Doomsday Reboot: My Superpowers Absorb Everything

This is a level one zombie crystal core.

Lin Ye picked up the crystal core with a plastic bag he had prepared beforehand. When his fingertips touched the cool, hard texture, the "Devouring" mark on his palm suddenly became hot. A faint but clear energy flowed into his body through his fingertips, like the first drop of rain on parched land, easing his tense nerves.

In his previous life, he needed to actively absorb the energy of the crystal core using his special ability. Now, merely by touching it, the "Devouring" mark started operating on its own. A glint flashed in Lin Ye's eyes—rebirth brought not only memories, but also the early awakening and enhancement of his special ability.

Hearing the noise, the boy who had been banging his head against the wall at the corner of the stairs turned around abruptly. His eyes were already cloudy, drool was dripping from the corner of his mouth, and he was making low growling noises. His arms were twisted at an unnatural angle, and his fingernails had become black and long.

This is a newly mutated level one speed-type zombie. Although it is not strong, it is twice as fast as a normal zombie. Lin Ye did not rush forward. He hid behind the stair railing and tightened his grip on the axe.

The zombie roared and pounced, its stench assaulting the air. Lin Ye seized the opportunity, swiftly dodging to the side while simultaneously swinging his axe with all his might, aiming for its neck.

"Snap!"

The cracking sound of bones breaking was particularly jarring in the silent stairwell. The zombie's head rolled to the ground, black blood splattering all over Lin Ye. He took a breath and was about to retrieve the crystal core when heavy footsteps suddenly came from downstairs, accompanied by the thud of the wall being hit.

Lin Ye's heart sank. It was a mutant! And judging from the noise, it was definitely not small.

He quickly picked up the two level-one crystal cores from the ground, stuffed them into his pocket, and then tiptoed back to his front door, peeking out through the crack in the door. He saw that the security door on the third floor had been smashed open, leaving a large hole, and a dark shadow about half a person's height was crawling out of the hole—it was Uncle Li's Tibetan Mastiff next door, now covered in dark brown stiff fur, its eyes had turned blood red, its fangs were bared, and drool had accumulated in a puddle on the floor.

Level 2 mutant dog!

Lin Ye's heart suddenly raced. Ordinary Tibetan mastiffs were already ferocious, but after mutation, they became the overlords of the stairwell. In his previous life, he had seen this Tibetan mastiff tear three adults apart, and it was finally killed by lightning strikes from the lightning-type ability user in the base.

The mutated Tibetan Mastiff seemed to smell blood. Its scarlet eyes scanned the corridor, finally locking onto the direction of Lin Ye's house. With a low growl, it pushed off the ground and pounced towards the door!

"Bang!"

The immense impact caused the security door to shake violently, emitting a piercing metallic scraping sound from the lock. Lin Ye pressed himself against the door, feeling his arms go numb. He could hear the suppressed gasps of his parents and sister behind the door.

"Dad! Push the bed over here to block the door!" Lin Ye roared, using all his strength to support it.

The sound of frantic moving came from inside the room. Soon, a heavy wooden bed was placed against the door, relieving some of the pressure. But the mutated Tibetan mastiff's attacks grew more and more violent, and spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the door panel.

"This can't go on." Lin Ye gritted his teeth, cold sweat beading on his forehead. He knew this door wouldn't hold for long; he had to find a way to get rid of this beast.

His gaze fell on the fire hydrant at the top of the stairs. In his previous life, he had fought the mutated Tibetan mastiff for half an hour with a fire axe before barely managing to kill it. Now, with an axe and his newly awakened "Devouring" ability, he might not be without a chance of winning.

"Dad, keep an eye on the door, I'll be right back!" Lin Ye said, then suddenly pulled open the emergency exit door next to him and slipped inside.

The emergency exit was covered in dust, with only the emergency lights emitting a faint green glow. Lin Ye held his breath, listening as the sounds of the mutated Tibetan mastiff banging on the door outside gradually subsided, followed by heavy footsteps echoing in the corridor.

It's looking for him.

Lin Ye gripped the axe tightly, his heart pounding in his chest. He could feel the "devouring" mark on his palm burning hot, as if yearning for the energy of the crystal core. He pulled the zombie crystal core from his pocket and focused his mind to activate his superpower.

"bite!"

The dark red vortex mark suddenly began to spin, and the crystal core instantly turned into a gray light and was absorbed into the mark. A warm current spread from his arm to his whole body, and the physical strength he had just used to fight the zombie was instantly restored. He even felt that his strength had increased slightly.

Sure enough!

A look of delight flashed in Lin Ye's eyes, and he took out another crystal core to absorb. This time, the warm current was even more pronounced, and he could even feel that the weight of the axe seemed to have lightened.

Just then, the door to the emergency exit was suddenly kicked open, and the massive body of the mutated Tibetan Mastiff appeared in the doorway, its scarlet eyes fixed on Lin Ye.

"Perfect timing!" Lin Ye shouted, advancing instead of retreating, swinging his axe at the Tibetan mastiff's forelegs.

The mutated Tibetan mastiff, in pain, let out a deafening roar and lunged at Lin Ye's neck. Lin Ye rolled to the side to dodge, the axe grazing the mastiff's ribs and leaving a shallow bloodstain.

"His hardness has increased considerably," Lin Ye thought to himself. Ordinary axes couldn't even break through the defense of a level-two mutant, so it seemed that his strength had also increased after absorbing the crystal core.

The man and the beast locked in combat in the narrow passageway. Lin Ye, using his familiarity with the terrain, constantly dodged the Tibetan mastiff's attacks, searching for an opportunity to counterattack. His movements were swift and precise, each swing of his axe aimed at the mastiff's vulnerable joints and eyes.

A dozen minutes later, Lin Ye was covered in wounds. His left arm had been slashed open by the Tibetan Mastiff's claws, leaving a deep, bone-revealing gash, and his sleeve was soaked with blood. But the mutated Tibetan Mastiff was also in bad shape; one of its forelegs had been severed, its right eye was now a bloody hole, and its movements were noticeably slower.

"Now!"

Just as the Tibetan Mastiff lunged, Lin Ye ducked low to avoid its gaping maw, and simultaneously plunged the axe into its neck!

"Awooo—!"

The mutated Tibetan mastiff let out a piercing howl, its massive body struggling violently, sending Lin Ye stumbling backward and crashing into the wall. Lin Ye gripped the axe handle tightly, enduring the mastiff's claws that left several bloody scratches on his back, until its struggles gradually weakened and it finally collapsed to the ground.

Lin Ye, panting heavily, slid down the wall to the ground. His back burned with pain, but he ignored it, struggling to get up and walk to the Tibetan mastiff's carcass.

The crystal core of the level-two mutated beast is inside its head.

Lin Ye used his axe to split open the Tibetan Mastiff's hard skull, and a pale yellow crystal core the size of a pigeon egg rolled out, radiating energy fluctuations several times purer than those of a zombie's crystal core. As soon as he picked up the crystal core, the "Devouring" seal in his palm erupted with a strong suction force, and the pale yellow crystal core instantly turned into a stream of light and was sucked into the seal.

A massive surge of energy exploded within his body, stronger than the combined energy from the two zombie crystal cores he had absorbed before! Lin Ye felt every cell in his body rejoice; the wound on his left arm healed at a visible speed, and the pain in his back lessened considerably. More importantly, he could clearly sense a subtle change in his "Devouring" ability; not only was the absorption speed faster, but he could also vaguely discern the energy properties contained within the crystal cores.

"Is this the power of a level two crystal core...?" Lin Ye clenched his fist, feeling the surging power within his body, his eyes flashing with excitement. In his previous life, it took him half a month to absorb to this level, but now he had done it in just one day.

Just then, hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway, along with a familiar call: "Lin Ye! Lin Ye, where are you?"

It's Zhao Feng!

Lin Ye's eyes instantly turned cold. What was he doing here?

He quickly hid the axe behind his back, leaned against the wall, and warily watched the stairwell. Soon, Zhao Feng came into view. He was pale, his clothes were stained with blood, and he was holding a steel pipe. He looked shaken.

"Lin Ye! Thank goodness, you're alright!" Zhao Feng's face lit up with exaggerated joy when he saw Lin Ye. "It was terrifying outside! There were monsters everywhere. I barely made it to your neighborhood. Are your family members alright?"

Lin Ye looked at his hypocritical face and felt a wave of nausea. In his previous life, at this time, Zhao Feng should have been fighting with others for computers in an internet cafe. How did he suddenly end up here?

"Why are you here?" Lin Ye's voice was cold and devoid of any emotion.

Zhao Feng felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze and coughed twice. "I...I was worried about you. Aren't we brothers? By the way, do you have any food at home? I've been running all this way and I'm starving."

As he spoke, his eyes darted over Lin Ye. When he saw the bloodstains on Lin Ye's body and the axe hidden behind his back, a glint of greed flashed in his eyes, but he quickly concealed it.

Lin Ye sneered inwardly. Sure enough, this guy came because he smelled blood. He must have seen the mutated Tibetan mastiff's corpse and wanted to take advantage of the situation.

"No," Lin Ye refused outright. "My family is almost out of food too. You'd better figure something out yourself."

Zhao Feng's face stiffened for a moment, then he put on a fawning smile: "Lin Ye, don't be so heartless. Look, I only have a broken steel pipe. I can't possibly fight monsters. You have an axe, could you...?"

"No." Lin Ye interrupted him, walking towards him step by step, his eyes filled with undisguised murderous intent. "Get lost."

Zhao Feng, intimidated by his imposing manner, took a step back and shouted, his voice trembling with fear, "Lin Ye, what do you mean? It's just a broken axe! You think I care? Let me tell you, I've awakened my superpower! When I become stronger, you'll be begging me!"

After saying that, he turned and ran, disappearing around the corner of the stairs in a flurry of activity.

"He's awakened a superpower?" Lin Ye raised an eyebrow. In his previous life, Zhao Feng awakened a strength superpower, which, while not top-tier, was enough for him to gain a foothold in the early stages of the apocalypse. It seems this guy's luck is pretty good.

However, even if he awakens his superpowers, he is nothing more than a clown compared to himself who possesses the "devouring" superpower and memories of the future.

Lin Ye ignored Zhao Feng and turned to walk towards his front door. He gently knocked on the door: "Dad, it's me."

The door opened quickly, and Lin Jianjun and Wang Hui rushed over, looking him up and down: "Xiao Ye, are you alright? Are you badly hurt?"

"I'm fine, just a minor injury," Lin Ye smiled, reassuring them. "The monsters outside have been dealt with; we're safe for now."

Lin Xi hid behind Wang Hui, timidly looking at his blood-covered body, tears welling up in her eyes: "Brother, you've lost so much blood..."

"Silly girl, this isn't my blood." Lin Ye walked over and ruffled her hair. "Don't worry, I'm very strong."

Back inside, Wang Hui quickly found the first-aid kit and carefully treated Lin Ye's wound. Although the wound had mostly healed, the sight of the hideous scar still made her heart ache and tears welled up in her eyes.

"Xiao Ye, what happened? What are those things outside?" Lin Jianjun squatted on the ground, smoking one cigarette after another, his voice hoarse.

Lin Ye remained silent for a moment, then decided to stop hiding the truth. He explained the red mist mutation, zombies, superpowers, and crystal cores in the simplest terms possible.

Lin Jianjun and Wang Hui were stunned, their faces filled with disbelief.

"You mean... the end of the world?" Wang Hui's voice trembled.

"Yes, but it's not entirely hopeless." Lin Ye looked at them. "As long as we are careful and collect crystal cores to improve our strength, we can survive."

He opened his palm, and a dark red vortex mark was faintly visible under the light: "I have awakened a superpower. I can absorb the energy of crystal cores, so protecting you will not be a problem."

Lin Jianjun stared at the mark on his palm, then looked at the injuries on his body, remained silent for a long time, and finally stubbed out his cigarette and nodded: "Okay, Dad believes you. From now on, we'll listen to you on family matters."

Seeing the trust in his father's eyes, Lin Ye felt a warmth in his heart. He had lost too much in his previous life; in this life, he was determined to protect this family.

Over the next few days, Lin Ye absorbed crystal cores to consolidate his strength while reinforcing the defenses of his home. He sealed the doors and windows tightly with wire and steel plates, leaving only observation and firing ports. Food and water were also strictly rationed to ensure they could last until the next supply point was found.

Occasionally, the howls of zombies and the roars of mutated beasts could be heard in the corridor, but Lin Ye dealt with them in advance. His strength was constantly increasing. After absorbing more than a dozen level-one crystal cores and the level-two Tibetan Mastiff crystal core, his "Devouring" ability could now initially devour energy attacks, and his strength and speed far exceeded those of ordinary people.

That evening, Lin Ye was observing the situation outside through the observation pier when he suddenly saw several familiar figures appear downstairs—it was Zhao Feng, along with several people who had colluded with him in the base in his previous life. They were carrying weapons and a burlap sack, sneaking upstairs.

"What are they trying to do?" Lin Ye frowned.

Just then, a faint struggling sound came from inside the sack, mixed with a girl's sobs. Lin Ye's pupils suddenly contracted—that voice sounded exactly like Lin Xi's classmate, Su Ya!

In her previous life, Su Ya was an excellent student at school, with a gentle and kind personality. She helped Lin Xi a lot in the early days of the apocalypse, but in the end, Zhao Feng and others stole her food and threw her into a pile of zombies.

"These beasts!" Lin Ye's eyes turned icy cold instantly. He hadn't expected Zhao Feng to reveal his true nature so quickly, not even sparing a girl.

"Dad, watch the house, I'll be right back." Lin Ye grabbed the axe and was about to leave when Lin Jianjun stopped him.

"Ono, it's too dangerous! There are too many of them!" Lin Jianjun said urgently.

"Dad, that's Xiaoxi's classmate. I can't just stand by and watch her die." Lin Ye looked at him with a firm gaze. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

After saying that, he opened the emergency exit door and quietly crept down.

Zhao Feng and his men were dragging Su Ya to an empty room on the fourth floor when one of the blond-haired men said with a smile, "Brother Feng, this little girl is pretty. Anyway, it's the end of the world now, so why don't we..."

"What's the rush?" Zhao Feng kicked him. "Let's ask about her family situation first. Maybe we can find some good stuff. We can give it to you as a reward after we've used it up."

Suya was tied to a chair, her mouth gagged with a strip of cloth, tears streaming down her face, her eyes filled with fear.

"stop!"

Lin Ye's voice was like ice, exploding in the room.

Zhao Feng and the others were startled. When they turned around and saw Lin Ye, their expressions changed.

"Lin Ye? What are you doing here?" Zhao Feng gripped the steel pipe tightly, shouting menacingly, "This is none of your business, get lost!"

Lin Ye remained silent, stepping into the room and glancing at Zhao Feng and the four people behind him. Apart from Zhao Feng, who had awakened a superpower, the others were ordinary people, carrying steel pipes and kitchen knives, appearing fierce on the surface but weak underneath.

"Release her." Lin Ye's voice was soft, yet it carried an undeniable air of authority.

"Release her? On what grounds?" Zhao Feng sneered. "Lin Ye, don't think you're so great just because you killed a Tibetan Mastiff. Let me tell you, I'm ten times stronger than before. Taking you down will be a piece of cake!"

As he spoke, he suddenly punched the wall next to him, and with a "bang," a shallow dent was punched into the wall.

Seeing this, the others immediately felt emboldened and gathered around.

"Kid, you'd better get lost, or don't blame us for being impolite!"

"Brother Feng is a superhuman; killing you is child's play for him!"

Lin Ye looked at their ugly faces, a cold smile curving his lips. He slowly raised the axe, the "Devouring" mark on his palm beginning to heat up.

"Since you're courting death, then I'll grant your wish."

Before he finished speaking, his figure had already rushed out like a ghost, the axe whistling through the air, heading straight for Zhao Feng's head!

Zhao Feng was terrified that he would attack so suddenly and quickly used a steel pipe to block him.

"clang!"

The axe and the steel pipe collided, producing a piercing metallic sound. Zhao Feng felt a tremendous force, the steel pipe almost slipping from his grasp, and he was jolted backward, his arm going numb.

"How is this possible?!" Zhao Feng was horrified. His superpower allowed him to easily lift 300 pounds, yet he was knocked back by Lin Ye's single blow?

Before he could react, Lin Ye had already turned to the blond-haired man beside him. The blond-haired man, terrified, raised his cleaver to strike, but Lin Ye easily dodged it. Lin Ye kicked him in the knee, and with a sharp "crack," the blond-haired man screamed and fell to his knees. Lin Ye showed no mercy; with a single swing of his axe, he ended his life.

"Ah! Murder!"

The remaining men were terrified and turned to run. But Lin Ye was much faster than them, like a tiger among sheep. With each swing of his axe, screams of agony rose and fell.

In just over ten seconds, only Zhao Feng and Su Ya, who was tied to a chair, remained in the room.

Zhao Feng looked at the corpses scattered on the ground and trembled with fear, yellow liquid seeping from his crotch.

"Lin Ye...no, Brother Ye, I was wrong, I was really wrong!" Zhao Feng knelt down with a thud, kowtowing repeatedly. "Please forgive me, I'll never do it again! We're brothers!"

Lin Ye walked towards him step by step, his eyes devoid of any pity. The betrayal and tragic death of his previous life were etched deep into his soul like a brand.

"Brothers?" Lin Ye's voice was icy cold. "From the moment you pushed me into the hands of zombies, we were no longer brothers."

He raised his axe, and Zhao Feng closed his eyes in fear, still begging for mercy.

But just then, a deafening roar suddenly erupted from downstairs, shaking the entire stairwell. Lin Ye's expression changed drastically—it was an even more powerful mutant! And there was more than one!

He glanced at Zhao Feng on the ground, then at the increasingly thick red fog outside the window, and finally put down the axe.

"Consider yourself lucky." Lin Ye kicked Zhao Feng to the ground. "Get lost! If I see you again, I'll kill you!"

Zhao Feng felt as if he had been granted a pardon and ran out as fast as he could.

Lin Ye didn't chase after her. He walked to Su Ya's side, untied the ropes binding her, and removed the gag from her mouth.

"Thank you..." Su Ya was still in shock, tears streaming down her face, her voice trembling with sobs.

"Come with me, it's not safe here." Lin Ye grabbed her hand and ran towards the emergency exit.

As soon as I reached the stairwell, I saw a huge mutated bear charging up from downstairs, followed by more than a dozen grayish-blue zombies, each one taller and stronger than an ordinary zombie.

A level-three mutated bear! And a group of level-two zombies!

Lin Ye's heart sank. This scale was beyond his ability to handle.