Chapter Two: The Outbreak of the Crimson Mist

The world was shrouded in crimson, the red mist surging and writhing as if countless hands struggled within its depths. Above, the countdown displayed across the sky radiated both mystery and terror.

At that moment, lines of text began to coalesce beneath the countdown.

[Welcome to the Era of the Third End-Times Convergence. Here, survival is your sole priority. Remember well these guidelines for the age.]

[1. Terror dwells only within the red mist.]

[2. Maintain silence. A quiet environment will reduce the likelihood of encountering danger.]

[3. No one can survive within the red mist. Mental power can disperse it.]

Note: This ability is now available to everyone—[Expel] (disperses the red mist within ten meters around you, consuming one point of mental energy per hour; mental energy can be checked in your personal information).

[4. When faced with the unknown—do not look! Do not listen! Do not describe!]

[5. Territory can block the red mist. To obtain your own territory, you must reach level 5 to unlock it.]

[6. All personnel acquired through recruitment can have their loyalty checked.]

[7. In five minutes, the red mist will erupt uncontrollably.]

“A survival game? A system for everyone?” Mu Chen’s thoughts brimmed with confusion.

As the words faded from the sky, four options appeared in everyone's mind.

[Personal Information] [Chat Channel] [Task List] [Territory Construction]

The [Chat Channel] flickered continuously, giving off a sense of intense activity.

Driven by curiosity, Mu Chen selected [Chat Channel] in his mind and noticed four sub-channels beneath it.

They were [World Channel], [Regional Channel], [Family & Friends Channel], and [Private Chat Channel].

At that moment, [World Channel] flashed most frequently. Mu Chen lightly touched it with his mind.

Instantly, a flood of messages from other people surfaced in his mind. These messages refreshed every ten seconds. One could scroll forward, pause, or speak in the current window.

Fan Tong (Zone 53): “Does anyone know if the red mist will disappear when this countdown ends? Please, someone tell me!”

Li Huai’an (Zone 32): “Let me say this three times: Do not make a sound! Do not make a sound! Do not make a sound!”

Anderson (Zone 119): “Oh, shit, has anyone seen a centipede made out of human arms?”

Chen Yu (Zone 51): “Reporting from Ocean City. Have other cities been covered by the red mist too?”

Miao Zhengxun (Zone 141): “Damn it! Where is Ocean City? We don’t have that in Kimchi Land!”

Mei Chuan Naiku (Zone 129): “Please, someone help me… I’m working at a high altitude and the power just went out. I’m hanging up here and scared out of my mind!”

“Ocean City is pretty far. And what’s with all these strange names?” Mu Chen’s heart brimmed with questions.

Before he could finish the thought, Mu Chen suddenly awakened with a jolt. He realized, with a chill, that the red mist now enveloped the entire globe.

He selected [Personal Information].

[Name: Mu Chen (Disabled)]
[Species: Human]
[Title: None]
[Level: Lv1]
[Skill: Expel]
Physique: 2
Mental: 8
Defense: 1

Staring at his meager two points in Physique, Mu Chen surmised it was due to his injuries.

But now was not the time to dwell on such things. He shook his head, forcing the matter from his mind. No matter what, as long as he and his sister survived, that was enough.

On the edge of the crowd, a middle-aged man who had been exploring near the hospital ran out from behind the emergency building, disheveled.

“Monsters! There are monsters!”

The man looked unremarkable, his face pale with panic. Dressed in light gray pants, he would have blended into the crowd under other circumstances. Once he reached the others, he collapsed to the ground.

The crowd buzzed with commotion, many people hurrying over in curiosity.

“Who are you? What happened?”

“My name is Xu Likun... Huff, huff...” He stammered, “Transparent… a twisted crowd… dismembered—”

Though his description was muddled, one thing was clear: those things were not human.

[You feel no sense of safety amid the crowd; instead, the noise makes you acutely aware of danger.]

“Jiu’er...”

“Brother, I’m here. What is it?”

“Did you get my family request? Accept it as soon as you see it. Try not to speak aloud—let’s communicate in the channel from now on.”

Moments later, Mu Chen’s [Family & Friends Channel] flashed. His sister sent him a silly face emoji, easing the tension in his heart.

Mu Chen: “Let’s head inside the emergency building. We need to gather medical supplies and bandages, then leave the hospital through the back exit!”

Mu Jiu’er: “Brother, do you know something? Everything that’s happened so far is beyond belief, but you’re acting even stranger.”

Mu Chen: “Now’s not the time for details. Let’s move first.”

At that moment, everyone’s attention centered on Xu Likun. Taking advantage of the commotion, Mu Jiu’er quietly wheeled her brother into the emergency building.

[The red mist will erupt in full. You have only one life—cherish it!]

The letters in the sky flashed with an eerie brilliance, then vanished.

An unspeakable dread spread through every heart as the crimson mist surged, now unchecked and unrestrained.

All that remained were screams, torn and desperate, echoing through the world.

Mu Chen wasted no time—he activated the Expel skill at once.

Inside the emergency building.

The darkness had been replaced by a sea of red; the mist seemed almost alive, seeping into every crevice, flooding even the interiors. The scent of medicinal herbs mixed with a metallic tang, curling into Mu Chen’s nostrils. Even with Expel activated, the ten-meter radius around him was bathed in a dark, bloody light.

The dispensary was on the first floor. In the silent, uncanny gloom, Mu Jiu’er pushed him quietly toward the door.

It wasn’t locked, but it took effort for Mu Jiu’er to move it. Mu Chen sent her a message.

“I’ll hold the door. When you get inside, grab antibiotics and bandages. Bring something back to prop the door for me. Be careful—don’t make any noise.”

Meanwhile, outside the emergency building.

A horde of transparent, twisted human forms crept toward the crowd, their unnatural postures grotesque, bodies streaked with blood that made them flicker in and out of view. If the mist had lifted, someone might have noticed. But in the chaos of the red mist’s eruption, no one saw.

The closer these figures came, the faster they moved—until they matched the speed of a sprinting adult.

Only when a man from the crowd floated into the air in a bizarre posture did people realize something was wrong.

“Uh… what…?” The man tried to speak, but only guttural, stifled sounds emerged.

A sickening rip echoed.

Seconds later, the floating body was torn in half. Blood spilled like paint, outlining a twisted silhouette.

Horror exploded among the crowd. More and more people began to float, panic overtaking the survivors.

Desperate cries, shrill screams—chaos erupted.

And one by one, the red mist claimed them all.