Rebirth

Withered and desolate.

In the city, thick weeds sprout from the hard cement, and bones litter the ground.

Lin An dragged his heavy legs, struggling to run.

His lungs burned with pain, and each breath tugged at his broken ribs, causing sharp agony.

Behind him, hordes of snarling zombies with grotesque faces were closing in.

He dared not stop.

If he paused even for a moment, these reanimated corpses would tear him to pieces and devour his flesh.

Seeing the safety shelter he had built getting closer, a glimmer of hope appeared on his previously despairing face.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

"Open the door! Hurry, open the door!"

Lin An pounded frantically on the heavy iron door, with the zombies less than a hundred meters behind him.

The stench of decay was overwhelming.

"I've got the medicine! Open the door, Tang Wan!"

Inside the shelter was his fiancée and her family.

"Swish."

The window opened, but the door remained shut.

An eye peered through the narrow iron window, full of concern.

Lin An recognized it—it was Tang Wan.

"Tang Wan! It's me! Open the door!"

Lin An cried out desperately, the wound on his chest expanding with the effort.

The blood attracted the zombies behind him, making them even more frenzied and speeding up their approach.

After hearing his voice, the eye inside turned to look at the medicine in his hand.

It was the fever-reducing medicine Lin An had risked his life to find for Tang Wan's brother.

"Lin An, I'm opening the door for you."

The urgent voice from inside calmed Lin An's panicked heart.

Once inside, he would be safe.

This self-built shelter at the city's perilous edge was his only home.

"Pass the medicine in first, then I'll lower the latch."

Exhausted, Lin An hurriedly and laboriously shoved the medicine box through the iron window.

But a sense of unease gnawed at him.

Why not just open the door directly?

The hand inside swiftly snatched the medicine box but did not open the door.

"Tang Wan?!"

Lin An's disbelieving voice pierced the night, full of despair.

A cold dread washed over him.

Why... isn't she opening the door?

He could hear the zombies just inches behind him.

"Lin An, I saw the wound on your chest."

Tang Wan's voice was calm, devoid of the previous concern, almost like speaking to a stranger.

"You might be infected."

"I won't let you in."

Lin An felt as if he had plunged into an ice cave; the zombies were already upon him.

His flesh was being torn apart.

"And another thing."

"The captain of the safe zone agreed that if I sleep with him, he'll let me into the safe zone."

"Of course, you need to die."

Inside, Tang Wan casually played with her hair, speaking with the same calmness as if chatting with Lin An on any other day.

Lin An couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was like a bolt from the blue.

The pain of his flesh being ripped off was overshadowed.

He cried out in agony, desperately questioning the person behind the window.

"Why, why are you betraying me?!"

His hand pressed against the door, leaving a bloody handprint.

His eyes were wide with rage and disbelief.

He could feel his intestines being pulled out, an overwhelming weakness engulfing him.

Tang Wan's gaze remained indifferent, with a hint of mockery.

"Because you're a loser."

"I don't want to starve and live in fear every day."

"He's strong, an awakened one."

"And you're just an ordinary person."

The zombies were tearing at Lin An's head, his spine cracking.

Their foul, sharp fingers dug into his eye sockets.

"Daughter, why are you talking so much to this loser?"

"Make him die far away; don't let him die at our door."

Inside, the warm lights flickered.

Tang's mother casually took the blood-stained medicine box, coldly watching the scene outside.

The three stood side by side until Lin An's body was completely devoured before they finally relaxed and went inside.

...

In Linjiang City, the wedding room was decorated brightly.

"Lin An, why aren't you calling your comrades to borrow money? What are you waiting for?"

The speaker was Lin An's fiancée, Tang Wan.

It was like struggling in water.

Lin An suddenly woke up, gasping for breath.

The scene of his death overlapped with the person in front of him.

Was it just a dream?!

His head throbbed with pain, and he could still vaguely feel the pain of his flesh being torn off.

The pain was so real, as if it had just happened.

He quickly looked at his phone.

"November 9, 2032"

Lin An was shocked, his mouth dry.

No... this wasn't a dream!

He had been reborn.

Back to three days before the apocalypse, the day he proposed to Tang Wan.

"Lin An, listen to me."

"If you want to marry my daughter, the dowry must increase by 200,000 yuan."

"Your little brother Tang Tian is about to get married. As his brother-in-law, you can't give nothing, right?"

Tang Wan's mother signaled her younger son to ask for money.

"Brother-in-law, didn't your comrades just retire from the army?"

Tang Tian sat on the sofa, looking impatient.

"I heard they get a lot of money when they retire. It's just borrowing some money, why are you hesitating?"

Tang Wan frowned as Lin An stood still.

She had thought a former soldier like Lin An, who was honest and had some money, would be a good choice.

But seeing him now hesitating and unable to come up with the money made her feel embarrassed.

"Aren't you close with your comrades? What, you can't even borrow this much money?"

Tang's mother, seeing Lin An unresponsive, snorted in disdain and raised her voice arrogantly:

"Lin An, if you can't come up with the money, you can forget about this marriage."

"Not even a bit of sincerity. I used to think you were decent, but you're just a stingy pauper," Tang's mother said sarcastically.

Tang Tian chimed in, "Sis, wasn't there a rich guy chasing you before? Dump this loser and go for him!"

As they continued their barrage, no one noticed the murderous intent in Lin An's eyes. 

In his previous life, Lin An hastily married Tang Wan to fulfill his mother's wish, despite their rushed marriage. He bought a car, a house, and even borrowed money to pay for the dowry. The day before the wedding, the apocalypse began. Lin An, with his military training, struggled to keep Tang Wan's family safe, only to be betrayed and eaten alive.

The mockery jolted him back to the present.

"Loser, stop pretending. My sister marrying you is a favor!"

"Boom!"

Lin An's kick sent Tang Tian flying three meters, clutching his stomach in pain. Tang Wan and her mother were shocked.

"He's crazy! Call the police!" Tang's mother screamed.

"Shut up, old hag!"

Lin An approached her, his anger boiling over. He slapped her repeatedly until she fainted. 

"Lin An, are you insane?" Tang Wan screamed.

"Insane?" Lin An smirked, his killing intent boiling over. He stomped on Tang's mother's leg, breaking it, and approached Tang Wan.

"Lin An, what are you doing?!"

"What am I doing?" he asked coldly, causing her to lock herself in a room and call the police.

Hearing the police sirens, Lin An stopped. He knew the apocalypse would start in three days. Engaging with them would waste precious time and his second chance at life.

With a cruel smile, he turned away. In three days, he would let them fend for themselves.

This rebirth was a chance to change everything. He would gather supplies and prepare to awaken his powers when the apocalypse hit.

Leaving the house, he heard Tang Wan cursing and calling her connections. He didn't care. If they came after him, he'd deal with them.

Suppressing his hatred, Lin An focused. Emotions would only cloud his judgment. He needed to be ready for the apocalypse.

In three days, the world would change. People would gain abilities, and he would seize this chance to become powerful.

His first step: "97 Fengming Road."