Chapter 1: Rebirth in the Apocalypse

I woke up gasping for air.

The last thing I remembered was my screams—my flesh torn apart, zombies ripping into me while that bitch laughed. Li Mei. My own girlfriend. No, my ex-girlfriend, who used me as a sacrifice so she and that bastard Liu Feng could escape.

I died cursing them. I died weak.

But now… I was back.

My hands clenched into fists as my heart pounded. I wasn't in a blood-soaked wasteland anymore. I was lying on a soft bed, in a luxury apartment… my old apartment.

I scrambled to the mirror. My reflection stared back—no scars, no blood, just my younger self. It was the day before the apocalypse started.

And this time, I had something I didn't have before.

[ Ding! ]

[ Apocalypse Tyrant System Activated ]

[ Mission: Prepare for the End ] [ Reward: Strength +10, Unlock First Ability ]

A slow grin spread across my face.

"Li Mei, Liu Feng… You thought you could use me and walk away?" I chuckled, my voice colder than ice. "Let's see who gets sacrificed this time."

Luxury Shopping Mall – One Hour Later

I moved fast. In my past life, the apocalypse started with a zombie outbreak in this very mall. The rich bastards laughed at the news, shopping for luxury brands while death was right outside.

This time, I wasn't here to shop. I was here to take everything before the world burned.

Arming myself with survival gear, I caught sight of a familiar figure—

Li Mei.

She was clinging to Liu Feng's arm, laughing, as if she hadn't thrown me to my death in my past life. My blood boiled, but I forced a smirk.

I didn't approach. I wasn't that foolish.

Instead, I watched. Observed.

She was still the same—a shallow woman clinging to power, blissfully unaware that in less than twenty-four hours, her world would crumble.

I had no intention of warning her. No intention of saving her.

She would break—piece by piece—as the world devoured her. And I would watch from the shadows, ensuring my own survival while she lost everything.

Liu Feng would be no different.

They would suffer. But not by my hands.

Not yet.

The world had less than twenty-four hours left.

I stood on the rooftop of my apartment complex, staring down at the city bathed in neon lights. People laughed, lovers held hands, and drunk fools stumbled out of clubs, completely unaware that their peaceful world would be reduced to blood and ashes by tomorrow night.

And this time, I wasn't going to be one of them.

[ Ding! ]

[ Mission Completed: Prepare for the End ] [ Rewards: Strength +10, Unlock First Ability – Predator's Instinct ]

A rush of power surged through my veins. My muscles tightened, my senses sharpened. I could hear the faintest footsteps, smell the perfume of a woman three floors below me, feel the heartbeat of a rat scurrying in the alleyway.

I clenched my fists, smirking. This was just the beginning.

Stockpiling for the End

I had money—years of savings I never got to use in my past life. And unlike those fools who would panic after the outbreak, I knew exactly where to go.

First stop: Weapons.

Gun stores were useless. In this country, civilians weren't allowed firearms, but that didn't mean there weren't other ways to get them. I had a name—an underground dealer I'd heard whispers about in my past life. This time, I wasn't just hearing whispers. I was acting.

Second stop: Food & Water.

People fought over food within days of the outbreak. I wouldn't be one of them. I cleared out an entire supermarket's worth of supplies, loading them into a rented van and transporting them to my hidden storage spot—a remote safehouse I had scouted earlier.

Third stop: Transportation.

Public transport would be useless once the infection spread. Roads would be jammed, highways blocked, people screaming and clawing at each other like wild animals.

I needed something fast, something durable.

A black armored SUV sat in the dealership lot, looking like a predator among sheep. Bulletproof windows, reinforced chassis, high-speed engine. Perfect.

A few stacks of cash later, it was mine.