Apocalypse: My Skills Are Completely Random

When Wang Kai kicked open the convenience store’s rolling shutter, half-dried blood still streaked his face. He stared at the family of three huddled beside the freezer as a pale blue System panel suddenly appeared: his skill had refreshed.

[Temporary Skill: Metal objects you touch will randomly change color for one hour.]

“Useless skill.” Wang Kai scoffed and kicked the nearby sheet-metal shelving, knocking it askew. Its legs scraped against the floor with a shrill sound, and the parents hugged their child tighter.

He casually picked up a utility knife from the counter. Its blade gleamed coldly in the sunlight. But in the next instant, it turned bright pink, like a cheap plastic toy.

Frowning, Wang Kai grabbed a steel pipe nearby. After just three seconds in his hand, the pipe’s silver-gray surface had faded to a tender yellow, with an eerie sheen.

“Dad… it’s the color of a rubber duck…” the child said timidly.

Wang Kai’s expression darkened at once. He threw the pipe to the floor. Its yellow body struck the tiles with a sharper sound than an ordinary steel pipe. Zombies roared in the distance. He suddenly spotted a pile of paint cans in the corner of the convenience store. They were left over from renovations before the Apocalypse, their bodies covered in rust.

“Roll the paint cans over here.” Wang Kai pointed at the man with the bright pink utility knife. “Hurry up.”

As the man shakily obeyed, Wang Kai kept his eyes on the zombies wandering outside the window. They were sensitive to sound, but seemed to rely more on sight to track moving “living things.” He suddenly grabbed the yellow steel pipe, then touched the metal handle of a red paint can. The handle instantly turned dark green.

“Watch closely.”