No. 97 Fengming Road, Linjiang Market.
Striding through the empty street, Lin An suddenly sped up and violently kicked the door of a corner shop.
Bang!
His heavy boots slammed against the rolling shutter with a sharp, jarring noise.
This street, a hub of nightlife in Linjiang City, was almost deserted during the day.
But at night, when the bars and karaoke lounges opened, the place would be buzzing.
Right now, he had no need for caution.
The symbolic metal door was quickly forced open by brute strength, tearing a half-person-high gap.
This place was a so-called "teahouse" that operated gambling transactions at night. The people guarding it hadn't even shut the inner door.
After all, it was a gathering spot for the underworld—no one dared steal from here.
“Who the hell kicked the door? You got a death wish?!”
Inside the teahouse, a tattooed middle-aged man with a cigarette in his mouth came running over, cursing non-stop.
His half-worn slippers slapped loudly against the floor.
The interior was dim, though quite nicely furnished.
Lin An’s expression was icy as he bent down to enter the place, comparing the location with a red mark on his phone screen.
The path matched perfectly.
“I’m talking to you! You pretending not to hear me?”
“You deaf or something?!”
“This should be the place.”
He muttered to himself, completely ignoring the incoming punch from the tattooed man.
With a quick sidestep, Lin An easily dodged the wild swing.
Then—elbow strike!
Almost as if anticipating it, Lin An, backed by combat experience from a past life, moved behind the man in an instant.
Bang!
His elbow crashed into the man’s spine three inches below the neck.
A scream rang out in pain.
“Shut up.”
His right fist followed with a sharp whistle.
A heavy punch knocked the man to the ground instantly.
The man screamed and cursed on the floor, blood pouring from his chin where he'd hit the ground hard. He looked utterly miserable.
“You’re f*cking dead!”
Fuming with rage, the man tried to push himself up, his right hand reaching for his waist.
Looking to die?
Lin An’s eyes went cold as he stomped down hard.
His boot crashed down on the man’s temple. With no time to react, the man blacked out instantly, the short blade he had just drawn clattering to the ground.
Kicking the body aside, Lin An casually scanned the interior of the teahouse.
In his past life, there had been early signs of the apocalypse.
Some locations where reality and alternate dimensions overlapped had begun appearing before the end came.
According to his memory, an extremely rare piece of equipment would appear here—
A ring fused with fragments of space.
The legendary "spatial ring" often seen in films and novels was, in the apocalypse, exceedingly rare.
Even basic equipment was scarce.
Unlike in games where monsters dropped loot all the time, in this apocalyptic world, even powerful awakened individuals might die without ever owning a piece of real gear—let alone a spatial ring.
In his past life, this very ring had ended up in the hands of a low-level thug.
The guy not only awakened his ability through the ring but also used its storage capacity to establish a secure zone.
The ring could store supplies, preserve freshness and temperature—
Perfect for survival, combat, and looting!
Lin An searched the place with rising anticipation.
Half an hour passed.
Splash.
With a helpless look, he dumped a bucket of ice water on the tattooed man's head.
He hadn’t found it.
The cold shock jolted the man awake, and he instinctively tried to curse.
“You son of—”
Thud!
Before he could finish, Lin An kicked his teeth in.
Blood and broken teeth scattered across the floor.
“I ask, you answer.”
“You talk trash, you die.”
Where did this guy even learn to curse so much?
Lin An stepped on his neck, eyes cold as ice.
At the slightest wrong move, he wouldn’t hesitate to kill the man and continue the search on his own.
Gulp.
“Don’t kill me!”
The man finally realized the situation. He looked at Lin An with fear.
Usually, he acted all tough, bullying others by relying on his gang ties.
But faced with a true killer, his cowardice was exposed.
“Where’s the ring?”
“Or any jewelry?”
The man froze, confused. He’d thought Lin An was here to pick a fight.
So this was a robbery?
Wait, no—he was here to steal?
Why didn’t he say so earlier?!
The thug looked aggrieved.
He’d only crashed here overnight after a late poker game.
If he’d known Lin An was just after something, he definitely wouldn’t have tried to fight him.
“I don’t know. I’m not the owner.”
He hesitated, ducking his head as he answered cautiously, though the words were slurred from the damage.
Seeing Lin An’s eyes darken like he might kill him anyway, the man hurriedly added:
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“There’s a bunch of stuff in the office upstairs. But it’s locked!”
Bang!
Without another word, Lin An smashed his foot into the man’s temple again.
The man passed out on the spot.
As for picking the lock?
Child’s play.
As a former soldier, Lin An had learned how to do that long ago.
Time passed. Half an hour later—
Lin An smashed through the door with a fire axe.
The expensive wooden door remained mostly intact—only the center was shattered from repeated strikes, the lock still technically working.
The best lock-picking methods are often the simplest.
Click.
He flipped on the light switch and examined the room.
Something in the corner caught his attention.
“A spatial… fluctuation?”
The room had clearly been untouched for a while; a faint musty smell lingered.
In the corner, a fist-sized black mass floated eerily in mid-air.
It looked like darkness had invaded a patch of nothingness.
Lin An held his breath, eyes fixed on the sliver of silvery white inside the black void—
A spatial ring!
Joy surged in his chest.
This was it.
In his previous life, this ring had caused quite a stir.
Everyone in Linjiang knew that a nobody had started his rise right here.
From an ordinary man to a powerful awakened being—
Eventually establishing a secure zone outside the city.
And now, the legendary gear was right in front of him!
Lin An reached toward the ring without hesitation. His fingertips lost sensation as they touched it.
Ignoring the strangeness, he gritted his teeth and shoved half his hand into the void—grabbing the ring.
Buzz! Buzz!
Waves of pressure rippled outward.
A terrifying aura burst from the dark mass.
ROAR!!
A deafening roar echoed from within as thick deathly energy surged out wildly.
Run!
Clutching the ring tightly, Lin An turned and fled.
He had no idea what he had just provoked—but it was clearly not good.
He hadn’t heard of this happening in his past life.
Maybe it was because he had taken the ring too early?
No time to think.
With a leap, he dove out the door, the silver ring clenched in his hand.
Beep.
“Doomsday Game Player detected.”
Beep. Detection failed. No digitized body found.
Warning!
Warning!
Shrill alerts rang in his mind, filling him with unease.
Behind him, the black death energy surged like living tendrils from a deep abyss.
Nowhere left to run!
Eyes hardening, Lin An dove straight through the second-floor window.
Glass shattered.
The moment he landed, overwhelming weakness and darkness swallowed him whole.
He blacked out instantly.
In his palm, the silver ring slowly faded—
And fused with his body.
Wailing and screaming.
Lin An struggled to his feet, his head splitting with pain.
The air reeked of scorched flesh.
What was once an orderly roadway was now completely gridlocked.
A cacophony of horns and screams blended into a chaotic roar.
"Bang!"
Lin An’s pupils shrank violently as a truck loaded with cargo roared past him.
He dodged hastily, and the scene before him made his heart skip a beat.
The out-of-control truck smashed through the barrier and overturned.
Its heavy cargo spilled everywhere.
The driver’s cabin, spewing sparks, had its door flung open in the crash.
The driver, whose skull was caved in and who should have been dead, crawled swiftly out of the wrecked cabin.
Bloody handprints trailed on the ground.
With such injuries, a normal person would’ve long been dead.
Was this… a zombie!?
His mouth went dry.
Lin An quickly pulled out his phone. The time on the screen made his heart sink.
November 13, 2032, 16:22.
Three days had passed.
Only 8 minutes until the apocalypse begins.
He wasn’t on Fengming Road. Had he really been missing for three days!?
Eyes wide with shock.
The horrors of the apocalypse he remembered were now unfolding in front of him.
There was no time to question why he had appeared here after obtaining the ring, or how he had leaped three days forward in time.
It had completely disrupted his original plan.
Now, he had to head immediately to the residential complex where his comrade was.
Only 2 hours and 8 minutes remained before An Jingtian’s complete zombification!
And he was still far from the residential area, stuck in the city center.
"Roar!"
A zombie crawled swiftly on the ground, letting out a hoarse screech as it lunged at Lin An.
A downward kick!
Driven by urgency and fury.
With a perfectly executed kick, the sole of Lin An’s shoe smashed the zombie’s partially decayed skull.
"Ding, zombie kill detected."
"Doomsday Player Template activated ahead of schedule!"
"Savior Template now enabled."
A screen of light suddenly appeared in front of his eyes.
"Doomsday Player Info: Lin An (Awakened Tier 0, Player Level 0)"
"Attributes:"
"Strength: 12 (10 + 2)"
"Agility: 12 (10 + 2)"
"Constitution: 12 (10 + 2)"
"Willpower: 14 (12 + 2)"
"Equipment: Doomsday Ring (Special)"
Awakened Talent: Strength Burst
(Greatly enhances physical abilities for a short time. Repeated use causes fatigue.)
"Tier 0: +2 to all attributes (Maximum value for normal humans is 10. First awakening boosts all attributes to max!)"
Savior Template: Grants a special skill (Eye of Judgment, unlocks after completing the first mission)
"Mission Countdown: ???"
Lin An was stunned, his breathing growing heavier.
The player system wasn’t supposed to activate until after the apocalypse officially began.
Yet now, it had already appeared.
What’s more, the awakened talent he had longed for in his past life had also arrived.
This saved him the trip to the energy node he was planning.
As for the Savior Template—he had never even heard of it in his previous life.
Was this a change brought by the ring?
He recalled the strange sensation when he took the ring.
He couldn’t help but shudder.
That black rift… there had definitely been something trying to break through.
Suppressing his thoughts.
A surge of strange power flooded his body as the system triggered. His muscles tightened all over, and his height, originally 1.8 meters, increased slightly.
Lin An took a deep breath, tightening the muscles in his right arm.
He threw a punch.
Twisting from the waist, the swing howled through the air and struck the thick car door head-on.
"Bang!"
The vehicle trembled violently. The metal door caved inward, and the car—several tons heavy—was shoved half a meter sideways, tires screeching against the asphalt.
Lin An stared at the result of his punch, stunned.
This was the strength… of an awakened one?
His heart surged with joy.
From this moment forward, he finally had the power to survive in the apocalypse.
He pushed off with his right foot.
The asphalt cracked.
Like a cannonball, he leapt easily onto the car roof, which dented under his landing.
Standing atop the vehicle, Lin An scanned the path ahead.
Not far away, some weaker humans were beginning to turn into zombies.
Mindless and driven only by hunger, they devoured anything alive.
Thanks to his enhanced willpower, his thoughts raced—sharp and clear.
Within seconds, Lin An plotted a clear path forward.
Linjiang Avenue → City Center Square → Ring Expressway → Heyuan Community...
That was the shortest route to An Jingtian.
Linjiang Avenue was already in chaos.
Hundreds of car crashes had completely blocked the road.
He would have to cross the chaotic downtown on foot before finding a vehicle.
Otherwise, there was no way he’d reach his destination in two hours on foot.
Brother... hang in there!
No time to waste.
Lin An bent his knees and jumped onto a Bentley’s roof.
The car shook. A zombie that had been gnawing at the driver smelled fresh prey.
It stopped feeding, grabbed a chunk of flesh, and leapt toward the roof.
Lin An ignored the startled zombie. He jumped again.
Like bouncing on a trampoline.
Thanks to his enhanced physique, he crossed the tangled wreckage in seconds.
Nearby, a middle-aged man stared in shock as Lin An leapt from car to car.
That inhuman agility—it looked straight out of a movie.
For a moment, he forgot the dozens of zombies chasing behind him.
"Help! Me!"
He stumbled, screaming with all his might, as if clinging to his last hope.
Lin An looked up slightly at the sound.
The man saw Lin An glance at him and lit up with hope.
"Please… save me!"
Lin An frowned slightly as he looked at the nearly exhausted man.
He didn’t want to waste time saving people.
Too many zombies.
Only six minutes remained before the virus fully erupted.
For now, the zombies were mostly weak or killed in car crashes.
Once the outbreak fully hit, 60% of Linjiang City's population would turn.
Another 10% would convert over time—ticking time bombs.
Linjiang had a population of over three million.
He wasn’t a saint. He couldn’t save everyone.
They passed each other.
Hope faded from the man’s eyes. His lips trembled.
His strength was nearly gone, legs giving out beneath him.
If he stopped, the zombies would devour him alive.
Despair and helplessness.
A doll slipped from his hand—something he had bought for his daughter’s birthday.
Lin An’s expression was cold. Out of the corner of his eye, he glimpsed the doll.
His route shifted slightly.
Strike!
Lin An slammed head-on into the nearest zombie, his fist driving like a spear.
Flesh exploded.
The sheer impact punched a gaping hole through the zombie’s chest.
Without hesitation, Lin An yanked out its spine to use as a weapon.
Zombie bones, hardened by the virus, made excellent makeshift weapons in the apocalypse.
Downward slash!
The pale bone whistled through the air.
With a single swing, the zombie to his right was cleaved in half, crumpling to the ground.
The middle-aged man thought he was dead for sure.
But Lin An had acted.
Seeing Lin An cut through the zombies like a tiger through sheep, he was stunned.
His throat dry—it was like watching a monster.
Seeing the chaos, the hordes, and the city on fire—
A thought popped into his mind:
This world is finished.
But if I follow him—
I’ll survive.
He can save my daughter!
"Thud!"
The man fell to his knees, desperately yelling as Lin An fought on.
"Please! Save my daughter! She's still at school!"
Lin An’s face remained cold. Clearing the path was already pushing his limits.
Save others?
Then who would save his brother?
Without looking back, Lin An left once the way was clear.
"Run!"
"Survive! Then rely on yourself!"
The man heard Lin An’s parting words and smiled bitterly.
Looking at the regrouping zombies in the distance, he quickly picked up the doll and ran.
City Center District – Wanda Shopping Plaza
Lin An, covered in blood, sticky red dripping from his hair.
He stood silently atop a residential building, staring down at the mall.
The apocalypse was about to start. Soon, a global psychic storm would sweep the planet.
Under its influence, people would briefly lose consciousness.
If it struck while traveling, it would be deadly.
No matter how urgent, Lin An had no choice but to lay low for now.
In front of the mall, the parking lot was in ruins.
Those hiding in their cars were like canned meat.
Car doors might stop zombies, but windshields wouldn’t.
Driven only by hunger, the zombies banged their heads repeatedly against the glass without pain or fear.
Within seconds, the windows shattered.
The zombies opened the "cans" and began feasting...
