Prologue 0: The End of the New Beginning

"What are you going to do when you get home?" the girl inquired.

"Well, just like any normal university student," Wu Jinyang answered with a smile.

Wu Jinyang was a student at Qinghua University. He had short, jet-black hair styled in a quiff, a handsome round face, and almond-shaped, scarlet red eyes.

"I-I'll see you tomorrow in class!" the nervous girl stuttered.

"Alright, see you around," Wu Jinyang responded before departing, oblivious to the girl's blushing face.

By the time he arrived at his apartment, Wu Jinyang sighed and thought inwardly. 'Might as well get some rest before finishing my assignment,' lying on his bed, He opted not to set an alarm and quickly fell into a deep slumber without realizing it.

Wu Jinyang's eyes flickered open slowly, but his shock was immediate. Even though he recognized his surroundings as Beijing, the once-familiar city was now an apocalyptic wasteland, the black sky loomed over a landscape littered with debris, the sight of blood everywhere and countless bodies littering the streets made his heart skip a beat.

"W-What happened?" Wu Jinyang trembled.

Terrified, he stumbled and felt his knees weaken. His heart raced, and his body burned with feverish heat. "This... This must be a dream," he stuttered.

As if to prove himself wrong, he pinched his skin, however there was no pain.

Desperately trying to calm himself down, he mutters reassuringly that it was all just a bad dream, before cautiously exploring his surroundings. At every turn, he was greeted with the harrowing sight of mutilated bodies and rivers of blood. Scenes that would make any other person faint. However, Wu Jinyang gradually grew accustomed as he continued to encounter these scenes. It was as though he had seen it countless times before.

'Why am I so composed in the face of all this death and destruction?' he wondered, incredulous at his own emotional detachment. "Anyone in my position would pass out. But why? Why am I gradually becoming accustomed to this situation?"

He shook his head, frustrated at his inability to understand his own reactions. "Is it because I'm having a dream?" he mused, "No... That can't be right, people can have nightmares."

Despite the internal turmoil, Wu Jinyang pressed on, venturing further inside the ruined city that was once Beijing. As he rounded a corner, he came across a hideous four-legged creature. It had four pairs of green emerald eyes that shone brightly in the dark sky, black scales covering its body, sharp teeth that could be seen while it ate a human corpse, and a long tail visible behind its back.

Wu Jinyang's body froze as he stared at the monstrous creature. "W-what is that.... i-it looks.. scary... is the city ruined.. because.. of that creature.." he muttered.

Trembling with fear, Wu Jinyang began to silently walk away from the scene. His heart pounding in his chest, he failed to notice the broken glass on the ground and stepped on it.

Crack...

Four pairs of amused emerald green eyes locked onto Wu Jinyang, as it wonders how a human could survive this long. filling the surrounding area with a murderous intent, the creature then wore a creepy smile, revealing razor-sharp teeth that sent chills down the young man's spine.

Wu Jinyang's face filled with terror as he realized that he had attracted the attention of the creature. With a sense of urgency, he ran towards a nearby ruined building. The structure had visible cracks, holes in the walls, gaps on the roof, and broken windows that were visible from a distance.

"Fuck! I know this is a dream, but this is just too much!" Wu Jinyang cursed under his breath, as his face turned solemn. He continued to run towards the ruined building.

Suddenly, a shadowy figure appeared in front of him, causing Wu Jinyang to freeze. He couldn't discern the movements of the creature and feared for his life.

"GRAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" The hideous monster growled, unleashing shockwaves that vibrated through the air.

BOOM!

The shockwave sent Wu Jinyang against a nearby ruined building, his body slamming into the debris as he struggled to regain his footing. Gasping for breath, he coughed up blood.

*Cough*

*Cough*

"Ughhhh! My ears!" he exclaimed, wincing in pain.

As he staggered to his feet, his eyes scanned around frantically, searching for anything that might help him fend off the creature. Spotting an iron bar, he snatched it up and steadied himself.

'If I can't outrun it with speed, then I'll need to fight it,' he resolved himself.

The hideous monster lunged at him, it bared its sharp teeth as its eyes gleaming with malice. Wu Jinyang gritted his teeth and dodged the creature's vicious attack by jumping back, as his heart continued to pound in his chest., 'Scary.. I nearly died.'

The creature growled and charged once more, Wu Jinyang sidestepped its attack and swung his iron bar with all his might, aiming for its body. The bar connected with a resounding thud, sending a reverberating metallic ting echoing through the area.

Ting!..

'...'

'What is its skin made off??'

The creature abruptly halted its movement, as it launched a barrage of claw attacks directed at Wu Jinyang. Lightning-fast swings, slaps, and punches aimed to overwhelm him.

Wu Jinyang however fought back fiercely, swinging his iron bar with equal speed. As exhaustion began to set in, he struggled to keep up, and some of the creature's attacks landed, leaving cuts and bruises on his body.

Cling...

Cling...

Cling…

Cling…

'I can't continue like this. I need to find an opening,' he fought desperately.

As the creature prepared to strike downwards with its left claws, Wu Jinyang desperately searched for an opening. In a split second, he saw his chance and seized it. With his left leg, he kicked the creature with all his might.

Bang!.

The impact caused cracks to reverberate throughout the area, but the creature barely budged.

*Crack*

*Crack*

"Haaah... Haaaaah..." Jinyang gasped for breath, barely able to stand. "Even though I feel like all the bones in my left leg have shattered, I still don't feel any pain. But I'm more exhausted."

Suddenly, the creature coiled its tail around Wu Jinyang's right leg and hurled him against a ruined building.

...

Booom!

As he tried to get up, the creature lunged towards him with lightning speed. Before he could react, the creature tore off his right arm and sank its teeth into his left shoulder. Blood splattered all over the floor as Jinyang succumbed to hopelessness and exhaustion.

"This is the worst nightmare I've ever had!" he cried out as his vision blurred out.

In the distance, a mysterious figure stood atop a nearby building, observing the horrific scene unfold.

Meanwhile, Wu Jinyang awoke in a cold sweat, realizing that he was back in his apartment. He breathed a sigh of relief. "Was that really a nightmare?" An ominous feeling begins to bloom inside his heart, "I hope I'm just being paranoid about this."