Picking Up My Ex-Wife in the Apocalypse - Chapter 23

Si Qi’s combat style was unique, transcending the elemental strikes of a typical Awakened. The woman in red sat in her chair, her flirtatious “peach blossom” eyes narrowed slightly; beneath her skepticism lay an intense, growing fascination.

“She’s a Level 6 right now, isn’t she?” The woman tilted her head, glancing at Si Ruxu. Si Ruxu was staring fixedly at the screen, her knuckles white from the force of her grip. The researcher let out a knowing, intrigued laugh.

“Yes.” Si Ruxu kept her voice steady. No matter how furious she was, she wouldn’t lose her composure with a stranger. Her amber eyes remained locked on the screen, watching a mutated octopus zombie lash out at Si Qi, leaving a gash where green ichor hissed against scorched, reddening flesh.

“I’m not sure if this is appropriate, but you called them ‘failed creations’ earlier.” Si Ruxu finally pulled her gaze from the screen, a mask of casual indifference settling over her features.

The woman in red rose gracefully and took a seat closer to Si Ruxu. Though the room was empty, she lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Who says only ‘He’ is allowed to create? When ‘He’ grows bored and abandons a species to extinction, is that species simply supposed to wait for death?”

“But Si Luoheng, look at these things,” Si Ruxu countered, calling the woman by her name. “Do you truly think they are normal? You’ve used humans, then plants… what’s next? Have you ever actually succeeded?”

Si Luoheng looked at Si Ruxu. In her eyes, so similar to Si Ruxu’s own—a feverish, complex fanaticism was brewing.

“So, Sister… you intentionally damaged your own core. You deliberately found Si Qi, rejected that maggot Luo Fenghe’s token, and guided Si Qi to find me. You’ve known for a long time, haven’t you?” Si Luoheng’s tone held no anger at having her secrets peered into; instead, there was a trace of twisted delight.

She stood and swiped her hand across the holographic screen. The last image Si Ruxu saw before the feed cut was Si Qi dropped to one knee, drenched in a mixture of her own blood and the black filth of the monsters. Si Ruxu felt a sharp sting of panic but buried it deep.

As the image of Si Qi’s face vanished, a map unfurled before her. Si Luoheng’s finger traced various regions highlighted in a harsh, bleeding red.

“Look, Sister. These are the ruins—cities where human civilization has been completely erased.” Si Luoheng slid her finger to the only pale, uncolored patch on the map and zoomed in. “And here is my testing zone. My greatest success. I introduced a virus to modify the human body, allowing people to siphon energy from zombies and manipulate the elements of heaven and earth to fight against His creations.”

“And you, Sister… you are my finest masterpiece.” Si Luoheng’s fingers brushed lightly against Si Ruxu’s pale face, coming to rest briefly on her lips. “You possess the strongest abilities and an astounding energy capacity. Why don’t you cherish it? Why would you try to destroy it?”

“Because ‘He’ initiated the Great Purge,” Si Ruxu replied, her voice carefully controlled. “What exactly did you do? You’ve already made a deal with Him, haven’t you? What was the price?”

She paused, her gaze turning sharp. “And one more thing. Why does Si Qi have abilities? She was never infected.”

The smile on Si Luoheng’s face vanished the moment she heard Si Qi’s name.

“Ah, yes. Didn’t you say you were tired of her? That she was dull, boring, and slow-witted? You let her leave this city all by herself. Why do you care if she lives or dies now? Does she even know you’ve been using her all this time?”

“She isn’t important.” Si Ruxu lowered her gaze, her cold voice dropping into a slow, measured cadence. “My goal is already achieved. Whether she lives or dies has nothing to do with me. I only came here to get an answer from you.”

****

Note:

Si Ruxu’s outward coldness masks a massive web of secrets! It seems the “breakup” and her injuries were part of a much larger, darker plan.

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