Natural Disaster: Back to the End of the World

Part 4

Yao Ziqing woke up according to his biological clock. Seeing the dim light outside, he thought it was still early.

He checked his phone and saw it was already time for his usual morning run.

Still feeling half-asleep, he slowly got out of bed and stared out the window, noting that it looked like it might rain soon.

He rubbed his face to wake himself up more and then got out of bed. Moving quietly, he went to the bathroom to wash up. Looking in the mirror, he touched his skin and wondered if his improved routine recently had made his skin look better.

Seeing that his three roommates were still asleep, he quietly left for his morning exercise. After over half a month of adapting, although he still breathed heavily after a run, it was no longer as unbearable as at the start. At least he could complete the run without needing to stop for breaks.

Since classes at university started later, there were hardly any people on the track at around six o'clock, and the campus seemed unusually quiet.

Today, Yao Ziqing felt unusually heavy-footed. The morning mist made it hard for him to breathe.

Suddenly, Yao Ziqing stopped in his tracks. Standing on the track, he watched the thin but visible morning mist around him. His heart was racing so violently it felt painful, and a chill surged from his feet up to his head.

His body, once hot from running, instantly felt cold, and even his fingertips were icy.

He fought to calm his panic and slowly walked back to his dorm.

In his confusion, Yao Ziqing didn't notice the faint white mist swirling around him, which was gradually being absorbed by the ring on his left hand's index finger.

Back in the dorm, Yao Ziqing sat on his bed, closed his eyes, and shivered slightly.

He forced himself to calm down. Even if his rebirth meant some things might not go as planned, he couldn't cause a disaster on his own.

His mind was filled with panic, and the possibility of an early disaster was fraying his already tense nerves.

The disaster he remembered had started with a thick fog, and the morning's discovery only heightened his fear.

He hadn't had time to prepare more supplies for his family yet.

Spinning the ring on his left thumb, Yao Ziqing gradually regained his composure.

Even if the disaster came earlier, he was not entirely unprepared.

Even though the ring was currently empty, he could still gather more things in the chaos.

However, this increased the risk of being discovered.

Opening his eyes and looking at the ring, Yao Ziqing's expression shifted from panic to determination.

He had prepared for the worst, and now he could only respond to changes as they came.

He lay back on his bed and pulled the covers over himself.

The darkness and the blanket provided a sense of security.

Yao Ziqing curled up and hugged his knees.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but eventually, the sound of movement in the dorm indicated his roommates were waking up.

Cheng Tao was surprised to see a lump under Yao Ziqing's covers and noticed that the sky outside was getting darker. He thought Yao Ziqing might have skipped his run due to the rain and felt a bit relieved. He got out of bed to brush his teeth and wash his face.