“Three packs of instant noodles for a leg!”
“Mommy, I want Liang Chen’s pork rib soup!”
…
Pain!
Liang Chen trembled violently.
At this moment, he was being dismembered alive with a sharp knife.
In the darkness, someone was buying his flesh.
This wasn't a nightmare; it was reality.
In the sudden apocalypse, food was the most precious resource.
In the eyes of everyone present, Liang Chen was the best food available.
Although Liang Chen, tied to the table, couldn't see, he remembered the voices of these people.
They were all his “friendly” neighbors from everyday life.
Every single one of them had received help from Liang Chen!
“You sons of bitches, how have I, Liang Chen, treated you all these years?!”
Liang Chen roared, enduring the intense pain.
Compared to the physical agony, the perfidy of these people angered him more.
There was a brief silence around him, as if they were startled by Liang Chen’s fury.
“Slap!”
Liang Chen’s face was slapped hard, stinging with pain.
Lu Jin Xuan’s cold voice echoed in his ears.
“Liang Chen, what are you?”
“Aren’t you just a jinx whose parents died?”
“What makes you think you’re worthy of being with me?”
Liang Chen’s blood boiled with hatred.
“Lu Jin Xuan! May you die a horrible death!”
Lu Jin Xuan was Liang Chen’s university classmate, a campus belle with countless admirers.
Liang Chen was one of them.
But no matter how Liang Chen confessed or how many gifts he sent, Lu Jin Xuan always replied, “I’m not ready yet.”
Six months ago, upon learning of his parents’ accidental death, Lu Jin Xuan’s attitude changed drastically, and she proactively moved into the house his parents had left behind.
Soon, Liang Chen’s health deteriorated, and he frequently suffered from headaches; a few months ago, he even went blind.
Even so, Liang Chen had never suspected Lu Jin Xuan.
But Lu Jin Xuan stopped pretending, discarding her gentle and kind persona, and subjected the blind Liang Chen to all sorts of humiliation.
It was then that Liang Chen realized Lu Jin Xuan had been poisoning him with chemical agents.
Her goal was to seize the property his parents left behind, then study abroad and settle there.
Liang Chen desperately wanted to kill her, but being blind, he was utterly defenseless.
He was confined in a small dog cage.
With only minimal leftovers and dirty water.
Lu Jin Xuan had originally planned to slowly poison Liang Chen to death with the agent, then go abroad and escape.
But the sudden apocalypse disrupted her plans.
Trapped in Liang Chen’s house, she sold Liang Chen’s flesh as a commodity in the community group chat to exchange for supplies.
“Brother Liang Chen! After I finish your pork rib soup, I also want to play with your figurines and game console!”
“Liang Chen, since you’ve always been so good to us, why don’t you just be a good person to the very end and let us all fill our stomachs?”
“Stop stalling, it’s just death, isn’t it? It’s your honor to die for everyone!”
The neighbors who came to “buy meat” even began to persuade Liang Chen to accept his fate.
“Hahahahaha… You all deserve to die!”
Liang Chen suddenly burst into a fit of wild laughter.
He laughed at himself for not seeing through Lu Jin Xuan, this scheming bitch.
For not seeing through these ungrateful beasts.
“If there’s a next life, I’ll make you regret being alive!”
The intense pain and blood loss made Liang Chen unable to hold on any longer, and his tightly clenched fists slowly relaxed.
He didn’t know how much time had passed when he felt a warm itch on his face.
Liang Chen opened his eyes and saw a sturdy pastoral dog licking him.
“Er Gou? You’re still alive?”
Liang Chen picked up Er Gou and tossed him aside.
He wiped the saliva from his face in disgust and looked out the window.
The sun was shining brightly.
“Huh? I can see?”
He held out his hand and waved it in front of his eyes.
Half a year of blindness had made him somewhat unaccustomed to light.
“Didn’t I die? And Er Gou…”
Liang Chen looked at Er Gou, who was wagging his tail frantically, feeling a sense of disorientation.
He remembered Er Gou protecting him fiercely, shielding him with his body, and being beaten to death and eaten.
Suddenly remembering something, Liang Chen quickly picked up the phone on the table.
“May 23, 2035…”
“I’ve been reborn!”
Based on his memories from his previous life, Liang Chen recalled that the global temperature surge occurred on June 23rd.
There was still one month until the apocalypse began!
Unlike the apocalypse novels he had read.
This time, the temperature surge was detected by scientists worldwide three days in advance.
The highest level of warning was issued globally.
According to official news from Hua Country, solar radiation would increase a hundredfold.
Temperatures would soar above 70 degrees Celsius.
Global panic ensued, and everyone frantically scrambled for supplies.
Supplies for coping with high temperatures were snatched up within three days.
But only Liang Chen, who had experienced the apocalypse, knew the truth.
The experts were wrong, everyone was wrong.
Just one week after the high temperatures began, humanity would face true hell.
Global temperatures would drop to 0 degrees Celsius in a single day.
And then, over the next ten days, they would plummet to minus 80 degrees Celsius!
The true apocalyptic ice age!
When Liang Chen was killed, the extreme low temperatures had already persisted for a full four months!
All preparations for high temperatures were futile!
What was truly useful were cold-weather supplies.
Countless people would freeze to death or starve to death due to lack of supplies to withstand the cold.
Some would kill for a down jacket.
Some would sell their wives and daughters for a few pieces of coal.
“At this time, Lu Jin Xuan doesn’t seem to have revealed her true colors yet.”
Liang Chen thought to himself, looking around.
He noticed that many valuable items in the house were missing.
“Lu Jin Xuan, you really are greedy!”
He knew without a doubt.
Lu Jin Xuan must have been secretly selling off his family’s belongings while he was blind.
“No wonder she was always out early and back late during this period in my previous life.”
But it was fortunate that Lu Jin Xuan was not home when Liang Chen was reborn.
“Since heaven has given me a second chance at life,”
“I will definitely not let you die easily!”
Liang Chen let out a long breath and began to ponder how to survive the apocalypse.
He wanted to take revenge on those who harmed him; not a single one would be spared.
【Ding~】
【Detecting Host’s rebirth before the apocalypse, Apocalypse Synthesis System activated】
【This system can synthesize two items of the same type into a higher-grade item】
“This is…”
“The system essential for a reborn person?”
He rubbed his eyes, realizing that the system panel before him was not an illusion.
Liang Chen was incredibly excited, slapping his thigh hard.
Startling Er Gou, who was humping a pillow.
“Apocalypse Synthesis System? Doesn’t sound very powerful!”
As if hearing Liang Chen’s complaint, the system’s mechanical voice sounded again.
【Basic System can triple the quantity of items and initially improve their quality】
“That’s somewhat interesting.”
Liang Chen had experienced the apocalypse; he knew too well the importance of supplies for survival.
“If the system can triple the quantity of items, doesn’t that mean I’ll have infinite supplies?”
After several deep breaths, Liang Chen gradually calmed down and began to study the system panel.
It was then that he noticed a few lines of small text in the bottom left corner of the panel:
【Current Level: Basic】
【Remaining Synthesis Categories: 3】
“There’s also a category limit?”
【Currently Basic System, limited to 3 item categories】
【Once selected, that category can be synthesized an unlimited number of times】
“Fortunately, it’s only a limit on categories, not on uses.”
“To deal with the apocalypse, I must think carefully about what to choose for synthesis.”
Liang Chen considered it thoroughly and decided to experiment with water first.
Clean drinking water is the source of life, even more so in the apocalypse.
Liang Chen found two bottles of Nongfu Sanquan from the refrigerator.
“Synthesize.”
With a thought, a white light flashed.
The two bottles of water on the table vanished into thin air.
In their place was a small, compact pure water barrel.
【1100 ml of pure water successfully synthesized】
【Obtained 3.3 liters of water, quality upgraded to Evian-grade mineral water】
【Selected category: Water】
【Remaining Synthesis Categories: 2】
Liang Chen examined the water barrel before him, a look of delight on his face.
“After synthesis, not only did the water volume triple, but the quality also improved!”
Evian mineral water comes from Rooster Country and is rich in various minerals, making it one of the world’s most popular high-end mineral waters.
【Successfully unlocked a new category, Reward: Safe House Blueprint * 1】
“There’s a reward too?”
With a thought, a translucent USB drive appeared in Liang Chen’s hand.
“It seems this contains the safe house blueprint. I’ll keep it for now.
To prepare for the apocalypse, a safe house will definitely need to be built. I’ll see if it can be useful then.”
Liang Chen put away the USB drive and turned his attention back to the system panel.
“Since water was unlocked, does that mean any two identical water sources can be used? Regardless of the brand of water, or even rainwater or tap water?”
Liang Chen asked.
【Any substance considered “water” can be synthesized an unlimited number of times】
“Since it’s unlimited…”
Liang Chen took out two more bottles of Nongfu Sanquan pure water.
“Synthesize.”
【1100 ml of pure water successfully synthesized】
【Obtained 3.3 liters of water, quality upgraded to Evian-grade mineral water】
“Continue synthesizing!”
【6.6 liters of Evian-grade mineral water successfully synthesized】
【Obtained 19.8 liters of Evian-grade mineral water】
“Why didn’t the quality improve this time?”
【Currently Basic System, can only upgrade 1 time】
Liang Chen was slightly annoyed:
“How can I upgrade?”
【This system is the Apocalypse Synthesis System. The Host only needs to improve their comfort level in apocalyptic survival to upgrade the system】
“Apocalyptic survival comfort level?”
【Comfort level includes the Host’s physical and psychological well-being. As long as comfort increases, comfort points will accumulate】
“Physical comfort is no problem, just eating, drinking, and sleeping. Psychological comfort… does seeing my enemies suffer count?”
【Based on what makes the Host feel comfortable】
Liang Chen immediately perked up, staring at the panel for a long time.
【Apocalypse has not yet begun, survival comfort level cannot be monitored】
Liang Chen’s expression froze, but he quickly understood.
Regardless, he had the system, and it wouldn’t be too late to understand it after the apocalypse began.
At least he knew that the more comfortable he was, the faster the system would upgrade.
As someone who had already experienced the apocalypse, Liang Chen knew better than anyone how to live comfortably in the apocalypse.
And making his enemies wish they were dead was a thought that brought him immense comfort.
Before Liang Chen could ask further, the system prompt sounded in his mind again:
【First synthesis completed, congratulations Host on receiving the Newbie Gift Pack. Would you like to open it?】