Picking Up My Ex-Wife in the Apocalypse - Chapter 9

That night, Si Ruxu tried to circulate her energy to actively absorb the power within the crystals. However, the energy seemed to repel her, as if an invisible barrier stood between her core and the outside world.

The rhythmic crackling of the fire was the only sound in the cave. A warm glow fell across her pale profile, making her look as fragile as a dandelion in the rain. It felt as though a single ounce of added pressure would be enough to break her completely.

In that moment, Si Qi realized that Si Ruxu was far from being as indifferent as she appeared. The Great Purge was drawing closer every day, S-rank bounties with her face on them were plastered everywhere, and her powers remained stubbornly broken. One by one, these crises were stacking up like a sword suspended over her head, ready to drop at any second.

Si Qi shifted closer. She took a deep breath, masking her racing heart, and pulled Si Ruxu into her arms. As she channeled her own energy into the woman’s body, she whispered a soft comfort. “I’ll get you back to the base safely. As long as the power is still there, you’ll get better.”

Si Ruxu didn’t respond for a long time. Finally, she spoke in a small, quiet voice. “If I never recover… will you keep protecting me anyway?”

In the firelight, the woman’s eyes were filled with vulnerability and unease. Si Qi bit her tongue, her logic and emotions screaming at each other. Finally, she let out a long breath, discarded the thought that Si Ruxu might just be acting, and nodded.

Whether it was a calculated move or a moment of genuine fear, it didn’t matter. Si Ruxu couldn’t die. She was the only person left who truly remembered Si Qi.

As the night deepened and the woman’s breathing turned slow and steady against her ear, a possessive thought took hold of Si Qi: If only it could stay like this forever. Just the two of us, relying only on each other.

*****

After that night, Si Ruxu seemed to drop her guard entirely. She knew Si Qi wouldn’t have the heart to abandon her; whatever Si Qi was thinking, Si Ruxu’s safety was now guaranteed.

Over the next few days, they fell into a routine. Si Ruxu would test her current limits, watch Si Qi cook and train, or occasionally go for a weighted run herself. Thanks to the constant energy Si Qi provided, Si Ruxu’s core was soon full. She had regained the strength of a top-tier Awakened, and aside from her inability to replenish her own energy, she was combat-ready.

“We leave for the base tomorrow,” Si Ruxu announced. She was back in her light trench coat, looking healthy and revitalized. “If the guards won’t listen, we’ll fight our way in.”

“Why tomorrow?” Si Qi looked at the sky. It was still early; they could make it to the base today if they pushed.

Si Ruxu tossed a small pouch to Si Qi. “Because we need to prepare. This pouch has a one-cubic-meter space; I’ve packed it with crystals. If you run low on energy, replenish yourself immediately.”

Next, she produced a set of clean clothes. Using her healing energy to give Si Qi a thorough “cleansing,” she handed over the garments. “Wear this.”

It was a black, constant-temperature suit, perfectly sized. Si Qi smiled her thanks and changed, then shared a meal of energy bars with Si Ruxu.

*****

By nightfall, Si Qi felt a disturbance in her energy. The mutated plants around them were visibly agitated. As moonlight filtered through the leaves, Si Qi noticed the blood-red patterns crawling onto her palms.

She knew these markings appeared near her eyes when she used her powers, but this was the first time they had spread this far. The sense of dread grew. Beside her, Si Ruxu was a small, curled-up figure, her breathing light and peaceful.

Even the mutated plant was suffering. Its vines hissed against the ground, thrashing in a show of profound unease.

Suddenly, Si Qi sensed the space around them beginning to tear. She lunged across the bed and shielded Si Ruxu. The woman let out a muffled groan but didn’t wake. In an instant, the world spun. A sickening feeling of free-fall hit them, followed by a blinding darkness that knocked Si Qi unconscious.

*****

When she opened her eyes, she was outdoors. The mutated plant was gone.

“Awake?”

Si Qi looked over. Si Ruxu was sitting beside her, leaning against a large boulder. Her face was marked with small scratches, and her hair was a mess.

“What happened? Where are we?” Si Qi didn’t recognize this place, yet a strange, haunting sense of familiarity hung in the air.

“I’m not sure yet. Our equipment—the scanners, the GPS, the communicators, they’re all dead,” Si Ruxu said, her face grim. “There’s a unique magnetic field here blocking all signals.”

The Great Purge. Si Qi realized it had arrived much sooner than expected. “Have you seen any other Awakened?”

Si Ruxu nodded toward the distance. “There’s a cluster of them over there. But we shouldn’t approach unless it’s an extreme emergency. I can’t tell yet which is the real threat: the Purge or them.”

Si Qi fell silent. With no signals and no law, the order of the base had officially collapsed. Killing someone here would be as easy as breathing. It was exactly what the high-level strategists had feared: that civilization would crumble under the weight of disaster and human greed.

Si Ruxu’s gaze was deep. If this was the first “Black Hole” world, the spatial fluctuations she’d felt during the teleportation were nearly identical to Si Qi’s power. She looked back at Si Qi, meeting her calm, lake-like eyes.

Si Qi was worried about her. Si Ruxu found it almost funny. Yhey were in equal danger, yet the girl’s concern was palpable. She didn’t mock her, though. Let it be, she thought. The deeper Si Qi’s feelings, the more lethal an instrument she becomes.

Suddenly, a shadow fell from the sky as a massive holographic screen enveloped the world like an AR game. Data began to scroll across the light:

[Congratulations, Awakened, on entering the First Round of the Great Purge.] [Main Mission: Survive for one week.] [Real-time Population: 10,000 Deviants.] [Time until the next Natural Disaster: 03:00:00]

A disaster… Si Qi’s first thought was the Frost, but it could be anything: earthquakes, tsunamis, firestorms. The screen gave no details, seemingly providing time to prepare while actually stoking a slow-burn panic with the countdown.

People would immediately turn to looting to secure their own survival.

Si Ruxu handed a laser pistol to Si Qi. “Keep this on you. Do not take that pouch off, ever.”

They didn’t head toward the crowd, nor did they hide in complete isolation. As the clock ticked, most Awakened gathered into groups and headed for the woods, looking for cover. Si Ruxu and Si Qi followed at a distance. Some weaker teams stayed on the outskirts, likely afraid of being bullied or robbed by the elite squads deeper in.

Si Ruxu and Si Qi chose a spot in the outer woods. Finding a proper shelter was difficult, so Si Qi dug a modest underground burrow and lined it with grass, just in case. If it was heat or cold, they could hunker down below. Given the seven-day goal, they guessed each disaster wouldn’t last more than a day or two.

As the time neared, the survival counter on the screen dropped from 10,000 to 9,800. Two hundred people were already dead, likely from infighting over resources or territory.

They spent the remaining time scouting the area and gathering wood, which Si Ruxu tucked into her space. Si Qi marked their path as they went. “If things go south, I can blink us out. This path is the fastest way out of the woods; the other one loops deep inside to avoid other teams.”

Si Ruxu nodded. They were strong, but they couldn’t take on an entire army of desperate Awakened.

By the time the three hours were up, the count had fallen to 9,500. Four hundred more had died before the trial had even begun. Si Qi’s muscles were tensed, ready for anything.

The numbers on the sky-screen hit the final countdown:

5… 4… 3… 2… 1…

BOOM!

A deafening roar shook the earth as a massive bolt of lightning tore through the sky, striking the heart of the forest. Deep within the trees, the eyes of countless Awakened reflected the terrified, desperate faces of their companions as the first disaster arrived.

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