Apocalyptic Gratitude Duck - Chapter 27

Tears welled in Chu Ruxu’s eyes. The moment she saw Wang Ze approach, her contorted expression softened into a vulnerable one. She clung to his hand, her voice trembling between sobs, “Brother Wang, Miss Qiao didn’t mean it. It’s all my fault for provoking that Ferocious Beast. If I had kept my distance, I wouldn’t have made you worry.”

Wang Ze gently patted her uninjured hand, his face filled with tender concern. “Ruxu, don’t be afraid. With me here, no one can harm you.”

Having suffered a major setback with Qiao Yanyu, Chu Ruxu now found Wang Ze’s ordinary appearance more appealing. She nestled against his chest, her heart gradually calming as she reflected on Kexin’s current state. Kexin was completely different from the person she had been in her previous life, and she wasn’t as strong as she had been before.

Could her rebirth have triggered other unforeseen changes?

Originally, she had planned to befriend Qiao Yanyu, leveraging her reborn ability to foresee the future to make Qiao Yanyu see her as a friend, thus freeing herself from serving old men. But Qiao Yanyu’s attitude had shifted dramatically, causing events to veer in the opposite direction of her expectations.

Her hand was likely ruined, so she needed to find a way to advance and heal her wound.

She understood Wang Ze’s capabilities well. If she fought Kexin now, it was likely to end in mutual injury or her fleeing in disgrace. Moreover, even if Wang Ze was severely injured and she had to serve him, she wouldn’t be able to obtain crystals, leaving her with no chance to treat her arm.

Therefore, Wang Ze couldn’t die yet. He had to survive until he was completely useless before he could die.

******

Chu Ruxu saw Wang Ze wanting to avenge her. Enduring the pain, she gripped his fingers. “Brother Wang, I know you’re the kindest to me. I don’t want to see you hurt. Please stop fighting them, okay? Let’s go home and figure out what to do.”

Wang Ze was deeply moved, but his brothers were watching. If his woman was being bullied and he couldn’t retaliate, it would be too humiliating.

He clenched Chu Ruxu’s small hand in his own, pressing it against his chest. With steely resolve, he declared, “Xiao Xu, don’t worry. I’ll definitely avenge you!”

The hand Wang Ze was holding was the one Chu Ruxu had injured. Her face contorted, a layer of powder sliding off as she barely suppressed a scream, struggling to wrench her hand free from his grip.

Wang Ze, oblivious to Chu Ruxu’s expression, gripped his gun with a menacing glare and fired a volley into the air, his dark face twisted into a ferocious snarl. “Which one of you blind fools dares to show your face? Step up if you’ve got the balls!”

After what felt like an eternity, they finally heard those words. Qiao Yanyu and the others were about to step forward when Chu Ruxu once again restrained Wang Ze’s hand.

Wang Ze, in his thirties with fairly decent looks, was making a spectacle of himself with his public display of affection, sending shivers down everyone’s spines and raising goosebumps all over their bodies.

“Are we fighting or not? All this dawdling… even if the little green tea wants to show off her romance, she should at least pick the right time and place,” Chen Chuyue muttered under her breath, clearly annoyed.

“Making it look like a movie scene? Does he really think he’s the male lead?” Li Youming also couldn’t help but scoff.

Kexin yawned softly, glancing at her master’s profile. “Duck~”

If we don’t fight soon, Kexin will be sleepy~

Qiao Yanyu stroked Kexin’s head. “After the fireworks show, I’ll take our little Kexin home to sleep.”

Her teammates were bewildered. “What fireworks show?” they wondered. None of them had heard a word about it.

The power of Qiao Yanyu’s Ability erupted violently, creating a bizarre force field that controlled everything within a forty-meter radius centered on her position.

Her right hand rotated, and invisible forces yanked non-living objects toward her. Before Wang Ze and his gang could react, the guns in their hands were torn away by a massive force, vanishing from their grips. When they looked up again, the black muzzles of the guns were already trained on their bodies.

Qiao Yanyu expressionlessly activated her Ability and pulled the triggers. Dozens of guns fired simultaneously, the crackling of gunfire echoing as flames erupted in all directions. The chaotic display of skills lit up the dark night sky, creating a spectacle as dazzling as a grand fireworks show.

Those with Abilities used their powers to defend themselves, while those without could only take the bullets. Wang Ze watched several of his comrades fall, injured in an instant. Abandoning his banter with Chu Ruxu, he activated his Ability and charged forward.

Wang Ze was only a Level 2 Ability User. He conjured a massive sphere of water, but the moment he threw it forward, it was met by a barrage of gunfire. The water sphere collided with the gun barrels, resulting in a deafening explosion. Shattered droplets of water mixed with fragments of guns, scattering across the ground and leaving deep, watery trails in their wake.

When their Abilities collided, Wang Ze sensed that Qiao Yanyu was a Level 3 Ability User, startling him. He quickly surmised that she might lack combat experience, and a fierce glint flashed in his eyes. Activating his Ability, he swiftly formed the fallen water into a sharp, icy arrow and shot it directly at Qiao Yanyu’s heart.

The water arrow moved with lightning speed, reaching Qiao Yanyu in an instant. Suddenly, a crimson tongue of flame erupted from her side, completely devouring the arrow and reducing it to evaporating mist.

“Let me handle this!” Li Youming retracted his flame and charged after Wang Ze.

Both being Level 2 Ability Users, Li Youming had been itching for a fight ever since he saw Wang Ze’s Water Ability. He couldn’t care about anything else now.

Chen Chuyue stamped her foot in frustration, her chance to fight snatched away. She settled for trapping three nearby Level 1 Ability Users in ice pillars, using the three-on-one battle to hone her skills. Meng Nuo and Zhang Ping each took on one opponent, leaving Qiao Yanyu as the most idle person in the fray, standing still to observe the battle.

Kexin, cradled in Qiao Yanyu’s arms, seemed somewhat disinterested after witnessing the “firework” display.

Chu Ruxu had already seized the chaos during Qiao Yanyu’s initial shot to escape, robbing her of any interest in the ensuing battle.

Kexin’s small body wriggled, puzzled as to why her Master forbade her from taking action. Chu Ruxu was clearly a wicked woman.

Qiao Yanyu felt Kexin slowly sliding down her lap. She reached down, grasping the little duck’s bottom and pulling her back up. “She must still have some secrets. Let’s observe her gradually instead of killing her so quickly. Isn’t the cat-and-mouse game quite entertaining?”

After all, letting someone like Chu Ruxu die so easily would be too merciful.

Kexin didn’t fully understand her Master’s reasoning, but if Master said not to kill her, then so be it. Besides, she had something special to share with her Master.

Kexin tugged on Qiao Yanyu’s sleeve to draw her attention, then retrieved a glowing blue grass from her Space and placed it in her mouth. “Quack~”

Kexin had many of these glowing blue grasses~

Surprise flickered in Qiao Yanyu’s eyes. She had never seen such grass before, but it was clearly something valuable. With so many people around, if others discovered Kexin possessed such treasures, they might try to steal them.

Quickly covering Kexin’s duck-like mouth, she whispered urgently, “Hide that grass immediately!”

Seeing the grass still clutched in Kexin’s beak, she explained further, “Save it for when we’re alone. This will be our little secret.”

Her Master was playing a game with her, a secret only the two of them shared that mustn’t be discovered by others.

Kexin understood. To maintain this little secret between her and her Master, she carefully stored the grass back into her Space.

The battle concluded with Wang Ze’s group fleeing in disarray. The team members were exhilarated by the fight, thoroughly satisfied with their performance, and even clamored for a rematch with Wang Ze’s team.

Li Youming, in particular, strutted proudly, declaring, “If they hadn’t run so fast, I would have made them taste my fists again!”

Zhang Ping rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed by Li Youming’s boasting. “Give it a rest. If I hadn’t helped you, you would have been ambushed.”

Li Youming grinned, about to retort, when his gaze suddenly snapped to someone approaching from behind.

Xu Feng hurried over. He had already been in bed when he heard about the fight and the appearance of a Level 3 Mutated Beast. He quickly threw on his clothes and rushed to the scene with his men.

He arrived too late. The battle was over, leaving only Qiao Yanyu’s group behind, clearly the victorious side.

Wang Ze was someone Xu Feng had later recruited to join the unit. In the team he currently led, aside from his trusted core of subordinates, many members had been recruited by Wang Ze. Wang Ze was also notorious within the unit for causing trouble, often stirring up chaos and refusing to obey Xu Feng’s commands.

This time, being able to severely dampen Wang Ze’s arrogance brought him considerable satisfaction.

As he approached, his previously cold and stern expression softened into a more amiable demeanor. He asked verbally, “What happened? Why was there a fight here?”

Qiao Yanyu astutely sensed the shift in Xu Feng’s mood. She immediately realized that Battalion Commander Xu wasn’t as strict and inflexible as everyone imagined; he still harbored personal biases.

Having personal biases wasn’t necessarily a bad thing; it would be far more troublesome if he were an inflexible old relic with no personal interests.

Narrowing her eyes, she replied calmly, “Someone here deliberately provoked me with verbal abuse, attempting to bully a weaker person. My teammates couldn’t stand by and watched, so they came to my aid, maintaining peace and harmony within the Cleanup Squad.”

The crowd stared in stunned silence, watching Qiao Yanyu earnestly twist the truth with a straight face.

Chen Chuyue reacted first, immediately agreeing, “That’s right, Battalion Commander Xu! You haven’t seen those guys—waving their guns around and threatening people. They terrified so many civilians!”

After speaking, she quickly winked at the others.

Now that Wang Ze and his group had been driven off, wasn’t it the perfect opportunity to turn black into white?

No matter how much Qiao Yanyu’s team tried to paint Wang Ze as utterly reprehensible, Xu Feng wasn’t so easily fooled. He beckoned over a trusted subordinate and had him recount the incident from start to finish.

It was true that Wang Ze had intended to bully the weaker party, but in the end, he had been beaten so thoroughly that he fled like a beaten dog, his men in disarray. Moreover, Qiao Yanyu possessed a Level 3 Mutated Beast—a power so formidable that even Wang Ze, if he had any fighting chance, wouldn’t have fled so hastily.

Since the Apocalypse, Ability Users could not only sense the advancement of their own abilities but also gauge the strength of opponents unleashing high-level Mutated Beasts. By comparing this pressure with their own strength, they could estimate their opponent’s power level.

Xu Feng might want to control Qiao Yanyu, but he also had to consider whether he could defeat the Level 3 Mutated Beast in her possession.

Xu Feng also wanted to maintain this balance. He wanted everything to remain peaceful until they returned to Songyuan City, and he had never liked Wang Ze’s cliquish ways in the first place. He decided to use this as a punishment for Wang Ze.

In a moment, he had considered everything and said sternly, “The military has rules against fighting in temporary encampments. You violated this rule, so as punishment, we will not provide you with meals tomorrow.”

This was a classic case of “raising the stick high and lowering it gently.”

Qiao Yanyu and the others visibly relaxed and accepted the punishment. Xu Feng commanded ten times as many men as they did, and he represented the military’s stance. Directly offending the military wasn’t wise, especially since they would likely need to deal with the military again once they reached Songyuan City.

“Battalion Commander, Wang Ze and his men seem to be injured. Isn’t this punishment a bit harsh?” one of his subordinates whispered in his ear.

Xu Feng shot his subordinate a stern look and left without a word.

Wang Ze had never been so thoroughly defeated before, nor had he ever faced such a formidable enemy. Not only had he suffered defeat and injury, but his pride had also been utterly shattered.

To make matters worse, his beloved woman had fled even faster than he had. This left him questioning everything.

“Brother Wang, I walked ahead of you because I didn’t want to hold you back. Do you blame me for taking the initiative?” Chu Ruxu’s left arm had been grazed by a stray bullet, leaving both her hands injured. She used her long sleeves to conceal her mangled hands as she leaned close to Wang Ze’s ear, cooing sweetly.

Wang Ze had initially been angry, but Chu Ruxu’s gentle coaxing softened his heart. He sighed, “How could I blame you? That woman and the Ferocious Beast are too powerful, and their subordinates are no pushovers. Our brothers are badly injured. I feel guilty for letting them down.”

“Brother Wang, don’t be so hard on yourself. If it weren’t for you, they wouldn’t be living such a good life now. Once you’ve recovered, we can rise again anytime.”

Chu Ruxu’s words didn’t ease Wang Ze’s worries. Instead, a bitter smile crept across his face. “This defeat has left us severely weakened. Recovering will be no easy task.”

Qiao Yanyu wasn’t his only threat. Xu Feng, another vicious wolf, was also circling hungrily. He still needed to strategize how to deal with these problems.

Late that night, after everyone had settled down, Kexin’s eyes suddenly opened. Her tender, duck-like beak gently pecked at Qiao Yanyu.

Qiao Yanyu quickly opened her eyes, her red lips curving into a smile. She gently pinched Kexin’s chubby cheeks and made a hushing gesture.

Kexin nodded, her golden eyes shining brightly in the darkness like luminous glass beads.

A smile lingered on Qiao Yanyu’s lips as she covered Kexin’s eyes, cradled her in her arms, and quietly slipped out of the camp.

Blindfolded, Kexin’s wings fluttered in momentary panic. But the familiar, comforting scent of her master instantly calmed her. With her vision obstructed, her hearing sharpened, and she could clearly hear her master’s strong, rhythmic heartbeat.

She loved this vibrant, living master of hers.

Kexin settled comfortably in her master’s arms, listening to the steady rhythm of her heartbeat. After about ten minutes, her vision returned. They were surrounded by silence and dense vegetation, perfectly hidden. The thick grass felt like a cozy blanket.

Kexin hopped down from Qiao Yanyu’s lap and waddled in small circles, her duck-like feet sinking into the soft, fragrant grass. The natural scent and softness were far more pleasant than the hard, cold concrete she was used to.

Once Kexin was happy, she couldn’t resist running around the grass. When she finally exhausted herself and stopped, she looked back and realized how far they’d come from the mall. Under the empty night sky, the steel and concrete buildings were mostly entwined with plants, like terrifying monsters lurking in the darkness, burying all traces of human habitation.

But before long, these steel and concrete structures would completely disappear, and the world would be rewrapped in greenery. Modern civilization would vanish without a trace.

But none of that was something a little duck like her could change. For now, Kexin just felt that the grass was so comfortable. With her master by her side, she was the happiest pet duck in the whole world.

Kexin watched Qiao Yanyu remove her camouflage jacket and lay it flat on the grass. She waddled over and settled herself in the center of the jacket, claiming the prime spot.

Qiao Yanyu turned to see Kexin’s “duck tyrant” sprawl and wanted to laugh, but she held it back, biting her lip. She crouched down in front of the duck and asked, “Kexin, if you’re sitting here, where am I supposed to sit?”

Kexin pecked at the corner of the jacket. “Quack!”

Master can sit here.

Qiao Yanyu couldn’t contain her amusement and let out a soft chuckle. “That spot’s too small. I don’t want to sit there. I want Kexin’s spot.”

Kexin, her little duckling, scratched her head with her wing, a puzzled expression on her face. She shuffled slightly to the side and pecked at the space beside her. “Quack~”

Kexin had already compromised so much.

Qiao Yanyu shook her head stubbornly. “No, I want your spot, Kexin.”

Her eyes brimmed with a heart-wrenching dejection, and when she couldn’t claim the spot, she even began to wipe away tears, whimpering softly.

Unable to bear it any longer, Kexin hurriedly stood up from the camouflage jacket. She nuzzled Qiao Yanyu’s dangling palm with her little duck head, pressing against it again and again in a gesture of warmth and comfort.

Master, don’t cry. Quack! doesn’t want the cushion anymore. It’s all yours, Master!

The earnestness of Kexin’s actions stirred a flicker of guilt in Qiao Yanyu. She realized she might have teased the duck too much. A gentle smile blossomed on her face as she picked up Kexin, stroking the soft, fluffy down on her little chest. “I always knew our Kexin was the best duckling,” she praised. “You’re my favorite little duckling, Kexin.”

Kexin’s cheeks flushed pink from the praise, and she bashfully wiggled her feet.

Qiao Yanyu sat down on her camouflage jacket and gently pinched Kexin’s chubby cheeks. “Didn’t you put your little duck cushion in your space? Bring it out and sit on it.”

Kexin thought for a moment, and a warm yellow duck cushion materialized before her.

She perched on it, finding it soft and more comfortable than her master’s camouflage jacket. However, the cushion, having been stored in her space for so long, had lost the fresh lemon scent of the laundry soap at home.

That lemon scent was similar to her master’s fragrance, though her master’s scent seemed sweeter, especially after eating grapefruit, which added a subtle, refreshing sweetness. Kexin loved this scent and sometimes imagined her master was like a fruit she wanted to taste. But after biting her master’s hand once, she discovered that her master had no flavor.

Kexin told herself she must never bite her master again. Her master wasn’t meant to be eaten; if she ate her master, there would be no one left to take care of Quack!.

Carrying the duck cushion in her mouth, she ran back to Qiao Yanyu and placed it on the corner of her camouflage jacket. Sniffing the faint sweetness of her master’s scent, Kexin felt her duck life was truly wonderful.

“Kexin, weren’t you going to show me the Blue Grass?” Qiao Yanyu noticed Kexin sprawled on the Quack! cushion, swaying back and forth, thoroughly entertained by the little duck icon, almost forgetting why they had come out in the first place.

Ducks really are easily distracted, aren’t they?

“Quack~” Almost forgot about the duck.

Kexin, with a blank expression, let out a weak quack. With a thought, she placed a large clump of Blue Grass between herself and Qiao Yanyu.

Shaking the feathers from her body, Kexin perked up. “Quack~”

This grass, when eaten, would transform the duck into a two-legged beast like her Master.

Qiao Yanyu frowned slightly, picking up a strand of the grass to examine it. The leaves were small and round, the stem thin and smooth, and it emitted a faint blue glow under the night sky, giving it an air of mystery.

But the idea of a duck turning into a human… that was a matter for consideration. She wondered if there might be any side effects.

As she was carefully examining the grass, Kexin suddenly nudged her beak towards her hand and began pecking at the first strand.

Qiao Yanyu quickly withdrew her hand, watching Kexin anxiously, fearing any adverse reaction.

Kexin seemed unfazed. She stared blankly at Qiao Yanyu, then glanced at her own fluffy wings.

Hmm, nothing seemed to have changed.

Had Quack! been tricked?

Unwilling to believe it, Kexin ate several more mouthfuls of Blue Grass. Her duck body remained unchanged, still a small, plump duck with no signs of any unusual transformation.

Though disappointed, Qiao Yanyu felt a slight relief seeing Kexin devouring the grass without any adverse effects.

“Alright, that’s enough! What if there are side effects? What if something goes wrong?” Qiao Yanyu gathered the remaining Blue Grass, intending to study it further.

Kexin’s clear eyes brimmed with stubborn determination. If a Little Rat could transform into a two-legged beast, why couldn’t a duck? She was, after all, the world’s strongest duck.

Pressing her wings against Qiao Yanyu’s arm, she stubbornly continued to devour the Blue Grass. When angered, Quack! ate even faster. By the time Qiao Yanyu tried to stop her, only half a strand of Blue Grass remained. The rest had already been devoured.

Kexin’s cheeks bulged with the remaining Blue Grass. Even though her Master had snatched away the last bit, it didn’t prevent her from swallowing every last morsel.

After finishing the food, Kexin felt her body start to grow warm. Like a frog slowly boiling in water, the heat intensified, spreading from her throat to her abdomen like a raging fire. The flames of pain engulfed her internal organs, leaving her so weak she couldn’t even muster a cry.

Qiao Yanyu noticed Kexin’s distress and dropped to one knee, shielding her with her arms. Cold sweat drenched her body as her heart plummeted. She dared not touch Kexin, her voice trembling as she whispered, “Kexin…”

Kexin remained upright. Her years of battle, both great and small, had honed her endurance to a terrifying degree.

Yet fainting might have offered some relief. By stubbornly enduring, Kexin only intensified the agony. Her duck brain felt numb, her duck feet throbbing with a prickling pain. But now, only one foot hurt; the other remained strangely untouched.

Unsteadily, Kexin lifted the aching foot, balancing on the remaining one. Her body swayed like a wobbly, unsteady duck.

Moments later, the second foot began to ache as well. With both feet throbbing, Kexin finally collapsed onto the soft cushion, silently enduring the excruciating torment.

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