The warm sunlight streamed through the office window, landing on Clive Harper’s face, highlighting the excitement that lit up his features.

"I’ve really been reborn? Back to the day before the apocalypse?"

His chest heaved with a surge of emotions he couldn’t contain.

Clive’s previous life could be summed up in just eight words: a life of mediocrity, a death of misery.

Before the catastrophe, he was a nobody. After it began, things only got worse. His parents were devoured by zombies. His best friend met a horrific end in the hands of looters, his chest ripped open. The woman he’d trusted betrayed him, willingly becoming a plaything for the Blackrock City guards. Pain, despair, betrayal—he’d tasted it all. In the end, he died like an insect, caught in the aftermath of two fighters’ clash.

Worthless. Like an ant.

Clive never blamed others. All his suffering stemmed from his own choices.

At the start of the apocalypse, he’d stayed home, waiting for rescue, thinking it was the safest decision. While others hunted monsters and seized every advantage, he wasted precious time doing nothing. By the time he realized that society had completely crumbled and no help was coming, a month had passed since Doomsday had begun. Too late. Too far behind.A step ahead is a step ahead; fall behind, and you'll eat dust forever. By the time others had already advanced to new professions, Clive Harper had just managed to kill his first monster. Luckily, his best mate, Samuel Gold, successfully became a Summoner back then. Samuel helped Clive level up and switch classes, getting him through the most dangerous period.

But even a sturdy mountain can crumble. Years later, when raiders attacked their camp, Samuel fought to the bitter end but couldn’t hold them off. The brutal raiders tore out his heart and liver, feasting on them like savages. The camp fell. Clive, with his wife in tow, fled into the wastelands as refugees. The constant insecurity wore her down, and eventually, she left him. Clive spent ten grueling years struggling to survive in the wasteland, only to end up as collateral damage in a battle between powers far beyond his reach.

This new chance at life was the biggest opportunity fate had ever handed him. This time, Clive Harper would refuse to be ordinary. Never again.

Determined, he clenched his fists. Just then, a heavy, sweaty hand slammed his desk.

"Does the company pay you to daydream on the clock? Even a dog knows to guard the house faithfully—you're worse than a mutt!"

Clive glanced up to see Damon Harley, the deputy manager, yelling and spitting all over. Damon—an expert at buttering up the higher-ups but utterly incompetent at the rest—had made the office his personal domain for barking orders and throwing his weight around. Clive never lacked for the misery Damon dished out. Damon Harley was still the same Damon Harley, but Clive Harper was no longer that submissive, numb employee! He grabbed the keyboard and smashed it into Damon’s face. Keys and bloody teeth flew through the air as Damon was knocked to the ground.

The office fell silent. Everyone was stunned by Clive's outburst. He had dared to hit Damon Harley! While some secretly wanted to cheer, they hesitated, fearing Damon’s eventual retaliation.

“You hit me?! You’re done! Fired—absolutely fired!” Damon’s tone wavered between rage and fear, his eyes wide with disbelief.

“No need for you to fire me. I’m quitting,” Clive shot back, sharp and unbothered. With the end of the world looming tomorrow, he couldn’t waste a second more on trivialities.

“You bastard! I’ll make sure no one in Tianshui City hires you! You’re finished!”

Damon’s hollow threats sounded like the whimpering of a beaten dog. Clive stepped over his bulky figure without a backward glance, exiting the company with unshaken resolve.

Outside, the afternoon sun bathed the streets in warmth. Cars flowed steadily, and mothers pushed strollers down tree-lined paths. This quiet, peaceful scene—it had been years since Clive had last witnessed such serenity.

He paused for a moment, pulling out his phone. His fingers, accustomed to wielding a sword, felt clumsy sliding across the screen. Finding Samuel Gold’s name in his contacts, he dialed.

“Sam, I quit. Got time to grab a drink?”"Damn, what happened? Meet me at the usual spot, I’m on my way!" Samuel Gold’s voice was urgent. He knew Clive Harper well. The guy was calm and steady as a rock. Quitting his job wasn’t out of the question, but if Clive really did it, something serious must’ve gone down.

The two of them, both fans of spicy food, had their favorite Sichuan restaurant. By the time Samuel arrived, Clive had already ordered. The rumble of a racing engine outside signaled Samuel’s arrival.

As soon as he reached the table, before he could even say a word, Clive stepped forward and pulled him into a hug.

Samuel froze, utterly bewildered. They were grown men—hugging wasn’t exactly their thing.

"What happened? Did that bastard manager screw with you again?"

"Not now, buddy. Let’s not ruin the moment with all that." Clive’s smile carried a sense of nostalgia.

He thought he’d used up his tears, that nothing could get to him anymore. But at the sight of Samuel, his eyes almost betrayed him. Inside, he swore, "This time, I won’t let you die."

Samuel scratched his head. They’d just hung out at a gaming cafe last night—so why was Clive acting so strange?

To avoid the crowds, Clive had booked a private room. Before all the dishes had even arrived, he dove straight to the point.

"Listen. Tomorrow's the end of the world. Believe me or not, it’s coming." The words hit Samuel like a thunderclap, leaving him completely dumbfounded.Samuel spat out his water, coughing. "World’s gonna end? It's 2022, Clive! Stop with this nonsense. I know a good shrink. After lunch, let's get you checked out. This can't wait."

He squinted at Clive, half-joking, expecting some kind of punchline. But Clive’s face didn’t flinch—dead serious.

Samuel’s grin faded, an edge of concern creeping onto his face. "Wait… you’re not joking?"

Clive’s tone was low but resolute. "I’m not joking. Tomorrow’s the end. I’ve known you since grade school, Sam. You think I’d use something like this as a joke?"

The truth about the world’s end was clear to Clive. This wasn’t something he could keep from someone like Samuel, a friend bound by life-and-death loyalty. Yet, the secret of his rebirth would stay buried; Samuel didn’t need to know that part—but he needed enough to prepare.

Samuel pressed his palm to his temple, as if grounding himself, blinking fast like trying to wake from a nightmare. "Hold up, hold up. That’s a lot to process. Let me breathe. If this—if!—this crazy thing were true… what about my family? What happens to them? Is there even a way out?"

"The end—what is it?" Samuel’s hands tightened into fists on the table. "Is it mountains crumbling, seas swallowing the land—disaster like in movies? Or is it some lab’s stupid mistake—a virus turning us into flesh-eating monsters? Which one’s coming for us? Tell me straight!""The real apocalypse isn't about zombies or war. It's celestial convergence, with monsters invading. Whether it's alien schemes or divine meddling, no one knows. But what’s certain is that the old world order will collapse. Human technology? Totally useless. People will gain game-like skill panels, earning experience by killing invading creatures from another dimension."

"If you know tomorrow's the end of the world, you've got plans, right?" Samuel Gold stared at Clive Harper with sharp, expectant eyes. He trusted Clive enough to have solutions.

"No one can fight the tide, but we can prepare to face it head-on. Food and water – can't skip stockpiling those. Weapons? Load up on compound bows and crossbows – the more, the better. And the wildcard is banned substances: stimulants, adrenaline shots, all of it." Clive spoke steadily, layering practicality with just enough urgency. The smuggling of these drugs was risky, but their potential payoff couldn't be ignored.

"Food, water, weapons – that tracks. But stimulants? What's the payoff there?" Samuel questioned without hesitation.

"Tomorrow at nine in the morning, the celestial convergence hits. Mankind will transition into system-mode, and bodies will be scanned. If we use these banned substances beforehand, boosting physical stats temporarily, the system locks those values permanently."

Samuel's eyes gleamed with realization. “If that's true, it’s pure profit!”"Don't tell anyone about this."

"You don’t have to say it. Honestly, I can’t completely believe you right now, bro. If I start screaming about the end of the world and nothing happens by nine tomorrow morning, I’ll just look like a fool, won’t I?" Samuel Gold, ever the sharp one, wasn’t about to completely buy into his buddy’s wild claims. In his mind, it didn’t hurt to play along—if nothing happened, no harm done; but if the end was really coming, stocking up in advance could turn out to be the smartest move of his life.

"By tomorrow morning, everything will be clear," Clive Harper said, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon.