[Ding! Observation complete. Suitable host confirmed. The Miraculous Brush System is binding you.]

[Ding! Binding successful...]

[...The system can be turned on at any time. Would you like to turn it on?]

The sudden system notification, accompanied by a rustling sound of electricity, arrived quietly. Xi Xi, caught off guard, was shocked for a moment. Her eyes widened slightly, and before she could think it through, she felt as if she was being shaken to the point of immobility by this invisible force.

But she quickly realized what was happening, a hint of disbelief on her face, followed by a knowing smile. This is a system! Good heavens! It's actually a system!

"Activate!" As if afraid the system would change its mind, she spoke without hesitation, her words clear and forceful, as if being even a second slower would be disrespectful to the system.

A blue light flashed past her, and instantly Xi Xi's left wrist began to burn. "Hiss—" It hurt so much. She couldn't help but bite her lower lip, and a thin layer of sweat appeared on the tip of her nose, until the last wisp of blue light went out.

A quill tattoo wrapped in dark green vines appeared on the inside of her left wrist.

[Ding! System successfully activated.]

[System Prompt: 1. The host can summon the Divine Brush once a day to draw, based on the system mark. Any item drawn can be redeemed for the host after being recognized by the system's image library. 2. Daily...]

[Have a pleasant gaming experience, host!]

"That's it?" Xi Xi stared in astonishment, her mouth agape. The system's incessant mechanical chatter still echoed in her ears. A wave of emotion washed over her as she muttered to herself, "Holy crap, it seems like I... am going to have to change my surname to Ma?"

...

Actually, the story begins four hours earlier—

The sky wasn't as clear back then. Night had fallen, not a single star could be seen, and the silence was terrifying, as if shrouded in a thick layer of black satin, exuding an indescribable sense of oppression.

Her pale lips gave her a sickly look, and hot sweat slid down her cheeks. The woman's brows were furrowed and her whole body trembled. Suddenly, she opened her bloodshot eyes and sat up abruptly, her slender hands gripping her neck tightly.

There was no scream, no groan, because her throat was so sore she couldn't make a sound. Her knuckles were white, and her fingernails had left a red mark along her neck. Her eyes were wide as she looked around anxiously. The dim streetlights cast a faint glow in the dark night, and the surrounding silence was eerily quiet, making her rapid breathing seem particularly jarring.

Where am I? Xi Xi tried to calm her breathing, and her vision gradually cleared.

The slightly worn car mat, the familiar lucky cat vent ornament, and the passion fruit-scented air freshener seemed to tell her the undeniable truth. Her fingertips trembled as she reached forward—this was her car? This was actually her car?

The moment her hand touched the textured surface of the little dog ear charm, a tear rolled down her cheek. Yes, it was the secondhand car her parents had given her to practice driving after she got her license! The car's performance was mediocre, but it was her first car, and the days of excitedly decorating it after taking delivery felt like yesterday, vivid in her memory.

Xi Xi wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes, closed them, and expertly pinched her arm. She'd had another dream; she didn't know how many times this had happened.

After a painful cry, she opened her eyes again and abruptly pulled down the rearview mirror. In the mirror, her face was slightly pale with a hint of rosy blush, and her youthful skin, rich in collagen, was flawless.

Looking at herself in the mirror, Xi Xi's eyes were filled with disbelief. She touched her round cheek with one hand, feeling both strange and familiar. It really didn't look like a face that had experienced six years of ruthless devastation in the apocalypse.

This time it wasn't a dream?

Extreme heat and drought, polar night and famine... accompanied by a massive earthquake. Emaciated, she was ultimately killed by her aunt's family and buried in the rubble after the earthquake. Falling rocks cut her neck, and hot blood flowed down her collarbone. Xi Xi couldn't remember anything after that. The only memory she had was that she still refused to give up hope of living, and she kept biting down on a survival whistle...

She had endured six years of hardship in the apocalypse, and as a lone woman seeking employment in another city, she never imagined she would encounter such a catastrophe. Unable to contact her parents or any relatives, Xi Xi could only rely on herself to survive. In the unfamiliar city and environment, amidst the terrible natural disaster and the chaos of human nature, she resorted to scavenging for supplies, picking up trash, eating grass, and living in mutual suspicion...

The natural disasters and sufferings described in mere numbers in history books are truly heart-wrenching once experienced firsthand.

But she gritted her teeth and persevered. As she endured, she became numb and thought that God was finally going to take pity on her. In the sixth year, on her way to the official shelter, she finally met her so-called relatives—her aunt's family.

But Xi Xi never imagined that her usually kind aunt and uncle would be the beginning of her nightmare. From the initial joyful tears upon encountering relatives, to having her 5-year-old cousin borrow her food and medicine, to finding her mother's wedding ring in her aunt's bag, the faint hope she had been holding onto was brutally shattered. She broke down crying and questioned her aunt, and finally, after learning the cruel truth, she became depressed and, in a daze, was pushed into the sinkhole of ruins by her aunt and uncle...

Painful memories surged back like a tidal wave. In her panic, Xi Xi clutched her head and accidentally touched the steering wheel. The sudden horn blared, unusually jarring in the quiet night, shattering her painful thoughts.

The guesses in her heart and the sudden premonition prompted Xi Xi to calm down. She quickly thought about it and then opened the central control screen first - [02:18 AM on November 3, 2031].

She suppressed her trembling hands, took a deep breath, and felt a sense of relief, but then sighed and became worried.

Yes, she was reborn.

However, this rebirth was a mixed blessing, because she was reborn on the day of the apocalypse.

She clearly remembered that the apocalypse occurred on the afternoon of November 3, 2031. That day was the day she officially became a full-time employee at the company after passing her probation period.

That afternoon, the temperature in Kunming, which was originally very pleasant, suddenly rose by 15 degrees Celsius. The marketing team leader, who had just won a new project, generously treated everyone to popsicles. However, no one expected that it would be the beginning of the end of the world.

What's going on? In novels, when other people are reborn, at the very least they are reborn into a wealthy and powerful family in ancient times as a concubine's daughter, or they are reborn in the three months before the apocalypse, selling their houses and cars, taking out loans to stock up on goods, and living a carefree life... How come she is reborn unarmed on the day of the apocalypse?

Xi Xi felt really wronged.

A fan of horror, suspense, and mystery novels, she instantly considered many possibilities. Could it be the concept of reincarnation in hell? Was the King of Hell punishing her by making her relive the suffering of the apocalypse?

Although she is not a saintly saint or a great philanthropist, she only has the right to act in self-defense in the apocalypse. She has never done anything evil or deliberately harmed anyone. Even if she can't go to heaven, how could she go to hell?

"No, even if I only have half a day, I have to do something." Xi Xi slapped her cheeks hard, then came to her senses.

Since Heaven has given her a second chance, even if the timing is not ideal, it is still a precious opportunity, and she must not waste time and wait for death.