Urban Powers After the Apocalypse

The somber night sky, devoid of stars and moonlight, echoed with the chime of the city's central clock striking eight. A biting winter wind swept across the desolate wasteland, rustling the withered wild grass with a mournful wail, as if countless vengeful spirits were lamenting in sorrow.

A nameless oppression and fear coiled around Xu Mo's heart. He wasn't sure whether he should believe his own eyes, but one thing was certain—he would rather turn back and face the ruthless gang members of the Southern City Gang than linger in this eerie wasteland for even a second longer!

"Damn it! You really think you can outrun us? Where the hell do you think you're going?!"

Over a dozen gang members had already caught up. They hadn't witnessed the terrifying scene that had just unfolded on the wasteland, so upon seeing Xu Mo standing there in a daze, they rushed forward without hesitation, ready to teach him a lesson with their weapons.

A steel pipe whistled through the air, aiming straight for the back of Xu Mo's head. He barely managed to raise his right hand in time to block the lethal strike, but he couldn't evade the powerful kick that followed. Pain exploded in his abdomen as he staggered backward from the force—until his foot suddenly slipped.

He toppled over—right into the restricted zone.

In an instant, under the watchful eyes of the gang members, Xu Mo inexplicably vanished into thin air.

"What the fuck?! What kind of magic trick is that? I don't believe he could just disappear right in front of all of us!"

Humans tend to reject anything beyond their understanding unless they experience it firsthand. Two of the more fearless gang members refused to accept what they had just seen and, without hesitation, stepped over the boundary line.

And then, just like Xu Mo, they vanished before everyone's eyes.

A collective gasp filled the air. A shiver ran through the remaining gang members, and those who had heard rumors about this wasteland suddenly felt cold sweat trickle down their backs.

"What do we do now, Brother Xing?" one of them asked hesitantly.

Xing gritted his teeth, then waved his hand. "We're heading back! Report this to the boss exactly as it happened. There were too many witnesses—he'll have to believe us!"

The pale moonlight bathed the hillside in a silver glow, casting long shadows over the wild grass. A crow perched on a withered tree flapped its black wings and let out a piercing caw, its sound echoing through the silent valley and fading into the distance.

"…Where am I?"

Xu Mo pushed himself up from the ground, brushing dirt off his clothes. He looked around at the eerily tranquil valley, a place that didn't seem to belong anywhere within Shangcheng City.

The transition had happened the moment he fell—without any sense of distortion or the nausea that often accompanied spatial teleportation. One second, he was in a dark, oppressive wasteland; the next, he was in this moonlit valley. It was as seamless as a film cut between two scenes, making him momentarily doubt if it was all just an illusion.

But the damp earth beneath him, the crisp night breeze brushing against his skin—every scent and sensation confirmed that this was real.

How did he suddenly end up here? Could this have something to do with the mysterious disappearance of those soldiers?

Xu Mo turned and retraced his steps a few paces, but the scenery remained unchanged. No matter which direction he walked, he was still trapped within the valley. It was clear now—he had been transported here in a one-way transfer. Returning the way he came was no longer an option.

He exhaled, forcing himself to stay calm. Dimensional shifts were rare, but at least they were within the realm of scientific possibility. As long as this wasn't some inexplicable supernatural event, he could deal with it. Those were true dead ends.

Too bad his phone was dead—otherwise, a quick call to customer service could at least give him a rough idea of his location.

Xu Mo realized that ever since he had obtained the Doomsday Fragment, his nerves had become unnaturally resilient. Situations that might have driven an ordinary person to the brink of insanity, he was able to accept with eerie composure. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

The valley stretched along what appeared to be a long-dried riverbed. The flat bottom was littered with scattered stones and patches of wild grass, while the riverbanks on either side were overgrown with dense, gnarled trees, their tangled branches forming a shadowy thicket that swallowed light. Visibility was barely five meters ahead.

Though the moon above was bright, the valley remained shrouded in darkness. Xu Mo raised his left hand, activating his silver half-mask with a swipe. A faint green glow flickered across the surface as the mask settled onto his face, instantly enhancing his vision.

He sucked in a sharp breath.

Now that he could see clearly, the full horror of the valley was laid bare before him.

Scattered across the vast, winding expanse were countless bones—some human, some… unidentifiable. In some areas, entire corpses lay exposed, their decayed remains left to rot under the open sky. Others had been hastily buried under a thin layer of soil, only to have the wind uncover grotesque, half-decomposed limbs.

This wasn't just a valley.

It was a mass grave.

Lacking a better sense of direction, Xu Mo picked a path and started walking along the valley floor. To his surprise, the valley twisted and turned endlessly, seemingly without an exit. No matter how far he walked, he encountered nothing but more wild grass, stones, and scattered remains.

Stranger still, for miles, he hadn't seen a single living creature. No animals. Not even insects.

Only one thing moved in this valley.

A single crow.

From the moment he arrived, it had been following him, occasionally letting out ear-piercing caws, its presence adding to the already eerie atmosphere.

BANG!

A burst of black feathers scattered through the air as Xu Mo fired a shot. The crow's grating cries were silenced.

"There. Now it's finally quiet…" Xu Mo muttered, blowing on the barrel of his gun. That damn bird had been getting on his nerves.

He walked over to where the crow had perched, but to his surprise, there was nothing beneath the tree except a pile of jet-black feathers. The crow's body was nowhere to be seen.

No… he had never seen its body at all.

The instant he fired, all he had witnessed was an explosion of feathers.

BANG! TAT-TAT-TAT!

Gunfire erupted in the distance. Not just a single shot—multiple weapons were being fired.

Xu Mo's eyes sharpened. The only people who had disappeared into this space before him were the soldiers and the researchers. Without hesitation, he turned and sprinted toward the gunfire.

But after only a few steps, he suddenly halted.

A chilling realization dawned on him.

If this valley was devoid of any living creatures…

Then what exactly were those soldiers shooting at?

Xu Mo's grip on his USP tightened. Slowing his pace, he advanced cautiously, his eyes sweeping every shadow with the enhanced vision of his mask. He adjusted his scope, magnifying the distance to ensure nothing escaped his sight.

The distinctive bursts of the QBZ-95 assault rifles were getting louder. Around the next bend, he caught glimpses of muzzle flashes illuminating the valley.

Then—

A terrified scream pierced the air.

A moment later, a young man in a black jacket stumbled out from the bend, his face contorted in sheer horror. His clothes were splattered with fresh blood. As he ran, he kept glancing over his shoulder, as if something unspeakable was chasing him.

Xu Mo recognized him—a member of the Southern City Gang. But what could possibly terrify a hardened gangster to such an extent?

He didn't have to wonder for long.

Through his enhanced vision, he saw them.

A white, skeletal army, relentlessly pursuing the fleeing man.

Over a dozen humanoid figures—composed of nothing but gleaming, deathly bones.

"What the hell…? Are we filming a movie here?" Xu Mo muttered, his voice dry. "Is this… the rise of the undead? A necromancer's apocalypse?"

Despite all his mental preparation for this strange realm, seeing real-life skeletal warriors marching toward him still nearly made him bite his tongue in shock.