Doomsday Reboot: My Superpowers Absorb Everything

The wooden planks used to reinforce the door still smelled of damp sawdust, yet Lin Ye had already begun packing supplies. The oppressive feeling emanating from Zhao Gang weighed heavily on his heart; he knew very well that the organization calling itself the "Special Affairs Bureau" would not let the matter rest. The so-called "safe zone" was often another form of prison in the apocalypse, especially for someone like him with mysterious supernatural abilities.

"Pack the compressed biscuits and canned food into your backpack. Only bring enough water for three days, and keep the empty bottles for refilling water." Lin Ye packed the medicines while instructing his family, "Xiao Xi, bring your favorite down comforter, it'll be cold at night."

Lin Xi hugged her pillow, watching her brother deftly inventory the supplies, and whispered, "Brother, are we really leaving? There are so many monsters outside..."

"It's more dangerous to stay here." Lin Ye patted her head, his gaze sweeping over the smiling faces of her parents in the family photo on the wall. "The Special Affairs Bureau won't give up. We have to leave before they come back." He paused, then added, "There's a water tank in the basement of the library. It used to be a war reserve warehouse. The walls are sturdy, so it can be used as a temporary shelter."

Su Ya silently helped tidy the bandages, her slender fingers trembling slightly as she wrapped the gauze. Her parents had gone out and never returned on the day the red fog descended, and now she was all alone. Lin Ye's decision was her only direction.

Lin Jianjun strapped the sharpened steel bars to his back and checked the pickup truck keys again: "I'll go get the car and wait downstairs. You guys bring the stuff down." Although there was unease in his eyes, there was no hesitation—having experienced the battle in the stairwell, he knew better than anyone that his son's judgment was never wrong.

Wang Hui took one last look at the home she had lived in for over a decade, her eyes reddening, but she still gritted her teeth and picked up the box full of canned goods: "Let's go, don't keep Lao Lin waiting."

Lin Ye brought up the rear. Before locking the door, he deliberately wrapped a thin wire around the doorknob, with an empty soda can tied to the end. This was a trick he learned in his previous life; the sound of the can hitting the ground would serve as a warning if someone opened the door.

The night, like cotton wool soaked in ink, hung heavily over the city. Car wrecks lay scattered across the streets, streetlights hung askew, and occasional flashes of electricity illuminated the dark red bloodstains on the ground. Lin Ye, carrying two large backpacks, one arm around Lin Xi and the other holding Su Ya's hand, followed closely behind Wang Hui downstairs.

"Watch your step," he whispered, his gaze sweeping over the shadows at the corner of the stairs. There lay the body of Grandpa Zhang, now just a pool of congealed black blood, the air thick with a faint stench of decay, mingled with the earthy smell of rain.

The pickup truck was parked in front of the apartment building, its hood still bearing the scratches from the day's battle. Lin Jianjun had already cleaned the bed and laid out a tarpaulin, and was anxiously peering into the building entrance. Seeing them come out, he immediately opened the door: "Get in!"

Just as Lin Xi and Su Ya climbed into the back seat, Lin Ye suddenly grabbed Wang Hui and pulled her to the side—a dark figure swooped down from the opposite rooftop and crashed heavily onto the pickup truck's hood!

"Bang!"

The steel shell was dented, and shards of glass flew everywhere. It was a mutated bat, half the height of a person, with a wingspan of three meters. Its sharp claws were embedded in the hood, and two rows of fine fangs protruded from its mouth. Its scarlet eyes gleamed eerily in the darkness.

"A Level 3 Flying Mutant!" Lin Ye's heart tightened. This thing was extremely fast; in his previous life, an entire squad had been wiped out by a swarm of bats.

Lin Jianjun reacted quickly, grabbing a steel bar and hurling it at the bat, but the force of its flapping wings sent him staggering. The mutated bat hissed as it turned towards the forest, its wings gleaming with a metallic sheen, and swept towards his neck.

"Devour!" Lin Ye's palm swirled with a dark red vortex, instantly mobilizing the energy from the level three bear crystal core he had just absorbed, and a layer of light red energy shield enveloped his entire body.

"clang!"

The bat's wings struck the shield, producing a crisp metallic clang. Lin Ye used the recoil to take two steps back, and with a swift movement, he swung his axe through the gap where the shield disappeared, striking the bat's wing joint with pinpoint accuracy.

"squeak--!"

The mutated bat let out a piercing scream, its wings bending at an eerie angle, black blood splattering onto the ground with a sizzling, corrosive sound. Lin Ye gave it no chance to catch its breath, lunging forward and hacking away with his axe, each strike aimed at its unarmored abdomen.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, Lin Jianjun circled behind the bat and plunged a steel bar deep into its nape. The mutated bat convulsed and collapsed, flapping its wings a few times before falling silent.

"Get in the car quickly!" Lin Ye quickly split open the bat's head, took out a dark purple crystal core, stuffed it into his pocket, and pulled Wang Hui into the passenger seat.

The pickup truck's engine roared hoarsely, its tires crunching over the gravel road as it surged onto the street. Lin Ye looked back and saw that on the rooftop where the mutated bats had just fallen, a dozen or so pairs of eerie green lights had appeared, clearly a swarm of bats attracted by the smell of blood.

"Head south, take the ring road!" Lin Ye shouted. "Avoid the main roads, there are too many zombies there."

Lin Jianjun jerked the steering wheel, and the pickup truck veered into a narrow alley, the tires screeching against the pavement. The alley was filled with abandoned trash cans, and several wandering level-one zombies, illuminated by the headlights, roared and pounced, only to be easily crushed into mincemeat by the wheels.

Su Ya huddled in the back seat, clinging tightly to Lin Xi, her face deathly pale. Lin Xi, though also frightened, patted her back gently, comforting her, "Don't be afraid, my brother is very strong."

Looking at her daughter's forced composure in the rearview mirror, Wang Hui's eyes reddened again. She quietly took a piece of chocolate from her bag and gave it to them: "Have something to eat to replenish your energy."

Lin Ye stared at the road ahead, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the "Devouring" mark on his palm. After absorbing the bat crystal core, his superpower had undergone a subtle change—he could vaguely sense the location of energy bodies around him, like having a rudimentary radar. At this moment, in his perception, there were more than a dozen energy reactions gathering at the intersection ahead, with intensities between level one and level two.

"Dad, turn left up ahead and take the pedestrian street!"

As the pickup truck sped onto the pedestrian street, Lin Ye finally understood what those energy entities were—a dozen mutated stray dogs tearing at a corpse. They were larger than ordinary wolfhounds, with bluish-gray fur and tails that whipped like steel whips. Upon hearing the car engine, they immediately raised their heads, revealing fangs stained with blood and flesh.

"Hold on tight!" Lin Jianjun slammed on the gas, and the pickup truck charged into the pack of dogs like a mad bull. The mutant dogs were thrown off, but quickly got up and frantically chased and bit the vehicle.

"Xiaoxi, hand me the entrenching tool!" Lin Ye shouted.

Lin Xi quickly handed Lin Ye an entrenching tool from the back seat. Lin Ye rolled down the window and swung the tool at the head of the closest dog. The dog whimpered and fell to the ground, but another dog immediately pounced, its claws scratching the car door, leaving deep marks.

"Devour!" Lin Ye injected a wisp of energy into the entrenching tool, and the tip of the tool glowed with a faint red light. When it swept out, it directly split open the head of a mutated dog.

The energy from the crystal core flowed through the shovel handle and was rapidly absorbed by the "Devour" mark. Lin Ye felt the energy within his body becoming increasingly abundant, and his perception range was slowly expanding. He could even distinguish which mutants were weaker and which were more threatening.

As they sped out of the pedestrian street, the pickup truck's rear tire had been punctured by a dog, and the vehicle was wobbling precariously. Lin Ye signaled to Lin Jianjun to stop and inspected the vehicle: "The tire's ruined; we'll have to change to the spare."

"I'll change!" Lin Jianjun said, about to get out of the car, but Lin Ye stopped him.

"Okay, you stay here and guard the car." Lin Ye slung the axe over his shoulder. "Lock the car doors and don't open them no matter what you hear."

He walked to the back of the pickup truck and had just removed the spare tire when he suddenly sensed a strong energy reaction rapidly approaching from the shopping mall on his right! The energy intensity far exceeded that of the previous bats; it was at least a level four mutant!

"Get in the car!" Lin Ye shouted, picked up the spare tire, and ran to the driver's seat.

Almost simultaneously, the mall's glass doors shattered, and a mutated wild boar covered in bone spurs charged out! It was nearly three meters long, with protruding tusks, skin as thick as armor, and bloodshot eyes, clearly enraged by the commotion caused by the pickup truck.

"Bang!" The wild boar crashed headfirst into the side of the pickup truck, causing the entire vehicle to shift half a meter to the side, and the door instantly deformed.

"Dad, drive!" Lin Ye roared, slamming his entrenching tool onto the steering wheel.

Lin Jianjun twisted the key hard, and the engine roared desperately, but it wouldn't start—the impact had malfunctioned the engine.

The mutated wild boar charged again, causing the carriage to shake violently. Wang Hui cried out in alarm as her forehead hit the window, drawing blood.

"Mom!" Lin Xi cried out in distress.

"Take care of Mom!" Lin Ye pushed open the car door and jumped out, pointing the axe directly at the wild boar. "You beast, come and get me!"

He turned and ran towards the library, deliberately slowing down to attract the wild boar's attention. The level four mutant, having developed rudimentary intelligence, indeed abandoned Pikachu and roared as it gave chase.

As Lin Ye ran, he sensed his surroundings. The library was just two hundred meters ahead; it was an old-fashioned building with granite walls and a heavy iron gate—the very shelter he had planned.

"Faster..." He gritted his teeth, channeling his energy into his legs, and his speed suddenly increased. The wild boar behind him crashed through streetlights and overturned trash cans, chasing after him relentlessly.

As Lin Ye rushed to the library entrance, he suddenly turned around, his palm "Devouring" seal spinning wildly, mobilizing all the accumulated energy to condense a half-meter-thick energy shield in front of him.

"Bang!"

The mutated boar slammed solidly into the shield, instantly cracking the red-glowing shield, but still managing to block the attack. The boar was jolted back two steps, and Lin Ye seized the opportunity to rush to the iron gate, pull out a crowbar he had prepared beforehand, and forcefully insert it into the keyhole.

"Squeak—"

The iron gate had barely opened a crack when the wild boar charged again. This time, the shield failed to stop it, and Lin Ye was thrown backward, crashing into the door frame. He felt a sweet taste in his throat and spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Now!" He endured the excruciating pain, channeling all his energy into the axe. The dark red blade glowed with an eerie red light, and just as the wild boar rushed through the crack in the door, he slashed fiercely at its eyes, which were not covered by bone spikes!

"Awooo—!"

The wild boar let out a deafening howl of pain, its massive body writhing wildly in the narrow hallway, knocking bookshelves to the side. Taking advantage of the situation, Lin Ye rolled to the side and swung his axe repeatedly, each strike landing on the same wound.

The library echoed with the screams of wild boars and the muffled thuds of axes chopping, the stench of blood filling the air. Lin Ye chopped countless times until the boar's struggles gradually weakened, then he slumped to the ground, leaning on his axe, his body soaked in sweat and blood.

He gasped for breath and reached out, pressing his hand against the wild boar's head, greedily absorbing the energy of the level-four crystal core with the "Devouring" seal. The violent energy surged into his body, several times stronger than that of a level-three crystal core, causing his meridians to throb with pain, but also expanding his perception range to a hundred meters, allowing him to even "see" the worried figures of Pikachu's family on the other side.

"Brother!" Lin Xi's voice came from the doorway, choked with sobs.

Lin Ye looked up and saw his family rushing in. Lin Jianjun was supporting Wang Hui, whose forehead was bleeding, while Su Ya was still clutching the unfinished chocolate.

"I'm fine." He smiled, struggling to his feet. "We...are home."

In the library's foyer, overturned bookshelves and broken glass lay scattered, with the carcass of a level-four wild boar lying in the center, the stench of blood thick and heavy. But looking at his family beside him, Lin Ye felt an unprecedented sense of peace.

He walked to the heavy iron gate, slammed it shut, and bolted it. The sound of the metal bolt hitting the ground, in the silence of the apocalypse, seemed like a vow of protection.

"Let's find a safe corner to rest first. I'm going to check out the reservoir." Lin Ye picked up the axe. "This place is big; there might be other things hidden here. Stay close to me."

His family followed him through the dusty reading room. Moonlight streamed in through the tall windows, casting dappled shadows on the floor, where books lay scattered, covered in a thick layer of dust.

Deep inside the library, Lin Ye stopped in front of a rusty iron gate. A large padlock hung on the gate, and the keyhole was full of rust.

"This is it." He raised his axe and slammed it down on the lock.

With a clang, the lock was broken. Lin Ye pulled open the iron door, and a damp smell rushed out. Below were stairs leading to the basement, dark and bottomless.

He took a lighter out of his backpack and lit a candle: "I'll go down and take a look first. You guys wait up here."

In the flickering candlelight, Lin Ye descended the steps step by step. The basement was larger than he had imagined, filled with a strong musty smell, and he could faintly hear the sound of dripping water. He held up the candle and looked around, seeing several huge water tanks piled in the corner, and next to them a shelf with canned goods and emergency lights.

"There really are supplies!" Lin Ye was overjoyed. He was about to call his family down when he suddenly sensed a faint energy reaction in the shadows next to the reservoir!

The energy reaction was peculiar, weak yet pure, unlike that of a zombie or mutated beast, but rather like... an unawakened superhuman?

Lin Ye gripped his axe tightly and slowly walked towards the shadows. The candlelight gradually illuminated the corner, and he saw a figure huddled there—a girl in a school uniform, who looked about the same age as Su Ya, clutching a rag doll, staring at him in terror, her eyes like those of a frightened fawn in the candlelight.

"No...don't come any closer!" The girl's voice trembled as she gripped a utility knife tightly in her hand.

Lin Ye stopped and raised his free left hand. "Don't be afraid, I'm not a bad person." He tried to make his voice sound gentle. "Are you here alone?"

The girl didn't answer, but just looked at him warily, tears welling up in her eyes.

Just then, Lin Xi's voice came from the ground: "Brother, are you alright?"

"I'm fine," Lin Ye called back, "Come down, we've found water!"

When the family entered the basement and saw the unfamiliar girl, they were all stunned. Lin Xi looked at the rag doll in the girl's arms and suddenly said, "You are... Chen Xue from the No. 1 Middle School in the city? I've seen you before; you participated in the essay competition!"

The girl looked up at Lin Xi in surprise: "You know me?"

"Yes! Your story 'The Promise Under the Stars' won first prize!" Lin Xi walked to her side and said softly, "We are both survivors, don't be afraid."

Looking into Lin Xi's sincere eyes, Chen Xue's tense nerves gradually relaxed, and tears finally fell: "I... I came to the library with my mother, and after the red mist came down, she disappeared..."

Wang Hui walked over and gently hugged her: "It's okay. From now on, stay with us. We won't leave you alone anymore."

Lin Ye felt a warmth rise in his heart as he watched this scene. He held the candle and walked to the reservoir, opened the lid of a water tank, and found it filled with clear water that reflected the flickering candlelight.

He scooped up a handful of water, brought it to his lips, and tasted it; it was sweet and refreshing.

"The water is clean," he told his family.

Lin Jianjun and Wang Hui exchanged a smile, their eyes filled with the relief of surviving a disaster. Lin Xi and Su Ya helped Chen Xue wipe away her tears, and the three girls huddled together, finding a long-lost warmth in this apocalyptic basement.

Lin Ye leaned against the wall, looking at the scene before him, the "Devouring" mark on his palm slightly warm. He knew that this was only temporary peace; the Special Affairs Bureau, even more powerful mutants, and plunderers like Zhao Feng were all lurking in the shadows.

But he wasn't afraid.

He looked down at his hands, hands stained with blood, hands that had once protected his family. Reborn, he not only wanted to survive, but also to help those around him live on.

The candlelight flickered in the basement, illuminating everyone's faces. Outside lay the darkness and carnage of the apocalypse, but here, for the time being, it had become their safe haven.

Lin Ye gripped his axe tightly, his eyes resolute. Tomorrow, he would lead his family to explore the library, searching for more supplies and eliminating lurking threats. Zhao Gang from the Special Affairs Bureau, and the unknown dangers, would all be obstacles he had to overcome on his path to becoming stronger.

The road to the apocalypse is still long, but as long as there are people worth protecting by his side, he will keep going, using his axe and the mysterious "devouring" ability to carve a bloody path to hope across these ruins.