Living with My Aloof Ex-Wife After the Apocalypse - Chapter 17

Chapter 17: The Bite and the Temporary Stronghold

Even with the combined experience of two lifetimes, the sight before Xing He was enough to make her stomach churn. Suppressing her nausea, she decisively raised her rifle, aiming for the creature’s neck.

The evolved entity noticed the intruder, but instead of counterattacking, it chose to flee.

As the bullet streaked toward its neck, the creature contorted its body in an incredible manner, flipping its lower half upward to use its mass of “hands and feet” as a shield. The bullet shattered several limbs, but failed to penetrate. Within seconds, new limbs sprouted to replace them.

Xing He frowned. If this confrontation were a turn-based game, the evolved entity had come out of this round unscathed. She was certain that in a close-quarters face-off, her bullets would pierce its defenses, but at this distance, the effectiveness of long-range attacks against a sentient, unconventional target was greatly diminished.

While she deliberated, the entity scrambled out of the warehouse. Without hesitation, she gave chase.

The fact that zombies could evolve intelligence was terrifying, but there was one silver lining: low-level evolved entities only possessed the intellect of a five- or six-year-old.

Just as Xing He expected, after a brief pursuit, the creature ducked into a small room she had previously searched. If this “smart” entity had stayed in the warehouse controlling the massive horde, Xing He would have been powerless against it. But fear had driven it out, giving her the chance to close the distance.

It was a dead end. Xing He seized the moment, gripping her shovel and swinging with all her might at the creature’s neck.

The entity instinctively raised an arm to block. Its only human-like features—its two hands—were lopped off, but it seemed unfazed. The writhing limbs of its lower body suddenly surged forward, latching onto Xing He’s legs.

She tried to break free, but the tiny palms were far stronger than they looked. Her legs felt as if they were fused to the ground with industrial adhesive.

Remaining calm, Xing He flipped her shovel and began hacking wildly at the grasping hands. The entity shrieked in pain and lunged for her throat. She jammed the shovel handle into its open maw, stalling its movement. In that opening, she fired two bursts from her handgun directly into its neck at point-blank range.

Even after taking the hits, the body continued to struggle. Worried the bullets weren’t enough, Xing He wrenched her shovel free and delivered a brutal horizontal cleave, effectively severing the head from the torso.

Finally, the writhing mass convulsed and went still. Outside, the agitated moans of the horde gradually quieted.

Before Xing He could exhale, a cold sensation pressed against her temple.

“Don’t move. Drop the gun.”

She had been so focused on the entity that she hadn’t noticed someone sneaking up behind her. Dammit, she thought. Someone must have been lured here by the gunfire.

She didn’t resist and dropped her weapon as instructed, waiting for an opening. The stranger kicked the gun away and shoved Xing He forward to inspect the fallen entity.

In that heartbeat, the entity’s head suddenly erupted with fresh tissue, instantly regenerating half its body.

The sudden burst caught the stranger off guard, impaling them through the chest with a surge of new limbs. Xing He, still being held, felt a sharp, searing pain as the creature’s jagged teeth sank deep into her left wrist.

Horrified, she recoiled, snatching the pistol from the dying stranger’s hand and emptying the remaining eight rounds into the entity’s neck. The creature’s expansion halted abruptly, and it collapsed heavily, motionless.

Was that a final death rattle?

The System’s voice echoed in her mind: Congratulations, Host, on obtaining Level 1 Ability: Super Regeneration.

Since the System spoke, the entity was truly dead. The person who ambushed her had been pierced through the heart and had already stopped breathing.

Xing He’s heart sank to her stomach. She stared blankly at her wrist. There was a gruesome wound there, deep enough to see the bone.

Am I going to turn? What about Qing Meng? She hasn’t learned self-defense yet, she doesn’t have a gun… will she be scared when she sees a zombie?

Regret washed over her. She shouldn’t have been so arrogant. If she hadn’t insisted on keeping Qing Meng by her side if they had gone to the settlement with the main force Qing Meng would have lived longer.

Thoughts flashed through her mind like a whirlwind, but as the infection—or perhaps just blood loss took hold, her strength failed. Her vision blurred, and her mind grew foggy.

With the end seemingly inevitable, her fear vanished, replaced by a bitter unwillingness. Unwilling to never again see:

• The way Qing Meng’s eyes shifted shyly when they shared a bed.

• Her focused profile while reading documents.

• Her blushing face and fidgeting hands when receiving a gift.

• Her worried, knitted brows during their routine check-ins.

But there were no more chances. Her vision went black, and she lost consciousness.

When she woke up, she was staring at a ceiling illuminated by bright fluorescent lights.

Where am I?

Confused, she tried to move, but her hands were restrained. Tilting her head, she saw her wrists handcuffed to the iron railings of a bed.

The sound of footsteps approached. “You’re awake?”

Xing He lifted her heavy eyelids. Standing before her was a young woman with a look of joy on her face. “Xing He, can you still speak?”

Xing He’s mouth was parched, and her throat felt like rusted gears. She rasped with effort, “Where is this?”

Hearing her speak, the woman sighed in relief. “This is the conference hall of the Armed Forces Department. It’s our temporary base. I found you lying in the office area with a wound on your arm, so I brought you back.”

Xing He’s head was still spinning, but she managed to ask, “How do you know my name?”

Seeing that Xing He didn’t recognize her, the girl blinked. “Remember the hotel front desk? My name is Fan Hua. Everyone calls me Xiao Hua. You can too.”

Xing He’s memory served her; she recalled the helpful girl who had told her where Qing Meng was.

Fan Hua unlocked one of the handcuffs, explaining, “I was worried you’d turn into one of those things outside, so I had to cuff you. Don’t be mad!”

In these times, it took immense courage to help a stranger, let alone one who had been bitten. “I’m not. Thank you for saving me.”

Fan Hua stuck out her tongue playfully. “Don’t mention it. You helped me before, so we’re even.”

Xing He sat up. For some reason, she hadn’t turned. Was it the System? Or was the virus just taking its time? Unable to reach a conclusion, she surveyed her surroundings.

The hall was spacious. Tables and chairs were piled against the door as a barricade. Several makeshift beds were scattered across the floor. To her left sat a mother clutching a child; to her right, a kind-looking old lady smiled at her. Further in was a middle-aged woman in a gaudy pink dress with red nails, who watched Xing He with suspicion.

There was one more bed—the only double bed in the room.

Noticing Xing He’s gaze, Fan Hua smiled. “That’s the bed for me and my girlfriend.”

Xing He wasn’t embarrassed to be caught staring; instead, she was curious. “You have a girlfriend?”

In this world, though same-sex marriage was legal, female couples were still a minority.

“Yes, her name is Chen Xia. She’s a police officer.” Fan Hua shared their story: when the virus broke out, Chen Xia was home on leave. They had tried to organize the neighbors to reach the rescue point, but the elevators failed and the complex was swarmed. They missed the rescue teams and fought their way to the Armed Forces Department, only to find it deserted. Now, they used it as a stronghold.

“Chen Xia and the others are out scavenging for supplies. They should be back soon. The women sleep in this room; there’s an extra quilt in the men’s room across the hall. Wait here, I’ll go get it for you.”

Before Xing He could say it wasn’t necessary, the energetic Fan Hua had already hurried out.

The room fell quiet. Then, the elderly lady walked over tremulously. “Young lady… is your name Xing He?”

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