Chapter 1: Rebirth, Seizing the White House

The wilderness was bathed in the fiery glow of sunset.

Jiang Shiyi stood atop a massive tree trunk covered in moss, watching the area ahead.

A round-faced girl stood beside her and asked nervously, 

“Jiang-Jiang, Will a White House really going to appear here?”

A month had passed since the global catastrophe began. The Gray Mist had already appeared, and mutated plants and man-eating beasts were continuously emerging all over the world. Panic had spread everywhere, making it feel as though the apocalypse had arrived.

If they couldn't find a safe place to stay, something would happen to them sooner or later.

Jiang Shiyi's gaze was firm.

“It will.”

And it will happen tonight!

The White House was also known as a safehouse.

Ever since the mysterious Gray Mist brought death and disaster to the world, these miraculous structures had begun appearing in various places.

They were completely white, resembling giant mushrooms emerging from the ground. Their interiors were spacious, while their structures were extraordinarily sturdy. Even a missile strike couldn't damage them, and they could completely block out the poisonous Gray Mist.

Once people discovered the properties of the White Houses, they became highly coveted safe havens that everyone fought over.

No one knew what the White Houses were or how they were formed.

No one could predict when or where one would appear, or how many would emerge.

If Jiang Shiyi hadn't been reborn, she would never have known that a White House would appear here tonight.

In her previous life, she had awakened a special ability. However, because she had been young and naive, she was deceived and recruited by a coalition of several major financial conglomerates.

In the end, she spent twenty-eight years in White House Number Two, living as a slave.

She was forced to use her ability to serve the powerful in exchange for the right to survive inside White House Number Two, barely clinging to life.

Meanwhile, the outside world gradually became a poisonous wasteland under the Gray Mist's relentless invasion.

Those lucky enough to survive developed varying degrees of mutations and had to fight mutated beasts and monstrous vines to the death every day.

Yet the financial conglomerates hid inside the White Houses, indulging in luxury and pleasure. They had developed genetic potions that could mass-produce ability users, completely disregarding the potions' instability.

As a result, the death rate among those who took them reached a staggering seventy percent.

Ordinary people would exhaust everything they had just to obtain a single dose.

Even after the truth was exposed, people still continued lining up to take them.

All for the chance to become an ability user and move into a White House…

Jiang Shiyi had watched the powerful indulge themselves in extravagance, living in luxury and debauchery despite the darkness of the era.

The vast majority of ability users, herself included, had no choice but to risk their lives for them, living under immense oppression.

Because once they were expelled from a White House, even ability users would usually be contaminated by the Gray Mist in the wasteland and eventually die.

Under such extreme depression and despair, Jiang Shiyi finally broke down.

When she opened her eyes again, she had been reborn to the very beginning of the Gray Mist's appearance.

“Jiang-Jiang, thank goodness I have you.”

Leaning against the rough tree trunk, Li Yue said with immense relief,

“At first, I didn't believe you. If you hadn't spent two hours trying to convince me and then practically dragged me out of the house, I would've already been killed by that mutated dog...”

She shuddered.

“After experiencing this terrifying month, I completely believe that the apocalypse is coming.”

Because she, too, had awakened an ability she had never dared to imagine—

Flight.

“You silly girl. We're best friends, aren't we?”

Jiang Shiyi smiled at her only friend.

Li Yue was her neighbor. The two had grown up together, and both came from unfortunate families.

Jiang Shiyi was an orphan who had been adopted by foster parents. But later, her adoptive parents somehow managed to have a child of their own, giving her a younger brother.

From then on, she never received their affection again.

She was only allowed to eat whatever food was left over after everyone else had finished. The clothes she wore were old clothes passed down from her adoptive mother, and they never fit properly.

It wasn't until she was eight years old that Jiang Shiyi tasted a strawberry for the first time.

It was the leftover end of a strawberry her younger brother had eaten.

Jiang Shiyi had cried and complained, but all she received in return were several slaps.

Her adoptive father threatened her, “We don't have that much money! You should be grateful that we took you in and give you enough food to survive. If you don't behave, get out! Some beggar will pick you up, make you his wife, and force you to have seven or eight children!”

From then on, Jiang Shiyi never dared to complain again.

She became increasingly quiet.

Li Yue was half a year younger than Jiang Shiyi. Her parents were her biological parents, but the two had a terrible relationship.

One cheated on the other, while the other was an alcoholic. They got into fights two or three times every week.

Once, when Li Yue was twelve, her father attacked her mother. Li Yue tried to intervene and nearly lost one of her hands.

The two girls were like sisters who had suffered through the same hardships. Only by supporting and encouraging each other could they barely survive in this unfortunate world.

Then the Gray Mist erupted, and the two families were separated...

Thanks to Jiang Shiyi's ability, her adoptive family also managed to move into a White House, and they finally began treating her with some courtesy.

Three years later, she reunited with Li Yue.

Li Yue had also awakened a flight ability and happened to be recruited into White House Number Two, becoming an outdoor combatant who fought mutated beasts.

Later, the higher-ups arranged a marriage for her. She was forced to marry a man with superhuman strength.

When she was four months pregnant, she was forcibly ordered to participate in an outside mission...

And ultimately died a miserable death.

Thinking about her previous life, Jiang Shiyi clenched her fists.

Having been given a second chance, she would seize every advantage and obtain a White House.

Only then could she survive properly in this dangerous world.

The sky gradually darkened.

Although the Gray Mist had yet to spread on a large scale, some plants and animals in the wilderness had already been contaminated, becoming vicious and bloodthirsty.

The wilderness was far more dangerous at night than during the day.

Jiang Shiyi carefully surveyed her surroundings while calculating the time.

Suddenly, the faint sound of footsteps rang out.

A man was running toward them from a distance.

He appeared to be injured, one hand clutching his shoulder as he staggered slightly with every step.

When he raised his head and turned around, Jiang Shiyi caught sight of his resolute, composed face.

His features were sharply defined, and he had a buzz cut. One sleeve of his shirt was torn away, revealing a solid, muscular bicep.

He resembled a cheetah sprinting at full speed, ready to explode into action at any moment.

The man gripped a one-foot-long military knife tightly in his hand before hiding behind the tree where Jiang Shiyi was standing.

Soon, another group appeared.

There were more than a dozen of them, all carrying iron rods and long knives. The burly man leading them even had a hunting rifle in his hands.

Every one of them radiated murderous intent.

“Boss, that guy disappeared!” one of them said.

“He's injured. He couldn't have gotten far. Spread out and search carefully.”

The burly man's face was bruised, one eye swollen shut. He gripped the hunting rifle and laughed viciously.

“Lu Yuan! Come out! Don't think I'll let you off just because the others escaped. Hand over all your supplies and cut off one of your own arms as a sign of submission. Maybe then I'll consider—”

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Several dark shadows suddenly sliced through the air with tremendous force.

Everyone was startled and quickly dodged.

But they were only rocks.

The man instantly rushed out.

His military knife plunged into one man's abdomen. He then reversed his grip and slashed another man's throat before quickly restraining a third, smaller man and pressing the blade against his neck.

The entire sequence of movements was smooth and fluid, like a swimming dragon. The others didn't even have time to react.

“Everyone, stop!”

A deep warning rang out.

The remaining men hurriedly backed away.

What incredible skills!

Jiang Shiyi became even more vigilant.

She gestured for Li Yue to remain silent, and the two simultaneously raised their crossbows, aiming at the people below.

Although the government had been desperately trying to maintain order, unrest continued to spread.

Jiang Shiyi was only twenty years old, but after experiencing the darkness of her previous life, she was no longer the timid and naive girl she had once been.

The White House was about to appear.

If necessary, she wouldn't hesitate to strike.

Suddenly—

Rumble!

The earth began to tremble.

Jiang Shiyi's heart tightened.

She watched as a crack split open across the weed-covered ground.

Something white slowly emerged from beneath the earth.

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