Chapter 152: The Apocalypse
"run!!!"
An endless seaside, no, to be precise, a lakeside.
Looking out from the distant mountains, the lake is shrouded in mist, and the visible areas appear as if they have been covered with ink, unfathomably deep, with wave after wave of surging waves.
At first glance, it looked just like rolling waves, but upon closer inspection, the darkness at the bottom of the water grew deeper and thicker, until it rose up like boiling water, creating a thick fog. In just a few moments, it was like a flash flood, covering the entire valley and drowning out all movement.
The silence of the valley was shattered by a piercing scream.
The lake surface was like a boiling iron pot, the water began to ripple, and the white mist obscured what was happening, only the sounds of explosions and panting could be heard, until a burst of fire exploded, the surrounding mountains collapsed, and countless rocks crashed down.
As the mountain collapsed and the water surged, several figures scrambled up the mountain in a disheveled state, and the anxiously waiting queue nearby rushed to meet them.
What happened?
"Wasn't the King Beast already defeated?"
...
Before the end, Shuliu Lake was just an ordinary little lake, or even a small pond, nothing special, and not as attractive as the ancient willow tree next to it.
Even after the apocalypse, natural disasters continued to occur. The entire city where Tree Remains Lake was located collapsed, and Tree Remains, located on the very edge, stood on a rising cliff. The former small lake had become a vast ocean. In the thirty years since the apocalypse, countless terrifying monsters have been bred, including even a king beast.
In this apocalyptic era, the King Beast is already a monstrous creature standing at the top of the food chain.
The Longzhao Base dispatched dozens of high-level ability users and offered bounties to hundreds of teams, suffering countless losses before finally clearing out the king beast. Song Jin, the captain of the base's twelfth team who had never made a mistake, personally led the team down to collect the necessary supplies.
That's a newly discovered type of aquatic plant that can induce and significantly enhance supernatural abilities.
It's important to understand that in this post-apocalyptic world, less than one percent of people possess superpowers. The market potential behind this aquatic plant is immense; once it's successfully developed, their base could instantly become one of the top ten bases in the world.
The base's chief commander stood under the willow tree, and seeing the sudden change in the water, his expression changed instantly. He quickly ordered others to go down and help bring the survivors up.
He hurriedly asked, "What exactly happened?"
The vice-captain of the twelfth team, who was brought up, was a water-elemental being who could swim like a dragon in the water. She was one of the main people in charge of this operation. At this moment, her left hand was completely severed, and blood was flowing down her face. Her face was completely bloodless.
She said, "And there's another pregnant royal beast down there."
The base commander's heart skipped a beat: "Where's Song Jin?"
The woman closed her eyes and gritted her teeth: "To protect us from getting out, the captain... she... she led the King Beast out, and she hasn't come out yet."
Everyone fell silent.
It should be noted that in order to capture that previous king beast, they had already spent a full year, investing countless manpower and resources, before finally luring it out of the deep water and successfully killing it.
There's still one inside.
It's in deep water again.
Even if Song Jin is a strong fighter, how could she possibly defeat him alone?
However, sending people down would be futile, as the lake was shrouded in mist and the situation was completely obscured. Furthermore, the aquatic beasts were rampaging below, and sending anyone down would be suicide.
...
Beneath the obscured water, Song Jin, condemned by everyone, swam swiftly.
As a high-level ability user, although she doesn't have water-based abilities, she can still stay underwater for a while. As long as she can swim to the surface, she has hope.
but.
The lake water gradually turned black, making it impossible to tell which way was which. Her wristwatch was already destroyed. She pursed her lips, activated her supernatural power, and shot out like a sharp arrow.
The very next second, a sharp ice spike pierced through the spot where she had just been. Immediately afterward, whirlpools in the water spread around her like snowflakes. Song Jin's swimming motion paused. Her brows furrowed, and relying on her intuition, she continued to swim like a fish, avoiding the surrounding gravity, which was large or small.
Everything went smoothly.
But her heart sank heavily.
The beast king is playing.
It is extremely fast and can even tear through gaps.
They didn't notice the king beast at first. Besides its small size and extreme vigilance, which prevented it from ever showing its face, Song Jin suspected that it was more likely that it could tear through space and had a hidden habitat. Otherwise, such a powerful beast could not have evaded so many detections.
The surrounding whirlpools were constant, and the water was too dark for her to see clearly.
Song Jin couldn't dodge in time, and her ankle was grazed by Xiao Xuan. The piercing pain instantly shot through her. She paused for a moment, and a fierce look suddenly appeared in her eyes.
That bastard.
Since dying sooner or later is inevitable, one might as well take someone down with them before dying.
Thinking this, Song Jin stopped dodging, mobilized his supernatural abilities, changed direction, and rushed towards the direction of the beast at top speed.
Previously, she had been gathering her strength to better dodge, but now she no longer cared about the surrounding vortexes. She charged forward with all her might, smashing everything in her path until she arrived in front of the strange beast.
Although the beast was well hidden, Song Jin had been on missions for so many years. If he couldn't spot it even when it was right in front of him, he would have died countless times over.
Her face suddenly turned fierce, her narrow phoenix eyes narrowed slightly, flashing with a beast-like glint. Despite the danger and death, a smile even appeared on her overly bright face.
Found it.
The strange beast resembled a long dragon, its body covered in dark scales. Its sturdiness was evident without much probing. It stood there, its gaze fixed on Song Jin, motionless.
Although it was somewhat unexpected that she not only didn't run away but actually chased after it, it didn't matter. It didn't take this little thing seriously and opened its mouth as if it were yawning.
Seemingly indifferent, but silently, the surrounding vortexes multiplied, and finally, a last ice spike appeared.
Song Jin quickly dodged and, with lightning speed, shot the gun in his hand towards its eye.
That was a special weapon developed by the base. It was extremely precious, and the raw materials were all taken from high-level exotic beasts that were very rare and common, so the damage was also exceptionally great.
The beast let out a sharp cry, and all the surrounding vortexes vanished instantly. It narrowly escaped a fatal blow. The cannonball struck its scales, and the hard scales fell off with flesh and blood, causing a sharp pain in the wound.
Although it wasn't a major injury for it, it was the biggest injury of its life since it had been hiding in the cave since it was a cub.
The beast instantly flew into a rage, and the vanished vortex reappeared.
With no room for further resistance, Song Jin was helplessly swept into the vortex, her flesh being torn apart bit by bit. She was swirled in the vortex, but there was no fear on her face; instead, she raised the corners of her mouth.
three
two
one
The supernatural attack, which had been hidden in the water, struck the beast squarely in the eye. It let out a sharp shriek, rolled wildly, and glared angrily at the culprit. This time, it stopped playing around and charged at her with all its might.
Song Jin was trapped in the water. She had used up all her supernatural abilities just now, and she no longer had the strength to struggle, but she felt no fear or regret.
She stood there steadily, looking at the enraged beast through the raging waves, her eyebrows gradually widening as she silently mocked it.
It hurts, doesn't it? You deserve it.
idiot.
Whether you are human or beast, underestimating your enemy will not end well.
It's a pity she can't go back this time. All the things she's worked so hard to save over the years have been for nothing. But thankfully, she had already prepared for this day, and all those things will eventually be donated to the base's orphanage.
Thinking of the couple's expressions at that moment, Song Jin couldn't help but laugh. Her phoenix eyes curved slightly as she watched the approaching shadow, as if she could see her own simple life reflected in it.
From as far back as she can remember, she grew up in the training hall of the base, learning the most and doing the most work.
She was born with powerful superpowers. Her abilities were one thing, but more importantly, her guardians were eager to get rich by relying on her.
In the first few years, she was very well-behaved, giving them everything she had and supporting her parents, grandparents, uncles, and aunts. She provided them with the best villas, the best resources, and the most comfortable life.
It wasn't until later that she realized what was happening, cut off those things, and after they came to cause trouble several times, she smashed their place to pieces and broke a few more of their hands. Finally, life became peaceful again.
All these years, all she did was work, and now she's dying in a mission.
It's not a loss.
If there is a next life, she wants to go to a simple place without strange beasts or monsters, with mountains and rivers.
Song Jin was swept up in the storm, her eyes full of arrogance and fearlessness. She looked at the whirlpool that suddenly appeared in front of her, gently opened her arms, and stopped making futile struggles.
Dying in the water is fine too; if people have souls, they can travel to other places along underground rivers.
She opened her eyes, fearlessly awaiting death.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three seconds.
With a thud, the expected pain did not come.
Song Jin's narrow, phoenix-shaped eyes widened in astonishment as she stared at the sudden appearance.
Naked man?
She really is dead, right? Otherwise, how could there suddenly be a naked man in this deep water, in front of the beast king, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and a pert bottom, holding a long sword that is half a person's height?
The sword pierced right through the beast's eyes and head.
In just a moment, it stopped breathing, and its heavy body plummeted downwards.
Song Jin stared blankly as the man staggered, hastily drew his long sword, and turned around. She whistled in her heart.
What, did God see she was about to die and let her have a romantic encounter?
Isn't that a bit too outrageous?
The naked man who suddenly appeared was nearly 1.9 meters tall, with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and long legs. His entire body showed signs of training since childhood, exuding strength. In addition to his height, his features were exceptionally handsome, deep and sharp, with dark eyes that were exceptionally beautiful.
At this moment, he frowned, holding his long sword, and looked over warily. When he saw the bloodied and mangled figure in front of him, he did not relax his vigilance, but only gripped the long sword in his hand even tighter.
Song Jin tilted her head slightly, her phoenix eyes almost turning into cat eyes, staring blankly at him and the large yellow blob next to him.
tiger?
She must be dreaming.
Song Jin couldn't help but rub her eyes. As soon as she raised her hand, the belated pain struck, followed by a surge of strength.
Death shouldn't hurt, right?
But if he hadn't died, the current situation would have been even more absurd.
Song Jin wanted to say something, so she immediately spat out a string of bubbles. She quickly came to her senses, swam towards the man, grabbed his wrist under his wary gaze, and then grabbed the golden tiger that was now a string of bubbles flopping around, and began to swim upwards.
Her supernatural abilities were almost completely exhausted. If she spaced out for a while longer, she would really have to be reincarnated as a fish in her next life.
The man seemed to understand her meaning, and instead of struggling, he relaxed his strength and let her carry him upwards.
Song Jin was satisfied. If he had been stupid enough to struggle, she would have let go and run away even though he had just saved her. In such a critical moment, she didn't have the time to waste.
She held her breath and swam upwards, and despite dragging two heavy objects, she emerged from the water like a fish.
"call."
The moment she poked her head out, Song Jin took a deep breath. She was about to say that she couldn't swim anymore and ask the man to carry her when she turned her head again. The man had his eyes closed, his lips were purple, and his skin was pale. He had already fainted.
"...Is it really that useless?"
Song Jin was speechless for a moment. You have to know that this person was the one who killed the King Beast with a single sword strike. Although there was an element of luck involved, and he just happened to pass through its energy sac, he shouldn't be so weak if he could penetrate its defenses.
She sighed deeply, but could only resign herself to her fate and drag the person to the side.
However, this time it was much easier than surfacing. The strange tiger that had appeared seemed to have lost its breath and was floating on the water like a balloon, which made it easier for her to paddle around.
Even if she's torn apart, it doesn't matter. In the apocalypse, just being alive is good enough. Privacy and shyness are hard to come by. Besides, she's covered in blood, with pieces of flesh falling to the ground every now and then.
In comparison, this man who suddenly appeared was perfectly fine in every way except for the fact that he was drowning.
Although he had many scars on his body, they were mostly marks from swords and knives, with no serious injuries or missing limbs.
Song Jin lowered her eyes, skillfully performing artificial respiration on him while carefully examining him.
After several squeezing attempts, the man coughed a few times, spitting out water and a small silver fish about the length of an index finger.
Song Jin was somewhat surprised. She picked up the seemingly small silver fish and confirmed it again and again. This was indeed a rare silver wrasse, which had super healing abilities. At the same time, it was also excellent at hiding. It could change color in the water, moved extremely fast, and was very difficult to catch. Moreover, it was highly poisonous once it died.
Without thinking, she picked it up and threw it into her mouth to chew. It tasted somewhat sweet and delicious. As soon as she swallowed it, a warm feeling welled up in her stomach, and her depleted superpowers began to flow out like a spring.
The pain, however, did not lessen at all.
After escaping death, the pent-up pain surged up. Song Jin hissed, a look of pain appearing on her face, which she quickly suppressed. She staggered to her feet, slowly walked to the water's edge, looked at Jin Hu who was half-lying on the water's edge, and then pulled him up with all her might.
This tiger looks really shabby.
It looks round and plump, but it's all hair and has hardly any meat on its bottom. It's obviously a weak tiger.
The vegetable man was paired with the vegetable tiger. Song Jin squatted on the ground, reached out and touched the round belly of the golden tiger, which was full of water, and then followed the touch down to feel its faint breathing.
She clicked her tongue twice and began to squeeze along the tiger's belly.
One or two times...
After choking on water, Jin Hu spat it out, slowly opened his round eyes, and drooped his long tongue. He looked weak and listless, without any of the demeanor of a mountain king.
It is indeed no longer the king of the mountains.
In this era where superpowers reign supreme, even a tiger without any superpowers can be killed by a high-ranking rat with superpowers.
Song Jin was tall and slender with short hair that reached her shoulders. At this moment, she was covered in wounds and bloodstains, making her look like a blood-soaked person. However, she remained calm and composed, squatting to one side and stroking the tiger's head. Her eyes were closed, and her emotions were unreadable.
Jin Hu had no strength to move, his eyes were wet as he looked at her, and suddenly he lifted his belly.
Touch me, you can touch everything.
If you touch it, you can't hunt the tiger anymore.
Song Jin curled her lips: "How pathetic, you've already forgotten your master?"
Jin Hu couldn't understand, but he could tell she was in a better mood, so he nuzzled her head against him and whimpered a few times to please her.
Song Jin felt flattered and rubbed the tiger's head a few more times, then touched its bones and checked the power sac of a typical tiger.
Completely empty, it truly is a weak tiger that couldn't be weaker.
After finishing the examination, Song Jin slowly got up and turned around. The person who had been lying there motionless was no longer there. Her gaze moved around, paused for a moment on a giant tree next to her, and then quickly looked down at Jin Hu and sighed.
"Look, your master doesn't want you anymore."
It was a stray tiger, without an owner.
Song Jin chuckled softly and said in a low voice, "Alright then, you can come back to Longzhao Base with me. You'll live a life of luxury with me, Song Jin."
...
[Author's Note]
The Doomsday Chapter, also known as, What If I Hadn't Traveled to Ancient Times.
Jin Jin: No matter what era I'm in, I'll be fine~
I'm rubbing my hands together, unable to resist recommending my pre-order for the post-apocalyptic farming game, "Apocalyptic Countryside."
3033
Xu Wei woke up in the darkness, with a wine glass handed to her by her most respected senior, and the meaningful laughter of her friends all around her.
In her past life, it was because of this glass of wine that, in a daze, she accepted her senior's advances amidst the clamor of the crowd. At the crossroads of doomsday, she chose a path of no return, leaving him to die with regret.
In this life, Xu Wei looked at her senior's handsome face, picked up a nearby wine bottle and smashed it. Amidst screams, she escaped the cage that had imprisoned her for ten years in her previous life.
At this moment, there are three days left until the end of the world.
She wanted to get home before the final lockdown, to be back by that person's side.
**
In 3033, a meteorite that leaped from a black hole fell across Earth, carrying an alien virus and ushering in a new era for the planet.
Survival of the fittest; the losers become nourishment.
Within a month, a zombie outbreak occurred, and the surviving humans lost their base and rebuilt, barely managing to catch their breath. Meanwhile, plants and animals stood atop the mountain, as if howling for their own time.
In her previous life, Xu Wei was confined to the city from the very beginning. As she drifted from place to place with the research institute, she regretted every day why she hadn't looked at that person more, and resented him for having a wife and children and a happy life.
It wasn't until ten years later, during the final cleanup mission, that Xu Wei, looking at the mutated zombie king standing far away, realized that at the very beginning of the apocalypse, that person had searched for her countless times, traversing mountains and valleys.
She pressed the ring on her finger, and amidst the deafening roar, she was transported back ten years. Her hands, covered in blood, stood under the starry sky, staring at the message from ten days prior on the screen, her fingers trembling as she typed on the keyboard.
"return"
She never wanted to wander alone again in this lifetime.
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