2 – Rebirth, Jade Pendant Space
“Ye Jin, Ye Jin, wake up!”
After being repeatedly shouted at, the girl lying on the bunk bed in the dormitory—her delicate features glistening with cold sweat—finally opened her eyes.
“Ye Jin, are you awake? You’ve been sleeping all day! I just got back from class and saw you drenched in sweat, mumbling something.”
Zhang Yiyi’s pretty brows furrowed: “I should take you to the hospital. Don’t let it drag on—a bad cold can turn into pneumonia!”
The newly awakened Ye Jin found the person before her unreal. Zhang Yiyi? Her mind was in chaos, as if filled with fragmented memories. Had she not died?
Was it all a dream? Ye Jin bit her arm hard.
It hurt! This was real!
Had she been reborn?
“Did the fever fry your brain? No, no, I need to get you to the hospital right away.”
Zhang Yiyi stood on her toes to grab the coat hanging by the upper bunk and pulled Ye Jin to leave, muttering incessantly: “Oh no, oh no. You’ve had a low-grade fever for a week now. I told you to go to the hospital earlier, but you wouldn’t listen. Now your brain’s cooked.”
But try as she might, she couldn’t budge Ye Jin. Puzzled, Zhang Yiyi turned to look at her. How could this skinny girl suddenly be so strong?
Overwhelmed, Ye Jin hugged Zhang Yiyi tightly for a long moment.
Then she spoke in a hoarse voice: “It’s alright, Yi Yi. I’m not sick. I just slept too long and feel dizzy. I’m fine.”
Zhang Yiyi, still held in the embrace, was baffled: “Hey, since when did you become so sentimental? This isn’t like you at all.”
Though she and Ye Jin were close friends, the aloof campus belle had suddenly changed her tune.
Ye Jin didn’t respond, just held Zhang Yiyi quietly to calm her emotions before rising and walking to the window.
S University was a provincial institution, a nationally renowned academy. Outside Ye Jin’s dormitory lay the sports field.
She watched students playing ball on the field, couples strolling along the track—their faces radiant with smiles, bursting with vitality. The sunlight overhead was dazzling, the air carrying the fresh sweetness of grass. She sighed inwardly; it had been so long since she’d seen such a scene. The apocalypse had been utterly lifeless.
“Ye Jin, what’s so interesting outside? Don’t stand by the window catching a draft!” Zhang Yiyi puffed her cheeks in frustration. Ye Jin was so worrisome.
Looking down at Zhang Yiyi’s round face, Ye Jin felt a surge of warmth. In her previous life, Yi Yi had been scratched by a zombie while saving her. The wound wasn’t severe—there was even a chance she could awaken a Special Ability. But in the early days of the apocalypse, everyone believed zombie injuries were incurable. Fearing she would turn, they abandoned her alone on the escape route.
Back then, Ye Jin had been unconscious while awakening her own Special Ability. By the time she woke and realized Yi Yi was missing, even an immediate search proved futile. She never learned whether Yi Yi lived or died.
This remained one of her deepest regrets from her past life. Now reborn, she would grow stronger! Protect those she cherished, and make Yu Ruanruan and others pay.
“Yi Yi, what’s the date today?”
“March 20th. See? You are delirious. We should still go—”
Before she could finish, Ye Jin interrupted: “Yi Yi, I have something very important to do. Please help me ask the dean for leave.”
“Leave? We haven’t even finished our thesis!” Zhang Yiyi widened her eyes. This was so unlike Ye Jin.”Professor Yu’s thesis assignment—no one dares to skip it. You’ll get your credits deducted. If you’re feeling unwell, you can rest in the dorm. I can help you gather materials.”
“It’s fine. If they don’t approve it, just process it as a leave of absence.”
Zhang Yiyi was baffled. Leave of absence? She wanted to ask more, but seeing the determination in Ye Jin’s eyes, she suddenly didn’t know how to bring it up. Before she could react, Ye Jin had already walked out of the dorm. When she tried to catch up and ask further, she only heard Ye Jin say, “Keep your phone on. Wait for my call anytime.”
She’s leaving just like that? Without even taking her things?
By the time Zhang Yiyi stepped out to look, Ye Jin was already gone. Since when could someone with a fever move so fast? And with such strength?
…
Thesis? Hah, if she remembered correctly, the apocalypse was only two months away. Academic pursuits were hardly important anymore. In the post-apocalyptic world, strength ruled supreme. With limited time left, she had more urgent matters to handle.
Since she had been reborn, she had to seize the advantage. Pre-apocalyptic resources were still intact—now was the best time to gather supplies. Although her previous life hadn’t been one of poverty, before awakening her Special Ability, life hadn’t been exactly easy either.
She needed to collect supplies quickly. As for Yu Ruanruan…
Ye Jin sneered inwardly. In peacetime, there wasn’t much she could do, but in the apocalypse, couldn’t she settle the score? Right now, improving her strength was the top priority!
Leaving the campus, Ye Jin immediately headed to the apartment she’d bought for convenience during her studies. She rarely stayed in the dorm, only doing so recently to work on her thesis. Aside from some clothes, she had no important belongings at school.
Upon arriving home, she went straight to the bedside table. From the jewelry box, she retrieved the lotus-shaped Jade pendant. Thankfully, she had been reborn early—the pendant hadn’t yet been given to Fu Yihao.
Yu Ruanruan had claimed the Jade pendant had a Dimension, so why hadn’t she discovered it despite using it for so long?
Recalling the post-apocalyptic novels she’d read in her spare time, where treasures often required a blood pact, Ye Jin immediately turned and went to the kitchen. She picked up a fruit knife and without hesitation made a cut on her arm.
Blood dripped onto the dark green Jade pendant. After a long moment, Ye Jin gripped the knife in her hand, attempting to store it in the Dimension, but there was no response.
Her heart sank. As a member of the Ye family, the Jade pendant was a family heirloom—her bloodline should be the purest. If even someone like Yu Ruanruan could use the Dimension, why couldn’t she?
Was it the wrong method? Did the Dimension only activate after the apocalypse began?
That would be troublesome. Without the Dimension, her resource gathering would be hindered. Having a Dimension in the apocalypse would make things much more convenient.
Suddenly, before Ye Jin could react, she was transported to a vast space—the environment had completely changed.
Before her stretched an endless grassland, as large as two soccer fields! There was a thatched hut, a small stream in front of it, and beside it, a tiny spring.
Ye Jin was ecstatic. Could this be the Jade pendant space? It could even accommodate living beings—what a tremendous surprise!
Thinking back, she hadn’t heard of anyone’s Dimension being able to hold living people in her previous life.When the jade pendant was in Yu Ruanruan’s hands, it never seemed to bring living people inside. There was even a time during a mission when Yu Ruanruan was nearly bitten by a level-five zombie—such a critical moment—yet she didn’t evade into the dimension. Moreover, Ye Jin was certain that when the jade pendant space was in their possession, it definitely wasn’t this large.
So the jade pendant truly recognizes its master! At the very least, only the Ye family’s bloodline can fully manifest the space.
Since the dimension can hold people, can it hold other animals as well? Thinking this, Ye Jin immediately wanted to test her idea. Silently chanting “exit” in her mind, she found herself back in her own room. It seemed the entry and exit points of the space wouldn’t change.
She promptly took a decorative goldfish from the living room and re-entered the space. Sure enough, the dimension could accommodate living creatures.
This indicated that the space had its own circulation and ecological rules.
If it could hold living beings, could it also have preservation functions?
Ye Jin picked up her phone, removed the watch from her wrist, and checked the time: 5:30. Setting down the phone, she took a cup of hot water and entered the space.
After staying inside for about half an hour, she touched the cup—the water was still scalding hot, confirming the space indeed had preservation capabilities!
Exiting the space, she checked her phone again and discovered that time within the dimension passed at half the rate of the outside world.
Ye Jin found this utterly fascinating. She wouldn’t be staying in this house much longer; tomorrow she’d find someone to sell it. She packed all her jewelry and clothes into the space, re-entering later to confirm everything was stored properly.
When she tried to leave again, a sharp pain shot through her head. Ye Jin realized she couldn’t exit temporarily.
The space was controlled by Mental Power. Just a few trips in and out had already drained her reserves. Ye Jin lamented her own weakness.
She had no choice but to rest and wait for her Mental Power to recover.
Looking at the thatched cottage inside the space—which she hadn’t entered until now—she wondered what might be inside. Deciding to explore, Ye Jin pushed open the door. The interior was simple: just a small bed and a few books on a side cabinet.
Picking up one at random, she began flipping through it, and her mind was instantly swept by tumultuous waves.
This space turned out to be a minor dimensional fragment left behind by an ancient powerhouse. It contained cultivation methods for all five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Unfortunately, none were complete; all were incomplete.
The spiritual energy in the current world was insufficient—no one could cultivate immortality anymore. But even learning just a fragment from these texts would be enough to navigate the apocalypse.
This space was truly extraordinary! How could she have been so foolish in her previous life, giving it to that scumbag Fu Yihao!
Ye Jin emerged and gazed at the small spring. According to the books, this was the Spirit Spring Water, capable of cleansing bodily impurities and strengthening bones and muscles. But it looked so meager—wouldn’t it disappear after one drink?
Regardless, self-improvement came first. She didn’t know when her Special Ability would manifest in this lifetime. In her previous life, she had endured three months of low-grade fever before awakening her Water Ability—it was a miracle she hadn’t been left brain-damaged, and even then, her abilities were initially weak.
Whether she developed an ability or not, and regardless of its strength, she wouldn’t rely solely on it. Strengthening herself was the true path. She needed to study the martial techniques from the books, but first, she had to undergo Marrow Cleansing.
Downing the Spirit Spring Water in one gulp, Ye Jin instantly felt her entire body surge with power.But before long, she felt pain all over her body—as if her bones were being crushed, her head throbbing so badly she wanted to bang it against the wall. Strange thoughts seemed to flood her mind again, and she desperately wanted to drive them all away.
Ye Jin curled up on the ground, clutching her head and screaming in agony. Soon after, she completely lost consciousness.