Lin Wei's vision blurred. The world around him turned into a blurry spot of colors and shadows, where even the sharp silhouettes of ruins and flames lost their clarity. The last thing he could make out was the movement of the Fire General's lips. A tall, majestic figure in flaming armor leaned over him, trying to say something. Maybe to ask how he was still holding on? Or to give a final order? Or maybe just to say goodbye to one of the few survivors in this cruel battle.
Lin Wei did not know. And he would never know.
A deafening hum stood in his ears, a mixture of the distant roar of monsters, the crack of collapsing buildings, and his own wheezing breathing. His body refused to obey. Blood, hot and sticky, flowed down his chest, soaking the remains of his torn jacket. Five years of continuous struggle, five years when every day could be the last, and here he was on the cold concrete of a destroyed skyscraper under an ashen sky.
Everything is not so bad, he thought, feeling his strength leaving him. At least such a great man witnessed my death…
This thought brought a strange, almost peaceful relief. The Fire General was a legend. A man who single-handedly held the eastern front against waves of mutated beasts and zombies. If he had to die, then under his gaze, it was better than rotting in some ditch alone.
With this last thought, Lin Wei plunged into absolute darkness. No pain, no cold, no fear. Just emptiness. Deep, all-consuming, like a bottomless ocean.
Is this death? flashed in his fading consciousness. As I thought. After death there is only emptiness. I wonder how long this will last? Eternity? Or just a moment that will stretch into billions of years?
Time lost its meaning.
And suddenly a bright, blinding beam of light struck him right in the face. At first it was a thin needle, then it began to expand, enveloping Lin Wei's entire being. The light was warm, almost alive. It penetrated through his nonexistent skin, filled every cell, driving away the darkness.
When the light reached its peak, the world around him changed abruptly.
Lin Wei opened his eyes and realized that he was lying in a soft, warm bed. Sunlight broke through the white curtains, drawing cozy patterns on the wall. The air was clean, smelling of fresh linen and a faint aroma of coffee from the neighboring apartment. No smoke, no smell of burnt flesh or ozone from energy explosions.
He sat up abruptly, looking around. A clean bedroom. Small but neat. The same rented one-room apartment in the old district of the city that he had rented five years ago. The same wallpaper with a barely noticeable pattern, the same worn carpet by the bed, the same cabinet with a cracked door.
This cannot be. This is simply impossible.
Even in such shock, Lin Wei did not scream. Five years of the harshest survival had eradicated any unnecessary emotions from him. Screams, panic, tears, all this was a luxury he had long been unable to afford. His heart beat evenly, his breathing remained deep. Only his mind worked at its limit, analyzing every detail.
I must make sure that this is true.
He stood up, feeling lightness in his body. His legs did not tremble, the wounds had disappeared. Approaching the mirror in the bathroom, Lin Wei stared at his reflection for a long time. A young face, twenty-three years old, cleanly shaven, with clear, masculine features. His eyes were bright, without that emptiness and fatigue that had settled in them after the first year of the apocalypse. His body was in good shape, the gym workouts made themselves felt, but compared to the hardened, scarred warrior he had become five years later, it looked almost… weak.
He quietly muttered, pinching himself on the cheek. The pain was real. Genuine.
Returning to the room, he grabbed the phone lying on the bedside table. The screen lit up. Date: March 25. Seven days before the Descent of the System, the very moment when a third of humanity instantly turned into zombies, turning the world into hell.
Lin Wei's heart skipped a beat.
I have returned. I really have returned.
Memories flooded in. The first days of the apocalypse, chaos in the cities and the death of friends. Five years of wandering, constant struggle for every piece of food, every night without sleep. And now all this could be changed.
There is more than enough time, he whispered, clenching his fists. I will stock up on supplies, weapons, buy a suitable building as a shelter. I will find strong allies before the slaughter begins. This time I will be ready.
He had already begun to mentally compile a list: canned food for several months, generators, weapons (although in peacetime it would not be easy), medicines. He needed to find an abandoned warehouse or an old bunker on the outskirts. Maybe even a small shopping center that could be fortified.
While Lin Wei stood in the middle of the room, immersed in plans, the space in front of him suddenly distorted. The air trembled, and a painfully familiar holographic screen appeared, translucent and glowing with blue light. The same interface he had seen thousands of times over five years.
[Congratulations to the inhabitant of planet "Earth" Lin Wei on a successful death.]
The message hung in the air, cold and emotionless, as always.
Lin Wei froze. Successful death? So it was not accidental.
[Congratulations to the inhabitant of planet "Earth" Lin Wei on unlocking his unique ability "Gacha System".]
His heart began to beat harder. Gacha System. He had managed to unlock his ability, he was not completely sure yet what his new power was capable of, but it did not matter, with this in his hands he would not end up in the same miserable position as before.
[Warning: death was a mandatory condition for unlocking the unique ability of the inhabitant of planet "Earth" Lin Wei. We strongly advise against trying to repeat it. It will not lead to anything good.]
Lin Wei involuntarily smirked. Of course. The System had always been like that, cynical, cruel, but honest in its own way. He had paid the necessary price and finally managed to remove the seal that had been pressing on him for so long.
Five years of hell had turned him into a survival machine. Now he had the advantage of time and a unique power capable of turning everything upside down. He would not just return, he would change the fate of all humanity.
Lin Wei clenched his fists, feeling a surge of determination.
This time, he said quietly into the emptiness of the room, I will not lose.
Sunlight fell on his face, illuminating his eyes, in which there was no longer the darkness of death. Only fire. The fire of a man who had already died once and returned to live for real.