Apocalypse Survival Guide for a Beta [GB] - Chapter 1

The scorching sun blazed overhead, making the ruined streets unbearably hot. Collapsed buildings and abandoned vehicles were scattered everywhere. Under a broken utility pole, a damaged electronic display flickered weakly and showed that the ground temperature had exceeded 50 degrees. A moment later, the screen flashed and completely shut down.

Silence filled the surroundings.

Clatter—

An empty soda can rolled across the street, making a sharp and jarring noise.

Xi Ya quickly retracted her foot and looked up in a panic. The street ahead was empty. Had she lost her?

There was no time to think. She hugged the doll in her arms tightly and ran forward on her small legs.

At the corner, she abruptly stopped. Her thin, frail fingers instinctively tightened around the doll’s hand, as if seeking courage from it.

Standing before her was a tall, slender woman in a black protective suit. Her long hair hung loosely and her face was smeared with black paint that obscured her features. Her gaze shifted from Xi Ya’s broken-legged doll to Xi Ya herself as she spoke, “Stop following me.”

“I-I have an ability,” Xi Ya stammered, looking up at the woman with nervous determination, like a young, inexperienced salesman trying to sell herself.

“Oh,” Lin Bai responded disinterestedly and turned to leave.

Seeing her about to go, Xi Ya hurriedly took two steps forward and shouted, “It’s fire!” Then, as if realizing she was too loud, she lowered her voice cautiously but made sure Lin Bai could still hear, “I awakened a fire ability.”

Lin Bai stopped.

Boom!

The apocalyptic weather was unpredictable. Just seconds ago, the sun had been shining brightly, but within a few exchanged words, dark clouds had gathered and the distant rumbling of thunder signaled an approaching storm.

Lin Bai tilted her head slightly and glanced at the doll-clutching Xi Ya. “Follow me.”

Xi Ya’s face lit up with joy and she quickly ran to keep up.

***

Xi Ya was seven years old. Her parents had passed away early and she had been raised by her grandparents. When she was six, the apocalypse began and her grandparents perished, leaving her a true orphan in the apocalyptic time.

Still, she was lucky. Over a year into the apocalypse, she had somehow managed to survive, stumbling her way through.

Five days ago, she had been searching for food with a small, hastily assembled team, while clutching her beloved doll in her arms.

That was when they encountered zombies.

“It’s a second-tier zombie! Run!”

Everyone bolted for the truck. Xi Ya also ran as fast as she could, as she knew speed meant survival. But in the chaos, someone shoved her aside and she fell to the ground.

Without hesitation, the group abandoned her.

They drove off and left her and her doll alone to face the zombie with its pale, rigid face, white, soulless eyes, and razor-sharp claws.

Paralyzed by fear, she froze.

The overwhelming stench of decay snapped her back to reality and she scrambled to her feet, running for her life.

But how could she outrun a second-tier zombie? Exhausted, she fell again, curling up tightly with her doll in her arms. The moment the zombie’s claw reached for her, time seemed to freeze. Her mind went blank.

She was about to see her parents again. That was her only thought.

But deep inside, she was unwilling to accept it.

She wasn’t sure what drove her, but through teary eyes, she groped for a steel rod nearby and shakily lifted it. Against a zombie twice her height, her resistance was laughable, like a mantis trying to block a cart.

The zombie’s claw easily bypassed the steel rod and reached for her. Its mouth opened to reveal its blackened, jagged teeth.

“Mom—!” she sobbed, swinging the steel rod in despair.

Bang!

The impact landed on something heavy, followed by the zombie’s sharp and piercing screech right by her ear.

Then, suddenly, the screeching stopped. Instead, there was the sound of something heavy collapsing to the ground.

She opened her eyes.

Lying before her was the zombie, its white and lifeless eyes staring blankly as its body lay motionless.

She trembled all over, overwhelmed by shock and fear. Had she… killed the zombie?

Before Xi Ya could process what had happened, a figure dressed entirely in black appeared. The woman was fully covered, her face obscured, and she moved with practiced ease. Holding a dagger, she expertly pried open the back of the zombie’s skull and extracted a glowing green crystal.

A zombie crystal core.

Only then did Xi Ya notice the short blade embedded in the back of the zombie’s head.

“T-thank you.”

Someone had saved her. She had to say thank you.

“Mm,” the woman responded briefly. Without hesitation, she pocketed the crystal core and turned to leave.

“Where are you going?” Xi Ya called after her, watching the woman’s retreating figure.

The black-clad woman didn’t respond.

But Xi Ya knew that the woman was strong. She had to follow her.

She picked up her broken-legged doll and stumbled after the woman.

Xi Ya had been following her for five days now. Several times, she had nearly lost track of her, but she was fast and she knew the area well enough to always find the woman again.

She had also noticed that the woman seemed to fear the cold. Whether it was day or night, she always kept a fire going. If the sun was out, she would stay outside for hours to bask in the heat.

Today was no different. And once again, Xi Ya gathered her courage to talk to her.

She wanted to stay by the powerful woman’s side.

So, when she discovered she had awakened a fire ability, she was ecstatic.

Maybe, just maybe, the woman would need her.

***

In a dimly lit storage room…

Shhh—!

A small flicker of flame emerged from a pair of tiny hands.

The orange glow wavered uncertainly, casting flickering shadows of two figures—one big, one small—against the walls.

Xi Ya had only just awakened her ability. She had no idea how to properly control it, only that summoning the flame drained her energy rapidly.

In less than a minute, sweat was already dripping from her forehead.

In the dim light, she caught sight of Lin Bai’s slightly furrowed brows. Gritting her teeth, Xi Ya tried to make the flame grow bigger. She concentrated with all her might and miraculously, the fire flared up slightly.

She smiled excitedly but the very next second, under both their gazes—

Poof. The flame vanished.

“…”

Lin Bai found herself at a loss for words. This kid’s ability was… hard to evaluate. She was starting to regret her decision.

A brief silence fell over the room.

The sound of rain and thunder echoed outside, accompanied by faint, unnatural noises. Lin Bai’s eyes flickered.

Xi Ya saw Lin Bai tilt her head slightly. “I—” She opened her mouth, about to explain herself, but before she could, Lin Bai’s hand suddenly reached out and covered her nose and mouth.

A strange, sweet scent filled her nostrils.

Darkness consumed her vision and she lost consciousness.

Just as Lin Bai laid Xi Ya down, the sound of heavy and chaotic footsteps entered the building.

Through the gap in the storage room door, Lin Bai peered through the shelves and saw three men step inside.

Her eyes immediately locked onto the two crimson wave-like lines tattooed on the backs of their hands.

Blood Bone.

A notorious organization in the apocalypse, merciless raiders who pillaged, slaughtered, and committed countless atrocities.

Its members were all madmen, infamous for one of the most horrifying practices in the wasteland; treating humans as a food source.

There was even a sickening rumor that the more people one consumed, the faster they could awaken their abilities.

In the apocalypse, resources were scarce and humanity had long since lost its morals. Cannibalism was nothing new, but no one flaunted it as openly and proudly as Blood Bone.

Seeing the three Blood Bone members, Lin Bai ensured Xi Ya wouldn’t make a sound. She then silently drew the short blade from her thigh and stood motionless behind the door.

A tall, muscular man with dark skin walked in and slammed his fist on a nearby shelf, cursing in frustration. “This damn weather!”

The man beside him, short and round like a plump winter melon, glared at him. “Keep your voice down! You wanna attract zombies?!” Though he was shorter than the muscular man, his tone carried the arrogance of someone in charge.

A thin, sallow-skinned man with small eyes quickly pulled over a chair for the round man, eager to please. He chimed in, “Yeah, Brother Zhang Dong is right, Brother Qian Hao! It’s pouring out there and Brother Zhang Dong’s a fire-type ability user. If we attract zombies, we won’t get anything out of it!”

Seeing the new recruit, a mere lackey who had only joined Blood Bone a few days ago, daring to lecture him, Qian Hao’s eyes flashed with hostility. He swallowed his anger and growled, “Got it.”

The round man, Zhang Dong, sat on the chair as if it were his rightful throne and ordered the other two to check the area. Zombies preferred dark, shady places and since the sun had been blazing earlier, there might be some hiding in the shadows.

The three men focused entirely on the outside and paid no attention to the small break room hidden behind the shelves. A large advertisement poster had been plastered over the door, blending it seamlessly into the background.

They continued talking.

Suddenly, Zhang Dong touched his ear.

Through the gap in the door, Lin Bai spotted a black earpiece in his ear, one of the wireless communication devices that had become popular in the apocalypse. Those were hot commodities on the black market.

Whatever was said on the other end made Zhang Dong’s expression shift. Lowering his hand, he turned to the others. “There’s news on a third-tier zombie. It’s located…” He gestured with his hand to indicate the location before continuing, “Brother Chang wants us to head over and provide support.”

“A… a third-tier zombie…” The sallow-skinned man swallowed nervously. “Are we really going?”

Zhang Dong kicked him. “Go where? You wanna be zombie chow?!”

He had originally come out looking for the second-tier zombie this fool had mentioned, but after searching for two or three days with no luck, just seeing this idiot’s face annoyed him.

“But if we don’t go, how do we explain it to Boss Qiu Tu?” The sallow man looked worried.

Zhang Dong kicked him again. “Who said we’re not going?!”

The man, now kicked twice, looked utterly confused.

Qian Hao shot him a glance with the ridicule clear in his eyes. Idiot.

Then he turned to Zhang Dong and said, “I heard the Federation Military is nearby too. Do you think they’re also…”

“Obviously!” Zhang Dong scoffed, cutting him off. “A third-tier zombie crystal core? Anyone with real strength wants a piece of that!”

Even he couldn’t help but be tempted. He had seen Blood Bone members absorb second-tier crystal cores and instantly advance their abilities from D-rank to C-rank. If he could absorb a third-tier core…

He might just jump from C-rank to B-rank.

When he thought of the benefits of being a B-rank ability user in Blood Bone, his blood boiled.

Of course, that was just a fantasy. There was no way a third-tier core would end up in his hands.

It was not just Zhang Dong, as even Qian Hao felt a stir of ambition too. Rumor had it that third-tier crystal cores could awaken abilities in normal people. If he could awaken his own ability, with his skills, why should he remain under Zhang Dong’s thumb?

“Brother Zhang, what should we do now?” The sallow man’s question interrupted Qian Hao’s thoughts.

“Obviously, we’re going to provide support!” Zhang Dong, despite his fear of the third-tier zombie, couldn’t ignore the summons. He glanced outside at the heavy rain and motioned with his chin. “You two, go scout the road. If it’s all clear, we’ll head over using the Guomao Street route.”

Guomao Street was quite a distance from their destination. By the time they arrived, the other teams would probably already be there.

Qian Hao could see through Zhang Dong’s little scheme, but he didn’t call him out on it. He was even more reluctant to go than Zhang Dong was. Zhang Dong had an ability, while he didn’t. If he went, he’d just be walking to his death.

He glanced outside. The rain had lessened but was still drizzling. He knew Zhang Dong was deliberately stalling, but there was no need to confront him about it now. Pushing back his chair, he got up and followed the sallow man outside.

Zhang Dong, of course, could sense Qian Hao’s reluctance, but that didn’t matter. Qian Hao still had to obey him. A glint of satisfaction flickered in his murky eyes and his thick lips curled into a smug smile as he arrogantly stood up.

Before the apocalypse, he and Qian Hao had both been part of a pyramid scheme. Qian Hao was his superior who constantly berated and beat him. But after the apocalypse arrived, Zhang Dong awakened an ability and their roles reversed. By chance, they both joined Blood Bone. With this ability, he no longer had to fear looting and killing. On the contrary, others flattered and fawned over him.

The apocalypse was the best thing that had ever happened to him!

He spread his palm and a small flame ignited. Pretending to dry off his rain-soaked clothes, he waited for the other two to return, soaked and miserable, so he could mock them to his heart’s content.

As he wandered around the convenience store, his sharp eyes noticed a door behind a shelf. From his scattered work experience before the apocalypse, he guessed it was either a small storage room or a break room. There might be something useful inside. If he could find some cigarettes, that would be perfect!

Cigarettes were a rare commodity in the apocalypse.

He didn’t move the shelf immediately. Instead, he cautiously knocked on the door. Zombies were highly sensitive to sound and the scent of the living. He knocked a few times but heard no movement inside. His greedy eyes gleamed with urgency. Seizing the opportunity before the others returned, he effortlessly moved the shelf aside and kicked the door open.

It was a small break room, no more than six square meters.

In the dim light, his eyes immediately landed on a red plastic cigarette pack on the table and even half a bottle of alcohol.

Excitement surged within him. A small flame flickered to life in his palm, serving as a makeshift flashlight. Eagerly, he strode inside and grabbed the cigarette pack.

The moment he picked it up, a chill ran down his spine.

He turned his head and the flickering fire in his hand illuminated a terrifying blackened face, its features obscured.

His soul nearly fled his body.

Without thinking, he hurled the fireball at the figure in front of him.

But before it could hit, the flame extinguished mid-air with a faint hiss.

Zhang Dong’s eyes widened in shock, but he never got the chance to scream.

A short blade plunged through his temple, piercing clean through his skull.