CHAPTER 1: Tenth Year of the Apocalypse and Rebirth

The air was thick with despair, the once vibrant landscape of Li Wei’s childhood now unrecognizable. Ten years into the apocalypse, the world had become a twisted reflection of itself. Trees, once proud and green, now loomed like skeletal sentinels, their bark peeling away to reveal dark, pulsing veins beneath. The sky, choked with ash and pollution, cast a permanent twilight over the land, as if the sun itself had abandoned humanity.

Animals had morphed into grotesque forms—some, once simple creatures, had gained incredible powers, their eyes glowing with unnatural light, while others had become the terrifying living dead, stalking the remnants of humanity. The plants that had once flourished now posed threats of their own, some with venomous thorns ready to ensnare the unwary, while others devoured anything that dared to approach, their roots creeping like hungry serpents.

Li Wei crouched behind the wreckage of what had once been a bustling marketplace, heart pounding in his chest. Around him, the world was alive with the sounds of chaos—the distant howls of the zombified wolves echoing through the ruins, the crackle of energy from Superhumans unleashing their powers in the hunt for nuclei—the precious, pulsating orbs that had become the new currency in this harsh reality. The strongest and most capable had risen to the top, while those like him, unawakened and powerless, were cast aside, forced to scrape by in a world that had little use for the weak.

His hands trembled as he tightened his grip on the makeshift weapon... a rusted pipe he had scavenged from the debris. He was painfully aware of his insignificance in this world of the powerful. In the past, he had been sheltered and cared for, the youngest son of the influential Li family. But everything had changed when the apocalypse descended like a thief in the night, stealing his family, his home, and every dream he had ever held.

The memory of that fateful morning replayed in his mind like a haunting melody. He had awoken to chaos, his parents scrambling to protect him as the ground shook with fear. They had made it to the military base, a fleeting sense of security that had quickly deteriorated as Superhumans emerged, reshaping the social order. His father had succumbed to the infection five years in, a brave man brought low by a world gone mad. His brothers had fought valiantly, but the darkness of the apocalypse had swallowed them one by one, leaving him to navigate the shadows alone.

Li Wei’s heart clenched as he recalled the faces of his family—their laughter, their warmth. He had clung to them in his memories, a fragile thread of hope in a world that had turned to ash. But hope had proved to be a double-edged sword. In the end, it was the betrayal of those he had considered friends that had delivered his final blow. As he had been used as bait to lure a horde of zombified wolves, his so-called comrades had stood back, watching him perish with cold indifference, their eyes filled with the belief that he was nothing more than a burden.

In those last moments, as pain enveloped him and darkness closed in, Li Wei had found clarity. If only he could turn back time. If only he could awaken a special ability and protect his family.

Li Wei thought "If there is a chance to go back in time before the apocalypse, I would protect my whole family and live a very fulfilling life of peace and happiness even if the whole world is in chaos".

And just as the world around him faded, it felt as if the universe itself had heard his wish.

In the stillness of death, there came a soft glow—a golden light enveloping him, blinding in its intensity. The chaos, the pain, and the betrayal melted away as he felt himself being pulled, spiralling through time and space. With each passing second, he sensed the weight of his past lifting, the burden of sorrow dissipating.

Then, with a gasp, Li Wei awoke.

He bolted upright, instincts kicking in as he scanned his surroundings, heart pounding. In the apocalypse, sleep was a luxury, and waking up meant staying alert, ready for danger at any moment. But this room...this quiet, familiar room...was nothing like the cold, harsh spaces he’d grown accustomed to.

He glanced around, eyes darting to the walls, the bed, the small study desk neatly stacked with books. He tensed, certain it had to be a dream or worse... a cruel illusion. His gaze fell on the music notebooks, their pages worn from years of use. He remembered clutching these notes in those early days, taking them with him when the military had come for them.

He reached out, fingertips brushing the cover of one book, then recoiling. "No… this isn’t real," he whispered, his breath shallow. He looked at the walls, noting the light pink paint, the familiar accent chair in the corner. Everything looked untouched, just as it had been before the world fell apart.

Shakily, he moved to the bedside table, grabbing his phone. Swiping the screen, he stared, frozen, at the date. His heart sank, then raced, his chest tightening. "It’s… two years before the apocalypse?”

Trembling, he staggered back, one hand clutching his chest as if to calm the storm of emotions threatening to overwhelm him. He tore his gaze from the phone and found a mirror, his reflection staring back—young, unhardened, and safe. The reality of it crushed him, and before he could stop them, tears slipped down his face. This was truly his old life, his home, his family—all intact.

With a mix of despair and sudden, fierce hope, he whispered, "I’m… I’m back. Back to a time when I can change everything."

But before he could process the enormity of it, a chilling thought struck him: How long did he have before the apocalypse began again?

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***