Chapter 3 – The Apocalypse Arrives

An article titled #Apocalypse Survival Guide# suddenly went viral across all major platforms.

The opening line—“I come from the end of the world”—was explosive enough to hook readers instantly. It described how, on July 7, 2040, a red moon would shroud the Earth, the sky turning blood-red as a virus spread, climates shifted drastically, natural disasters struck frequently, the environment suffered severe pollution, humans mutated, countless plants and animals evolved, and the ecosystem collapsed entirely.

The article didn’t stop there. It went on to outline detailed strategies for stockpiling supplies before the apocalypse, survival measures afterward, and even included scientific explanations about awakened powers.

Overnight, the post dominated trending lists across every platform. Tags like “I come from the end of the world” and “Apocalypse Survival Guide” shot straight to the top.

Public reaction was divided. Some were skeptical; some immediately began preparing; some mocked and cursed; others dismissed it as nonsense; some tried to trace the IP address of the uploader; others used the opportunity to lecture about laws against spreading false information.

Within just a few hours, marketing accounts, bloggers, and influencers had shared the post, adding their own opinions and analyses.

But soon, due to “spreading false rumors and causing public panic,” the article was suppressed. It vanished from hot searches and became unsearchable.

Still, whether people believed it or not, the Survival Guide left an impression. When the apocalypse truly arrived, maybe some would survive because they remembered. Many others, however, sneered at the “doomsday theory” and ignored it.

As for Lin Yu, she had already done what she needed to do. People’s reactions were irrelevant to her. After posting the article, she threw the spare phone down a sewer.

“Ring—”

Another phone buzzed violently. Seeing the caller ID, Lin Yu frowned but answered anyway.

“Xiao Yu, did you see that Apocalypse Survival Guide online?”

“Mm.”

“You don’t actually believe it, do you? Obviously just hype some people made up for attention. It’s already been scrubbed from the web. I bet the person who wrote it’s been dragged off by the authorities.” Bai Yanyan’s gloating voice came through the receiver.

“You’re not chickening out because of some baseless rumors, are you? We had an agreement!”

Lin Yu’s eyes darkened, her lips curling into a strange smile. “Don’t worry. I’ve already booked my ticket. Tomorrow afternoon I’ll head out to Yun Province.”

……

July 7th, 12:30 p.m.

The sky, which should have been bright and clear, was shrouded in gray. From the clouds, faint streaks of red glimmered ominously. The air carried a heavy pressure, the unmistakable feeling of a storm about to break.

On television, the weather forecast played as usual. Lin Yu sat on the villa sofa, sipping congee with preserved egg and lean pork.

The wait felt unbearably long. At 12:48, the red moon would descend, bringing not just a strange celestial sight, but a virus that would mutate humans, animals, and plants. Some humans would become flesh-eating monsters; others would awaken supernatural powers.

The first batch of those infected by the zombie virus would collapse within a minute. When they rose again, they would be mindless corpses driven only to bite the living.

Half an hour later, a second wave of infection would trigger long comas lasting thirty minutes. This group was less likely to become zombies—most would awaken powers. Lin Yu was one of them in her past life.

But that coma had proven fatal to many. Caught in unsafe places, they hadn’t survived long enough to awaken before being bitten by first-wave zombies.

In her past life, Lin Yu had survived by accident—she’d returned to the hotel with Bai Yanyan to fetch a charger, narrowly escaping. There, she awakened her water ability.

This time, she was fully prepared. Calm, steady.

At 12:40, she turned off the TV, changed into black sportswear, and went to the second-floor balcony. She gazed out over Qingquan Mountain, quietly waiting.

When the clock struck 12:48, a massive red moon loomed in the sky. The gray clouds ignited with crimson, and the whole Earth sank into eerie, blood-red light.

Screams rose from the villa district. From afar came the rumble of explosions—chain car accidents sparked by first-wave zombies collapsing and mutating.

In an instant, order shattered. The world slid into chaos.

Lin Yu drew a deep breath, returned inside, and locked all doors and windows.

Half an hour later, unconscious Lin Yu stirred. Her eyes opened. She sat up and glanced at her phone.

1:48 p.m., July 7, 2040. The apocalypse had begun an hour ago.

She set the phone aside. At a thought, a ball of water formed in her hand. The sphere shifted shape with her will.

In her past life, her first water sphere had been the size of an egg. Now, it was the size of ten eggs. Maybe it was because of her rebirth—she couldn’t be sure.

There was no time to dwell. She strapped on her backpack, pulled on gloves, grabbed her spiked club, and headed out.

Funds had run short before. She hadn’t managed to buy all the supplies she wanted. She had to move now—while zombies were still clumsy, stiff, and slow, and while most people hadn’t realized what was happening.

Driving her Hummer down from Qingquan Mountain, she hadn’t even cleared the area before zombies staggered toward the noise.

Taking advantage of their sluggishness, Lin Yu pressed down on the accelerator without hesitation. The vehicle crushed them into pulp.

The mountain road was eerily silent, the roar of her engine deafening against it.

Zombie gore splattered across the windshield. She could almost imagine the reeking stench. This wasn’t her first kill, but it was the coldest, calmest, most decisive one yet.

Pushing the thought aside, she sped away.

The past few days, she hadn’t only been stockpiling supplies—she had also scouted nearby gas stations.

Her destination now was one of them, eight kilometers away.