Chapter 3

### Chapter 3: The Dark Age

Long lines formed at the ATMs, supermarkets were packed, and gas stations were crowded with people trying to fill up their tanks. A large number of police appeared on the streets, and the city's order was barely maintained. If the sun did not cause any more issues, the relevant departments were confident they could maintain a harmonious and stable situation.

Unfortunately, things did not go as planned. On the third day, the 24th, which was morning in the United States and evening in China, the sun disappeared again, this time for a full hour. This disappearance caused significant chaos, with crime rates skyrocketing. Some people who had not initially believed in the end of the world were shocked and rushed out to buy supplies, but by then, no stores were open. The supermarket and mall employees were also people, and they had already fallen into chaos.

Unable to buy anything, people resorted to robbing stores. Cash could no longer be withdrawn from banks, and all POS machines and banks were closed. The entire world fell into extreme chaos and paralysis.

At 24:00 on the 24th, Chu Yunsheng heard gunshots—real gunshots!—and the rumbling of tanks. The military had entered the city!

The situation was nearly out of control. The government ultimately resorted to military force. Neat rows of tanks and armored vehicles slowly rolled through the city, and after warning shots were fired, those who tried to resist the military were shot dead. Bloodshed continued to occur around the world, and no one cared anymore. Only the government's TV and radio stations were still urging the public to remain calm and restrained.

When Chu Yunsheng rented his apartment, he considered the possibility of the military's involvement in severe situations. Therefore, he specifically rented a place near the government officials' compound and the neighborhoods of the powerful and wealthy. He did not dare to rent directly in those areas because he thought that after the military took over, they would likely clear and verify the key protected neighborhoods. Someone like him, who had stored so much food, might be considered a speculator and be arrested.

So, he only dared to rent nearby, where he could still receive some protection from the military, but not as strictly. Through the window, he could see soldiers patrolling with assault rifles, which gave him a sense of security.

On the 23rd, after his phone call with Yu Xiaohai, Chu Yunsheng made several more calls to his relatives and classmates. The signal was intermittent, but he managed to tell them to be extra cautious and stock up on supplies, and even to come to his place if they were in danger.

However, it was now almost impossible. The military had taken over the city, implemented a city-wide curfew, and stationed military and police in every neighborhood. All necessary supplies were delivered by the military, and residents were ordered to stay at home and not leave until the situation stabilized.

But the situation did not develop as the government hoped.

On the 25th, the sun disappeared for 2 hours!

On the 26th, the sun disappeared for 4 hours!

On the 27th, the sun disappeared for 10 hours!

Darkness! Darkness! Global crisis!

On the 28th, the world finally fell into complete darkness, with no time zone seeing the sun!

On December 28th, one hour before the sun disappeared, with good global signals, the President of the United States gave his final speech in front of the White House: "…Satan has been resurrected on Earth, and humanity will be tested by God. From now on, we will enter the Dark Age. Only those who yearn for light, freedom, and brotherhood will ultimately emerge from the darkness and return to God…"

Date: December 28, 2012

The world fell into darkness, with an unknown duration!

Chu Yunsheng sat dumbfounded by the window. Although he had long predicted this day, when it actually happened, he still felt a primal fear. The world had changed, the rules had changed, everything had changed. What would the future hold? A new era was about to begin, and everything was unknown, not to mention the powerful creatures from other dimensions that could appear at any time. All disasters were just beginning!

The only thing that gave Chu Yunsheng some comfort was that his qi cultivation had finally shown some success today. He could sense the vast qi of the universe, allowing him to勉强炼化一些元气进入体内。

This bit of qi was not enough for him to create a talisman, and he needed to continue his qi cultivation. With all communications cut off, the soldiers outside could only use loudspeakers to communicate with the residents.

He went down to collect the rations distributed by the military every day, even though he did not need them. He was afraid the soldiers would discover the unusual situation in his home. On his way back, he heard from the experts upstairs that several places had experienced riots. The residents, confined to their homes, could not bear the atmosphere of the end of the world and had clashed violently with the local military, resulting in many deaths. There were even reports of panic within the military.

Chu Yunsheng decided to stay at home, go down to collect rations on time, and not move around recklessly. He still lacked the ability to protect himself, and he did not know the power of his only Fire Talisman.

Time passed in this eerie atmosphere. The weather outside grew colder, and heavy snow began to fall. The experts upstairs said that an ice age might be approaching.

Chu Yunsheng, wearing a thick down jacket, sat on his bed. It was the 5th day of the Dark Age, and he had managed to accumulate enough qi to create a low-level talisman.

Regarding talisman creation, he had long analyzed two paths. One was a combat-oriented path. As his fourth-dimensional consciousness became clearer, he increasingly felt the approaching celestial tracks of the other dimensions through the ancient book. The danger was growing, and he needed to create a defensive and physical enhancement talisman, a Fire Soldier Talisman to modify a handgun, and a Divine Weapon Talisman for a long sword.

With his abilities, he estimated that in the limited time before the celestial tracks of the other dimensions overlapped with Earth, he could only cultivate enough qi to create three such low-level talismans.

The other path, which Chu Yunsheng considered more conservative, involved creating a Fire Soldier Talisman to modify a handgun to use the power of the universe, and a Storage Talisman to store all the supplies he had accumulated over the past three months.

The Storage Talisman was slightly higher in grade than other talismans. If he created the Fire Soldier Talisman first and then the Storage Talisman, the time left before the celestial tracks approached would be very short. In that case, he would have to rely entirely on the handgun for protection, significantly increasing the risk.

Chu Yunsheng began to struggle with this decision. On one hand, he feared death, and on the other, he increasingly realized that he could not stay in these two apartments for long. He might soon be on the run, making supplies extremely important.

As he touched the ancient book again, he made his decision. Chu Yunsheng knew his talent was ordinary. Without the ancient book, he would be just like any other powerless person. Only those with exceptional talent, as described in the ancient book, could automatically awaken their fourth-dimensional consciousness in the pure weather qi and instinctively use the qi of the universe.

Therefore, he understood that for him, whether it was a defensive or offensive talisman or a large amount of supplies, the most important thing was the ancient book. As long as he had the book, he had the confidence to survive. Moreover, the book was the most important memento left to him by his parents. In terms of sentiment, the book could be considered a family heirloom.

Chu Yunsheng thought about it and realized that if he carried the book with him, he might lose it during an escape or in a panic, which he could not afford. Therefore, he must prioritize creating the Storage Talisman to store the book and then seal the talisman in his body, ensuring it was safe.

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**End of Chapter 3**