"May 15th, torrential rain, continuous heavy rain, many places in Huaxia affected, outbreak imminent."
"May 23rd, drought, scorching sun, national average temperature of forty-three degrees, crops largely destroyed, countless livestock dead or injured."
"May 26th, snowstorm, biting cold wind, temperature plummeted, subzero temperatures appeared in the northern regions."
"May 27th, clear skies..."
Chen Feng closed the notebook, staring expressionlessly out the window.
Today is the 27th, unlike the strange and erratic weather of the past few days, today's weather is extraordinarily sunny and bright, with a sense of normal post-disaster joy everywhere.
After all, in recent days, large-scale disasters occurred across the country, severely impacting agriculture, livestock, and human life.
No!
Not just in Huaxia, but worldwide, disasters have been unending the past few days: tsunamis, tornadoes, volcanoes, hurricanes. This planet, which nurtures tens of billions of humans, appeared like a tantrum-throwing child, revealing its demon-like nature.
According to conservative estimates, in just these few days, millions have died worldwide, with countless missing. This sudden disaster is an unforeseeable danger, and the largest upheaval recorded in civilization.
Fortunately, today, the days of change finally calmed, the sky cleared, and the disasters troubling humans disappeared all at once.
In the face of nature, humans, once proud and arrogant, trembled like guinea pigs hiding in their rooms, able only to pray, with no other recourse. But with today's clear weather, everyone stepped out of their homes to enjoy this rare day.
The dead are gone, the living must go on.
Through the window, Chen Feng watched the smiling faces on the street, his lips curling into a faint smile; however, this smile was tinged with loneliness, gloom, helplessness, devoid of ease or comfort.
Only he knew best what would happen today, how those so-called disasters were merely appetizers. Humans, allegedly the wisest species on this planet, enjoying trampling over others, even their kind for profit, would today experience real fear.
In less than three hours, an energy storm will appear, and large-scale power outages will occur. During this period, humans will face not only solitude and darkness but also—death.
The apocalypse arrives.
Some spatial rifts opened, bringing innumerable previously unseen monsters to this planet.
Terrifying Insect Race, violent zombies, brutal dragons, ravenous Ogres, and bizarre, unfamiliar life forms transformed the planet into a vast slaughterhouse, with humans becoming prey for these predators.
And not only that.
The dead due to disasters and the long-buried corpses would revive, tirelessly moving forward, devouring all life they encounter.
Ants, cockroaches, grasshoppers, once so timid humans could crush them underfoot, now mutated, their bodies swelling. Mosquitoes grew as thick and long as an adult's arm, leaving humans mummified after a simple bite.
Confined by force, stripped of freedom, the mighty beasts trapped in zoos like pets underwent atavism; old elephants grew thick hair, their tusks sharpening, toothless snakes shed skins to become ten-meter-long pythons, and bears and tigers, once dining table favorites suppressed by humans, mutated into beasts able to resist bullets and artillery with their flesh alone.
Overnight, the entire genetic chain of all species rebooted. Humans ceased to be the planet's overlords, becoming cannon fodder, sustenance in this new epoch.
For some, this is the worst of times: the world collapses, economies crumble, the former all-powerful wealthy and rulers become prey for predators. The once aloof stars and socialites, without familial backing, become humble slaves.
For others, it's the best of times: genes reboot not only benefiting insects and beasts. Some lucky individuals experience mutations, gaining powers like invisibility, flight, fire control, water control, even beast control. Before the apocalypse, they might have been failing students, struggling employees, even scrappers in landfills.
In the pre-apocalypse world, they were society's underclass, ridiculed, discriminated against, loathed by their peers. But with the apocalypse, they transformed into "evolutionaries," easily securing life and food compared to ordinary people. The goddesses they once fantasized about on screens or in dreams now became the slaves groveling at their feet.
In a single day, the rules of the world were reshuffled.
Some survive, yet wish they were dead.
Some die, yet...
"What a strange experience indeed." Chen Feng laid his hands open, gazing at his unblemished arms, a ripple of emotion in his eyes.
Rebirth?
After surviving over a decade in the apocalypse, even as one of the fortunate with special abilities, the black epoch left him scarred.
The world fell apart, trust dissipated.
With the arrival of the technological age, humanity became bound by books and law, turning into respectably dressed citizens adhering to filial piety, friendship, and love.
But with the apocalyptic onset, civilization's facade crumbled, unchained humans turned hostile; to survive, they betrayed spouses, siblings turned on each other.
For a moldy bun, adoring couples once wielding blades against each other; for a weapon of self-preservation perhaps sparking fratricide. Self-interest, survival of the fittest, might as right—these are the very foundations for surviving in this world.
But Chen Feng realized too late.
People turning evil is a gradual process, just like even the world-shocking killers and dictators were once adorable human spirits in infancy.
In the apocalypse's early phase, Chen Feng possessed powers, yet his conscience wasn't lost. Seeing the weak, he rescued; witnessing refugees, he extended a helping hand, but ultimately, being good was hard.
This is a man-eating world.
After enduring accusations, betrayals, traps, and severe injuries, Chen Feng finally grasped the world's truth, but by then, it was too late.
He lost too many opportunities, suffered too many wounds; clarity came too late, and his strength had hit a ceiling. His fate was ultimately to be buried in a stone forest, devoured by rampant insects and beasts.
But life's unpredictability knows no bounds.
Who would have thought, he was reborn, returning to the eve of the apocalypse breakout.
Feeling the chaos of memories in his mind, Chen Feng closed his eyes. In this second life, his greatest gain is not the so-called combat techniques, insights into the weaknesses of insects and beasts, or those legendary treasure sites.
It's his understanding of this world.
Compared to others needing to get acquainted with this brand-new epoch, Chen Feng—
Needs no process to embrace darkness.