Apocalypse Survival Guide for a Beta [GB] - Chapter 58

Tang Mary was an S-rank metal-based ability user, with a perception of metal far beyond ordinary people. At first, she hadn’t paid much attention to Lin Bai, nor had she observed her closely.

But at such a close distance, she could vaguely sense the presence of numerous metal components inside Lin Bai’s body.

Even if she had undergone surgeries involving metal plates and screws, the amount was far too excessive. Moreover, her physique was completely different from before. What exactly had happened? How did she go from being Vera to Lin Bai?

“There are some reasons,” Lin Bai replied, unwilling to share too much with Tang Mary. Her situation was not something that should be widely known. The more people who knew, the greater the danger she would be in.

She must have suffered a lot. Tang Mary was certain of that. She didn’t press further and only asked, “Is there anything I can do for you?”

Lin Bai shook her head. “No, just act as you did before. Don’t show any signs of knowing.”

Tang Mary nodded but then thought of something else and asked seriously, “Is Bai Chuan threatening you with something? Do you need me to step in and shut him up?”

“…No need. He hasn’t threatened me,” Lin Bai replied.

After she spoke, she noticed a conflicted expression on Tang Mary’s face. Eventually, unable to hold back, Tang Mary asked, “Vera… You haven’t actually taken a liking to that green-haired pretty boy Bai Chuan, have you?”

Lin Bai was speechless. “…No. Also, my name is Lin Bai now,” she reminded her, worried that Tang Mary might slip up later. After all, Adjudicator Elena’s observational and deductive skills were no joke.

Tang Mary was relieved to hear that Vera had no interest in Bai Chuan. After all, she had worked with Bai Chuan for a year and knew that he was far from normal. He spent his days researching all sorts of strange things. Taking Lin Bai’s reminder seriously, she nodded again and corrected herself, “Don’t worry, Ve… Lin Bai.”

Now that Lin Bai’s identity was confirmed, Tang Mary had countless questions she wanted to ask. Was Xi Ya her child? What was the story behind Lin Bai’s supposed partner? And why was Lin Bai heading to the highly dangerous 621 Biopharmaceutical Research Institute?

A flood of questions filled her mind but before she could ask, the sound of approaching footsteps made her swallow them down. Her spiked club reappeared in her hand and she resumed her usual demeanor of ‘I’m the best and no one can tell me otherwise.’

Bai Chuan had returned to the basement five minutes ago but when Tang Mary and Lin Bai didn’t come back, Lou Tiannan waited for a while. Though he didn’t hear any sounds of fighting outside, he still felt uneasy. Under Elena’s thoughtful gaze, he stepped out of the basement.

The moment he did, he saw Tang Mary and Lin Bai a hundred meters away, talking about something. Their expressions seemed normal.

Seeing him approach, Tang Mary raised her willow-leaf-shaped eyebrows high. “Captain Lou, are you out here for a bathroom break too?”

“Mm.” Lou Tiannan’s gaze swept over Lin Bai, confirming that she showed no signs of anything unusual. Without another word, he walked past them.

Just as he was leaving, he overheard Tang Mary’s unfiltered remark, “Strange how everyone’s drinking so much water this late at night…”

Lou Tiannan had wanted to talk to Lin Bai, especially after seeing her open her eyes in his arms. But once that initial impulse passed, he remembered Elena’s suspicions, the mission he had to complete, and Lin Bai’s supposed partner. He knew clearly that it was not the time for certain conversations.

So, he decided to wait. Once they had gone to the 621 Biopharmaceutical Research Institute and completed the mission, then he would talk to Lin Bai.

Unaware of Lou Tiannan’s thoughts, Lin Bai returned to the basement. Xi Ya was sitting on a wooden plank, half-asleep but unable to fall back into slumber. Seeing Lin Bai return, the drowsy child stood up and clung to her leg.

Lin Bai picked Xi Ya up with one hand. In less than two minutes, Xi Ya had wrapped her arms around Lin Bai’s neck and fallen asleep.

Seeing this, Bai Chuan shamelessly stepped forward. “A’Bai, I also—” Before he could finish his sentence, a spiked club was thrust between him and Lin Bai. Forcing a smile, Bai Chuan turned to Tang Mary and asked, “President Tang, what are you doing?”

Tang Mary looked annoyed. “It’s the middle of the night. Can’t people get some sleep?”

Their voices weren’t loud but on the other side of the wall, Elena opened her eyes and observed the three of them. She noticed that Tang Mary’s attitude toward Lin Bai seemed different now. The only connection between them was the stolen crystals from the Guangming Tower. But if Tang Mary knew Lin Bai had taken the crystals, her attitude wouldn’t be like that. So, had the two of them reached some kind of deal?

Lin Bai acted as if she hadn’t noticed anything, keeping her eyes closed and saying nothing.

Bai Chuan sulked and sat back down, muttering, “President Tang, you really have no sense of romance.”

Since he finally stayed quiet, Tang Mary didn’t bother moving the spiked club away from between him and Lin Bai.

That night, hail began to fall, clattering loudly against the ground.

After only four or five hours of rough rest, everyone was already up and prepared to set out before dawn.

Outside, the temperature had dropped sharply. Their combat suits had insulation and cold-resistant features, so apart from the slippery ground making travel difficult, they were otherwise unaffected.

Lin Bai held Xi Ya close to her chest for warmth as she followed behind Lou Tiannan, struggling to maintain her energy.

She couldn’t let her energy be completely drained again. Otherwise, they would seize another opportunity. And after the incident, they would surely be even more vigilant.

***

Aurora Church.

Inside the inner hall, only Clair and the bionic humanoid, Caesar, were present.

Caesar seemed to be completely out of energy, sitting motionless in the chair opposite Clair, his eyes hollow and lifeless.

Clair sat in the main seat, absentmindedly flipping through the latest stack of data that had just been delivered. The straight lines drawn on the pages were nearly identical to the ones he had seen before. He muttered, “Didn’t you say she was about to wake up? Then why has an entire night passed without any change?”

Creak, creak—

The ‘Caesar’ sitting across from him moved his neck slightly, the mechanical sounds of his joints echoing in the quiet hall. A hint of color returned to his once-empty eyes. His lips parted and closed as he spoke in a mechanical voice, “You’ve already waited a year. Why are you getting impatient over a few more days? She will wake up eventually.”

“How much longer?” Clair pressed, his handsome face filled with impatience.

“How much longer…” A strange expression appeared on ‘Caesar’s’ face. “Are you sure she isn’t just refusing to wake up because she doesn’t want to see you?”

Clair’s long lashes lowered, his gaze dimming. If anyone else had seen his expression at that moment, they would have felt heartache for him.

Seeing Clair’s reaction, ‘Caesar’ slowly stood up, his mechanical voice carrying an eerie temptation. “How about… you let me into the incubation chamber? I can help you—”

Bang!

Before ‘Caesar’ could finish his sentence, Clair grabbed him by the collar and slammed him against the wall, his voice sharp and commanding, “Don’t ever say that again.”

The sorrow and melancholy on Clair’s face vanished, replaced by firm and serious warning. “I will find whatever it is you want but not her. If you don’t learn your lesson and bring this up again, I’ll send you right back to where you came from.”

A shift flickered across ‘Caesar’s’ expression. Then, his lips curled into a stiff smile as he responded, word by word, “Understood, Your Excellency Bishop.”

Knock, knock, knock—

‘Caesar’ stiffly moved his neck from side to side and said, “It’s the priests from Eastern District One. You should meet them.”

Clair withdrew his hand, adjusted his robes, and said softly, “Enter.”

Meanwhile, ‘Caesar’ lowered his head and slowly stepped behind Clair.

The doors to the inner hall were pushed open carefully and a priest from Eastern District One quickly stepped in. “Your Excellency Bishop, Lou Tiannan and his group have arrived at Eastern District One. They are currently outside the 621 Biopharmaceutical Research Institute.”

Clair looked up at the priest. “The zombies at the outer perimeter of Eastern District One didn’t stop them?”

The priest replied, “Most of the zombies at the outer perimeter were destroyed by explosives. We don’t know who planted them.”

Clair was aware that Blood Bone had been bombing zombies in Eastern District One to collect crystal cores. However… he glanced sideways at the ‘Caesar’ behind him. ‘Caesar’ had assured him that Blood Bone had already stopped. But clearly, that wasn’t the case.

Suppressing his emotions, Clair waved a hand dismissively at the priest. “Understood. You may leave.”

Once the priest exited, Clair turned to look at ‘Caesar’ behind him and asked calmly, “This is what you meant by ‘stopping’?”

“Looks like there was an unexpected issue. I’ll handle it,” ‘Caesar’ responded.

As soon as ‘Caesar’ finished speaking, his eyes closed. When they opened again, they returned to their usual misty, vacant state.

Seeing that, Clair knew that the presence inside ‘Caesar’ had left. He slowly sat back in his main seat and pulled out a map of Eastern District One from the drawer.

***

On a hidden floor in the northern part of Eastern District One, Qiu Tu lounged on a sofa, chewing on a crystal core while listening to his subordinate’s report.

“Apart from the few brothers who died in the Yuguan Building, Brother Zhang and Brother Li, who were captured, have been released. The explosives are all prepared and the crew is waiting downstairs, ready for your orders, Boss Qiu Tu,” the subordinate finished his report nervously, only to hear a loud bang right next to his ear, making his heart tremble.

A solid wood tea table had been kicked against the wall by Qiu Tu, shattering into pieces. Qiu Tu spat, “Those damn idiots! One day, I’ll wipe them all out in one go!”

“You’re absolutely right, Boss Qiu Tu! Absolutely right!” the subordinate quickly echoed his words. However, he suddenly felt a chill creep into the room, making him too afraid to lift his head from the ground.

“Get out.”

“Y-yes!” The subordinate scrambled to leave, terrified that if he lingered too long, he’d become Qiu Tu’s punching bag.

As the door closed, Qiu Tu sat up from the sofa. “Why are you here, my lord?”

“I told you before, stop bombing Eastern District One,” a hoarse voice sounded in the air.

“My lord, Eastern District One is a fat piece of meat. There’s no way I’m giving it up.” Qiu Tu had always been aware of his own greed. Even now, despite being questioned, he remained unafraid. After all, how could anyone achieve anything without greed?

“Hmph,” the hoarse voice let out a cold scoff. “Lou Tiannan and his team have entered Eastern District One through the breach you created.”

“What?!” Qiu Tu shot to his feet, shocked. “Weren’t they locked up in prison? I was just about to blow up that prison to turn it into their grave! How did they get released so quickly?”

“The Federation Army has no one left to use. How long did you think they could keep Lou Tiannan locked up? Right now, he and his team are a problem.”

Qiu Tu didn’t even need the ‘lord’ to explain further. The moment he heard Lou Tiannan was free, his killing intent surged uncontrollably. He turned to confirm with the ‘lord,’ “My lord, are you sure S-rank ability users also have crystal cores in their bodies?”

“Of course.”