The explosion was so close that Mike felt as though his very soul had been jolted from his body. Lin Yue was instantly alert, her senses sharp and her posture rigid.
"What happened?" she demanded, her voice tense with urgency.
Mike scrambled to his feet and rushed to the window, his heart pounding. A red glow painted his face as he stared, stunned. Across the street, a massive fire raged, flames licking the sky.
The explosion had sparked the inferno. The fire was spreading fast, its heat relentless. Buildings were being consumed in its wake, the flames surging like deadly serpents, devouring everything in their path.
A residential building was completely engulfed. The windows exploded outward as people, abruptly torn from their sleep, screamed for help. Their desperate cries mingled with the roar of the flames.
Mike's breath hitched. He saw someone leap from a high floor, trying to escape the blaze, only to be consumed mid-air. Others, trapped in their rooms, were helpless, writhing on the floor, their screams drowned out by the crackling of the fire.
It was a devastating reminder of human fragility.
"This... this is a massive fire!" Mike gasped, his body frozen as he took in the chaos. The inferno was only a street away, and it was spreading with frightening speed.
Their building wouldn't be safe for much longer.
With the entire city in turmoil and its infrastructure in ruins, no one would be able to stop the fire. Within hours, it could reach their shelter, and within days, it might engulf half of the city.
Jinling could be reduced to ashes by this inferno.
As the fire spread, panic erupted in the city's chat channel, already filled with despair.
"It's over! We're finished! The fire is right next to me, and it's coming closer!"
"Help! Somebody, please help me! I'm trapped in the fire!"
"I'm close by. Must've been a gas leak explosion. We're all doomed. Who's going to stop this fire?"
"Ice Water Guy! We need Ice Water Guy to step up!"
"Don't waste your time. You think Ice Water has enough water to stop a fire this big? Wake up!"
The chat was a storm of fear and hopelessness, with each message more frantic than the last.
Mike's face darkened. He knew this was an almost impossible situation.
"We need to leave, now," Lin Yue said, her voice heavy with urgency. "This fire will wipe out the city. It'll reach us in two hours at most. We don't have much time."
"Is leaving the only option?" Mike clenched his fist, conflicted.
This was the apocalypse. Where could they run?
If their shelter was destroyed, would his talent still work? Without it, how would they survive?
Even with supplies and Lin Yue's combat skills, how long could they last?
After surviving one apocalypse, wouldn't more be inevitable?
Mike had many concerns, but deep down, he knew Lin Yue was right. If they didn't prepare now, there would be no escape later.
"Wait…" Lin Yue's voice cut through his thoughts, her expression confused. "The fire… it looks like it's stopped spreading."
"Hm?" Mike turned his gaze back to the flames outside, narrowing his eyes. To his shock, the fire had indeed stopped.
After twenty minutes, Mike confirmed that the fire wasn't expanding any further. It had stayed contained within a small radius—around 800 meters—devouring two buildings and the area around them. The flames had ceased climbing, leaving the structures beyond untouched.
The air was heavy with heat, temperatures near the fire soaring from 600 to 2000 degrees Celsius, yet the plants and buildings nearby remained undisturbed.
"That's strange," Mike muttered, furrowing his brow as he tried to make sense of what was happening.
It wasn't just Mike who was puzzled. The city's chat channel buzzed as others noticed the same thing and began speculating.
Some of the luckier survivors, closer to the fire, breathed sighs of relief as they realized they were safe. They posted live updates about the fire, but amid the chaos, no one could help the lives already lost.
Half an hour later, the agonizing screams from the burning buildings stopped completely. The last survivors had perished in the flames.
By midnight, the roaring inferno had died down, leaving only a few smoldering piles of rubble. Within ten minutes, the flames had vanished entirely, leaving behind thick black smoke rising from the wreckage.
"This fire… it burned so strangely," Mike whispered, still trying to process what had just occurred. "And now it's gone just as weirdly."
As the last ember fizzled out, a cold, mechanical voice echoed across the city.
[City-wide Announcement!]
The first regional post-apocalyptic Derivative Disaster has occurred!
The "Derivative Disaster" module is now officially activated!
At any location, at any time, "Derivative Disasters" may strike globally, based on the type of apocalypse currently in effect.
Derivative Disasters will not affect life or objects outside the designated area. Some may show signs, and some will provide early warnings.
Any shelter that survives a Derivative Disaster will earn significant apocalypse survival points. If a shelter fails to survive, it will be destroyed.
The announcement sent shockwaves through the city, and the realization spread quickly.
"It's like a game now. Random events are starting to happen," Mike muttered to himself, his mind racing. He suspected the Derivative Disaster was some kind of random catastrophic event tied to real-world disasters.
The downside was that these events were incredibly destructive, capable of overwhelming even the most prepared shelters.
The upside? They wouldn't affect everything. They'd only impact a specific area.
"If I run into a Derivative Disaster at this stage…" Mike thought grimly, "I'm as good as dead."
As Mike absorbed the announcement, he heard voices upstairs.
"Big Brother, that fire… it burned weird. Do you think this is some kind of disaster? We're not going to have a fire here, right?"
"Don't worry. The second-floor apartment is solid. A fire like that can't reach us!"
"Yeah, yeah, we're unbeatable together, haha!"
It was Li Ge's group. They must have returned at some point. From the sounds of it, they were on the top floor.
Mike quietly moved toward the curtain, carefully closing the gap, making sure not to alert them to his presence.
Lin Yue, who had been about to speak, stopped when Mike gestured for silence.
"Let's sleep," Mike mouthed. "We'll talk tomorrow."
Lin Yue nodded silently, her face set in a serious expression. She understood the danger upstairs. Quietly, she returned to adjusting the traps at the door.
Mike took a thin blanket from the cupboard and laid it out on the sofa, making a simple bed for Lin Yue. He then moved the cooler closer to her. Its cool air was a welcome relief against the heat.
The cooler didn't need electricity and constantly released cold air, so Mike used it like an air conditioner to lower the room temperature. It was the only way they could both sleep without being overwhelmed by the heat.
Once everything was set, Mike lay down and closed his eyes. For the first time in days, he fell into a deep, steady sleep.
Perhaps it was because Lin Yue was there, guarding him, but Mike slept more soundly than usual.
At 11 AM the next day, Lin Yue carefully woke him.
"Sir, I hear movement outside. It seems like the people upstairs have gone down to scavenge for supplies."
"In the morning, it sounds like they killed someone on the top floor. I think it was an elderly person."
Lin Yue's eyes burned with quiet fury as she spoke.
Mike rubbed his groggy head and waved a dismissive hand. "Forget about them. We need to focus on protecting ourselves."
"Understood, Sir. Do you want me to go out on another exploration today?"
"Our supplies are still lacking. Since they've gone out, it might be safe for me to explore without worrying about your safety."
"Wait a little longer," Mike declined.
He was waiting—for the third talent reward.
After a simple meal, they settled into their routine, and time passed quickly. By noon, the familiar chime of a notification sounded.