Doomsday Reboot: My Superpowers Absorb Everything

The musty smell of the basement mingled with the warmth of the candlelight, strangely creating a sense of peace. Lin Ye wrapped the iron door leading to the ground three times with wire, then moved two heavy iron bookshelves to prop it up before leaning against the water tank and closing his eyes to rest. The crystal core energy of the Level 4 wild boar was still slowly flowing through his body, nourishing every inch of his bones like warm water. The "Devouring" mark on his palm was deeper than the night before, and the dark red vortex seemed to hold faint starlight.

"Brother, look what I found!" Lin Xi ran over carrying a tin box with the words "Emergency Food" printed on it. She opened the box and found compressed biscuits, chocolate, and several sealed packets of beef jerky inside.

"Be careful not to spill it." Lin Ye opened his eyes and saw Chen Xue and Su Ya helping Wang Hui tidy up the blankets she had found, while Lin Jianjun was checking the ventilation openings in the basement. A smile unconsciously softened on his lips. This moment of peace was bought with blood, and he had to hold onto it tightly.

Chen Xue suddenly pointed to a dusty wooden box in the corner: "There seem to be books in there."

The group walked over, and Lin Ye used an axe to split open the wooden crate. Inside were indeed dozens of thick, hardcover books, mostly history and geography classics. Lin Jianjun picked up a copy of "Atlas of Urban Underground Pipelines," flipped through a few pages, and suddenly exclaimed, "This shows that the library's basement and the warehouse of the adjacent shopping mall are connected!"

Lin Ye's heart skipped a beat, and he took the map and examined it carefully. Sure enough, on the west side of the underground water tank in the library, there was an abandoned ventilation duct connecting to the mall's warehouse, but the duct was less than half a meter in diameter, making it difficult for an adult to pass through.

"Is this pipe safe for people to walk through?" Suya asked softly.

"Xiaoxi and Xiaoya might be able to," Lin Ye said, pointing to the markings on the map. "The pipeline is about fifty meters long. If there are supplies in the mall's warehouse, it could be a safe supply line." He looked at Chen Xue, "You used to come to the library often, do you know where the entrance to this pipeline is?"

Chen Xue nodded: "I saw the blueprints in the administrator's office; they seem to be in the maintenance well behind the reservoir."

Lin Ye stood up and picked up the axe: "I'll go take a look. You guys stay here and lock the door leading to the ground."

Sure enough, behind the reservoir was a maintenance well, about half a meter square, its cover rusted so badly it was almost flush with the ground. Lin Ye pried at it with an axe for a long time before finally managing to move the cover away. It was pitch black underneath, but the outline of metal pipes was vaguely visible. He lit a candle and threw it down; the flame burned steadily, indicating good ventilation.

"It's definitely working." He peered inside; the pipe opening was covered in dust, clearly indicating it hadn't been used in a long time.

Back in the rest area, Lin Xi was sharing chocolate with Chen Xue, while Wang Hui was bandaging Lin Jianjun's arm wound—a cut he'd gotten from a nail while moving a bookshelf. Watching this, Lin Ye suddenly remembered Zhao Gang's words: "A person can't go far alone."

Perhaps he really should try to trust the people around him.

"Dad, you used to learn welding on construction sites, right?" Lin Ye suddenly asked.

Lin Jianjun was taken aback for a moment: "I've studied a little bit, what's wrong?"

"I want to fix that pickup truck," Lin Ye said. "The tires are easy to fix, but the engine needs to be taken apart and checked. If we can find the tools and parts, we might be able to fix it."

"Sure!" Lin Jianjun's eyes lit up. "As long as I have a wrench and screwdriver, I can give it a try."

"There's a good chance there's a toolbox in the mall's storage room," Lin Ye said, looking at Lin Xi and Su Ya. "You two are so small, can you squeeze into the ventilation ducts?"

Lin Xi nodded immediately: "I can!" Su Ya hesitated for a moment, then nodded as well.

"It's too dangerous!" Wang Hui hurriedly objected. "It's pitch black in the pipes. What if there's a monster?"

"I'll go in with you," Lin Ye said. "The passage is narrow, but I can barely climb over it. You wait at the entrance; we'll be right back." He looked at Chen Xue, "Please look after Auntie and Uncle here."

Chen Xue nodded vigorously: "Don't worry!"

After preparing, Lin Ye crawled into the inspection well and used a candle to illuminate the pipes ahead. The space inside was indeed cramped, and he could only crawl forward, the axe in his backpack digging painfully into his ribs. Lin Xi and Su Ya followed behind; the two were slender and much more agile than him.

"Keep your distance and don't touch the pipe walls, there might be rust," Lin Ye whispered a reminder. In the candlelight, you could see a thick layer of dust on the pipe walls, and occasionally a cockroach would crawl by, causing Lin Xi to gasp softly.

After climbing about twenty meters, a rustling sound suddenly came from ahead. Lin Ye immediately stopped and extinguished the candle: "Don't move."

In the darkness, the sound grew closer, like something crawling rapidly. Lin Ye gripped his axe tightly, the "Devouring" seal on his palm quietly activating. He sensed a faint energy reaction just ten meters ahead.

"It's... a rat?" Suya's voice trembled.

Before he could finish speaking, a dark shadow suddenly darted out from in front of him, heading straight for Lin Ye's face! Lin Ye was prepared; he swung his axe horizontally and precisely smashed the thing against the pipe wall.

"squeak!"

It was a mutated rat, larger than a cat, with yellow teeth and green eyes. After being struck by the axe, it struggled to fight back, but Lin Ye swung the axe backhand and cleaved it in two.

"Hurry up! The smell of blood will attract other things!" Lin Ye relit the candle and quickened his crawling speed.

The rest of the journey was uneventful, and the three finally climbed out of the ventilation duct and landed in a warehouse filled with cardboard boxes. This was clearly the mall's emergency warehouse; besides toolboxes, there were many canned goods and bottled water, and even several new quilts.

"Great!" Lin Xi excitedly picked up a can of fruit. "We've got something to eat!"

"Keep your voices down," Lin Ye gestured for them to hurry up, while he looked around. In the corner of the warehouse, there were several metal cabinets with signs that read "Hardware Tools." He opened the cabinet doors, and sure enough, there were wrenches, screwdrivers, a welding machine, and even a small roll of electrical wire inside.

"Found the toolbox!" Lin Ye stuffed the tools into his backpack. "Pack some canned food and water; we need to hurry back."

Just then, heavy footsteps sounded outside the warehouse, accompanied by the screeching sound of metal scraping against metal. Lin Ye's expression changed drastically: "Someone's here! Quick, hide!"

The three quickly slipped behind a nearby shelf and peered out through the gaps in the cardboard boxes. The warehouse's roller shutter door slowly opened, and several people in black uniforms walked in—it was the Special Affairs Bureau!

The leader was Zhao Gang, who was holding a strange instrument and probing around. A faint red light flickered on the instrument's screen.

"Captain, there's residual energy here, probably left by a level four mutant," a team member reported.

Zhao Gang nodded, his sharp eyes sweeping across the warehouse: "Lin Ye has definitely been here. He absorbed a level four crystal core; the energy fluctuations are very unusual. The instruments won't be wrong." He paused, a cold smile playing on his lips. "Take all the supplies here, but leave a few sensor bombs. He'll definitely come back."

Lin Ye's heart sank to the bottom. These people really had their eyes on him, and they even wanted to use supplies as bait.

"Captain, should we search the library?"

"No need." Zhao Gang put away the equipment. "He's very cautious; he's definitely hiding his family in a secluded place. We'll keep watch here; he won't have to worry about not coming out."

Only after the Special Affairs Bureau personnel left did Lin Ye dare to catch his breath; his back was already soaked with cold sweat.

"Are they going to arrest you?" Su Ya asked softly, her eyes filled with worry.

"Yes." Lin Ye nodded. "They want my superpower." He looked at the supplies. "We can't take them. There are bombs."

"What about the toolbox?" Lin Xi asked anxiously. "Dad is waiting to fix the pickup truck."

Lin Ye glanced at the metal cabinet and suddenly had an idea: "Let's only take the most essential tools and travel light. They'll think we'll embezzle supplies; they definitely won't expect us to leave so soon."

The three quickly selected a wrench, screwdriver, and a small roll of wire, and Lin Ye also found a fire axe and stuffed it into his backpack—it's always good to have more weapons.

On the way back, Lin Ye deliberately left a few small marks in the ventilation ducts. These were codes he had learned at the base in his previous life, which could alert the people behind him to any danger.

Back in the basement, Lin Ye told his family about his encounter with the Special Affairs Bureau. Lin Jianjun frowned: "What exactly are they trying to do? What's the point of capturing people with superpowers?"

"Crystal cores can enhance superpowers," Lin Ye said. "They might be collecting superpowered individuals, using crystal cores to cultivate powerful combat forces, and controlling the safe zone." In the later stages of his previous life, there were indeed bases that used living people for experiments to forcibly extract superpowers. It seems that the Special Affairs Bureau in this life is more dangerous than he imagined.

"Then let's get out of here quickly!" Wang Hui said urgently.

"No way," Lin Ye shook his head. "The pickup truck isn't fixed yet, and we can't go far on foot. Besides, they've definitely got spies around the library; going out rashly will just be walking into a trap." He looked at Lin Jianjun, "Dad, can you fix the engine with just a wrench and screwdriver?"

Lin Jianjun hesitated for a moment: "I need to check the extent of the damage. If it's just a loose wire, it should be fine. But if the parts are broken, there's nothing I can do."

"I'll go and take the engine back," Lin Ye said. "You guys wait here, I'll be right back."

"I'll go with you!" Lin Jianjun said immediately.

"No, you have to stay and protect Mom and the others." Lin Ye pressed down on his shoulder. "I'm more agile on my own. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

He changed into his lightest clothes, carrying only an axe and an entrenching tool, and quietly slipped out of the library through a side door. It was already dark outside, and the streets were quiet, with only a few zombies wandering aimlessly. Lin Ye avoided them and quickly made his way to where the pickup truck was parked.

The pickup truck was still parked there, its body covered in scratches and its rear tires flat, looking utterly wretched. Lin Ye checked the surroundings and, finding no one from the Special Affairs Bureau, finally opened the hood with relief.

The engine compartment was a mess; several wires were broken, and a part was visibly deformed. Lin Ye frowned, preparing to disassemble it, when suddenly he sensed more than a dozen energy reactions approaching from all directions!

It's the Special Affairs Bureau! They actually installed a tracking device on the pickup truck!

Lin Ye cursed under his breath and was about to run away when beams of flashlight light appeared all around him, surrounding him.

"Lin Ye, stop hiding, come out." Zhao Gang's voice rang out in the darkness, tinged with smugness.

Lin Ye gripped his axe tightly and slowly stood up. A dozen men in black pointed their guns at him, with Zhao Gang standing at the front, fiddling with a detection device in his hand.

"You're clever; you didn't touch the supplies in the warehouse," Zhao Gang laughed. "But you're still too naive. Did you think we'd just sit around waiting for them to come to us?"

"What exactly do you want?" Lin Ye's voice was icy.

"Join us." Zhao Gang's smile vanished, his eyes sharpening. "The Special Affairs Bureau needs talent like you. If you hand over the method for absorbing crystal cores, I can make you a squad leader and give you the best resources."

"What if I don't?"

"Then don't blame us for being impolite." Zhao Gang waved his hand. "Grab him, alive."

The men in black immediately surrounded him, their stun guns crackling with electricity. Lin Ye took a deep breath, his palm's "Devouring" seal spinning wildly, the energy from the level four wild boar's core instantly surging throughout his body!

"Want to arrest me? Ask the axe in my hand first!"

His figure flashed out like a ghost, the axe whistling through the air as he aimed for the nearest man in black. The man hurriedly used his stun gun to block, but it was easily cleaved in two by the axe, the blade slicing across his throat.

"Fire!" Zhao Gang roared.

Gunshots rang out in the silent street, bullets whistling towards Lin Ye. Lin Ye pushed off with his feet, his body spinning like a top, using the bodies of the men in black as cover, and with each swing of the axe, men fell one after another.

"Devour!" He grabbed a black-clad man who had been slashed down, and the mark on his palm instantly absorbed the faint energy in his body—this man was also a superhuman, but his level was too low and his energy was pitifully small.

After absorbing the energy, Lin Ye became even faster. He spotted Zhao Gang's position, suddenly burst forth, broke through the crowd's encirclement, and chopped at Zhao Gang with his axe!

Zhao Gang was clearly taken aback by his ferocity and hastily retreated, simultaneously throwing a punch. His fist was wreathed in pale blue energy, clearly indicating he was an enhancement-type ability user!

"Bang!"

The axe collided with the fist, and Lin Ye felt a tremendous force. He almost dropped the axe and was thrown back several steps. Zhao Gang was also badly affected; his arm went numb from the impact, and he looked at Lin Ye with a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"Interesting." Zhao Gang cracked his knuckles. "Looks like the level four crystal core has made you quite strong. But do you think you can beat me?"

He walked step by step toward the forest, the pale blue energy around him growing stronger and stronger, as if the surrounding air had been frozen.

Lin Ye gripped his axe tightly, his heart pounding. He could sense that Zhao Gang's energy level far surpassed his own; he was at least a level five ability user!

"Let's give it a try!" Lin Ye shouted and charged forward again. This time, he didn't hold back, pouring all the energy in his body into the axe, the dark red blade gleaming with an eerie red light.

Just as the two were about to collide, a deafening roar suddenly came from the direction of the library, followed by Lin Xi's cry for help!

"Little Creek!" Lin Ye's expression changed drastically, and his attack faltered instantly.

Zhao Gang seized the opportunity and punched Lin Ye in the chest!

"puff!"

Lin Ye coughed up a mouthful of blood and flew backward, crashing into the pickup truck. Ignoring the excruciating pain in his chest, he struggled to get up, but Zhao Gang stepped on his back.

"Grab him!" Zhao Gang shouted coldly.

The man in black immediately stepped forward and used specially made handcuffs to restrain Lin Ye—the handcuffs shimmered with a pale blue light, which could actually suppress supernatural abilities!

"Something seems to have happened in the library," a team member reported to the leader.

Zhao Gang glanced towards the library, a cold smile playing on his lips: "Whatever it is, he's done us a favor. Take him away!"

Lin Ye was held by men in black, watching helplessly as flames soared into the sky in the direction of the library, his sister's cries for help fading into the distance. His eyes instantly turned bloodshot, and the energy within him surged wildly, but was firmly suppressed by the handcuffs.

"Zhao Gang! I swear, I will kill you!" Lin Ye roared, his voice filled with despair and rage.

Zhao Gang crouched down and patted his face: "We'll see when you can beat me." He stood up and said to his team, "Fall back!"

The man in black carried Lin Ye and disappeared into the dark street. Beside the pickup truck, only a pool of glaring blood remained, along with the lingering smell of gunpowder in the air.

The firelight in the library illuminated half the sky, as if foreshadowing that this struggle against the apocalypse had only just begun. Lin Ye, who had been taken away, had no idea what cruel fate awaited him.