Apocalypse

After a burst of intense light, Henry was stunned by the sight before him!

He found himself standing in the middle of an eight-lane highway.

High-rise buildings lined both sides of the road.

Several cars were overturned across the road in disarray.

It looked as though a horrific traffic accident had just occurred!

Enormous red vines were wrapped around the distant skyscrapers, with patches of leaves trembling without any wind.

What truly terrified Henry was that he was surrounded by hundreds of zombies!

Their gazes were vacant, their skin pallid, and purple veins were even visible!

The ground was strewn with streams of fresh blood and gnawed, unrecognizable corpses.

The air was thick with the pungent smell of blood, causing waves of nausea!

"Have I... traveled to an apocalyptic world?!"

"But... why aren't these zombies eating me?"

Henry stood frozen in place, afraid to make any unnecessary movements, lest these seemingly frozen-in-time zombies suddenly come to life!

That would surely be the end of him.

[Welcome to the apocalyptic world!]

Suddenly, a voice appeared in Henry's mind.

Then, a different world map materialized in front of him.

The world map Henry remembered was mostly covered by oceans with a few continents floating on it.

However, here, nearly the entire surface of the planet was land, and the oceans seemed more like giant lakes, sprinkled throughout.

"Is this not Earth?!"

[This is Blue Star, with a surface area a thousand times that of Earth!]

[The number of towns is about ten thousand times that of Earth's!]

[The culture and technological development are highly similar to Earth's civilization!]

[This world is overrun by zombies and various mutant creatures, surviving is your only goal!]

The voice, whether by chance or by probing Henry's doubts, introduced all this emotionlessly.

[To survive in the apocalypse, please keep the following in mind:]

[1. The whole world is enveloped in a peculiar energy. Killing zombies and mutant creatures to collect this energy can enhance yourself and sometimes be more advantageous than having firearms!]

[2. Natural water sources have been contaminated. Drinking unpurified water could be lethal!]

[3. Mutated animals and plants are not necessarily harmful; some of their meat/fruits are edible and may even have health-enhancing effects!]

[4. Many supply boxes are scattered around the world, and you can find unexpected treasures inside!]

[5. Everyone has a space ring that can be expanded by consuming energy. It's a great companion for survival but also makes you a target for other survivors!]

[6. Using the 'gathering skill' efficiently allows you to quickly collect materials from zombies and mutant creatures!]

[7. When night falls, zombies and mutant creatures become more active, so it's advisable to find a safe and stable shelter!]

[8. The mutation level of zombies and mutant creatures is currently suppressed, and this suppression weakens every 30 days! Please prepare in advance!]

[Attention! The game will start in one minute!]

[Adjusting gravity parameters...]

[Gamifying the world's structure...]

[Restarting city electricity...]

[Activating remote auction trading functions...]

[Opening chat channels...]

[Modifying human body adaptability...]

...

After the game's prompt tone ended, all that remained were messages of no use.

Henry was now on the highway, with the game about to start.

Once all these zombies become active...

His body wouldn't even be enough to fill the gaps between a large crowd of zombies' teeth!

He must quickly find a safe place to hide!

But...

Where to hide?!

Who knows if there are any zombies in the stores around here?

How many zombies are there?!

Finding a safe place to hide within a minute is no easy task!

Henry hesitated and looked towards a restaurant by the roadside.

The entrances of many stores were shockingly smeared with blood.

But this place was very clean!

It might be a good spot to hide!

Just as he was about to head over, suddenly a notification popped up next to the restaurant.

[There are 27 famished zombies inside the restaurant, if you rashly charge in, they will surely feast!]

???

!!!

Henry was startled!

What is this?

A warning?

He subconsciously checked the local chat channel:

"Where is this place with so many zombies?! Can someone tell me what's going on?!"

"I'm so scared, my legs are trembling, I can hardly move, and there are zombies everywhere. I'm afraid there will be more zombies behind the door!"

"I'm hiding in a closet, and it's not much better here; I don't know if there are zombies in the room!"

"I'm in a bus, is anyone nearby?!"

"I'm on a rooftop; there are no zombies nearby, but I'm almost getting sun-dried. What should I do if I'm afraid to use the safety exits?"

Everyone was chatting, seeking help and encouraging each other.

But no one mentioned seeing any warnings!

If they could see notifications like Henry, why would they worry about what's behind the doors?!

Exactly!

He was the only one who could see these alerts!

Henry quickly turned his attention to a small supermarket next door, and sure enough, another alert appeared immediately!

[There are six zombies in the supermarket, along with some bottled water. If you have a suitable weapon and are agile enough, perhaps you can take a chance and go in!]

This place won't do either!

Henry was well aware of his own capabilities; he was just an ordinary person!

Thinking about taking on six zombies and coming out unscathed?

That was an impossible thought!

Henry then shifted his gaze to a real estate agency nearby.

[Congratulations, not only are there no zombies here, but there is also a Level 1 supply crate!]

No zombies?

And there's a supply crate?!

Perfect!

This is the spot!

Henry glanced at the zombies nearby, and the same notification popped up again:

[Zombies in a static state, unable to move or be killed, remaining time 46 seconds!]

Henry estimated the distance; it was only 30 meters from his position to the real estate agency.

Within 10 seconds, Henry could easily enter the real estate agency and close the main door!

With 36 seconds remaining, this was definitely not the time for chatting or daydreaming!

He should be doing something more meaningful!

Henry's gaze quickly swept over the zombies nearby.

Soon, his attention was caught by a zombie dressed as a riot police officer.