Apocalypse Survival Guide for a Beta [GB] - Chapter 9

Lunch was eaten in the vehicle since the morning delay meant the convoy didn’t stop at noon.

Zhou Yu was the one distributing Xi Ya’s lunch. When he saw her doll, his eyes immediately caught sight of its metal leg. It was exquisitely crafted, with flexible joints that blended seamlessly with the doll’s body. He praised, “Yo, your mom’s got some skills!”

Previously, Zhou Yu had assumed Lin Bai had a military background. But now, seeing the repaired doll, he began to think she might have worked in robotics. Just looking at that leg, it was clearly not something an ordinary person could create.

Xi Ya held her doll like a treasure, took the supplies Zhou Yu handed her, and sweetly said, “Thank you, big brother.” She had noticed that Zhou Yu had given Lin Bai the metal pieces earlier.

Zhou Yu patted her head with a smile. “Such a sweet talker. Here, have another pack of biscuits.”

No one dared to object even when he gave it to her openly. Zhou Yu was an ability user and so was the little girl. It was only natural for them to receive preferential treatment.

After skipping two meals, both Peter and Li Meng were struggling. They stared at the biscuits enviously, while Lin Bai remained as indifferent as ever, leaning against the truck bed with her eyes closed.

After Zhou Yu left, Xi Ya asked Lin Bai if she wanted the biscuits, but Lin Bai told her to eat them herself.

Xi Ya was a little worried. Lin Bai hadn’t eaten all morning and had barely drunk any water. But after observing her closely and seeing no signs of weakness, she recalled that on rainy days, Lin Bai would often sit quietly in a corner like this. That put her somewhat at ease.

After thinking for a moment, she asked Lin Bai another question. Once she got a response, she unwrapped the biscuits and gave one piece to Peter.

Peter bit into the biscuit and shot a provocative grin at Li Meng.

Li Meng clenched his fists tightly.

Peter wasn’t much better off himself. A single biscuit did nothing for an adult Alpha like him. But seeing Li Meng’s frustrated expression gave him some satisfaction.

After all, as Young Master Peter, no one had ever dared to lay a hand on him, except for Lin Bai, of course.

The weather remained miserable throughout the afternoon. It was cold, windy, and rainy.

Xi Ya leaned against Lin Bai, summoning a small flame in her palm to warm her. She knew Lin Bai hated the cold.

But just then, the vehicle suddenly braked sharply. She quickly extinguished her flame, narrowly avoiding burning Lin Bai.

The incident came without warning.

As the convoy passed by a village, Lou Tiannan had just ordered everyone to be on alert when dozens of zombies suddenly emerged from the grass.

They were all first-tier zombies, easy enough to handle. However…

“Watch out!”

Despite Zhou Yu’s warning, Lu Jia was still hit in the arm by a bullet from the shadows. Blood gushed from the wound, driving the nearby zombies into a frenzy.

Song Yan tossed him a roll of bandages. Lu Jia grabbed it, retreated to quickly wrap his wound, then jumped back into the fight.

The zombies were easy to kill, but the occasional gunfire from hidden enemies made it difficult to dodge in time.

In just a few minutes, several members of the Federal Army had already taken hits.

The survivors in the truck bed huddled together, trembling. Some were anxious to help but didn’t dare get out, afraid they’d only cause more trouble.

“Ah!” A cry of pain came from the grass.

Lou Tiannan’s flames had struck their target.

Most of the twenty-odd first-tier zombies had been wiped out and now that Lou Tiannan was pinpointing their attackers, the enemies finally revealed themselves.

Seven people stepped out, all wearing masks and dressed in black. Their outfits immediately gave them away as the black market hunters.

One of them spoke, “I know who you are, Lou Tiannan. Let’s make a deal. We have four A-ranks on our side. You can’t win. Hand over the third-tier crystal cores and we’ll let you leave.”

Only Blood Bone knew that the Federal Army had the third-tier zombie crystal cores. Now that the black market hunters knew as well, it was obvious who had leaked the information.

The rain fell in thin streams, drenching the fighters on both sides.

Only Lou Tiannan remained dry. The raindrops evaporated the moment they touched him, turning into a mist that swirled around him.

His brows lowered, his gaze chillingly sharp. Time seemed to slow at that moment. Then, suddenly, his lips curved slightly, mocking, yet with a hint of something unreadable. “Let’s change the deal.”

“What?” The masked man asked warily.

“Leave now and I won’t take your lives.”

The masked man snapped, “You’ll pay for your ignorance and arrogance! Attack!”

At his command, the seven of them lunged at Lou Tiannan.

Lou Tiannan had been holding back a lot of anger these past two days. Now, seeing them rush at him, he struck without hesitation.

A surge of black flames shot toward them from behind. Two of them were caught off guard and were hit directly until they were sent sprawling to the ground.

Before Lou Tiannan even needed to say anything, Zhou Yu, Song Yan, and the others had already launched their own attacks.

But A-rank ability users had far superior agility and regeneration. They dodged swiftly and counterattacked just as fast.

For a moment, the battlefield became a display of chaotic energy, with powers clashing in flashes of light and darkness, and Lou Tiannan’s black flames stood out the most.

Inside the truck bed, Peter noticed Lin Bai moving toward the exit.

“Where are you going?” He was still waiting for his antidote and couldn’t afford for Lin Bai to get into trouble.

“To warm up by the fire,” Lin Bai replied flatly.

Peter: “…”

Is this really the time to warm up by the fire?! Those people out there are fighting for their lives!

But Peter could only complain in his mind. Lin Bai did whatever she wanted and he had no say in it.

At that moment, everyone else was trying to squeeze further inside the truck bed, leaving an open space at the edge. That made it easy for Lin Bai to step out, with her little shadow, Xi Ya, sticking close behind.

Outside, the battle was intense.

Perhaps to avoid harming the survivors in the transport truck, Lou Tiannan had deliberately shifted the fight away. With the rain falling steadily, the temperature Lin Bai felt wasn’t too high.

Without hesitation, she jumped down from the truck and walked toward the battlefield.

Someone saw her and muttered, “Is she insane?!”

None of the fighters noticed Lin Bai’s approach.

They were all too focused on dealing with Lou Tiannan, not daring to let their guard down.

Lou Tiannan’s ability was simply too strong. He was agile and experienced in combat, taking on five opponents at once without losing ground.

Among his attackers, there were three abilities; metal, earth, and fire. The two fire users quickly realized they couldn’t overpower Lou Tiannan, so they shifted their focus to Song Yan and the others instead.

Among the five attackers, two or three seemed to have some degree of teamwork. Their combined attacks occasionally grazed Lou Tiannan, but every time they got close, he sent them flying with a punch.

His fist, veins bulging, was like a thousand-pound hammer. Just one hit left his opponent dazed. Before the earth-ability user could recover, a swift kick from Lou Tiannan left him half-crippled on the ground.

Someone tried to attack him from behind, but it was as if he had eyes in the back of his head. Without turning around, he sent a burst of black flames straight at the assailant’s face.

The attacker retreated in panic, barely dodging the flames, only to be met with Lu Jia’s wooden staff swinging straight at his head.

The battle had lasted about fifteen minutes. Among the seven black market hunters, two were seriously injured and five were lightly wounded. In contrast, Lou Tiannan and his team had taken some hits but remained fierce, seemingly growing more aggressive as they fought.

The black market hunters exchanged glances. They hadn’t expected Lou Tiannan to be so difficult to handle. Gritting their teeth, they launched another coordinated attack.

“You really think we’re nobodies?!” Zhou Yu spat out a mouthful of blood and clasped his hands together, launching dozens of metal arrows at the seven hunters.

One of the metal-ability users quickly conjured an iron plate to block the attack. But to his shock, the arrows pierced through the metal, stopping just inches from their faces. The glinting silver tips sent a chill down their spines.

In that split second, Lou Tiannan’s eyes flickered. He raised his hand, then dropped it.

Boom!

Black flames surged toward the hunters. They scrambled to defend, but all were knocked to the ground. Before they could react, flames ignited behind them, sealing off their escape.

Lou Tiannan stepped forward, his gray eyes darkening with a faint red hue. As he raised his hand, black flames crackling, he prepared to deal the final blow.

Suddenly, a gust of wind surged, sharp wind blades slicing through the air.

Sensing danger, Lou Tiannan immediately looked up just in time to see Lin Bai and the arrows flying straight toward her.

His pupils shrank. In a flash, he dodged the wind blades and leaped toward Lin Bai, grabbing her arm and pulling her toward him.

Two soft thuds followed and the arrows embedded into the spot where Lin Bai had been standing moments ago.

With one hand pressed firmly against her, Lin Bai could feel the unnatural heat radiating from Lou Tiannan’s body even through his combat suit.

‘Is this some kind of bug in his ability?’ she idly wondered. She had seen other fire users before, but none of them radiated heat like this. Even Xi Ya didn’t.

“What the hell are you doing off the truck?!” Lou Tiannan snapped.

“Thought you might lose,” Lin Bai answered casually, throwing out a half-hearted excuse.

Lou Tiannan assumed she had come to help. His expression softened slightly, but then, as if sensing something, he pushed Lin Bai behind him and turned his sharp gaze toward the newcomer.

A woman had appeared in the clearing. She was tall, curvaceous, and stunningly beautiful.

Like Lin Bai, she was wearing makeup, but hers was far more alluring.

“Well, well, Captain Lou, I’ve heard so much about you.”

She wore a black dress, her chestnut curls cascading over her shoulders. Her eyes were fox-like and her red lips curved in a dangerous smile like a deadly night rose.

Behind her stood Tyke, Chang Qi, and other members of Blood Bone.

Lou Tiannan remained silent.

The woman, however, continued speaking on her own, “My name is Lisa. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Lisa.

Upon hearing the name, Zhou Yu and the others momentarily looked grim.

Since the apocalypse, Lou Tiannan’s name had become legendary but Lisa’s name was just as well-known.

Not only was she one of the rare wind-ability awakeners, but she was also an Omega. People only knew her for her beauty and strength, but few had ever seen her in person. No one expected her to show up there.

“I’m very interested in making deals,” Lisa said with a playful wink at Lou Tiannan. “How about we make one of our own?”

Hearing this, the black market hunters, who had just struggled back to their feet, immediately realized they had been set up by Blood Bone.

“I’m not interested.” Before Lisa could even name her terms, Lou Tiannan rejected her coldly.

“What’s the point of wasting time talking?” Tyke cut in impatiently, his gaze fixed on Lin Bai.

Despite being brushed off, Lisa continued to smile, though a hint of chill crept into her soft voice. “Well then,” she said sweetly. “Let’s begin.”