Di Ping lay unconscious on the rooftop, enveloped in a faint reddish glow. As the light gradually faded, the rooftop became eerily silent, with only the rhythmic rise and fall of his chest indicating that he was still alive.
Meanwhile, the people who had been startled awake by the tremor remained on edge for a while. However, after observing no further anomalies, they gradually returned to sleep, unaware that Earth was undergoing profound and unseen transformations.
"What the—? Why am I sleeping on the rooftop?"
As Di Ping opened his eyes, he found that daylight had arrived, and he was still lying on the rooftop.
"Oh! I forgot—I was drinking here last night." He patted his forehead, recalling the events of the previous night—his heartbreak had driven him to seek solace in alcohol.
"Wait… something's not right!" He suddenly jumped up, exclaiming, "Didn't I get hit by a meteor last night? Why am I completely fine?"
"Beep… The host is now conscious. Please activate the Apocalypse Shelter System immediately to prepare for the impending catastrophe."
Startled, Di Ping's eyes darted around. "Who… Who's speaking?" The unexpected voice from above sent a chill down his spine. He quickly scanned his surroundings but found no one.
"Beep… Please activate the Apocalypse Shelter System immediately."
The icy mechanical voice echoed again, confirming to Di Ping that he had not misheard.
"Who's there? Stop playing tricks on me! Come out—I can see you!"
He called out a few times, anxiously looking around, but there was still no one in sight. A sudden wave of dread crept up his spine. "Could it be… a ghost?"
"System? System, my ass! If I find you, you're dead!" He muttered under his breath, trying to suppress his growing fear.
Just as he finished speaking, his vision blurred, and a translucent interface materialized before his eyes.
"Ghost!"
Di Ping instinctively leaped backward, but the floating interface followed his movements. Every hair on his body stood on end, and a shiver ran down his spine.
Peeking at the screen again, he realized that its design seemed oddly familiar. "This… looks a lot like the game Apocalypse Fortress I used to play!"
The virtual interface resembled a futuristic control panel, displaying elements similar to the opening screen of a mobile game—there was a castle, a marketplace, and a manor. However, most of the features were grayed out and non-interactive. No matter how much he tapped, nothing responded.
"How do I use this? How do I activate it?"
After fumbling with it for a while, he still could not determine how to proceed.
"Beep… The host is now conscious. Please activate the Apocalypse Shelter System immediately."
"Activate!" Di Ping hesitated for a moment before speaking the command.
"Beep… Activation failed. Requirements not met. The host must fulfill the necessary conditions."
"Beep… Quest: Activate the system. Collect five energy crystals to meet the activation requirements. Reward: One Legendary Recruitment Ticket."
As the notification chimed again, a set of red text appeared at the top of the virtual screen, displaying the mission details.
"Quests? A Legendary Recruitment Ticket? That's a valuable item! But… what exactly are energy crystals?"
Perplexed, Di Ping scratched his head.
"Forget it!" He patted the dust off his clothes and stood up. He had never been one to dwell on uncertainties.
Suddenly, his eyes widened in shock. "What the—?!"
The entire residential complex was now engulfed in a dense, primordial forest. Towering trees had replaced most of the buildings, leaving only the two mid-rise apartment structures he stood upon. The rest of the villas and low-rise houses had been completely submerged beneath the greenery.
Looking out across the city, it appeared as though an ocean of verdant foliage had swallowed the urban landscape. Only a few skyscrapers, standing over seventy to eighty meters tall, remained visible, protruding from the endless sea of green like islands.
Ordinarily, such a sight might have been breathtakingly beautiful. However, at this moment, an overwhelming sense of dread crept over Di Ping. This boundless expanse of greenery concealed something unknown—and the unknown was always terrifying. To witness such a drastic transformation overnight would be enough to send anyone into a state of panic.
Faintly, he could hear the distant wailing of sirens echoing through the city. Before long, the entire metropolis seemed to stir from its slumber as alarms blared from various corners.
"Boom! Boom!"
Suddenly, a thunderous roar shook the sky. Looking up, Di Ping saw five or six fighter jets streaking across the sky at low altitude, leaving behind faint contrails.
At that moment, the rooftop door burst open, and a dozen people rushed out. They barely spared Di Ping a glance before hurrying to the edge, surveying the surreal landscape before them.
"How is this possible? Look—the whole city is like this!"
Just like Di Ping, they were stunned by the sight before them.
"Citizens, please remain calm and return to your homes immediately. Await further instructions from the government following a full investigation!"
A booming announcement echoed through the air as four helicopters hovered at low altitude over the city, broadcasting their message through loudspeakers.
"This is bad… Food!"
A sudden realization struck Di Ping like lightning.
The government was instructing citizens to remain indoors. With massive trees obstructing transportation routes, food supplies would inevitably become scarce. Without regular shipments, shortages were bound to occur. Stockpiling food was now a necessity.
Wasting no time, Di Ping turned and sprinted downstairs. As he descended, he cast a glance at the group of people on the rooftop. They, having lived in comfort for so long, had yet to grasp the severity of the situation.
Di Ping was no saint—if he warned them now, they might scramble for supplies before him, leaving him with nothing.