Doomsday Awakening

2. Ruth Allyson

Luca’s face was full of shock. He lightly laughed at the girl’s attitude, moreover laughing at his silly self.

 

“What do you believe, huh? My nonsense?”

 

The girl, Ruth Allyson, nodded heavily. Straightened her posture and looked at Luca earnestly, like a little soldier who trusted his master selflessly. Her voice was firm as she replied, “Yes, I believe your words about doomsday. It’s not nonsense!”

 

Luca was dumbfounded, slightly disturbed by the girl’s conviction. He pushed back the hair that covered his eyes, looked into Ruth’s eyes, and couldn’t help but be convinced. The girl before him believed his nonsense about doomsday being predicted only through nightmares.

 

Luca let out a long breath, leaning against the wall. With indifference in his tone of voice, he asked, “What is your reason for believing me?”

 

Ruth followed Luca’s actions and leaned against the wall next door. Her slender fingers tapped her chin twice, eyes fixed on Luca’s figure. It made Luca feel a little self-conscious.

 

Then Ruth replied after careful thought, her voice calm and soft, but serious.

 

“There’s no specific reason. But maybe it’s because I can predict the future. Well, just a little.”

 

“Foretell the future?” It startled Luca, his eyes widening to stare at Ruth’s figure. However, the girl’s expression didn’t fluctuate much, as if what she said was just an ordinary thing. This inevitably made Luca wonder if the ability to predict the future was so ordinary. Isn’t it extraordinary?

 

Seeing the curiosity in Luca’s eyes, Ruth smiled so widely that her eyes narrowed slightly.

 

“Let’s put it that way. I’m not sure if this can be called predicting the future or not. But I do know that the doomsday you told me about will happen in the next ten months.”

 

This time it wasn’t Ruth who doubted Luca’s words, but Luca who doubted Ruth’s words. Clearly, he was saying something about doomsday based on a dream, so Ruth, what was she saying it based on?

 

The doubt in Luca’s eyes was so obvious that Ruth frowned a little irritably. Why was it that she could trust that man with no strings attached, but she was treated like a moron who liked to say nonsense? This wasn’t fair, Ruth thought.

 

“You have to trust me! To prove my ability, I will say it clearly. In two days, there will be a new employee named Zoelva from California!”

 

Luca frowned again, looking at Ruth as if he was staring at a strange person. Ruth snorted in annoyance and said, “Believe it or not, your apartment neighbor’s mother is going to die tonight from asthma!”

 

After saying that, Ruth stomped her foot and waltzed away, leaving Luca dumbfounded. Come to think of it, the neighbor’s mother did have a history of asthma. There had been a time when the neighbor had borrowed her car to take her unconscious mother to the hospital. That’s when Luca learned the information. As for Ruth, Luca wasn’t sure where the girl knew about it. Not to mention the matter of life and death, it is not in human hands, unless killed.

 

Luca shrugged and followed Ruth back to the workplace. Even so, it filled his mind with Ruth’s words.

 

As usual, Luca came home at 8 pm after working late. When he entered his apartment area, he found the hallway crowded with strangers. There were sobs accompanied by words of comfort.

 

Luca frowned, thinking back to what he had heard this afternoon. He asked a man about his age who was standing in the hallway, close to the entrance of his apartment.

 

“Dude, what happened?”

 

The man gave him a glance with red eyes and a puffy nose. “My aunt died because her asthma flared up, but no one was around at the time, so she couldn’t be taken to the hospital in time.”

 

Luca let out a low sigh, his eyes blurring for a moment before he patted the man’s shoulder, offering comfort through action.

 

That night Luca couldn’t sleep and constantly thought about Ruth’s words. He should believe the girl and talk about doomsday with her. After all, Luca didn’t know many things and only had experience in dreams. Rolling around in his bed and unable to fall asleep, no matter how hard he closed his eyes.

 

It was already 2 am when he fell asleep. What was surprising was that he didn’t have any nightmares tonight. Luca woke up at 6 am, rubbed his eyes, and smiled slightly. Maybe if he believed his dreams and took them as an early warning before doomsday, nightmares wouldn’t haunt him.

 

When Luca arrived at the office this morning, he immediately searched for Ruth. He exchanged W******p numbers with her before starting work.

 

Luca sent a series of text messages.

 

[Luu: hey, I trust your words!]

 

[Luu: this afternoon, let’s talk about the doomsday and tell me what you predicted!]

 

[Luu: let’s meet on the rooftop!]

 

After a few moments of silence, Ruth gave a brief reply.

 

[Ruthhh: so arrogant!!!]

 

Despite giving a lukewarm reply, Ruth followed Luca’s words and went to the rooftop during break time. Bringing her lunch and preparing herself to answer Luca’s every doubt. Who had given her the grace to know that he would be a powerful god in the latter days? Although Ruth had also heard about Luca’s uphill battle from scum to hero, she didn’t know much about the hard struggle Luca went through to become a hero from a weak scum.

 

Ruth sighed and opened the door to the rooftop. She walked calmly over to Luca, who was smoking a cigarette.

 

“Would you like to eat?” Ruth offered her food.

 

Luca glanced at the food and shook his head. He didn’t have a good appetite these days due to overthinking to the point of stress.

 

Ruth didn’t push him, but ate with gusto and quickly finished her food as if it pressed her for a time. That made Luca give her a complicated look. This beautiful girl had a bad habit of not looking elegant and careful.

 

“This is for training!” Ruth said once she realized the meaning of Luca’s gaze. “We’re going to face the end of the world and fight zombies. We have to prepare well and start adapting to survive!”

 

Luca was silent for a moment and then nodded heavily. She was right. If he accepted the reality of his nightmare, he would also have to learn to adapt and slowly train his strength. He wasn’t sure what the end of the world situation would be, but he knew that some people would be bestowed with powers. Yes, it was exactly like the apocalyptic fantasy movies he watched or the novels he read when bored.

 

“So what do you know about doomsday 10 months later?”

 

Ruth was pensive for a moment as she recalled what she had seen in the last few days.

 

“Zombies. Well, the point is that we need to get ready early.”

 

Luca glanced at her lazily and sneered, “Can’t speak clearly.”

 

Putting down her lunchbox and looking at Luca seriously, Ruth replied, “Don’t you like playing games about apocalyptic? It’s exactly like that!”

 

Although Ruth felt a little annoyed at Luca’s attitude, she could only restrain herself. After all, this man was going to be the strongest god at the end of the world. However, the journey to becoming that powerful was not easy. Ruth knew that and also realized how much Luca persevered and struggled. Of course, there were sacrifices to be made.

 

Since Ruth was determined to hold this strongest god’s thigh, she would fight alongside him from scratch.

 

“There are still ten months. We can prepare ourselves,” Ruth said again. “First of all, we need to increase our body strength, sharpen our instincts and think clearly. Also, prepare supplies such as food stocks, and weapons. We should also have a car, and... Yes, first find a place to make a base!”

 

After a long silence and listening to Ruth’s words, Luca spoke up. “Do you have money?”

 

Ruth shook her head. True enough, they were still in their ordinary lives before the end of the world. Money was the main problem to think about.

 

“I can sell the penthouse my parents left me!”

 

Once again Luca gained a new understanding of the most popular girl in the company. There was a side that felt that Ruth was completely ridiculous to take this matter seriously. There was also the side that was beginning to trust this girl. Luca frowned and responded calmly.

 

“Then I can also sell the inherited land that my parents gave me.”

 

They agreed to the plan and promised to meet after work for further talks. The two people descended the stairs and headed to their respective offices.

 

While they were on their way, an office boy slipped on the stairs and a gallon of water fell. Luca looked up and widened his eyes as he saw the gallon fall on his head. However, within a few seconds, his body was pulled up firmly, his back slamming into the cold wall.

 

Slender feet wearing 5 cm heels forcefully kicked the gallon until it bounced to the other side of the wall, breaking and splashing water.

 

Luca returned dumbfounded and muttered low to himself, “What happened?”