Chapter 2: The Start of Something New
I jolted upright, my body sitting on a soft bed, too soft to be true. Where was I? Where am I? And, more importantly, how was this happening? The questions assaulted my brain, echoing in my head like a thousand whispers. I blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of the scene before me. This room… It was not my little room at the base. It wasn't my old bedroom in the abandoned building after everything went to hell. No, this was my room before the apocalypse—my real room from my house. The one I had grown up in, the one I never thought I'd see again.
I stood, my legs slightly shaky from the sudden rush of confusion. My eyes darted around, touching everything that I could see. The soft fabric of the sheets, the scent of the air, the dim lighting, everything felt too real. Too serene. I reached out instinctively to grab my phone from the bedside table, the charging cable still attached, like everything was just a normal, everyday scene. This can't be true. I thought. How is this even possible?
With trembling hands, I yanked the charging cable from the phone and unlocked it, my heart racing. My eyes scanned the screen, and my breath hitched as I read the time. The date was clear—two weeks before the apocalypse. Two weeks. There was no way. No way this was real. It was impossible.
I was still trying to process the madness of it all when my phone suddenly rang, cutting through the silence. The name on the screen made my stomach churn. Her.
My ex-girlfriend. That b**** who had betrayed me so brutally. The one I thought I could trust. The one who had been planning behind my back, handing over company secrets, aligning herself with my brother to steal everything from me. My hand clenched into a fist. She's the reason everything went to hell.
I answered the phone, even though I knew I shouldn't. Even though I had sworn to myself that I was done.
Her sweet, sticky voice floated through the phone, full of the same fake warmth she used to give me. "Baby, are you awake? You promised we'd go on that vacation together. I'm waiting for you."
I didn't even flinch. I didn't let her words break through the wall I had built around myself. No more, Li Wei. Not this time.
"It's over," I said, each word sharp, cutting through the illusion of our past.
"What? What do you mean? What's over? I don't understand." Her voice trembled, and I almost felt a flicker of regret, but I squashed it down.
I gritted my teeth, holding back the surge of anger. "It's over, you're right. Our relationship is over. I know about your affair with my brother. I know you've been stealing company secrets and handing them to him. If you keep calling me, I'll have no choice but to take you to the police station."
The silence on the other end was deafening. Then, with a sharp click, she hung up.
I stared at the phone in my hand, the reality of the situation sinking in. It was over. I'd never been more sure of anything in my life. A few tears slipped down my cheek, but I didn't bother wiping them away. I was done crying for her. Done with the lies.
The air around me crackled, and without thinking, my hands lifted slightly, palm up. The familiar surge of power hummed through me. I felt the charge in my fingertips, the crackling of energy just beneath the surface, like a storm waiting to burst free. Lightning flickered above my palms, dancing between my fingers, radiating with raw power. I still have my powers? I thought, astonished. The apocalypse hasn't even happened yet, and I still have them.
A sudden mechanical voice cut through my thoughts, and I almost jumped out of my skin.
"1%... 22%... 32%... 45%... 56%... 68%... 72%... 100%."
I froze, staring at the phone. Was it broken? Or was I hallucinating?
The voice continued, clear and calm, though it sounded oddly… cheerful?
"Hello, Host. My name is 014. I am a base-building system created in a higher plane of existence. I have been assigned to you, to assist you in looking forward to your future. Your mission is to build a sustainable environment for humanity's revival. I shall guide you on this path."
I blinked rapidly, trying to process what was happening. A system? A base-building system? What was going on? Was this some kind of joke?
"Please allow me to provide you with your initial gifts. You have been granted the construction of a fully operational base. The location has already been prepared for you."
My mind raced as the words hit me. A base? Like some kind of bunker or shelter? But this wasn't just any shelter, was it?
"The base is located in a remote area, far from civilization. It is an underground facility with ten floors. Each floor is specialized for a different function, from food production and resource gathering to medical facilities and training centers. The base is designed to accommodate up to 100 million individuals, with the top floor reserved exclusively for you, the Host."
I blinked. 100 million? That seemed excessive. What kind of base was this?
"In addition, you will find that your base will be built with advanced technology, far beyond the capabilities of the current world. You will be provided with a map to guide you to the base. Additionally, any item you place within the base will be converted into 10,000,000 times its original quantity."
I rubbed my eyes, feeling a strange sense of disbelief. Wait, what?
"Wait, hold on," I muttered aloud. "So if I bring a single grain of rice to this base, it's going to turn into 10 million bags of rice?"
"Correct."
This was insane. But at the same time, I felt something stirring inside of me. A sense of excitement. Maybe this was my chance—my chance to finally get everything back. To survive the coming apocalypse.
I stood there, staring at the phone, the weight of everything beginning to sink in. A part of me still didn't believe it was real, but another part felt a strange sense of hope rise inside me. Maybe, just maybe, I could turn things around.
And then, I felt the ground tremble beneath my feet.
My gaze snapped to the window, and my heart skipped a beat. Outside, the sky was darkening, clouds swirling in an unnatural way.
The earth rumbled again, louder this time. The apocalypse was coming.
And I had no time to waste.