Apocalypse Survival Guide for a Beta [GB] - Chapter 71

In the Safe Zone of Eastern District Five, the sky remained overcast with snowflakes drifting down. Thick layers of snow covered the streets and alleys, but today, the usually quiet and cold streets were unusually crowded with people gathered in discussion.

Some poked their heads out of windows, others spoke in hushed yet excited tones through cracks in their doors.

“Captain Lou Tiannan of Military Defense’s Third Squad is back!!!”

“He returned from Western District Seven!”

“Will he give a speech? I wonder what the situation outside is like!”

“I heard he brought back a cure for the zombie virus from the research institute.”

“Is that true?!”

“My aunt’s daughter’s friend’s cousin’s friend works as an ability user guard for the Federation and that’s what he said!”

“Yeah, yeah, my uncle’s sister’s friend’s kid said the same thing…”

“I also heard that Captain Lou’s ability level has surpassed S-rank!”

“Whoa! That’s higher than the Federation General’s level!”

“If he’s that powerful, could he evolve into an Enigma…”

“Who knows…”

“Aurora bless us, may Enigma appear soon and wipe out all the zombies!”

Despite their heated discussions, in the end, they continued their daily routine; waiting, praying for Aurora’s prophecy to come true, for Enigma to descend and end the apocalypse…

***

Five hundred meters outside the Safe Zone’s walls, inside an underground bunker.

“Are we sure it’s okay for Captain Lou to go to the Federation alone?” Lu Jia paced anxiously.

Tang Mary, seated comfortably in a chair, responded nonchalantly, “It’s definitely better for him to go alone than with all of you tagging along. If things go south, no one can stop him from escaping. But for you guys, that’s a different story.”

Hearing her words, Zhou Yu, Song Yan, and the others looked grim. She was blatantly calling them dead weight, but they knew she wasn’t wrong.

Five hours ago, Lou Tiannan had decided to take the Primal Blood Vaccine to the Federation himself.

They still didn’t know how deep the Federation’s ties with Aurora ran or whether the Federation was even aware of Aurora’s plot to raise a zombie king. On top of that, Zhu Liang was still unconscious.

Lou Tiannan ordered them to stay put while he infiltrated the Federation alone to investigate. There was no better plan, but it meant he would be walking straight into danger. Zhou Yu and the others hesitated, but Lou Tiannan’s resolute expression and the steely determination in his gray eyes left no room for argument.

“I must confirm the Federation’s safety.”

No one spoke, not even Elena.

After speaking with Zhou Yu and the others, Lou Tiannan turned to Lin Bai. He walked up to her and said, “Wait for me. I have something to tell you when I return.”

Lin Bai looked up in confusion. Something to tell her? Did Lou Tiannan know about her identity?

But judging by his expression, it seemed unlikely.

Lin Bai didn’t bother guessing what he wanted to say. She slid her hand into her combat suit pocket, her fingers absentmindedly twirling the irregular amber piece inside.

She had retrieved the ‘key,’ but she still hadn’t gathered enough energy from zombie crystal cores. The collected energy wasn’t enough to ensure her access to the side hall.

But with the heavy snowfall over the past few days, the temperature outside was dangerously low. Low-level zombie cores were useless to her and harvesting high-level cores would drain too much of her own energy. She needed a plan; she had to find a way to trick Lou Tiannan into helping her.

Just as she was lost in thought, a shadow fell over her.

She looked up and saw Elena’s tea-colored hair and brown eyes. Bai Chuan and Tang Mary instinctively moved to Lin Bai’s side, flanking her like two silent guardians.

Elena studied her from head to toe, her gaze carrying both curiosity and hesitation. After a brief pause, she smiled gently, her expression warm. “It’s been a long time.”

Lin Bai looked at her steadily, understanding what she meant. She lowered her gaze and replied lazily, “Long time no see.”

Only Bai Chuan and Tang Mary exchanged glances. Elena and Lin Bai had only been apart for six days, yet they spoke as if they hadn’t seen each other in months.

Seeing Lin Bai acknowledge her, Elena sat down beside her. She wanted to ask what had happened, how Lin Bai had become Lin Bai, but now wasn’t the right time. In the end, she only asked, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.”

“Is there anything I can do for you?” Elena asked again.

Lin Bai paused in thought for a second before asking, “Do you have any high-tier zombie crystal cores?”

“I do.” Elena took out a bottle from the inner pocket of her clothes. Inside, glowing crystal cores emitted a faint light. Although she didn’t know what Lin Bai needed them for, she trusted her and handed them over.

“A’Bai, do you need those? I have some too.” Bai Chuan sat beside Lin Bai.

“As if I don’t!” Tang Mary huffed, digging into her pockets.

In less than a minute, Lin Bai had three bottles filled with crystal cores in her hands.

Whoa! Jackpot!

She now had dozens of second-tier or higher zombie crystal cores.

She did a quick calculation but it still wasn’t enough. The mutant zombies in the side hall were definitely much stronger than they had been three months ago. She needed to find more ability-enhanced zombie crystal cores.

“Brother Liang! Brother Liang?!” Wen Xiaxia’s voice suddenly rang out.

Everyone turned to look at Zhu Liang, who was lying on a makeshift wooden bed.

He seemed to be in immense pain, his face contorted, the veins on his restrained limbs bulging. His skin flushed red, then purple, and dark veins became visible beneath the surface. His eyes were wide open, filled with emptiness and agony. “Ahhh—!”

“What’s happening?!” Zhou Yu looked at Zhu Liang, unsure of what to do.

“The zombie virus is attacking him…” Elena observed his condition closely from the bedside. “A single dose of the Primal Blood Vaccine might not be enough to suppress it. We need to be prepared.”

Everyone present knew exactly what she meant by ‘be prepared.’

They could only watch helplessly as the dark purple veins spread across Zhu Liang’s body, their faces filled with distress. “Brother Liang!”

Just as the purple-black color reached his chest, nearing his heart and lungs, Zhu Liang suddenly let out a muffled groan.

To everyone’s shock, the dark veins actually began to fade. No one dared to breathe as they silently chanted Zhu Liang’s name in their hearts. The dark color remained stagnant for a long time.

Then, suddenly—

“What… what is that?!” Song Yan gasped in astonishment.

She pointed at Zhu Liang’s left hand, which was wrapped in layers of white bandages stained with traces of blood.

From within the bandages, a tiny green sprout had emerged.

“This…”

No one had ever seen anything like it before. As they watched in shock and uncertainty, the green sprouts continued to grow, winding up Zhu Liang’s arm, from his forearm to his shoulder, and then spreading across his chest. Everywhere the sprouts touched, the purple-black infection faded completely.

Within minutes, the green vines had completely wrapped around Zhu Liang, making him look like a living green mummy.

No one knew how much time had passed, but eventually, the green sprouts slowly disappeared. Or rather, they seemed to dissolve into Zhu Liang’s body.

“Is this… an ability?” Bai Chuan asked uncertainly.

“Then, is he human or a zombie now?” Tang Mary was more concerned with that question.

If he had turned into an ability-wielding zombie, it would be a serious problem.

Just as they were still speculating, Zhu Liang suddenly opened his eyes.

Seeing him regain consciousness, everyone was both relieved and cautious. “Brother Liang?”

“Yeah, it’s me,” Zhu Liang answered hoarsely.

“How do you feel?” Wen Xiaxia asked excitedly, overjoyed that Zhu Liang was responding to them.

“We saw green leaves growing on you just now. Do you remember anything?” Lu Jia asked.

Hearing this, Zhu Liang slowly raised his right hand. A small green sprout emerged from his palm. He hesitated and said, “I think… I’ve awakened an ability.”

***

A wood-based ability, rated A+.

That was the result Elena confirmed after testing Zhu Liang.

Lu Jia, Zhou Yu, and the others looked on enviously. “So the saying is true; what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger?”

At last, they could smile. “Thank goodness you’re okay, Brother Liang!”

In a short amount of time, Zhu Liang was already able to stand. He glanced around at everyone, his gaze pausing briefly on Lin Bai before shifting away naturally. Then he asked, “Where’s Captain Lou?”

At the mention of Lou Tiannan, the smiles on their faces faded. “We’re in Eastern District Five now. Captain Lou went to the Federation to deliver the Primal Blood Vaccine.”

***

Outside the door of the Federation Leader’s office, the Federal General stood with his team, all of them on high alert.

Inside the office, the current Federation Leader, Wu Zeyue, and Lou Tiannan faced each other, one seated, the other standing.

Wu Zeyue was already fifty years old, yet time had left little trace on her face. Her long hair was neatly pinned up, and her years in power had given her an imposing presence that commanded respect without the need for anger. Her gray eyes, strikingly similar to Lou Tiannan’s, reflected the sharp features of the young man standing before her.

She spoke first. “Is the mission complete?”

Lou Tiannan placed the box containing the Primal Blood Vaccine on the desk and pushed it toward Wu Zeyue with a slight bow.

Just as her gloved fingers touched the box, Lou Tiannan’s hand pressed down on it as well.

“?” Wu Zeyue looked at him.

Lou Tiannan met her gaze directly and asked, “What is the current relationship between the Federation and Aurora?”

Wu Zeyue asked in return, “Is that how you speak to your leader?”

Lou Tiannan remained silent, his fingers firmly pressing on the vaccine box, refusing to move.

Wu Zeyue withdrew her hand. “Out of the six regional councilors, five are already in contact with Aurora.”

Lou Tiannan’s brows furrowed. “And what about you?”

Wu Zeyue replied without hesitation, “The Federation needs Aurora to stabilize military morale.”

“Then do you know about the thing in the side hall of the Aurora Church?”

“The thing in the side hall?” Wu Zeyue frowned in confusion and looked at Lou Tiannan. “Besides supplies, what else is there in their side hall?”

Hearing this, Lou Tiannan slowly loosened his fingers and straightened his posture.

Wu Zeyue didn’t understand but still took the vaccine box in front of her. When she opened it, a trace of surprise flashed through her eyes. “Why are there only three doses?”

“There were supposed to be the first doses and the second doses, but by the time I got it, only the first doses were left. My teammate was infected with the zombie virus, so I gave him two doses.”

Wu Zeyue lifted her gaze from the vaccine instructions. “Can the first dose save an infected person?”

“I don’t know. He’s outside the safe zone.”

“I need him to undergo observation and research for the Federation.”

“Impossible,” Lou Tiannan refused decisively. “He’s my teammate.”

Seeing Lou Tiannan’s firm expression, Wu Zeyue took a step back. “I only need his blood and physical data.”

When Lou Tiannan didn’t respond, her voice turned colder. “You must give them to me. The Aurora Bishop has already hinted to the council members that they’ve developed a drug capable of resisting the zombie virus. If public support shifts toward Aurora again, then the already precarious Federation will cease to exist. Everything your father and I have fought for will lose all meaning.”

“Lou Tiannan, you must understand that this concerns the entire Federation!”