Chapter 1: I Was Reborn in Death

Withered and desolate.

In the city, vigorous weeds sprouted from the hard concrete, and the ground was littered with white bones.

Lin An dragged his heavy legs, running with great effort.

A burning pain in his lungs, each breath tugging at his broken ribs, sending waves of agony.

Behind him, a horde of zombies howled, their faces grotesque.

He dared not stop.

If he stopped, this resurrected mob would tear him to pieces and devour his flesh.

December 2035.

Three years ago, the apocalypse erupted, dragging the whole world into hell.

Seeing the makeshift safe house draw nearer, hope flickered on his formerly despairing face.

"Bang bang bang!"

"Open the door! Hurry and open it!"

Lin An frantically pounded on the heavy iron door; the zombies behind him were less than a hundred meters away.

A rotten stench assailed his nostrils.

"I got the medicine back! Hurry and open the door, Tang Wan!"

Inside the safe house were his fiancée and her family of three.

"Whoosh."

The window was pulled open, but the iron door remained shut.

An eye peered at him through the narrow iron grating, full of concern.

Lin An recognized it—Tang Wan.

"Tang Wan! It's me! Hurry and open the door!"

Lin An felt heart-rending pain; the wound in his chest was tugged and widened.

The spurting blood made the zombies behind him even more frenzied, their speed suddenly increasing.

After hearing the sound,

The eye in the iron grating shifted to look at the medicine in his hand.

That was the medicine Lin An had risked his life to find, to reduce the fever of Tang Wan's younger brother.

"Lin An, I'll open the door for you right away."

The voice from inside the door was urgent, calming Lin An's panicked heart.

Once inside, he would be safe.

On the perilous outskirts of the city, this safe house he had built with his own hands was his only home.

"First pass the medicine in, then I'll lower the bolt."

Hearing that, Lin An felt utterly weakened; he hurriedly shoved the medicine box into the iron grating with difficulty.

But a vague unease lingered in his heart.

"Why... not just open the door?"

The hand inside the iron grating snatched the medicine box away in a flash, yet did not open the door.

"Tang Wan?!"

Lin An's disbelieving voice rang out in the night, sharp and despairing.

His heart sank, and his whole body turned icy cold.

"Why... still not open the door?!"

He could already hear the zombies behind him right at his ears.

"Lin An, I see the wound on your chest."

Tang Wan's voice paused, no longer the former concern, now extremely calm.

It was as if she were speaking to a stranger.

"You might have been infected."

"I won't let you in."

Lin An felt as if he had fallen into an ice cellar; the zombies behind him had already lunged onto his body.

Flesh was torn away.

"Besides, let me tell you something."

"The captain of the Safe Zone has already agreed to let me in, as long as I'm willing to sleep with him."

"Of course, you must die too."

Inside, Tang Wan casually brushed aside her hair.

Just as calmly as she used to chat with Lin An.

Lin An could not believe it; those words struck him like a bolt from the blue.

The pain from the flesh being torn away behind him was also overridden.

His voice sounded like weeping blood as he frantically questioned the person inside the window.

"Why, why would you betray me?!"

He pressed his palm against the door, leaving a bloody handprint.

His eyes were about to burst.

He could feel his intestines being pulled out, a surge of extreme weakness.

Tang Wan's gaze inside the window was calm, tinged with a hint of mockery.

Just because you're a good-for-nothing.

I don't want to suffer hunger and fear every day.

He's strong, he's an Awakened One.

And you, you're just an ordinary person.

Behind him, the zombie frantically tore at Lin An's head, and his creaking spine was easily snapped.

The zombie's foul-smelling, sharp, rotting fingers dug into his eye sockets.

Daughter, why waste your words on this good-for-nothing?

Let him die far away, don't let him die on our doorstep.

Inside the house, the lights were warm.

Tang Mother casually took the blood-stained medicine box, then looked coldly out the window.

The three stood side by side, only leaving after Lin An's body had been completely devoured.

In Linjiang City, inside the bridal chamber decked with lanterns and ribbons.

Lin An, why aren't you calling your comrades to borrow money? Just standing there?

The speaker was Lin An's fiancée, Tang Wan.

Like struggling while drowning.

Lin An jolted awake, gasping for breath.

The scene from before his death overlapped with the person before him.

Was that just a dream?!

His head felt like it would split, and he could faintly feel the pain of flesh being torn away.

The pain felt real, just like a moment ago.

He hurriedly looked at his phone.

November 9, 2032.

Lin An's expression was shocked; he felt his mouth dry and tongue parched.

No... this isn't a dream!

He had been reborn.

He had returned to three years ago, to three days before the Apocalypse outbreak, the day he proposed to Tang Wan.

Lin An, let me tell you.

If you want to marry my daughter, the bride price must be increased by 200,000.

Your little brother Tang Tian is about to get married; as his brother-in-law, you can't possibly not contribute a single cent, right?

Tang Wan's mother gave her younger son a look, signaling him to speak up and ask for money.

Brother-in-law, weren't those comrades of yours just discharged?

Tang Tian sat on the sofa with his legs crossed, his face full of impatience.

I heard discharge money is pretty good these days; it's just a small loan—what do you have to be embarrassed about asking for?

Seeing Lin An standing there dumbfounded, Tang Wan couldn't help but frown.

Originally, they thought Lin An, being honest and of military background, would still have some money, making him a decent choice.

Who would have thought Lin An would be so hesitant now, unable to produce a cent?

It really made her lose face.

Aren't you close with your comrades? How come you can't even borrow this little money?

Seeing Lin An show no reaction, Tang Mother couldn't help but let out a cold snort. Raising her voice arrogantly, she shouted:

Lin An, if you can't come up with this money, then don't bother getting married.

You have no sincerity at all; I thought you were decent before, but you're just a stingy pauper.

Tang Mother spoke in a sarcastic, backhanded way.

Little brother Tang Tian, seeming unafraid of causing trouble, upon hearing Tang Mother say they shouldn't marry, hastily spoke up:

Sis! Weren't there a wealthy guy chasing you before?

I think you shouldn't marry this poor loser.

Go find Boss Wang—he's loaded! Last time he even asked me what kind of car I like!

Amid the trio's endless chatter, no one noticed the killing intent in Lin An's downcast gaze.

In his past life, to fulfill his mother's wish, he hastily married Tang Wan.

Although rushed, he asked himself whether he had done everything he should have,

buying a car, buying a house, paying the bride price in full.

He even went so far as to shamelessly borrow money from his comrades to make up the bride price.

However, the day before the wedding, the Apocalypse broke out.

Lin An, with his military background, struggled to survive with his fiancée's family.

Even on the last day when he was about to be eaten alive, he still struggled desperately for the sake of his so-called family.

That door cut off his vitality, yet it also shattered his naive compassion and the so-called righteousness.

The piercing mockery dragged him back to reality.

Pauper, if you have no money, don't pretend to be someone else.

My sister marrying you is her looking down on you—there are plenty of others chasing her!

Boom!

Lin An unleashed an explosive kick; the tremendous force struck Tang Tian's abdomen, sending him flying three meters straight.

Tang Tian's face was flushed red, bile spilled all over the ground, his body arched like a shrimp in the corner of the wall.

Unbelievable.

Tang Wan stared in shock at Lin An pulling back his foot, a chill shot straight to the back of her head.

She had never seen Lin An strike someone before; she never expected the honest-looking Lin An to be so vicious in his attack.

"He's killing someone! He's killing someone!"

Tang Mother came to her senses and screamed loudly, her hands repeatedly slapping her thighs.

"You damned wretch, daring to hit my son!"

"Penniless ghost, you still dare to hit people! I'll sue you to death!"

"I'm calling the police to arrest you right now! You won't be getting married!"

"Shut up! You old beast!"

Lin An walked toward Tang Mother, her sharp, sarcastic face making him extremely irritable.

He remembered that pair of cold eyes.

"Slap! Slap!"

One palm after another, a series of slaps were unleashed.

Exhilarating and thorough.

Lin An struck without hesitation, and in an instant slapped out over a dozen slaps.

Tang Mother fainted after just a few blows, collapsing like a broom fallen from the wall.

"Lin An, are you crazy!"

Tang Wan stared, speechless, and let out an incredulous high-pitched scream.

"Crazy?"

Lin An gave a cruel smile, and killing intent instantly exploded.

He wanted this group to feel the agony of flesh and blood being torn apart.

Let them taste the pain and despair he felt before death.

Lin An mercilessly crushed Tang Mother's brittle leg bones, his gaze like a blade as he walked toward Tang Wan.

"Lin An!"

"What do you want to do!?"

"What are you doing?"

Lin An slightly bent his body, the icy coldness in his tone gripping the heart.

Tang Wan seemed to sense something, her whole body trembling as she hurriedly fled into the room and locked the door from inside.

"I've called the police!"

"The police are right outside!"

Trembling, Tang Wan turned on her phone's speaker; the dial tone rang as the call connected.

On the eve of the Apocalypse outbreak, accidents occurred frequently.

Faintly outside the window, sirens and ambulances could be heard.

Upon hearing the siren being answered.

Lin An stopped his steps, his icy gaze fixed in place, as if contemplating something.

He tilted his head, staring intently at the locked door.

Only three days remained before the Apocalypse broke out.

Once entangled with them, it would surely waste a great deal of time.

Wasting time meant wasting the chance at rebirth.

Not worth it.

This bunch of trash isn't worthy of wasting his precious time.

Then......

Three days!

Lin An gave a cruel smile, slowly turning his body.

Three days later, the Apocalypse erupted.

I really want to see, without his desperate protection.

Like useless waste, how should Tang Wan and the three of them survive in this apocalypse.

I hope you can still keep that face even under the jaws of zombies.

Death and that door completely changed this life's Lin An.

In this life he will only care about those he holds dear.

He will no longer be like in his past life, stubbornly clinging to pedantic inner convictions.

Let others use him!

Grow strong, then survive in this cruel apocalypse.

Having decided to kill again in three days, Lin An naturally wouldn't waste any more time.

He kicked open the thin iron door and strode out.

Faintly, Tang Wan heard the sound of him leaving.

As if coming to her senses, she kept shouting curses inside the door, phoning several bosses who felt they had power and influence.

It doesn't matter anymore.

If Tang Wan wanted to call helpers to cause trouble for him.

He doesn't mind taking care of it while passing by here.

Lin An suppressed his hatred.

Meaningless emotions only affect rationality.

The time ahead.

【185> He not only needs to stockpile enough supplies before the apocalypse breaks out.

He not only needs to stockpile enough supplies before the Apocalypse breaks out.

He also needs to prepare for the awakening talent.

Three days later, the Doomsday Game will descend.

Zombie virus outbreak, demonic beasts emerge from the YiKongjian, and countless supernatural incidents sweep the globe.

And people will, like in a game, obtain data panels.

A few fortunate ones gained supernatural power and awakening talent at the energy nodes.

Reborn in this life, he must firmly grasp his fate in his own hands.

In this life, he refuses to remain a lowly struggling ordinary person.

And energy nodes will only appear briefly after the apocalypse begins!

In his past life, he was dragged down by her Tang Wan's family, missing the chance to become an Awakened One.

Now, he will change all of this!

The first step to change fate.

"No. 97 Fengming Road!"