Three months later, on June 1st, the largest solar flare in human scientific history, classified as SSS-level, erupted. This was the time calculated by scientists after the apocalypse began.
The solar flare erupted so suddenly that it couldn't be predicted in advance. By the time coronal particles were about to reach Earth, it was already June 3rd, and a scientist from the Bear Country had just discovered the anomaly!
This gave humanity only one day to react, and even then, governments around the world hadn't reached a consensus.
At 10:00 AM on June 4th, a powerful electromagnetic pulse destroyed every satellite orbiting Earth—none were spared!
All electronic devices failed!
Next came the geomagnetic storm that swept across the globe!
In an instant, the electric power that humanity had taken centuries to establish was wiped out, plunging the world back into a dark and primitive society.
But that wasn't the worst of it.
After the solar eruption, the sun seemed to enter a weakened state, visibly dimming to the naked eye.
Within three days, the global temperature plummeted to an average of minus fifty degrees Celsius, and the entire planet was frozen, ushering in a frozen apocalypse.
Over 90% of all species faced extinction.
Animals, plants, food sources, and even low-lying buildings—all were buried beneath snow and ice!
Humanity was confronted with an unprecedented disaster!
From that moment on, survival would be an uphill battle for anyone who wanted to live!
...
Logan returned to his room and, after a brief moment of thought, opened the safe and took out a plain-looking bowl.
The bowl was rough and uneven, with a dull gray color and a chipped edge.
If someone squatted with it by the roadside, they could easily start begging.
At first, Logan had found it strange that his father had gone out of his way to include this old bowl in his will.
But after he activated the bowl and gained access to a space within, Logan realized just how special it was.
It was a cornucopia!
It required a specific item to be activated, or rather, to be restored.
In his previous life, Logan had only managed to repair the cornucopia and gain access to the space eight years into the frozen apocalypse, purely by chance.
But by then, the supplies he could find barely kept him alive, let alone enough to stockpile.
What was most important after the apocalypse struck?
Supplies!
Supplies that could be carried around without fear of being stolen!
Now, the first thing he needed to do was activate the cornucopia!
In his previous life, Logan had found the item needed to activate the cornucopia at the antique market in the southern part of the city.
No time to waste; the item was crucial to his rebirth and survival, so Logan decided to head out immediately.
He found a backpack, placed the cornucopia inside, and left the house.
As he walked downstairs, he saw a breakfast shop and suddenly remembered he hadn't eaten.
He was used to going hungry in the apocalypse, sometimes not finding food for two or three days and having to eat snow to stave off hunger.
Logan walked into the breakfast shop and devoured a hearty meal.
After eating, he drove to the South city's antique street market, using his memories from his previous life and some help from GPS.
In the morning, the street was bustling with activity, with over a hundred stalls set up and people coming and going.
In his previous life, Logan had found the key item to repair the cornucopia here with Zach—a coin with a unique pattern.
That ancient coin had been dug out from beneath thick snow in his previous life. Logan could only recall that it was somewhere in this antique market, but he couldn't pinpoint the exact location, so he had to search stall by stall.
The most common items in the antique market were coins.
Almost every stall had them, and there were hundreds in piles.
After two hours of searching, Logan still hadn't found the coin with the unique pattern.
His expression grew solemn.
After asking around, he learned that the antique market only gathered on weekend mornings.
And the stall owners who came each time were not fixed.
This was undoubtedly bad news.
If the stall owner with the special coin only set up shop on the day the apocalypse struck, wouldn't Logan have to wait three months to find it?
That would significantly reduce the advantage of his rebirth.
In another hour or two, the stalls on this street would start packing up, and if he couldn't find it by then, he would have to try his luck next weekend.
"Whew…"
Exhaling deeply, Logan calmed himself and continued searching for the next stall.
"Logan?"
A familiar voice came from behind him.
Logan's eyes narrowed, and a flash of killing intent crossed his otherwise clear gaze.
It was a voice Logan would never forget, even in his dreams.
Zach—Logan's classmate and friend from middle school through high school, who had survived eight years of the apocalypse with him only to betray him in the end.
Suppressing the killing intent in his eyes, Logan turned around and feigned surprise:
"Zach? What are you doing here?"
Zach, dressed in a city management uniform, walked over and patted Logan on the shoulder.
"I should be asking you that! What's this? The top student suddenly taking an interest in antiques?"
Zach said teasingly, looking at Logan's handsome face and expensive attire, a barely noticeable flash of jealousy passing through his eyes.
Having lived an extra lifetime, Logan noticed the envy in Zach's eyes and a cold gleam flickered in his own.
So, even back then, Zach had already harbored resentment towards him.
Zach was a temporary worker at the city management bureau, so his presence here wasn't surprising.
Without showing any emotion, Logan casually brushed Zach's hand off his shoulder and said nonchalantly:
"Nothing much. I'm free this weekend and heard there are a lot of antiques here, so I came to take a look."
Zach chuckled to himself. He had been working in this area for almost a year and knew that the street was full of fake goods.
Many people came with the hope of finding hidden treasures, but even one success in a year was rare.
Not long ago, a fool had been scammed out of tens of thousands and came back causing a scene.
But Zach wouldn't tell Logan that. He'd be happy to see Logan fall for it, since Logan wasn't short on money.
Still, he maintained the facade of friendship, smiling as he said:
"There are a lot of fakes here, but there are real treasures too. Six months ago, an old man picked up a genuine Han dynasty artifact for $200 here and sold it for $500,000!"
A typical nineteen-year-old would have their interest piqued upon hearing that. Even those who came just to browse would be tempted to buy a few things.
Logan kept his expression neutral, though he was sneering inside. How had he never noticed how sly Zach was before?
Nodding to Zach, he said:
"Then I'll have to take a good look."
Just then, a commotion broke out not far away.
A crowd had gathered around.
Driven by curiosity, Logan walked over as well.
Seeing the crowd, Zach shouted:
"Make way! City management at work!"
The crowd parted, making way for them.
Logan seized the opportunity to move to the front.
A young man in his mid-twenties, visibly agitated, held a coin and was furiously spitting as he spoke:
"Old man! I had this appraised yesterday, and it's just a modern piece of craftsmanship! fake!! And you had the nerve to sell it for $100,000! I want my money back! You have to refund me today!!"
The stall owner was a man in his seventies, dressed in coarse clothing. His weathered face was deeply furrowed in distress:
"This is really a family heirloom!"
"What kind of heirloom? Are you going to give me a refund or not?! If you don't, I'll call the police!"
The onlookers had various reactions, most of them enjoying the spectacle.
Zach leaned over to Logan and whispered:
"This kind of thing happens here every few months. Back in the day, this kid would've gotten a beating."
In the antique trade, there's an unspoken rule: once you buy an item, even if it's a fake, you can't return it. If you get scammed, it's your own fault for not knowing better. Consider the money spent as paying for a lesson.
But apparently, this young man either didn't know or pretended not to and was determined to get a refund.
Logan's pupils contracted when he saw the coin in the young man's hand!
It was the ancient coin that would activate the cornucopia!
The old man's hands trembled as he spoke with a bitter expression:
"This really is a family heirloom. It's been passed down since my grandfather's grandfather. Young man, I'm not lying to you!"
Some of the onlookers were giving the young man disapproving looks. Didn't he understand the rules?
At the same time, some people thought the old man was putting on a good act.
After all, the coin had been appraised. Could the appraisal have been wrong?
Logan took a deep breath, stepped forward, and asked the young man with a hint of curiosity:
"Could I take a look at that coin?"