Doomsday came, I awakened as an Evolver, and absorbing crystal cores is my unique way to evolve.

A sudden, unknown X-virus swept across the globe right after a torrential downpour, shattering everyone’s peaceful life. Extremely contagious, the virus constantly assimilates human body cells. Infected patients suffer from persistent high fevers, with the fatality rate skyrocketing exponentially. All countries immediately imposed lockdown measures; factories shut down, traffic came to a halt, and panic spread in an instant. On the eve of the city lockdown, Xiao Kai from Linhai City finished his overtime work and rushed to join the frantic crowd scrambling for supplies. A jin of vermicelli soared to 50 yuan. Daily necessities that usually cost over a hundred yuan nearly drained his life savings. Pharmacies were packed to the brim with empty shelves left. People had to fight tooth and nail for every single item. He took strict protective measures, walked an hour back to his rental apartment with the supplies, then disinfected, cleaned up and isolated himself—yet he could not escape the twist of fate. Throughout the night of his isolation, the wailing sirens of ambulances never ceased, a grim omen of more infections to come. At noon the next day, Xiao Kai was plagued by body aches and dizziness. The glaring 38.1°C on the thermometer plunged him into icy despair. He had taken every possible precaution, yet still fell victim to the X-virus. Prices went haywire, cities were sealed off, and the virus ran rampant as the number of infected grew by the day. An unnamed dread loomed over everyone. Xiao Kai knew full well that the doomsday crisis had only just begun. By accidentally swallowing a crystal core, he awakened as an Evolver. Armed with a steel blade, he embarked on an involuntary journey of survival in the end times—evolving by consuming crystal cores, defending himself with his blade, and struggling onward amid the trials of the virus and human nature.