Chapter 11: The Beginning of the Apocalypse

After the apocalypse, a tremendous surge of magical energy flooded the world. Gradually, Earth began to witness the emergence of awakened individuals capable of wielding magic, much like characters in a game. When these awakened ones slew magical beasts, they could obtain enchanted equipment.

Magical items in the post-apocalyptic era were classified as white, green, blue, purple, and gold. Gold items were already considered divine artifacts, while those of dark gold surpassed even the gods’ relics.

This particular object was renowned in the previous life—a unique super artifact, yet not a single soul succeeded in activating or using it. Until, by a twist of fate, Kong Zhe acquired the box, which responded to his touch. Many witnessed the event, and soon, he was relentlessly hunted by powerful beings of various races. Cornered, with nowhere left to run, he met his end.

Although Kong Zhe couldn’t be certain whether this artifact was the reason for his rebirth, he felt almost sure.

He sighed and opened the box.

Inside, neatly arranged, was a stack of cards—forty-eight in total, not one missing. Each card bore strange illustrations reminiscent of tarot cards, all distinct yet subtly connected. Some cards featured a star insignia, indicating they belonged to the same kind, much like the suits in a deck of playing cards: diamonds, hearts, spades.

Kong Zhe studied them for a while but gained nothing; he recognized none of the symbols. Shaking his head, he resolved to examine them later. The apocalypse was imminent, and he needed to prepare.

Just then, Kong Zhe sensed a rush of wind at the right side of his head. Years of surviving in the apocalypse had honed his combat instincts; he swiftly tilted his head.

Bang!

A club struck his body with a harsh thud, and he couldn’t suppress a cry of pain. His neck burned with agony, as if struck by something heavy.

Clutching his neck, Kong Zhe looked back to find the woman had crawled out from beneath the table, clutching a baseball bat with trembling hands.

He was startled; in his excitement over the box, he had forgotten about her, and she had managed to ambush him. She was ruthless—the blow would have been fatal if it had landed on his head. He would have been either dead or left a vegetable.

Kong Zhe, furious, stood up with a grim expression.

The woman, already frightened, had only just summoned the courage to strike. Seeing his fierce visage, she shrieked, turned, and bolted for the door, desperate to escape and call for help.

Kong Zhe ignored her, for something else caught his attention. He suddenly turned to look in a particular direction.

…

Meanwhile, in a remote region of the South Pacific, a small vortex appeared out of nowhere, rapidly growing larger. Had anyone observed from above, they would have seen utter darkness at its center, radiating an eerie aura.

Within minutes, vast swathes of ocean water were sucked into the vortex, which then exploded as though overwhelmed. An invisible force surged from within, spreading swiftly across distant lands.

On a border patrol cruiser in the South China Sea—

Beep, beep, beep, beep…

Alarms blared urgently.

A middle-aged man in uniform burst into the monitoring room.

“What’s happened? Why are we under maximum alert?”

The technician at the computer quickly stood and saluted. “Commander, we’ve just detected a massive energy surge in the South Pacific, spreading rapidly across the globe. It’s about to reach us!”

“A massive energy surge? How massive?” the commander asked, frowning.

The technician hesitated, the readings too incredible to believe. But under the commander’s intense gaze, he steeled himself and replied.

“Approximately—approximately the energy level at the center of a nuclear explosion!”

“What?” The commander felt his mind reel, his footing unsure. Energy equivalent to a nuclear blast? That would mean global catastrophe.

“Sir, don’t worry. This energy, though immense, appears harmless!”

“Harmless? What do you mean? Explain!” The captain seized the technician’s collar, dragging him upright.

“I—I don’t know, sir… But it isn’t destructive. It may even be beneficial to humans!”

…

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