New Era, January 1st

A week passed in the sweltering heat of summer and the tranquility of daily life.

Lin Yi's body, which had originally been merely "healthy and active," was undergoing a quiet transformation.

Time slipped silently and resolutely toward that node destined to overturn everything, masked by this mundane, almost trivial daily routine and careful preparation.

His bone density increased quietly, providing a more solid foundation, his neural reaction speed improved significantly, and his five senses became sharper.

The muscle lines beneath his well-proportioned frame became more refined and fluid, harboring restrained explosive power.

If his physical fitness had previously been that of a sports-loving high school student, he was now comparable to a professional athlete.

Outwardly, he remained that sunny, handsome youth, but inwardly, he was like refined steel that had been repeatedly forged to remove impurities, waiting only to be sharpened and taste blood.

The curtain was about to rise on this grand drama, with life as the wager and the world as the stage.

[July 24, 2027, Saturday], the date identified in his past life as January 1st of the New Era.

The morning sun, carrying a hint of dry heat, spilled into the room through the gaps in the curtains.

Lin Yi opened his eyes; there was not a trace of post-sleep haziness in his gaze, only the stillness of an icy lake.

"Xiao Yi, get up quickly! Today is your big day!"

His mother Zhou Jinghua's voice, filled with joyful busyness, drifted in from outside the door.

"Coming, Mom."

Lin Yi replied in a steady voice, then quickly rose to dress and wash.

In the mirror, the youth's face still held a touch of callowness. He faced the glass and slightly adjusted the curve of his mouth, ensuring the smile was appropriate for an eighteen-year-old.

The LED screen at the entrance of the Fujin Hall in Hongfu Restaurant had long since lit up with a festive red banner: "Warmly Congratulate Student Lin Yi on His Academic Success."

It was just past eleven o'clock, and people were arriving one after another.

"Xiao Yi! Congratulations, congratulations!"

His uncle Zhou Jianjun, a sturdy middle-aged man with a resolute face, patted Lin Yi's shoulder hard; the grip of a retired soldier was truly not light.

"Oh my, this child, he's grown more spirited!" His aunt, dressed appropriately with a gentle smile, held Lin Yi's hand and praised him.

His cousin Zhou Jieyu, a boy just starting middle school, circled Lin Yi excitedly. "Brother Yi, you're awesome!"

His younger cousin Zhou Mengmeng, a primary school student with pigtails, looked up with an envious face and asked, "Brother, does going to university mean you don't have to study anymore?"

Looking at the genuine smile on his uncle's resolute face, a scene from his past life flashed suddenly through Lin Yi's mind:

The heavy stench of blood mixed with rot, in a narrow stairwell, his uncle brandishing a fire axe with a chipped blade, roaring as he shielded him and his cousin behind him. The fire axe descended with a dull whistling sound, precisely hacking into the neck of a Corrosive Abyssal Wolf lunging at him!

But his uncle, unable to dodge in time, had half an ear torn off by the beast's counterattack, blood staining half his cheek.

"Not at all, you have to study even harder in university." Lin Yi didn't say much, just ruffled his cousin's hair. Seeing her face fall, he laughed. "Uncle, Aunt, go inside and take a seat."

"Alright, alright, you go ahead and get busy." His uncle nodded with a smile.

No sooner had his uncle's family left than a slightly flamboyant voice cut in.

"Yo, Xiao Yi, you've made something of yourself, tsk tsk, Qingteng University. You've really brought honor to our Lin family. Who knows, maybe your uncle here will have to rely on you for care in the future."

Lin Yi looked up to see his uncle Lin Ruiheng and aunt Liu Mei arriving with his cousin Lin Ran.

His uncle wore a somewhat unnatural, ingratiating smile with a subtle sense of distance, while his aunt pulled on his uncle's sleeve, looking slightly embarrassed.

His cousin Lin Ran followed behind, looking somewhat constrained, calling out "Brother Yi" with shifty eyes.

Looking at this family, Lin Yi felt quite conflicted.

He knew better than anyone that this very uncle, who had some friction with his own family and always spoke with a hint of sarcasm, had managed to secure a position managing supplies at the large "Rock Shelter" six months after the apocalypse descended and order collapsed, thanks to a chance opportunity.

Yet, when he learned that Lin Yi's family was struggling to survive in another small shelter, living in relative hardship, this uncle had risked his position to have a supply convoy bring them emergency rations and medicine, along with a message promising to help secure residency in the Rock Shelter.

It was precisely because they later moved to the Rock Shelter, resolving his parents' safety concerns, that he had been able to set out on his path of exploration and adventure with peace of mind.

"Uncle, Aunt, you're here! Please, come in!"

Lin Yi's smile remained unchanged, pretending not to understand his uncle's sarcasm, and he greeted them warmly. His gaze swept over Lin Ran. "Ran Ran is here too, go inside and sit."

After greeting his uncle's family, his classmates, who had been specially invited, followed closely behind.

Class monitor Zhou Yuxuan, with a tall, upright stature and a steady temperament, handed over a gift box with a sincere smile.

"Lin Yi, congratulations."

"You're too kind, Monitor. Please, come in."

Lin Yi's voice was as steady as usual; only he knew that his fingers gripping the gift box tightened for a brief moment.

After the apocalypse, the only news he ever received regarding the class monitor was a single obituary:

"To cover the evacuation of the residents of the 'Nanhu' Shelter, the entire shelter guard team, led by Captain Zhou Yuxuan, sacrificed themselves."

"Brother Yi, we have to have a good drink today!"

His best friend Chen Yu draped an arm over Lin Yi's shoulder, accompanied by his tall and beautiful girlfriend, Su Xiao.

Su Xiao's beautiful eyes held a hint of lazy playfulness as she raised an eyebrow at Lin Yi in greeting.

Lin Yi laughed and punched Chen Yu on the shoulder. "Don't you even think about trying to get me drunk, kid!"

He looked at his best friend and his girlfriend, a cynical thought crossing his mind.

Well, there isn't much to remember about those two. They were out on a date when the apocalypse began and were wiped out in the first wave of the assault. I suppose you could call them star-crossed lovers.

"Lin Yi, congratulations."

The class beauty, Ye Qingyu, spoke in a soft voice. A faint, barely perceptible blush touched her fair cheeks as she handed a beautifully wrapped gift to Lin Yi, her gaze lingering on his face for a fleeting second before darting away.

"Thank you."

Lin Yi took the gift, his fingertips accidentally brushing against her cool ones.

Ye Qingyu, that girl... oh well.

Lin Yi sighed inwardly.

Because Ye Qingyu's grades weren't great and she happened to sit in the row in front of him, she often turned around to ask him questions. The busybodies in class had used this to tease them. At the time, he had been completely immersed in his studies and hadn't bothered to pay it any mind, but to his surprise, Ye Qingyu never refuted the rumors either. Over time, it just became accepted that they were a couple.

Later, Ye Qingyu died.

The scene involuntarily surfaced in Lin Yi's mind.

A shrill alarm echoed through the dim corridor of the shelter.

A mineral water bottle rolled into a corner, and compressed biscuits were scattered across the floor. Ye Qingyu lay in a pool of blood, still clutching a bag of food she hadn't managed to give him.

As a distant relative of the shelter's management, she had been assigned to the logistics team, which received slightly larger rations. She had saved that food, intending to give it to him in secret.

She hadn't even been able to let out a full cry for help before she perished under the ambush of a Stealth Shadow Blade Beast.

There were things she had never managed to say, even in death.

The smile on Lin Yi's face remained flawless, appearing even more gentle. "Classmate Ye Qingyu, thank you for the gift. Please, go ahead and take a seat."

Over the next while, friends and relatives arrived one after another.

Lin Yi acted like a boy truly immersed in joy, wearing a perfectly measured, excited smile as he warmly greeted every guest and showed them to their seats.

His father, Lin Ruiming, was beaming, greeting familiar coworkers and elders.

His mother, Zhou Jinghua, was busy running back and forth, checking on the banquet preparations with several female relatives who had arrived early, her face filled with unconcealable pride and joy.

After watching his parents' busy, satisfied figures, Lin Yi's gaze swept casually across every familiar and vibrant face.

These people, who had either scattered or withered away in his past life, were now gathered so vividly in this small banquet hall, their laughter and congratulations weaving into a warm, boisterous ocean of sound.

He fell silent for a moment, then, a joyful smile returned to his face.

Time slipped away quietly amidst the noise and warmth.