As dusk settled, the old streetlights had yet to flicker to life. Most shops on either side had their roller shutters drawn. When the elongated shadows cast by the dim, hazy sunlight retreated from the end of the street corner, the entire lane was plunged into darkness.
Bleak, silent.
It was like a terrifying, gaping maw, intent on devouring everything.
Fang You pulled his collar higher, quickening his pace. Like the occasional pedestrian he encountered, he maintained distance as they passed.
He soon returned to his own dwelling.
A three-bedroom, two-living-room apartment, in a building over twenty years old.
With a click, he flipped the switch, and the stark white light finally banished the unsettling darkness.
Fang You took a couple of breaths, tossed his bag aside, and sank onto the sofa. Skillfully, he pulled out his phone from his pocket and swiped.
Beep—
Fingerprint card.
The screen unlocked, and several push notifications rapidly scrolled down.
#Peacock Nation City Shrouded in Black Clouds for Three Days; Prophecy Foretells Doomsday Spectacle#
#Morgue Bodies Mysteriously Vanish; Numbers Reach Up To...#
#Buy Amulets on PingDuoDuo, Group Buys Starting from 10% Off#
#Recommended to Stockpile Living Supplies at Home#
#BeiJiang City Experiences White Fog Phenomenon, Visibility Less Than Five Meters#
#The Unseen Danger#
These notifications included news and trash advertisements, but without exception…
"Things seem to be getting more tense. There are rumors online about strange occurrences."
"On my way home just now, I saw a residential compound sealed off with police tape."
"Could it be... something is really happening?"
Fang You frowned.
He had occasionally come across peculiar videos or images before.
But he hadn't paid them any mind, dismissing them as mere entertainment.
He didn't think they were real.
Yet recently, reports of disappearances, strange shadows, lockdowns, and similar news had become increasingly frequent. He began to suspect that a crisis was approaching, and a chill crept up his spine.
"Worrying about it won't help."
"If the sky falls, taller people will bear the brunt."
"I hardly go out anyway. I'll just buy more supplies and stock them at home. The rest is for eating and drinking as usual. It's better than being scared to death when everything is actually calm."
Going out less.
Or not going out at all. As long as he had internet, a computer, and a phone, Fang You was fine.
He was a struggling writer. He didn't earn much, but he didn't spend much either. And with the apartment left by his parents, his life was at least manageable.
His only source of distress was that it was becoming increasingly difficult to order takeout lately.
Fang You had to cook for himself, which was unfortunate, as his culinary skills were abysmal.
As for eating out?
Going out was out of the question. There might be unseen dangers outside now, so he had to stay home and muddle through life like this.
It had nothing to do with his laziness in going downstairs.
Fang You put the ingredients into the refrigerator and then glanced at the remaining three and a half boxes of instant noodles.
There were also other staples like rice, flour, toothpaste, toilet paper, and so on.
Yes, he had plenty of provisions.
No big problem.
Dark clouds obscured the moon.
The bleak, old district became even more desolate and dim. Only a few lights glowed in the opposite residential buildings, the last stubborn sparks of light in the darkness.
"Knock!"
A soft sound came from outside the securely locked anti-theft door.
Fang You uttered a sound of surprise.
"Knock! Knock! Knock!"
Here it comes!
But he hadn't ordered takeout, had he? His packages were usually delivered to the nearby self-pickup point.
He reluctantly got out of bed, grumbling, as the knocking outside continued.
Knock! Knock! Knock! Knock!.......
As rhythmic as a machine.
Fang You suddenly froze. The hand that was reaching for the living room light switch stopped, barely an inch away.
He was paralyzed.
The main door not far away grew darker, swallowing all light. The incessant knocking sounded like a death knell.
His apartment had a doorbell, in a very obvious spot!
Besides, would a normal person knock with such consistent rhythm and tone?
Thinking of the rumors circulating online recently, Fang You's heart began to pound.
His face contorted with unease as he stared at the door.
He wanted to retreat to his bedroom, but his legs seemed to refuse to obey.
The咚咚咚 knocking continued mechanically.
It grew louder, like the mournful toll of a twilight bell, his heart pounding violently with the reverberation, as if it would leap out of his chest!
*Swish!*
Like a sudden stop to a downpour.
The咚咚咚 knocking ceased. Between the door and the outside, a deathly silence descended.
Only his heart was still thumping.
Snapping back to reality,
Fang You realized his forehead and palms were covered in sweat.
He paused for a long moment, then kicked off his slippers and tiptoed forward.
He listened intently.
He looked at the peephole on the anti-theft door. He had the urge to peer through it, but he hesitated, still unable to bring himself to do it.
He was… still a bit scared.
The hesitant Fang You ultimately didn't approach, retreating back to his bedroom. He lay on the bed, playing with his phone, though his mind wasn't on it.
"Perhaps it was some mischievous kid playing a prank?"
"Am I overthinking things?"
"What unseen danger is there!"
Fang You admitted he was a little cowardly.
No, this couldn't be called cowardly. This was prioritizing safety. If it were a delivery person or someone he knew, they would have called if he didn't open the door.
If…
In any case, not opening the door was the right call!
He stopped dwelling on it, intending to find a heartwarming anime to cheer himself up.
Then, he noticed his phone suddenly entering an installation interface.
"Game Installing..."
"Identity bound, data loaded, game starting."
An exquisite CG animation appeared.
Black clouds covered the sky, a colossal shadow emerged from beneath the sea, and broken buildings shrouded in gray mist appeared as if fossilized for millennia.
Darkness, desolation, eternal stillness.
A spark of fire suddenly bloomed.
Roar! The flames roared! A fearless figure, illuminated by the fire, charged into the darkness.
The scene froze.
"Savior, are you ready?"
Fang You blinked in surprise.
When had he downloaded this game? Had he accidentally clicked it while distracted earlier?
He glanced at it.
It seemed to be a gacha-style idle mobile game, with a rather conventional gameplay setup at first glance.
However,
"The art style seems decent?"
For these kinds of mobile games, as long as the visuals were appealing and hit the right spot, that was enough.
He had nothing else to do, so Fang You didn't delete it immediately. Instead, he clicked it open.
A simple yet refined game interface appeared before Fang You.
"Fate Draw"
"Apostle List"
"Item Inventory"
Only these three options were available; others were locked.
There were no flashy VIP systems, no "First Recharge Six Yuan" offers, and no overwhelming red dots that he couldn't stop clicking… which Fang You found quite pleasant.
It was just that it seemed a bit too simplistic.
There was no explanation, no tutorial, and the playability seemed very low.
Wait,
He couldn't even find a purchase option in this game. Was it that generous?
It must be hidden somewhere within the functions.
Fang You tapped on the Item Inventory. It was empty, which was understandable, but there was no recharge option either.
He then tapped on the Apostle interface. As expected, it was also empty…
Hold on!
There was one character. Was it a free starting character?
Fang You's gaze fell, and he sank into thought.
How come this apostle…
Looked a little familiar.
A black jacket, gray trousers.
The zipper on the jacket was pulled down, revealing a white undershirt.
This attire…
Fang You silently stood up and walked to the mirror, examining his reflection.
Handsome, just like all you readers.
That wasn't the main point.
The main point was,
Fang You stared expressionlessly at his reflection, then looked down at the character in the game.
After a long silence,
"This is me, damn it!"
…
ps: A new writer's book. Seeking votes and follow-ups. I'm begging you with a 360-degree spinning split kick~~~ (*❦w❦)