Chapter 0004: The True Beginning
At midday, Di Ping hastily ate a simple meal. The system remained inaccessible, and he had no knowledge of what a "crystal core" was, let alone where to find one. With nothing else to do, he aimlessly wandered around his room—watching television and listening to experts boast, reading for a while, then gazing out the window.
"What an utterly boring day," Di Ping sighed.
It had been a long time since he had experienced such leisure. In the past, every day had been spent in relentless busyness, leaving him with little free time. Only when he struggled with insomnia at night would he pick up a book or play a game. To spend an entire day idle like this was an unusual occurrence.
As the sky darkened, those who had gone out to collect food returned. Suddenly, an eerie silence enveloped the entire residential complex. Something felt off—different from the usual.
"It's the birds!" Di Ping abruptly realized. He had not heard a single bird call all day. Normally, their morning chirping would wake him up early, and in the evening, flocks of birds would frolic around the neighborhood. Yet today, there was complete silence. Was this not abnormal?
"Ah! What a huge rat!" A terrified scream shattered the quiet.
Di Ping rushed to the window and looked down.
Several maintenance workers were clearing the overgrown grass below. The vegetation had grown so thick that even after a whole day of labor, they had only managed to clear the pathways, leaving the area in front of the building untouched. As a lawn mower carved a path through the grass, several creatures suddenly darted out. Upon closer inspection, the workers realized that these were enormous rats—each the size of a cat. Even more unsettling, these creatures showed no fear of humans. Their eyes gleamed red as they squeaked menacingly at the workers.
Di Ping's breath caught as he took in the sight. His earlier suspicions were confirmed. That morning, the news had broadcasted reports of cat-sized rats being captured in various locations. Seeing this, he had speculated whether, given the rapid mutation of plants, animals might also undergo drastic changes. However, he had comforted himself with the thought that those cases might be isolated anomalies.
Yet now, as he witnessed these giant rats with his own eyes, any lingering delusions were crushed. The apocalypse had truly begun.
A chorus of frenzied squeaks erupted as more rats swarmed in from all directions—dozens of them. Their growing numbers emboldened them, and they surged toward the maintenance workers.
"Ah—!" A middle-aged worker, around fifty years old, barely had time to react before two of the monstrous rodents lunged at him, knocking him to the ground. Their razor-sharp teeth tore into his flesh, sending blood spraying in all directions as his agonized screams filled the air.
The other workers were paralyzed with terror. Their legs trembled before they instinctively turned to flee. But humans were no match for rats in speed. Before they could reach the building entrance, the swarm overtook them, engulfing them in a writhing mass of fur and teeth. Their piercing screams echoed through the complex, as one by one, they were devoured.
More rats continued to emerge from the undergrowth, some scurrying toward the residential buildings.
Di Ping's stomach churned violently. Watching a human body reduced to a bloodied skeleton in mere moments was an overwhelming shock to his senses. Unable to hold back, he stumbled into the bathroom and vomited uncontrollably.
Suddenly, screams erupted from within the building. The rats had made their way inside.
Di Ping's heart pounded as he sprinted to the door. Without hesitation, he grabbed a sofa and wedged it against the entrance. Although the door was sturdy, he dared not take the risk—who knew if the rats' teeth could tear through it?
With the door secured, he hurried to the window, drawing the curtains shut and switching off the lights. He feared that any sign of life might attract the creatures.
"Bang!" A sudden thud against the door made his heart seize.
Di Ping froze in place, not daring to move. The rats had reached the top floor. If they detected any sound inside, they might try to force their way in.
Moments later, another impact resounded, but this time, it was from the apartment next door.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" The creatures seemed to go berserk, ramming the neighbor's door relentlessly. Someone must have made a noise.
Fortunately, the doors installed by the developer were of high-quality reinforced alloy—advertised as being resistant to explosions. Whether the claim was true or not, the mutated rats failed to break through, and after a dozen attempts, they seemed to grow frustrated and scurried away.
Di Ping remained motionless. Rats were intelligent creatures—what if they returned for another attempt? Only after five or six minutes of silence did he finally sink onto the sofa and exhale deeply.
Somewhere below, several floors had likely been breached, as a few last, harrowing screams pierced the night before fading into a chilling stillness. Outside, darkness swallowed the world, while inside, those who remained alive sank into despair.
No one had ever imagined that one day, they would be hunted by rats the size of cats. Were these still the timid rodents humanity once knew?
Most residents had barricaded themselves inside, their sturdy doors proving to be their salvation. Only a few careless individuals had fallen victim to the mutated creatures.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" In the distance, sporadic gunfire echoed through the city.
"The police must be shooting at the rats," Di Ping speculated.
Yet, the gunfire did not last long before gradually dying down. Clearly, the infestation had spiraled beyond control. These creatures no longer feared humans—they had become something far more terrifying.
Di Ping sat in silence, his mind blank. The occasional shattering of glass and human screams outside sent shivers through him. Wealth had once been a symbol of security, but now, the low balconies of luxury villas had become death traps.
Although Di Ping had endured many hardships in life, he was, at his core, an ordinary young man. Confronted with a catastrophe beyond human comprehension, he felt utterly helpless. The unceasing screams gnawed at his nerves, leaving him trembling in fear. There was nothing he could do—he couldn't help others, nor could he even save himself. He didn't even dare step beyond his own door.
The system was supposed to be his lifeline, yet without the elusive "crystal core," it remained locked. It was as if he desperately needed to use the restroom, yet an immovable barrier stood in his way—frustrating and cruel.
That night was an agonizing ordeal. Di Ping remained seated against the barricaded door, unmoving, his red-rimmed eyes betraying his exhaustion.
As dawn approached, an eerie calm settled over the complex. The rats had seemingly retreated. Di Ping rubbed his dry, burning eyes before stumbling into the bathroom to splash his face with water. Fortunately, the plumbing still functioned.
Cautiously, he peeked outside. The trees appeared to have grown even taller overnight, and the grass that had been cleared the previous day had already regrown, concealing the bloodstains beneath a thick blanket of green.
"Woof! Woof! AHH—!" A sudden, thunderous bark shattered the fragile silence, followed by a human scream from somewhere inside the building.
Di Ping's body tensed. The bark was unnaturally loud and deep, carrying a guttural growl that resonated in his chest—more like the roar of a lion than a domestic dog.
"Could the dogs have mutated as well?" A terrifying realization struck him. He hadn't seen a single stray dog since yesterday.
A new nightmare was unfolding. If the residential complex's many pet dogs had undergone the same transformation as the rats, how much more dangerous would they be?
The desperate cries of residents and the guttural snarls of monstrous canines echoed throughout the building. The nightmare had only just begun.