[AR] Chapter 9: Overture of Collapse

August 9, 2025.
In Dekesas, a state within the Federal Union, authorities reported a suspected large-scale meat corruption incident. A massive fungal-like growth had appeared inside a feed storage unit at a major livestock station. That same day, thousands of chickens, hundreds of cows, and various other animals inside the enclosures began showing signs of rotting flesh and heightened aggression.

One worker, Jason Kellock, was accidentally pecked during the outbreak. He developed a fever, nausea, and symptoms of flesh decay later that day.

On the night of August 10, several doctors at Raccoon City Hospital began displaying the same symptoms. By the time the Federal Disease Control Center intervened, the number of close-contact individuals had already reached into the hundreds.

August 11.
A man with visible bodily decay was seen attacking pedestrians in the suburbs of Raccoon City. Authorities subdued and detained him. That same day, a massive animal attack occurred in the city, with all creatures showing signs of rot. A large-scale riot broke out inside the hospital and the facility was placed under lockdown.

August 12.
Suspected fungal growths began appearing throughout Raccoon City's green zones. The federal government issued a public warning: do not drink water from wild sources, and anyone bitten or scratched by humans or animals was urged to report it immediately.

August 13.
Chaos erupted across the city. The government urged civilians to stay indoors and wait for emergency rescue personnel.

August 20.
The federal government announced the full lockdown of Raccoon City. Unauthorized rescues were banned. All refugees were subject to sterilization procedures.

August 21.
Similar corruption outbreaks appeared across multiple regions. The government declared a nationwide state of emergency. Raccoon City was officially deemed to have no survivors.

At the same time, similar reports began to emerge from around the globe. No one knew the origin of this purple-hued corruption. It grew from cracks in the earth, spreading through wild animals, then to humans.

August 22.
This was the day Chen Fengling returned to the past. On this day, the government finally revealed to the media that the corruption stemmed from a previously unknown fungus.

However, scientific analysis concluded that it wasn't a fungus at all. Rather, it resembled a virus—yet unlike viruses, it could survive heterotrophically in the natural environment. It could merge into clusters, synthesize corrosive substances and proteins, and function like a living organism.

But by then, it was too late.

The infection—now identified as a corruption virus—had already spread across every corner of the world. Cities were next.

August 25.

Noon.

Inside the Literature Club room, the sun shone brightly, but the air was heavy, like time itself had stalled.

Not long ago, headlines started circulating about a zombie outbreak. Most dismissed it as online sensationalism. But soon after, their phones began ringing with emergency alerts.

They hadn’t even finished listening before the screams started outside.

And then came the howls—inhuman and raw.

“So… it’s really begun.”

Fengling looked out the window. The streets below were in chaos. Students ran in all directions, some stumbling, some trampled. One girl fell and was crushed in the stampede.

Then came the monsters.

Rotten figures with multiple bite marks shambled down the streets, neither fast nor slow, but relentlessly closing in. Some hunched over, chewing on the body of the girl who hadn't escaped in time.

The blood on the ground turned purple.

It shimmered as it absorbed something unseen, feeding into the growth of long, spiked tendrils.

These thorn-like growths were now sprouting all across campus. Many aimless zombies began to cluster around them, impaling themselves onto the spikes. Their bodies twitched, decomposed, and fed the structures, accelerating their growth.

As the zombies decayed, their remains fused into the largest, most bloated cluster—a grotesque mass that seemed to be incubating a new “lifeform.”

The surrounding ground darkened. Even the concrete roads began to rot like aged meat. What had once been lifeless plant-like structures now twitched—mimicking animal behavior.

“What the hell… It’s the end of the world out there,” Tian Bo muttered, stunned.

Outside, the last of the uninfected were gone. The streets below were now ruled by the dead—and by the rapidly spreading grotesque “plants.”

Fengling’s eyes narrowed. Her current abilities weren’t suited for deep detection, but she could still scan her surroundings if she focused. With her eyesight and intuition, she picked up:

• 134 infected.

• 78 F-class Thorn Spikes.

• 98 F-class Corruption Scouts.

• 5 E-class Brood-type infection cores.

According to her past-life knowledge, corrupted monsters were classified from F to SS ranks, across eight levels of threat. Among creatures of the same rank, the power scale went: Titan-Type > Aberration-Type > Beast-Type > Infection-Type.

But that didn’t mean the Infection-Types were weaker. On the contrary—they had the highest potential for growth. One of the strongest she ever encountered was second only to the Evil God’s Projection.

Still, at this stage, the Infection-Types weren’t ready to face human firepower head-on. From what she remembered, not until the Beast-Type creatures arrived did humanity begin to lose major ground. In fact, there was a time when humans even reclaimed parts of lost cities.

The club room was filled with tension.
Ye Xintong had already called the police, but was told to follow school evacuation procedures and wait at the designated shelter.

Before they could reply, the call dropped.

The city's communication towers had been destroyed. Landlines were also dead. Corrupted creatures were highly corrosive to metal. Total communication failure could happen at any moment.

Fengling recalled studying this exact pattern in her past life. Advanced Infection-Types had a rudimentary intelligence. They quickly learned that disabling communications and surveillance made it harder for humans to track them.

Her brow furrowed. The corruption was spreading faster than she remembered. Was it the butterfly effect from her return? Or had she underestimated the outbreak because, last time, she had hidden in the academic building?

Either way, this was worse than expected.

As she thought through her options, she suddenly felt warmth in her hand.

Luo Yuan had taken her hand. He looked scared—but also determined. Misreading her silence for fear, he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

“Don’t be afraid… I’ll protect you.”

Fengling leaned back just slightly, letting him hold her like he was her shelter.

“Okay,” she said in a trembling voice.

Her head rested against his chest, hiding the faint blush and soft smile that had bloomed on her face.

She took a deep breath, soaking in his scent. She wasn’t actually worried about the early stages of the apocalypse. Even without powers, her battle instincts could turn her into a killing machine.

No, the monsters weren’t the real threat—losing this rare moment with Luo Yuan was.

Still, some things had to be done for appearances. Going all-out from the beginning would only stunt her companions' growth and drive a wedge between her and Luo Yuan.

It was better this way. A little lie now—if it was never exposed—wasn’t so different from the truth.

She glanced at her phone. It was just about time.

Right on cue, the school’s PA system crackled to life.

“Students, the Student Council has taken over the broadcast room. Anyone who hears this, please head to the sports field for evacuation! Longcheng has officially been designated a Fallen Zone. The authorities are sending in search and rescue teams to assist with evacuation to safety zones.”

“Other evacuation points will be shared via satellite message. Please remain calm, conserve supplies, and prepare for a long wait. May we survive this together.”

Fengling gently stepped out of Luo Yuan’s embrace and looked at the anxious faces around her.

She couldn’t do too much—intervening openly could disrupt the flow of time.

But even a little guidance could help.

These familiar faces… she didn’t want to lose them all again.