Night fell quietly, as dark clouds and towering steel frames merged into one.
Neon lights flickered, casting purple and magenta hues across the cityscape. Warm golden light bars partitioned the city into distinct areas, where financial corporations' skyscrapers stretched towards the heavens, their massive flags waving over the clouds.
The air in the city tased just like a glass of tequila, a haven for the traders who sought comfort in Asian food stores within the CBD after a long day at work.
At present, people were occupied with the discounted items nearing their expiration dates, but in few hours, everything would change.
Zed set a countdown timer on his phone.
He didn't want to leave Lucy at a time like this, but there were more pressing matters he had to do. He needed to find the mysterious stone the government spoke of, or rather, the unhatched egg.
In his previous life, the world's governments had considered these strange stones to be a natural phenomenon. They had simply appeared, with no traceable origin. But it was soon discovered that…they had made a terrifying mistake.
At any turning point in history, the most important thing was not how hard one tried, but how soon one made the right choice.
These eggs had a way to transform into spores before hatching, by using one of the most precious resources in disaster—salt.
"The first batch was mostly bugs," Zed murmured solemnly, his expression grave as he recalled the memory.
In Zed's previous life, once the first batch of bugs had hatched, they would quickly seek out mates of their own kind. Male bugs would battle each other, then search for an evolutionary path, while female bugs would parasitize any living creature they could find, laying their eggs on the host's spinal column at the waist.
Parasitized humans would gain speed and endurance beyond that of an athlete. Their appearance would undergo bizarre transformations, and even being struck at their vital organs wouldn't take them down. The only weakness was the parasite's location——on the host's lower back.
Zed made his way to the riverbank and climbed down to the riverbed. He chose a concealed place, though his actions drew the curious gazes of the financial elite nearby.
It was unusual to see someone in a suit wading into the river.
Some couples even snapped photos of him, mistaking Zed for a performance artist with millions of followers on social media.
"Zed? You didn't smash your brain on a hard keyboard, did you?"
Yes, his manager taunted from his car, rolling down the window. "Why not come to the zoo with us to relax instead?"
Zed clenched a fist-sized black stone in his hand, ignoring the manager.
"I remember your house is just next to the zoo. You should be able to see your animal friends soon," he replied with a nod.
The night was peaceful, and after shooing away a few people who had approached him for photos, Zed purchased five bags of salt and various supplies from Tasco. Food, water, antibiotics, sanitary pads... He tried to spend every penny on his card until his shopping cart was overflowing.
After that, Zed cradled his chin in his hand, his expression somber.
"It's been many years... I remember there should be an elevator in my building..."
*****
With 2.5 hours remaining until the first monster would come out, Zed sat in his home.
The black stone absorbed an entire bag of salt like a ravenous creature the moment it made contact. The sound of salt being consumed echoed throughout the room. "It seems that the governments of the world have all hidden this information," Zed said with a hint of helplessness as he opened another bag of salt.
Suddenly, a change occurred.
A crack appeared on the black stone, its surface splitting like a damp, crumbling cookie.
Zed, alert and cautious, raised his crossbow, his muscles tense as he aimed at the stone. He didn't know if the logic of the world had changed after his rebirth, but he had no time to dwell on that.
As he pondered, the room grew even quieter.
A mesmerizing, ethereal flower blossomed on the stone, its petals composed of a white, soul-like substance. After about two minutes, the light dissipated, leaving a worm-like apparition writhing on the floor before vanishing. All that remained on the table was a blue spore.
"Okay, let's see what we've got," Zed said as he picked up the precious spore.
He knew that one was enough before the catastrophe, as he hadn't yet awakened. It was only after the disaster that humanity would gradually awaken and learn to harness the power of the spores.
Luzmell was the first city to fall, but the previous large cities had weapons and defense systems built from spores. Zed never had a chance to experience it before, as his previous life had been far too miserable, even worse than those who perished in the first wave of destruction.
The apocalypse had given him a chance to struggle, but he had been trampled underfoot by humanity in apocalypse.
"Things will be different this time," Zed said, determination shining in his eyes.
The blue spore unfurled, and a mysterious force coursed through his body, from his palm to his spine, before finally settling in his forehead.
[Power Enhancement Spore-C]
["WOW! Keep it! you could uproot a willow tree with your bare hands!"]
[Duration - 2 minutes]
Zed smiled.
"Not bad."
He thought it would be a food or an acceleration spore—something that could easily be resolved with human tools and resources. But a power spore could help him move rubble and debris after the city had become a wasteland.
"The best one is still the invisibility spore," Zed thought of the most valuable spore in circulation at start of catastrophe last life.
The invisibility spore could help humans hide from terrifying monsters in dangerous places after losing shelter. With it, the chance for an individual's to survive would increase a lot. That was the thing made big difference.
"Un, but ever spore could be only use once, it will gone after duration runs out..."
Zed glanced at the time—two hours remained until Saturday.
"Where is Lucy?" he wondered, feeling uneasy as he searched for her number.
"Zed!"
Lucy's suppressed voice echoed from the other end of the line. Zed could hear an unprecedented fear and trembling in her tone, yet not even a single breath seemed to waver.
Zed didn't respond immediately.
Instead, a hint of uncertainty cross his face.
He quickly pressed the mute button and pulled back the curtains to look outside the window.
He saw the entire city was burning.
From this floor, Zed could see it very very clear. The city, once a symbol of grandeur, was now engulfed in a catastrophic inferno.
As the towers crumbled and collapsed, the screams and howls of the tormented souls pierced through the cacophony of gunfire.
The moon refused to rise, hidden behind the red sky, as explosions and sirens contributed to the nightmarish ambiance.
A man performing Leap of Faith, along with the realization that the once city had become a burning rock mine in the rainstorm.
However, human being are the mine.
"How could this..."
Zed muttered, staring at his phone.
It showed that there were still two hours remaining...
This did not make sense!
*Thud* *Thud* *Thud*
The intense sound of frantic knocking echoed through the room, blending with the screams and pleas of people whose ages could not be recognized.
Zed set the direction to company, raised his crossbow, and steadied his arm without a hint of trembling.
He took a deep breath.
Kicked that door.