The shattered glass windows reflected the harsh glare of the scorching sun. What once were towering buildings were now reduced to mere ruins, and the air was thick with dust and the stench of decay, making it impossible to breathe.
Inside a room in a villa, a person who should have been dead suddenly opened his eyes. Those eyes, like stars twinkling in the dark of night, revealed a strength and vitality that defied death, while his pale, lifeless face slowly began to regain a hint of color.
Having just regained consciousness, Xie Qi sat up on the bed with sluggish movements, his gaze drifting around the surroundings, dazed yet alert.
The room appeared ordinary, with nothing out of the ordinary, yet the air was permeated by a nauseating odor that made him uneasy.
Xie Qi did not rush. He moved slowly on the bed, feeling his muscles gradually regain their strength. He then stretched his arms and legs, performing a few simple movements to ease his stiff joints.
Once finished, he climbed out of bed with extreme caution and slid his feet into the slippers placed beside it.
Fully dressed, Xie Qi stood up, steadied himself, and walked slowly toward the window.
As he drew closer to the window, the foul odor intensified, stinging his nostrils and making him feel deeply uncomfortable. Yet, instead of stopping, Xie Qi quickened his pace, as if determined to discover the source of the stench as quickly as possible.
Outside, the street had transformed into a living hell—ravaged, scarred, and horrifying. Everywhere he looked, maimed corpses lay scattered in every direction. Some were torn apart, others were unrecognizable, and some had their innards exposed, the scent of blood hanging heavy in the air.
Those wandering the streets moved with stiff, contorted gaits. They trudged forward, every step accompanied by the sound of grinding teeth and unsettling creaks. Their eyes were hollow and void, devoid of even a flicker of life. They were clearly no longer human; they were zombies.
"Σ_(???」∠) Ugh—"
Caught off guard, the putrid stench hit Xie Qi with such force that he could not help but double over and retch. The scene before him caught him entirely unprepared.
He had not expected his first world to be an apocalypse. Though he did not fear the mindless zombies, he had no desire to witness such grotesque things.
"948, you're cruel. You threw me into something this intense for my very first world!"
No sooner had Xie Qi spoken than a mechanical voice echoed in his mind: "Plane selection is entirely randomized and cannot be controlled. Please adapt as soon as possible, Host."
Hearing 948's response, Xie Qi had no choice but to drag his heavy feet back into the room.
However, the intense discomfort and anxiety he felt did not ease; if anything, they worsened, as if thousands of ants were gnawing at his marrow.
Xie Qi asked, bewildered, "948, what is happening to me?!"
"According to the System's scan, the original body suffered from severe mysophobia, to the point of a psychological disorder. Your current state is most likely a flare-up triggered by your environment," 948 explained.
Hearing this, Xie Qi found it utterly absurd. He could not help but snap at the System: "948! This is the apocalypse! You chose this body for me to carry out a mission to save the world? Do you think that’s even possible?!"
Facing Xie Qi's barrage of questions, 948 replied in a flat tone, "The body selected by this System is, without a doubt, the one most conducive to you completing your mission."
After hearing this, Xie Qi felt a sense of deep frustration, but he had no choice but to endure the discomfort. He stood up slowly and made his way toward the bathroom.
However, he encountered a thorny problem: there was no electricity or water in the apocalypse. In his current state, this was an absolute disaster. He didn't even dare to imagine how miserable his life would be from here on out.
He couldn't fathom why he—a total slacker—had ended up bound to a System after his death.
Xie Qi clearly remembered the feeling of death arriving—as if the entire world were drifting away, leaving him engulfed in endless darkness.
Yet, when he opened his eyes again, he saw 948. 948 told him that due to some unknown anomalies, "abnormal souls"—transmigrators or reincarnators—had appeared in various planes.
If these people lived their lives quietly, there would be no issue. But some of these outsiders, convinced they were the protagonists because they were living a second life, began to seize the protagonists' halos and opportunities.
This left the development of entire planes fragmented and unrecognizable. These planes were all small worlds derived from various stories. Once the protagonist's halo vanished, the world would teeter on the brink of collapse.
His mission was to cross through different planes and enter these worlds to assist the protagonists in opposing these invaders, restoring the original trajectory of the plane.
Only when he successfully saved these corrupted worlds could he regain his own life.
Thinking of this, Xie Qi sighed helplessly. He had no idea how 948 could have such confidence in him. But the die was cast, and there was no point in agonizing over it now.
He might as well look on the bright side and treat this as a different world to loaf around in. As for saving the world? He’d take it as it came. After all, getting to live another life was a gain in itself.
Xie Qi opened the wardrobe and searched through the clothes. Fortunately, because the original host had suffered from mysophobia, everything in the closet was meticulously organized and spotless.
He picked out an outfit that looked relatively clean. After quickly changing, he walked to the bed, lay down lazily, and spoke to the empty air, "I'm ready. You can begin the plot transmission." With that, he closed his eyes.
"Very well. Please relax, Host; do not be nervous. Plot transmission is about to begin."
The protagonist of this first plane is Lu Ze.
In the original plot, after the apocalypse arrived, Lu Ze awakened lightning, fire, and water abilities. Together with his close friend, he built a small team.
One month into the apocalypse, they decided to join a military-established base. Because everyone in Lu Ze's team was strong, they quickly gained the recognition and respect of the base's high command and were entrusted with critical missions.
Their most arduous task was to head to City A to find Professor Xie and ensure his safe return. The reason was simple: this esteemed Professor Xie had begun preliminary research into the virus even before the apocalypse broke out.
After a grueling and dangerous journey, the protagonist and his team successfully brought Professor Xie back to the base, fulfilling everyone's expectations. This feat not only brought a sense of relief to all but also provided the entire survivor community with new hope.
In the third year of the apocalypse, Professor Xie successfully developed an antibody serum against the virus! This news was like a ray of dawn breaking through the dark sky, lighting the way forward for humanity.
In the fifth year of the apocalypse, the protagonist, Lu Ze, engaged in a life-and-death struggle with the Zombie Emperor! In the end, with fearless courage and extraordinary skill, the protagonist defeated the Zombie Emperor, winning this crucial victory!
With the defeat of the Zombie Emperor, humanity finally saw a turning point. People began to unite and work together to rebuild their homes. The apocalypse had finally come to an end.