There were howls and screams.
Andy struggled to his feet, his head pounding.
The air was thick with the stench of burning.
The once orderly traffic lanes were at a complete standstill.
A cacophony of honks and screams filled the air.
Bang!
Andy's pupils constrict violently as a truck loaded with goods roared past him.
He quickly dodged to the side. The sight before him made his heart stop.
The out-of-control truck crashed into the guardrail and flipped over, scattering its cargo everywhere.
The truck's cab was now engulfed in flames. Its door had flung wide open when it crashed.
The driver, whose skull was caved in and should be dead, crawled out of the wrecked door at a bizarre speed.
Bloody handprints marked his path.
A normal person would have died from that kind of injury.
That was... a zombie?!
Andy's throat felt dry.
He quickly pulled out his phone. The time displayed on the screen made his heart sink.
It was November 13, 2032, 4:22 PM.
Three days had passed.
There were only 8 minutes remaining until the apocalypse.
He was no longer on Phoenix Road; he had vanished for three days!
His eyes widened in disbelief.
His memory of the chaos on the day of the apocalypse overlapped with his current reality.
Andy didn’t have time to think about how he ended up there after obtaining the ring.
He had lost three days, which completely disrupted his original plan.
Right now, he must immediately rush to his friend's house.
There were only 2 hours and 8 minutes left before Jason would fully turn into a zombie!
However, Andy was at the city center, which was quite a distance away from Jason's residential area.
Roar!
The zombie that was crawling with unnatural speed on the ground hissed as it rushed toward Andy.
Downward kick!
Reacting in anger and urgency, Andy delivered a standard kick. The hard sole of his shoe instantly crushed the half-destroyed head of the zombie.
Ding!
[Detected zombie kill. Apocalypse player profile activated in advance. Savior profile enabled.]
A light screen suddenly appeared in front of Andy.
[Apocalypse Player Information: Andy Langford (Awakened Rank 0, Player Level 0)
Attributes:
Strength: 12 (10+2)
Agility: 12 (10+2)
Constitution: 12 (10+2)
Willpower: 14 (12+2)
Equipment: Ring of the Apocalypse (Special)
Awakened Talent: Burst Of Strength (Significantly increases physical attributes for a short period of time. Enters a weakened state after repeated use.)
Rank 0: All attributes +2 (The upper limit of each attribute is 10 for ordinary humans. The first awakening boosts all attributes to the max.)
Savior Profile: Gain additional special skill (Eye of Judgment, unlocked after completing the first quest)
Countdown To Quest: ??? ]
Andy was surprised. His breathing gradually quickened.
The player profile was supposed to appear only after the apocalypse began, yet it had appeared for him already.
Not only that, the Awakened Talent he coveted in his previous life had appeared as well.
This saved him the trouble of heading to an energy node.
As for the Savior profile, he had never heard about it in his past life.
Was it a change caused by the ring?
Recalling all the strange things that happened when he took the ring made his heart race.
Something had clearly wanted to break free from that black crack.
He forcefully suppressed his fear.
A unique power had surged into his body as soon as the notifications sounded.
His muscles suddenly became firmer, and he felt like he had grown a couple of inches taller from his original height of 5'11".
Andy took a deep breath, pulled his right hand back, and unleashed a powerful punch. He twisted his waist to provide more force, and his fist slammed into the thick metal door of a nearby car.
Bang!
The car shook violently and the metal car door instantly caved in. The tires left black skid marks on the ground as the car, which must weigh several tons, slid half a meter sideways.
Andy stared at the power of his punch in shock.
So this is the power of an Awakened?
Excitement surged through him.
From now on, he had the strength to survive in the apocalypse.
Concentrating strength in his right foot, he kicked the ground.
The asphalt road cracked.
He effortlessly leaped onto the roof of the car, which dented under his weight.
Taking advantage of the high vantage point, Andy carefully surveyed the path ahead.
Not far away, some ordinary people in poorer physical conditions were already transforming into zombies.
The zombies, having lost their rationality and driven only by a desire to feed, bit at any living creature near them.
Thanks to his enhanced willpower, Andy managed to think fast and think clearly. In just a few seconds, he mapped out his route.
Linden Avenue, City Center Square, City Highway, Hera residential area...
That was the fastest route to Jason's place.
Linden Avenue, where he was currently situated, was in chaos.
Over a hundred car accidents had brought traffic to a complete standstill.
He would have to navigate on foot through the most chaotic urban area, then find a way to drive to Jason's place. It would be difficult to arrive within two hours with just his legs.
'Bro… Hang in there!'
Without a second thought, Andy jumped onto the roof of a nearby Bentley, making the car sway.
A zombie that had been gnawing on the driver sensed Andy's living presence.
It abruptly stopped feeding and climbed to the roof of the car still clutching a chunk of flesh in its right hand.
Andy ignored the zombie and concentrated strength in his legs once more. He propelled himself forward with his powerful legs, bouncing on cars like he was bouncing on a trampoline. Thanks to his superior physical attributes, he easily crossed the obstacles caused by the accidents in mere seconds.
Not far away, a middle-aged man watched in shock as Andy jumped off the roof of a car.
Andy's terrifying jumping power looked like something straight out of a movie.
For a moment, he even forgot that there were dozens of zombies chasing after him menacingly.
"Help! Help!"
The man staggered.
He cried out with all his might, his voice filled with desperation.
Hearing the cry, Andy looked up slightly.
The man’s face lit up with hope when he saw that Andy had noticed him.
"Save... Save me!"
Andy frowned, looking at the exhausted man who was on the brink of collapse.
He did not want to waste time rescuing people.
There were simply too many zombies.
There were only six minutes left before the virus fully broke out.
Most of the zombies that had appeared so far had transformed from humans in poor physical conditions or those who had perished in car accidents.
Once the virus fully broke out, 60% of the population in Linden proper would turn into zombies.
A further 10% of the population would gradually transform over time, like ticking time bombs.
The population of Linden proper alone was more than three million.
Andy was not a saint. He could not save everyone.
He ran past the man.
The look in the man's eyes changed from hope to despair, and his lips trembled.
His stamina was almost exhausted, and his legs felt weak.
But if he stopped, the zombies behind him would immediately feast upon him.
Despair and helplessness washed over him.
The doll that he didn't even realize he was still grasping fell to the ground.
It was a birthday gift he had bought for his daughter.
Andy remained expressionless when he glanced at the doll.
However, his path deviated slightly.
Straight jab!
Andy headed straight for the zombie closest to the man, his right fist slicing through the air like a sword.
Blood and flesh splattered as the tremendous impact of the punch pierced through the zombie's chest, leaving a gaping hole in its wake.
Drawing back his hand, Andy effortlessly yanked out the zombie's spine and wielded it as a weapon.
The bones of the zombies, enhanced by the virus, were remarkably sturdy. They were commonly used as weapons when there was a shortage of materials during the apocalypse.
He chopped down with the makeshift weapon. The stark white bone cut through the air, letting out a whirring sound. In a single blow, the zombie to his right was cleaved in half, toppling over in disarray.
The middle-aged man thought he was dead for sure, but when he saw that Andy had decided to help him, his expression shifted to sheer exhilaration.
As he watched Andy charge through the horde of zombies, exhibiting strength beyond his imagination, he felt his mouth go dry.
He felt like he was seeing a monster.
He looked at the crowd in the distance getting chased down by zombies, and the city that was in utter chaos.
As someone with life experiences, a thought instantly formed in his mind.
'The world is coming to an end!
'Follow that man!
'I'll survive if I follow him!
'He can save my daughter!'
Thud.
The man suddenly dropped to his knees, humbling himself as he called out to Andy in a desperate voice.
"Please save my daughter! She's still at school!"
Andy remained indifferent. He was already going out of his way to deal with the nearby zombies. He would do no more than that.
Save someone else?
Then who would save his bro?
After dispatching the hindering zombies, he left without looking back.
"Run! Stay alive! Rely on yourself!"
Hearing Andy's words, the middle-aged man could only force a bitter smile.
Seeing that a new zombie horde was already starting to form nearby, he hurriedly picked up the fallen doll and turned to flee.
-
Wonder Shopping Plaza, Linden city center.
Andy stood covered in blood on the rooftop of a residential building, quietly staring at the shopping mall. Sticky blood dripped from his hair ends.
The apocalypse was about to begin, and soon a mental storm would sweep across the globe.
Under the mental storm, humans would momentarily lose consciousness.
It would be extremely dangerous if it happened while Andy was on the road.
Therefore, no matter how anxious he felt, he could only find a place to hide for now.
-
The parking lot in front of the shopping center was in disarray.
The humans hiding inside vehicles were like delicious canned food to the zombies.
Perhaps the car doors were sturdy enough to block out the zombies, but the fragile windows were not.
The zombies, stripped of rationality and retaining only their desire to feed, incessantly banged their heads against the car windows like a pestle pounding on mortar, unfazed by the pain.
The car windows shattered in a matter of seconds.
Having opened the can, the zombies could now feast on the meat inside.
-
On the first floor of the shopping center, a crowd hiding behind a metal gate helplessly watched a car outside.
The silver car was surrounded by zombies.
They greedily reached out, trying to grab the person inside.
Inside the car, a beautiful woman in professional attire screamed in despair.
Grabbing the roof of the car, her long, fair legs kicked at the nearest zombie relentlessly.
Her sharp heels kicked chunks of flesh off the zombie's head, but her attacks were not fatal.
"Help me...!
"Please, somebody, help me!"
The scene beneath her skirt was faintly visible.
The pretty woman frequently turned toward the crowd just a door away, her gaze pleading.
"Don't open the gate!"
"The gate cannot be opened!"
Several security guards wanted to open the gate, but were loudly stopped by many of the people.
"We won’t be able to fend off the zombies if you open the gate! Do you want to kill us all!?"
A burly man closest to the gate urgently shoved the nearest security guard and glared at him as if he were an enemy.
Under normal circumstances, he wouldn't mind playing the hero and saving the beauty, but against the zombies, he just wanted to live.
Crying, chewing, screaming, until there was no more sound.
The crowd behind the gate could only watch helplessly as the woman was slowly dismembered, but no one dared to go out.
The security guard holding a baton stood rooted to the spot, his legs weak.
A few muscular fitness instructors lowered their heads, not daring to look.
The crowd fell silent.
Yet amidst the fear and sorrow, there were some who felt a hint of relief.
They were relieved that they had managed to hide in the building and lock the gate in time.
Not only was it safe in the building, but there was also plenty of food.
-
Andy took that all in from the rooftop of the residential building,
Looking at the crowd grow numb to a stranger's suffering and choose self-preservation, he couldn’t help but let out a soft sigh.
He was not sighing at those people's cowardice.
In the face of the apocalypse, self-preservation was the norm.
They did nothing wrong.
He was sighing for the fate of the people in the building.
Nearly 30,000 people had holed themselves up in the shopping center.
It was so crowded that they were packed like sardines.
There were only ten seconds left before the apocalypse started.
When the time came, the power would fail and the virus lying dormant in the human body would simultaneously break out.
That place would turn into hell – the kind of hell he saw in his past life.
Buzz!
Ten seconds passed in the blink of an eye.
A high-pitched, piercing buzz could be heard.
Suddenly, a cruel and mocking voice echoed in everyone’s mind.
[The apocalypse has arrived, the game has begun!
Welcome to the apocalypse game, you little bugs.
Try your best to survive in this game!]
Without warning, the sky turned dark, a fierce wind blew, and the earth trembled.
An invisible mental shockwave swept through everyone.
The violent mental impact was like a heavy hammer that hit every human deep in the soul, causing a short loss of consciousness.
Countless horrifying, heart-wrenching wails erupted, directly targeting the deepest fears in people's hearts.
Transformations happened simultaneously all around the world.
People on hospital beds, people on the streets, and people who were walking suddenly stood still.
A second later, the zombie virus erupted!
The eyes of the humans infected with the virus bulged.
Their skin rotted and fell away, exposing bright red muscles beneath.
Their pupils vanished, leaving only a hint of bloodlust, as if their souls had been sucked out of them.
Inside the crowded shopping mall, the panicking crowd dropped the shelves they were using to barricade the gate.
Thump.
The ceiling lights went out, and thousands of crimson eyes lit up in the dark.
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