C2 The Second Chapter

The apocalypse was upon us.

"What are you?" Lee Yuanhong's face was a picture of confusion.

"How dare you refer to your lifesaver as a 'thing'?" huffed the little sprite, her cheeks ballooning in indignation.

"My lifesaver?" Lee Yuanhong's confusion deepened. When had his life been in danger?

"You were struck by lightning last night, don't you remember? If I hadn't absorbed most of the lightning's energy, you'd be dead by now."

"Absorbed energy? Struck by lightning? No way, I can't believe I'm that unlucky. I guess I need to get a protective amulet from the temple." After finishing his thought, Lee Yuanhong made the sign of the cross over his chest.

Then it dawned on Lee Yuanhong, and he asked, "So who are you, and why are you here?"

With a world-weary sigh, the little sprite lamented, "It's a long tale. I hail from Planet R. My master expended his final strength to send me through a space-time tunnel to this place. And then, by some misfortune, I was found by you, sir. Worse still, I've been bound to you. Oh, the trials of my existence!"

"Alien? Space-time tunnel? Master? Bound? What in the world are you talking about?" Lee Yuanhong's brow furrowed even tighter.

The little sprite, losing patience, waved her tiny hands dismissively. "Never mind all that gibberish for now. Just put on your clothes. It's embarrassing, standing there in the buff in front of this unbeatable beauty. You'll scare off any potential girlfriends! Besides, there's something important we need to discuss."

"I am wearing shorts! And how do you know I don't have a girlfriend?" Despite his head swimming with questions, Lee Yuanhong quickly got to his feet and pulled a set of sportswear from his wardrobe.

Once dressed, Lee Yuanhong took a seat at his computer desk and faced the little sprite. "Alright, Yiling, what's this important matter?"

Puffing up with importance, the sprite corrected him, "First off, I'm not a 'little fairy'; my name is Yiling. Secondly, the end of the world is nigh."

"Spirit? So you are a ghost."

"I'm no ghost. I'm Yiling, as in 'Yiling' from the phrase 'a bird leaning on a person,' and 'Ling' as in 'clever spirit.' Got it?" Yiling declared, cheeks puffed with exasperation.

"Okay, if it's Yiling, then it's Yiling. But what's this about an apocalypse?"

"My home, Planet R, is under siege by a Necromancer who's unleashed a zombie virus, contaminating nearly the entire planet. Now, Earth is next in line for this pollution."

"An apocalypse? Like the virus from Resident Evil?"

"Exactly, though it's not an exact match. The virus you're calling 'biochemical' is primitive compared to the zombie virus. This one accelerates zombie evolution, even creating intelligent zombies. Once they hit level 10 or higher, they gain smarts—a million times more formidable than those mindless creatures spawned by your biochemical virus."

"Zombies that evolve? How's anyone supposed to survive? Earth's doomed."

"Not necessarily. Zombies' brains generate something called a Crystal Core, packed with energy that can also evolve regular humans. Enough about that, though. Here's a survival guide I've put together for you. It lists zombie levels and includes essential survival tips. Feeling more confident now?" Yiling said, her head held high with pride as she gazed at Lee Yuanhong.

"Yeah, I'm feeling confident," Lee Yuanhong responded, his voice betraying his uncertainty. "But how do I access this survival manual?"

"Just tap the horizontal bar on the watch, and the display screen will pop up. It's got a variety of menus and functions. Then select 'Information,' and you'll find the survival manual. Simple, right?" Yiling said, flipping her long golden hair.

Lee Yuanhong then took a closer look at his watch. Besides the time, the display showed three horizontal bars, a circle, and a triangle icon—reminiscent of smartphone icons. He tapped the icon with the three bars, and a virtual display, much like a computer screen, materialized above his watch. He navigated to the survival manual Yiling had mentioned and opened it.