The Apocalypse Is My Second Home

6

He looked around for something he could use as a weapon, but there was nothing within reach. With no other choice, he pushed himself off the ground and ran toward one of the old cars parked nearby.

The zombie chased after him, its body swaying as it stumbled forward in an unnatural manner. Despite its awkward movements, it was surprisingly fast, quickly closing the distance between them.

When he reached the car, he punched one of the broken windows. Fortunately, the vehicle was old, and the remaining glass came loose without much difficulty. He grabbed a jagged piece, climbed into the car, and slammed the door shut behind him.

The zombie immediately reached through the broken window, attempting to force its way inside.

Noah began stabbing it with the piece of glass, repeatedly aiming for its forehead. Yet the creature continued trying to crawl into the car, seemingly indifferent to the wounds he inflicted.

Its inability to feel pain didn't make it indestructible, however. After several more stabs, the zombie finally stopped moving.

Noah remained in the car, watching it cautiously for several minutes. Only after confirming that it showed no further signs of movement did he push its body away from the window and open the car door.

It was time to get to work.

Using the jagged piece of glass, he began digging into the zombie's forehead. The process wasn't particularly pleasant, but he persevered until he extracted a green-colored crystal.

He held it in his hand, wondering whether this body could absorb the energy it contained.

This was the same type of crystal they had used for training in the apocalypse. It contained energy that could strengthen the body, but absorbing it wasn't easy. When they first began training, the pain was often unbearable, as though their bodies were being torn apart from within. Repeated exposure gradually allowed their bodies to adapt, making the process more tolerable.

They called it an essence crystal.

Noah intended to give it a try. He had no intention of remaining trapped in such a weak body. Simply running to the car and stabbing the zombie had left him gasping for breath.

This was far too pathetic.

However, there was something he needed to consider first.

Which evolution technique should he use?

In his previous life, he had possessed several options. The technique he initially used wasn't even the best among them. He eventually obtained a far more powerful one, but by then, he had grown so strong that switching to a different energy absorption method no longer seemed worthwhile. Changing techniques would require considerable time and effort, and he had more important things to focus on.

But now, things were different.

Should he try a different technique this time?

The moment the thought crossed his mind, the red tattoo on the left side of his chest began to glow more brightly. The strange, rune-like inscriptions etched into it seemed to come alive, their crimson light growing increasingly intense.

Then, a sharp pain erupted in his chest.

Noah immediately clutched at it, gritting his teeth as he struggled to endure the sudden agony. The pain came so abruptly that he nearly doubled over, his breathing becoming ragged as he fought to remain standing.

Then, something flashed through his mind.

A name.

Genesis.

The instant the name appeared, information about the technique flooded his mind.

Genesis was an evolution technique, but Noah was certain he had never encountered it in his previous life. He had spent countless years in the apocalypse searching for powerful techniques, yet he had never come across anything called Genesis.

The fact that the technique had appeared when the tattoo lit up made him suspect that the two were connected. Yet the knowledge was already firmly embedded in his mind, as though he had known the technique for years and merely needed something to trigger his memory.

He gritted his teeth and slowly forced himself to straighten up, struggling against the pain that had nearly brought him to his knees.

Just then, he came face-to-face with a massive, dog-like creature.

Noah froze.

He immediately recognized that it wasn't an ordinary dog.

Its eyes were completely black, without a trace of white around its pupils. Worse still, the creature stood approximately five feet tall, its enormous body making it far more terrifying than any ordinary canine.

His expression darkened as he assessed the creature.

This encounter could end in instant death. In his current physical condition, he had absolutely no chance of fighting something of this level.

He would be lucky to survive a single attack.

He really wished he could return to the modern world immediately. There was no point in being brought to the apocalypse only to die for the second time.

But just as the thought crossed his mind, another sharp pain struck the left side of his chest.

He bent forward, instinctively clutching the tattoo. For a brief moment, the agony left him too distracted to think about anything else.

Then he remembered the predator standing right in front of him.

He abruptly raised his head.

To his astonishment, the enormous creature was gone, and his surroundings had changed completely.

He was standing in the bathroom, still completely naked.

Noah stared around in confusion.

Had everything that happened moments ago been a dream? Had he been standing there the entire time, hallucinating about the apocalypse?

His hand instinctively moved to his neck, but the necklace was no longer there. He quickly lowered his gaze to his chest.

The red tattoo, with its strange inscriptions, was still there.

His expression changed.

This wasn't a dream.

Moreover, he could feel something clutched tightly in his left hand.

His heart began to pound as he slowly opened his palm.

A green-colored crystal lay in his hand.

It was the same essence crystal he had extracted from the zombie's forehead.

Noah stared at it, unable to believe what he was seeing.

He had truly visited the apocalypse and returned, bringing something back with him.

He stood motionless for several seconds, trying to make sense of what had happened. He still had no clear understanding of how he had managed to travel between the two worlds, but the crystal in his hand was undeniable proof that the experience had been real.

After several minutes, he decided to finish bathing before leaving the bathroom.

However, just as he reached for the shower switch, he remembered what had happened the last time he touched it.

Noah immediately withdrew his hand, staring at the switch with a troubled expression.

He couldn't simply get dressed and fetch water from somewhere else, either. His body was covered in the black sand of the apocalypse, and he couldn't walk around the house in that condition without attracting attention.

Fortunately, an idea soon came to him.

He hurried into his room and retrieved a pair of safety gloves. After putting them on, he returned to the bathroom and carefully dismantled the showerhead.

His suspicions were quickly confirmed.