Fengming Road, No. 97, Linjiang Market.
With heavy steps, Lin An walked down the empty street. Suddenly, he quickened his pace, delivering a violent kick to the storefront door at the corner.
Bang!
The hard boot slammed into the metal shutter with a sharp, jarring sound.
This was the entertainment street of Linjiang City, where there was almost no traffic during the day. But by night, the bars and karaoke lounges would be packed.
Lin An didn't hold back.
The symbolic tin door gave way under brute force, splitting open with a gap wide enough for a person to pass through.
This was a "teahouse" used for gambling and illegal transactions at night, and the guards hadn't even bothered locking the inner door.
After all, it was a haven for many black-market figures, and no one dared to steal from here.
"Who the hell is kicking the door? Looking for death?"
Inside the teahouse, a middle-aged man with full arm tattoos cursed as he ran toward the noise, a cigarette dangling from his mouth.
His slippers slapped against the floor as he ran.
The shop was dimly lit, and the decor was surprisingly good.
Lin An's expression was cold as he bent down to check the location on his phone, comparing it to his surroundings.
The red dot marked on the map aligned with his position.
"Did I tell you something?" The tattooed man growled as he approached, raising his fist.
Lin An didn't even acknowledge the threat.
He casually put his phone away, sidestepping the man's incoming punch with ease.
He pivoted, elbowing the man in the back with precise timing, just like he'd done in countless combat situations in his past life.
Bang!
The sharp impact of his elbow drove into the man's spine, causing him to scream in agony.
"Shut up."
Lin An swung his right fist with a swoosh, knocking the man to the ground in a single blow.
The tattooed man hit the floor, blood pouring from his chin, his face a mess of pain.
"You're asking for death!"
With fury and rage, the man pushed himself up with effort, his right hand reaching for his waist.
Lin An's eyes froze.
With a cold gaze, he stomped on the man's temple.
The man didn't stand a chance. In an instant, he was knocked unconscious, his short knife falling from his hand.
Lin An casually kicked the man's body aside and scanned the interior of the teahouse.
In his past life, there had been signs before the apocalypse arrived. Some locations—where reality and alternate spaces overlapped—had already begun to show up just before the end.
In his memory, this place was where a rare piece of equipment appeared.
It was a ring infused with fragments of space itself!
A staple item in movies and novels, space rings were incredibly rare in the apocalypse.
But, unlike in games where defeating monsters guaranteed loot, space rings were almost unheard of in the apocalyptic world.
Most awakened individuals, whose powers far surpassed ordinary humans, could live and die without ever owning a single piece of useful equipment, let alone a space ring.
In Lin An's past life, a small-time thug had found this rare ring.
Not only did the ring help him awaken his powers, but he also used its storage function to establish a safe zone.
The space ring could store supplies, preserve food, and maintain temperature control.
It was a tool fit for someone ready to take on the apocalypse!
Lin An eagerly began his search.
Half an hour later...
Splash.
With a resigned expression, Lin An poured a bucket of ice water over the tattooed man's head.
Nothing.
The man jolted awake, sputtering and instinctively cursing.
"You fucking—"
Before he could finish his sentence, Lin An kicked his teeth out, blood and broken teeth spilling onto the floor.
"I ask, you answer."
"Keep your filthy mouth shut, or you'll die."
Lin An pressed his foot firmly on the man's neck, his gaze as cold as ice.
Any movement, and Lin An would kill him, taking his time to search afterward.
Gulp.
"Don't kill me!"
The tattooed man swallowed hard, fear in his eyes as he looked up at Lin An.
He had always relied on his gang connections to act tough and domineering.
But now, facing someone far more dangerous, he quickly revealed his true cowardly nature.
"Where's the ring?"
"Or something like jewelry?"
The man hesitated, thinking Lin An was here to cause trouble.
Was he here to steal?
No... he must be here to rob.
If he had said so earlier, it would have been a different story!
The tattooed man's frustration was clear.
He had just stayed here after playing cards all night.
"If I'd known you were here to take something, I wouldn't have resisted."
"I don't know, I'm not the boss here."
The tattooed man hesitated before speaking cautiously, his words a bit slurred from the pain.
Seeing Lin An's glare, the man quickly added, "The office on the second floor has a lot of things, but it's locked!"
Bang!
Lin An, satisfied with the answer, immediately kicked the man's temple with brutal force.
The tattooed man collapsed unconscious.
Unlocking?
No problem.
With his military background, Lin An had learned the art of lockpicking.
Time passed, and half an hour later...
Lin An grabbed a fire axe and violently broke the door.
The expensive wooden door had an intact security lock, but the center was full of hammering marks.
High-end lockpicking often relied on simple, practical techniques.
Click.
He entered, flipping on the light next to the wall.
His eyes quickly scanned the room, his gaze fixing on something strange.
"This is... spatial disturbance?"
The room hadn't been used for a while, and there was a faint musty smell in the air.
In the corner of the room, something the size of a fist floated mysteriously in midair.
The blackness seemed to absorb the surrounding space, as if it was invading the void.
Lin An took a deep breath, his eyes locking onto a silver-white glimmer within the blackness.
A rush of excitement surged through him.
It was... the space ring!
In his past life, this ring had caused quite a stir.
Everyone in Linjiang City knew the thug had found it here.
He had gone from an ordinary person to a powerful awakened one, ultimately creating a safe zone outside the city.
The legendary item was right in front of him!
Without hesitation, Lin An reached out to grab the ring.
His fingers seemed to lose all sensation as they passed through the space.
Ignoring the oddity, he quickly thrust his hand deeper and pulled out the ring.
Vibrations!
A wave of energy surged from the black hole, sending a chilling aura through the air.
Roar!!
A loud growl echoed from the black hole, a dense aura of death spreading out wildly.
Run!
Lin An grabbed the ring tightly and dashed for the exit!
He didn't know what had triggered this, but it seemed like he had awakened something dangerous.
Was it because he had taken the ring too early?
He didn't have time to think. With a burst of speed, he rushed out of the room.
The silver-white ring was clutched tightly in his hand.
Beep.
"Player detected for the Apocalypse Game."
Beep. "Detection failed. Dataized body not found."
"Warning!"
"Warning!"
The shrill alarms echoed in his mind, sending waves of unease through him.
Behind him, a dense aura of death spread like vines from the abyss, relentlessly pursuing him.
No escape!
Lin An's eyes hardened, and with a sudden motion, he smashed through the window and jumped out of the second-floor window.
The moment his feet hit the ground, an overwhelming wave of weakness and darkness flooded his vision.
His consciousness faded, and he collapsed into unconsciousness.
The ring in his hand slowly disappeared, merging with him.