At three in the morning, a full moon hung high in the sky, its bright light illuminating the earth and keeping the surroundings from growing dark.
The streets were quiet, since most people were already asleep. A handsome young man dragged his exhausted body toward home.
The young man was named Zhao Fu. He had taken his mother's surname, was 21 years old, and was a sophomore at a university. He was working while attending school. Since he earned more working nights, and for convenience, Zhao Fu didn't live on campus. Instead, he rented a room nearby.
Zhao Fu didn't have many thoughts about the future. He just wanted to earn a little money, find a wife, and live out his life in peace. That would be enough. There was no need to go through any great trials.
Zhao Fu walked alone down the dim street. It was quiet all around him, and all he wanted was to get home and sleep. He'd had too much to do that day and felt ready to collapse.
Suddenly!
A shadow leaped out from a street corner. Zhao Fu jumped in alarm and took a step back. Then, by the light of the moon, he saw that it was a black cat, and breathed a sigh of relief.
The black cat's fur was sleek and shiny, and its green eyes gave it an air of elegance and nobility. It looked like an expensive breed. It wasn't some stray; it must have belonged to someone and gotten lost.
Zhao Fu was about to go over and pick up the cat so he could take it home. The next day, he would see who had lost a cat and return it.
But just as Zhao Fu stepped forward, the cat darted away at incredible speed. He could only give up and continue on his way.
BOOM!
Suddenly, a deafening sound rang out from the sky. Zhao Fu, who had been walking along the road, jumped in alarm again and looked up.
The entire sky seemed to be burning, transformed into a vast sea of fire. Countless objects glowed with seven-colored light, trailing long tails like meteors as they fell from the sky. The sight was both magnificent and beautiful.
What was happening? Zhao Fu stared at the scene before him in astonishment.
BANG!
With a tremendous crash, a seven-colored meteor fell in front of Zhao Fu. The dazzling light made him raise a hand to shield his eyes. When it faded, a crystal, about an inch long and two fingers thick, hung motionless in midair, two meters above the ground.
Curious, Zhao Fu stepped forward and grasped the crystal. It had been floating in midair, but it offered no resistance as he grabbed it.
By then, people who had been fast asleep had also been woken by the succession of loud crashes. They opened their doors or windows and stared in astonishment at the countless crystals floating in the air.
Then, as if they'd thought of something, they rushed out of their homes and hurried to collect the crystals. They looked as though they were worth a lot of money, and no one had ever seen anything like them before.
Seeing the chaos, Zhao Fu didn't linger. He hurried back to his home.
In his rented room, Zhao Fu carefully examined the crystal. Judging by its appearance alone, no gemstone could compare to it. If it were rare, it would be priceless. But so many had fallen from the sky that its value probably wasn't very high.
Suddenly!
The crystal emitted another dazzling burst of seven-colored light, and a mechanical-sounding voice rang out: "Host detected as a primary intelligent life-form. Beginning soul binding..."
Ding!
Soul binding successful. Beginning transfer to Apocalypse World.
After the sound rang out, Zhao Fu's vision went black, and he collapsed to the ground.