Part I: Lin Kai – The Strategist and The Scientist
The rain outside continued its heavy, rhythmic drumming against the windowpane, a constant reminder of the chaos consuming the world. Inside the third-floor apartment, a deceptive sense of peace had settled over Lin Kai's group.
After cleaning the gore and mud from himself, Professor Shen, the botany lecturer, took his place back beside Lin Kai. He appeared much calmer now, the fear in his eyes replaced by thoughtful curiosity.
"Lin Kai," the Professor began, his voice lowered in respect. "You didn't go off and hunt alone, even though your strength is far beyond ours. That first day of the calamity... what did you think? What was your first action?"
Lin Kai closed his eyes briefly, recalling the sheer, blinding shock of the initial Aether surge.
"My first thought was finding shelter. My first action was controlling the panic and conserving my energy. I knew immediately that whatever this energy was, it was finite and valuable. Most importantly, I realized that surviving one day doesn't guarantee the next. Everyone rushing out to kill the first monster they saw was signing their own death warrant."
Professor Shen nodded slowly, his eyes reflecting a deep understanding.
"I saw that same panic. For us, we just huddled in the high school auditorium, relying on the sheer number of people for safety. We moved in fear, not strategy. But after seeing you, seeing Rong take that kill, and seeing everyone here ascend... you've given us more than just safety, Lin Kai. You've given us confidence. And for that, I am truly thankful."
He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a scholarly whisper.
"I've noticed something crucial about the environment. The plants and trees... they're growing at an impossible rate. Thick, new vines erupting from the ground, slowly climbing the buildings, wrapping around cars. Is this due to the Aether, this new energy you speak of?"
"Yes, Professor, it is Aether," Lin Kai confirmed, his gaze drifting towards the overgrown vines now visible clinging to the adjacent building.
"It is the fundamental power of this new world. It strengthens us, but it strengthens everything else, too. Every living thing is accelerating its own evolution."
Professor Shen's eyes widened with a mix of academic horror and excitement.
"Then you have also seen the thick, almost sentient vines coiling around everything near us. If this continues, the city won't be a city anymore. It will be a forest—a concrete jungle consumed by hostile, fast-growing life."
"You are right," Lin Kai sighed, the thought of the future adding a new weight to his shoulders. "If the trend continues, every city on Earth will eventually descend into a massive, sprawling forest. A green invasion."
"That would severely limit human movement and settlement," the Professor mused, tapping his chin. "Do you believe there is a solution to controlling or stopping this aggressive botanical evolution?"
Lin Kai shook his head. "There is always a solution, Professor, but I do not know it yet. We could attempt to cut these new growths, but that's a temporary fix. For now, our main focus must be on saving more people and establishing a secure base. Survival is the first step; ecological management is the second."
"Agreed," the Professor affirmed, turning to the rest of the group who were listening intently. "First, we save and rebuild; later, we manage. Do you all concur?"
A wave of serious nods traveled through the room. The conversation had shifted their focus from immediate survival to the grand, daunting scale of the planetary change.
A survivor, a tall man who had struggled with his kill, tentatively raised his hand. "Oh, Leader," he asked, his voice hesitant.
"If Aether strengthens all living things, then the beasts... the animals and wildlife... they will also get stronger like us? Do they have the same Primal Decree to ascend?"
Lin Kai nodded, offering a rare smile of praise for the sharp question. "A sharp observation. Yes, they will. I don't know the specifics of their power structure or conditions, but I can tell you that they can also ascend to higher orders by killing others, just like us. Primal Decree applies to all life."
A young girl, her voice laced with renewed fear, asked, "Then won't they become even stronger predators? It's not good for us if we have to deal with powerful beasts rampaging and the corrupted."
Lin Kai looked straight at her, his expression reassuring yet firm. "I cannot tell you how all of them will view us. But I can tell you this: if there are hostile beasts, there will likely also be neutral or even friendly ones. Hostility is not a guarantee of evolution. We must try to calmly communicate with the intelligent ones when we encounter them. In this new calamity, that might be our only true way forward."
Another survivor pressed him. "How can they talk to us? They're animals."
"By evolving," Lin Kai explained, shrugging slightly. "Higher orders bring higher cognitive functions. They can evolve the capacity for language, perhaps not through speech, but mentally. I am not certain, but we cannot dismiss any possibility. We must wait and see."
Professor Shen added his own compelling theory. "If that is true for animals, then it can also be true for the plants! Perhaps in the future, the vines and trees can also gain consciousness and thought through sufficient evolution!"
A chorus of stunned murmurs erupted as the group processed the chilling implications. A silent, thinking forest. The potential threat was staggering. The room filled with whispered discussions about the future.
Lin Kai looked outside. It was around 2 PM, but the cloud cover made the world look like late dusk. The rain continued its unrelenting pour.
"Lunch," Lin Kai announced, his voice snapping their attention back to the present. "Eat from your bags and fill your stomachs. But remember, conserve everything. Food, water, and energy."
Most of them nodded. Several, including Rong, politely declined, stating that the energy gained from their recent evolution was sufficient. Lin Kai confirmed their well-being, satisfied with their pragmatic decisions.
Feeling the cumulative fatigue of the past hour, Lin Kai finally allowed himself a moment of weakness. "I'm going to take a nap in the next room," he said, rubbing his tired eyes. "Be vigilant. Do not leave this apartment until I return. Do not open the doors."
He walked into the adjacent small bedroom, collapsed onto the tiny bed near the window, and fell instantly into a deep, needed sleep.
Some survivors, seeing their leader finally rest, followed suit, while others began quietly chatting, eating, and trying to pass the boredom of the lockdown.
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Part II: Shanghai University – The Sisters Reunited
Meanwhile, over a thousand kilometers away, the day was beginning in Shanghai.
It was the second day of the apocalypse. Lin Yu woke first, the dim morning light filtering through the massive canteen windows of Shanghai University.
She immediately checked her surroundings, her keen blue eyes scanning the hushed survivors sleeping around her. Her white hair was slightly tangled, but her presence radiated a profound chill.
Any survivor whose gaze accidentally swept over her immediately jerked away, intimidated by the cold, unsettling Aether aura that naturally cloaked her.
She sat up on the sofa they had shared, a silent anchor, waiting.
Minutes later, Lin Ming's eyes fluttered open. Her playful aura was subdued, replaced by the heavy responsibility of leadership. She met her sister's gaze, then took in the room.
Most of the survivors were waking up, looking at her expectantly. Lin Ming's sleepiness vanished. She sat up straight, quickly adjusted her messy, beautiful hair, and stood.
"Listen, everyone," Lin Ming announced, her voice clear and carrying across the vast canteen. "We need to eat now. Be extremely careful and save every portion. This is not a summer camp buffet."
After a quick, silent meal, Lin Ming took center stage. "It's time to move. The sun rays are high, meaning the darkness has lessened. We need to know if the Corrupted are still roaming in these brighter conditions. We are not safe staying inside."
She outlined her plan: "First, we move to the Computer Lab. It's a short distance, but essential. They have independent camera recording systems there that might have captured what happened across the university. Once we know the situation, we plan our final move."
Many nodded, agreeing that waiting was more dangerous than moving. They also felt a restless desire to experience their newfound strength by killing more corrupted.
A few still harbored doubts, but Lin Ming answered their concerns patiently, her persuasive logic slowly winning them over.
Lin Yu stood slightly behind and to the side of Lin Ming, a silent guard. Her hands remained close to her body, ready to unleash the raw, freezing power of her Ice Rune should anyone dare to oppose Lin Ming's will. This silent, unwavering support warmed Lin Ming's heart and boosted her confidence as she spoke.
The group—now sizable, having gathered a few survivors during the early morning—set out, moving cautiously and silently across the campus.
Along the way, they managed to kill a few stray Corrupted easily. Lin Ming even healed some newly joined survivors who had sustained old bite marks or any corrupted energy inside their body by using her unique Hearthlight Rune. With a short mental command, she heard the coveted decree:
Zero Order (High) attained. Souls purified: 18.
She quickly checked her mental interference:
Vitality: 260/300
Aether: 600/900
Order: Zero Order (High)
Rune: Hearthlight
The high Aether pool was satisfactory. Her purification Rune was not only sustaining her but also granting her evolution.
After a few hours, they reached the Computer Lab building. They walked inside, noting the cracked glass, damaged machinery, and structural decay. Finally, they reached the third floor.
The sight before them made the group stop, a cold dread washing over them. Behind a vast glass wall, which led into the main server room, were thirty or more Corrupted, all resting with their eyes closed in a strange, unnatural formation.
Most of the computers were damaged, but in the center, bathed in the shaft of sunlight cutting through a hole in the ceiling, was the silhouette of a girl resting calmly on a bench.
One nervous survivor instinctively reached for the handle of the glass door. The slight metallic rustle of the handle was enough.
The resting Corrupted instantly opened their eyes. Instead of the dull red they had come to expect, their eyes glowed with an eerie, vibrant purple light. This was a terrifying new variant, signaling extreme danger.
Lin Ming instantly issued a silent, urgent command: "Stop! Do not move! Everyone, freeze!"
Lin Ming's mind raced. What is this? A nest? A trap? She searched for any killing intent but found none directed at the glass wall.
The purple-eyed Corrupted remained docile, watching them with unnerving stillness. She was thinking hard, considering the risks of sending one person in.
Then, she felt a slight tug on her sleeve. Lin Yu was standing beside her. "Sister," Lin Yu whispered, her usual cold voice trembling slightly. "Can't you see? The one inside... the hair... it's purple. It's like our sister, Lin Ling."
Lin Ming focused her gaze, heart hammering against her ribs. Lin Yu was right. The unique, brilliant purple hair was undeniable.
Overcome with joy and relief, she confirmed that her twin was alive. But her elation was immediately crushed by the tension of seeing her sister surrounded by controlled, purple-eyed monsters.
Just then, the girl inside—Lin Ling—stirred. She directed her gaze through the glass at the crowd, her serene expression quickly hardening into a protective alertness. Then, her eyes fell upon Lin Ming and Lin Yu. Joy, surprise, and an instant rush of recognition washed over her face.
Lin Ling jumped down from the bench. Her surrounding group of purple-eyed Corrupted followed her, moving in a disturbingly docile and organized manner.
Lin Ming's group immediately assumed battle stances, ready to kill the girl and the monsters. But they were all bewildered as Lin Yu moved with a swiftness that defied her usual calm. A sudden burst of white mist erupted from her hands, freezing the feet of the most aggressive members to the floor.
Before anyone could react, Lin Ming rushed forward, smashed open the door, and tightly embraced her sister.
"Oh, Sister!" Lin Ming cried out, holding her tightly. "I'm so happy! I thought you were gone!"
The emotional reunion stunned the entire group into silence. They watched, utterly confused, as the Corrupted stood like obedient sentinels, and the quiet Lin Yu un-froze their shoes before embracing Lin Ling as well.
Lin Ling quickly calmed her emotional sister. She then explained her newfound power: these purple-eyed Corrupted were under her control, obeying her every mental command—a unique evolution of her own Aether Rune.
Lin Ming immediately announced a temporary rest. While the group slowly processed the strange, incredible new power of the twin sisters, Lin Yu, Lin Ming, and Lin Ling huddled together.
The trio of sisters began to discuss the current situation, comparing their experiences and charting their next course, a powerful, familial alliance already forming in the heart of the apocalypse.
The survivors looked at the three sisters—two with unique Runes and one with a strange, dark power—and knew that with this trio of powerful family members, their chances of survival had multiplied exponentially.
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Author's Note:
Ah, my dear readers. I thought i could release this chapter if my collection reaches 100 but alas it couldn't be done for now. A little goal isn't harmful, u wouldn't blame me right? If u come to this, then pls add it to ur library. I am trying to make my chapters unique for u guys so that's also takes time.