In two days, the apocalypse will officially begin, like a starting gun signaling the start of a grand competition among all species.
"Let's do some boxing to relax." The rooftop was empty, and James practiced the martial arts he had learned in his previous life. After a good sweat, he felt much more relaxed.
Over the next two days, James went to the mysterious space to fetch well water every day, drinking half of it himself, using a quarter to irrigate the fields, and storing the remaining quarter. He harvested the first batch of vegetables and pepper seeds, and then planted cilantro, green onions, ginger, and garlic in the freed-up plots.
In the remaining time, James spent quality moments with his parents and bought supplies, spending almost all of the last few tens of thousands he had. On the night before the apocalypse, James went up to the roof alone, quietly standing and gazing at the starry sky.
"I want to see how this dense fog is formed." James carefully observed his surroundings, determined to stay up all night to witness the onset of the apocalypse.
"Hey, he's back." The young woman in the high-rise opposite noticed James again and became interested, wanting to see him practice boxing again.
Unfortunately, this time James stood silently on the rooftop for over two hours without moving.
"Hmm? It's happening!" James, who had been standing with his hands behind his back, suddenly felt a slight change in the air around him. He immediately became vigilant, his eyes fixed on the surrounding air.
He saw thin strands of white mist slowly drifting around, gradually becoming denser and thicker. In just over an hour, the entire world was shrouded in it, reducing visibility to less than a hundred meters.
James' eyes brightened as he observed the increasingly dense fog around him. He thought to himself, "This fog, entering the body through each breath, creates a faint, weak heat flow inside. Could this fog be the catalyst for humans to become evolvers and animals to mutate? But how are zombies formed?"
James stayed awake all night, standing on the rooftop and pondering the mysteries of the dense fog until the surroundings gradually brightened. Only then did he return home.
As soon as he got home, he heard his mother complaining, "Why is there suddenly such thick fog? Fog in the summer is unheard of."
James checked his phone and found that the internet was filled with discussions about the fog.
"Oh my God, the whole world turned white overnight. So beautiful." This was a post on a social media platform, accompanied by a picture of the foggy scenery.
"Thick fog in August must indicate a great injustice."
"I am a reborn individual. This fog is a sign of the end of the world. As a reborn person, I bring with me advanced technology from the future world, enough to lead our nation to the pinnacle of the world. Interested parties, please contact me. Registration fee is 800 per person." This was a post on a forum, immediately ridiculed by others.
One reply read, "What a coincidence, I am also reborn. Don't contact him; his power in the apocalypse is not as great as mine. Interested parties, contact me. We'll build the strongest empire in the apocalypse together. Registration fee is only 500."
"I am reborn, registration fee 200."
"Hey, you're stealing business from me, mine is 50."
James laughed at the forum posts. He joined the fun and replied, "Anyone asking for a fee is a scammer. I am the real reborn individual. Everyone should apprentice under me, and I'll teach you martial arts to fight zombies."
Unexpectedly, James' post received many replies.
"Man, have you been reading too many apocalypse novels? Martial arts, really?"
"Come quickly, I've caught a naive person."
"Haha, we caught a naive person."
"I believe you because you didn't ask for a fee."
James' post was just a joke, although everything he said was true. But who would believe such a story? The internet was full of apocalyptic predictions.
James scrolled through the news and found that major media outlets were all reporting on the fog. The consensus was that while the fog appeared suddenly, it was a natural phenomenon.
Two experts on a TV show discussed the situation. One said that the recent humidity and sudden cold air caused the fog.
The other expert confidently stated that the high summer temperatures would soon disperse the fog, possibly followed by a light rain.
With widespread media coverage, the public gradually calmed down and went about their routines.
James' parents also went to work. James considered advising them to stay home but figured they wouldn't listen. After all, in the early days of the apocalypse, mutated beasts and zombies had not yet appeared in large numbers. The main danger was the fog causing traffic accidents.
After his parents left, James returned to the mysterious space. The 25 plots now had seven or eight kinds of vegetables planted. Three plots were filled with various supplies he had bought, including freezers, generators, gasoline barrels, and water tanks, all neatly organized.
James fetched well water again, drank half of it, and performed another cleansing of his body. This time, there were fewer impurities, and the heat flow in his body lasted longer before dissipating. James estimated that he might soon develop his internal energy and felt great anticipation.
Despite it being close to noon and temperatures rising, the fog remained thick, raising more public concern.
"Damn, which 'expert' said the fog would disperse with higher temperatures? Come out, I promise I won't beat you."
"Believing the expert, I'm now stuck on the highway. Someone help me."
"I'm stuck on the highway, couldn't hold it, and had to go by the roadside. But I forgot paper. What should I do? Urgent!"
"Wow, just saw this post. It's you? No wonder it suddenly smells bad around here." These two netizens were apparently near each other.
In the afternoon, the media continued to analyze the fog. Various experts presented explanations, some so outlandish they entertained the whole nation but successfully diverted much of the public's attention.
James continued cooking at home. The cabbages and eggplants from the mysterious space had matured. Combined with the peppers harvested earlier, he planned a heavy meal of spicy cabbage and braised eggplant.
Since all the ingredients came from the mysterious space, the dishes were exceptionally delicious. James' family enjoyed the meal immensely. Afterward, his parents felt unusually energized, marveling at the sensation. Only James knew it was thanks to the mysterious space's produce.