Apocalypse: The Primordial Pearl Recognizes Its Master, Starting with Infinite Space

"Brother Lin...did you...know all along that this would happen?"

Li Ya stood beside Lin Chen, her voice so soft it was almost drowned out by the screams and roars coming from outside the window.

Her face was deathly pale, and she gripped the hem of her clothes tightly with both hands, her knuckles turning white and blue from the force.

His eyes were fixed intently on the small square in the center of the villa area, where a chilling scene was unfolding—

Just minutes ago, the old woman was leisurely strolling with her cane, but now her limbs are twisted in a bizarre way, her eyes are bulging and bloodshot, and she is biting the neck of a cleaning lady who is trying to dodge.

Blood gushed out like a fountain, staining the blooming roses in the nearby green belt red; the red was so glaring it was nauseating.

The cleaning lady struggled and convulsed a few times, making a "gurgling" sound as she breathed out, before collapsing limply to the ground.

However, the terror was not over.

Less than a minute later, the seemingly lifeless body suddenly began to convulse violently, its fingers unconsciously digging into the cement floor, its nails splitting and flipping up without it even noticing.

The next second, she roared and got up at a speed far beyond that of an ordinary person, her movements even faster and more ferocious than that old woman zombie—this transformation speed after being bitten was even faster than being directly drenched in blood!

"What do you think?" Lin Chen's lips curled into a very faint smile, his tone as calm as if he were discussing the rain outside the window, but deep in his eyes was a calm and knowing look as cold as iron.

Li Ya bit her bloodless lower lip, mustered her last bit of courage, and asked in a trembling voice, "Then...why didn't you tell everyone beforehand? If you had given a warning earlier, maybe...you could have saved many people..."

"Heh." Lin Chen chuckled lightly, without any sarcasm, only a deep weariness from having experienced the vicissitudes of life and seen through the ways of the world. "Do you think anyone would believe me if I ran out into the street or posted online saying, 'It will rain blood at nine o'clock tomorrow morning, and anyone who gets wet will turn into a zombie'? The greatest kindness they could show would probably be to send me to a mental hospital or arrest me as a madman spreading panic."

Ten minutes passed, and the two were still standing on the reinforced terrace, looking down at the once orderly upscale villa area that had rapidly collapsed into a chaotic mess.

Just then, both of their phones vibrated rapidly at almost the same time.

Li Ya hurriedly looked down and opened the text message. After just one glance, the last trace of color drained from her face.

This is an emergency announcement that was forcibly pushed to every mobile phone across the country through the national emergency broadcasting system:

[Ministry of Emergency Management of China] Highest Level Emergency Notice:

1. An unusual blood-red rain has suddenly fallen across the country. Preliminary tests have revealed that the rainwater contains a highly pathogenic and highly infectious unknown virus (tentatively named "zombie virus"). Contact with skin or mucous membranes can lead to rapid infection and mutation.

2. All citizens are urged to immediately seek safe indoor shelter from the rain, strictly close all doors and windows, and absolutely avoid going outside;

3. Those who have been scratched or bitten by mutated individuals (tentatively referred to as "zombies") will experience an exponentially faster rate of infection. Uninfected individuals are advised to stay away from them.

……

The nation is mobilizing all resources to respond to the disaster and restore order. We urge all citizens to remain calm, refrain from believing or spreading rumors, and stay home to await further instructions and rescue efforts.

Lin Chen didn't even look down at the screen—he already knew what the announcement would say, and he remembered every single word.

His cold gaze swept across the window: some people screamed in terror as they closed the last crack in the window; some held kitchen knives and baseball bats and braced themselves against their doors; and a few unfortunate people, their bodies mostly soaked by the rain of blood, huddled in the corner of the stairwell, their eyes rapidly losing their luster, becoming cloudy and empty.

He turned to look at Li Ya, who was still trembling beside him, his tone softening slightly but carrying an undeniable firmness: "The apocalypse has only just begun, so it's normal for you to have these thoughts. But you must remember—from now on, this world is no longer about reason or good and evil. Now is... a time for life and death."

After saying that, he turned around without hesitation and strode towards the hidden pipe shaft next to the kitchen, where he forcefully tightened the main water valve with a "click." The metal knob made a crisp "click" as if severing the last connection with the security of the past.

"What...what is this for?" Li Ya followed in, her voice trembling uncontrollably.

"The blood rain has already fallen," Lin Chen said without turning his head, his voice steady. "This means that the source of the entire city's water supply system has been contaminated. Every drop of water flowing from the tap now may be mixed with invisible viruses. Taking a sip is tantamount to sentencing yourself to death."

Li Ya stood there, stunned, her lips trembling. She seemed to want to refute, to find a glimmer of hope, but she couldn't utter a single word.

The image of the flight attendant who was smiling brightly on the terrace yesterday, enjoying a delicious breakfast, seems to have been completely blurred by this scarlet downpour.

At this moment, all that occupied her mind and body was boundless fear and bewilderment in the face of an unknown future.

"So what should we do in the future?" She finally managed to squeeze out a sentence from her dry throat, her eyes uncontrollably reddening.

Lin Chen straightened up, his gaze as steady as a rock, and looked directly at her: "Have you forgotten? You're no longer an ordinary person. You possess an A-level 'Beam' ability, which is your greatest asset for surviving in the new world. What you need to do is familiarize yourself with it as quickly as possible, master it, and strive to become stronger! Survival is your only goal."

He opened his arms and gently embraced the ice-cold Li Ya, his warm hands patting her back softly, conveying silent strength: "As for the supplies needed for survival, you don't need to worry at all. Forgot about the takeout we ordered yesterday? And the massive amount of supplies I 'collected' from other places—enough for the two of us to live comfortably for decades, or even longer."

Li Ya buried her face deeply in his firm, warm chest, her soft body still trembling slightly, her voice muffled yet exceptionally clear: "Brother Lin, I'll listen to you! I'll listen to you from now on! Whatever you ask me to do, I'll do..."

As a girl who grew up in a complicated family environment, caught between the halo of "Li Bancheng" and the shadow of being an "illegitimate daughter," she understood a cruel truth earlier than anyone else: there is never any protection or security in this world without a reason.

To gain something, you must pay the corresponding price.

Moreover, under the influence of the mysterious power of the Creation Crystal, her loyalty, trust, and attachment to Lin Chen had long been deeply imprinted in the depths of her consciousness, almost instinctively.