The number of meteorites that struck the island was indeed not high, but without exception, they all landed near the volcano. The massive impact caused the dormant volcano to erupt immediately. Scorching lava flowed from the crater, annihilating all life in its path.

People screamed as they fled into buildings, while others, with their families and children, desperately ran towards the beach. However, burning volcanic rocks, like high-explosive artillery shells, shot out from the crater in all directions, bringing more misery and devastation wherever they landed.

The largest meteorite fell near the coastal waters of Japan, causing a massive tsunami 50-60 meters high. This colossal wave engulfed the entire eastern coastal region of Japan, sweeping away countless people, leaving tens of thousands missing and millions homeless.

But the ordeal wasn’t over. The remaining half of Japan continued to endure the onslaught of the meteorite storm. Ultimately, this already earthquake-prone island nation was struck by a massive earthquake, causing tens of thousands more to go missing and millions to lose their homes once again.

Japan was the hardest-hit country in this meteorite storm. Apart from similar island nations, most of the mainland countries fared somewhat better.

The meteorite strikes were akin to a barrage of aerial bombardments or high-explosive shells, or even missiles. However, unlike human-launched projectiles, these were fired by the cosmos, with no discernible pattern and impossible to predict. Or perhaps there was a pattern that could be predicted, but it was beyond current capabilities.

The only method of survival was to seek shelter.

Globally, only a minority of people had their own private underground shelters. The majority flocked to public shelters, filling every underground facility to capacity. No one complained about the discomfort of being packed together in basements anymore.

Many people curled up in chairs or lay on blankets spread on the ground to rest. Despite these conditions, some poorly equipped shelters couldn’t withstand the meteorite storm. The powerful shockwaves could easily collapse buildings and block ventilation systems in shelters, causing deaths from high temperatures and toxic gases released by fires.

When Yu Qi led Yu Xi and Ya Tong into the shelter, they didn’t expect to stay underground for so long. Around 10 PM that night, they heard two consecutive explosions above them. One was louder, sounding like something exploded and shattered near the surface above them. The other was a distant, muffled roar, accompanied by a slight tremor of the ground.

It was an earthquake, but not severe. It stopped after a minute or two, and the tremor wasn’t very strong. None of the three slept. Even though they knew this underground shelter was built during the Cold War to withstand missile attacks, with two thick titanium alloy doors and toxic gas filtration systems, and it was buried 12-13 meters deep, equivalent to about four underground floors, they still felt anxious.

Knowing something is safe and feeling fear during a disaster are two different things. It’s like walking on a glass skywalk hundreds of meters high. You know it’s safe, but looking at the abyss below makes you feel like the glass will shatter at any moment, sending you plummeting into the depths.

The fear of death isn’t as terrifying as the brain’s messages when death approaches: tension, dread, panic.

The three of them sat on the same couch. Ya Tong and Yu Qi leaned against each other, while Yu Xi was held tightly in Yu Qi’s arms.

Of the three, Yu Xi might have felt the least anxious, but Yu Qi hugged her tightly without a word, gently stroking her hair and patting her back.

In Yu Qi’s embrace, there was a familiar scent. This world’s Yu Qi was more like Fan Qi than Mother Yu in the zombie world. Yu Xi relaxed, burying herself in Yu Qi’s arms and closing her eyes lightly.

On the first night, the meteorite channel on TV went down temporarily. The hosts frantically announced they were moving to an underground shelter. Following that, the screen displayed a twenty-minute warning siren for avoiding meteorites, with rolling subtitles across the screen.

Subsequently, the TV switched to various surveillance cameras across major cities in the M region, each city’s feed lasting about ten minutes. These high-angle wide-view cameras couldn’t capture the citizens’ situations as clearly as before, but the perspective was enough for viewers to grasp the disaster’s extent in each city. Some cities were hit hard, with cameras getting destroyed shortly after the meteorites appeared, while other fortunate cities had cameras that remained intact.

In the early morning of the second day, Yu Qi, inspired by the broadcast of city surveillance cameras, remembered that she had installed security cameras all over her villa, both inside and out, after purchasing it due to its remote location. Every room in the villa, along with the front and back yards, was under surveillance. The villa also had a backup generator, ensuring the cameras would continue functioning even during a power outage, providing real-time footage.

She immediately set to work, logging into the computer and connecting to the camera feeds. Yu Xi and Ya Tong, aware of her intentions, lost all desire to sleep. They each dragged a chair to sit beside her, watching her work.

Yu Qi’s secondary major in university was computer science, as she believed that computers might eventually replace traditional TV news broadcasts, offering faster and more convenient information dissemination. Though she hadn’t used these skills in a long time, Yu Qi managed to bring up the surveillance footage after some effort.

The cameras outside the villa were housed under eaves with protective covers, making them resistant to heavy rain or hail, though they could get blurry from accumulated dust over time. After a few adjustments, Yu Qi rotated the cameras, bringing the villa’s surroundings into view. The pre-dawn countryside was dark, with a fiery glow on the eastern horizon—the direction of Lu’er Town.

The villa’s vicinity was also on fire. The blaze was near the front yard fence by the driveway, likely caused by a recent meteorite strike. The fire had been burning for a while. Fortunately, the large front yard prevented the flames from reaching the villa. The fence and the nearby lawn were almost burnt out and were about to extinguish.

The three of them didn’t know when the meteorite rain would end. After some discussion, they decided to stay in the shelter, keeping the surveillance cameras on 24/7 and continuing to monitor the news.

They ended up staying there for three days and nights. Though no more meteorites fell nearby, the outside world remained chaotic.

By the third night, experts finally announced that all fragments of the 20332HKF constellation had either landed on the planet or burned up during descent. Both the meteorite rain and the meteor shower had stopped.

On the fourth morning, the nation broadcasted a cease of the meteorite disaster through television, radio, and the internet. Survivors in the affected areas cautiously emerged from their three-day refuge, finding a drastically altered world.

The sky, once blue, was now tinged with red from the flames burning across the landscape. Buildings had collapsed, trees were charred, roads were destroyed, and the air was thick with smoke and dust, making it hard to breathe. In just three days, their familiar, peaceful world had vanished.

The ground was littered with rubble, collapsed buildings, and charred bodies. Many were injured, and some suffered lifelong disabilities. Countless people lost their families in the disaster, with bad news arriving constantly. The populace wept and wailed; no one would ever again take the meteorite disaster lightly.

This catastrophe was more terrifying than a world war—there was no safe place and no hope for a ceasefire after surrender. Nations across the globe began long recovery and reconstruction efforts.

Unbeknownst to them, the buildings they were repairing would soon face another round of devastation.

On the fifth day after the meteorite rain ceased, Yu Qi, Yu Xi, and Ya Tong spent their days leaving the shelter to move around the villa. They watched the news in the mornings, did regular physical training at Yu Xi’s suggestion, and cooked meals together at noon. Yu Qi even learned a few good recipes.

In the afternoons, they would enjoy coffee or English tea, eat some cake, chocolate cookies, and play cards or board games like Ludo and Gomoku. Despite the tense situation outside, Yu Qi and Tang Ya Tong felt a rare sense of relaxation and ease. There was no need to work, no endless tasks, and no social obligations, almost like returning to a pastoral life.

For safety, they would still lock all doors and windows at night and return to the underground shelter to rest. Their villa area was relatively lucky. The nearby Lu’er Town was hit by a large meteorite on the first night, and the exploding fragments burned half the town. Fortunately, half of the people had hidden in the shelter, while the other half took refuge in their home basements. Those in the shelter were safe, but some in the basements were trapped and died because the houses above them collapsed and burned, with no one able to rescue them.

After a few days of relaxation, Yu Xi had Yu Qi stay in the shelter while she and Ya Tong drove to the town to check on the situation. The town was in complete chaos, with the mayor continually requesting external aid. Many medical supplies were running low.

The meteorites had also destroyed the town’s power supply, which had been under repair for days but was still progressing slowly due to insufficient manpower and resources. In contrast, the villa area was in much better shape, with uninterrupted water and electricity. The only issue was a lack of supplies since the town, which would normally replenish their stock, was now struggling to sustain itself.

Most supermarkets were closed, and the few remaining private grocery stores were charging exorbitant prices for goods and water. Yet, people were grateful just to be able to buy food and drinks.

When Yu Xi and Ya Tong left the town, they saw several cars leaving, their roofs laden with luggage. It was unclear whether these were locals or tourists, but at the junction, some went north, others east, and some headed west like them. It was known that the southern region of M country was the hardest hit, so many people were fleeing north.

They stopped at a self-service gas station without Yu Xi having to remind her. Ya Tong pulled over. They were driving an SUV, and she signaled Yu Xi to fill the trunk with portable fuel cans before getting out to refuel. Yu Xi refueled the car (filling the fuel space) and then the fuel cans (also filling the fuel space). When the last car at the station drove off, she quickly sped up the fueling process, eventually maxing out the credit cards Yu Qi and Ya Tong had given her.

They had cash and debit cards, but given the situation, they decided to max out the credit cards first. Moreover, both Yu Qi and Ya Tong preferred to hoard gold for its value retention. Since they weren’t M country natives, they believed only gold, a universally accepted precious metal, could maintain value. Therefore, they didn’t keep much money in their debit cards, and their apartment in L City was rented, not owned.

They planned to withdraw all the money from their accounts later. Meanwhile, Yu Qi used a chat app to contact old classmates back home.

Her friend reported that their country was not one of the first to be hit by the meteorite rain, giving them ample time to prepare. The citizens were highly cooperative, so except for remote areas with poor communication and a few disobedient individuals or groups, most people had taken refuge in city, town, or village shelters before the meteorite rain hit.

Many cities already had numerous shelters, and the national machinery worked swiftly in the face of disaster, ensuring ample food, water, warm clothing, and medical supplies. Consequently, the meteorites only destroyed buildings, vehicles, roads, bridges, ships, and trains, with minimal human casualties.

Her friend jokingly said that because they brought board games and other entertainment, those few days in the shelter were like living as pigs. Wrapped in blankets, lying on moisture-proof mats, the whole family ate instant noodles and sausages while playing cards. They spent three days this way.

The friend also mentioned that the country’s disaster relief efforts were robust, with rapid post-disaster repair work. They were also expanding and constructing new shelters with higher safety standards, equipped with dining areas, sleeping quarters, recreational rooms, restrooms, showers, supply rooms, and even planting areas. During those three days of meteorite showers, architects and shelter experts had already drafted the best shelter designs, ready to be built immediately after the disaster, demonstrating a proactive approach to future threats.

Yu Xi was originally thinking about how to convince Yu Qi and Ya Tong to return to their home country with her. Now that the apocalypse had begun, and there was no telling when the next meteor shower would occur, it was better to stay put rather than move around aimlessly. This news came at just the right time—M Country was in chaos, and staying here was only a temporary solution. No matter how much she had stocked up in her space, there would come a day when it ran out. They had to go back home!

To return home under these circumstances, a comprehensive plan was necessary. First, they needed to figure out when the next meteor shower would occur to avoid it. When Yu Qi and Ya Tong first heard Yu Xi mention “next time” and “apocalypse,” they both hoped it wasn’t true, but they knew Yu Xi wouldn’t lie to them.

Second, with all civilian flights grounded worldwide, their only way back might be by sea. They would need to move to the nearest port city, so they had to map out a route from the villa to the port.

Lastly, they needed to find an opportunity to get a boat as a backup mode of transportation, preferably a small yacht or a speedboat with a cabin. Yu Xi told them that besides the space for storing supplies, she had two auxiliary spaces: one for storing fuel and one for storing vehicles.

In case they encountered a meteor shower while on the cruise ship back to their home country, they could escape independently. After all, a small yacht or speedboat was less likely to be hit by a meteor and could maneuver quickly to avoid danger. Therefore, as part of their backup plan, they needed to gather more gasoline. Yu Xi had previous experience with sea escape and learned how to navigate boats from Yuan Ning, could discern directions, and could choose suitable sea areas for night anchorage.

This time, from M Country’s west coast to her home country, they would have to cross the entire ocean, spanning almost half the globe, approximately 5300 nautical miles. Although they would initially be on a cruise ship, and it was possible they might reach their destination by ship, they had to be prepared for self-navigation across the 5300 nautical miles as a backup plan. So, they needed at least 6600 liters of gasoline.

Her fuel space could hold about 10,000 liters of gasoline. She had been collecting gasoline wherever she went, and now it was about two-thirds full. Although it was enough, planning for barely sufficient supplies wasn’t ideal. They would need gasoline for the journey from the villa to the port city and after returning to their home country. Gasoline was easier to obtain in M Country, but it would be more challenging back home. Therefore, she aimed to fill the entire 10 cubic meters of fuel space in M Country. If possible, she would also fill all the 200-liter diesel drums and portable fuel containers in the Star House warehouse.

If her vehicle space could hold more than two items, she would have wanted to get a large-capacity (30,000 liters) fuel tanker truck and stash it inside. In summary, gasoline was extremely important and could only be more, not less.

If they could achieve these points, their success rate of returning home would be around ninety percent.

The night after they finalized the plan to return home, Yu Xi woke up from a strange, faint noise. She lifted the thin blanket, carefully climbed down from the upper bunk, put on slippers, and went to the living room to check the surveillance.

The cameras Yu Qi had installed around the villa, both inside and out, were equipped with audio pickups. She could hear the faint noise from the surveillance footage. There were about ten cameras around the villa, switching at regular intervals. Not finding anything unusual on the four screens, she switched them one by one.

When the screen switched to the kitchen camera, she noticed something amiss. There had been a large glass bowl on the countertop. The bowl had some leftover pasta they had made for lunch. Yu Qi had cooked it, and since it didn’t taste very good, they didn’t say anything but honestly left most of it. Yu Qi had put it on the countertop when cleaning up and hadn’t taken it down.

Now, the pasta in that bowl was gone. Someone had eaten all the pasta.