07: Prologue

Only five minutes remained.

Qin Xiaofan hoisted the coffin onto his shoulder and arrived at their chosen spot. The earth here was tough and unyielding, impossible even for giant earthworms to burrow through—making it the ideal place for a “burial.”

By now, Xiaoyan had already made a rough outline of a pit. Qin Xiaofan seized the shovel and, as if possessed, dug a pit over a meter deep at breakneck speed. Without hesitation, he tossed the “coffin” into the hole, then leapt in himself and lay down inside.

Xiaoyan stood at the edge, staring in stunned disbelief. “Fan, what… what on earth are you doing?”

Three minutes remained.

Qin Xiaofan sat up, brows knitted tightly, and pondered for ten seconds. Then he looked at Xiaoyan and spoke:

“I know your head is full of questions right now. But I truly have no time to explain, nor could I make it clear if I tried. From this moment on, you must listen to me—seriously, without a hint of doubt.”

His tone was grave, his expression more serious than Xiaoyan had ever seen.

It felt as though Qin Xiaofan were engaged in some matter of life and death. And so he was.

Qin Xiaofan continued: “In about two minutes, I’ll fall into a deep sleep. I won’t wake for seven days. For safety’s sake, I need you to bury me here.”

The words made Xiaoyan’s mind buzz, his face contorting into an awkward, tearful smile. “Fan… please, don’t joke around. This really isn’t funny.”

Qin Xiaofan’s cold gaze was all the reply he offered. Gone was the cheerful, joking youth; in this moment, he seemed an entirely different man—dignified, resolute. His solemnity brooked no doubt.

It was as if a bomb had exploded in Xiaoyan’s mind. He collapsed onto the ground, numb and blank.

Qin Xiaofan stood up and retrieved a metal flask from Xiaoyan’s belongings—the one Xiaoyan had dug up the day before.

“You know as well as I do: this world is no longer safe. Alone, you’ll struggle to survive. I regret not killing that blond punk—if he comes back, you’re finished.”

He sliced open his own palm with the butcher’s knife, letting the blood flow into the flask. Then he set both the flask and the knife beside Xiaoyan.

“If you find a statue with a single stripe, use my blood to awaken him. It might improve your odds of survival. But remember—above all—never tell anyone this is my blood, and never let anyone know I’m buried here.”

Xiaoyan could only stare, lost and helpless.

“You’re the only person I can trust now.” Qin Xiaofan gripped Xiaoyan’s shoulders, his gaze shining with an otherworldly brilliance.

“Huohuo, answer me honestly. Can I trust you?”

It felt as if a mountain had crashed down on Xiaoyan’s shoulders, shattering all his doubts and resistance. His vacant eyes gradually cleared, then filled with determination. Under Qin Xiaofan’s steady gaze, he nodded heavily.

“Trust me!” he said, though it all seemed utterly absurd. Yet Qin Xiaofan was right—in this world, they were each other’s only allies.

Qin Xiaofan smiled, winking mischievously, as if the old, carefree youth had returned. He raised his fist and gently thumped Xiaoyan’s chest.

“Whatever happens… you must survive.”

With those words, Qin Xiaofan fell back into the “coffin.” Xiaoyan remained slumped on the ground, dazed and overwhelmed.

What kind of world was this? Could things possibly get any more bizarre?

He stared at the slumbering Qin Xiaofan for two long minutes before finally rising and placing the lid over the coffin.

“Fan, you’d better wake up in seven days…” he prayed softly.

Then, bit by bit, he shoveled earth into the pit. Nearly an hour passed before the grave was filled. Under the setting sun, sweat streamed down his face as he stomped the loose soil firm over Qin Xiaofan’s resting place.

At last, he picked up the butcher’s knife and the metal flask, glancing back every few steps as he left.

He still needed to deal with those giant eels—maybe he could turn them into jerky…

The wind carried pale sunlight as time raced onward, never pausing. After a light rain, weeds sprouted over Qin Xiaofan’s grave. But beneath the earth, a different scene unfolded: Qin Xiaofan’s body shimmered with a profound radiance, a mighty force coursing within him, full of mystery and wonder.

…

Date: September 1, 2010.
Location: A rented room.

On the cold bed, Qin Xiaofan slowly opened his eyes. The first thing he saw was a patch of moldy black stains on the ceiling. Turning his head, he spotted a calligraphy scroll on the wall: “Do not let the times forge your sorrow.”

Qin Xiaofan had always liked that phrase. He vaguely remembered buying the scroll for twenty yuan at his school gate.

He sat up slowly. The sparse furnishings were painfully familiar, everything from top to bottom shouting poverty.

He sat motionless for a long time, then walked to the window, gazing at the bustling world outside, falling into deep silence.

“So… the whole thing about humanity turning to stone—was it nothing but an incredibly vivid dream?”

He raked his fingers through his hair. But that dream had felt so real.

No…

Suddenly, Qin Xiaofan noticed something. In the dim room, he saw wisps of white light continuously streaming into his body—this was no illusion!

His heart pounded wildly. He called out for the system, and instantly, a system panel appeared before his eyes:

Host: Qin Xiaofan
Level: Unknown
Skills: None
Equipment: None
Points: 300
Mission: Witness the dawn of the Era of Abilities. Mission duration: seven days.

Below the panel were three prompts:

Prompt 1: The current world is a mirror world.
Prompt 2: Your equipment has not disappeared, but cannot follow your consciousness into this world.
Prompt 3: The current time is September 1, 2010. The time node marks the prologue to the Era of Abilities.

Qin Xiaofan was dumbfounded.

“So… the petrification of all humanity was real? And now my consciousness is merely in a mirror world?”

It was absurd!

But Qin Xiaofan quickly regained his composure. As far-fetched as it seemed, he had to accept it. What should he do now?

His mission was to witness the beginning of the Era of Abilities. Perhaps he could search online for news about ability users?

He turned on his computer, only to discover the landlord had long since cut off his internet. His phone, too, was out of service.

After a moment’s thought, he donned a mask and hurried downstairs.

Standing at the street corner, taking in the modern world, Qin Xiaofan felt as though he’d been transported to another age. The streets were sparsely populated; because of the virus, everyone wore masks. Who would have thought, just a few years ago, that masks would ever sell out?

Yet what no one realized was—

This virus would become the prologue to a new era.

ps: This plot arc lasts just two chapters; the main focus of this novel is the world after humanity’s petrification.

[This novel is set in a fictional parallel world; everything within is pure fantasy.]