Eclipse of Tomorrow

Chapter 1 Brilliance of Light

"Ladies and gentlemen, today, we are going to review the ninth unit..." JOE lazily lay on his desk, thinking to himself, "The ninth unit? I'd rather see old Mr. Ma take his clothes off and make a fool of himself on the podium."Actually, it's not entirely JOE's fault for feeling this way. Normally, he's a model student, always achieving high grades. It's all because of a dream he had last night. In this dream, he turned into a walking corpse, biting anyone he saw. When he woke up, he had been vomiting for a whole ten minutes.But he couldn't possibly believe in such a ridiculous dream. He had dreamt a thousand or two thousand dreams before, and if he believed in every one of them, he would have been sent to the mental hospital long ago. However, this dream was just a bit eerie. In his dream, Mr. Ma's car had broken down, and he didn't arrive until ten thirty. But today, Mr. Ma arrived at ten thirty-three.Still, this wasn't evidence enough to make him believe in the dream. He had also dreamt that after three days, everyone around him had turned into those biting monsters. But how could he prove that right away?JOE shook his head, trying to clear these messy thoughts from his mind. He thought, "Who knows? But I definitely can't tell anyone about this. Otherwise, they might accuse me of spreading false information even before I turn into a zombie and lock me up in prison." JOE chuckled at his own self-mockery. The school bell rang, signaling the end of the class, and JOE left the classroom."Hey, Fatty! What are you up to? Lovesick?" JOE greeted his roommate, Fatty, with an evil grin as he entered the dorm room. Fatty's real name was Wang Tian, and despite his good name, he had a lecherous look about him."Wow! It's Big Brother Xing!" Fatty's eyes widened with excitement as he rushed toward JOE. "Get away, get away! I don't swing that way," JOE quickly pushed Fatty aside. JOE and Fatty were roommates, and they got along quite well.To be honest, JOE and Fatty only got to know each other because of an argument about their bunk beds back in high school. Fatty threatened to complain to JOE's dad if he didn't give up the top bunk. JOE, who didn't have a dad, didn't care about Fatty's threats and just knocked him out with a single slap. After that, Fatty treated JOE with utmost respect. JOE got into Huaxia University, and Fatty followed suit.After exchanging pleasantries with Fatty, JOE headed to the cafeteria to grab two servings of boxed meals. Unexpectedly, he overheard the cafeteria lady saying, "Hey, have you heard? Someone on the internet is saying that the end of the world is coming, and we should prepare to escape. But the military arrested them. Another crazy person, I tell you." JOE casually replied, "Good thing I didn't say anything." But in the next moment, he froze in shock. "What? Impossible! Besides me, no one knows about that dream! I need to get back to the dorm room right away." He didn't even finish ordering his food; he rushed back to the dorm room.JOE skipped his afternoon classes and spent the whole day lying in bed, his mind in turmoil. "What if the end of the world is really coming? What should I do? Just wait to die? No, that can't be it. It's probably just another crazy person." JOE laughed bitterly at himself. "What am I thinking? Am I mocking myself? But what if I really have to face this? I'll break down!" Suddenly, a voice in his head said, "Host's mental strength has reached the standard. Physical fitness, stamina, strength, agility, speed, and intelligence all meet the criteria. Activate the Light Brain. Welcome to Light Brain 10."JOE was shocked but quickly realized, "Light Brain 10? That means there are numbers 1 to 9 as well?" Light Brain 10 (hereinafter referred to as 10) replied, "Report, Host. There are a total of 100 Light Brains parasitized in beings like the Host."JOE curiously asked, "How do I activate the Light Brain?" 10 answered, "The Light Brain parasitizes in the Host's form and activates automatically when the Host's physical fitness meets the criteria."JOE suddenly felt his brain short-circuiting. "What? What is the use of this Light Brain? What does it have to do with zombies?" 10 replied, "Report, Host. The Light Brain allows the Host to exchange for advanced items and view their own physical attributes and upgrades. As for the Host's second question, the Light Brain is not originally from Earth. When it entered Earth's atmosphere, it carried a large number of viruses. Humans infected with these viruses will turn into the zombies described by the Host. Initially, the virus is not harmful, causing nothing more than a slight fever in infected individuals. The danger lies in the virus's ability to continually mutate based on the infected person's genetics, eventually killing the host. Once the host dies, the virus takes control of the host's body. However, since the host is already dead, only the most primal instinct remains, which is the craving for fresh flesh. At this point, the infected person becomes the Host's described 'zombie.' Due to genetic fusion occurring within the zombie's body, each bite from a zombie can transmit the virus through physical contact. In a few hours, the person bitten will also become a zombie."JOE felt a chill run down his spine and quickly laughed it off. "No way, I can't believe this." He continued, self-deprecatingly, "What am I thinking? If I believe in this, I'll end up in a mental hospital even before I turn into a zombie." JOE laughed at himself and left the classroom as the bell rang."Hey, Fatty! What are you doing? Lovesick?" JOE greeted his roommate with an evil grin as he entered the dorm room. Fatty's real name was Wang Tian, but he had a lecherous look about him."Wow! It's Xing-ge!" Fatty's eyes widened with excitement as he rushed toward JOE. "Go away, go away! I don't swing that way," JOE quickly pushed Fatty aside. JOE and Fatty were roommates, and they got along quite well.To be honest, JOE and Fatty had become friends after an argument about their bunk beds in high school. Fatty had threatened to complain to JOE's dad if he didn't give up the top bunk. Since JOE didn't have a dad and couldn't care less, he simply knocked Fatty out with a single slap. After that, Fatty treated JOE with utmost respect. When JOE got into Huaxia University, Fatty followed suit.After some small talk with Fatty, JOE went to the cafeteria and grabbed two servings of boxed meals. Unexpectedly, he overheard the cafeteria lady saying, "Hey, have you heard? Someone on the internet is claiming that the end of the world is imminent, and we should prepare to escape. But they got arrested by the military. Another lunatic, I tell you." JOE casually replied, "Good thing I didn't say anything." But in the next moment, he froze in shock. "What? Impossible! Besides me, no one knows about that dream! I need to hurry back to the dorm room." He didn't even finish ordering his food; he rushed back to the dorm room.JOE skipped his afternoon classes and spent the whole day lying in bed, his mind in turmoil. "What if the end of the world is really coming? What should I do? Just wait to die? No, that can't be it. It's probably just another crazy person." JOE laughed bitterly at himself. "What am I thinking? Am I mocking myself? But what if I really have to face this? I'll break down!" Suddenly, a voice in his head said, "Host's mental strength has reached the standard. Physical fitness, stamina, strength, agility, speed, and intelligence all meet the criteria. Activate the Light Brain. Welcome to Light Brain 10."JOE was shocked but quickly realized, "Light Brain 10? That means there are numbers 1 to 9 as well?" Light Brain 10 (hereinafter referred to as 10) replied, "Report, Host. There are a total of 100 Light Brains parasitized in beings like the Host."JOE curiously asked, "How do I activate the Light Brain?" 10 answered, "The Light Brain parasitizes in the Host's form and activates automatically when the Host's physical fitness meets the criteria."JOE suddenly felt his brain short-circuiting. "What? What is the use of this Light Brain? What does it have to do with zombies?" 10 replied, "Report, Host. The Light Brain allows the Host to exchange for advanced items and view their own physical attributes and upgrades. As for the Host's second question, the Light Brain is not originally from Earth. When it entered Earth's atmosphere, it carried a large number of viruses. Humans infected with these viruses will turn into the zombies described by the Host. Initially, the virus is not harmful, causing nothing more than a slight fever in infected individuals. The danger lies in the virus's ability to continually mutate based on the infected person's genetics, eventually killing the host. Once the host dies, the virus takes control of the host's body. However, since the host is already dead, only the most primal instinct remains, which is the craving for fresh flesh. At this point, the infected person becomes the Host's described 'zombie.' Due to genetic fusion occurring within the zombie's body, each bite from a zombie can transmit the virus through physical contact. In a few hours, the person bitten will also become a zombie."JOE felt a chill run down his spine and quickly laughed it off. "No way, I can't believe this." He continued, self-deprecatingly, "What am I thinking? If I believe in this, I'll end up in a mental hospital even before I turn into a zombie." JOE laughed at himself and left the classroom as the bell rang."Dear classmates! Today, we are going to review the ninth unit..." Xing Jie lay lazily on the desk, thinking to himself, "The ninth unit? I'd rather see old Ma take off his clothes and make a fool of himself on the podium."In fact, it's not surprising that Xing Jie was feeling this way. Usually, he's a model "three good student." Blame it on the dream he had last night. In that dream, he turned into a walking corpse, biting anyone he saw. So when he woke up, he vomited for a full ten minutes.But he wouldn't believe such a ridiculous dream. He had had thousands of dreams, and if he believed in every one of them, he would have ended up in a mental hospital long ago. However, this dream was a bit eerie. He dreamt that old Ma's car had broken down, and he arrived at ten-thirty. But today, old Ma arrived at ten-thirty-three.But that couldn't be evidence to make him believe in the dream. He had also dreamt that after three days, everyone around him turned into those biting monsters. But how could he prove it immediately?Xing Jie shook his head, trying to clear these chaotic thoughts from his mind. He thought, "Who knows? But I must not tell anyone about this. Otherwise, I might end up in prison on charges of spreading false information even before I turn into a zombie." Xing Jie chuckled self-deprecatingly. At this point, the bell for the end of class rang, and Xing Jie walked out of the classroom."Hey, Fatty! What are you doing? Have you fallen in love?" Xing Jie smiled wickedly at Fatty as he entered the dormitory. "Fatty" was Wang Tian. Despite his good name, he had a lecherous look on his face."Wow, Xing Ge!" Fatty's eyes widened as he saw Xing Jie, and he rushed towards him. "Get away, get away! I don't like guys," Xing Jie quickly pushed Fatty away. Xing Jie and Fatty were roommates, and they got along quite well.To put it simply, Xing Jie and Fatty only got to know each other because of a dispute over their beds in high school. Fatty threatened to report Xing Jie to his father if he didn't give him the top bunk. Xing Jie didn't care to explain that he had no father and simply knocked him out with a slap. From then on, Fatty showed great respect to Xing Jie. When Xing Jie got admitted to Huaxia University, Fatty followed suit.After exchanging pleasantries with Fatty, Xing Jie went to the cafeteria and ordered two servings of takeout. Unexpectedly, he heard the cafeteria lady say, "Hey, did you hear? Someone on the internet is talking about the end of the world, asking us to prepare and escape, and they got caught by the military. Another lunatic."Xing Jie replied casually, "Thank goodness I didn't say anything." In the next moment, he turned to stone. "What? Impossible! Besides me, no one else knows about that dream! I need to get back to the dormitory." He didn't even pick up his food; he went straight back to the dormitory.Xing Jie skipped his afternoon classes, lying in bed all day, with waves of anxiety rising in his heart. "What if it's really the end of the world?" He felt a sense of powerlessness. "Where should I go? Should I just wait to die? No, that can't be it! It's just another lunatic's rant."Xing Jie laughed at himself, "What am I thinking? Am I mocking myself? Am I really going to continue like this? At this rate, I'll break down!" Suddenly, a voice echoed in his mind, "Host's mental power has reached the standard, physical fitness is adequate, endurance is adequate, strength is adequate, agility is adequate, speed is adequate, intelligence is adequate. Activate Light Brain. Welcome to Light Brain 10."Xing Jie was shocked, but he quickly realized, "Light Brain 10? That means there are 1 to 9 as well?" Light Brain 10 (hereinafter referred to as 10) responded, "Reporting to the host, there are a total of 100 Light Brains parasitized on beings like the host."Xing Jie asked curiously, "How do you activate the Light Brain?" 10 replied, "The Light Brain is parasitized in the host's form, and it will automatically activate when the host's physical fitness reaches the standard."Xing Jie suddenly felt a short circuit in his brain, "What? What's the use of the Light Brain? What does it have to do with zombies?" 10 answered, "Reporting to the host, the Light Brain can allow the host to exchange for advanced items and check the host's own physical attributes and level up. As for the host's second question, the Light Brain is not originally from Earth. When it passed through the atmosphere, it carried a large number of viruses. Humans infected with these viruses will become the zombies the host mentioned. Initially, the virus is not harmful, at most causing a slight fever. The terrifying part is that this virus can mutate continuously based on the host's genes, eventually killing the host. After the host's death, the virus controls the host's body. But because the host has already died, the host is left with only the most primitive instinct, which is the craving for fresh flesh and blood. At this point, the host becomes the zombie as mentioned by the host. Since the virus in the zombie's body has undergone genetic fusion, the virus spreads through physical contact. In as little as five hours, the infected person will become a zombie."Xing Jie felt a chill down his spine and quickly asked, "How can I exchange for items?" 10 replied, "The host can obtain points by killing zombies, and these points can be used to exchange for items."Xing Jie wondered, "Okay, show me the exchange panel." He suddenly felt dizzy, and his eyes were spinning. On the big screen, there were several categories: Magic Legend, Technology Weapons, Bloodline Techniques, Daily Supplies.Xing Jie first looked at the Magic Legend category, and the effects were not bad. There were even some items he had never heard of. But the long string of zeros in the price made him feel overwhelmed.Xing Jie quickly looked at the Technology Weapons category, and the prices were acceptable. A nuclear bomb cost only five hundred points. But these weapons required a lot of energy, and a particle cannon cost a thousand points for a single use. Xing Jie couldn't afford to consume such points and quickly closed the panel.Then he looked at the Bloodline Techniques category, and he almost wanted to vomit blood. It wasn't that they were too expensive, but the price difference was too huge. A bottle of Spider-Man bloodline and a bottle of real Death God bloodline had a difference of six zeros. The cheapest one was the Conan bloodline, which only required fifty points. The advantage was that it could speed up thinking, allowing the brain to process a hundred things simultaneously without getting overwhelmed. However, the downside was that it had a diminishing effect on all physical attributes except for mental power and intelligence. The biggest drawback was that it would actually make the host's body shrink. Thinking about himself becoming small and running for his life on the street, chased by zombies, and being caught and devoured, Xing Jie's scalp tingled.Fortunately, bloodlines could be stacked. Imagining having Yao Ming's height, Conan's intelligence, and Spider-Man's skills, Xing Jie couldn't help but smirk. However, he was interrupted when Fatty threw a brick at him and said, "Where did this crow come from? Shut up, I'm telling you!"10 muttered, "⊙﹏⊙b Sweat."Two hours later, Xing Jie woke up and lay on his bed with a wry smile, "I'm still too poor. Forget it, let's eat." But he heard a voice in his mind, "Detected usable energy source, do you want to absorb it?"Xing Jie was puzzled because it sounded like it came from 10. However, he didn't see anything other than the brick. So he ordered, "Absorb!" The brick disappeared, replaced by a message in his mind, "Absorption complete, gained 0.6 points."Xing Jie was baffled, "Bricks can be used as an energy source? What about food?" 10 replied, "Report to the host, energy can be divided into the following types: liquid, such as gasoline, water resources; gas, I do not recommend the host to absorb. Absorbing gas will create a vacuum around the host, making it impossible to breathe. However, when the host becomes an Evolver, the host can attempt to absorb it."Xing Jie asked curiously, "Evolver? What's that?" 10 explained, "An Evolver is one in a million. If the host is infected with the virus and has strong willpower, there is a ten percent chance of becoming an Evolver. Evolvers possess superpowers and strong physical abilities. The host's current physical attributes are no match for a previous Evolver unless a certain condition is met."Xing Jie said, "You mean I can also become an Evolver, right?" 10 replied, "Yes, host. Evolvers have various categories of powers: Elemental, Physical Fitness is the simplest power. More advanced powers include Mental, Special, and Supernatural. Among them, Supernatural powers are the most powerful, but awakening them is the most difficult. Some Supernatural Evolvers even have the ability to make their thoughts come true. However, there is one type of power that can be obtained by special means, such as devouring the abilities of others. For example, swallowing. But these abilities only exist in legends."Xing Jie chuckled, "Forget it, I don't expect to be that lucky. By the way, can I exchange Chinese yuan?" 10 replied, "Host, the currency on the host's planet can be exchanged for ten million units with only 0.5 points."Xing Jie's face lit up, and he quickly said, "Exchange two million for me!" Xing Jie had the money, but after 28 hours, the currency would become worthless, so he didn't want to waste his points.Suddenly, Xing Jie remembered the most important question he had forgotten to ask, "How many days until the end of the world? And bring up my physical attributes panel." In fact, Xing Jie was feeling a bit carefree. He had become a bit stronger, and he was already hoping for the end of humanity. 10 replied, "The host's world will end in 36 hours, which is the day after tomorrow at midnight. As for the host's physical attributes panel, here it is: Name: Xing Jie, Age: 18, Physical attributes are as follows: Strength 15, Agility 16, Speed 16, Mental 18, Endurance 14, Stamina 15, Intelligence 18, Combat Rating Evaluation: G-, Personality Evaluation: Arrogant, Disrespectful, Immature, Inexperienced, Unambitious, Martial Enthusiast. Proficient in fighting, D Electronic games, D-. Potential Evaluation: SSS+."Xing Jie's eyes nearly popped out as he read it, "What? A martial enthusiast? That's impossible! 10, show me the physical attributes of an ordinary adult!" 10 responded, "The data for an ordinary adult is: Strength 18-20, Agility 17-19, Speed 19-21, Mental 15-17, Endurance 18-19, Stamina 18-20, Intelligence 16-19."Xing Jie, after reading it, couldn't help but swear, "Damn! You mean, except for slightly higher intelligence and mental strength, I have no advantages? Wait a minute, SSS+ potential? 10, are you sure there's no mistake?" 10 replied, "Reporting to the host, the system is functioning normally without any loopholes." Xing Jie was puzzled, "What? This can't be!"