Annihilation Civilization

"c***k! c***k!" An intense pain tore through his chest. Cole struggled to open his eyes, only to see a world dyed in blood-red. Beside his ears, apart from the low beastly roars tinged with excitement, there was also the horrifying sound of bones being chewed apart. Was he going to die? Bitterness rose in Cole's heart. He had struggled through the apocalypse for ten whole years, living cautiously every single day. Even when sleeping, he held onto a weapon, waking at the slightest movement. Yet today, because of one tiny mistake—failing to erase the scent left behind after hunting a Three-Headed Hound—he had been tracked down by this Scarlet-Horned Behemoth. To feel his body being chewed apart little by little… perhaps that wasn't such a bad way to die? When that strange thought surfaced in his mind, even Cole himself could not help but laugh bitterly. After realizing there was no hope left for survival, he instead felt an unexpected sense of relief. Back in high school, his parents had died in a car accident, leaving only him and his younger sister to depend on each other. But when the apocalypse came, even his sister eventually died beneath the venomous fangs of an Infected Creature. He no longer knew why he was still alive. Maybe, like most people, he was simply living for the sake of living… For the past ten years, driven by fear of death and a desperate desire to survive, he had wandered numbly along the edge of life and death, struggling like a dog, barely clinging on. Sometimes, he even questioned whether he was still human. Death… perhaps it was a release. As though he had finally understood something, the burden in Cole's heart vanished. His entire body relaxed. Little sister… I'm coming. His consciousness gradually dimmed and sank into darkness. … "Brother, wake up." A crisp and pleasant voice sounded beside his ear. Immediately afterward, Cole felt a cool little hand pinching his nose. He jolted awake from his sleep, instantly flipping upright. His body subconsciously retreated backward at high speed, but halfway through the motion, his back slammed hard into a wall, sending pain shooting through his spine. What's going on? As his mind slowly cleared, Cole finally realized he was no longer beneath the bloody jaws of the Scarlet-Horned Behemoth. Instead, he was lying on a soft bed. He lifted his head to look. And that single glance became eternity. Beside the bed, beneath the dim light, stood a delicate and lovely girl. Her eyelashes were long, her lips curved into a smile filled with warmth. She was beautiful. Whenever she smiled, her eyes bent like crescent moons, and two shallow dimples appeared on her delicate cheeks. At that moment, even the surrounding air seemed to hold its breath, as if time itself had frozen. "Brother, why are you still spacing out? Hurry and get up. Today's your college graduation ceremony. It won't be good if you're late." The girl blinked her large eyes and puffed her cheeks. That familiar appearance. That familiar voice. Each word struck Cole's heart like falling rain. For a moment, it felt like a dream. He could hardly believe that the younger sister who had died at the beginning of the apocalypse was now standing alive before him once more. Wait! Cole's heart trembled. College graduation? That meant today was July 1st, 2013. The very day the apocalypse began. Could it be… he had been reborn ten years into the past? Cole looked around the room. The lighting was dim, and the space cramped. An old-fashioned clock hung on the wall, its ticking echoing like a funeral bell. Several outdated posters were pasted on the yellowed walls, alongside two old photographs of a young couple with gentle smiles. In the distance stood a desk piled with books. This was the room he had lived in during college. Cole stood there blankly for a long time before finally confirming that this was not a dream. He had truly returned to ten years ago. The absurdity of the situation did not panic him. After a brief moment of confusion, he quickly calmed down. Falling silent for a while, he stepped off the bed and spoke seriously to his younger sister, Loxi. "Loxi, later, take our bank card and withdraw all the savings." Loxi froze. "All of it? What are you going to use it for?" Cole rubbed her head gently, a trace of affection in his eyes. "Don't worry. Your brother isn't going to do anything stupid." Loxi eyed him suspiciously but said nothing more. Ever since their parents died in that car accident, she had been raised by Cole. Her tuition fees and living expenses had all been paid for through the money he earned while studying and working part-time. She still remembered back in ninth grade, when she envied a classmate's beautiful leather wallet. After Cole found out, he secretly went to a construction site and worked as a laborer for an entire week, exhausting himself half to death just to buy her the exact same one. Because he cared about her pride as a girl, Cole would rather wear cheap clothes and eat poorly himself, yet he was never stingy toward her. Whether it was clothes or accessories, he always chose the prettier ones for her, simply so she would not lose face in front of her classmates. Thinking of this, Loxi's nose turned slightly sour. She nodded softly, then walked to the bedside. From beneath a dusty wooden board under the bed, she pulled out a rag and slowly unwrapped it, revealing a spotless white bank card hidden inside. No thief would ever imagine Cole had hidden their savings in such a secret place. "I'm going then." Loxi carefully tucked the bank card into the pocket of her jeans and smiled brightly. Cole nodded. "Be careful on the way." Loxi gave him a playful smile. Her laughter sounded like a singing oriole as she turned and walked out. After she left, the smile on Cole's face vanished, returning to his usual cold expression. He walked beneath the old clock and checked the time. 6:20 AM. If he remembered correctly, the apocalypse would begin around 7 PM tonight. That meant he had roughly twelve hours left to prepare. Cole calmly organized his thoughts. Since he had been reborn, he absolutely would not allow the tragedy to repeat itself. In his previous life, he had attended the graduation ceremony and left Loxi home alone. That was why she had fallen victim to an Infected Creature. On the desk beneath the lamp sat an old photo frame. In the family photo inside, a young couple stood in the center, with a teenage boy and a little girl on either side. "Dad… Mom…" Cole stared at the photograph, his eyes turning moist. "I'll definitely protect Loxi. Definitely!" He turned around and began packing anything useful near the bed. Once the apocalypse erupted, over seventy percent of the world's population would become Infected Creatures. This cheap rental apartment would never be able to stop them. He needed to find an absolutely safe place first. A moment later, Cole finished packing. The combined luggage of the two siblings amounted to only a single suitcase. They brought just a few changes of clothes. As for the rest—blankets, textbooks, and other useless things—none of them mattered anymore. Cole walked over to the desk and silently gazed at the photo frame for a long while before finally placing it carefully into the suitcase. Then he sat on the bed and quietly thought about his next move. This apocalypse was unlike anything imaginable. At exactly 7 PM tonight, a scientific laboratory on the Western Continent would explode. The virus stored inside would burst free and spread across the entire planet at nearly the speed of light, without the slightest warning. Under the virus, those with weak constitutions or severe illnesses would instantly transform into terrifying Infected Creatures. And unlike the weak zombies from movies, these creatures possessed horrifying strength—equal to three grown men combined. The flimsy metal door of a rental apartment like this could be ripped apart in a single pull. And it wasn't just humans. Every animal on Earth would mutate instantly, turning into savage beasts even more terrifying than the Infected Creatures. While he was deep in thought, Loxi soon returned from outside. She rolled up the leg of her jeans, revealing a hidden inner pocket sewn into the fabric. The pouch bulged heavily with cash. "Brother, where are we going?" At a glance, she noticed the suitcase sitting in the middle of the room. Cole took the money from her without counting it. If he remembered correctly, there should be around two thousand yuan—enough for him to buy some supplies. "Come with me. Don't ask anything. I'll explain later." Cole's expression was serious. Loxi froze. Seeing the solemn look on his face, an uneasy feeling rose faintly within her heart. But she asked no more questions. Toward Cole, she trusted him completely from the bottom of her heart. No matter what he did, he would always be her brother. And that alone was enough. Dragging the suitcase, Cole led the way outside. It was still early morning, and there were few pedestrians on the streets. Cole walked straight ahead until he arrived at the bus stop he usually used for school, silently waiting there. Loxi simply followed behind him quietly. Though her eyes were filled with questions, she never asked. Not long afterward, the bus arrived. Cole estimated the travel time. From here to the bus station, then from the bus station to the city center, it would take around four hours. In other words, he only had eight hours left to prepare. After boarding the bus, Cole paid for both tickets and found a seat by the window. Leaning against the glass, he stared outside silently, lost in thought. … The city center of Aether City resembled a steel jungle, packed with towering skyscrapers. The streets bustled with endless traffic and crowds, prosperous and lively. Cole brought Loxi into a five-star hotel and rented a room on the top floor—a four-bedroom suite. After placing down their luggage and eating lunch, he left Loxi at the hotel and headed alone to the supermarket. Cole did not head toward the meat or vegetable sections. Instead, he walked directly into the snack aisle. After a quick glance around, he grabbed two bags and filled them completely with candy and chocolate. Sugar contained abundant calories and had a long shelf life. It was the perfect survival supply. Cole still remembered that in the later stages of the apocalypse, a single piece of candy could be traded for a low-grade leather armor. That alone showed how precious candy had become. Besides candy and chocolate, Cole also purchased a massive amount of eggs—around five hundred in total. Such extravagant buying left the surrounding shoppers dumbfounded, while even the supermarket employees stared at him in shock. Eggs contained abundant protein and were extremely useful. In the later stages of the apocalypse, eggs had long since gone extinct. Besides these, Cole also purchased large quantities of food rich in nutrients with extremely long shelf lives. As for vegetables and meat, he bought none at all. Vegetables were good, but they spoiled too quickly. As for meat, once the apocalypse began, all livestock would become infected by the virus and rot away. Buying any now would be pointless. Because Cole purchased such a massive amount of supplies at once, the supermarket had no choice but to send delivery workers to transport everything to the hotel. After thinking for a moment, Cole rented another room directly beside their original suite, using it specifically to store food. When Loxi saw an entire room nearly filled with supplies, her face froze in shock, her mouth forming a small "O." Even so, she forcibly held back her questions. After solving the food issue, Cole checked the time. It was already 3 PM. Leaving the hotel, he headed to a hardware store and bought five machetes. Originally, he only needed two, but to prevent the blades from breaking while killing Infected Creatures, he bought several extras as backups. Finally, Cole checked the money he had left. Around eight thousand remained. He spent one thousand on dozens of crates of bottled water, preparing for the possibility that mutated sewer rats would destroy the hotel's water pipes and cut off the supply. As for the remaining seven thousand, he spent it all on gasoline. Gasoline exploded once ignited. It could be poured into empty cans or water bottles and used as makeshift bombs. This was preparation against powerful mutated beasts. By the time everything was finished, it was already 5 PM. Carrying several machetes, Cole returned to the hotel. He glanced tiredly at Loxi without speaking, shut the room door, tossed the blades aside, and collapsed onto the bed. "Let me sleep for a while. No matter who knocks later, don't open the door. Remember that. Wake me up at seven." After saying this tiredly, Cole immediately fell asleep. He was truly exhausted… This body had not undergone any strengthening yet. After running around all day, he was already worn out. It did not take long before he sank deeply into sleep. Loxi frowned slightly and quietly sat on the sofa in the room. Every strange thing Cole had done today left her utterly confused. … Tap. Tap. Footsteps echoed outside the room. Loxi checked her watch. 7:02 PM. After hesitating for a moment, she prepared to wake Cole. But seeing how deeply asleep he was, she could not bear to disturb him. Then she heard the footsteps outside and frowned slightly before walking toward the door. The footsteps outside seemed to hear movement from within. They had originally been heading away, but suddenly turned around and approached the room. Bang! Bang! Bang! Heavy knocking slammed against the door. "The hotel staff sure are strong…" Loxi thought this while turning the doorknob and opening the door. ROAR!! The instant the door opened, a savage roar like that of a wild beast erupted. Then Loxi saw a man in a black suit pounce toward her. His face was covered in festering boils leaking foul yellow pus. His eyes were pale green, his teeth protruded like a zombie's, and his fingernails were pitch-black, nearly three inches long, sharp as blades. "AHHH!" Loxi had never seen such a horrifying person before. Panic instantly filled her eyes. She instinctively raised her arms defensively, shut her eyes tightly, and screamed. Splurt! Blood sprayed through the air. A body collapsed heavily onto the floor. "Don't be afraid." A gentle voice sounded beside her ears like heavenly music. Loxi opened her eyes in shock and saw that at some unknown moment, Cole had already awakened. He stood there holding a machete stained with black blood. As for the terrifying man who had lunged at her, his head had already been split cleanly into two halves, lying motionless on the floor. "B-Brother… y-you killed someone!" Loxi said fearfully. Cole smiled faintly and patted her shoulder. "Go inside first. I'll explain later." Loxi looked at him for a moment. After thinking briefly, she finally turned around and returned to the room. Only after she left did the smile disappear from Cole's face. Squatting down, he dragged the Infected Creature out of the room and tossed it into the hallway. Fortunately, there was only this one Infected Creature in the long corridor. Otherwise, things would have been troublesome. A trace of coldness flashed through Cole's eyes as he used the machete to s***h open the creature's chest several times, cutting through its skin and exposing its internal organs. Despite such a bloody act, his expression remained calm, as though he had long since grown accustomed to it. "No Core Flesh." Cole frowned slightly before shaking his head. "Figures. You'd need at least ten Infected Creatures before finding a single piece of Core Flesh. It was never going to be that easy." After speaking, he stood up and walked back into the room, casually shutting the door behind him as though he had merely done something insignificant. As for disposing of the corpse? There was no need whatsoever. The reason Infected Creatures were so bloodthirsty yet did not attack one another was because once transformed, something within their blood disappeared. Their blood also changed from bright red to pitch black. And Infected Creatures only craved fresh red blood. So this corpse would not attract more Infected Creatures to Cole. Of course, later in the apocalypse, Infected Creatures would gradually evolve primitive intelligence. Once they saw the corpse of one of their own, they would realize other living creatures were nearby and gather toward the area. But early-stage Infected Creatures were still very "simple-minded." … Inside the room, Loxi sat absentmindedly on the sofa, staring blankly ahead, lost in thought. Cole placed the machete onto a nearby cabinet and walked over, patting her shoulder with a smile. "What are you thinking about?" Loxi stared at him for a moment before letting out a soft sigh. "Brother, I believe that no matter what you do, there's always a reason for it. Just… don't do anything stupid, okay?" Cole could not help laughing. Loxi looked at him strangely. "What are you laughing at?" Cole lightly pinched her nose. "I know you must have a head full of questions. Since it's already happened, I might as well tell you." Loxi's face filled with confusion. The smile faded from Cole's face. After organizing his thoughts for a moment, he looked at her seriously. "The thing I killed earlier wasn't human anymore. It was an Infected Creature." "Infected Creature?" Loxi looked stunned. Cole nodded. "You probably won't believe this, but the outside world already entered the apocalypse at exactly seven o'clock. A viral storm swept across the globe from the Western Continent. In a single instant, seventy percent of humanity transformed into Infected Creatures. Every animal on Earth evolved into terrifying bloodthirsty monsters." Loxi's eyes widened. Although she had never doubted Cole's words, this was simply too shocking. A global apocalypse? Ever since 2010, countless people had speculated that the world would end in 2012. Back then, earthquakes and natural disasters around the globe seemed to support those predictions. There had even been nuclear leaks within the Eastern Federation, causing slight mutations among marine life. Yet in reality, 2012 passed peacefully. All those theories had been shattered by the truth. But now Cole was telling her that monsters already filled the outside world. It was almost impossible to believe. Cole seemed to understand what she was thinking and did not say much more. It truly was difficult for someone to instantly accept such a cruel reality. So he simply warned her again. "No matter what happens, never open the door for anyone from now on." Still dazed, Loxi only nodded silently. Cole sat down on the nearby sofa, quietly thinking about what would happen next while also giving Loxi some time alone to process everything. "Brother…" Loxi suddenly called out. Cole turned around in surprise. The girl seemed to have calmed down already. She looked directly at him and spoke word by word. "I believe you." Cole's heart trembled slightly, and it felt as though all the blood in his body suddenly boiled. After freezing briefly, he asked strangely, "You believe what I said?" Loxi nodded seriously. "Brother has never lied to me since we were little." Cole smiled bitterly. Loxi blinked playfully, showing almost no fear or anxiety toward the apocalypse at all. Like a mischievous child raising her hand in class, she said, "Brother, I have a question!" Cole rubbed his nose. "Go ahead." Loxi blinked slyly. "How did Brother know about the apocalypse?" Cole instantly became speechless. He coughed dryly before speaking with exaggerated righteousness. "Well… naturally, Heaven revealed it to me in a dream. Divine protection, you know? Your big brother is destined by fate—hey, don't yawn! At least listen until I finish. Huh? You already fell asleep?" Only after he finished rambling did Loxi open her eyes and pout. "Fine. Then another question." Cole rubbed his nose awkwardly. "Ask away." Loxi thought for a moment. "Why did Brother choose this place? If we needed a strong shelter, there are many better locations than this. Like the countryside. Fewer people means fewer Infected Creatures." This time, Cole did not dodge the question. Instead, he answered seriously. "There are two reasons. First, hotels are convenient and clean. After the apocalypse begins, not only humans become Infected Creatures. Mosquitoes, insects, and other creatures will evolve into monsters even more terrifying than them. And places with the fewest insects are five-star hotels." Realization dawned on Loxi. "Then doesn't that mean the countryside is even more dangerous than the city?" Cole nodded. Most people, after seeing so many Infected Creatures, would instinctively think rural areas were safer. But if humans could mutate into monsters, why would other animals remain unchanged? Naturally, they would become even more terrifying creatures. And rural areas contained far more animals than cities… "What about the second reason?" "The second reason is that the hotel doors and walls are sturdy enough. They're more than sufficient against ordinary Infected Creatures." Cole smiled lightly. Anyone who had stayed in hotels knew that although the doors looked wooden, steel plates were embedded inside them, making them extremely thick and durable. Even ten Infected Creatures would need time to break through one. Loxi glanced at him strangely. "Then why didn't we turn into Infected Creatures?" Cole frowned slightly before replying, "Did you forget? We've been independent since childhood, so our bodies are very healthy. Plus, we got vaccinated against disease last year. Naturally, we wouldn't become infected." "Really?" Loxi looked at him suspiciously. Cole inwardly sweated. That was obviously not the real reason. He had already experienced the apocalypse once before. Since he had not transformed into an Infected Creature back then, naturally he would not transform now after being reborn. And as for Loxi, she had died after the apocalypse began at the hands of an Infected Creature. That alone proved she had never been infected by the virus either.