakened… finally mine.
In one leap, he landed on a rooftop, asphalt cracking under his launch. From above, he scanned the chaos: people collapsing, flesh tearing, zombies multiplying. His mind raced.
Fastest route: Linjiang Street → City Center Square → Ring Expressway → Heyuan Community.
He had two hours. No delays.
A cry snapped his attention. Ahead, a middle-aged man stumbled, dozens of zombies closing in.
"Help! Please!"
Lin An's jaw tightened. He had no time. His brother came first.
The man's doll slipped from his grip, bouncing across the pavement. For an instant, Lin An's eyes flicked to it—then to the nearest zombie.
He pivoted, driving his fist straight through its chest. Flesh burst, ribs snapping. He yanked the spine free and swung it like a blade, splitting another skull.
The man collapsed in disbelief, watching Lin An carve through the horde like a beast. Tears blurred his vision.
This monster can survive the end. If I follow him… maybe my daughter can too.
The man dropped to his knees. "Please! Save her—she's still at school!"
Lin An didn't look back. His voice was flat."Save yourself."
He cut down the last of the zombies blocking his path and vanished into the chaos.
Wanda Plaza, City Center.
Lin An crouched blood-soaked on a rooftop, watching. Below, thousands had crammed into the mall, praying that steel gates and concrete walls would keep them safe.
But he knew better. In his past life, this place became a slaughterhouse.
The parking lot was already a feeding ground. Zombies smashed through windshields, dragging screaming families out like canned meat.
At the mall's front gate, a young woman in heels kicked desperately at the monster clawing onto her car. She screamed toward the crowd behind the bars.
"Please! Help me!"
Security guards hesitated. Civilians shouted them down. No one opened the gate.
The woman's cries turned to shrieks, then gurgles, then silence.
Inside, the crowd only hugged themselves tighter, whispering relief that they were the ones behind the gate, not outside.
Lin An exhaled slowly. He didn't blame them. In the apocalypse, survival was the top priority. But pity burned in his chest. Soon, these thirty thousand people would regret locking themselves inside.
Because the countdown had reached zero.
Buzz.
A piercing shriek split the air. Then, a voice—mocking, cruel—rang inside every mind:
"The end is here. The game begins."Welcome, bugs. Struggle if you can."
The sky darkened. Winds howled. The ground shook. A mental storm crashed over humanity like a hammer to the soul.
For a heartbeat, the world went silent. Then—
Roars. Screams. Madness.
All at once, the virus erupted. Skin peeled. Eyes burst blood-red. Humanity fell, replaced by hunger.
Inside Wanda Plaza, the lights died.
Tens of thousands of scarlet eyes flickered open in the dark.